21/08/2011 BBC Weekend News

Hundreds of Libyan rebels are tonight pouring into the capital,

Tripoli. As opposition fighters move in, there was little sign of

resistance from forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi.

Rebels advanced during the day after heavy clashes on the roads to

Tripoli - we report from the front line. Very heavy gunfire coming

over our heads here. This morning, having really too easy a ride early

on, the rebels seem to have met some proper resistance.

SOUND OF GUNFIRE As the opposition fighters prepared

to move forward, the Libyan Government vowed to fight to the

end. We know that people even scared in their houses at this very

moment, they do not want us to give up because giving up means such

gangs will control the country. With events moving very quickly,

we'll have the very latest from our correspondents in Libya. Also

tonight: The widow of the Red Arrows pilot,

killed during an air display in Dorset, pays him her own tribute.

John was An amazing person. He was a dedicated husband, friend, and he

was just there for everybody. And England need seven more wickets

to secure a series whitewash against India.

Good evening. Hundreds of Libyan rebels are in the capital, Tripoli.

Gun battles had been reported near the centre of the city earlier in

the day, though there have ben no reports of resistance in the last

few hours. The rebels captured an important military base defending

the western approach to the capital. Colonel Gaddafi said he wouldn't

abandon Tripoli and would remain there until the end. This is how

events unfolded today. Rebels have been putting on pressure on Tripoli

from two main sides. This morning the main rebel forces got within 17

miles of Tripoli, and clashed with pro-Gaddafi troops. Our

correspondent, Rupert Wingfield Hayes, reports from Zawiya. There's

no doubt where these rebels think they're going - to Tripoli. On the

road ahead, discarded uniforms from Gaddafi's soldiers who have fled

minutes before. Hundreds of rebels are now on the march towards the

capital, and they believe the end is now close. Six months ago, these

were students and electricians, even dentists. Now they are united

by one thing. To Tripoli! So how do you feel today? Very happy, my

friend. Why are you so happy? Because we're going to dig this

bastard out of wherever he is, man. As they advance, the flags are

changed. Now just 30 kilometres from Tripoli, we enter the small

town of Al Mya. The rebels are welcomed as liberators.

SOUND OF GUNFIRE CAR HORNS

CHANTING: Libya! Libya! This is just 27 kilometres exactly

from his place. We're going there now. We'll be there in just 20

minutes. OK. We are freedom - CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The optimism is misplaced. Suddenly, everyone is running for cover,

bullets whizzing overhead. SOUND OF GUNFIRE

We've just come down the road a bit further towards Tripoli, and you

can hear above me now this incoming sniper fire, very, very heavy

sniper fire coming over the top of our heads from this morning really

having had too easy of a ride early on - now the rebels seem to have

met some proper resistance. rebels are taking casualties, and

it's time for us to leave. Panic The rebels are now in retreat. But

it doesn't last long. By this evening, this is what we found just

18 miles from the centre of Tripoli. This military base belonged to one

of Colonel Gaddafi's most elite units, the Camisse Brigade. Tonight

it's in the hands of looters. The feared brigade has disappeared.

Earlier today the Libyan government remained defiant in the face of the

rebel advances. A spokesman called for an immediate ceasefire, warning

of bloodshed on the streets. From Tripoli, Matthew Price sent this

report. The rebels called it "zero hour", "The dawn of Libya", they

chand, as they moved off, taking the fight to Colonel Gaddafi's

forces. We can't verify this footage, but we know that in places

across the Libyan capital there has been fierce fighting between both

sides. Colonel Gaddafi spoke on state TV as the fighting continued.

He told them the rats, his term for the rebels, had been eliminated. "I

know you're happy," he told his supporters. On state television,

the presenter said she would shoot any rebels who tried to take over

the station, but at a press conference with the Government

Information Minister, the tone was less defiant. We are here to

sincerely, as always, appeal for an immediate ceasefire, an immediate

halt of NATO's aggression against our nation. The last time we saw

Colonel Gaddafi was months ago. The pressure is increasing on him.

Today, the Foreign Office said NATO jets had played a significant role

in the last 24 hours. NATO's mandate is to protect civilians,

but it's clear without its help, the rebels would not be as strong

as they are now. Well, the fighting here in Tripoli has been going on

throughout the day. There's just been another sustained burst of

gunfire and large explosion, and at the moment it appears to be getting

closer. A senior Government source here told me there are 65,000

Government sources ready to defend this city. He also said the tribes

are beginning to defend their own in Tripoli itself. Around this city,

the rebels have been driving, marching towards Tripoli. There are

reports that they've managed to take over a major military base to

the west of here, home to one of the best-trained units in Libya.

