hello. what you could call a colorful politics -- career end politics, this could be the italian prime minister stickiest legal challenge. he must face trial on charges that he paid for sex with a 17- year-old prostitute and abused his power to get her released from police custody. he appeared before three female judges in april. he denies all allegations. >> there is no -- on april the sixth, he will stand trial for having sex with an underage prostitutes and abusing his power to help her. today, he wanted to give the impression that he is still an effective leader. he was focusing on be boats from tunisia. for many italians, at this is a

huge crisis. he was visiting a potential reception center for the migrants in sicily while it was announced that he would be facing the three female judges. the case centers on a young woman known as ruby the heartbreak. when she was 17, she attended one of his parties. prosecutors say he paid her for sex. he is also accused of intervening to help her. she has denied any sexual contact with the italian prime minister and his lawyer pointed that out again today. >> in regard to the sec's charges, i think it is difficult to when that woman denies both the sexual intercourse and having been paid. >> the showgirls and escorts that have attended his party's has not laid damage to the standing in the polls.

at the weekend, thousands of women took to the streets, offended of what they describe as the culture where success is increasingly tied to looks. many say they are ashamed, but change is unlikely to cause him to step down. >> there is no legal obligation that he has to resign. he has shown himself not to beat the resigning type. they did not to be resigning type. he has survived many other accusations and indictments. >> he was denied meeting close friends. his future will depend on his allies in parliament staying loyal to him. when he was here in sicily today, he chose to avoid a news conference. but one thing is for certain, you will fight these charges. that is in his character. this is the most dangerous of

the many crises that he has faced. >> across the small gulf island of bahrain, thousands of demonstrators have been protesting against the government. two people have been killed in clashes against police. some protesters are now calling the landmark. >> in the tiny gulf kingdom of bahrain, protesters have come out in thousands. they are demanding what they call absolute freedom. more power -- more jobs and the release of political prisoners. the violence covers and the wings, it to people have now died. this was the funeral today. he was killed yesterday in clashes with riot police. tear gas, rubber bullets were fired at protesters in response to what they say was a peaceful

protest. >> today, the police shouted and freezing tear gas and rubber bullets. and shotguns. >> the king has promised to investigate the deaths and to listen to their demands. >> as for reform, as you say, reform is continuing and will not stop. on the 14th of february, 10 years ago, we opened up all doors to freedom and responsibility of love and respect for a prosperous people. >> but with words of protest spreading them around the region, today's demonstration is unlikely to be the last.

>> the sudanese prisoner has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges at a u.s. military tribunal at guantanamo bay. he has been held up the military base since 2002, accused of conspiring with al qaeda. the u.s. says he helped construct terrorist at a camp. the parent of amanda knox, the americans didn't convicted of murdering a british student in 2007 now faced charges for libel. they have been indicted for alleging that the italian police abused their daughter while interrogating her. she was convicted of the murder in december 2009. south african demonstrators have clashed with police in the eastern province. protesters of fruit -- blocked roads and burned tires. he promised to improve services

like electricity and running water. at least 200 members of iran parliament -- state tv has shown an angry legislators denouncing what they called illegal rallies and seeking the death sentence. our iran correspondent reports now. >> a date after opposition demonstrators gathered, it was the turn of iran's mps to get together. they released a statement blaming the country's opposition leaders for an act of sedition. a number chanted, and god is great. more pictures of monday's protests are now coming out. this footage appears to show a burst of teargas.

protesters run away, covering their faces. the u.s. governor -- the u.s. government says they should be allowed to demonstrate in the peace. my drum business, said iran's government. -- might your own business, said iran's government. >> be oppressive countries should not meddle. to cut off dependence on the u.s. and the zionist regime and their supporters. monday's demonstrations were the biggest protests against iran government since 2009. reports from tehran said that some demonstrators want to continue protesting. >> thousands of north african migrants are arriving on the italian coast. just off sicily, a boat has been

