protest in syria is brutally repressed by security forces. demonstrators are shot, beaten, and killed. in the absence of free media, such videos made by the protesters themselves are the only evidence of what the syrians are going through. but confirmed the authenticity is difficult, and reports are contradicted by the syrian government and its own media. syrian state television broadcasts its view as well, from reports of brutal demonstrators to extensive footage of dead soldiers. it shows detained opposition member is giving concessions. the government says the unrest is caused by foreign powers that want to destabilize the country. many syrians did not know which side to believe. opposition supporters are having difficulty telling their stories. many have fled abroad. this person says his city is pure hell. two weeks ago he escaped to be rude, but he believed -- he escaped to be rude, but he believes that syrian intelligence agencies are there as well. >> they bt andortured at 10 days in jail. they arrested 4000 people, except for 500 peop

syria is an important toehold in the region. damascus is a vital ally against israel along with lebanon in gaza. iran is supporting a sock in his fight against his own people with weapons and know-how. -- iran's supporting president assad in his fight against his own people. earliethis month, tens of thousands of people took par in a demonstrators tossed in a demonstration, the largest number since it began. -- tens of thousands of people took part in a demonstration, the largest number since it began. >> syria has been wracked by military coups. parliamentary institutions have been weak. when the father of bashar al- assad gave up power -- seized power, pro-democracy activists began leaving the country in droves. many of them found asylum in britain which is now home to a large exile community of syrians would like to see their home country become a democracy. what's down with the -- >> down with the assad regime is the chant outside of the syrian embassy. >> they will do anything to shut our mouths. and we don't have weapons.

>> they say they have good relations with syria. they do not need that again, the catastrophe that happened when the kurds came in and all the people died and turkey was stuck with the kurdish fighters for decades to come. they were trying to keep things stable in syria. they were supporting the regime and calling for reforms, but not calling for the regime to step down alike in egypt and elsewhere. we have ben seeing a lot of frustration on the turkish part. they are just not going anywhere. last week, a member of the turkish parliament said that they have been talking to the opposition. the town of voice is becoming more frustrated towards the syrians. we are seeing a shift happened. >> steve is here to tell us about the inflation watchers of europe. >> it seems that interest rates might be heading higher. the ecb left rates unchanged on thursday. they ve been talng about the greek debt crisis. >> ecb president rejected a proposal by the german finance minister to get private bondholders to swap current funds for bonds with more m

the streets of jisr al-shughour in northern syria are deserted. its remaining residents are braced for an imminent assault by the syrian military. president bashar al-assad's government alleges 120 of its security forces were killed this week in the rebellious town, and aired amateur video on state television purporting to show its dead troops. now, elite units believed to be commanded by assad's brother appear poised to exact vengeance. this amateur video, surreptitiously shot from a fleeing motorist, appeared to show convoys of military vehicles massed outside the town yesterday. the bbc's owen bennet jones is on the turkish side of the border with syria, and says there are reports that thousands of young men remain in the town. >> reporter: i think the women and children have basically either gone to other locations, either in syria or come here. and the people who remain are probably the ones who want to fight-- you know, that are prepared to fight it out. >> woodruff: only one route out is open, and townsfolk are taking it, fleeing in droves.

the president of syria has once again promised reform. bashir al-assad told the country on monday that changes will come within months, but he also blamed saboteurs for the under arrest, and he vowed not to deal with a gunman. >> for president bashir al- assad, the unrest in syria is the work of a small group of extremists. it is not the first timehe president has blamed this on saboteurs, as they suffer through the most serious challenge to the leadership in nearly 40 years. >> there can be no political settlement with those who use guns and kill people. we want a political settlement, and we hope that the army will be able to return to its barracks as quickly as possible. >> assad promised to look into broadening amnesty for his political opponents. he also announced that parliamentary elections originally scheduled for last month will now be held in august. president asssad's supporters were jubilant, but soon after, rallies were reported in damascus. for many in the opposition movement, the president's speech offered too little, too l

