>> reporter: lester, tonight, three u.s. navy warships and helicopters are shadowing this small yacht as it slowly makes its way toward somalia with those four american hostages and now as many as 15 pirates on board. the u.s. military and an fbi hostage negotiation team with talking to the pirates, trying to gain the safe release of those americans but if that doesn't happen, lester this could turn very ugly. the u.s. military does not want the pirates to reach shore with those hostages. they could easily use warships to block the way, but the chance of u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s pulling off a successful hostage rescue, like the rescue of captain richard phillips two years ago is very slim. there are just too many pirates, nearly four for every hostage, to guarantee that none of the hostages would be harmed. and for now the safety of those americans is absolutely the military's top priority, lester. >> mick, i recall the stories filed aboard an american warship in the region, trying to deal with this problem. why is it so difficult to

navy. he said as the absence of the word of u.s. citizens allow him to enlist women in the navy and lift from those advisers daniels ordered the new u.s. navy to enlist women and the women floated to the recruiting stations and they signed up and they were sworn into the navy. the congress decided to change what they saw as the navy regulations and changed it back to the u.s. citizen. if the word meal in front of that. the single word of the united states official document. they are extremely important with the full rights to the citizenship to the men and women in the country the word u.s. citizen automatically includes women when the rights and privileges are conveyed. the use of the single word meant replacing the word mail before those words excludes women. however daniels had crossed the rubicon in enlisting the women to serve in the united states and the u.s. marine corps. now there was the lesser of the military service of women in the united states armed forces. the record that testifies to the patriotism, the courage and the

pritzker, u.s. navy world war i. my great, my great grandfather taught himself english selling papers in the streets of chicago. and, you know, for you people to be here tonight is particularly significant to me personally because, you know, you're part of the family, so to speak, when you're here tonight. so i'm really grateful for your being here and helping my family unite with with your families to pass something on to our children which is i know something we all have an interest in. thank you very much. [applause] >> we're going to go a little bit off topic tonight because we have such a distinguished group here, and we have one more question in the back. hold on. okay? >> i'm a member of the jvw -- >> uh-huh? >> and i, i've been a member for, i don't know, maybe 10 or 15 years. but i was in the air force -- >> since you were 12, right? >> yeah. [laughter] i was in the air force -- >> [inaudible] >> and when i was there, and when i was in, i was flying with the air force in england. >> what type of aerocraft? >

now a u.s. navy warship had been shadowing the boat as it made its way towards somali when they reportedly heard gunshots and took action. all four americans on board have been found dead including a couple from santa monica. there were more than a dozen pirates on board. some were killed, others have been captured. we will continue to follow this story and bring you more information as it develops. the four americans on the yacht have been killed. >>> in new zealand this morning, at least 65 people are dead from a powerful earthquake there. dozens more are missing feared trapped in the rubble. it was a magnitude 6.3 quake with an epicenter near the city of christchurch. sharon chin is in our san francisco newsroom with the latest on frantic efforts to rescue victims of the earthquake. she joins us now. good morning, sharon. >> reporter: good morning. at least 100 people are feared dead and we're hearing stories of how the injured are getting help in some cases people creating makeshift stretchers fr

it was then trailed by the u.s. navy.e but the pirates shot first, >> immediately after the gunfire often -- also erupted. several pirates moved up to the bow with their hands in the air. u.s. forces closed in and did the job. as they responded to the gunfire, u.s. sailors discoveredç hostages had been shot. >> u.s. officials said the lives were callously lost aboard the yacht. >> we would like to say in our condolences to the other families. it is very importantç that they know they are in our hearts and prayers. we are terribly distraught and devastated over this news. >> this incident will reenergize debate on the use of force when dealing with pirates holding hostages. almost two years ago the u.s. navy successfully rescued the captain of a vessel heldç captive. one of the pirates involved was sentenced to 33 years in prison. despite the presence of international warship's, hijackings have increased. ç >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video r

a u.s. navygaged the pirates and reports suggest a number of pirates have been killed as well. jean and scott adam from southern california were on the ship. they do have family in the bay area that were on the yacht. pirates overtook the yacht on friday. now we understand that they were killed by the pirates. we are following these latest developments. of course, we'll update you as soon as we can confirm some more information and try to get more details about what has happened. if these reports are true, it would seem a tragic end on the high seas here from this somali coast today. >>> it is 6:16 right now. the california teachers association is sew showing support for wisconsin unions. they will hold a week are one candlelight vigil tonight on the west steps of the capitol building. state educators and public union employees are also planning to attend the event. the cta has 325,000 members. >>> in the meantime, thousands of protesters in the wisconsin state capitol building there are there ag

