nbc's stephanie gosk is following that for us. she's back safely in benghazi tonight. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. south african president jacob zuma, who's part of that delegation you just mentioned in tripoli, has come out and said moammar gadhafi has agreed to the african union's road map to peace. that would begin with a cease-fire. he didn't go on and add any details to the negotiations. today what we saw, as we've seen many days before it, a perfect example of why a cease-fire is urgent. taking cover behind buildings and using every weapon they have. rebel fighters did what they could to defend the streets of ajdabiya from moammar gadhafi's militia. the battle lasted for hours. more than a dozen rebels were killed and many more wounded. government forces pounded the city with artillery, while ground troops entered on pickup trucks. on the outskirts of town, the rebels fire back with makeshift rockets. they claimed gadhafi was once again relying on foreign fighters. this man is algerian. he says, we killed him. gadhafi's better traine

. >>> we turn however, overseas to libya, where our own stephanie gosk today managed to push further towards the front line of fighting between the pro and anti-gadhafi forces and she discovered a side of the anti-gadhafi rebel fighters we haven't seen. her report from the front line of the fighting on the road to brega. >> reporter: west, the road stretches for miles, with only the occasional reminder that the war has moved back and forth here for weeks. rebel forces have advanced with help from nato air strikes. halfway to the oil town of brega they group outside an abandoned gas station. these are not just rag-tag revolutionaries. these are units of professional soldier who is defected from gadhafi 's army when the uprising began. they have new more advanced weaponry will be in their hands within days. we're at the last staging area before the front line and we haven't seen any of the new heavy weapons but what we've seen are these new land cruiser pickup trucks. they say they've come from qatar. they supplied new boots and uniforms and commanders say the rebels are finally commun

nbc's stephanie gosk is with our nbc news team in london and is with us tonight from trafalgar square. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: london police are used to securing big event. even for them, even for this city, the royal wedding is a daunting challenge. since the engagement was announced, london's police forces, like the couple themselves, have been getting ready. with four days go, security sweeps have already begun. nothing has been overlooked from storm drains to traffic lights. anything that could hide a potential threat. on the wedding day, there will be an army of officers, 5,000, patrolling the streets on foot and on horseback. on boats along the thames and in helicopters. there are already more security cameras in london than anywhere else in the world. their images will be sent back to central command and the man in charge. >> this is going to be a global event. the cameras of the world are on it. that means publicity. and there are people out there who need publicity for their cause. they'll do their best to spoil the party if we let them. >> reporter: the threats

nbc's stephanie gosk is in benghazi tonight with more on this siege going on in misrata. ephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. well, nato says that the fighting over the last ten days in misrata has been intense. their most recent air strikes have destroyed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles, but commanders admit that gadhafi still has considerable strength on the ground. seven weeks under siege, and the fighting is only getting worse. government forces are trying to beat down not just the rebel fighters but the people of misrata themselves. there is no safe way in or out by road. the deep water port is the city's only lifeline. ships dock daily, bringing in food, medicine, and sometimes weapons. waiting to get out, human cargo. there are an estimated 5,000 migrant workers of many nationalities stuck since the fighting began, living in dirty and dangerous conditions. >> we are praying for god so that they can take us back to our country. >> reporter: when the opportunity comes to leave, there is a crush to get on board. no one wants to be left behind.

nbc's stephanie gosk reports from benghazi tonight. >> reporter: gripped in a punishing back-and-forth battle with government loyalists, rebel forces say nato is letting them down. "we haven't seen a thing from nato," this man told us. "they're weak. we hear the planes, but they don't hit anything." when nato took control of the operation just two days ago, the number of air strikes dropped. rebels here in eastern libya say that was enough time for moammar gadhafi to regroup and rearm. today nato responded, increasing the number of air strikes from 130 to 200. but in libya's western town of misrata, nato commanders say gadhafi loyalists are using civilians as human shields, and they worry air attacks will kill innocent people. >> there's a limit, physical limit because we are not allowed boots on the ground, there is a limit to what we're able to do in that respect. >> reporter: nato's mandate from the u.n. is to protect civilian populations, but the rebels in eastern libya want more than protection. they want coordinated military assistance. without it they stand little chance against

stephanie gosk traveled to the front line in eastern libya and has a look. >> reporter: these are not just rag tag revolutionaries. here are units of professional soldiers who defected from gadhafi's army when the uprising began. they say new, more advanced weaponry will be in their hands within days. we're at the last staging area before the front line. we haven't seen any of the new heavy weapons but what we have seen are these new land cruiser pickup trucks. they tell us they come from qatar. the gulf nation of qatar has also supplied new boots and uniforms. general khalid a career officer says professional soldiers have started to control some of the less predictable volunteers. the rebels are still excitable but we are united with them, he says. we are all the army. during our interview, a new attack. and then this. gadhafi forces firing artillery. in the last few minutes they've come under attack. we're seeing something we haven't seen before. they're not running. there even appears to be battle field strategy. commanders up front are sending orders to the launchers in the back.

