>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from

small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> welcome. i am in singapore. our headlines at this hour. syria's crackdown claims thousands more lives. we have an exclusive report from the town where it began. the u.s. announces new sanctions against terrorist groups after a tax -- attacks in pakistan and afghanistan. shocking claims from michael jackson's former bodyguard. out rage after bahrain jailed 20 men for treating protesters. >> we are broadcasting to viewers in the u.k. and around

the world. >> hello, and welcome. nearly 50 people have been killed in anti-government protests in syria in the last two days alone according to activists. the u.s. estimates more than 207 people have been killed since the crackdown began. our correspondent has been granted rare access to the country. today's she was taken under armed escort to the area where the protests began in march of this year. good >> serious uprising began answer a crackdown to end it.

neither has stopped. it is rare for foreign journalists to come here. we cannot show you, but they are here. how our first stop is the station but lies in ruins. the government said this is the work of armed games. the station director shows me the boa holds to prove it. inside what used to be his office, he told me terrorists opened fire from a nearby hill. they threw in petrol bombs that destroyed the room. they also wanted us to see this footage of a building on fire and what they say are armed protesters in the valley below. a different story is told from

this footage from the bbc panorama program provided by activists. they say it 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 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 the square. the bricks are filled with bullet holes. >> this is where has been a focal voice of protests in the town. it took a lot of convincing to get here, but with a growing and number, we are here and all is

quiet. there are protests almost every day. these pictures filmed by protesters showed nighttime clashes at the mosque. these families know what happened here. they did not want to speak. being here told us more, but it did not tell us everything. >> the united states has described an attack on its ambassador in syria as unjustifiable and unwarranted. the syrian government said he was a danger when opposition figure. the ambassador was surrounded by protesters for several hours until security forces escorted him to the embassy. hillary clinton gave her

reaction. >> i must say this assault as part of an ongoing campaign of intimidation aimed at not only american diplomats but also foreign observers who are raising questions about what is going on inside syria. it reflects an intolerance on behalf of the regime and its supporters, and it is deeply regrettable that we have the regime continuing its campaign of violence against its own people. >> the united states has announced new financial sanctions on individuals it says are linked to the most dangerous terrorist organizations in afghanistan and pakistan. the five named people are accused of backing groups like the one the u.s. accuses of being behind an attack from the u.s. embassy in cokabul. \ >> when the u.s. embassy came

under attack earlier this month, washington blames the network, a sophisticated, well-armed military faction with new links to al qaeda and the taliban and a safe haven from which to operate. now the obama administration is trying to choke off funding. abdul as described by the u.s. treasury has a commando who gives directions to al qaeda. his assets will be frozen. in washington, the biggest question is whether they will move beyond treasury sanctions against unnamed individuals and declare the network as of hall of foreign terrorist organization. that is a move that is being considered, and if it happens, it could stretch relations with pakistan to a breaking point.

>> they have eroded their internal security. >> that is because america's most senior soldier has already made a direct link between the network end -- between the out- network -- the al qaeda network. if he is right that the network is considered a terrorist organization, that suggests pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism. in islamabad, there is. the american claims. politicians have closed ranks against the government denies supporting militants and said it is too busy supporting the taliban to go after the network. >> pakistan cannot be pressured to do more. our national interest should be honored in every condition, but the doors are still open for our food for thought -- our site for talks and discussions. >> it is a relationship worth

$4.5 billion a year in u.s. aid, money that many in congress think should be held. the white house is keeping up pressure on islam about -- islamabad, using softer language. >> we are fighting a war in afghanistan, and one of the problems we have had which is where this a red and -- where this arises from, is the safe haven they have in pakistan, and that is an issue we raised with our pakistani counterparts on a regular basis. >> for different reasons, these nations need each other. the relationship is not a point of no return yet. >> there has been another dramatic day of testimony in the trial of michael jackson costs and doctor. -- michael jackson's doctor. >> jurors at the trial of his

personal physician have been told the singer's body guard was ordered to pick up weills' and medicine before calling for an -- takeovpick up vials and medie before calling an ambulance. >> at the time, i knew it was a medical emergency. >> alberto alvarez was the first to see michael jackson in his vendor after conrad maurray called for help. the singer who was lying on his back did not respond. while the desperate attempt was being made to save michael jackson's life, mr. alvarez told the jury he was asked by the doctor to gather up severa milesl vials of medicine. >> he reached over and grabbed and and and vials and said, put

