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>> welcome to newsday. the headlines this hour -- more cease-fire violations in syria. the u.n. says it can't cope without more peace monitors. we have special reports from inside the country. >> in towns and villages across the north, people weren't just singled out, there were collective punishments. >> tear gas and stun guns, police clear the streets ahead of the formula one grand prix. a special report on the growing numbers of pakistani women starved for life by husbands and in-laws. in the u.s., how a feud within the amish community left a forcible beard and hair cutting. >> hello and welcome. in syria, the mission has so

falled yielded few results. shelling goes on, killing goes on, despite the official cease-fire. the u.n. secretary-general says attacks are escalating and he's urging the security council to approve sending up to 300 more monitors. our corespondent ian has just returned from italy province where people accuse the government of consistently breaking its promises with deadly attacked on civilian areas. >> on april 1, syria agreed to kofi annan's peace plan saying it wouldn't move further into populated areas. but in a pattern of broken promises, it then unleashed a whirlwind of destruction two days later. as soldiers rolled in to taftanaz. the story of what happened just down the road spraps worse than many other areas. but it's not unique. in towns and villages across the north, people weren't just singled out, there were collective punishments and many paid the ultimate price for having the audacity to call for

change. this remains a dangerous place. where rebel fighters offer a thin veil of protection. but it was a chance to see first-hand what happenedñr here. many people were crushed when their homes were shelled. even the school playground wasn't safe. no sanctuary, not even for children. not when the tanks rolled in. this is what they faced, on april 3rd, the army advanced, filmed by activists on the ground. >> from a nearby airfield helicopters attacked two. for two days the army shelled, burned and killed, exactly the same tactics that go on across syria today, even after the cease-fire was supposed to happen.

abu mohammed was here that day. he helped collect the bodies and laid them here on the floor of the mosque. a grotesque scene in the place of worship. >> this place was full of dead bodies. it was terrible. some couldn't be identified, even our friends. they were innocent people. >> they they two mass graves. as 9 years old, saffa learned to say a prayer for the dead. her father is one of those buried here. we believe 57 people were killed in just two days and it doesn't end here. the cease-fire may have reduced violence but it hasn't stopped. for the victims, their families, these are atrocities that can't be forgiven or forgotten. ian pammle, bbc news.

>> well, the united states and france have taken a tough line against syria at a meeting in paris. although they stopped short of urging military action. the u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton called for a global arms embargo if the syrian government continues to brace the cease-fire. >> we need to start moving very vigorously in the security council for a chapter 7 sanctions resolution, including travel, financial sanctions and arms embargo and the pressure that, that will give us on the regime to push for compliance with kofi annan's six-point plan. >> hillary clinton there. in other news, final preparations for the grand prix is under way but it is steep in controversy. the card-carrying members of the force india team was caught in street battle as police and demonstraters fought with tear gas and petrol bombs.

>> another protest in bahrain. on the streets, men, women and police. the demonstrators have a clear message, and they want god to hear them. gatherings like these in majority shia shia neighborhoods have been familiar scenes since the pro-democracy movement rose up last year. some of the people who joined in are now in jail. among them, sportsmen like this woman's son, volleyball player. >> mine could be -- >> you sportsman look at the suffering of other sportsmen, look at their suffering. they are not criminals, not killers. all they debt was express an opinion. 3 >> the processes are now directed at the grand prix organizers and competitors. wednesday night a firebomb exploded in central ma m.a. nilia, close to a van carrying members of the british-based

force india team. last year protests forced the cancellation of the formula one. now there's external pressure for that to happen again. >> it shouldn't go ahead, don't think british drivers should go. i think formula one should not go ahead in bahrain. the fact that you've got violent demonstration that's have been -- demonstrations by democratic protesters who have been violently suppressed. >> bahrain lies in the persian gulf. its government appointed by a sunni monarchy sees things differently. >> there's a small minority that fell against it saying that hosting formula one would give the government the opportunities to whitewash what has been done and present everything as if it's fine. if you look at the new, you look reality on the ground, it's quite the opposite. >> with the countdown under way, the bahraini government, along with formula one organizers, want this lucrative event to go ahead. but if that's to happen, many people in the country want