nbc's stephanie gosk is in benghazi with the latest for us. stephanie? >> reporter: good evening, lester. this is the closest gadhafi's forces have come to benghazi since the air strikes began nearly three weeks ago. an estimated 10 to 15 pickup trucks packed with government troops rolled straight into ajdabiya today. shelling on the road from ajdabiya to benghazi sends the rebels on the run. caught by surprise again. they respond, but it's not an exact science. fighters struggled to get a rocket into position, moving the truck, even dropping a launcher, until finally firing off. the fighting began today on the western edge of ajdabiya. state tv broadcast a news reporter interviewing victorious government troops at the city's gates. but in the center of town, outside the hospital, it was a different scene. we're hearing gunfire on the other side of the hospital. the rebel forces say that gadhafi loyalists have actually taken a position there and they continue to gain ground. most of the patients were evacuated in the morning. >> translator: we've got qui

stephanie gosk is in benghazi for us again tonight. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this may begin to feel like mission creep to some. these are not ground troops, they're military officers who will not be taking part in fighting. they'll help with logistics, communication, and organization. and there are signs that all the way to the top, that kind of help is desperately needed. two generals have been fighting very publicly this week for the command position of the rebel forces. and after days of bad publicity where they both claim they're in charge, finally the national counsel came out in support of just one of them, general yunus. he is the former interior minister here as well as a former friend of gadhafi. now, nato hopes the military advisers and an increase in air strikes will help end the military stalemate here and hopefully end that intense violence in misratah where hundreds of civilians have been killed and now two award-winning journalists. >> stephanie gosk who has been covering the war from us

more from stephanie gosk in benghazi. >> reporter: in misratah, the civil war moves street to street, building to building. rebel fighters are under constant threat of attack. >> you have to cross this tunnel fast because there's a sniper from the upper building. >> reporter: gadhafi's tanks and artillery bombard the western city daily. civilians are trapped in the middle, unable to leave because government forces had misratah surrounded. at the hospital, evidence of what is quickly becoming a humanitarian disaster. children caught in the cross fire, suffering shrapnel and gunshot wounds. is nato doing enough to protect the civilians here? two of their partners, france and britain, say no. nato said they need more low-flying attack planes. when the u.s. was in control of the mission, that plane flew regular missions, but now it's on stand by. the u.s. insists it will toib in a support role, and in a nato meeting today in berlin, hillary kwlinten made a point of showing a united front. >> we're also sharing the same goal, which is to see the end of the gadhafi regime in libya. >> repor

stephanie gosk is with us tonight from benghazi. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the head of the rebel counsel libya's former justice minister said gadhafi has to step down now if he wants to survive. not a position that leaves a lot of room for negotiation. leaders of the african union arrived in benghazi hoping to strike a deal. just hours earlier in tripoli, moammar gadhafi said he backed their peace plan, including an immediate cease-fire, but the rebels quickly said no deal. the plan was rejected, the protesters cheered. people of benghazi have been protesting since mid-february with one simple demand, that gadhafi step down. any negotiation short of that, they say, is unacceptable. this woman has worked with the rebel leadership from the beginning. we first met her son after they seized control of the season. >> he is a liar and tried to lie many times. >> without a deal, the fighting continues. in the west, gadhafi has put a stronghold on misratah. medicine and food are running low. government tanks shell the city nearly every day. snipers done people down

nbc's stephanie gosk is in benghazi this morning with the latest. stephanie, good morning. >> melissa, we were allowed through the rebels forces, haven't been letting me through for days west of ajdabiyah. when we got to the front lines, we were surprised by what we saw. these are not just rag tag revolutionaries, here are units of professional soldiers who defected from gadhafi's army when the uprising began. they say new, more advanced weaponry will be in their hands within days. we're in the last staging area before the front line. we haven't seen any of the new heavy weapons. what we have seen are the new land cruiser pick up trucks. they said they come from qatar. the gulf nation of qatar has also supplied new boots and uniforms. a career officer said professional soldiers have started to control some of the less predictable volunteers. the rebels are still excitable, but we are united with them, he says. we're all the army. during our interview, a new attack -- [ gun fire ] >> hearing gun fire. >> reporter: and then this, gadhafi forces firing

