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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> colonel gaddafi has been accused by the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court has used -- of using rape as a weapon of war. britain and france push for a u.n. security council resolution condemning the protests in syria. in yemen, protestors take to the street of the capital to call for a new transitional government. welcome to bbc news, broadcast to our viewers in america on pbs and across the globe. a grim warning for afghanistan. u.s. lawmakers fear its economy will collapse by 2014. and aiming for the imf top job, france's finance minister khristine the guard says she is satisfied letting china drum up

support for her bid. ♪ >> hello and welcome. the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court says he is becoming more convinced that colonel gaddafi's using rape against libyan rebels. a team has found evidence that suggests the libyan leader has even provided his soldiers with the viagra. on the ground, rebels have made their first attempt to move out of the city of misrata. they are moving south and east and west. they have sustained heavy casualties as colonel gaddafi's forces fought back. >> to shouts of "god is great" rebels fought back against colonel gaddafi's forces. >> we are on the front line now.

we do not need any help because we are ready to defeat gaddafi and his forces, his supporters and his sons. >> this is the heaviest fighting around the city since gaddafi loyalists were beaten here in april. more casualties are rushed into the hospital. so far, this hospital alone has received 11 dead and more than 30 with serious injuries. they expect many more as the fighting continues. meanwhile, colonel gaddafi is facing new allegations of the -- of abuses from this man. >> he decided to banish [unintelligible] beyond the limits, i would say. also, we are finding some elements confirming this accusation of viagra-type of

element to show in the policy. they are buying containers with products to enhance the possibility of raping women. >> and elsewhere, the pressure on colonel gaddafi continues to mount. there have been more airstrikes on tripoli this week. nato will not let up. in a meeting in brussels wednesday, some ministers want more countries to get involved. >> what we have been trying to say is that there are other countries who have assets that we could be using, not necessarily in ground attack, but in support and reconnaissance. >> colonel gaddafi is under growing pressure, but these attacks on misrata suggesting maybe fighting back. the battle for the city, and libya is under way. >> a woman working for amnesty international campaigning on international issues says that

if colonel gaddafi is using rape, he would be violating all of the rules of war. >> rate is a crime, no matter the circumstances. -- rate is a crime, no matter the circumstances. -- rape is a crime. and if they are giving the orders, they are directly implicated, not just the soldiers doing it. it shows the chain of command making this happen as a means of war. that is illegal under every human rights law or the laws of war. pe has been used as a weapon throughout the ages, but now it is being watched so closely. >> it is interesting that is being used now while the conflict still going on. quite often, it does not invest it until much later, sometimes because people are afraid to speak out. but of course, we know that libyan women have been speaking

out. and many in the population have supported them. >> now, britain and france have presented a revised draft resolution to the u.n. security council calling for an immediate end to the violence in syria and demanding the lift of the siege of several cities. in the north of the country, hundreds of residents are pouring across the turkish border. they say the government is about to unleash a revenge attack. >> these pictures, impossible to verify, seem to show people on the streets last night. they're waving olive branches, calling on the syrian army to stay outside the town. these people fear imminent attack after the reported killing of up to 120 security forces on monday in the area. the syrian government has been broadcasting pictures of the legend massacre. most are too graphic for us to

show. but they do reveal dozens of bodies in uniform line along this bloodstained road. the victims have been called mars by the regime, but opposition groups claim they were shot by their own side as deserters. whatever the truth, it seems clear military reinforcements have been flooding into the area. >> the town is almost empty. the residents have fled. the town is like a ghost town. and literally, reinforcement barracks, tanks are just about 7 kilometers outside town and people are expecting the worst. >> and it is the scale of the killing of civilians that has prompted growing international anger. with mourners at funerals often been shot by security forces and children are often the victims of torture. >> the regime has decided to

stop almost nothing to hang onto power, judging they have no future without it. and the sun is following the example of the father. in 1982, his forces killed at least 10,000 people in a single town. >> tonight at the united nations in new york, britain and france are trying to win support for a resolution that condemns the latest repression. the draft does not threaten any military intervention, but is still off meeting resistance from countries to see another slippery slope to another libya. >> the repression is getting worse and the massacres are on the rise. it is inconceivable that the u.n. remain silent on such a matter. >> and each day, hundreds more serious are fleeing their country, many into neighboring turkey as the crisis worsens. >> our correspondent in the u.n. is looking at the concerns

of other council members. but the negotiations begin today, thursday, and in essence, what the resolution says is its condensed the systematic violence of rights in syria and demand access for humanitarian workers. it also urges countries to exercise vigilance in preventing the sale of arms to syria. although, it does not authorize any concrete measures. this is the most the council members might be able to agree on because there are six council members that are quite reluctant, mostly because they fear this could be the first step toward a libya-style military intervention and they do not feel that is going very well at all and they do not wanted repeated elsewhere. britain has taken these concerns into account. they have added language stressing that any change must be a syrian-led process. but that still might not be enough to satisfy the veto holding powers of china and especially russia, both of

