welcome to our viewers in pbs -- on pbs in america and around the globe.e have an exclusive report tonight from the only town in syria under the full control of opposition forces. it is just outside the capital of damascus and has been the scene of intense fighting in recent days, but government forces have now pulled out, leaving the free syrian army in charge. meanwhile, today protests continued across syria with activists saying eight people were killed by security forces. we have this report. >> there is a cease-fire. after 10 months of trauma for the local people. the army has a few outposts, but they are not shooting now. the regime was forced into a truce because there men could not displace the rebels. since wednesday, most of this has been in the hands of the rebels. i saw pockets of damage from the fighting with a local activist who said he would be in more danger if his face were shown. what about the future? what are you going to do next week and the week after that? >> we will still go to the protests every day. after the regime falls down, we

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america. friday has become synonymous with a bloody crackdowns in syria and today has proved no exception. activists are claiming that the army has begun renewed assaults on several cities. more than 130 people are believed to have been killed in the last 30 hours a loan. our middle east editor reports now from the damascus suburb where it appears that the assad's government brit is weakening. >> to find out the strength of the opposition, drive into a suburb of damascus. we had no idea. we found the free syrian army, deserters from the president's forces, securing a poor district on the edge of the city. they said they were protecting the people who were about to hold a funeral. they looked well established here with sandbag firing positions. everyone was on edge. for 10 months, the regime's forces have been clamping down hard on friday protests. this man claims to have been a general in the syrian forces. a man interrupted to pray for the army. then, something no one wanted to hear. here the

. >> welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. --nce's finance minister has friday the 13th. bad luck for the euro today. a short time ago france was stripped of its cherished aaa credit rating. eight other countries were knocked down a few notches. if that were not enough, talks haveestore at greek debt t been stalled. >> the french evening news tonight and the moment france learned it was stripped of its aaa credit rating. facing an election, this has been a presidents are cozy -- president sarkozy's big fear. it was left to the french finance minister to make this announcement. >> it is not good news. is not a catastrophe. the rating agencies do not control the politics of france. we do. >> sarkozy gathered together his topic visor's. what this will mean is an increase in french of borrowing costs. they have to raise 290 billion euros to pay off old debt. the french government already has to pay 2.1% to bar a. that figure could increase. >> borrowing costs will rise. that is bad for france. >> but the downgrade also weakens the

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. in a few hours, we will know who has won and who has lost in the first test of america's presidential election campaign. it is decision day for the voters of iowa. for months, republican candidates have looted this state, but will they leave with a clearer idea of who will take on barack obama in november? >> hundreds more hands to be shaken, children to be courted before this is over. mitt romney is behaving like a victor. >> i believe in america, i believe that our future. i believe that we will accomplish great things. >> align republicans to get a blow for their candidate, come november, he should be judged. he has to persuade his own side first. it hurt when he lost iowa four years ago. conservatives want someone more consistently right wing. >> it sets the course of the country. by the sun fooled shine, -- that through the flat landscape artist and those that could put them in the vital top three places. libertarian could win, but newt gingrich's star has faded. at this basketba

pbs kids, where a kid can be a kid. for over 90 years, stride rite's been there, from the first wobbly walk to the first day of school, helping you choose the right shoes. stride rite is a proud sponsor of curious george. funding for curious george is provided by contributions to your pbs station... ooh. ...and from: ♪ you never do know what's around the bend ♪ ♪ big adventure or a brand-new friend ♪ ♪ when you're curious like curious george ♪ ♪ swing! ♪ ♪ well, every day ♪ every day ♪ ♪ is so glorious ♪ glorious ♪ george! ♪ and everything ♪ everything ♪ ♪ is so wondrous ♪ wondrous ♪ ♪ there's more to explore when you open the door ♪ ♪ and meet friends like this, you just can't miss ♪ ♪ i know you're curious ♪ ♪ curious ♪ ♪ and that's marvelous ♪ ♪ marvelous ♪ ♪ and that's your reward ♪ ♪ you'll never be bored ♪ ♪ if you ask yourself, "what is this?" ♪ ♪ like curious... ♪ like curious... curious george. ♪ oh... captioning sponsored by universal animation

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america. they spent a fortune, traveled thousands of miles, and in the end, only 8 voters actually mattered. the first contest of the u.s. presidential election could not have finished closer yet only 8 votes really did separate the republican candidates mitt romney and rick santorum in the iowa caucuses. now they headed to the next primary race to try to actually seal the nomination. >> he is celebrating. so is he. both think that they can win their prize. just 8 votes divided mitt romney from rick santorum but they are worlds apart. second place is sweet for the former senator, a christian conservative, a hard-line opponent of gay marriage an abortion. >> what wins in america are bold ideas, sharp contrast, and a plan that includes everyone. >> some predicted that his pungent views mean he cannot win. supporters disagree. >> his message resonates. when you talk to this man and you look him in the eye, you can trust him. >> the media decided for us to our candidate was. they have been telling

