>> 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. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business. offering specialized solutions and capital to meet your growth objectives, we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you?

>> and now, "bbc world news." >> tens of thousands defy security forces in syria but arab league monitors cannot stop the violence. crackdown on democracy groups in egypt. the united states strongly criticizes the raids. they could have been a blunder says turkey's governing party after an air strike kills 30 people. welcome to "bbc world news" broadcast to our viewers in america and around the globe. the worst elephant killings in decades and asia is getting the blame. american samoa prepares to move across the international date line.

in the role of the arab league mission is in the balance amid continuing violence and loss of life. the official monitors are eventually overseeing a peace plan. there was more clashes on thursday with security forces accused of killing 30 people. the time is running out for them to achieve their goals. we have the latest. >> in idlib, protesters called for the overthrow the regime and execution of president assad. the presence of international monitors has not changed the course of the uprising or the ferocity of the regime's response. in hama, troops reportedly opened fire on demonstrators. activists say at least 10 people

were killed. there was similar scenes in deraa. the pictures are hard to verify but in a northern suburbs of damascus, the monitors were visiting city hall when security forces were set to open fire on demonstrators. how impartial candies munch's be when some of their own governments are cracking down on similar popular uprisings? the monitor's are accompanied everywhere by security forces. -- how impartial can these monitors beat when some of their own governments are cracking down. the monitor mission is led by the sudanese general, himself accused of gross human rights abuses and are for. amnesty international has said that they are responsible for

overseeing torture and disappearances in his own country. even so, the confront jurors were confronted by the unmistakeable reached on the streets. the regime has cut off electricity to the anti-assad neighborhoods. this man says that the army is placing its tanks and too -- its takes to attack the neighborhoods. we want you to record it all. as families continue to bury the dead, the monitor mission must ensure that the regime complies with an arab league plan to and the crackdown. it is early days. the u.s. has appealed to the protest leaders to give the monitors time. protesters say that 130 have been killed in the three days since the monitors arrived. this does not bode well.

>> you just saw some pictures from hama. i was told about the situation there by an activist in the area. >> the arab league monitors are coming to see what is going on the ground. the killing in that syria must stop. i went there and we tried to demonstrate and go to the city center. the security forces prevented us and they shot gas and live ammunition. three days, we have heard rumors that arab league monitors are coming. we don't have some much hope with them because we have seen

that they were killing. they must oblige the arab league. that is their job, to oblige the arab league. >> why are they not able to stop the killing? is it not making any difference to the government? >> that is why we are optimistic about them. we have 100,000 demonstrators who came to the city center. yesterday, there was 616 people killed. we waited three days.

today, at the end of the day, they came. we hope that they would show. i told you, we are pessimistic about them but we don't have any other choice but just to work with them. movement, we their cannot coordinate with them. we don't know that their movement or the places they're coming to >> the syrian activists speaking to us earlier from hama. the u.s. has expressed deep concern over the action of the egyptian security forces. they have raided the offices of a number of him and rights and pro-democracy groups. among them, a key u.s.-based groups. -- they have raided the offices of a number of human rights and pro-democracy groups.

the authorities say that they are investigating sources of the funding. course we're there to support the democratic process. some of these are supported by the u.s. government that work around the world in the interests of helping citizens realize their goals of a democratic process taking root in their country. we have been very open and transparent with the egyptian authorities at all levels. there are procedures and policies. we are very concerned. >> the actions of the authorities make it appear as if they are targeting offenders of human-rights. >> the egyptian government will claim that it is just implementing the rule of the law. what human rights organizations

have been saying since the january uprising is that that on these to be reformed in the same way that the political parties law was reformed. this kind of organized sweep that we sought is really just the first step. there has been a ministry of justice report made public which reported that the strongest and the best team in rights organizations in egypt. this is in addition to those that are operating here. these are those that have been criticizing the military, that have been publicizing the torture, the virginity test. it is not a coincidence that these are now being: -- investigated. >> north korea has said there will be no change in their policy and no engagement with south korea.

