hello, and welcome to "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm stephen sackur. our top stories. the french president travels to guinea and becomes the first non-african leader to set foot in the ebola crisis zone. francois hollande's show of solidarity comes with promises of increased assistance. but is the ebola spread still outstripping the response? david cameron outlines plans to make britain much less attractive to immigrants from elsewhere in the eu.

>> eu migrants should have a job offer before they come here. uk taxpayers will not support them if they don't. and thanksgiving in troubled times. after the fallout from the ferguson shooting, we join one family trying to make sense of race relations in today's america. aaron's here with all the business, including a look at the bumpy road to recovery, aaron, in brazil. >> absolutely. it was one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but this year, brazil has been in recession. as of today, no longer. just a pinch of growth, and now all eyes are on this man, the country's new finance minister as of yesterday. so we're going to go live to sao paulo to find out if he has got what it takes. a very warm welcome to "gmt." it's midday here in london, 7:00

a.m. in washington, d.c., and noon in the capital of guinea where francois hollande is about to touch down. he has just landed in a highly symbolic first visit by a non-african leader to one of west africa's ebola-affected countries. the number of deaths has risen above 5,500, but some rates of infection have slowed. so as president hollande pledges more outside assistance, is there room for cautious optimism? in a moment, we're going to speak to the world health organization's ebola response operation chief, dr. bruce alewood. but first, tulip is where the outbreak first began. she's been back to the msf clinic to catch up with adele, whom she first met back in july. >> reporter: i remember this face very well. how are you? >> fine. >> reporter: you've been here a

long time now. adele, i saw you in july. tell me how things have changed since i last saw you. >> translator: we have moved on. we now have a tent for pregnant women. a tent for small children. even a playground for children whose parents are inside. on the treatment side, it's going well. >> reporter: and you've been here since the beginning? or almost the beginning? you've been here since april. how are you feeling? are you tired? >> translator: i was feeling tired for one week. i came back and began to work. i am still here all the time. even sometimes when i am on afternoon duty, they'll call me to do the morning shift as well.

>> reporter: when i last saw you, you were -- you had been looking after a little baby, very small boy, 4 months old. and you told me how difficult it was dealing with the death of small children. i mean, how are you coping with that now? because you will have seen so many more people not survive. >> it is always sad with the death of young children. that's what causes me a lot of pain. but now we have hope. there are many children who have recovered. even today, we have a young boy, 5, 6 years old who recovered. >> so, that was tulip going back to guinea. let's look at where we are in the battle against ebola right now. in early october, the u.n. set itself a series of targets for containing the outbreak. it was known as the 70/70/60 plan.

getting 70% of suspected cases isolated properly, and ensuring that 70% of those who died from ebola were safely buried, and that was supposed to happen within 60 days of october 1st. so deadline is on monday, that is december 1st. let's see where we stand. we can cross to geneva where i'm joined by dr. bruce alewood, and he's also head of the ebola response operation. so, we have to start i think with that particular set of targets. it wasn't set by the w.h.o. itself, but it was set by another part of the u.n. response operation. the 70/70/60 target i just talked about, is it going to be met within those two months? >> that's a number we're going to hear about on monday when the secretary-general comes out and talks about it, and he'll talk about those at that time. but one of the comments you made earlier was, is it time for

optimism in this response. and i think we have to be very, very careful when you use optimism with a disease like ebola as long as it's any of it anywhere. we had seen some steep declines in some areas. there's absolutely no question today that the world could catch this disease, could eventually stop it, but there are some very, very, very big questions as to whether or not we will. >> i just want to push you once more on this 70/70/60 target, because it is important to have measurements we can measure the international response by and the souuccess of that response. it was a clearly set target. it looks as though it's not going to be met. am i right? >> i don't think you're right about that. i think there's large parts of these countries that are absolutely beginning to meet those targets. and i think the best way to get a sense of whether or not they will be meeting those on that date is if you look at what's happening with the case numbers in these countries. in liberia, we've seen a steep

decline in cases. it has not disappeared. it's basically declined and now there's a bit of a plateau, and that's because they're burying a huge proportion of the people who die of this disease tragically. they're also ensuring that those affected are in isolation capacities. we're seeing that in the other two countries as well. so those capacities are definitely in a very, very different place than they were 58 days ago, and that definitely is making a difference. >> are you pleased with the international response right now? we're seeing francois hollande in guinea today. other individual countries are thinking particularly maybe of the u.s. and uk have made big commitments, both in terms of money and personnel being sent to the region. but in terms of the overall global response and the coordination of that response, are you pleased? >> i think we've seen a fantastic response over the past couple of months in particular.