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stephanie gosk has the latest from libya this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. the rebels pushed forward to try to retake the town of brega, but when the weather turned bad the help they rely on from the air was gone. a whipping sandstorm gave gadhafi's forces the cover they needed moving into ajdabiya while nato waited for the weather to clear. without nato's help the rebel army is no match for gadhafi's trained military. air strikes resumed and rebels reclaimed their ground. without nato's help the rebel army is no match for gadhafi's trained military. the same is true in the western city of misrata. a rebel group distributed this video which they claim shows a dairy factory moments after it was shelled by government forces. five civilians, they say, were killed. at the port in misrata, the only safe way in and out of the city, boats docked with weapons and supplies. and then leave with the wounded. human rights watch says gadhafi loyalists started using cluster bombs, a weapon that ox plodes above the ground re

stephanie gosk is in ajdabiya with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. nato did hit rebels yesterday but there are two very different explanations for why the mistake was made. nato said they had no idea that rebels had tanks and they had a -- in the area showed the fighter jets responded with air strikes. the rebels say they have been planning the movement -- told nato they were going to be there. three of the tanks have been destroyed. there is a mix of confusion and anger. one of the fighters said nato is supposed to be helping. what are we supposed to do now? tamron? >> stephanie gosk, thank you. >>> brazil is in mourning after that country's first school shooting. a former student entered a rio de janeiro middle school killing 12 children before turning the gun on himself. this footage shows terrified students fleeing the classroom pursued by the gunman. >>> amazing and rare video, a baby eagle caught on tape breaking through its shell at the top of an 80-foot-tall tree. bird watchers have been watching the nest via web cam for weeks. this was the l

stephanie gosk in benghazi, libya. stay safe. >>> japan ordered the operators of the crippled fukushima nuclear plant to pay $10,000 to each household forced to evacuate due to leaking radiation. for tens of thousands of displaced residents the amount is called insufficient. arizona is said to become the first state to require barack obama and other presidential candidates to prove they are u.s. citizens before they can appear on the state ballot. the state legislature approved the so-called birther bill that will be law if brewer signs it. now erin burnett is at the new york stock exchange. >> we have a few big earnings stories today. watch bank of america and google. the ceo brian moynahan said it continues to improve. other hot stocks, also, yesterday the car sharing company surged 65% on the first day of trade. we used to see those numbers from the internet bubble. back to you. >> braesing. thanks. >>> a man in turkey is lur lucky to be alive after a one-ton shack blew onto him as he walked along the side of the ro

nbc's stephanie gosk is in benghazi with the latest on this this morning. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. rebel forces are trying to retake an oil facility in the town of brega, but they're going to have to do it without the help of u.s. a.c.-130s and a-10s, two planes that were invaluable in the push west. u.s. military says they will only be fulfilling a support role unless nato specifically asks otherwise. it's a transition that has leaders here in benghazi nervous. they say they need that support to push west. in the capital city there are pictures released by state tv they say are pictures of gadhafi in the street. what you see is a car moving down the street surrounded by what they call supporters. you don't actually see who's in the car. this would be the first time that they've seen gadhafi in more than two weeks in public, even as his sons put forward a proposal that they take control of this country and usher in a new constitutional democracy. that's a proposal that has been uniformly rejected by leaders here in benghazi. a

there is no talk of giving them weapons. >> all right, stephanie gosk. thanks for the reporting. >>> at least nine deaths are blamed on severe weather in southern u.s. the massive storm system cut across from the mississippi river to the carolinas causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. the national weather service confirmed eight tornadoes so far. of the 38 suspected twisters that ripped through the region. >>> boeing has acknowledged that it miscalculated the risk of metal fatigue in its 737 jets built in the 1980s and 1990s saying it was aware cracking would occur but it was not aware it could happen so soon. boeing is under fire after a five-foot hole ripped open mid flight on a southwest airlines jet last friday. the company now recommends inspections on all 737s after 30,000 flights. >>> now to wall street and cnbc's amanda drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. we're reaching a lot of milestones right now. the u.s. stock markets are sitting around their highest in nearly three years. gold prices are at a record

nbc stephanie gosk is there with the latest. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is an example of just how confusing it is on the ground in libya and how difficult it is going to be to bomb the forces from the air. they say they hit one of the units on the side of the road. they took out a number of tanks as well as a bus containing a number of fighters. six and seven ambulances raced by. this is only going to make the fight even more difficult for the rebel fighters. the u.s. military tells nbc news that gadhafi is already repositioning to move east in the coming days and that these forces are absolutely no match for his well trained, well equipped, and experienced mi ed. a second american has been confirmed dead after the devastating tsunami in japan. this as works at the crippled fukushima facility are injecting nitrogen into the reactor. meanwhile japanese police say they're pushing to recover and identify thousands in spite of the nuclear radiation in the area. >>> the federal aviation administration is taking steps to fire yet another air traffic contro

stephanie gosk is in benghazi t with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. there is a protest that is growing outside of our hotel because that african union delegation is here to try to convince rebel leaders to agree to the peace plan they say gadhafi has signed off on. protesterers want gadhafi to step down and until he does, the fighting continues. the battle for ajdabiya, the second in a month, lasted two days. the town was crushed by gadhafi's artillery while rebels responded with whatever they could. these fighterers strs struggled position makeshift rockets, even dropping the launcher before they fire. there were claims the government is relying on foreigners. this man is algerian, he said. we killed him. at a critical moment when it seemed the rebels would be outgunned, nato made a direct hit. for the last week, the rebels have been claiming that nato hasn't been helping. this is evidence of an air strike that did. criticism turned to praise. by the end of the day there was no sign of gadhafi's forces. the residents here fled days ago. their city is