30/08/2011 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Kirsty Lang. Libyan rebels give

Gaddafi's forces an ultimatum - surrender by Saturday or face an

all-out assault. The question then is what will

happen when the Gaddafi forces have no Ross to retreat to and perhaps

have to make a last stand. Supporters of South Africa's

controversial ANC youth leader, Julius Malema, clash with police

ahead of his disciplinary hearing. Europe's super-rich say they've got

a solution to the continent's financial crisis - tax us more.

We'll hear from one of them. And the gold rush deep in the

Australian bush - with gold prices rising we report on how Australia's

prospectors are hoping to improve their own fortunes.

Hello and welcome. Surrender or else - that's the

message from Libya's new leaders to die-hard supporters of Colonel

Gaddafi. They've given them until Saturday to lay down their arms or

face an all-out military assault on the areas still under pro-Gaddafi

control. They include the Colonel's birthplace of Sirte and two other

towns. Meanwhile, the transitional

government has criticised Algeria for giving a refuge to Gaddafi's

family. The rebels are firmly in control of

Tripoli, but Sirte, Gaddafi's home town, still in the hands of Gaddafi

loyalists. It is about 250 miles east of here. Rebel forces are

approaching it from both East and West, a sort of pincer movement.

They have been trying to negotiate a surrender by the Gaddafi

loyalists there, but there does not look like there is going to be any

sort of ceasefire. So the rebels have now said they will give the

Gaddafi loyalists in Sirte until Saturday to essentially surrender,

laid down their arms, otherwise the rebels will attack with the fall

Fire of their firepower. They say Zero hour is rapidly approaching.

Paul Wood reports from outside Sirte.

By Saturday, these men expect to be at the gates of Sirte. Then they

will be face-to-face with thousands of Gaddafi loyalists. As you can

see come people are in pretty good spirits, these fighters say they

are not going to wait for the Muslim festival of beach macro.

They're going to push right on through to Sirte. The question then

is what will happen when the Gaddafi forces have no one else to

retreat to and perhaps have to make a last stand. -- until Ead. The

rebels hope it will not come to that. They have had intensive talks

with tribal leaders. People here say a deal is being vetoed by

diehard loyalists with blood on their hands. We don't expect that

Gaddafi has soldiers any more. Some of the troops have no way and as

they fight because they know that they have killed a lot of civilian

people. In one of the villages just liberated, as the rebels say, they

are preparing for the Heat feast. Food prices here rose 30 fold while

the bridge was cut off. -- the heat -- the Heat feast. They glad that

things are getting back to normal. The fighters have been told their

leadership is trying to organise a two-day ceasefire for the holiday.

For the time being, we are going to have a defence line here. We have

to respect the holiday. As you know, it is the end of Ramadan. After the

holiday, we will nor proceed on to a Sirte. Few of the role fighters

we spoke to believe a truce will hold. Most didn't want it. They are

winning and they want to press on to Sirte.

Sirte is just one of many places where Colonel Gaddafi himself might

be hiding. He is on the run and his whereabouts are unknown. But we do

know the whereabouts of some of the prominent members of his family,

who have escaped to Algeria, his wife Safia, his daughter Ayesha,

who gave birth shortly after arriving, and two of his sons. The

decision by the Algerian government has provoked outrage by the

transitional council, is a tis an act of aggression by a jeering. But

the Algerians are saying they are acting purely on humanitarian

grounds. Here in Tripoli, life is slowly beginning to return to

normal, but there are still huge sortileges -- shortages of food,

water, electricity and fuel. Jeremy Bowen reports.

Suspicion and insecurity are never far away in Tripoli. So it is

remarkable how calm the city seems now. This is a way into Tajoura, a

suburb that was a centre of opposition to the old regime. Sorry

mop head, say the children, using a nickname inspired by Colonel

Gaddafi's hair that might have put their parents in jail two weeks ago.

The Libyans are now ready to be part of the world? We are all the

time part of the world. We have never been out but someone left us

out. But not everyone is happy. This woman wants her salary. There

is 2 million in there, she says. We need a good system. We are tired.

Everyone else queuing at the bank, all state employees, want to get

paid. But her impatience angers the men. Shut up, he says, don't talk

like that, we will get everything in the end. I won't shut up, I'm

hungry, I want my money. She retreated to an alleyway. It has

been three months since we were paid. The women were sympathetic. I

am divorced, my salary is 400, have got three children, they can't wait.

But the men said they were happy with their revolutionary euphoria.

