The rebel commander threatens to abandon a failing ceasefire in Syria. Chinese police crackdown on Tibetan dissidents. I’m David DeForest reporting from Washington.

Syrian forces today shelled the central region of Houla where more than 100 people were massacred last week. A spokeswoman tells VOA the U.N. monitors there based in nearby Homs city were traveling to Houla to verify the reports of renewed attacks. A Syrian rebel commander says his forces will abandon a failed ceasefire on Friday if President Bashar al-Assad does not begin to (abide by) the ceasefire. In an Internet statement published today, the leader of the Free Syrian Army gave Mr. Assad a deadline of noon Friday to start acting on commitments made to international peace envoy Kofi Annan.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says continuing Russian support for Syria’s president is (blocking) U.N. action to end 15 months of violence that could help lead to civil war. Scott Stearns reports from Denmark where Secretary Clinton is starting a one-week trip to Europe.

Secretary Clinton says very strong opposition from Russia is making it harder to put together an (international coalition) against President Assad. But, she says Washington is not giving up on such a coalition because every day that goes by makes the case stronger. Clinton told a question-and-answer session with youth leaders in the Danish capital that without Russian support, U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan cannot expand his mandate to push Damascus to confront what she calls terrible dangers. Clinton says the continuing slaughter of innocent people by the military, by pro-government militia and by government opponents could become civil war. Scott Stearns, VOA News, Copenhagen.

And for more on the situation in Syria, take a look at our website voanews.com.

Irish voters are deciding today whether to accept a European Union (treaty) that sets strict terms for receiving financial aid. Irish official signed the treaty in March along with most EU member countries. Ireland is the only country putting the EU fiscal plan to a (referendum). Here are the thoughts of one Irish voter.

“I think many, many people are very annoyed with Europe. They see Europe as to a large extent the problem that now arises in Ireland. I think that is unfair. I think we need to look at ourselves also.”

Analysts say the referendum is expected to be approved by a majority of Irish voters.

The head of the World Trade Organization says growing Asian protectionism is the biggest threat to sustained economic growth in the region. WTO Director General Pascal Lamy told the opening session of the World Economic Forum on East Asia today that deeper (trade integration) among Asian nations is key to making the region more resilient to a slowing global economy. Daniel Schearf has more.

More than 600 people are attending the World Economic Forum on East Asia and discussing ways to better connect a region that has posted robust economic growth in recent years and hopes to continue the streak. The (forum), a regional version of the international meeting in Davos, Switzerland, seeks to address improving regional infrastructure and removing barriers to trade. The Prime Ministers of Bahrain, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and the President of Indonesia are attending. But much attention has been on the participation of Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The leader of Burma’s opposition is on her first trip outside the country in more than two decades. Daniel Schearf, Bangkok.

Chinese police reportedly have (detained) hundreds of people as part of a security clampdown in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. The U.S. government-backed Radio Free Asia cited a local source as saying that Chinese authorities have locked up about 600 Tibetan residents.

The Pakistani military is denying that U.S. military trainers have returned to the country. On Wednesday, the Reuters news (agency) reported that fewer than 10 special operations soldiers had been sent back. But in a text message to VOA today, Pakistani military officials say the report is baseless.

A privately-built and owned cargo ship is on its way back to Earth after a successful demonstration flight to the International Space Station. The ISS crew released the Dragon capsule today from the station’s long robotic arm to begin the final leg of its flight. The release occurred more than an hour after the crew detached the spacecraft from a docking port and moved it away from the orbital outpost.

I’m David DeForest, more news at voanews.com.