something in return. bbc news. >> in norway, anish told his murder trial he plans to assassinate the entire norwegian government and bheed the former prime minister. giving evidence at the court in oslo, he said he aimed to kill more than 500 people last july. a u.s. blackhawk helicopter crashed in southern afghanistan. four soldiers are believed to have been on board. an american official said an attack could not be ruled out but bad weather might have been to blame n britain, the government has denied claims it has jeopardized the deportation of the radical islam cleric qataria, who faces terrorist charges in in jordan. the removal has been delayed after there was an appeal to the human court of human rights but they say the application was made 24 hours too late. now, sharon, you have a disturbing story from pakistan.

>> that's right, very disturbing, indeed. it's estimated about as many as 150 women there are victims of acid attacks every year. usually perpetrated by vengeful husbands or in-laws. human rights groups say most of the victims are still being denied justice, despite penalties from last year. this report contains strong images. she >> she has been scarred for life with burns on 15% of her body. her name is shama, meaning candle. and like many other pakistani women, she says, her husband doused her in acid. she was too proud of her beauty, he said. franchitti i feel pain -- translator: i feel pain at what i was and what i become. all of the colors have gone from

my life. i feel like i'm a living corporation. >> shama is one of the newest arrivals in the burns unit of this dilapidated hospital in maltin. the doctors try to relieve her pain but cannot ease her despair. translator: i can't say anything about the future. maybe i won't be alive. i will try to get back to how i was. i have to work to build a future for my kids. if i can't, i will do one or two other girls have done. they killed themselves.

>> fakra was one of those girls. here's how she looked 13 years ago, before acid was flung in her face. her former husband from a powerful family was acquitted of the crime. this was fakra after the attack. she endured almost 40 surgeries before committing suicide last month. in this hospital alone, there are one or two new cases of acid attacks every week. the laws here have been tightened. offenders can be sentenced to between 14 years and life in prisonment. but campaigners say most of these women never get justice. this former m.p. who sponsored the new law says most attackers still get off scott free. >> it's the easiest way to punish a woman. if the woman does not want to agree to what the man wants to do, you can throw acid and

destroy her entire life in one second. and that's all it takes. and then even if he gets caught, he pays the police off and get away with it in most of pakistan. >> back in the burns unit, another victim has just arrived. the fabric of her clothing eaten away by the acid. massoud says her son-in-law did this after a small family dispute. he least is now in custody. the government admits it needs to do more for women like her and says implementing the new law is a major challenge. doctors told us many victims are forced to return to their tore mentors, to the husbands or in-will yous who disfigured them because of social pressure or money problems. a few beds away, shama's children come to visit.

be good, she says. pray mommy gets well soon. for their sake she will try to keep going. her husband is still at large. bbc news, multen. >> burma's president will make a five-day visit to japan this weekend. the first official trip to the country by a burmese leader in almost 30 years. japan's expected to announce it's ready to resume financial assistance to burma as part to help the poor transition to a democracy. let's get more now from' correspondent roland burke who joins us from tokyo. we know japan had been the biggest aid contributor to burma until the bloody crackdown in 1989. is this visit possibly a sign of that aid being renewed? >> that's what the japanese government seems to be aiming at. they want to come up with a

comprehensive solution to burma's debt january pan is burma's biggest creditor. reports in japan, japan are preparing forgive that debt and that would clear the way for japan to resume development aid, resume aid to paid for much-needed roads and ports and other infrastructure to help to bolster the reform process under weigh in burma. this is a very unusual visit. it's a landmark really on the rose to reform in burma. another sign of the country is being welcomed back into the international community because no burmese head of state has been here for 28 years. years, of course, of dictator ship. >> roland, we saw just yesterday the e.u. agreeing in principle to drop sanctions on burma, rather suspend sanctions on burma with the exception of the arms embargo.