we've seen a response -- and that really is at the national level, by the national governments, by the district prefecture leadership. but then also by the international players, the partners, some of whom you have mentioned. but we have not seen enough. definitely not enough. again, if we compare where we were certainly back during the summer, there are many more groups on the ground now. we have many more ebola treatment centers up and functioning. we have many more burial teams functioning. and that is making a very big difference. however, there are important gaps. and as you mentioned earlier, those strategies that brought down the amount of disease in some areas in much of liberia, key parts of sierra leone, those strategies of building the etcs, burying the dead are not going to get you to zero. they will slow down this epidemic, but now we have got to do the hard work of finding the cases we're missing, contact tracing to make sure we can stop the actual change of

transmission. now it gets very tough operating over bigger geographies to do those thing. >> very briefly, you said we've got to be cautious about using words like optimism. but by the end of the year, do you think we can look forward to saying that it is under control, that this ebola spread is under control? >> well, again, i think we can be optimistic today that you can actually control this kind of ebola. i think we have to be very careful, though, when we say we're optimistic that we can stop it. because though it's been slowed down, very few if any areas have actually stopped it. and that is the key. there's no such thing as control with ebola. this is a very dangerous disease. it's zero or it's ebola. we want to be on the right side of that. >> we will bear in mind your caution. bruce aylwood, thank you very much for joining us on "gmt" from the w.h.o. in geneva today.

for more, we'll bring you a special program on "bbc world news" today. it's friday, 1930 gmt. in other news, mexico's embattled president has unveiled sweeping reforms to end corruption in municipal police forces. made an outcry over the role of authorities with links to gangs in the disappearance of those 43 students. president pena nieto has come under growing pressure after trainee teachers went missing. they are thought to have been murdered by a drugs gang. officials in southern afghanistan say five afghan soldiers have been killed following an attack on the base formerly known as camp bastion. a group of militants managed to breach a perimeter fence. 26 of the fighters are also reported to have died. camp bastion was an important base for british troops in afghanistan and it was handed

over to afghan forces just last month. campaigners in the u.s. town of ferguson are calling for more public protests following the decision not to charge the police officer who shot the black teenager michael brown last august. the numbers turning out to the protest have dwindled in recent days in part because of the thanksgiving holidays in america, but many say they will be demonstrating again soon. rajini vaidyanathan has been to meet one family as they celebrate thanksgiving in st. louis. >> reporter: around the thanksgiving table in this upscale suburb of st. louis, there's only one topic of conversation. >> mike brown could have been my son. >> reporter: i met deborah winslow at the protests in ferguson earlier in the week. she's enjoying family time today, but promises to take to the streets again soon. the demonstrations, she says, matter to everyone.

>> i've been pulled over by ferguson police. i drive a convertible sports car. you know, my life is a little bit different. but that does not remove me from those issues, or those problems. i feel it just like they do. we're all in it together. >> i have got pulled over. >> reporter: it's young black men like deborah's son ryan who are disproportionately targeted by the police. for his generation, the shooting of michael brown has come to symbolize age old issues. >> it's the same thing that's been beginning on since probably the beginning of time. from black people getting lynched to, you know, being able to sit in the back of the bus. i think it's the same scenario. >> reporter: at a time of year when americans town tear blessings, the shooting of michael brown has made many here realize just how much they want things to change. for shirley, who's hosting this dinner, getting more black

people to vote is one way to make a difference, but she believes the violence played a part, too. >> if you didn't have the violence, you would not be here today. you would not have heard -- he would have been another statistic. i don't condone the violence of burning down these businesses that people have worked hard for, absolutely not. but unfortunately, just like in a war, and this is a war, there was collateral damage. and that was collateral damage. >> reporter: thanksgiving has given people here the chance to press pause and digest the week's events. but if this household and so many others in this area, the question is, what next? how do so. those underlying issues of race which this case raised get solved? rajini vaidyanathan, bbc news, st. louis. and do stay with us here on "bbc world news," still to come, another looming tussle with brussels.