intercepted caring of the 30 people. about 5000 tunisian have already made it to the small italian island. >> in five days, 5000 in asean -- tunisians' have fled their country. back home, a people's revolution paid the way to democracy. but these men are already a voting with their feet. they say they are fleeing political chaos and economic uncertainty. >> we are all afraid after the revolution of january 14 because nothing has changed up till now. all of us here, we're not asking for anything. we only ask for the job to find -- for the chance to find work in europe. >> detention center is already

flowing, a logistical challenge for the eu. >> it is very important to start emptying out because this demands people put pressure on the island pride we have requested that there is a greater effort to move these people do different holding centers in italy. >> in wrong, there is nervousness over this latest wave of immigration. the numbers are so great, other countries should lend a hand. alarm has grown since the italian interior minister of warmth of a biblical exodus that could have devastating consequences across europe. >> i think is fundamental that europe and its top levels defined strategy to take the initiative and start a strong diplomatic action towards all the countries that are touched by these fast-moving changes.

>> the interior minister operatives and police to help patrol to uneasy a's post. -- tunisia's coast. there are thought to be thousands more migrants on their way. >> --'s new military rulers have announced a new -- work on a new constitution will be complete and 10 days. the focal point of the mass demonstrations of, life does seem to be returning to normal. authorities in south sudan are saying that about 200 people were killed in clashes with rebels last week. double the previous estimate. officials say most of the dead are civilians, including women, children, and priests. the british defense secretary

has apologized to parliament the the fact that 38 soldiers were informed there were losing their jobs by e-mail. it was a completely unacceptable way to treat the armed forces. steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again. stay with us. still to come, the links some french restaurants are going to to save a few francs. staggering inflation has emerged from china, prices rose nearly 5% in january. >> inflation here is much higher than the government wants. it is doing what it can to try to stabilize prices, but this latest data shows the skill of the problem. so does not & than it was a year

ago. prices of some daily staples are rising even more. france, currently more than a third more expensive than it was last year. -- fruits, currently more than a third more expensive than it was last year. bad weather is to blame for some of the food court -- shortages that are pushing up prices. a drought in northern china is threatening to the wheat crop there. food is not the only expense people have to worry about. hikes and other cost of living, electricity, gas, and water were lower last month than economists expected. but still people -- >> i really feel a lot of pressure from the increase in prices paid the rent for my apartment has increased. it brings a lot of pressure for ordinary people. " some are mindful that higher prices helped farmers. some of china's poorest people.

>> i hope the price goes down, but because my family lives in a rural, i also hope that the price level is higher. >> inflation is always a sensitive issue for chinese leaders. rising prices in the past have read to -- have lead to unrest. the government is trying to tackle the root causes of the problem. >> the italian prime minister is under pressure to resign. he is to stand trial for sex allegations and allegations of abuse of power.

if you have seen this picture before, you might have forgotten. it is the young african woman his nose and ears were caught off on the orders of the taliban because she ran away from a violent husband. the afghan government is taking control of women's shelters there and the charities are worried that women will now be an even greater risk. >> working to rebuild their lives, these afghan women have saw refuge in one of the women shelters. they do not show their faces, for fear that their abusers will know where they are. they learn handicrafts and other skills, but the state house offer some protection. >> from beneath her head scarf, a woman tells a story. >> my husband was beating me all

the time, she said. he is a former taliban commander and very violent. he tried to force me into prostitution. " the pain and suffering has long been ignored. women are only just finding their place in afghanistan. violence against them is widespread and tolerated. the safe houses -- some have accused them of being places of prostitution and drug abuse. the government is insisting on control, accusing the international community of spending millions of protecting only a handful. >> i think they are more concerned about money than the women who live in shelters. if they were really worried about women, why are they helping the thousands outside the shelters to experienced

pilots every day? the government will protect afghan women, said the minister. the police force will be given the job of security. for women, the afghan state can be uncompromising great many of them here have been convicted of moral crimes. for adultery, afghanistan is very unforgiving. those found guilty can face harsher sentences than murderers or a suicide bombers. they are teenagers, they have been in prison for a year for running away from home. her father did not approve of her boyfriend. she tells me, i have no contact with my family. no one visits me. i do not trust them. if i go home, they will kill me.