do you see japan being as keen to do likewise? do they have an eye on burma's naturalçó resources, for instan. >> certainly japan is keen to help the reform process along where it can. japanese companies as well are very keen to get into burma. burma's people are poor but it is rich in resources. we've seen one of japan's big trading houses setting up shop in burma in recent weeks. others thinking of following suit. the main japanese airlines a. & a. said they want to resume direct flights to burma as soon as possible is what they said. so there is something of a gold rush under way in the country's economy opens up and certainly japan and japanese companies would like to be a part of that. >> all right, leave it there roland burke in tokyo. you have been watching newsday on the bbc live. still to come on the program,

another two months in jail for the punk band that sang an anti-putin song in a moscow that need ral. -- cathedral. >> is this enough to give the olympics a sense of humor? one office's rubberized version of a british icon. now a quick look at what's making front page news around the world. a troubled nicolas sarkozy leads the international herald tribune, which says he looks likely to become the first one-time president since the 1980's, as france holds round one of the vote this sunday. the golf news business pages report spain and italy won't need to resort to international bailouts but their economic ails may drag out the euro zone recession for months to come. the south china morning post says india's missile launch doesn't phase beijing, despite the rocket being able to strike major chinese cities.

investors force barclay to set tougher bonus conditions ebb leads the finance times, highlighting how the balance of power between shareholders and managers is shifting at the world's largest banks. and moscow times show a member of the bunk group percy riot being driven to court after facing charges of hooliganism performing anti-putin protests at an orthodox cathedral. >> you're watching newsday on the bbc. >> our headlines in hour -- amid-evidence of continuing violence in syria, the head of the u.n. has called to the international monitoring mission there to be rapidly expanded. >> the violence in bahrain ahead of this weekend's formula one grand prix, a card-carrying member of the india team was caught in street battle. 16 members of an amish community

in the american midwest appeared in a federal court on charges of being involved in beard and hair cutting attacks against fellow amish. prosecutors say members of a compound in ohio under the leadership of sam mullet, breakaway amish bishop, carried out five assaults between september and november last year. all of them pleaded not guilty. while joining us from washington is our correspondent steve kingston. steve, bring us the background to this case. >> so the background to this case is that between september and november last year, there was a series of perhaps to most of us strange soundsing attacks within the amish community, in which the defendants, led by the man you mentioned, samuel mullet, breakaway bish within a particular amish sect within ohio, allegedly tied up, held down and cut the hair of members of a different amish sect in that area.

as a result, it's alleged by prosecutors of a long-term feud between the two groups. the context to this, of course, is long hair and long beards are very much a mark of the amish faith, amick people believe the bible tells them women should not cut their hair and after marriage men should not save. the most productive and offensive thing one amish person can do to the other is cut the hair in this way. so it's being considered by the federal authorities as a hate crime. >> steve, this is a very private community, so it is rare these crimes are actually reports to the police. >> very much so. there are about a quarter of a million amish people in america and of those about a quarter in ohio. they live in predominantly rural areas. live a very simple life, shunning modern technology. so it's unusual for this to make headlines in this way. and it's partly the detail of the case. some more of which have come out in this particular hearing at which they pleaded not guilty.

it's alleged, for example, after cutting the hair, committing the crime, the group used a disposeable camera from walmart to take photographs of their victims so they could shame them within the broader amish community. all 16 defendants, 7 of whom are still in custody, deny the charges. >> a trial is set for the end of august. >> that's right. trial will be set, is being set for the 27th of august, and should they and their lawyers wish to do so, defendants have until the 30th of july to change their plea. >> steve kingston from washington with the latest. thank you very much. an attack on journalists in azerbaijan and which a reporter was savagely beaten has drawn widespread international condemnation. human rights group say he was beaten unconscious by police and security guards as he filmed the controversial demolition of houses on land owned by the state energy company. he's now receiving hospital treatment. police in thailand say five