which oppose any council involvement on the ground because of it could destabilize the country. the european states will try to sway them during negotiations, but either way they seem to be determined to push this to a vote in coming days. both britain and france say the council cannot remain silent and that it must speak out. >> let's stay with the situation in syria. abu is a resident of the capital, damascus. >> are around 50 people gathered in the streets in the center of damascus. it is a commercial market. it is usually very busy. the people were chanting for freedom and for the army to go

out from the other cities that were invaded, and for the government to stop the killing. but a lot of pro-government and security forces beat them. the protesters, you can see from the video that is displayed now, it is totally peaceful. and they were only chanting and singing national songs. after that, at least eight of them were confirmed arrested and three cars were smashed because the drivers of those cars were using them on the streets in protest. after that, security forces and pro-government brought at least 500 or 600 people to make pro- government protests in the streets.

they also beat a girl who was just arguing with security forces that they should stop beating the other protesters. they gathered on them and started beating them. >> he was describing a protest in the capital of damascus there. protesters have gathered in the yemeni capital to demand a transitional government. the opposition coalition said it will set up an interim council to set -- to run the country. the president is still in the hospital in saudi arabia. >> gunshots echoed in the streets of the yemeni capital and the skies are blazing with a trace of fire. but this time, apparently, it is not fighting that is causing it. in this celebration. yemeni protesters took to the streets -- yemeni supporters took to the streets after hearing that the president is on the mend.

he is in the hospital for injuries sustained in an explosion during an attack on his palace last week. western and arab powers are trying to persuade him to stay in saudi arabia and allow the transition of power in yemen to begin. on wednesday, thousands of anti- government protesters swarmed the streets of the capital weighting banners and chanting slogans. they, too, want change and they want it now. >> we came out today to emphasize the popular demands of the people who have come out on the streets for four months. our goal is not just the departure of the president. if we want a transitional council that can rule the country. >> despite the constant pressure to step down, the president remains stubborn. he has refused to sign a plan that would guarantee him immunity from prosecution in exchange for his resignation. and his allies insist that the injuries he is being treated for

in saudi arabia are minor. and he will be back in office very soon, they say. breakingbring you some news from pakistan from the reuters news agency. it is being reported that around 150 heavily armed militants have attacked a security check post and pakistan near the waziristan region on thursday, killing around eight soldiers. that is according to local intelligence officials. and the security forces killed at least 12 militants in retaliation for that attack. that is coming from reuters news agency. you are watching bbc news. still ahead, china has a secret weapon. the first of its aircraft carriers to set to launch from beijing. the eu has increased to 210 million euros the compensation

for farmers that have lost compensation due to the e coli outbreak. the outbreak has so far left at least 26 people dead. >> the it -- the clinic in hobart is one of the big epicenters of the outbreak. for nearly three weeks there have been a wave of new patients, some with kidney failure, all on top of their normal workload. they normally only have to do some specialist treatment in this hospital, only 50 times a year. but they have now had 200 in two weeks just because of the outbreaks. machines and supplies have had to be brought from all over germany. the hospital is working flat out. >> i think is a very difficult thing to handle for the authorities because it is a new bacteria, which has very special

properties. therefore, it did not fit to any procedures they have. >> the number of new cases each day has now started to ease, indicating the corporate makeover -- be over the worst of. but hundreds of people remain seriously ill. they may never know the source of the germ. twice authorities have identified forms and have twice had to say they are wrong. the german government is looking at the system for next time. >> these hospitals were overwhelmed, but they have coped. the real question is whether it was wise to point the finger at specific forms only to clear them 24 hours later. that question lingers. bbc news, hamburg. >> you are watching bbc news.

the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court says there is evidence that the libyan leader, colonel gaddafi, maybe using rape as a weapon against his opponents. and hundreds of syrians have fled the country ahead of an assault from the government on anti-government protestors. the u.n. security council is condemning syria. the finance minister of france has been trying to secure china's military -- china's support for her heading the imf. she said that they had discussed a number of issues, including china's economic growth, the world economy, and of course, the imf vacancy. >> as i said, i am very positive about my trip to china. but the decision does not belong to me. it belongs to the chinese authorities. and i think now was not the time because the candidacies are