these in a bag. >> he was also asked to remove a saline drips and put it in another bag. that is when he spotted a bottle containing a milky white substance. the prosecutor identified it as a drug that causes the singer's death. about a minute passed before the bodyguard said he was asked to call for an ambulance. it was then he said he noticed the the bureau of michael jackson's children in the doorway. >> a -- he noticed two of michael jackson's children in the doorway. >> they were right behind me, and paris screamed out, daddy. >> the trial will continue as two paramedics arrived to try to revive michael jackson. >> in bahrain today, a military court sentenced four medics who treated and i-government protesters. they were found guilty on

charges like setting the overthrow of the government and promoting sectarian hatred. they said they were only performing medical duty by treating the protesters. >> these are some of the medics facing years in jail. top doctors including surgeons and pediatricians as well as head of nursing at the main hospital in bahrain. it was here the wounded were brought during clashes earlier this year. doctors in some cases protested against the actions of security forces. today's verdict was handed down by a special court set up earlier this year. the hearing lasted just a few minutes. the medics were found guilty of charges is run by human rights groups as ludicrous. the doctor is accused of spreading blood on protesters to exaggerate their injuries.

she told me she was threatened with rape before being released. she showed us pictures of her baby son she fears she will not see again for five years. >she insists she did nothing wrong. >> i had to take care of them, and i thought and still think what i do, and this is my professional job, my duty is a medical one, and i did that. >> since our grain's independence from britain, -- independence's from britain, the family has held power. the minority has continued to ask for more power from the

government. thousands of demonstrators gathered in the center of see capital, inspired by the popular uprising in tunisia and egypt. during clashes of security forces, more than 30 people died, and hundreds were injured. the government has accused doctors and nurses of siding with hard-liners, and demanding the overthrow of the government. >> no one is above the law, if you are a doctor or nurse or a member of the royal family. the law passed to stick. >> with international attention focused elsewhere, and the repression of dissent has continued. these pictures are apparently filmed last week. the harsh sentences handed out today are unlikely to help this kingdom deal, but the government says they cannot be appealed. >> you are watching bbc news.

a south african doctor is treating a british man attacked by a great white shark. his life may have been saved by the treatment he received by bystanders. he lost a leg when he went for a swim despite a warning flag on the beach in cape town. >> not far from shore, a terrifying sight. it is not a scene from a film, but a deadly great white sharks spotted minutes after the attack that almost killed its victim. the 42-year-old, originally from britain, is now heavily sedated after his right leg was written off by the great white shark. -- was written off to the great white shark. the attack happened not far from cape town. the beach was on high alert after a sharp was spotted 90 minutes before the shark struck. now the man was the only person

in the water of the time. minutes later, he was dragged ashore. these incredible pictures capture the moment when bystanders tried to help, grabbing anything they could find to stop the bleeding. they made a tourniquet out of his wet suits. it saved his life. >> i want to commend the first aid work of those on the beach and the tremendous way they responded and actually saved lives. >> one stabilized, the man was airlifted to a hospital, where he underwent knee surgery. shark attacks are not uncommon in south africa. the authorities to go to great slave to try to spot sharks early, but a warning -- to go to great links to try to spot sharks early, but the warnings were ignored. this may be one of the beautiful spots of the world, but it is also a predator's paradise.

>> i am sharing in singapore. >> are headlines this hour, nearly 50 people have reported ly been killed in syria in the last two days alone. >> new sanctions against terrorist groups after attacks in pakistan and afghanistan. the united states has described an attack as unjustifiable and unwarranted. a member of the committee explains how serious this incident is. >> it is very serious in terms

of the breach of diplomatic etiquette. an attack anywhere in the world is considered a serious breach. in this particular case, which they have been doing is going out and meeting with people from the opposition common and and this has been increasingly annoying the syrian regime, who love tried to stop them from doing that, and i suspect this is just an escalation to the next stage, where in trying to intimidate them and prevent them from going out, they brought out supporters of the regime, and have them attack. it is very interesting to trace the movements, because it is clearly marked. i would like to say one other thing. we are very grateful to the opposition for taking on this

road. it is very important to us, and the fact he is willing to actually put his life in danger in support of the syrian people, we are grateful for that. >> how do you assess the uprising in general? it has been six months. and where is it going? >> we are in a critical juncture here. the excessive force and violence has been employed by the regime to serve one purpose only, to make is untenable for peaceful protest and to push people increasingly to try to defend themselves by resorting to weaponry, and that is a serious turn for us, because if weapons to begin to be used on the street, if people to start to defend themselves with guns, that will become a self- fulfilling prophecy as far as the regime goes, saying, we really are going.