♪ >> welcome to viewers on pbs and around the globe. turning up the pressure on tehran.hat is what the european union has done today, imposing some of the toughest sanctions ever in protest over the nuclear program. the measures include a ban on all new will contracts. in retaliation, iran has threatened to close the straits of hormuz through which 1/5 of the world's crude-oil is transported. >> tankers with oil from the gulf heading today towards the strait of hormuz and the open sea beyond. immediately after the european union decision to stop buying iranian oil, some politicians inside iran were threatening to block the gulf. these waters are vulnerable. this is the strait of hormuz. if the weather were a bit better, you could see the mountains of iran just over there. through this narrow strip of water passes 1/5 of all the world oil supplies. it is not surprising that iran is tempted to cut off this artery. it is no surprise either that the western world cannot let it happen. yesterday the massive uss abraham lincoln that can hold as many as 90 aircraft came through

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the globe. the former president bashar al assad of syria is inevitable. this is according to u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton. she was speaking as pressure mounts on russia to abandon the support for the syrian leader. the united nations is scheduled to discuss him tomorrow against a backdrop of violence that is only growing. our bbc reporter has a report. >> the earrings sound of gunfire, echoing through a residential area -- the eerie. sound of gunfire. government tanks and other heavy weaponry reasserted control in areas that had been that in the hands of opposition. it is now littered with debris. the contrast last week when the bbc visited is startling. opposition forces were then manning checkpoints. now, strategic banks. meanwhile, the arab league has been suspended. they have been retreated to a domestic hotel, saying it is too dangerous to continue. and the arab league chief is seeking u.n. security council support for the peace plan. as the violence in syria gets worse, the stak

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the italian rescue workers suspended their search of the costa concordia after the ship slipped further into the sea. the hope is fading that any more survivors will be found. at the same time, the capt. remains under house arrest. he has told investigators that he fell into a lifeboat. >> a team of specialists headed out to the rec and into a dangerous world. it is slow going inside of the ship, moving through the floating debris of a once luxury liner. along corridors turned on their side. they search for survivors but know more likely they will find the dead. this is how they have been entering the ship, through the top deck, now on the water line. >> at one point, the glass door of a shop was above me with the contents pressing down. >> this violinist was among the dead. he had held some children with some life jackets and then went to pack his violin. among the missing, a waiter on board. today, his brother came to the island, his first sight of the costa concordia. does he think

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. have republican voters picked them man? -- vera man? -- their man? the polls are open in new hampshire and we will know who the vote for this critical stage things has the best shot of -- thinks has beating president obama. mitt romney is the easy favorite, but his conservative rivals would love to find a way to unseat him. >> to listen to the republicans roasting president obama, it is something of a surprise he is not being burned in effigy. candidates are fired up, but the contest could go on for months. early votes could make or break a campaign. they are all arguing that obama 's hand in the economy is not just wrong, it is un-american. >> we have a president who is probably the most radical president in american history. >> he wants to make as an entitlement society where government takes from some to give to others. >> you want to know what is crushing business? this administration is crushing business. >> but how will those extremely strong and charges against the president pl

announcer: the new pbs for ipad app. you'll never know what you'll find. [dog barks] announcer: available now in the app store.

contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. its auto insurance customers for over 70 years. more information on auto insurance at geico.com or 1-800-947-auto any time of the day or night.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the world. in the dark of night, deep inside somalia, u.s. navy seals carried out a daring rescue operation to free two foreign aid workers, one american and the other danish. the pair had been held captive since october, and their health was failing. the mission was conducted by the same unit that killed osama bin laden. president obama has praised their courage and vows that america will not tolerate the abduction of its citizens. our correspondent fred gardner has all of the details. >> kidnapped from somalia three months ago, the aid workers jessica buchanan from the u.s. and poul thisted from denmark, tonight, rescued. this is how it was done. the hostages were being held in a compound in northern somalia. demanders from the team 6 lead the operation. they went to the, and close to 2:00 a.m., and gunfire broke out as they approached their objective. all nine kidnappers were killed. there were no american casualties. hostages were then flown by helicopter to the safety of a u.s. base in a ne

only on pbs.

frontline is also available for download on itunes. >> you're watching pbs. >> be more. pbs.