We don't even money, just freedom. Other Arab revolutionaries in

Tunisia and Egypt were just as happy when they toppled their

dictators. More than six months later, their excitement about the

future has been lost in life's daily struggle. But freedom from

fear makes you feel rich if you're just out of prison, like Mahmoud

Abdullah Al-Tarhouni. He was arrested in early March of the

organising the first anti- Gaddafi demonstrations here in Tajoura. He

doesn't want Colonel Gaddafi dead. He wants in to see their triumph.

want him to see how Libya will be without him, without his sons. We

will build this country and I want him to see that. During the last

six months, the streets were always tense, sometimes frightening and

sometimes very violent. Now you can feel the relief that the colonel

has gone. But they face really big challenges because for 40 years

Colonel Gaddafi has taken away all the conventional institutions of

government, and that means that in many ways they have to start again

from scratch, that is going to be difficult.

Let's go to Jon Leyne in the rebels' stronghold of Benghazi.

Jeremy was talking about starting again. Where do the political

leadership of the transitional council go from here? How soon do

they start the job of rebuilding this country politically?

They have already made preparations and drafted a constitution document.

The real mechanics of it don't get going until then move to Tripoli

and that looks like it could still be a while away. Some leaders say

they don't want to do it until the whole country is liberated. So it

might be a week or two was several weeks. Once they have done that,

they have got quite a will drawn out timetable for forming a new

government. They are putting a constitutional committee together.

It will be the first free election in Libya's history is not until 18

months away. I think they will accept that they pull together

representatives from across the country, particularly a large

number from Tripoli itself, to show people that this is it really a

national representative government of all Libyans and they show Libyan

as they are really working in their interest, which people think their

current government has not been for 42 years. Once they do that, they

have an enormous fund of goodwill. People are willing to wait days,

weeks, months, years for the country to be put right, because so

long as they trust that there is a government that is going in the

right direction and has the best interests at heart.

Very briefly, what is your reading of what is going to happen next in

Sirte? We have this ultimatum of Saturday. It is hard to see the

Gaddafi loyalist throwing in the towel until they are under much

more military pressure. Maybe once they come under sustained military

assault, then a free from the town. Jon Leyne in Benghazi, many thanks

indeed. Here in Tripoli, there is his sense, although there is

euphoria, there is also a sense that this is a -- an unfinished

Revolution. Gaddafi is on the run and Sirte is yet to fall. There is

something else as well, which is that tens of thousands of people

are still missing, people who were taken captive by the Gaddafi regime

in the last few months and their loved ones and families have heard

nothing from them. They are still waiting. That is the latest from

Tripoli. Algeria's reporting that Gaddafi's

daughter gave birth to a baby girl today and that is proof that

Algeria is acting in a compassionate way. I will be

speaking to a former Algerian diplomat who is based in Libby

about this situation. But let's get a bit of background on Algeria.

These protests back in February, the last time we saw mass

demonstrations in Algeria. People took to the streets to complain

about rising food prices. A crack down so many of them carted off in

handcuffs. But the demonstrators never gained a momentum that they

did in Egypt and Tunisia. The question is, will fall of Colonel

Gaddafi in neighbouring Libya galvanise the Algerian opposition.

The scene is set in Libya -- in Algeria anyhow for widespread civil

unrest. This could just give the politicisation which has been

lacking so far, this will anger the Algerian people because the

Algerian regime has been supporting Gaddafi to repress the so-called

Arab Spring. Today, the Algerian President celebrated Ead. Abdul

Aziz Bouteflika has ruled the country since 199. He took power

following a decade of civil war between Islamist militants and the

army. A war that saw between 150-2 on a 1000 people killed. But a

figure has project himself as a peace broker, representing the army

but reaching out Islamist fighters. As the course -- calls for

democracy have occurred through the Arab world, he has made some

concessions, like lifting the state of emergency but the ban on public

protest remain. A mix-up that so much in the 90s, Algerians fear

more unrest. But how long the regime can resist the winds of

change blowing across North Africa? Reform meant Libyan deputy

ambassador in the 90s is here. Thank you for joining us. Given

that you know this relationship between Algeria and Libya quite

well, were you surprised when the Algerian government allowed members

of the Gaddafi family in? Basically not. Not at all. I know the type of

relationship between the two regimes. By the way, they hate each

other but they help each other at the same time. They hate each other

because Gaddafi has created many troubles for Algeria. But from 94,

95, they started to have sort of mutual assistance and help. Each

country sent to the other country their opponents. They accuse them

of being terrorists and in the name of tourism Algeria sent people to

Gaddafi. So although they headed Gaddafi, the LGA is recognised that

he could be useful in controlling dissent within Algeria? You have

two brutal dictators and they help each other a lot. But they hate

each other because Gaddafi has created too much trouble in

southern Algeria, because he wanted to create a state and also the

Gaddafi regime is the only regime in the area which does not

recognise the Algerian borders. He was even requesting to get back

about 15,000 square kilometres. What I don't understand is, if they

don't much like Gaddafi and he has been a destabilising influence, why

help him now when he is finished? Because the regime is not keeping -

- not working for the people. They will not be becoming targets for

the revolution. They know they're on the list for the Arab Spring.

