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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> welcome to "newsday" on the bbc. >> our headlines this hour. syria's brutal crackdown claims dozens more lives. we have a report in the town where it began. the u.s. announced new sanctions against terrorist groups after a spate of attacks against pakistan and afghanistan. >> shocking claims from the pop star's former bodyguard on day three of conrad and murray's murder trial. >> it is 9:00 a.m. and in singapore. >> we are broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and

around the world. this is "newsday." nearly 50 people have been killed in anti-government protests in syria. the u.n. estimates more than 2700 people have been killed since the crackdown began. foreign journalists have been restricted from reporting from syria. we were taken under armed escort to deraa. >> troops guard the area to where the crackdown began -- to where the protests began. it is rare for a foreign journalist to come here.

we were given permission to visit and we were joined by government agents. we cannot show you but they are here. our first stop, the former studios of syrian state television. the government says that this was the work of armed gangs. the station director shows me the blowholes. inside what used to be his office, he told me that terrorists opened fire from a new by -- from a nearby hill. they want it to cede this footage of the building on fire and what they say are protesters in the valley below. a different story is told in this footage from the activists.

this shows an attack on an ambulance by security forces. this is also a battle for truth, wherever it lies, a new governor was brought in. i asked him whether troops had orders to shoot. >> there is no shooting orders at all. until this very moment, no shooting orders. we have been trying to use dialogue. >> clearly, someone has been shooting around this square. the bricks are full of bullet holes. >> this has been a focal point of protests in the town where it all began. we came here on our visit and it took a lot of convincing to get here. with a growing number of minders, we are here and all is quiet.

there are protests almost every day. these pictures filmed by protesters showed night time flashes at this mosque. these families know what happens here, they did not want to speak. just being here told us a lot more but it did not tell us everything. >> united states has described an attack on its investor as unjustifiable and unwarranted. he was pelted with tomatoes. he remains inside surrounded by protesters for several hours until he was exported to the american embassy. hillary clinton had this reaction. >> this in this usable assault is clearly part of an ongoing

campaign of intimidation aimed at not only american diplomats but diplomats from other countries for raising questions about what is going on inside of syria. it reflects an intolerance on the part of the regime and its supporters and this is deeply regrettable. we have the assad regime continuing its campaign of violence against its own people. >> united states has announced new financial sanctions on individuals they say are linked to the most dangerous terrorist organizations in afghanistan and pakistan. they need people accused of backing groups which the u.s. accuses of being behind an attack on the u.s. embassy in kabul earlier this month. we are joined by the chair of

islamic studies at george washington university. what do you make of the sanctions against these individuals? one of them is apparently the commander. >> this is the latest of america's exasperation, distrust, and really the desire to do something about this group that has in putting pressure on pakistan. they have not seen any action. the prime minister made a statement and the prime minister said that he was shocked. he had convened a meeting of religious and public officers.

>> relations have been severely strained. do you think that this is america caught in pakistan to act? >> it is because america does need the pressure to ease off. they are launching deadly strikes against america. they are very costly to the american military. they need to start withdrawing their troops. they need to guard this particular flank.

pakistan has made it clear that it will not, according to the prime minister, it will not be digging its heels in or to and anything that jeopardize his national interest. neither side is really backing down. it will not get any better in the future. >> thank you for your time. >> there has been another dramatic day of testimony in the trial of michael jackson's doctor. >> the pop star's former bodyguard has told a court in los angeles that he was asked by the singer's dr to gather of medicine vials.

they had focused on t effort to resuscitate the pop star. our correspondent is in los angeles and they say that this sheds new light on the case. >> what this does is give us much more information about the timeline and the sequence of events from the moment that he got into michael jackson's bedroom and he saw what was happening. michael jackson was on the bed and he was facing straight up and his eyes were open. dr. murray was putting pressure on his chest attempting to resuscitate him using one hand. it was shortly after that that he asked the bodyguard to pick up various bits of medical paraphernalia, specifically the drugs that were scattered around the room and to put them into a bag. he also asked him to remove the intravenous drip.

he noticed there was a bottle and a bag with a milky white substance which the prosecutor later identified as the very powerful anesthetic that the authorities have identified as the cause of death. >> a military court sentenced a group of medics to up to 15 years in prison. they have treated anti- government protesters during a protest earlier this year. they were found guilty of inciting the overthrow the government and inciting sectarian hatred. human-rights groups say there were only performing their medical duty and treating protesters. >> these are some of the medics now facing years in jail. top doctors including surgeons, pediatricians, as well as the head of nursing at the main hospital. the wounded were brought during

clashes earlier this year. doctors and nurses spoke out and in some cases protested against the action of the security forces. today's verdict was handed down by a special security court. at a hearing that lasted a few minutes, the medics were found guilty of charges described by human-rights groups as ludicrous. one doctor is accused of spreading blood on protesters to exaggerate their injuries. she was threatened with rape before released on bail. she showed pictures of her baby son that she feared she might not see again. she insists she did nothing wrong. >> i had patients coming into the emergency room, i had to

take care of them. this is my professional job. du. >> cents bahrain's independence, the royal family has had supreme authority. despite some political reforms, the majority has continued to demand more power from the government. thousands of demonstrators gathered in the center of the capital inspired by the popular uprising which toppled the leaders of to the shed and egypt. more than 30 people died and hundreds were injured. the government is accusing the doctors and nurses with siding with hard-liners demanding the overthrow of the government. >> stay basically attempted a

coup d'etat, no one is above the law. the law must be applied. >> with attention focused elsewhere, the suppression of dissent has continued. these pictures were found last week. the harsh sentences are unlikely to help this kingdom heal before the government says that they can be healed. >> still to come on the program, west africa's pandemic. >> william and kate back in the public eye. there has been more government -- anti-government protests.