massacres are taking place in syria. what's the differences. >> as i've looked at this and been asked this question on several occasions, i think we have to treat each country differently and each cotry in its region, and i think the president's been very clear that there's certainly no intent to go into country after country. what happens. really what happened in libya was supported by the african union and more importantly by the arab league. and supported by the arab league. we actually got deployed outof area forces from arab countries along with nato. clearly the nato commitment after the united nations commment. it w this international focus that essentially said we need to take steps in lib -- libya. >> charlie: even aer the acts committed in t government's name to somehow play a role i whatever realignmt in the middle east especially with respect to iran. we don't wt to bay part of a civil war that might happen. >> i see no indication that that thought train is running our poli. they neeto rorm and he is with obv

and i mentioned the efforts of the government in syria, i think syria's efforts for reforms and that the opposition should pay careful attention to the opportunities which that effort is opening up for them. >>ose: do you have any sense of what's happening in egypt in terms of the transition that ought to be taking place? >> it's turning out to be, i think, more difficult than initially was hopedor. but, well, let's hope for the better that an election is going to take place which will bring about a political system and government which is going to be internationally cooperate and respsive to the will of the egyptian people. >> rose: what role did president medvedev articulate for russia and the g-8 summit? >> he was responsive tothe sessions, as far as i know, which were made by president obama and president sarkozy and some others that russia could play a more active mediating role, if you will, which we have been doing in support of the african union initiative. we believe that the african union effort is sothing which has a great chance ofproducing more results and the visit of p

thank you. >> brown: a new wave of bloodshed swept over syria today. government troops assaulted a northern city and opened fire on huge crowds of protesters elsewhere. at least 32 people were killed, while thousands more ran for their lives. the rapidly-filling refugee camps tell the tale-- an exodus of more than 4,000 syrians into turkey in the last 48 hours. they've fled the forces of president bashar al-assad, who launched a violent crackdown today on a rebellious northwestern city, jisr al- shaghour. it's been the scene of violent resistance and possible military mutinyhis week. some of those leaving the area, and some staying behind, told of indiscriminate gun and tank fire, and quite literally scorched earth, with troops burning fields and destroying livestock. >> ( translated ): bashar assad is killing his own people in order to stay in power. he is being cruel. >> ( translated ): may god tear bashar assad into pieces. we would be starving if turkey did not help. >> brown: turkey's former justice minister visited the camps today, and said his n

so it is in stark contrast to syria and yemen. but the fact that they've made this decision shows just how much force has played in quieting, and that's what, of course, what other regimes are hoping for, that they can return calm so that they can bring back whether it's foreign investment, foreign-- international races or tourists. >> brown: or grand prix racing of all things, right. okay, well, thanks for the update. robin wright, thanks a lot. >> woodruff: now, teaching kids about money. economics correspondent paul solman has our story. it's part of his on-going reporting, "making sense of financial news". >> hi, welcome to "sesame street." look what elmo has. >> reporter: a new financial literacy initiative from "sesame street." "money tips for tots" starting with savings. ♪ we save. it's okay. what a save, yeah, elmo's gonna save ♪. >> reporter: in elmo's gonna save, that would distinguish him from a host of grown-up minners, more than a third of whom have a mere $1,000 or less socked away. in total. 29% of us report not

the situation in syria is getting so severe that the top people at the u.n. charged with preventing genocide are voicing concer they point to police and military attacks on unarmed civilians, mass detention, and reports of people disappearing. human-rights groups estimate 10,000 people have been taken by force since protests began in march. we have this report on the fate of one of those detainees. >> these young women are said to be protesters in the city of homs. they are carrying banners demanding an end to the killings, and a picture of a young syrian boy. footage from the internet's -- purports to show -- footage from the internet purports to show his violent and after protesting. state tv showewehis father praising the president. they said the boy's body was handed over to his parents weeks after he died. a u.n. spokesman pledged to find out what had been done. >> we have been deeply med and ashad abt what hapned t that boy. i have no idea why anybody would brutalize a young boy like that. >> but the name is one among many. detentions are widespread, li