in their statement since kim jong un was named as the supreme leader. they said that foolish populations around the world should not expect any changes. the report on the ceremony that anointed the new supreme leader. >> it sounds like a religious service and perhaps it is. north korean ideology says that kim jong il's birth was supranatural. his father is officially immortal. the extraordinary thing is the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians behaving like machines. this is something from another age, a time when dictatorships outnumbered the democracies. soon, it all turned into a coronation.

this was the moment when kim jong un gets the public allegiance of the military hierarchy, each of them more than double his age. up stepped a general to pay homage on behalf of the armed forces. the entire military, he said, would gather around kim jong un to protect him. it would move as one according to his orders. the true moment of coronation comes when the ceremonial head of state gives him his new official title. the supreme leader of the party, the military, and the people. the new supreme leader does not exactly look very enthusiastic about it all. not surprising, he is now the boss of a desperately poor country directed by famine. at the age of less than 30, he

has his finger on the nuclear button. this is one solitary aspect apart from time spent at a school in switzerland, that he comes from the right family. the guns so the passing of the old leader. kim jong il was a weird self indulgent eccentric but these too became known quantity. now that he is dead, no one knows what he is capable of. -- no one knows what kim jong un and is capable of. this is a troubled country with a highly uncertain future. down here in seoul, there is no great interest in all of that regimented grief. does kim jong il's death mean that the regime in north korea is nearing its end?

there are many people who are asking whether that is a possibility. >> in jamaica, the ruling labor party faced defeat in the elections. the opposition people's national party gained the 32 seats for a majority. several constituencies are being counted. over 1.6 million voters, 75% registered voters turned out. the major concern was over the islands and debt-ridden economy. >> they have definitely confirmed to the people's national party, the jop definitely think they have it in the bag.

the opposition seems to be in the lead. people said it will be close. this snap election buoyed by the bounce which he had been given and painting over us being anointed by the former prime minister. they thought that would make a difference. the flag is being waived of the people national party. >> it seems as if the electorate has accepted simpson miller's plan to revive the economy. tell us about her plans. >> well, you have to bear in mind that this country has a history of debt which goes back decades. some people say the labor party

and managed to resuscitate this and bring it to a state where it could survive the economic crisis. the people's national party said it was too much. that is a huge amount of money. they will find for ways to stimulate employment. it is up to the chinese banks and authorities to try to get more money. they have to find a way to kickstart the economy. this is something which they have promised. this is something that they have to deliver on. >> you are watching "bbc news," still to come -- there will be an end to one of latin america's blogger controversies. a doctor in pakistan testifies

that the country's security forces killed a group of unarmed foreigners. dr. baqir shah contradicted official police versions which said that the individuals had been bombers. >> baqir shah was a surgeon. on thursday, doctors pulled up beside his car and sprayed with bullets. dr. shah died of his wounds. he did the post mortem in a case which implicated the pakistani security forces. hear, already badly injured, two women can be seen holding hands lying close to a checkpoint. one raises her arm and security forces respond with a prolonged burst of gunfire.

the autopsy revealed one of the women had been heavily pregnant. the police insisted that the three women and two men, all foreigners, had been suicide bombers. and that they had died while debt and explosives. dr. shah corroborated what many had seen, that they had in fact died of gunshot wounds. also the five had been unarmed. after he filed his testimony, he was beaten up by unidentified attackers. he knew his life was in danger and he asked for protection. his family says it was never provided. >> more on that story and indeed all the stories we feature in this bulletin on the bbc news website. analysis and background.

