CNN 2012-02-17

 It's the middle of the week, the middle of the month, the start of a brand new edition of CNN Students News. Hello everyone, I'm Carl Azuz. We welcome you to this February 15th edition of our show, in which we are bringing you 10 minutes of completely commercial-free headlines.

 
First up today, the crisis in Syria, you've heard us talk about it. This has been going on for months and it's showing no signs of stopping. In the past 10 days, more than 700 people have reportedly been killed. CNN's Arwa Damon, one of our reporters, was inside the Syria. She said that everybody she spoke 1 to believed the country was either heading for or already in a full-blown war. Opposition 2 groups blame this violence on Syria's government, which has reportedly launched attacks against its own people. The government says the violence is being caused by armed terrorists. And CNN is finding some evidence of that. Barbara Starr reports that the US government is keeping a close watch on what's happening.
 
All eyes and the ears on Syria. CNN has learned that spying on Bashar al-Assad's moves in the brutal 3 war against his own people is now a top priority for US intelligence and the military. The State Department released these images showing Syrian artillery 4 guns outside the town. American officials tell CNN classified higher-resolution images show military targets being trapped in case US action is ordered. The US is looking to involve more satellites,  drones and U-2 spy planes. Sources tell CNN that the US is already secretly eavesdropping 5 on telephone and electronic communications of Assad's regime. It comes as a United Nations official accused Syria of crimes against humanity.
 
"Children have not been spared. Children have been killed by beating, sniper fire and shelling from government security forces in several places throughout Syria."
 
Assad's government is not the only focus. US intelligence has picked up on cell phone communications of known al-Qaeda operatives inside Syria. After several suicide bombings including this police station in Aleppo, there are growing indicators 6 a small group of al-Qaeda operatives from next-door Iraq are now inside Syria.
 
"What's already been clear is that al-Qaeda in Iraq in particular has pushed in operational and tactical level units into Syria right now and appears to have conducted some of the high-profile bombings."
 
Back in 1985, Xi Jinping spent two weeks in Iowa. He was a Chinese regional official and he was in Iowa to learn more about American farming. Well, Xi is scheduled to be back in Iowa today but he is not a Chinese regional official anymore. He's China's vice 7 president and he's expected to become president soon. His stop in Iowa is part of Vice President Xi's five-day trip to the United States. Yesterday he was at the White House meeting with President Obama. The US and China have the world's two largest economies so global trade issues were a big part of their conversation. Vice President Xi said the main goal of his visit is to strengthen ties between the two countries. Eunice Yoon looks at how that relationship has played out.
 
You could say China and the US are in some ways like an old-married couple, permanently 8 hitched 9. Over the past three decades, the two countries have depended on each other. China relies on the US to set up factories and create jobs while the US imports low-priced goods for American consumers and needs China to invest in its massive pool of government debt. But just like other long-time relationships, Beijing and Washington have their marital 10 spats 11. The two nations have quarreled over everything from trade, China's currency and human rights. And with China growing in power, tempers are flaring 12 over other global issues like the US's growing security presence in the South China Sea. Many of these issues will likely still be on the agenda later this year when Xi is expected to take office as the next president of China. Chinese officials say that Washington and Beijing suffer from a trust deficit 13. They hope that Xi's visit will help bridge the divide. During Xi's trip both sides are getting a fresh view of their partner and a chance to reset 14 the tone of an ever-evolving affair.