the city in syria's northwest was the scene of heavy fighting. and troops loyal to bashar al-asaad. and there are images of a mass grave, with government forces killed by rebels. tehy saihey said they were killd for not opening fire on civilians. thousands have fled to nearby turkey. and anti-governemnt protesters are congradulating the turkish prime minister, and renewed their calls for the overthrow of the regime. they will keep their borders open to syrians looking for safety. 1300 have benen killed. the -- prime minister has said their would be 30 ministers, connected to the hezbollah goverment. says it will represent all lebanese. they have been without a president after kariri was overthrown. we will look at the human right s situation later in this half hour. silvio bullous toberlusconi hasd a trial immunity for goverment officials. he had urged a boycott. turnout is believed to be 57%. >> anti-nuclear activists celebrated the results, cluding having italy being a nuclear-free country. >> the only possibility -- >> this puts an end to berlusconi's plan to restart the nuclear

. >> woodruff: syria's president bashar al-assad expanded his crackdown in rebellious northern towns today. the regime's push could snuff out any chance the uprising could gain a base for a wider armed rebellion. margaret warner has the latest. >> warner: syrian refugees continued to stream across the border into turkey today. the syrian government troops sought to tighten their hold on more northern towns and villages. over the weekend, elite syrian units moved into jiz jiz. syrian state television showed the town of 40,000 nearly deserted. just ten days ago it was the scene of large demonstrations against the syrian president. the refugee described the government's harsh response. >> when we are walking in the streets shouting "we want freedom" and the people want him to fall down, we didn't want assad, the security killed the people. >> warner: today amid empty streets and shuttered store fronts in the town, state television broadcast what it said were captured weapons, explosives and uniforms. syrian forces are also moving on nearby town by is buy secretaryed by the main road bet

groups and northern syria are also joininghe protest. monica is here to talk about the green light for greece. >> auditors from the imf, at the e.u., and european central bank agreed athens should a group receive -- should receive the next installment of their bailout, but they also want more caps on public spending from the debt stricken country. >> the chairman of the euro group and the greek prime minister or relieved to hear that athens had qualified for a second bailout. >> it is obvious that there will be no exit from greece from the area. greece will be able to fully honor its obligations. >> auditors from the imf, the eu and the ecb give a positive assessment of their efforts to rein in public spending. that paves the way for athens to receive the next installment of 12 billion euros in bailout funds. fthe money will come from the 10 billion euro fund that was set up for that purpose a year ago. there are also increasing signs greece can expect additional financial support of up to 65 billion euros. but the cash injection comes w

elsewhere in syria, anti- ackermann protests reportedly continue. some images -- anti-government protests reportedly continue. some images show demonstrations. the messages on these boys' chests read, "stop the army" and "there are no gangs." turkey has set up camps for refugees and kept its borders open. >> we share a common destiny with the syrian people. there is no way we will close the border. we will not stop posting them, even if the number reaches 10,000 -- hosting them, even if the number reaches 10,000. beyond that, could become an international problem. -- it could become an international problem. >> iran has successfully placed an imaging satellite into orbit. state television said that the satellite was fully designed and built by iranian scientists. the rocket carried a 15-kg satellite into orbit, at 260 kilometers above the earth. iran launched its first satellite in 2009. united states a ity he concernshat e techlo could be used to deploy nuclear weapons. tehran has denied that its space program has military aims. they plan to launch

we get the word this week that the iranians and iraqis enter into economic cooperative agreements, syria and iran and the iraqis are building a pipeline into arab countries. we did all that for that? out of afghanistan, what are we going to get out of that? >> nina? >> what you hear from this panel is not just a reflection of the body politic, but from the public. president cannot sustain a war when there is not public support for it. the public has been remarkably supportive of this war, despite ambivalence. that support is clearly evaporated when you look at the polling data. the handwriting is on the wall, i am not sure this is russian and afghanistan would be better if we stayed there for three, five -- i am not sure if the situation in afghanistan would be better if we stay there for three, five years. i think the president obviously feels we have to get out and what will be will be. >> just about the entire afghan economy is built on american aid. >> it doesn't have an economy. isn on obama's own terms, he the one who ordered the surge. there is not the clamor in the country to tri