. >>> one u.s. navy ship is shadowing a yacht tonight as it sails toward the coast of somalia with four american hostages on board. pirates hijacked the yacht on fry -- friday. scott and gene own the quest. the pirates want cash in exchange for the four americans. >> they have made a grave mistake. in this case they pushed the united states government too far. i think it will be a drama that will play out in the days to come. >> they often attack ships off the eastern african coast, but targeted few american vessels. in 2009 u.s. navy sharpshooters killed two pirates the last time an american ship was hijacked ?ie. and a rare treat for snow lovers. they didn't have far to go to find snow. snow on the bay area peaks next. and scientists look for a way to make sure space junk doesn't land on us. >> and i'm meteorologist leigh glaser. boy a nice break from all of the rain. we actually saw some sunshine. we have clear skies and a nice, bright moon light as nice, bright moon light as well. ♪ going to the bank

the u.s. navy started to hijack the yacht. when u.s. vy s.e.a.l.s invaded the boat, they found this woman killed. >> mother was a smart and avid sailor. she was living her dream sailing around the world for this now the third year. she enjoyed every port. >> four somali pirates were killed. the rest of the crew taken into custody. secretary of state hillary clinton is denouncing the killings calling it a deplorable act. >>> it's a catch-22 as california schools struggle financially, more veteran teachers who make more money are being encouraged to retear. but in order to pay for teacher pensions, school districts are being forced to tap into classroom funds. garvin thomas reports. now many schools are balancing the budgets on the backs of its brightest students. >> raise your hand if you think you can tell me what's going on. >> reporter: she looks like any other student, but she reads at a 12th grade level. and finishes assignments twice as fast as her peers. >> if i tend to overanswer stuff, so like once. she's 500,000. >> it brought d

u.s. navy ship is shadowing a yacht as it sails the coast of somalia with hostages on board. scott and jean adam from santa monica own the crest and they're sailing the area. they want cash in exchange for the four americans. >> i think this case they pushed the united states government too far. >> somali pirates often attack the east african coast but targeteded few vessels. u.s. navy sharp shooters killed two yachts and rescued a ship's captain after it was hijacked. >> looking to make sure state junk doesn't land on it. the massive storm that could slow travel from coast to coast today. >>> welcome back. 4:47 on this president's day. let's head to the south. extreme weather once again. 70 atlanta, 74 new orleans. some of the cooler weather in phoenix but still 64 degrees. cold in chicago. let's zoom in there and talk about airport arrival delays into chicago's o'hare and also into midway because of rain. you can see a cell minneapolis, new york and boston. delays will be developing if not fl

four u.s. navyhips shadowed the yacht knowing if it ever reached land they would lose their best chance of rescuing the americans. >> we understood if they got to shore it was going to be a really bad situation. we also understood the navy was doing their best to keep them from getting to the shore. two pirates were brought over for face-to-face talks. then without warning. >> at 8:00 a.m. this morning local time a grenade was fired from the qwest by the pirates. immediately thereafter gunfire also erupted inside the cabin of the qwest. >> reporter: scrambling into small boats and approaching without firing a shot. two pirates were already dead. most of the rest came out on deck with their hands up. the seals searched the yacht and found two more killing both of them, one with a knife. inside the cockpit they found the four americans more tally wounded. >> my aunt was not dead when the navy seals arrived on the ship. she had been shot. she was not dead at that time and they did try to save her but t