They know this is a movement of history and they cannot stop it but

they tried to stop it. At the end of the day, it is a matter of life

and death for them. They held in the last six months diplomatically,

buy food and probably by sending mercenaries or released have and

then crossing the borders, in order to make this one endless. But the

war ended and that was big trouble Let's take a look at some of the

day's other news. There's been a violent end to the

holy month of Ramadan across Syria. Witnesses say Government troops

opened fire on protesters when they spilled out onto the streets after

morning prayers. Activists say at least seven people were shot dead

by the security forces, including six in the province of Daraa in the

south. Clean-up efforts are continuing

along America's east coast after Tropical Storm Irene swept through.

At least 40 people have been killed and millions remain without power.

The storm has been hitting eastern Canada.

The authorities in Sudan have denied allegations by international

human rights groups that they are continuing aerial bombardments in

the south. They told the BBC there had been no bombing since the

President described the ceasefire last week forced of 19 miners have

been rescued after spending a week underground in China, but three of

their colleagues have been -- not been found.

They say they survived by drinking water and nutrition packs that was

sent to a Piper drilled into the ground.

Now to South Africa, where there have been violent clashes between

police and supporters of Julius Malema of the ANC Youth League. He

is facing a disciplinary hearing because he is accused of bringing

the governing party into disrepute. Mr Malema is accused of undermining

his -- the authority of President Jacob Zuma. Karen Allen has more.

It started off as peaceful protests in support of the ANC youth leader

Julius Malema. The very quickly, the mood turned ugly, as the cloud

-- crowd tried to march on the ANC party headquarters.

Police fired stun grenades to try and seize back control. When that

did not seem to work they brought the water-cannon Howard. -- out. A

volley of bottles and stones in reply, as the crowds were treated

and then regrouped. -- retreated. It was only when the area was

cordoned off that the police seemed to regain control. There is anger

here at the singling out of the ANC Youth Leader of Julius Malema, who

could be expelled from the party for being a divisive force. As the

youth, it is important for us to come here and give support and

pledge solidarity to our leadership that is inside. We support our

President. He was not a device that member. We want to show that. We

are in support of our President -- a divisive member. Julius Malema is

a powerful figure, but the flamboyant head of the ANC Youth

League has become a thorn in President Zuma's side and his

supporters say today's keirin has more to do with internal power

struggles within the ANC ahead of their leadership contest next year

than the antics of its youth wing. In the battle of the President's,

Julius Malema can mobilise votes. Scenes like this should serve as a

warning to President Zuma, who has ambitions for a second term. The

crowd is being held back behind police lines and chanting anti-

Jacob Zuma slogans. His own political future of rests heavily

on the outcome of this. With the private deliberations over a Julius

Malema set to roll into Wednesday, ANC leaders had announced the

switch of venue away from the centre of town, in a move to try

and defuse tensions within the ruling party and minimise the

threat of open rebellion. Now to the modern-day gold rush.

With soaring gold prices, there has been a resurgence of the

nineteenth-century practice in Australia of potential prospectors

returning to the Old Gold Fields, the king to make their fortune.

Nick Bryant sent this report from New South Wales -- are looking to

make their fortune. The been the Australian bush, over

the Great dividing Range that separates this vast continent --

deep in. It is not just the sky that has a glorious golden glow. In

creeks and hollows that were once the focus of a nineteenth-century

gold rush, a modern-day prospectors have come in search of their

fortunes. Nugget by nugget, a speck by tiny speck.

But old-fashioned techniques have given way to new-fangled technology.