after more than three decades -- >> the arabs spring has turned to summer and now autumn. president saleh remains in office. protesters are back on the streets on thursday under the watchful eye of soldiers to switch to the opposition, repeated their calls for the president to step down. >> we support the legitimacy of the revolution and to bring down the corrupt regime. >> we took to the street to the capital in order to try the president to shed the blood of our brothers. >> the president refuses to go after more than three decades in office. in june, he left for saudi arabia after being injured. many thought he had left for good. this coincided with an upsurge in the fighting between his supporters and opponents.

he is now facing multiple challenges. demonstrators, local tribes, and militants. his top soldiers have deserted him and yet he hangs on. the international community is trying to organize a peaceful transition but so far there has been no breakthrough. there is still no sign of how or when this crisis will end. >> of course, for more on all of our stories, visit the bbc website for a full analysis and background. lot on and take a look. you can also get in touch with me and the team through twitter. we will be updating you throughout the night as always. this is "newsday" on the bbc.

>> the headlines this hour. nearly 50 people are reported to have been killed in anti- government protests in syria and the last two days alone. >> the u.s. has announced new financial sanctions against terrorist groups after a spate of attacks against pakistan and afghanistan. nigeria and its west african neighbors have begun joint naval patrols and an attempt to curb the rising threat of pirates. there has been a marked increase of attacks. here is our nigeria correspondent. >> searching for pirates off the coast of west africa, the vehicle and its crew are out on patrol. they are part of a new joint naval operation with their

neighbors aimed at stemming a concerning rise of piracy. the targets have been huge oil tankers and cargo ships, the lifeblood of the region's economy. the commander is making bold promises about tackling the pirates had on -- head-on. >> what we see are the ships that had been attacked by pirates. we are patrolling with the navy, we also have special forces. when we receive information regarding the pirates attack, we send out our -- >> nigeria will coordinate this with a former u.s. coast guard vessel. there has already been more

attacks off of west africa this year then took place in the whole of 2010 the waters are rated as dangerous for shipping. west african pirates are adopting a different technique. the somalis take the crew hostage and hold them for ransom, the crews here are more interested in stealing the cargo. that increase risk is sharing -- steering business away. >> some have refused to come to west africa. those who come, they take special premiums. this affects the cost of goods and services in west africa. >> the confidence to be restored and trade to return, the high seas must be purged of

the pirate threat. >> back now to our top story on syria. let's get the current situation there. a member of the opposition committee. professor, could the u.s. pullout of syria? what the ramifications of that be? >> that is very serious in terms of a breach of diplomatic etiquette. any attack on any diplomat anywhere in the world is considered to be a serious breach. what he has been doing is going out and meeting with protesters and some members of the opposition. this has been annoying to the regime who are trying to stop him from doing that.

this is just an escalation to the next stage where and trying to persuade or intimidate him and prevent him from going out, they brought out these dunes, if you what, supporters of the regime, and had them come out and attack him. -- they brought out these g oons. we are very grateful for the opposition for having fought in this role. this is very important for us. the fact he is willing to put his life in effect in danger in supporting the syrian people, we're very grateful for that. >> professor, how do you assess the uprising in general. it has been six months. where is it going? >> we are at a critical phase.

excessive force and violence is being employed by the regime. this is untenable for peaceful protest and this is pushing people into trying to defend themselves. this is a very serious turn. if people start to protect and defend themselves with guns, then this will become a self- fulfilling prophecy. these people are not armed gangs, they are civilians. they are everyday normal people of syria who are basically losing hope and their inability to persuade the regime to stop attacking them, to stop using this unprecedented level of violence. >> thank you so much for your insight.

the british royal couple are back in the public eye, they are opening a new cancer center. >> the duke and duchess of cambridge has opened a new extension to a children's cancer unit in surry. >> they have scarcely been seen in public since their visit to canada. since there, kate has been searching for which it charity to support. william has been doing his search and rescue duties. what brought them out today? the charity which is close to williams heart, his mother was its president. the couple had come to open a new extension. for nearly two hours, they met young people who are being treated for cancer. they heard public accounts of

children and their families. kate listened very carefully. this is williams charity. he delivered the speech but they both did the unveiling. two years ago, this girl interviewed william at the bbc paulson news round program. -- bbc's news roundup program. two years on, what did she think about meeting william and his wife? >> they really cared and they really listened. >> this trip was inspirational for them. it underlined how valuable it is to have william and kate as

patrons. every charity would welcome this level of attention, the kind of attention that they could bring. >> moving now to the space race and an entrance that is hoping to blast ahead of the west, china has established itself as one of the growing economic powerhouses. >> on schedule, not the chinese leaders were there to see the launch. the heavenly palace lifted off. this mission has been seen as a milestone for the chinese space program. this has also been fueled by national prestige.

according to the reports at the aging space control, the module has been inserted into orbit. i would like to announce that the mission has been a complete success. [applause] >> away from the control center, this is capturing the public's imagination. >> i am so happy, said this woman. >> this man said that this was a huge deal for the country and shows china's power and strength. when in orbit, it will be used for docking practice. it is crucial that time a master the technique if it would like to build a space station within the next decade. ictinus still lags behind russia and the u.s. in technical know- how. -- china still lags behind russia and the u.s. in technical know-how.

they believe they have the momentum to become a superpower. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank.

>> union bank offers unique insight and expertise in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.