the everyday people of syria are losing hope in their ability to persuade regime to stop attacking them, to start an -- to stop using this level of violence. >> the president has refused to step down despite months of protests calling on him to leave office after nearly three decades in power. but the air and spring has turned to summer and now autumn. the president remains in office despite months of demonstrations. they are repeating their calls for the president to step down. >> we support legitimacy of the regime and to bring down a corrupt regime. >> we took to the streets of the

capital to try the president hu said the blood of our brothers. >> the president refuses to go after three decades in office. many thought he had left for good, but earlier this month, he returned. that coincided with an upsurge in the fighting between supporters. he is facing challenges with local tribes and militants. some of his top soldiers have deserted him, yet he hangs on. the international community is trying to organize a transition, but there has been no breakthrough. there is still no sign of how or when the crisis will end. >> south korean's ruling party chairmen crosses the border into north korea on friday.

the visit is part of the effort to ease tension. south korean blames the north for an attack against one of its navy ships that killed 46 sailors. the north denies involvement, and artillery later in the year killed four people. they suggest a visit -- they say the visit suggests a softening. >> i thinks the current government is willing to inject a bit more flexibility. that is not set officially, but if you look at the last few weeks or months, and communications minister has been replaced. there have been talks with foreign ministers and nuclear and voice. north korea has begun talking to the united states, and now this trip to the industrial park. i should say he is very much saying this is an economics

visit. he is going to talk to factory owners who say they are having a hard time because things have not been so good. he is also aware of the political dimension, and it does come at a time of elections are coming up, and there does seem to be a hint at a softening of the ruling party. >> it has been nearly 10 years, since the young american was picked up in afghanistan and charged as an enemy for fighting alongside the taliban. he is currently serving 20 years in prison sentence, but his parents have spoken exclusively to our security correspondent. >> he was a boy from california who as a teenager converted to islam. when he was detained in afghanistan, he became known as the american taliban. >> this is a "newsweek magazine published in december. >> his story was dictated by an america traumatized and 9 9-11.

>> it is like having a trial, and nothing to hold it back. >> the repeatedly accused my son of being a terrorist and interesting to 9-11, of being a trader against the united states. >> as a teenager, he came to this moscow sighed san francisco. m -- to this mosque now outside san francisco. >> it seemed that islam was waiting for him to spiritually fulfill himself. >> having converted to islam, he headed abroad to learn arabic. he arrived in afghanistan and volunteered to fight with the taliban against the northern alliance. after 9-11, he was detained. these images of him where broadcast around the world. he claims he was mistreated in u.s. custody.

>> there were trophy photos of him naked and blindfolded. >> a legal adviser in the justice apartment resigned due to her concerns over the case. >> the level of vitriol against him was astounding, and i felt that was clouding the normal lens we should use to look at this case more objectively. >> in the u.s., he pled guilty for fighting with the taliban, but the authorities dropped the out high debt charges. >> he aligned himself and -- dropped the al qaeda charges. >> he aligned himself with the regime, and it is pretty serious. he pled guilty. the judge to impose the appropriate sentence, and i assume he will serve it out. >> his journey to the afghan battlefield ended with him being

designated detainee 001. his father argued that 10 years on, it is time to look at the case in a new light. >> shawn had no connection with outside or terrorism at all. he was simply a soldier. >> his parents hope they may invoke clemency and remove the stain. >> i think it is critical for his life of whenever point he gets out of prison, that he is able to live a fully human life without having to look over his shoulder at someone who wants to do him harm. >> for many americans, he remains the man who paid the price for fighting on the side of the enemy. halfway through a 20-year prison sentence, the chance of clemency or early release seems remote.

>> thank you 3 much for watching bbc news. >> makes 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 has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles. presented by kcet los angeles.