still open until tomorrow at the end of the day. >> do you feel confident? >> i always feel confident. [laughter] >> let's get some more on this. michael has been watching this from beijing. she is saying there that she is always very confident, but does she have reason to be because she does not have china's endorsement? rex she does not yet, but she seems pretty confident -- >> she does not yet, but she seems pretty confident. she talked in the first few minutes about her friends and colleagues in china. she indicated that she would, perhaps, be willing to give china a chinese nationalist senior role within the imf and she also indicated increased voting rights, which are on the table right now for china, that would be pushed through if their

economy continues to grow. she was certainly very confident about the conversation. and she spoke with a woman who was on the campaign trail and she spoke like a woman who had actually gotten some backing from china. >> she previously visited india and did not get any support. and of course, china is acting in a visit from a mexican candidate next week. everything is at play, it seems. >> well, it is. as you heard in the cliff just a few minutes ago, christine lasard is being very careful and cautious. she did not want to say that she is going to win while there are still other candidates out there. and the nominations do not close until tomorrow. there is still time for other

people, perhaps, to come forward. she is being very cautious. but she did speak as a woman who feels as though she has the confidence to say that she has spoken to the chinese and has listen to what they have to say, and the indians as well, and she certainly feels she is quite confident, as we heard her say. >> and i am assuming no reaction from china itself, keeping very tight-lipped. >> i would not expect that there would be any indication before the vote takes place because that is not usually their style. and as you keep indicated, she spoke just a few moments ago about speaking with the chinese officials. there has not really been time for them to respond to those comments. >> thank you very much with the latest. an influential committee of

america incident -- senators is warning afghanistan is sliding into economic depression by 2014. the senators say afghanistan has become almost entirely dependent on foreign funding and american aid is fooling corruption. -- fueling corruption. >> essentially, what this report boils down to it by allegations that the u.s. is wasting money in afghanistan. it is focusing on the development and says they have been badly planned and badly executed, and that they have done harm to the economy and have, in fact, fuelled correction and done little to help the people in afghanistan and to help the u.s. national security interests. the timing of this report is interesting because right now, the national security team,

president obama's and national security team, is debating the effectiveness of the team. they're waiting to hear how many will be pulled out of afghanistan. if they must take this afghanistan today to another level. -- to another level, it is becoming more and more about not just burning the boys home, but also becoming -- bringing the boys home, but also becoming about why we are spending so much money on something that is not working in a country so far away when we need this money desperately in places like ohio and delaware and kentucky and so on. and especially the fact that president obama's big supporter, senator john kerry, is one of the main people in the senate who is asking this question makes this report very significant.

it will certainly not go unnoticed. >> reporting from washington. two elephants have gone on the rampage in southern india, killing at least one person and injuring several more. they left a trail of destruction in the city of mysore after wandering into a nearby forest. at one point, they barged into a college before been captured by officials from the local zoo. the have been released back into the wild. china has officially confirmed that it is building its first aircraft carrier. it is the centerpiece for an expanding naval air force. the people's liberation army insists it will no -- pose no threat to other nations. it should be ready for sea trials later this year. here is our chinese correspondent. >> signs of soaring ambition in china today, skyscrapers and gleaming new subway systems. superstores and china's worst

kept military secret, its first aircraft carrier under construction and almost ready to set sail. it seems to be the flagship of a rapidly expanding naval fleet. it dwarfs everything else the people's liberation army has. from high of, you get a pretty good view. it may not be the most advanced of aircraft carriers, but for china, is a significant leap forward. and to china's leaders, having won is a status symbol that advertises china's rise as a new great power and its desire to project power beyond its own borders. this is where began life, build as the varyag in the soviet union more than 20 years ago. it was never used and was going to be cut up for scrap. the chinese bought it and towed it on the world, claiming it

wanted to turn it into a floating casino. instead, army and labor workers have worked on it for years, transforming it into china's newest weapon of war and as a sign of shifting balance in the world, it is getting ready to be launched just as britain's cuts have left it without an aircraft carrier. >> an aircraft carrier is the symbol of the power of your navy. china should be on the same level of the other members of the security council who have carriers. it is also like saying, don't mess with me. do not think you can believe me. -- bully me. >> watching closely is the u.s. navy. it has 11 carriers of its own and since the second world war, its battle fleet has from the pacific and challenge. china is also investing in

missiles, submarine, and aircraft that can threaten american ships. >> by the 2020's, china wants a military that will be globally deployable and will be able to challenge american interests where they need to be challenged. >> the shift will take time. meanwhile, in a field in central china is a replica of the new carrier. farmers work their land nearby. it is thought that this facility was used to train the crew and systems before it puts to see. the real vessel will probably be used to change -- train up a fleet f. -- a fleet. this is just the start of nex china's naval ambitions. >> there is, of course, much more on our website,." -- on our website bbc.com.

and you can follow was on twitter. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. ♪ >> union bank has put its

financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.