. >> we turn our attention to syria. the u.s. has condemned what it calls the syrian government's outrageous use of violence against the opposition and the u.n. secretary general is urging bashar al-assad to stop the violence. syrian troops have killed 1300 civilians and the three months old popular uprising. so far, the crackdown is not appear to have silenced anti regime protesters. the crowd chants, "go away, we don't like you." for weeks, they have demanded the departure of the syrian president. this was shot on wednesday in damascus suburb but it cannot be verified. the regime will not allow foreign journalists into the country. demonstrators hold up signs in support of deserting soldiers. there have been numerous reports of troopsrefusing orders tose violencegain prosters. in northwestern syria, the army is reported to be chasing down opposition activists with brute force. thousands of refugees are on the run. many have already arrived in turkey. >> i am here at the border. none of us can go back now. we are in a secure are

i think that in syria, for example, the situation is very different as well. the experienc of t government in repressin demonstrations is higher, is more significant, especially than syria. >> rose: thank y very much for joining us. >> tnk you very much. >> rose: we continue our look at iranian politics and the reform movement with haleh esfandiari from washington. she directs the middle east program at the woodrow wilson international center for scholars. in 2007 she was detained in solitary confinement for more than 110 days days. joing usn w york, ervand abrahamian, he's a professor of middle eastern history and politics at cuny graduate center and hadi ghaemi is the director for human rights in iran. i'm pleased toave him join me as we look at reform politics, the reform movement, e impact of the arab spring in iran. estest, tell me what is happening today and how you assess where reform is in iran today i think the greenovement is not dead but it is dormant. we have seen this the tactic of the government in using intimidation, arrest, torture, long-term s

we have a report from john ray of independent television news, who is on the border between syria and turkey. >> reporter: an uprising crushed, a victory celebrated on the syrian tv tonight. and in the town, the regime claims it's uncovered atrocities committed by rebels. but as the army advanced, a population has scattered and terrorized survivors tell a different story. >> they have attacked us. they chased us, she cried. i don't know where my aunt and uncles are. in clinics on the turkish side of the border they tend the injured. not even the innocent have been spared the violence. the firsthand accounts now emerging with these refugees, let alone the injuries they've sustained, add up to the most compelling evidence yet of the brutality of the syrian regime's crackdown. many more witnesses are still on the syrian side of the border. our way to their camp blocked by turkish troops. but we found a path over the hills around the check points. there are perhaps 2,000 of them. water and food in short supply. too scared to go home. >> this mantles me his four brothers have disappeared.

. >> syria oppose the president has declared amnesty for political prisoners serve -- political prisoners. they show the latest demonstrations. activists have dismissed it as too little too late. it is a major legal setback for the russian oil tycoon. it is an unexpected victory. he was jailed back in 2005 on tax evasion. >> he is behind bars. in 2003, the zero oil billionaire was arrested and went on trial and was found guilty. many of observed the the kremlin not targeted him because of his political activities. they believe they wanted to neutralize a potential presidential rival. his company was broken up have sold off by the state. it is a symbol of the ruthless hold on power. and i see him as the most famous victim of the authoritarian regime. he refuses to maintain his innocence. they say he violent -- he violated his rights. >> russian police have accused a man. the suspect was arrested at his parents' house in chechnya according to his lawyer. he has been on the run for several years. she has been an outspoken critic against insurgents. we're going to switch gears. my colleague a