>> well, the u.s. navy is based here. the navy is keeping a very low profile, which is traditionally the case with any military unit. but certainly, it's an aspect of the story that is very important for the u.s. >> all right, cbs radio's toula vlahou in bahrain today. thank you, toula. >>> government crackdowns elsewhere in the arab world have done little to quiet angry protesters. [ chanting ] in yemen, anti-government demonstrations have continued every day for a week now. protesters have declared today a day of rage. at least four demonstrators were killed in clashes with police on thursday. >>> in libya, the latest unconfirmed reports say more than 20 people were killed during protests yesterday against the 40-year rule of moammar gadhafi. thousands of libyans are expected back in the streets today, especially in the eastern port city of benghazi. >>> in cairo today, protesters who pushed out egyptian president hosni mubarak a week ago are staging a victory march to tahrir square. but with the army now in charge, and

this time bahrain, where the u.s. navy's fifth fleet is based, cracks down on anti- government protesters. i'm katie couric. also tonight, turmoil of a different kind here at home. thousands in wisconsin protest a move to strip state workers of collective bargaining rights and force them to contribute more to their benefits. it can't be cured, but can alzheimer's be prevented? two ambitious new trials will try to find out. and designing woman: she brought african americans into the world of high fashion. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. it's as if a sleeping giant has suddenly awakened, as anti- government uprisings spread through the middle east. first tunisia and egypt-- now yemen and libya. but tonight, the world's attention is focus on the tiny persian gulf kingdom of bahrain, which hosts the u.s. navy's fifth fleet. the capital is under lockdown after government troops attacked protesters overnig

four u.s. navy ships shadowed the yacht, knowing if it ever reached land they would lose their best chance of rescuing the americans. >> we understood that if they got to shore it was going to be a really bad situation. we also understood that the navy was doing their best to prevent them from getting to shore. >> reporter: fbi hostage negotiators tried to bargain with the pirates. two of the pirates actually were brought aboard the destroyer "sterett" for face-to-face talks. then without warning -- >> at 8:00 this morning local time a rocket-propelled grenade was fired from "the quest" by the pirates towards the "sterett". immediately thereafter gunfire also erupted inside the cabin of "the quest." >> reporter: navy s.e.a.l.s. scramble into small boats and approached the quest without firing a shot. two pirates were already dead. most of the rest came out on deck with their hands up. the seales searched the yacht and found two more, killing both of them. one with a knife. inside the cockpit they fo

four u.s. navy ships shadowed the yacht knowing if it ever reached land they would lose their best chance of rescuing the americans. >> we understood that if they got to shore it was going to be a really bad situation. we also understood that the navy was doing their best to prevent them from getting to shore. >> reporter: f.b.i. hostage negotiators tried to bargain with the pirates. two pirates were brought aboard the destroyer for face-to-face talks. then, without warning... >> reporter: navy seals scrambled into small boats and approached the "quest" without firing a shot. two pirates were already dead. most of the rest came out on deck with their hands up. the seals found two more on the yacht killing one with a knife. inside the cockpit they found the four americans mortally wounded. >> my aunt was not dead when the navy seals arrived on the ship. she had been shot. she was not dead at that time and they did try to save her but they were unsuccessful. >> reporter: so what went wrong? one u.s. o

as we found, if the u.s. navy can't save them, all that's left is somalia's ragtag coast guard.use the pirates' weapons against them. this patrol boat was actually captured from the pirates, painted blue for the coast guard, and the commander says it's the only patrol boat they have that's fast enough to catch up with the pirates. the pirates will likely demand a ransom in the millions of dollars, a daunting prospect for couples who poured their life savings into this trip but now short of rescue possibly their only hope. jim sciutto, abc news, washington. >>> and still ahead, the rookie race car driver celebrating his cinderella victory at daytona. t daytona. [ male announcer ] hands free driving. cars that park themselves. an unmanned car driven by a search engine company. we've seen that movie. it ends with robots harvesting our bodies for energy. [ engine revs ] this is the all new 2011 dodge charger. leader of the human resistance. whoa! that achy cold needs alka-seltzer plus! it rushes multiple cold fighters, plus a powerful pain reliever, wherever you need it! [ both ] ♪

officials say a u.s. navy ship was trailing the yacht and negotiates were -- negotiations were underway to free the four american. tuesday, u.s. forces responded to gunfire and found all four hostages shot dead. >> they were two pie rights that were dead on board the vessel when they boarded it. as they were clearing it, there were two more pirates dilled -- killed in the clearing process by the boarding team. friends say the couple had looked forward to their trip. >> scott and i had lunch together at the end of the laugh year -- at the end of last year in marina del ray and we discussed the process someone would go through to make the decision to go through this area. what he had said was he had a strong desire to sail with his boat around the world. shane was having a very hard time with the heat in the tropics and wanted to get to the european waters and see europe by boat. this is a very common route for european voters -- boaters to take as a last leg to get home. >> reporter: u.s. officials say in all,