The Government is losing its grip on power, but what comes next may

not be the smooth regime change the West would like to see.

Well, in a moment, we'll speak to our correspondent Orla, who is in

the western stronghold of Missy Elliot. But first let's go back to

Matthew Price live in Tripoli. You were talking about fighting going

on, then we hear there is no resistance. What can you tell us

from where you are? I am in a hotel, the hotel that the Government has

obliged foreign journalists to stay in since this crisis began. My

movements are controlled. I am not allowed to go out of the hotel.

There is a lot of fight in the vicinity of this hotel up until

about an hour or so ago. That's now calmed down. Just looking out of

the window, you can see fireworks in the distance which you could

assume would be fireworks of celebration, but the streets

exactly outside this hotel - a little - five miles or so to the

city centre, the streets are absolutely deserted at the moment.

PROBLEM WITH SOUND And certainly no jubilant crowds on

them. So all of this talk earlier on from

the government that they were going to fight to the end, there doesn't

seem to be much sign of that at the moment, anyway. At the moment there,

doesn't. There are these rumours that Colonel Gaddafi's personal

bodyguards have laid down their weapons. There are other weapons

about his son, Faisal Islam, having been arrested. There are all sorts

of rumours swirling around that the rebels are on the march into

Tripoli itself and they are as yet not being met with any sort of

force. Now, you know, it's very hard to read this from where I am.

However, it is worth noting that on some occasions in the past when the

opposition forces have moved into key towns, they have then found

themselves to a certain extent surrounded by pro-Gaddafi forces

who emerge from rooftops as snipers who then start firing in mortars

and other heavy weaponry on to the rebels. Perhaps that is a tactic

that is going to be employed here in Tripoli tonight. Alternatively,

the quietness and the speed of the rebel advance, as it appears to be

at the moment, if that is maintained, then perhaps we really

are witnessing the fall of the regime and possibly even a fairly

peaceful one. Matthew Price there in Tripoli, thank you very much

indeed. Let's go to Orla Guerin, who is in

Misrata, where the rebels are based, or many of them. How do you read

the situation from there? I think even a week ago very few people

would have thought that things could move at this speed.

SOUND OF GUNFIRE And yet tonight we have the rebels

in the heart of Tripoli. This was supposed to be Colonel Gaddafi's

last bastion, and from what we're hearing, they have managed to

stream in almost with relative ease, and I think the big question

tonight is, where is Colonel Gaddafi, and particularly, where

will he be by morning? Here in Misrata, as you can probably hear,

celebration have erupted. It started more than an hour ago. You

may be able to see in the street behind me that we have cars

coursing up and down blaring their horns. We have drivers shouting

victory slogans. We have celebratory gunfire going on more

or less all the time. We have had fireworks in the sky. Now, these

celebrations may be a little bit premature, but I suppose people

here would be forgiven, as this city suffered enormously under

Colonel Gaddafi. There was heavy shelling earlier in the year. I was

here at that time when you simply couldn't move around on the streets.

There were snipers terrorising the population, and here in this city

alone, more than 400 civilians were killed, so down on the streets

tonight, they're very anxious to begin the celebration. Now, back

earlier in the year, I covered the rebel advances for about a month,

and at that stage, they were woefully lacking in strategy and in

discipline, but they certainly seem to have learnt from their mistakes.

What we have seen in the last few months particularly was a strategic,

coordinated advance with the aim of cutting off supply routes and

circling Colonel Gaddafi. It certainly seems to have worked. If

the rebels are on the verge of a victory or if victory is coming

soon, it's because they have worked hand in glove with NATO, though

NATO may not be willing to share that credit, but the feeling here

is very much though it is still a long night ahead in Tripoli, there

could be Darren, ahead. People are hoping they'll wake up after 42

years to a Libya that could look very, very different.

Many thanks. The RAF has grounded the Hawk

aircraft flown by the Red Arrows while an investigation is carried

out into the death of one of its pilots during a display. Flight

Lieutenant Jon Egging crashed at the Bournemouth air show yesterday.

His wife today said he was an "amazing" and "dedicated" husband.