. >> the repor coming out syria suggest that the regime there is willing to shoot anybody who dares to protest. 22 protesters were reportedly shot on friday, and others are fleeing to escape the military crackdown. this has been described as savagery. -- >> down with asaad is what the protesters are setting in damascus. people also to the streets to the north of the country, and their outrage is growing by the day. these images are from the northern regions. the people there refuse to be intimidated. the footage is uploadad to the internet through web sites for the opposition movement. independent reporting is not possible at the moment. in the far northwest, the streets are empty and many of the 50,000 residents have fled. they are afraid that there will be a hard crack down on the civilian populations. more and more people are trying to escape across the border, and they are shocked by what is happening. -- >> he is killing his own people to stay in power and this is sheer cruelty. >> 3000 have found refuge here, and more are coming every day. many of them tell about the atrocities c

. >> sreenivasan: the government of syria reported today that armed groups have killed 120 security troops in a northern town. state tv said it was an ambush. but human rights groups said soldiers have killed at least 42 civilians in that town since a crackdown began there on saturday. separately, israeli troops killed nearly two dozen syrians on sunday, when pro-palestinian protesters charged the israeli frontier in the golan heights. the area was quiet today as syrian police kept protesters away. in iraq, u.s. troops suffered their worst loss in more than two years. five americans were killed near sadr city in eastern baghdad, when rockets hit their compound at a joint u.s.-iraqi base. they had worked as advisers to iraqi security police. the remaining 46,000 american troops in iraq are scheduled to leave by year's end. defense secretary robert gates warned today against withdrawing u.s. forces from afghanistan too quickly. the pullout is currently set to begin in july. gates visited eastern afghanistan to thank the troops for their service one final time before he retires at the end of

better partners for ourselves this is going to be a long -- >> we would like to see a democracy in syria. >>. >> absolutely. >> what are the chances. >> the long run the chances are positive because what the arab spring has shown us is this is not a-- civilization, somehow in these countries that people don't want it any less than we do. we are seeing this in every country. >> it's not about the united states. >> absolutely. >> it's about all the values. >> this is ae encouraging story. >> what is the fear tore to you? >>hese revolutions of this sort are always very difficult. and they can get, they requt get hijacked. they can get off track. >> do you see any evidence of any of these revolutions of being high jked. >> not yet but we have to be vigilant. >> where would you worry about it being hijacked. >> there is no question that iran would like to have an impact on these and try to, you know, bring --. >> what do they do to have an impac >> i think they are trying to bring this, their narrative to claim that what is going on there is a, you know, a parallel t what ok place in iran tha

. >>> in syria, as the government crackdown intensified this week, humanitarian concerns mounted. hundreds of syrian refugees have fled to turkey. the united nations reports that more than 1,100 people have been killed since anti-government protests began in march. 10,000 are believed to have been detained. the top u.n. human rights official condemned the government's actions, saying syrian leaders are attempting to "bludgeon the population into submission." >>> there were also rising concerns about the situation in libya. nato stepped up its airstrikes while alliance leaders called for more support in the effort to protect civilians. meanwhile, a u.n. human rights panel said moammar gadhafi's forces have committed crimes against humanity. secretary of state hillary clinton met with regional leaders to discuss future strategies. but the obama administration is coming under increasing pressure. last week the house of representatives approved a measure giving the president until june 17th to provide detailed justification for why the u.s. got involved in libya and why it should cont

. >> sreenivasan: this was another bloody friday in syria. government troops opened fire on thousands of protesters. activists reported at least 15 were killed. the shooting took place as crowds gathered after friday prayers near damascus and in several other cities, defying the ongoing crackdown. the uprising against president bashar al-assad is now three months old. the opposition estimates his forces have killed nearly 1,400 people. greece has moved a step closer to another financial bailout. in brussels today, greek prime minister george papandreou announced a new agreement with the european union and the international monetary fund. it calls for the greek parliament to enact $40 billion in new austerity measures. >> what we're doing is changing greece. we're not asking for money to remain the same. we're not asking for money to be thrown into a black hole. we're saying let's have a program, and this is the program we decide on, where we can continue to mack major changes. >> sreenivasan: the parliament has to approve the new spending cut

