>> hello and welcome. i am mcginley with the news. >> the adlines at this hour. the gaddafi regime launches air strikes in eastern libya as it battles to regain control. two u.s. soldiers are killed in a shooting at frankfurt airport. german interior minister thomas de maiziere takes the defense portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> we begin in libya, where gaddafi has threatened to start a war if the u.s. or nato intervenes in the unrest. speaking at a political rally, gaddafi says thousands of libyans could be killed if foreign powers and to the country. member is in the suez canal are heading toward libya as the u.s. and u.n. high pressure on the regime. forces loyal to gaddafi launched air strikes on a rebel- controlled town in the east of the country. >> dozens of seriously injured rebel soldiers have been admitted to this hospital. pro-gaddafi forces have launched air strikes on the city. the libyan leader attempts to recapture lost territory in the east of the country. inhabitants are fleeing the battles. there were intense clashes further west, in the oil port

held by the rebels. gaddafi is striking back from his stronghold in the capital, tripoli. libyan state television broadcast his latest rambling speech, in which he vowed to fight until the last man and woman. in benghazi, the rebels controlled the center of the uprising. >> we are here to be trained by army officers to free tripoli and its suburbs. >> the rebel national libyan council has called for external backing against gaddafi's mercenaries, who it says have been recruited from other parts of the africa. >> we call upon the un and any otheorganization that supports our resolution to deliver air strikes on mercenary strongholds being used to conduct attacks against civilians.

>> but the group has voiced opposition to other foreign intervention. it says it aims to topple gaddafi without the help of outside forces on libyan soil. >> earlier, we spoke to our correspondent in benghazi and asked for the latest he has been hearing about the current fighting. >> there was an attempt to start an offensive by gaddafi's forces, which started in the morning. it was going back and forth the whole day. it seems it is back in the hands of the anti-good of the forces that control the city now. igaddafi's airplanes fired into the city. there were about 20 people dead today in this fight over the city. >> you are an -- in benghazi.

what can you tell us about preparations there? >> it was amazing. when the news came this morning about the fighting in the other city, people were worried, but all the youngsters went into the barracks here, which are abandoned. they want to get military training. i went to some of the barracks. some of the soldiers who went over to the revolutionary side or teaching youngsters how to use a kalashnikov and other things. they went off on trucks into the war zone. it seems like they will be successful to stop this offensive. >> we thank you for that update. meanwhile, the international criminal court in the hague says it is opening an investigation into possible war crimes committed by the gadhafi's regime. the violence in libya has prompted thousands to flee, causing a growing refugee

crisis. france and britain say they will evacuate thousands of egyptian workers stranded on the border of tunisia, responding to a call for help from the u.n. refugee agency. >> that are here by the thousands at the border crossing into tunisia. they are hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. many are foreigners who had jobs in libya. one man collapses against -- amid the mayhem, in urgent need of aid being provided by the red crescent and other groups. the sheer numbers are overwhelming. >> the two nations gives us something to eat and drink, but many of us are exhausted. we have nowhere to sleep. >> shelter and clean drinking water are in short supply. international aid is beginning to arrive, but it takes time. >> we are expecting about a $38 million operation to support the

food supplies. >> many refugees feel abandoned by their governments and are leaving camps to try to make their own way home. these buses are destined for the coast from which refugees hope to find a way to continue their journey. meanwhile, tens of thousands remain stranded at the border with no other option but to wait. >> to germany, where u.s. president barack obama says he is outraged by an attack on u.s. troops at frankfurt airport. two airmen were killed and two wounded when gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying u.s. military personnel. angela marco quickly condemned the killing and promised to form an investigation. the gunman, a cause of the naonal, is now in police -- a kosovo national, is now in police custody. >> the vessel came under attack outside frankfurt airport's

terminal 2. the suspect approached the bus and shot the first victim outside the vehicle. he then shot and kild the driver in his seat. two other soldiers were seriously wounded. police arrested the suspect, who they identified as a 21-year-old man from kosovo who lives in frankfurt. the state interior minister said the gunman's motive was not yet clear. >> i have no way of determining whether there was a terrorist, the hottest -- jihadist, or islamist background to the shooting. >> authorities have stepped up security. >> german chancellor merkle has confirmed a minor cabinet restructure after the resignation of defense minister karl-theodor zu guttenberg.

