Anchor Marco Werman profiles the singer Elisa. She's a pop sensation in her native Italy since 2001. Now she's hoping to make it in North America. Elisa kicks off a 17-date tour of Canada and the US next week.

Today on The World: Syria accuses the U.S. military of killing civilians during a raid inside Syrian territory; also, a West African court issues a historic ruling on slavery; and, why more American kids are growing up bilingual.

Syria says eight civilians were killed when U.S. forces stationed in Iraq attacked a target inside Syria. The U.S. won't confirm or deny the raid. Anchor Katy Clark speaks with The World's Quil Lawrence in Baghdad.

The World's Aaron Schachter reports that many in the Middle East are hoping that a new U.S. president will change U.S. policies in the region.

Few investment opportunities offer the kind of risks and potential rewards that the emerging marketplace in Iraq does. Companies are giving the country a fresh look in the wake of recent security improvements, but many businesses, especially many American ones, remain wary. Reporter Jay Field has our story.

A West African court found authorities in Niger guilty of failing to protect a young woman from slavery. The ruling is expected to have lasting consequences for the thousands of people who still live in conditions of slavery across the region. The BBC's West Africa correspondent Will Ross is monitoring the story from Accra, Ghana.

Hadijatou Mani says she wants to ensure her children's freedom

Child trafficking is a persistent problem in Africa. Countless kids are forced to work as indentured laborers each year. Gretchen Wilson reports from South Africa.

17-year-old Carlos was able to escape from his captors

Transcript with photos

Oregon voters will decide next week whether to ban bilingual education in favor of fast-track English learning classes. Over the last ten years, voters in three states have passed laws tightly restricting how much help students can get in their native languages. From Oregon Public Broadcasting, Rob Manning reports.

Despite efforts to limit bilingualism in classrooms, more and more American parents are raising their children to speak two or more languages. And as The World's Patrick Cox reports, there's a fast-growing industry of nannies, preschools and books to support them.

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