in syria, the government massed more forces around two northern towns, as part of the intensifying crackdown on dissenters. tanks and troops surrounded khan sheikhoun and maarat al- numaan. human rights activists reported hundreds of men and boys over the age of 16 were being detained. meanwhile, some 9,000 syrians were waiting in refugee camps, just inside turkey. many people who fled the violence said they do not trust their government's assurances that it is safe to return home. more than 200 militants from afghanistan attacked a village inside northeastern pakistan today killing five people and kidnapping 20 others. it was the second such cross- border raid in recent weeks. separately, pakistani army chief ashfaq kayani was reported to be struggling to save his job. the general has come under pressure from his colleagues, since the u.s. raid that killed osama bin laden. vancouver, canada began cleaning up today and trying to explain the rioting that erupted after their ice hockey team, the canucks lost the stanley cup last night. violence erupted when the boston bruins won game seven of

billion euros in a moveimed at creating jobs and help get the greek economy back on its feet >> in syria, more reports of security forces firing on pro democracy protesters after friday prayers. activists say more than a dozen people have been killed. the syrian army has also been raiding villages along the turkish border as part of its crackdown. thousands of refugees have crossed into turkey to escape the bloodshed. >> protesters flee as security forces fire tear gas and live ammunition. syrians across the country turned out in large numbers after friday prayers. unverified video shows violence in several locations. activists say at least 15 people were killed. syrian television is presenting another picture, free from the crackdown on anti-government protests. it's called upon residents to return to their homes saying the army restored stability from armed terrorist gangs. the town has been a flashpoint of pro democracy demonstrations. >> the hospital has resumed service and all citizens are welcome to seek treatment. we have people from the surrounding villages coming for medical att

some time to come. >> rose: you think we should do nothing with respect to the what's happening in syria? i agree that we should not be involved in a war, we should not be involved in trying to get the united nations to ps a resolution which we did in the case of libya or looking to the arab league or anybody else for that matter. i think that our diplomacy to put pressure upon the prime minister... president, mr. assad, is very appropriate. from time to time president obama has really thought that perhaps some movement of reform might be under way. hard for that to happen inhe middle of a civil war, but nevertheless we shall see. but i would say frankly we do not want to have a repetition of the libya experience. this is why i've asked senator kerry, our chairman of foren relations, to have a hearing in which heill have the 28th this month and the administration will finally testify the constitutional basis for going into libya at all. that very afternoon there may be a markup that is a vot in the foreign relations committee on a resolution or various resolutions dealing with the situat

. >> reporter: in northern syria today protestors posted this film on the internet of a crowd throwing its shoes at president assad. in the suburb of the capitol damascus they shouted "we don't love you, mr. president. leave us alone." >> and along the iraqi border today, a new chant. the people want the speech to be be explained. that despite at plaus here at damascus university the president's speech, his first in two months has not quelled nationwide unrest. mr. assad admitted that what he called a crisis had shaken syria and he blamed it on saboteurs and con spir tures who had spread like germs. >> germs are everywhere, scientists don't try to destroy germs but to immunize against them. we want the people to back reforms. but we must isolate true reformists from saboteurs. >> reporter: the response was swift. mr. president, you are the germ, this crowd in damascus chanted in. in the northwest hundreds gathered outside the town hall. words won't help you, they cried. what do we want? freedom. that is the hope among more than 10,000 refugees now camping across the border in turkey. a