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the british prime minister david cameron has unveiled new proposals designed to curb immigration into britain from the rest of the european union. in response to opinion polls showing the british voters increasingly concerned about the scale and impact of immigration, mr. cameron says eu migrants will have to go home if they don't find work within six months, and they will not receive a range of in-work benefits for four years. >> for me, i have one test and one test only. what is in the best long-term interests of the people of our country? that is the measure against which everything must be judged. if you elect me as prime minister in may, i will

negotiate to reform the european union and britain's relationship within it. this issue of free movement will be a key part of that negotiation. if i succeed, i will, as i've said, campaign to keep our country in a reformed european union. >> to make sense of mr. cameron's speech, how it will go down inside the uk and the rest of the european union, i'm joined by rob watson, our political correspondent and jenny hill, our correspondent in berlin. rob, let me start with you, if i may. he's trying to tread a very delicate path here, mr. cameron. do you think he succeeded today? >> you're right about the task that he faced, and certainly i think perhaps in some ways for some people, it was a surprisingly nuanced speech. this wasn't a speech saying oh, my goodness, all of britain's problems are to do with foreigners, let's get rid of them all and let's not have any more in. this is not some sort of anti-immigrant rant. because he was trying to strike a balance.

that's a balance between acknowledging, saying to british voters, look, i get it, i've seen the opinion polls that suggest british people are really worried about the extraordinary levels of migration into this country since the 1990s. on the one hand. but also, that he understood the concerns of business in britain, and britain's partners in europe who don't want to see an isolationist britain. so that was certainly the delicate balance he was trying to strike. has he achieved it, i guess that will unravel over the next few days and weeks as he plays it out here in britain, but also as he makes negotiations, as he undertakes negotiations with britain's european partners. >> indeed. we're going to go to jenny in berlin in just a second. clear up one thing for me. is david cameron now saying that he wants to fundamentally change the principle, one of the key eu principles, of the freedom of movement of peoples across the union? >> no, i don't think he is. i think he was faced with two choices as a way of getting down

migration. one would be to say let's have a cap. let's have a quo that. let's leave the european union. let's have a freeze. that was one route. or the second route was to make britain less attractive to european migrants. i think he's gone for the second route, partly because of pressure from business from some within his own party, and partly because he thinks that's the only deal that you could get with europe, not the first deal. >> jenny, that means we need to hear from you in berlin. do you think knowing the position of the merkel government that when david cameron talked about some very tough measures, saying you can't have in-work benefits if you're an eu migrant for four years after you arrive and start working in the uk, is that kind of change going to be acceptable, do you think, to the german government? >> well, that may be a major sticking point. we know that david cameron has discussed these proposals with the chancellor angela merkel, although she's not commenting this morning. we know she's always refused to

budge on this principle of freedom of movement. so safe to assume that there will be some relief in the chancellory that he hasn't wanted to bring in a cap on the number of migrants coming into britain from the eu. we have, however, spoken to a politician from her party, who says that where germany is concerned, they will not support anything which requires a treaty change, an eu treaty change. he went on to say he is concerned about this particular proposal of david cameron's, to limit benefits to eu migrants until they've been working for four years. he says he believes that may itself run counter to the principle of freedom of movement for workers. so big questions here in berlin today. what's really interesting is that germany suffers from the same problem as britain in some respects where immigration is concerned. immigration is at a 20-year high here. it's viewed perhaps for more tolerance than perhaps it is in the uk. that's because germany sees it

as a way of filling a skills gap and dealing with a very low birthrate. nevertheless, there are concerns about the high number of eu migrants coming into the country. the german government itself is looking at proposals to try and limit the benefits which are paid to them. the big sticking point, though, is going to be just how far those reforms can go. and germany, we understand, will not support any proposals that require major treaty change. there's also a suggestion here that really people are getting rather impatient with britain and britain's position, and that's perhaps reflected in a headline that's running on a very popular news website here, saying david cameron is effectively blackmailing the eu. >> all right. well, it's a story that we will keep following here on "bbc world news." jenny and rob both, thank you very much indeed. now, it isn't just in britain that immigration is a hot political issue. as we've just heard from jenny, it is indeed the same in many eu countries.