and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: the republican presidential frontrunner, campaigning in south carolina, stepped up his defense against fellow gop attacks on his record in business. this, as the political wars intensified on the state's television airwaves. >> mitt romney helped create and ran a company that invested in struggling businesses, started new ones, and rebuilt old ones, creating thousands of jobs. those are the facts. >> woodruff: that tv commercial began airing as mitt romney campaigned across south carolina today. it's a full-throated defense of his time running a private equity firm, and an effort to rebuke rivals who've painted him as a corporate raider. >> we expected the obama administration to put free markets on trial, but as the wall street journal said, mr. romney's g.o.p. opponents are embarrassing themselves by taking the obama line. >> woodruff: indeed, the attacks by rick perry and newt gingrich, in particular, have drawn disapproval this week from voices inside and o

to order, visit shoppbs.org or call 1-800-play-pbs. frontline is also available for download on itunes. turn to pbs... for stories that define the american experience. it was wild and out of control the flash apparently official revealing our strengths... it shall be called the hoover dam our struggles. he said it is madness beyond measure putting you into history... and taking you to the moment. we have a liftoff these are our stories. it's felt experience our american experience. only on pbs. >> tom: i'm tom hudson with a "nightly business report" news brief. on wall street, stocks rang in the new year with a new push higher. positive economic data on the u.s. manufacturing sector helped fuel the rally. the dow rose 179 points, the nasdaq added 43, and the s&p 500 was up 19. the federal reserve wants to help manage investor expectations in the new year. it will begin publishing its forecast for interest rates later this month. tomorrow, we'll see if santa claus made his way to wall street-- market watcher jeff hirsch of the stock tra

law and disorder, frontline, pbs. presumed guilty, pov, pbs.pov, pbs. >> and the winner is, pov, presumed guilty, pbs. [applause] >> accepting the emmy, roberto fernandez, your. [applause] [speaking in spanish] >> thank you. everybody involved in presumed guilty, come up on stage please. imagine being kicked off the street, told you have committed a murder you know nothing about and find yourself sentenced to 20 years in a mexican state prison. this is what happened to antonio when he asked for help and he is here with us tonight. when he asked for help, my wife and i managed to get him a retrial and give them an astonishing lawyer to get him freed. but when i asked for help from people -- they turned my footage into the most successful in mexico's history. injustices are happening everywhere in the world and in almost every speced mexico system is worse than the u.s. except perhaps -- perhaps someone. mexican move does not have the -- sadly troy davis is gone. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> the nominees for outstanding news discussion and

major funding for the pbs news hour has been provided by bnsf railway. and by the billand melinda gates foundation dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. and with the ongoing and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captiong sponsoreby macneil/lehrerroductns captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org no. well, it's just past there. first house in the right after the cottage on the l don't panic. brazen it out. me? - no. - right. here goes. yippee!

. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet television] tavis: tonight marks the first show far more new studios in los angeles, as we continue our night season on pbs. our conversation with sean penn, the oscar winner, tireless human rights activist, who spent much of his time on the situation in haiti. he is not an ambassador at large to 80, given that distinction by haiti's foreign minister. his organization is called j/p haitian relief organization. here now, a quick look at some of their wonderful humanitarian work. tavis: it seems so late in the year, but happy new year. >> happy new year. a key for being our first guest at our new digs. let me start by congratulating you on the weekend. i heard that you raised a good amount of money for your worked in haiti. i was surprised at the figure, which belies the fact that people, to my mind at least, have haiti fatigue, yet you raised millions of dollars last week. >> we had a local organization come to us with the notion of putting together th

this has been a pbs conversation.to say about the pages, about their offense, about the giants, about eli manning. you can hear our conversation with sael about the super bowl. the new album from seal is called "soul ii." i love it and i think you will, too. i am glad to have you on the program. >> i am glad to be here. tavis: until next time, a key to the face. ♪ how does it feel? ♪ how does it feel? ♪ to be on your own? no direction home? tavis: for more information, visit travissmiley.org. tavis: join me for a preview of the florida primary next time. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin mr. king boulevard. it is the cornerstone we all know. it is not just a street or boulevard, but a place where one -- where walmart stands with your community. tavis: and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

. >> and by contributions from your pbs station -- to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: ron brown skin is a two- time -- ron brownstein is a two- time award winning journalist. he has been covering this race. good to have you back on the program. >> good to be back. tavis: you just got back from florida. these numbers referenced suggest that mitt romney is going to pull this off. do you believe that? >> inouye gingrich has had a difficult week. -- a new to gingrich has had a did a good week. he has been kind of lethargic on the stump. this has been arguably the most unsettled primary race for either party in the modern era. in 2011, there were more people had in the voting in the national polls than any previous at a year's election. we have never had a race where different people one of iowa, new hampshire, and south carolina in the republican race. this could reestablish mitt romney as the front runner if he wins, but it does not feel like the last act of this play. tavis: if i say to you that mitt

i will see you back here next time on pbs. until then, keep the faith. >> for more information of a bin vincent van gogh. that is next time. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it is the cornerstone we all know. it is not just a street but a place >> and from contributions by viewers like you. thank you. what do more harm -- pbs. >> pahor -- be more --lo

to order, visit shoppbs.org/education, or call 1-800-play-pbs. captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> frontline is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for public broadcasting. major funding is provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. and by reva and david logan. committed to investigative journalism as the guardian of the public interest. additional funding is provided by the park foundation. dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues. >> you're watching pbs.