the current interior minister, thomas de maiziere, will take over the defense portfolio. he will be replaced as interior minister by friedrich, the minister of the csu. earlier, we talked to our political correspondent and ask how strong the cabinet looks now, after this reshuffle. >> the new cabinet definitely lacks the glamour which the young aristocrat karl-theodor zu guttenberg brought to the government, but it is not weaker for that. the new defense minister, thomas de maiziere, comes from a military family. his father was commander in chief of the german armed forces from 1966 to 1972. he served as interior minister to afghanistan several times, where german police have been training afghan officers. he is familiar with the chalnges that will face him in

the defense ministry. he is also a very loyal merkle man. his nickname in parliament is "merkle's universal weapon." he has always acquitted himself very well. the cusu could have nominated a successor to gutteberg, but chose instead to take the interior minister. merkle is glad to have this reshuffle behind her as quickly as possible. >> we have incredibly high oil prices. gaddafi's forces are battling for control of the oil port brega. analysts are already beginning to doubt whether saudi arabia could fill the gap. crude oil traded in london at $115 this wednesday.

these prices will choke off the economic upswing in europe if they persist. >> the oil facility is a prized both gaddafi loyalists and his opponents want to win. it is one of the key oil refineries in libya. only the security guards remain. hundreds of workers have fled over the past few days. for weeks, libya's oil output has been minimal. but that has not led to shortages worldwide. many countries hold massive reserves. germany has enough for around three months. even so, oil analysts are nervous. if unrest spreads across the arab world, there could be further interruptions in supply. the world is dependent on oil from the middle east and north africa. it is 36% of the global supply. around 20% comes from europe, russia, and asia. much of the rest is produced in north and latin america. saudi arabia is the only oil-

producing country which could increase its output in the short term. serious political unrest there would likely create huge turmoil on global oil markets. >> oil remained the dominant factor weighing on european markets this wednesday. in frankfurt, germany's blue- chip index closed 0.5% lower. the eurostoxx 50 down as well. the dow industrials are up at 12,104. the euro is trading for $1.3855. good news for portugal. investors remained faithful to the highly indebted country. newly issued securities were met by solid demand today. the portuguese government was satisfied. during a meeting in berlin, the portuguese prime minister reiterated that his country would not need help from abroad.

merkle endorsed portuguese austerity measures. european heads of state will meet in march to discuss measures that will guarantee the stability of the euro. more than a year after igniting the tablet computing craze, apple has unveiled the second version of the ipad, with a surprise appearance by steve jobs, who has been on medical leave since january. he is promoting something thinner, lighter, faster, and better equipped. apple sold nearly 50 million in 2010, adding nearly $9 billion to the company's revenues last year. at the global computing expo in hanover, except hers are introducing their innovations, prototypes, and gadgets to a

total of 300,000 visitors. the trade fair runs until saturday. here is a look for you. >> lg's latest model is being billed as the world's fastest smartphone. it comes with powerful processors and two camera lenses for three-dimensional photography. there are abundant applications as well. they are increasingly a serving of sinister supplies. what looks like a harmless video game can harbor viruses or spy where. >> we are secretly sending premium text messages at an added user cost, or it may have a still your address book, or user gps device. >> security is always a major topic. most here agree that technology alone is not enough to combat haakers. there are mounting calls for

international data protection laws. many are predicting the demise of the classic desktop computer, but others say that is premature. >> computer game simply require power, lots of it. the big desktop computers will be around for a while. smart phones are ok when you are on the go and need to stay in touch, and notebooks are ideal for traveling. i think computer users will choose a combination of these categories. >> the technology continues to deliver a non-stop string of innovations. this might look like a laptop, but it is actually a double tablet with two touchscreens. >> back to you. >> thank you. pakistan's minister for minorities has been assassinated in a gun attack in islamabad. the taliban in pakistan has

taken responsibility for the shooting. he was the only christian member of the government, and had been calling for changes to pakistan's controversial blasphemy law. >> he was gunned down in broad daylight as he drove to a cabinet meeting. his car was sprayed with bullets by taliban assassins. the minister was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead on arrival. several members of islamabad's christian community gathered around the ambulance, shocked by the loss of their advocate. >> [unintelligible] he was fighting. this is the result. he has lost his life. >> he was the only christian member of the pakistan the cabinet. as minister for minorities, he was responsible for protecting the rights of members of non- moslem faiths, and a courageous voice of moderation. he received death threats for

urgent reforms to pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, which allow the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting islam. critics say the law is used to prosecute members of other faiths. pakistan's prime minister has resisted calls to alter the law. human-rights activists say this assassination is another sign of growing religious extremism in pakistan. >> finally, the last soviet leader, or which of, has been awarded the honor of st. andrew to mark his 80th birthday. matell gorbachev is credited with the economic reforms that pay a key role -- that played a key role in the fall of the iron curtain. the award was recognition of his enormous work as head of state. it is a rare tribute to a man despised by many russians, who blame him for the collapse of

the u.s.s.r. state tuned for more on the of people in the arab world.

