Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by support also comes from Carnegie Corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what Andrew Carnegie called real and permanent good. Celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie. Org. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff the giant retailer target confirmed today that hackers stole encrypted pin numbers during a major data breach that began at thanksgiving. Some 40 million accounts are potentially affected. Target said it believes the encryption will keep the personal identification numbers safe. We get more now from jim finkle of the Reuters News Service in boston. Woodruff jim finkle, welcome. First of all, what is the risk with the theft of these pin numbers, how is that different from losing other credit information. You know, judy, there may actually be no additional risk because as you mentioned the numbers are encrypted. The encryption algorithms that they use are so sophisticated that nobody can break them. The issue here i think that this highlights is a couple of things. It target target originally gave us the impression that pins were not taken, encrypted or not so that suggests that either they didnt have a handle as to what happened or they werent being completely forthright. And why would that be . I can think there are a couple of reasons. First of all it is very difficult to figure out what happened in a breach of this size. But in terms of not being forthright, you know, it was the Christmas Holiday season and i think they wanted to keep their they didnt want to alarm customers. They worried about potential litigation. And they also worried about regulatory and congressional investigations. Woodruff and there is still other information, though, that was stolen in addition to these pin numbers that is out there. Yeah, sure, all the information on the Magnetic Stripe on the back of your credit card was stolen. And that can be used to create fake credit cards. Now its possible that you know some peoples credit not Credit Card Bank accounts have been drained and were still trying to figure out how that happened. It may be that they got the pin numbers another way. With a pin number you can access somebodys bank account. So you know what i was talking about at the beginning about the not having all the information, about them not being forthright, we still have to find out whats going on with that. And just quickly what should target customers be doing right now . If youve gotten notification that your bank account or credit card was compromised, i would ask the bank to replace it. Some of them are saying thats necessary but ive been told by everybody who is knowledgeable that that is what you should do. Jim finkle with reuters, we thank you. Thank you. Woodruff the u. S. National Security Agency has won a round in the fight over surveillance. A Federal District judge in new york ruled today that bulk collection of phone records is legal, in the fight against terrorism. In a written opinion, judge William Pauley said, this blunt earlier this month, a federal judge in washington d. C. Ruled the surveillance is probably unconstitutional. A powerful car bomb in beirut, lebanon killed six people today, and wounded more than 70. The dead included mohammed chatah, a former ambassador to the United States, and the target of the bombing. Well have an ontheground report from beirut right after the news summary. In afghanistan, a suicide car bomber killed three International Troops in kabul. The target was a military convoy, about half a half mile from a nato base. So far this year, 151 Coalition Troops have died in afghanistan, most of them americans. There was talk today of ending the fighting in south sudan. The government agreed to a truce after a summit of east African Leaders in nairobi, kenya. Back in juba, the u. S. Envoy to south sudan donald booth said the countrys president confirmed it to him. He is moving forward to arrange a cessation of hostilities throughout the country in conjunction with increasing the ability to move humanitarian relief to the people of south sudan who have been trapped by the fighting. Woodruff later, though, the rebel leader said conditions for a truce were not in place. He was not invited to the nairobi meeting. In the meantime, the United Nations estimated more than 120,000 people have been displaced in south sudan since ethnic fighting broke out nearly two weeks ago. Two more African Union peacekeepers have been killed in the Central African republic. The soldiers from the republic of congo were shot dead overnight. Six peacekeepers from chad were killed a day earlier. The violence in the Central African republic has been building since a coup last march. The head of thailands army urged restraint today by both sides in the countrys political crisis. And, he issued a warning. The commander spoke a day after police and protesters battled in the streets in bangkok. Two people were killed and more than 140 others were injured. The Army Commander deplored the violence, and he left open the possibility of a military coup. translated the door is neither open nor closed. Anything can happen, it all depends on the situation. The people should support the army because were trying to do the right thing. Were trying to avoid using force. Were trying to use peaceful ways such as negotiations. Woodruff protesters have appealed to the army to intervene in their twomonth battle to oust the government. Reports of sexual assaults in the u. S. Military increased more than 50 in the latest fiscal year. The Associated Press obtained initial data that there were more than 5,000 such reports for the 12 months ending in september. Pentagon Officials Say the spotlight put on the problem this year has made victims more willing to come forward. On wall street today, it was a quiet close to christmas week. The Dow Jones Industrial average slipped a point to close at 16,478. The nasdaq fell ten points to close at 4,156. For the week, the dow gained 1. 