and margaret warner examines the turmoil in the tiny muslim nation of bahrain, home to the u.s. navy's fifth fleet. >> lehrer: plus, jeffrey brown explores how egypt's government blocked the internet during the uprising. >> woodruff: then, we have two budget stories. we get a liberal's view of the president's blueprint from vermont senator bernie sanders. >> lehrer: and we look at the political battles over cutting defense spending. retrenchment brought about by cu >> woodruff: and from juarez, mexico, bill neely of independent television news reports on the bloody war against the drug cartels. >> three more killings here and already. this year is on course to be even deadlier than last year, when more than 3,00op

military official say a u.s. navy warship was trailing the yacht in negotiations were underway to free the americans. he got oldetuesday ty responded to gunfire and found all four hostages shot dead. >> there were two pirates that were dead on board the vessel when they boarded. as the berkeley ringgit in belowdecks there were two more pirates who were killed in the clearing process. >>reporter: friends of the owners say the couple look forward to their tractarian >> scott and i had lunch together in del ray, we discussed at length the process someone would go through to make the decision to go through this area. what he had said it is he had a strong desire to sail with his own boat around the world. gene was having a difficult time with the heat of the tropics and wanted to get to european waters and see europe by boat. this is a common root for european boats to take as the last leg to get home. >>reporter: u.s. officials say it all, 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the vessel. besides the four dead, 15

. >>> they were shot to death as the u.s. navy tried to negotiate their freedom. the adams yacht, the quest was hijacked friday as the four sailed from indian on a trek around the world. she said her aunt was careful and doesn't know why the americans separated from the group of boats they were sailing with. >> why they were in that area, we don't know. she was not happen haphazardly out on the ocean. >> 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking. four were killed. >>> a sedan stalled in the eastbound lanes when a big rig slammed into it. two women got out just before the crash. the truck driver managed to escape injury. the chp shut down traffic in both directions during the investigation and clean up. all lanes were reopened by 2:30 this afternoon. the coroner has identified a man killed in a crash. he died early sunday morning on highway 101. his nissan left the northbound lane and slammed into a red wood tree. because of fog visibility was only about 75 to 100 feet at the time. alcohol does not appear to have been a factor. >>> two bay area neighborhoods are on

today firing a grenade from the quest at a u.s. navy destroyer shadowing the hijacked yacht. then small arms fire was heard. special forces moved in and found all four americans had been shot and tried to revive two, still alive including macky but all died. crossland says her aunt was smart and avid sailer living her dream of sailing around the world three years now. >> she was beautiful. and she lived live. to the fullest. she was, as i was growing up, one of my mentor autos pirates in waters get millions in money in 2009 navy sharp shooters killed two pirates rescuing a captain of a hijacked ship. >> this deplorable act by pirates that stalk vessels in waters off of somalia firmly underscores need for the international community to act more decisively, together. >> last weekend in a new york court a somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison. pirates currently hold 30 ships and more than 660 hostages. >> the united nations security counsel is condemning gaddafi's crack down on pro testers. gaddafi vowed to fight on to his last drop of blood today, threatening pro te

you watching us on news channel 8, portland, oregon, peer through a pair scope and explore the u.s. navy's nonmoouk submarine at uss blue back, the real thing, as the oregon museum of science and industry, and that's your pacific event of the day. >> thank you, bill. >>> now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. three new films at the box office this weekend have experts scratching their heads when choosing a clear favorite. big mama's "like father, like son" see hes martin lawrence back and will draw upon its built in fan base to open at around $20 million. the heavily marketed suspense thriller "i am machine four" is expected to debut at around collars 20 million. in the third debut film, niecen -- liam miessen airs in "unknown" about a man who wakes up in a coma with his identity stolen. it's targeting about $20 million. >>> finally, the 83rd academy awards this month will have new envelopes designed with a red lacker lining featuring the oscar and then hand stamped with the gold leaf. very fancy there. this comes to us from wxia 11 alive news in atlanta, georgia w