anti-immigration parties have been on the rise. not least in france, where the far right national front was once on the political fringes, but its leader has worked to bring the party into the mainstream. lucy williamson has been to meet her. >> reporter: this city has been for centuries a gateway to france. this little seaside town has been taken by romans, pirates, muslim invaders, and now by the national front. once a party on the political fringe, with france's economy dormant and its politicians swamped by splits and scandals, 11 towns, including this one, are giving it a chance. it is a showcase for the new face of the national front. its mayor, just 26 years old with a jewish father, part of a rebranding campaign designed the show the party as moderate, responsible, and ready to

govern. but that tolerance hasn't stretched to the town's new mosque. built, but not yet opened. the mayor has promised voters a referendum on whether it can go ahead. instead, as the daily temperature dips towards frezinfrez i -- freezing, the local imam is holding prayers in a makeshift tent just next door. >> translator: the national front isn't for everyone. it's not for muslims. we're citizens if this town, too, but it doesn't represent us. that party hasn't changed at all. not one bit. >> reporter: the national front has worked hard to shed its racist image. but one party insider told us the new brand was just empty advertising. this, he says, is what he was told after being elected to a town council outside paris. >> forget the economical problem and social problem. you are only talk about immigration. immigration is our business.

it's the real sentence, he said. i understood that reason he is still here. >> reporter: maureen says her party has never been racist, but its anti-immigration policy is a bid to protect france's economy and identity, and so too is its stand against public expressions of islam. >> translator: it's not for us to say whether islam is compatible with the french republic. it's for the muslims. those who say it's contrary to their religion can leave. it's not the republic that has to adapt to their demands. our traditions have been steeped in christianity. why should we have to change? >> reporter: that message hasn't changed much since the days of her father, but sometimes it's the medium that counts.

politics, says marine le pen is like building a house, while dreaming perhaps of a presidential palace. lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. now, a tiger released into the wild by vladimir putin has been causing havoc across the border in china. and caterina mo can explain why. >> reporter: russia's president has always had a soft spot for these cats. he was even gifted one for his 56th birthday. a female cub which later went to live in a zoo. saving tigers has been a personal priority for vladimir putin. in may, he released three rare siberian tigers onto the wild, but there's since been trouble. experts believe one of the tigers crossed into china and killed 15 goalts. another three are still missing. >> translator: i locked the shelter after herding the goats yesterday, but the tiger entered the shelter by breaking the wooden fence and killed the goats.

>> reporter: the farm owner is now moving the rest of his herd, and the forestry department are compensating him for his loss. but this isn't the only incident. they believe another of putin's tigers raided a chinese farm and ate five chickens last month. >> great story. do stay with us here on "bbc world news." ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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hello, and welcome to "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm stephen sackur. in this half-hour, pope francis arrives in turkey for a visit sure to focus on the suffering of christians and many others as jihadi violence sweeps through neighboring syria and iraq. as hturkey struggles the cope with refugees, the pope reflects on the role of military force in the effort to confront extremism. cricket bats are pictured outside homes. not just in australia, but

around the world as the sport mourns fallen cricketer phillip hughes. aaron is here as you look at the biggest shopping day of the year in the u.s. >> today is black friday, where americans will spend nearly $2 billion snapping up those bar guinness. i tell you what, though, not everyone is happy. we've got a special report about workers at the world's biggest retailer, that's wal-mart, who are holding a one-day strike demanding higher pay and better conditions. welcome back to "gmt." pope francis has begun a three-day visit to turkey, which is likely to bring renewed focus on the spread of extremist violence in neighboring syria and iraq. christians along with many other communities, of course, in both

countries have suffered a so-called islamic state militants have taken swaths of territory. turkey is wrestling with the fallout. more than 1.5 million refugees currently on turkish soil and counting. pope francis is currently in an car rakarcar -- ankara. the pope begins three days of ceremony inside turkey. our correspondent mark lowen is there, too. and we can join mark now. now, mark, i believe you are where the pope is going to be very soon. but tell me, in the vast majority of muslim countries like turkey, how much excitement is there about the arrival of the pope? >> reporter: i would say, stephen, that there's not a great deal of popular public excitement. his arrival here, his trip here