assad's family has ruled syria for 40 years. americans are living longer in general, but not in some parts of the country. the journal "population health metrics" reported today that babies born in 2009 will live an average of 78 years and two months. but in hundreds of counties, many of them in the south, life expectancy for men actually fell. for example, a man in fairfax county, virginia, is expected to live 15 years longer than a man in holmes county, mississippi. life expectancy for women was also down. the researchers cited obesity, smoking and other health problems as the main factors. gabribelle giffords has been released from a houston rehabilitation hospital five months after she was shot in the head. giffords was discharged and can begin outpatient treatment. for now she'll move to the home of her husband astronaut mark kelly just outside houston. a gunman wounded giffords and 12 others and killed six in a political event in tucson, arizona, last january. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to judy. >

there have been growing anti-government rallies in syria. some 1400 syrians are believed to have died as the government used tanks and helicopters because of the unrest. more than 3,000 have escaped to neighboring turkey. the u.n. security council is working on a joint resolution. >>> the united nations says the number of people forced to flee their homes to escape war or op pregnancy has risen to the highest level in 15 years. they released the latest report on june 20th to coincide with world refugee day. the unhdr report says 43.7 million people were displaced worldwide in 2010. that's an increase of 400,000 from a year earlier. it includes 15.4 million who fled their home countries. it found that afghanistan accounted for the largest number of refugees. 3 million people have fled the country as the taliban continues to gain strength. 1.68 million people escaped from iraq, and 770,000 from somalia. the number of refugees may be higher this year if libya is taken into account. the annual report says that many of the refugees are taking she

. >>> in syria, thousands have flooded into neighboring turkey to escape the syrian government crackwn on protestors. >>> on monday, the united nations marked world refugee day with an urgent plea for countries to keep their borders open to people fleeing violence. according to a u.n. report, more than 4million people were displaced last year, the highest number in 15 years. >> a new study says despite the lingering recession, u.s. charitable donations rose nearly 4% last year. according to the giving usa foundation and the center on philanthropy, americans contributed more than $290 billion to charity in 2010. the largest increases were in aid to international causes such as haiti earthquake relief. the biggest share of all charitable giving -- 35% -- was to religious organizations. last year's modest gains come after two years of lower charitable donations, which researchers blame on the economy. >>> meanwhile, american muslims are speaking out against a growing movement by many states to ban shariah, or islamic law in u.s. courts. at a capitol hill briefing, muslim leaders said six

. >>> in syria, the government crackdown intensified this week, as troops targeted protesters in the north of the country. refugees continued to flee to neighboring turkey where the red crescent has built temporary camps. more than 8,500 people have crossed the border since the violence began. human rights groups estimate that 1,400 have been killed. 10,000 are believed to have been detained by the government. >>> violence also escalated in a border region between northern and southern sudan. the fighting occurred in an area in the north where most of the population remains loyal to the south. the united nations said northern troops were attacking ethnic minorities, many of whom are christian. archbishop of canterbury rowan williams and president obama both urged an end to the violence. south sudan is poised to become an independent nation next month. >>> on capitol hill, republican congressman peter king convened a second hearing on muslim extremism in the united states. the topic was islamic radicalization in prisons. while one witness testified that this is a growing problem, espe

in syria, fears of an impending all-out attack by the military sparked an exodus from a town near the turkish border. residents said they expected an assault after the government claimed 120 security troops were killed in the town on monday. syrian officials said "armed gangs" ambushed the troops. but activists said today the real story is that soldiers mutinied and fought with their own officers and guards. european farmers demanded full compensation today for losses caused by a deadly e. coli outbreak in germany. agriculture ministers said growers across europe are losing up to $600 million a week because consumers are scared to eat cucumbers, tomatoes, and other produce. we have a report narrated by jane dodge of independent television news. >> reporter: we need to restore the honor of the cucumber, a spanish official told the parliament today. the spanish remain furious with the germans for wrongly accusing them of being the source of this outbreak. >> germany has a serious problem of credibility. it's intolerable the way mrs. merckel has dealt with the countrys to the south on th