the u.s. navy had been trailing the yacht and had been negotiating before gunfire erupted on board. mccay's niece lives in the bay area. >> my aunt is a very smart and avid sailor. she was living her dream sailing around the world for this now the third year. she enjoyed every port and every experience that she had. >> this is the first time americans have been killed in the most recent wave of pirate attacks in east african waters. secretary of state, hillary clinton said today it's a growing threat that needs to be addressed. >> this deplorable act by the pirates that stalk vessels in the waters off of somalia firmly under score the need for the international community to act more decisively together. >> navy seals killed four of the pirates and captured 15 others. >>> he's been on death row for 33 years. but he's still alive and fighting his case. today, in san francisco, a convicted killer's third appeal ended much the same way the first two did. with his death penalty upheld. robert lial says the costly process is coming into question. 53-year-old david was convicted of triple

it was trailed by the u.s. navy. it said that negotiations were underway for the hostages released. they said that the pirates shot first, a rocket-propelled grenade. >> gunfire rang out inside the cabin. several pirates moved up to the deck with their hands in the air in surrender. u.s. forces moved in. as they responded to the gun fire, u.s. sailors discovered that all four hostages have been shot by their captors. >> they said that lives were callously lost aboard the yacht. >> we would like to send our condolences to the other families. it is very important that they know that they are in our hearts and in our prayers'. we are distraught and devastated over this news this morning. this incident will reenergize debate over the use of force on pirates holding hostages. two years ago, the navy successfully rescued the captain of a vessel held hostage by pirates. one of the pirates was sentenced to 33 years in prison. dozens of international warships, hijackings have increased. some reports that 50 vessels are being held by somali pirates along with more than 800 crew. >> let's brin

cosby served in the u.s. navy from 1956 to 1961. >>> and today is the unofficial holiday known as random acts of kindness day. people are being encouraged to make generous gestures like giving directions to someone who is lost or just smiling at someone. >>> all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." >>> and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. hear what troubled actor charlie sheen had to say during a call to a radio show. and meet a texas teen with a rare immune system disorder and the robot that allows him to attend school. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

it is now known beyond any reasonable doubt that an attack did not take place even the official u.s. navy history states there was actually no north vietnamese attack that night if one. telegram which we later found from commanding erica the magic's had been made available to the committee at that time i'm quite sure they would have had long hearings going into it and if they'd been able to discover the facts is the actually where i don't believe it passed resolution because it was based on absolutely false eroni is information even says they related them of all this to force nine hundred sixty four were not true i was ships were it was not an unprovoked deliberate attack in fact is that there was no attack a poll. did the captains report what they were ordered to report. it's also visit just so that washington was put in a great deal of pressure on you to come up with some positive answers to what happened that night wasn't as if the yes we were attacked and then you have a life or a triangle of things like only. did the gunner show an empty gulf. just above the bridge of the maddox wher

bahrain is home to the u.s. navy's fifth fleet.rators are trying to reproduce successful uprisings in tunisia and egypt to bring change to bahrain. >>> protesters started marching early in the morning chanting the people want the fall of the regime. as they demanded yemen's president step down. riot police opened fire on the protesters, killing one and injuring at least five others. the president of yemen is also a key u.s. ally in fighting al qaeda. >>> the ongoing turmoil in the middle east is reportedly helping drive up prices here at the pump. statewide the average for a gallon of unleaded is $3.50 right now. the highest average ever for february. experts blame the political unrest in the middle east, along with state refineries operating below capacity. but critics blame oil companies for taking advantage of unrest elsewhere and boosting prices here. it's up more than 70%. either way, here are some of the lowest prices we found around the bay. in the east bay, gas is $3.35 at the costco in concord. $3.38 at the costco in gilma

importantly, it's the home of the entire u.s. navy fifth fleet of vital importance to the united states. our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, has made his way there from cairo. he's with us tonight from our cnbc bureau in bahrain. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this crackdown today was in many ways a preemptive strike by bahrain, this country's way of saying this small but strategically important country will not go the way of egypt and tunisia, but tonight many here feel the crackdown went too far. the protesters are calling what happened an unprovoked massacre. after unrest that had been building all week. on monday, a demonstrator was killed by security forces. at his funeral the next day, another protester was killed. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: bahrain's king made a rare address to the nation, offering condolences and calling for an investigation. [ chanting ] >> reporter: but the protesters didn't accept it. they called for an egypt-style sit-in in manama's pearl square. tho