is seen as a badge of importance, a badge of honor for turkey. a recognition of his country's vital position in the world. historically and now. traditionally as a bridge country between a largely christian europe and a largely muslim middle east. but also the role that it can play in terms of the middle east. remember, turkey bordering both syria and iraq. you mentioned the 1.6 million syrians who are now sheltered in turkey. that is likely to be addressed by pope francis. we're now looking at these live pictures of the parade of pope francis. a horse-drawn parade coming up this main avenue. he is not in a pope mobile. he is not in an armored vehicle. there are no crowds of thousands of people to line the streets as often the case in majority catholic countries. that is a sign of the different sort of reaction he's receiving here. he will arrive in the next few

seconds. i can see the beginning of the motorcade here with police and motorbikes in front of this presidential palace. now, this is a very symbolic but controversial place, stephen. it is the brand-newly built thousand-room presidential palace that the pope is coming to be received in. it has been criticized as extravagant. as distasteful. it's full of silk wallpaper and marble and trees imported from italy. this is, of course, a pope known for his humility and for his frugality, and therefore the contrast as he steps into this palace, the first international visitor to be welcomed in the palace will be very, very stark indeed. he will hold talks with the president who you can see there, president erdogan, very much of stamp of his importance as a regional leader. they will talk about the importance of interreligious, interfaith dialogue. and also what turkey can do now in the region.

we are expecting then a speech by the pontiff here. he just entered the compound, stephen. >> i tell you what, mark, you're doing a sterling job of describing the events. we're seeing all of the pictures. we've seen the grand ceremonial of the horses and the motorcade as well, as you say. there are no crowds. the roads appear to have been blocked off. i know that there are thousands of turkish police and security personnel on duty today to protect the pope, and indeed all of the other politicians and dignitaries who are involved. one of the official hlimousines. i'm not sure if that's the pope. the yellow papal flag is on the

car. i'm sure it is. what i'm interested is in is whether turkish people are expecting the pope to say something about the wave of conflict in neighboring countries, and turkey's role in obviously offering shelter to refugees. is that going to be front and center of the public statements? >> reporter: i think that is the expectation, stephen. this is a country which is very aware of the position that it is playing in terms of the syria and iraq conflict. it is making the news here in turkey on a daily basis almost. and we are expecting the leader of over a billion catholics to talk about the importance of protecting christians, who as he said to an israeli newspaper in the last few days, he feels that christians are being persecuted like never before since they were born.

let me just tell you, as you hear the hooves of horses coming past me. this is the horse parade. you see the vatican and turkish flag coming just behind me now. and the car there of the pontiff which is turning into the compound. i can see him through the window in his white robes coming in through the front gate there. and being welcomed now by president erdogan. the turkey he's visiting today is 99% muslim. it is a secular country but has a very deep profound christian heritage. the center of a largely christian byzantine empire whose heart was constantinople, today's istanbul. you can see the handshake between the two men. a very important symbolic moment as the leader of one worldwide

faith comes here to a country perched between two different worlds. a country in whose land, religion, empire, culture collided. today, a vital country for the middle east. the gun salute there. and there will be the turkish national anthem, and the anthem of the holy see as well. ♪ >> standing to attention. we'll just stay with that a moment longer. >> stephen, let me just give you a little bit more indication of what happens after this. he will hold talks here. he will give a speech at the presidential palace. he will then go to the directorate for religious

affairs in this country, which is the body that employs the 60,000 imams in turkey. he will spend the night here in ankara and go to istanbul tomorrow, when he meets various religious leaders, including the patriarch of constantinople, the christian leader of 300 million christians worldwide. still based here in turkey. a sign of this country's rich and long christian heritage. but a christian minority today of just 120,000 people in the country of almost 80 million, and a minority that increasingly feels sidelined. i'm sure that will be a part of the pope's speeches as well. the cannon balls. the gun salute still very much going on as we speak. as the anthems ring out from this palace. a palace that was built despite 33 legal challenges, stephen, from the architectural chamber, from lawyers here in ankara,

because it was built on protected forestland. protected by the country's founding further, whose mausoleum pope francis has just visited and where he laid a wreath. you can see there the frantasti aerial shots of a palace that is described as either magnificent or distasteful, according to which side you're on. the start of a truly important visit and the third muslim country that pope francis is visiting. >> mark, thank you so much for giving us that coverage there of pope francis arriving at the presidential palace in ankara. there will be more on the pope oo 's visit to turkey. to other matters. let's go to cricket. the cricketing authorities in australia, cricket australia, they're to conduct an immediate investigation into player safety after the death of batsman phillip hughes, who was struck by a ball on his neck. it was, of course, a fatal blow.