Danny Savage reports. At the scene of the Red Arrows

crash near Bournemouth, investigations continued. The pilot

who died here was 33-year-old before veteran Jon Egging. Tonight

his widow Emma paid tribute to him. John was an amazing person. He was

a completely dedicated husband and friend, and he was just there for

everybody, and he always gave his absolute most whether it was for

his job or for his home life, so Jon was just brilliant. But why did

Flight Lieutenant Egging's plane fail to complete this well-

practised manoeuvre and crash? One experienced fast jet pilot suggests

several possibilities. Everything from aircraft mechanical failure,

fuel starvation, that sort of thing, bird strikes perhaps, pilot's

incapacitation, distraction, a whole host of things. There is a

list - anything you can think of, really, at the outset, is what

they'll be looking at. The hawkjets flown by the Red Arrowss and used

by the rest of the RAF have been grounded as part of their inquiry.

In their 46-year history, the Red Arrows have performed in 50

countries. For the last 20 years they have UKed the Hawk 21. The

team have only had one other fatal aircraft with this type of aircraft.

But last year the whole fleet was grounded over problems with the

ejector seat. At the Bournemouth Air Show this afternoon, there was

a minute's silence, and many wore red clothes as a tribute to Jon

Egging. It's not just people in born moth who have been paying

their respects, here at the home of the Red Arrows, others have been

signing a book of condolences and leaving flowers. The jets are seen

practicing in the skies north of Lincoln for much of the year. But

the authorities of this community are with the family of Flight

Lieutenant Egging. One person here wrote, "You gave so much pleasure

to so many, one of the few." A memorial concert for the 77

killed by a right wing extremist has been held in Oslo today.

Finance of the victims and survivors attended the service

along with Norway's Royal family Family and politicians. The King

fought back tears during an emotional speech. We can have a

report now from our correspondent inslo, Steve Rosenberg.

This was Norway's answer to Anders Breivik's terror. Here in the

audience were the family of his victims and those Norwegians who

survived the attacks. King Harold of Norway declared that

freedom was stronger than fear. Earlier, politicians and foreign

dignitaries had laid flowers outside Oslo Cathedral. With

today's ceremony here in Oslo, Norway brings to an end what has

been a month of mourning. The hope now is that a nation traumatised by

two acts of terror can start to move on. In jail, he is to be kept

in total isolation for four more weeks. He's confessed to the car

bomb that killed eight people in Oslo. He admits shooting 69 people

on Utoeya island, but he doesn't see it as a crime. Those who fled

the island a month ago went back to honour the dead and to try to come

to terms with what happened here. Adrian was shot by Breivik. This

will be an enormous help for me in the future as well to know that I

have been here again. I've returned with a smile on my face, and a tear

in my eye, but I do feel that this was very, very good for me, and I

also heard that it was very good for many others as well. This woman

was on the island too that day. When she heard gunshots, she hid

from Breivik under a bed. We have cried so many tears. I don't have

anymore tears left. I don't want to cry anymore either because tomorrow

we have to start living our lives again, and I think this will be

great for us. But at the end of the memorial

service, there were tears as the victims' names were read out - 77

people killed by one man. Norway will try now to move on, but what

Breivik did has left deep scars. Now the cricket.

It promises to be an exciting final day in the Test series tomorrow.

England bowled India out and forced them to follow on today and at the

close the tourists were 129 for 3 in their second innings, that's

still 162 runs behind. England preparing for a day of

bowling in fitting fashion as India's batting foundations have

been built on sand this series - at least they had their rock. Dravid

has been the only man who has come close to being reliable for the

tourists. At the other end, the crumble went on.Some, Doney gone

and India in another fines me. Dravid was playing the straight man,

though, moving to his third century of the series while his team-mates

have yet to get one between them. He inspired some initiative here,

and the pair of them were making things challenging for England, but

once again they reacted, specifically, Ian Bell reacted.

Mishra gone, these just stick. Gambia stuck around for awhile

before Stuart Broad accounted for him. India got to 300, but no

further. Dravid remained unbeaten, but he got no time for a rest.

England asked him and his team to follow on, so out he came again.

This time, though, his resistance was ended by Graeme Swann. Perhaps

even the umpire couldn't believe it was true as it needed a review to

finally send him on his way. India needed someone similarly stubborn.

Sehwag wasn't it, neither was Laxman. As the sun starts to set on

a glorious summer for English Test Cricket, tomorrow could be a golden

A reminder of the main news: Libyan rebels have advanced into