this is "bbc news", these are the airlines -- and security forces are reported to gunshot many protesters in syria. the united states says that it is deeply concerned about government raids on egyptian pro-democracy and human rights organizations. turkey's ruling party has confessed that warplanes probably hit the wrong target. a spokesman said initial reports suggest most of the victims were smugglers and not kurdish separatist guerrillas. >> they were brought back to the village on the donkeys that they left with. 35 people. many no older than 20. they were killed in turkish air strikes. the military ought that they

were kurdish rebels. they now acknowledge that they were smugglers bringing cigarettes into turkey. the turkish government said that this was shocking and sanding and promised there would be no cover-up. that will not impress the locals. they say that smugglers often use the mountains to bring sugar and fuel into turkey and the government knows it. kurdish rebels use the passes, too. these pictures showed a recent operation against the rebels. that confrontation has intensified in recent months. the authorities say they put border guards are on heightened alert following the intelligence reports that more separatist attacks were planned. they say they are now investigating. in istanbul, signs that the air strikes have worsened the

relations between the turkish state and its kurdish minority. about 2000 kurds gathered in the central square to vent their anger and it seems to have been a catastrophic mistake. >> one of the great mysteries of modern-day politics in latin america has come to an end. a dirge in chile will out the possibility that the former president was murdered. -- a judge in chile ruled out the possibility that the former president was murdered. >> allende was a divisive figure. he was admired by those on the left. this credit divisions in chile at the height of the cold war. the ever closer relations he was forging with the likes of cuba, north korea, and china.

his rule ended in a violent rule -- too -- his rule ended in a violent coup. the courts reopened this painful chapter of chile's history earlier this year. supporters had the body exhumed and they said that he was murdered. early this year, the results of an autopsy confirmed suicide. now that the case is closed, it is hoped that this will help the division in society. >> 2011 was the worst year for the seizure of i free from elephant tusks in decades.

the rise in demand from asia was the cause. >> the international community has been battling to stop poachers from hunting elephants for their valuable tusks. they thought that a ban on the trade would solve the problem and protect vulnerable herds. new figures from the international wildlife group traffic said that 2011 was the worst year for seizure of elephant ivory in more than two decades. they said 23 tons were seized this year representing two and a half thousand dead elephants. some of it came from government stockpiles in africa which are supposed to be off-limits. while the demand continues to rise, the determination of criminal gangs remains. >> we have more chinese and asians present in africa than at any time in africa's history.

unfortunately, in these communities, we now have criminal syndicates that have penetrated the continent as never before. day are flush with finance -- they are flush with finance and they are getting elephant ivory. >> law-enforcement officials are struggling to keep up with the smugglers. this is the latest seizure of illegal ivory in malaysia, often use as a gateway in the illicit trade. 1.4 million tons were confiscated earlier this month. as long as asian economies continue to grow, the demand for ivory will not decline. >> the tiny pacific island of samoa will miss out on an entire day. they are about to move across

the international day clock. when it strikes midnight, samoa will be fast fording to the 31st. samoa announced this division in may and ordered to boost trade ties with its partners. >> we have consulted people a year ago and also presented to parliament the related loss -- laws to make the changeover in our times on. >> presumably, an analysis was done about the benefit of this change. tell us about those benefits. >> well, we have always been

short of one working day in the seven day week. when it comes to the contacts with our business partners, the international dateline. we always lose one day a week. the changeover we can have five working days now and therefore we shall be able to continuously conducted this with our business contacts now that we are on the same time zone. the question of taurus, 70% emanate from new zealand and

australia and with the time zone changes, the future and time zone will be removed. very often in the past, we have many are arriving here and then the party in a plane that is supposed to leave on the same day and they found out that it already left the previous day because of the confusion of the time zone differences. "we are going to bring you a story that has a happy ending. the los angeles of firefighters, this is them rescuing a hiker and his dog. they were both down stranded on the side of this seacliff. and the dog had tried to retrieve a bottle that had been

thrown over the edge of the cliff. happy news indeed. you're watching bbc. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/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. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business. offering specialized solutions and capital to meet your growth objectives, we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you?

>> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.