as the news of the cricketer's death spread, thousands of people across australia showed their respect by putting out their cricket bats. it quickly became a trend on social media with the hash tag #putoutyourbats. here you can see a few of the photographs that people have posted. now, we're going to go live to adalaide and join keith bradshaw, chief executive of the south australian cricket association. that's where phillip hughes played his domestic cricket. i know it's been a tough time for all cricket lovers in australia. i suppose first thing is just the reaction you have to the scale, the outpouring of sympathy that you've seen across your country and around the world. what does it mean to you? >> i think it just shows how loved phillip was. he was a remarkable player and a remarkable person. and the outflow of love that has come from thousands of people within australia.

i suspect millions from around the world. it just reflects the strength of love and concern that we all have for this tragic event. >> did you know phillip well yourself? what was your personal connection with him? >> i knew phillip really well. he was the -- a humble guy that befriended everybody he met. we talked a lot and people have reported a lot about his on field talents and the many fabulous innings that he's played, but we also remember him too as someone that had such a passion for cricket and he spent many, many hours -- he attended over 100 clinics in his short time here in south australia with young children. they loved him, and he loved them. and he'll live on in their memory as he does ours forever. >> it goes without saying, you as a cricketing executive, you never want to be in this position see this ever happen again. the you think there has to be some serious look at the

protective headwear used in cricket and there have to be changes? >> at the moment for me, it's very much been about care and support for the hughes family, for my staff, for my players. and that's really been the focus at the moment. i know that cricket australia are looking into that issue. it's something that they're doing, and obviously we'll work with them. but for me, the immediate focus has very much been upon the care and the love and the support of people around us to try and to get them through this terrible tragedy. >> i understand that, keith, and we thank you very much for joining us on "gmt." now, i think we're going to just look ahead a little bit. on "bbc world news," coming up, a year on from protests in ukraine, the country has a new government and a new leader, but it still remains locked in conflict in the east. is there any hope of it ending?

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welcome back to "gmt." i'm stephen sackur. the top stories this hour. pope francis has arrived in turkey, where he's just met president erdogan. the pope is the first international guest at the controversial new turkish presidential palace. cricket bats are being laid out around the world in tribute to phillip hughes, who died on thursday after being struck on the back of the head by a ball. now, aaron's back with all the business, including the latest economic figures out of brazil, which suggest that brazil is inching its way towards recovery. >> better numbers. but nothing to pop the champagne

corks. let me explain. hello there. brazil. one of the world's fastest-growing economies, but yes, it slipped into recession this year. although, saying that, figures in the past hour show that the third quarter -- that three-month period, brazil's economy has recovered. but only slightly a pinch. it expanded by 0.1 of a percent compared with the previous three months. and now all eyes are on this man here, an ex-banker who was named as the new finance minister only yesterday, on thursday. he has vowed to cut spending and clean up the country's finances to try and rebuild the trust of investors. let's go straight over to sao paulo. over very own katie watson joins us. good to see you. before we talk more about mr. levy, this pinch of growth, do we know where it's come from? >> reporter: it's down to more government spending in the third quarter, but as you said, this is just inching out of recession.

it grew 0.1%. it only was in recession for two quarters, the first and second quarter brazil was in recession. so this story is really a story of just stagnation, of not going anywhere after a decade-long commodities boom. brazil now is struggling to gre. it's struggling with high inflation. sluggish growth. and people looking at brazil as a country that did have lots of hope, but now the hope is gone and businesses are lacking in confidence as well. so it's a very different story now for brazil. >> absolutely. i hope i am saying his name right, mr. levy. just appointed yesterday. apart from being an ex-bnker, what more do we know about him? because the challenges he faces are huge. i was reading i believe the number of desperately poor people in brazil has increased, about nearly 10.5 million. you talk about lack of in --

confidence. investors are shying away. >> he's a prominent banker. he headed up the asset management arm of one of the biggest private banks in brazil. he was also the former treasury secretary under president dilma rousseff's predecessor. and in that, he showed it was the government where there was a lot of emphasis on socialist policies, but at the same time, orthodox thinking when it comes to economic policies. that's something that dilma rousseff has moved away from. she's had a lot of criticism of not being able to keep a lid on inflation. sluggish growth. just being able to keep unemployment figures down, for example. that's why people are looking to him to say actually, he might be able to restore that confidence. he works in the business community. people have more faith. but the issue is whether he can have that independence, because dilma rousseff has been criticized for having a tight grip really on the central bank and on interest rate decisions and that sort of thing.