suspected insurgents have been killed in a gun battle south of the country. the shootout came after police surrounded a suss -- suspected rebel hideout in one of three provinces affected by separatist tensions. 13 died in car violence in two southern thy cities last month. a south ooven body borders has been killed by a shark off the coast of cape town. the man was attack the by a single shark measuring up to five beaters in a popular surfing spot. it's south africa' second deadly attack this year. now, a court in moscow extended the pretrial detention of three young women accused of singing an anti--putin song in a cathedral. women, part of a feminist punk group, have already spent six weeks in jail. now they will spend another two months with no trial so far in sight. this case has divided russia, as damian mcginnis reports from moscow.

>> the song lasted about a minute but the punishment could be seven years in jail. one of the women thanked her very happy. but that support could cost some of them dear. "there's no free speech in our country" says this demonstrator as police take her away. translator: trem lynn supporters use force to get their point across, as you can see by the bruises on my face. >> he was beaten by right wing extremists near the protest. as we were talking to him, he was taken away by police. around 30 people were detained either for talking to the press or for holding up posters. this is has turned into a ideological battle between two russias. younger, more liberal russians on the one hand and on the other side, older russians who support putin and found these actions

offensive. translator: don't understand what they want but you can't do that sort of thing in a cathedral. translator: most people think like me, they don't agree what they did. it just wasn't right. >> amnesty international describes the women as political prisoners and lawyers say it could be another six months before the actual trial takes place. until then, it looks like the women will stay in jail. damian mcginnis, bbc news, moscow. >> one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments but prepare to say it in a different guise. >> there's a new arrival on the glaskio sky line. -- glass could you sideline. stone henth, an artwork by a prize-winning artist jerry ma della and it is -- >> bouncy. >> the real stonehenth is 5,000 years old and sacred site.

this inflatable remember la ca isçó called sacrilege. after its unveiling here at festival of visual art, it will head to london. >> what's all this about an artwork? well, it's olympic year. they wanted something to say britain, britishness. what's more british than stonehenge and not taking things too seriously the -- seriously. >> it's an aspect of britishness. about having a sense of humor. you have to look at your past with a wry smile maybe butless the olympics lacks a sense of humor, i think. i think just a bit of humor into the olympics. >> a british monument by the british inventors but the bounty castle and only took a few minutes before local art lovers arrived, keen to engage with a critical dialogue with this work of conceptual art. >> is it art? >> to me?

it's agood as it gets, isn't it? >> in my backyard. >> you like stonehenge in your backyard? >> yes. i would, who wouldn't? >> yes, who wouldn't? history, humor, the raw, physical challenge. britain's olympic year. david soto, bbc news, glasgow. >> huge fire has broken out at an oil company in the u.s. a fuel truck caught fire as the fuel distributing company in the state of ohio and quickly spread to a warehouse. hevcombri black smoke and flames as high as 200 feet could be seen rising above the complex. the fire spread to three interconnected buildings and officials are concerned about the possibility of explosions. no injuries have been reported. nasa's iconic space shuttle "discovery" has been handed over to a museum for its official retirement. two dozen astronauts who now on discovery attended the ceremony

in virginia as nasa delivered its oldest surviving shuffle to the smithsonian natural air and space museum. first shuffle to start life as a museum exhibit. atlantis will be housed in the kennedy space center, florida, while "endeavour" will head to los angeles. the influential american folk rock museum levin helm has died of cancer. he was 71. ♪ he was a drummer and vocalist with the band simply known as the band, who backed bob dylan and several big hits of their own including "the night they drove old dixie down." this is from their last performance in 1976, filmed by director and fan, martin scorsese. have you been watching "newsday" from the bbc.

>> make sense of international meetings at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. union bank. and shell. >> this is ken, about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell we're developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy resources. let's use energy more efficiently. efficiently. let's go.