the worry is that afghanistan is now prepared to let them fade from view. >> increasingly, foreign visitors and locals in france are complaining about a drop in the standards of cuisines. many restaurants cut corners. >> a french institution, the chef pierre is officially recognized as a master at -- as a master. he only uses fresh ingredients. he is in the minority. increasing number of restaurants are using factory made ingredients like these. we got the owners of this restaurant to demonstrate treat this is a cheap alternative to eggs, precooked industrial eggs roll already cut into slices, writing for it -- ready for

salads. here is instant sauce base, just add water. this is a ready-made pepper sauce, just keep it up and pour over a steak and there you are. >> some restaurants do not want to employ cooks because it is too expensive. it is cheaper to buy frozen meals instead. >> how widespread is this practice of using factory made ingredients? >> investigations have shown that most of the restaurants are using this kind of ingredients to make more money and make the job of the cook easier. >> unlike this restaurant, which uses fresh herbs and spices, and cooks everything from scratch, most of the establishments result -- this only cost a

couple of zeros. it contains -- euros. one thing it does not contain its truffles. this restaurant upholds traditional standards, but a french food is concerned that the creativity is being sacrificed for profit. >> the latest inhabitant of the british prime minister's home has an unusual -- larry is a four-year-old stray cats. he includes the essential qualifications of a car chase, drive, and hunting instinct. >> meet larry. he is the latest addition to the downing street team.

this former straight is used to fending for himself. >> he is a bit of a bruiser. he is very interested in the toys. i think he might just be up for the job. >> he is described as an independent character and can lead in any location, even behind this famous door. >> they did not mind, as long as he was happy meeting new people. larry has other qualities, too. he has shown the telltale signs of a hunter's instinct. a very useful character trait when it comes to the world of politics. >> high on his description is a rat catching. he follows -- the number 10 cat

who arrived as a stray when margaret thatcher was prime minister. she did not settle up and left six months later. we told the prime minister and has not the cat, held a cat, and they seem to get on. staff hopes that larry will be stocking these corridors of power for years to come. >> this is the biggest night of the year for the british music and history. his brand of urban music is now set to make an impact worldwide. ♪ >> voted best british group tonight. coming from a new venue, more music. much of it from the british

urban scene, including the best breakthrough act. a 22-year-old rapper. >> for decades, the americans have dominated urban music with their hip-hop? . the power is shifting. to places like this. the talented young people who lived in intercity britain and are writing about their experiences. ♪ the single one straight to number one last year. five years ago, there will lease seven urban number one. nine were -- and none were british great last year, at u.k. urban music punched out nine the number of lines. what is up? >> the lot of people are making

transitions into mainstream entered carrying along. that has what has happened with me. >> a home grown urban music has been emerging for a while. ♪ shortly followed by this one. ♪ with a top three single this week, chipmunk is the latest start to find creative inspiration from his inner city upbringing. >> there is a lot of different ethnic minorities. it makes it easier for every single one of us to say, this is britain. we are all expected for different reasons.

>> it is fair to say that u.k. urban music is riding high. >> a reminder, at a judge in the italian city has ordered the italian prime minister to stand trial on charges that he paid a 17-year- old prostitute for sex. the prime minister denies all charges and will appeal. you'll find that to add much more on our website. thank you for watching. >> get the top stories from around the globe. go to bbc.com. >> funding was made possible by

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>> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. president obama made the case today for his 2012 budget, and called on both parties to prepare for tough decisions about social security, medicare and medicaid. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, on capitol hill, republicans called for slashing this year's spending. david chalian walks us through the politics of today's debate. >> woodruff: and we talk to freshman senator and tea party leader rand paul, who says neither party is going far enough. >> i don't think we're on a path towards balancing the budget. we're not a path towards reducing the debt. we're on a path towards exploding the debt on both sides, democrat and republican. >> ifill: then, we look at the ripple effect from egypt's uprising, as protesters take to the streets in bahrain and yemen. >> woodruff: jeffrey brown zeroes in on the moves by the government of iran to crack down on demonstrators. >> ifill: betty ann bowser tells the story of a colorado clinic helping diabetes patients stave off the devastating consequences