so he said in his appointment on thursday that we would see and didn't seem to show too much concern about that, that there was the tim duncan for independence. but really, it's a question of getting the policies now. what are the policies going forward? >> indeed. we'll speak to you very soon. thanks for the update, katy. katy watson joining us live from sao paulo. you know, today it is black friday in the u.s., the day after thanksgiving, and the biggest shopping day of the year. the shoppers are hitting the stores across the u.s. in very early hours. experts are predicting that sales could be up again on last year, but not everyone is happy, because for the third year in a row, workers at the world's biggest retailer, that is wal-mart, are staging a one-day strike. they're demanding higher wages and better conditions. samira hussain septembnt us thi

look. >> reporter: black friday, one of the best shopping days, but it may not be the case for wal-mart. wal-mart workers are organizing 1,600 protests across the u.s. they're calling for higher wages and safer working conditions. barbara gertz usually works the overnight shift at wal-mart, stocking shelves. even with a job, she can barely make ends meet. >> there have been many times where i've had to scrounge for lunch money, for 30 cents, for ramen. this is not an uncommon thing. we've had employees that live in the parking lot, in their car, because they don't make enough for rent. >> reporter: this is the third year in a row that woman workers are staging a one-day strike on black friday. but it's a movement that's gaining momentum, as more fast-food and retail workers hold protests demanding higher

wages. in a statement about the planned protests, wal-mart said, unfortunately the labor unions, who do not represent the 1.3 million associates that work at wal-mart in the u.s., use the holiday season for their agenda. wal-mart is continuing to provide our associates with endless opportunities. traditionally, black friday is all about the shopping. but shop workers are determined to make it also about their plight in the low-wage economy. samira hussain, bbc news, new york. >> we'll keep across all of those numbers. follow me on twitter. that's it with the business. steph stephen, become to you. >> all right. he's gone off shopping now, i believe, but we will move on. we're going to go to ukraine. a year ago a protest movement in kiev was just beginning to attract the attention of the outside world. crowds gathered in the center of kiev to vent their fury at then president's yanukovych's decision to walk away from a

deal offering closer ties with the eu. what follows, of course, was a year of tumult. with me to discuss this, it's a pleasure to have you here. we can go through all of those events, from the violence through yanukovych's removal. then we had crimea, with mr. putin getting involved, and of course, now we've still got the violent confrontation, albeit supposedly a cease-fire in eastern ukraine. what's your overriding emotion about this past year. >> it was a crucial year in the history of ukraine. plans to discredit and destroy the ukrainian state, they were stopped and halted. >> but thousands of people have

died. you have lost control of significant parts of your territory. crimea has been annexed. right now you don't control swaths of eastern ukraine. is there not a part of you that feels we might have been better if we had avoided this entire revolutionary scenario? >> you're quite right. we could be better to have peace and security in ukraine. but this war, this annexation, it was not the decision of the ukrainian people, and it was extorted from outsourcing. >> well, when you say outsourcing, you mean obviously president putin and russia. but the question is whether on reflection at the end of this year you in ukraine, those of you who supported reform, and if move toward the eu in the west, whether you fundamentally misjudged vladimir putin.

>> this is the general perception, that mr. putin is difficult to be judged. but we in ukraine, getting closer to europe, making our reforms. unfortunately, this war annexation, it was something which we did not expect. and we have to cope with. for that reason, we do have very important move. the previous government implemented its task. it actually curbed the war and the terror. right now we have cease-fire. i will tell you later on about that. which is, in fact, unilateral. the pro-democratic, pro-european majority. >> all right. we have to unfortunately end there, but thank you for coming in to "gmt." it's almost the end of our program. before we go, a quick reminder

of our top story. francois hollande is visiting guinea, the first non-african leader to travel to one of the three countries worst hit by the ebola epidemic. that's pretty much it from us. thank you for watching this edition of "gmt." stay with us on "bbc world news." then all the parts come together, and there it is ... our new car! so, that's how santa fits it in his sleigh. wow ... wow. the magic of the season is here, at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection.

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