>> a few months ago, nobody would think north africa would witness revolutions and the couple of governments. egyptians ousted mubarak in unrelenting popular uprisings. in libya, gaddafi appears on the brink of losing control over his country. the wave of demonstrations continues across the arab world. oman, yemen, and algeria are all experiencing protests. analysts have given up trying to guess which country will be next in line. we have a look at the situation in a few countries, starting with saudi arabia.

[drumming] >> king abdallah has tried to placate the people with handouts. after returning home last week from three months absence, king abdullah announced plans to give away billions in social programs and wage increases for government employees. he also plans to introduce unemployment benefits for the first time in saudi arabia. officially, unemployment is at 10%. the rate for young people is thought to be twice as high. the spending programs add up to $35 billion. the aim is to head off possible anti-government protests in the country, which follows a strict form of the parents to islam. -- adherence to islam. >> the important thing is that we pray. it is important to grow a long

beard. it is important)that women cover themselves up completely. but when it comes to islamic justice, to open to scientific development and to islamic philosophy, that are not interested. >> saudi arabia's absolute monarchy controls religion, politics, the military, and the economy. political parties are banned and the opposition is only active abroad. demonstrations are not allowed in the kingdom. >> saudi arabia has a relatively small population compared to its wealth and the size of the country. that is why i think saudi arabia will be the last country to see an uprising. >> gradual reform and trying to

maintain the people's support. the leader of morocco is seen as a reformer close to the people. the king has established contact with the country's opposition. >> the king of morocco has succeeded in involving opposition groups in government, which is a process his father started. maracas classical opposition even participate in government. he has succeeded in turning it from an opposition party into a governing party, and to take the wind out of its sales. >> recently, tens of thousands of people have taken part in demonstrations for the first time. they want a say in shaping the country's economic policy and politics. there are big social problems in morocco. the country has hardly any

natural resources and depends mainly on tourism. moroccans now want a real say in the country as well. >> they do not want to overthrow the king. they want him to hold a position like the king of spain or britain's queen. >> protests in yemen have led to new alliances in the country. over the weekend, tens of thousands of demonstrators again took to the streets against president of guerrilla -- president saleh. tribal leaders have joined anti- government protests. >> these days, yemen is ruled by a former army colonel, who like

gaddafi has divided the security forces and the government administration between his sons and other members of his family. the klan ruled yemen. >> the president threatened to use force against the people before offering government participation to the opposition. the protest movement refused. for many years, the country was wracked by civil war. in] 1990, the former communist south joined the north, ruled by saleh. but discontent with his role is growing. >> the people driving yemen's revolution are the students at universities and the formerly socialist south. then there are the clans in the mountains. they are the three components. but there is also a consensus.

the want to get rid of despotism. they want an economy that is fair and just. >> in algeria, demonstrations have led to the lifting of emergency rule. but dissatisfaction with the government remains widespread in the country, despite higher revenues from oil and natural gas exports. algeria's young people have few prospects. unemployment remains high. corruption is widespread. leading the authoritarian regime is [unintelligible] demonstrators face a massive police presence. hundreds have been injured, and some killed, a shock for a country already traumatized by civil war. >> the civil war in the 1990's has been a wait upon every democracy movement in algeria. many are afraid it could lead to

a new civil war. estimates suggest between 100,200 thousand people were killed in the conflict, -- between 100,000 and 200,000 were killed in the conflict, and there is fear that could happen again. >> the president lifted the state of emergency which began in 1992, a major achievement for the opposition. in bahrain, shiites and sunnis are jointly demanding democratic change. the country hosts a formula one race, luxury hotels, and help the tourism industry, anthe u.s. fleet. the king then drew sharp international criticism for the recent police crackdown against demonstrators.

now, the monarch has allowed long-time opposition figures to return. the majority of the population are shiites, but many feel discriminated against by the sunni-dominated society. the demand is for real democracy. >> the want to decentralize power. the one for the government to be independent and no longer appointed by the king. those are their demands. i believe they are ahead of other gulf states in that respect. >> people across the arab world have shown they are no longer willing to be silent subjects. they are demanding their rights as citizens, and they want to exercise them. the region appears to have reached a point of no return. >> with that, we wrap up "the

journal" at this hour. stay tuned. u forget it. yourself, so don't fall.

u forget it. now he tells us. how far am i off the floor? about twelve inches. twelve whole inches?