there were new killings in central syria as heavy guns again blasted a town that's been a center of protests. activists said 15 more people were killed in rastan for a total of 58 in the last three days. the latest victims included a four-year-old girl. the killings of children have fueled new public anger toward president bashar al-assad and his regime. opposition leaders have called for a new round of nationwide demonstrations tomorrow. china today denied any involvement in or support of recent computer hacking. it came a day after google reported attacks on g-mail accounts used by senior u.s. government and military officials. the company said the attacks originated in china, but in beijing, the chinese foreign ministry rejected any official culpability. >> the chinese government has always opposed any kind of criminal activity that tries to harm the internet and computer systems. including hacking activities and will punish these crimes according to the law. hacking attacks are an international problem. and childrena is also a victim of this-- china is also a victim of this crime. the so

in syria, government troops killed nearly 50 more protesters in the last 24 hours, even as the regime freed about 500 political prisoners. troops opened fire tuesday and again today in rastan, killing 41 people. and in the south, shelling in hirak claimed eight more lives. elsewhere, protesters marched in homs, carrying images of a 13- year-old boy, hamza ali al- khateeb. his death, apparently after being tortured, has become a flashpoint. the government of president bashar al-assad now is promising an investigation into the boy's killing. a state of emergency was lifted today in the persian gulf kingdom of bahrain, home to the u.s. fifth fleet. tanks and soldiers pulled out of the capital, manama, but police stayed at a number of checkpoints. majority shiites began protesting in february, demanding a greater share of power. but in march, bahrain's sunni leaders called in troops from saudi arabia and other sunni states to crush the protests. the death toll from an e. coli outbreak in europe has risen to 17, with hundreds more cases reported. some 1,500 people have been sickened in ger

a new round of friday protests swept across syria, and activists said security forces killed at least 16 demonstrators. thousands of syrians marched in city after city following friday prayers. they waved banners and called again for the downfall of president bashar al-assad. meanwhile, troops and tanks poured into maaret al-numan, near the turkish border. it was part of a drive to crush dissent in the region. the u.n. appealed today for $200 million immediately in relief for southern sudan. the south is three weeks away from gaining independence, but continued violence has displaced at least half a million people. much of the trouble is along the border with northern sudan. in the latest fighting, the north's army shelled a town today in the disputed area. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to judy. >> woodruff: there's another kind of stirring going on in the arab world on behalf of women in saudi arabia who are forbidden to drive a car. this may not look like radical activity, but in saudi arabia today, women got behind the wheel in a drive for new freedoms. video

in syria today, hundreds of government troops massed at a town near the turkish border in a drive to hunt down dissidents. soldiers could be seen patrolling the area in armored personnel carriers. meanwhile, the red crescent reported another 600 syrians crossed into turkey to escape the syrian military action. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to jeff. >> brown: and we return to jim's interview with secretary of defense robert gates on the eve of his retirement after five years at the pentagon. well, let's go to some other subjects now, mr. secretary. libya. what do you think of the talk by some in congress of voting to withhold funds for the execution or further execution of u.s. military operations with nato against libya? >> well, i think it would be if a mistake. i think under we have our forces engaged, to deny funding for them would be a mistake. these allies, particularly the british, french and italians, for that matte have really been a big help to us in afghanistan. they consider libya a vital interest for them. our alliance with them is a vital interest

some 200 opposition figures and intellectuals met in damascus syria today. they called for an end to president bashar assad's rule and a peaceful transition to democracy. it was the first such gathering since antigovernment unrest began in march. but many opponents of the regime stayed away. they said the meeting was a ruse to give the impression the regime tolerates dissent. the international criminal court today ordered the arrest of libyan leader moammar qaddafi on charges of crimes against humanity. we have a report from martin geissler of independent television news. >> reporter: just minutes before the international criminal court served notice on colonel qaddafi, nato forces sent him a message of their own. the pressure on the libyan leader is unremitting. legally and militarily. 1500 miles from the hague here in tripoli the nato air campaign continues. we heard two loud strikes here today. now we've been brought to qaddafi's compound in the center of the city. we've been shown this. the government claims it's the target of the attacks. it is we were