. >>> u.s. navy warship and helicopter are trailing a boat believed to be hijacked by simial lee pirates. pirates boarded the yacht off the coast of omon on friday after the boaters split off from a sailing group. the vessel is reported to be moving closer to the say mallly coast. >>> in mexico, violence is increasing against people in taxis. at least 12 drivers and passengers were killed over the weekend. the city has been the scene of violent turf wars between drug car tells. taxi drivers have been targeted for extortion of recruited by gangs to act as lookouts or transport drugs. four people have been arrested in connection with some of the attacks. >>> a sacramento news crew is recovering after being attacked by angry mourners while reporting a fatal shooting. reporter john and rebecca little approached friends and family members to see if anyone wanted to talk about what happened. little was pulled to the ground and kicked. he tried to hold off the crowd and was hit in the face. police are revie

there are reports that a u.s. navyshadowing "the quest" in an attempt to rescue the four americans, but time is of the essence. "the quest" is reportedly headed to the somali coast. once it hits shore, if it hits shore, a rescue attempt becomes much more unlikely if not impossible. reporting live here in san francisco, bob redell, "today in the bay." >>> thank you, bob. meantime, a weekend adventure turned deadly for two teenagers in the east bay. 16-year-old matthew miller and his best friend 17-year-old gavin powell tried to go rafting at a rain-swollen drain canal in walnut creek on saturday afternoon. they were in a two-person inflatable raft and they did have helmets. however, they were not wearing life preservers. they were supposed to meet a friend a few hours later downstream but never arrived. friends say that the boys were well liked. >> they are nice. they are smart, they are intelligent. they got good grades. they both wanted to go to college and had high expectation sis of themselves. they were both really

there are reports that a u.s. navy warship is shadowing "the quest" perhaps in an attempt to rescue the four americans, but time is of the essence. the quest is heading to the coast of somalia. once it hits shore if it hits shore, a rescue attempt becomes much more unlikely if not impossible. reporting live in san francisco, bob redell, "today in the bay." >>> thank you for the update, bob. >> new this morning, the son of libya's leader says the country is poised for civil war. we've got video posted to youtube overnight. they are actually some of the first pictures of anti-government protests there. supporters say protesters and security forces are fighting in the capital city of tripoli and protesters have taken control of the country's second largest city. moammar gadhafi's son went on tv to say his father was still in charge and with the army's backing they will fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet. >>> a weekend adventure turned deadly for two teens in the east bay. 16-year-old matthew miller

and margaret warner examines the turmoil in the tiny muslim nation of bahrain, home to the u.s. navy's fifth fleet. >> lehrer: plus, jeffrey brown explores how egypt's government blocked the internet during the uprising. >> woodruff: then, we have two budget stories. we get a liberal's view of the president's blueprint from vermont senator bernie sanders. >> lehrer: and we look athe political battles over cutting defense spending. retrenchment brought about by cu >> woodruff: and from juarez, mexico, bill neely of independent television news reports on the bloody war against the drug cartels. >> three more killings here and already. this year is on course to be even deadlier than last year, when more than 3,000 people were murdered in this small city. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. the national science foundation. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and fou

the u.s. navy killed two pirates and seized 15 others. >> thank you, christin ayers in the cbs 5 newsroom. >>> and another big story today. right now american rescue teams are headed to new zealand to help search through the rubble for survivors of a major earthquake. at least 56 people are dead as many as 100 others are reported missing at this hour, maybe trapped under buildings. the magnitude 6.3 quake struck just outside christchurch yesterday. charlie d'agata tells us aftershocks continue to rock that city as people race to save lives. >> call out to us, please! >> reporter: rescuers in new zealand are searching through the night for survivors. the 6.3 earthquake struck the city of christchurch, killing at least 65 people. an ordinary workday became a fight for survival. >> it's up here! >> reporter: office workers joined rescue teams to save as many as they could. >> i am okay. >> reporter: for some, the misery was overwhelming. and even as this man spoke of his escape... >> yeah, two, three