6 . The nasdaq rose 1. 3 . Still to come on the newshour the deadly blast in the heart of beirut; political turmoil for turkeys Prime Minister; a look at economic inequality and mobility in america; mark shields and Michael Gerson on the years political news. Plus, songs celebrating a beautiful africa. Woodruff now to lebanon, where a prominent politician and others were killed in a bomb attack today. Hari sreenivasan reports. Sreenivasan the powerful blast shook buildings in central beirut this morning and left what looked like the aftermath of a battle. A lebanese t. V. Channel captured the eerie silence in the streets moments after the explosion hit. Plumes of smoke rose from flaming cars, as shaken residents tried to make sense of what had happened. translated as you can see all the shops here are damaged. I consider all this terrorism, all this is terrorism, damaging the country and the people. What more can we say . God help us, god help this country. Sreenivasan the attack wounded scores and killed six people, including the main target, mohamad chatah, a prominent sunni politician and former ambassador to the u. S. He was an outspoken critic of the assad regime in neighboring syria, and the Lebanese Shiite militia, hezbollah, fighting for assad. Less than an hour before the attack, chatah tweeted his latest criticism of the militants, saying sreenivasan hezbollah denounced the assassination, but allies of chatah took up his refrain, in the hours after todays attack. The target is lebanon, its institution, its president , not the whole image of this country, the convivial country, the country of democracy. Sreenivasan from washington, secretary of state john kerry also condemned the killing. He called chatahs death a terrible loss and said but that goal seems far off, as the civil war in syria has already split lebanon into opposing political camps, with a weak, caretaker government since april. And theres been a titfortat increase in bombings and other attacks in recent months. Last month, two suicide bombings rocked the Iranian Embassy in beirut, killing 25 people. Iran is a backer of hezbollah. Todays attack was the first major strike at beiruts upscale renovated center in years. Ann barnard is the Beirut Bureau chief, i spoke to her a short time ago. What is the latest information that we have about the bombing . Well, no one has claimed responsibility, which is not unusual there have been a series of assassinations in lebanon dating back to 2004, none of which have been solved. And almost none of them has anyone claimed responsibility. There were quick accusations from Mohammad ChatahPolitical Party implizing that either hezbollah or the Syrian Government could have been behind the assassination, they denied it. How important was chatah to lebanese politics. He is an important figure. He is somewhat behind he was one of the Main Advisors to hariri, the former Prime Minister and he was seen even by political opponents as a consensus builder, someone who was able to reach across political and sectarian lines even at moments of extreme tension, so in that sense his presence would be soarly missed at a time like this. How much of a grip does the violence thats happening in syria have on what is happening in beirut or what has been happening in beirut in recent months . Well, of course there are existing conditions in lebanon that predate the syrian war, as is in the string av sass nations that i mentioned before. But since the syrian war has accelerated, there have been a number of Violent Attacks in beirut and other parts of lebanon which are seen as being part of the spillover from the syrian war which has become a Regional Power struggle. There have been several bombings of areas in southern beirut where hezbollah an ally of the syrian president Bashar Alassad has many supporters. Those have been widely blamed on jihadists fighting with the Syrian Rebels or on their lebanese sympathizers, there was also the bombing of the Iranian Embassy. Iran is also a supporter of assad. And there have been fears that there could be revenge attacks for those or other jihadi attacks as well as all kinds of other parties that could take advantage of its situation to spread divisions in lebanon and try to spill over the syrian conflict. How surprising was it that this bombing happened in this particular part of the city . Well, that was a big blow to beirut. This is a neighborhood which is a contested space. Its the center of downtown beirut which was largely destroyed during the war, during the lebanon civil war which ended in 1990. It was rebuilt by the hariri family. And the supporter its see it as a symbol of lebanons persistence and rebirth, whereas the critics see it as a space that has become a playground for the wealthy. So its a place that has a very strong symbolism. But especially in the Holiday Season it can be a very busy place, sparkling with christmas decorations. And people were shocked to have a bombing right in the center of the city there have been, you know, fighting in the Northern