Sensitive metal detectors are now the tools of the trade. And for

some, like him Ellis, it has become a career. She gave their job --

gave up the job in the property industry to prospect for time and

teach novices. I think we will move on for that one. A with the price

of gold at record highs at the moment, it is understandable why so

many people are coming out of the city to go prospecting. This can be

a life-changing event if you strike it lucky. It can and I have heard

of people actually finding a large enough nugget to pay their mortgage,

but now, they will probably pay it and buy another few cars. The price

of gold is fantastic. It can be bract -- back-breaking work. Even

in the favourite haunts of local prospect has, most Giggs ended

failure. But it is the lure of striking it rich that brings Mike

back. He is deaf and what has started as a hobby has become a

lucrative sideline. Gold. There it is, gold. The nearby town stands as

a landmark to the riches that a gold rush can bring. It is one of

the most elegant towns in rural Australia. Now, outsiders are

heading to do prospecting shop, hoping to emulate the success of

locals like Mike. 6.6, what is that? $300. A $300?

Gold prices have risen almost 25% since the beginning of this year

alone. No wonder so many people are thinking of giving up their day

jobs. It is not often that you hear

people offering to pay more tax, but this has been happening, I

think Warren Buffet, the US billionaire, was the first to offer.

He has been followed by a number of super rich people in Europe, a

group of wealthy people in countries like France, Italy and

Germany have all said, we have got more money than we can afford to

spend, at we would be happy to make an extra contribution to help out

the Government in the current crisis. Kathy Harcombe has more.

# Let me tell you how it will be. He is the American investor with

the golden touch. Warren Buffet is a man who has amassed a stash

astonishing riches and now he wants to share it with the rest of us, by

paying more tax on his and earnings. The generosity but it is proving

infectious. Beauvais in Europe, the Erez Liliane battered court -- the

Erez Liliane Bettencourt and her peers have signed a letter begging

for a special contribution to France's economy. Next door in

Italy, the boss of Ferrari has also offered to read up his tax

contribution. He says that those who have the most should pay the

most. And now the Germans are getting on board. But it is not

just the super rich, it is doctors, entrepreneurs and teachers. They

say they have got more money than they need and want their government

to rethink their taxation policies. So far, despite the benevolence of

their European neighbours, Britain's which seemed unwilling to

join in. But with France and Spain mulling over the merits of wealth

tax, could this be a way out of the world's financial mess?

A reminder of our top story. The Libyan Transitional Council has

given pro-Gaddafi forces until Saturday to surrender their last

major strongholds. For more on this, let's hear from Ian Pannell, who is

south of Tripoli. This isolated position out in the

desert is absolutely key for the rebels. This area is one that leads

to the town of Della Valle lead, that is due south of Tripoli, and

it is where Gaddafi loyalists are believed to have fled when and the

rebels pushed him from the east than the Western last week. -- and

the West. The area is a vast and open expanse of desert and it is

very difficult to find where anyone is in this area. It is also the

road that was used by members of Colonel Gaddafi's family to flee to

Algeria. You have a chat to the south and Algeria to the West. --

the chap. It is an area the rebels do not control and it is still

under the hand of those a loyal to Colonel Gaddafi. So as well as

concentrating their efforts on the Sirte, which is 160 kilometres in

that direction, they are pushing even further south. Again, it is

feared that Colonel Gaddafi could have gone there. They have two

concerns, the first is the sense of completion that they want Colonel

Gaddafi captured or killed, and seconded that if he is not caught,

he is in a position to form some kind of rebellion or insurgency

that would distract the new government from going about its

business. So very important days. Although many battles have been won,

the war is far from above. Another quick reminder of the

headlines tonight. There have been clashes in South Africa between

police and demonstrators who support the leader of the ANC youth

wing Julius Malema. Those clashes took place around the ANC

headquarters. That is all from us for the moment.

Next up, the weather, but from the, Kirsty Lang and the rest of the

Hello, are on a run of cloudy and call days, there will be no change

to tomorrow. Temperatures are a bit down on what we would expect this

time of year and sunshine is definitely in short supply. High

pressure across the UK, but the flow of air around that, there is a

cool north-westerly coming with a good deal of cloud. It is blocking

most of the wet weather systems from getting here, so apart from

the isolated showers tomorrow, most people will have a dry day. They

could be the odd shower across northern England, the cloud will

build and obscure most of the sunshine, but there will be bursts

of brightness coming through the clouds, but nothing prolonged.

Occasionally, the cloud will break across southern England but it will

be a dry day. The 18 or 19 degrees, but 19 at the very best. Just a

light breeze, so if a glimmer of sunshine comes through, it won't

feel too bad. A lot of cloud in Wales, the isolated showers

possible, and a similar picture across Northern Ireland. 16 degrees

in Belfast. Where you have seen rain today in Scotland, tomorrow

the showers will be few and far between. And occasionally, the