. >> a u.s. navy warship is shadowing a hijacked american yacht off the coast of somalia. pirates seized it as it traveled from india to oh, man. the couple who owns the boat, part of a rally of yes it is heated to go the mediterranean that's when they were captured. friends now pray for their safety. >> they are very, very nice, you know, they travel the world, they will give seminars or show us what is going on at the club, and they have just been really really nice. >> if the yacht does make it to somalia's shore the hostages would probably be taken inland. that would make a fast resolution less likely. now one of the passengers does have a san francisco connection. the mother of passenger phyllis mccay lives in san francisco. >>> coming up a bus full of teenagers collides with a car. it gets worse. what made rescue efforts especially difficult. secr buying >>> she says she hasn't paid for shampoo or toot past in years. an extreme coupon clipper shares her secret for buying stuff for practically nothing. >>> just when you thought it was safe to put that umbrella away we

in bahrain, base of the u.s. navy's fifth fleet, protesters clashed with security forces for a second day. two demonstrators have been killed, including one shot at a funeral. the king of bahrain said he would investigate the shootings. bahrain has already promised to pay every family in the country $3,000. a gift from the kingdom. yemen, a poor country on the tip of the arabian peninsula can't afford such beneficence. small but relatively violent protests continued in yemen for a fifth day today. like in egypt, yemen's demonstrators want to topple their president of three decades, accusing him of corruption. but yemen is already fighting two civil wars and has an active al qaeda cell that sent bombs to the united states last october on cargo planes. a collapse of the weak u.s.-backed yemeni government could lead to anarchy. here in egypt, former president mubarak remains hidden in sharm el sheikh. but the ripple effects from the revolution here may just be beginning. >> our chief foreign correspondent richard engel sta

on wednesday, about 40 japanese personnel boarded u.s. navy amphibious landing craft. the participants simulated landing on an island to prepare for attack with the japanese personnel bringing assault rifles and anti-tank artillery. the ground self-defense force said the annual drills, which started five years ago, are getting more sophisticated every year. the latest exercises were scheduled after the government approved japan's new defense guidelines in december. these call for strengthening the defense of the southwestern islands amid china's rising military power. >> translator: through these drills, we hope to acquire knowledge and techniques from the u.s. forces and improve our operations. >>> switzerland is a permanently neutral state with compulsory national service. its reserve forces must join the military in a national emergency carrying the guns they keep at home. 2 million guns are in public ownership in switzerland. one-third of households own firearms, and crimes involving weapons keep occurring. the first referendum on whether individuals should retain

a proud veteran in the u.s. navy, he was often heard quoting president john f. kennedy -- ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country, and he literally kept saying that to me every time he visited my office. he will be laid to rest in tennessee, and i know us in the community will miss him and his incredible activism. next, an ordinance. at the committee hearing on the publication of notice ordinances, which i had submitted so that we would be able to amplify the public's understanding of what occurs with departments and commissions and their agendas, we want to make sure that we are putting on our san francisco government website all the notices of all the commission hearings and department actions so that people understand that they have access to information and not have to hunt for it. as it currently stands through committee hearings, the noticing of what those commissions and committees do is publish in the newspaper, at great expense to the board of supervisors and the city and county of san francisco. we wanted the site

bahrain is the home of the u.s. navy's fifth fleet. the majority of the shiite population has long felt like second class citizens ruled by sunni monarchy. >> the u.s. has a lot of tools at its disposal to fight terrorism from spy satellites to elite command oh units but grace lee shows us the latest tool. it can fit in your hands and it is also pretty cute. >> reporter: it is a bird. no, it's a plane. actually, it's the nanohmming bird, backed by the department of defense the company aeroviment designed it to spy. armed with a tiny video camera it can feedback images to the operator in real time. the wings span a can't 6 1/2" and weighs as much as an aa battery. not a small feat. >> they had to pin tour rise everything, they had to make them under microscopes they are so small. >> disguised as a hmming bird it flaps its wings to go forward, backward, can go through door ways and hover and watch. >> it looks pretty cool, huh. >> lovely toy. >> reporter: he served in the c.i.a. in afghanistan for nearly 3 decades and says while it haslem

it's one u.s. navyd several helicopters not letting the pirates or the americans out of their sights. the harrowing ambush at sea took place in dangerous waters nearly 300 miles off the somali coast. the pirates' target the yacht "quest." a u.s. navy warship is actively tracking them. shadowing their hijacked yacht as it nears somalia. >> they think they're americans, they must be rich. they've made a grave mistake. >> reporter: the last time the pirates boarded a vessel the "maersk alabama," they were targeted by shooters. the pirates making it toe the somali shore where they and their hostages can easily disappear. pirates held british couple paul and rachel chandler there for 388 days. >> please, please, help us. >> reporter: so they were paid a ransom believed to be $1 million. we ventured to northern somalia ourselves last spring. crossing hundreds of miles of beachfront village overlooking the world's shipping lanes. we got a hostile welcome. a captured piertd told us foreign fishermen had fished