City of tripoli, there have been shelling in the valley related to the syrian conflict. But to have it really hit home in the center of beirut was shocking to a lot of people. How much of this is sort of a proxy fight of whats happening in syria now moving into lebanon . Within well, this is something that the lebanese have been worried about from the early days of the syrian war. And whereas the powerful parties here, hezbollah and rival future movement have spoken of trying to keep things calm inside lebanon. Both of them are supporting opposite sides in the syrian war. And both are accused of sending their militants in to syria to fight on opposite sides. You also, so you have a situation where the existing divisions in lebanon are now magnified by those in syria. Anne barnard of the New York Times in beirut, lebanon, thanks so much. Thank you. Woodruff now to nearby turkey once a model of stability in the middle east where an exploding Corruption Scandal threatens the government of Prime Minister recep tayyip erdogan. Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Margaret Warner explains. Warner tensions erupted in the streets of istanbul this evening as police blasted protesters with water cannon, tear gas and plastic bullets. The crowd threw rocks and shouted catch the thief , a cry aimed squarely at Prime Minister recep tayyip erdogan, in the eye of a widening corruption probe. But earlier today, the Prime Minister defiantly rejected the calls for his removal. translated let me be clear. If our nation tells us to leave, well go. Theres no hesitation there. Because thats the office we respect. But when the people are telling us to stay, we wont listen to someone who is telling us to go. Warner the controversy exploded ten days ago, when Police Detained two dozen people, many with Erdogan Party ties, in a 14monthlong corruption and bribery investigation. Officers raided the home of the c. E. O. A major stateowned bank, discovering boxes of turkish liras. The video got wide play on turkish t. V. It was a sudden blow to erdogan and his Islamist Justice and development party, the akp, who have ruled for 11 years. Erdogan lashed back, charging that political foes, led by followers of islamic cleric fethullah gulen, and foreign powers were plotting to bring down the government. translated those who are receiving the support of financial circles and media cannot change the direction of this country. Warner but eight days later, on christmas day, three cabinet ministers resigned after their sons were implicated in the investigation. Later that day, erdogan replaced ten ministers, but again denounced the investigation as conspiracy. We are facing an attack against the turkish people and the turkish republic which is presented as a corruption probe. Warner his government also tried to head off the probe, with a new decree forcing prosecutors to clear their efforts with their superiors. Last night, the prosecutor leading the probe charged interference and was removed hours later. But today, a Turkish Court annulled the decree requiring highlevel approval for all investigations. The new controversy comes on the heels of gigantic summertime protests against the governments plans to raze istanbuls popular gezi park to make room for development. Both have taken an economic toll. Foreign investors are dumping turkish bonds, and the turkish lira is has dropped dramatically. Woodruff and margaret joins me now. Margaret, a lot of different sfrands to this story, tell us pore about what is behind all this. Warner well, judy, the western narrative in tur can for over a decade has been that it is a battle between the old Secular Forces backed by the military and the islamists, the religious con serve difficult parties. The islamists won. And now what you have is really a battle within that Victorious Coalition in which erd o erdogan who had taken the atp out of the shadows, the made it the dominant part in this country, a booming economy, a reputation for clean governance, turned turkey into this muslim Democratic State is suddenly facing these core ruping allegations that go right at the heart of not only people close to him but, according to the turkish press, potentially his son. And he is fighting back as we just saw. Woodruff and how so, how is he doing that . Warner well, hes basically doing what he did during the prowess it is this up certificate, instead of taking the substance of the charges, criticisms or complaints seriously, hes going on the attack. So not only has he tried to metel in the sort of prosecutor ranks and so on by rea insoing Police Chiefs an prosecutors, he is blaming it on outside forces. The u. S. , by implication israel, and now this home group force, the movement, another islamist move,. Woodruff so the gulen movement, give us a sense what that is . That is a very mysterious organization, judy. First of all headed by a man we just saw in the state who lives here in pennsylvania because he was hounded, for 15 years and for reasons it isnt clear he hadnt gone back. Idea logical it is a blend of sufficienti islam that has been described as wanting to marry islam in modernity but in practice a network of businessmen, people in bure sock bureaucracy, in civil society, Big Education kponant and they work together. It is also secret, you dont register as a gulenist. And so they are, for a long time were erdogans allies against the military. But in the last year or two they have come to feel that erdogan has become an authoritarian democrat is one term they use. And