. >> laura, what does this mean for the u.s. navy, who has a huge presence there in bahrain, with the protests not ending anytime soon, at least for now. >> reporter: well, so far, they're taking a wait-and-see approach. they've been reluctant to say anything about these protests. and they're keeping their personnel away from this area. it's not a big island. so, in a sense it's hard for them to avoid. we've been to bahrain many times. we visited the 5th fleet. they're very much the community in bahrain. this is a critical outpost for the navy, to patrol the persian gulf waters. the u.s. has a very close relationship with bahrain. and just to give you a sense, bahrain is connected to saudi arabia, with just a bridge, a causeway. people go freely, back and forth. that's why saudi arabia is so nervous because of what happens in unrest in bahrain. felt in saudi arabia. a shiite minority in the areas closest to bahrain. so, a sense of fear that this could spread. >> laura setrakian, live in cairo for us this morning. thank you. >>> we'll

bahrain is home to the u.s. navy's fifth fleet. >>> and in yemen, protests calling for the ouster of the u.s.-backed president are in their sixth day. president ali abdullah saleh has ruled yemen for 32 years. there have been violent confrontations between police and demonstrators. >>> in iran, supporters of the government demonstrated and lawmakers are calling for opposition leaders to be executed, and the u.s. to butt out. at least two protesters have been killed. yesterday, president obama criticized the iranian government. >> what has been true in egypt should be true in iran, which is that people should be able to express their opinions and their grievances, and seek a more responsive government. what's been different is the iranian government's response. which is to shoot people and beat people and arrest people. >> the iranian government had said it supports the uprisings in tunisia and egypt. >>> now to some disturbing news about one of our colleagues. cbs news chief foreign correspondent lara logan is recoveri

it hosts the u.s. navy's fifth fleet, which keeps the persian gulf open for oil transport to the rest of the world. 35% of the world's oil passes through this persian gulf. the persian gulf is also a strategic area for the fifth fleet fth fleet to monitor iran's activity. question, what explains the explosive protests in the middle east, especially these 10 nations, pat buchanan? >> i think tunisia. ape dictator who could be knocked over, he was gone in a matter of days. suddenly it goes to egypt. this is 1848, john. as it happened all across europe. it's happened across the middle east. but bahrain is key. it's an island of about 500,000 natives, about 70% and 30% sunni and foreign workers and they've been shooting them on the streets on friday after services. in the mosques. what will happen there, john, i think they're going to put that down with force of arms because you've got the american fifth treat for and across the causeway is saudi arabia work where there are two million shiites and 90% of oil. >>

mean if we look at a place like the rain there the united states houses the hit quarter of the u.s. navy's fifth fleet the big question mark for washington of course is iran because it does not have a strong american influence there in these clashes that happened today wednesday a lot of protesters were holding up and t. even with signs they were they were chanting anti american slogans and the feeling is growing within iran as it has been for some time against the american administration if we look back at what inspired a lot of these events the toppling if one can call it that of president mubarak in egypt the united states was giving conflicting messages at the beginning of the demonstrations it seemed to support mubarak the u.s. had supported for thirty years and then slowly changed its support to the demonstrators and by the time the bike was overthrown it clearly put itself of the demonstrators but people here asking the question this doesn't really change the u.s. influence particularly in egypt because now the army is in place and for four years the u.s. has been financing with bil

bahrain is home to u.s. navy's fifth fleet. >>> a sparkling of protests going on tonight in algeria. 40,000 police flooded into the streets in algiers confronting and arresting demonstrators. the opposition lawmaker was among those hurt, suffering a head injury. authorities are lifting a state of emergency in algiers by the end of the month. >>> hopes of easing congestion in the east bay. the newest bart system up and running. the expectations for helping the environment. >>> cold rain around the bay area. snow on our mountain tops. getting very low tonight. we will talk about that, coming up next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> the new west dublin pleasanton bart station is up and running today. the first train left at 6:00 this morning. the $106 million station is expected to make public transit more accessible to the tri- valley area. bart officials hope it will also ease traffic along the 580/680 corridor. >> if you've ever been on that freeway in the morning, it is an absolute gridlock. what we are going to do and wha