because we're tired of this dictatorship. taking the stand global news that matters d. w. made for mines. enter the conflict zone confronting the powerful lobby challenging those in power asking tough questions demanding answers. as conflicts intensify i'll be meeting with key players on the ground in the centers of power cutting through the rhetoric holding the constant back the conflicts. conflicts on confronting the powerful on g.w. . welcome to the show everyone up first and foremost i want to wish

a merry christmas to all those who are celebrating her enjoy the time with their loved ones now all this week on your back so i take a look back at twenty seventeen and bringing you the top twenty five stories featured on the show as have a look at what's coming up today. in the wilds featuring sweden's prove his young son understand scope just. fun for all of the island of cyprus and a popular adventure on. taste of princess a norwegian city a bakken and gingerbread village. first up let me ask you what do you get when you combine acrobatics with riding a bike a unique sport and one that requires the balance of adults up the first unofficial world championships in artistic cycling was held in eighteen eighty eight it didn't

become official until the nineteen fifties gemini's davi novel has won the title eight times and he can often be spotted with his partner practicing around in streets so are you ready for a taste of a bicycle ballet prepare to be amazed. the fine arts of bike riding demonstrated by dava and. the two artistic cyclists are practicing for a performance there into bicycle ballet not bicycle tours or races. whether in a parking garridge on a theatre stage or in a sports arena they give free rein to their ideas and bicycles.

the false talking so i'm fascinated by pulling out all the stops and artistic cycling to put everything i've got into a guy's body and soul and switched on also and. also i'm kind of covering yourself and try out new things it's so cool with. not only their tricks or unusual their bikes to were developed specially to meet their needs. axel pegs on the rear axle to stand on one to one ratio drive for a fast arse and fixed gears for riding backwards this bicycle costs about one case and eight hundred euros. in venice to thought moment when i turn the bike back right side up you can see how the handlebars turn upwards of almost like you're the wrong way around so you can stand on them and perform various tricks and the seat

is also formed that way to provide stability and firmness and how to. first got on this kind of bicycle when he was nine years old it takes talent and persistence to master the native of the variac has both in two thousand and five he won the first of his age world. championship titles because the more spectacular and difficult tricks can take years to learn in two to three years and to be ready for competition you have to reckon another year or so persistence is needed and you really have to stay on the ball because. the more confidently and skillfully a trick is performed the more and against it looks spectators might think they could try it themselves difficult tasks performed with ease are often the motif of commercials. that's what made darvish novel the star of a promotional video for a british bank. or

clips of him can be found on the web like david riding special edition bikes from french luxury brand am ace. savage novel and lay a shape as artistic bicycles aren't strictly street legal but the two bike acrobats don't want to restrict their practice to a whole. covered visit his sports partner as often as possible and both of them profit from the bicycle boom in germany and europe more and more people want to see their shows freestyle cyclists may perform jumps and stunts these two are more into us that extend spectacles but what they do is still dangerous. but one says also to us before we first have to learn to fold before we intrude a trick in our program first and because that's very difficult to start as is. most months. novel ended his professional career four years ago but he still has to keep

in training to maintain his skills for performances. function and even if they are nice side effect of artistic cycling training is that you get so many kinds of exercise you train your arms your. train your brain to coordinate various components that you have to take into account at the same time and your legs your stamina fifty this is what it takes technique and coordination that makes the sport special. novel and lay a shape have a mission they want to make artistic cycling popular again. and not just in performance then yes they're not just bike riders they're performing artists. well from performance art returned to the art of sculpting upcycling has become very popular with artists these days i'm always amazed by the number of materials

people think of to use however see days fewer people listen to them now we have m b three players and streaming services available much of him from germany has made quite a name for himself using compact discs but as he will say his sculptures don't make . infuses a hot air gun buyers and feed east to create his works for about nine years the artist from near distant off has been concentrating on potato sculptures he heats up hundreds of old c.d.'s and reshapes the map along polycarbonate into a new form. does each door to form and by distorting the information the hidden information so to speak i create an analog object that you can perceive palpably you can go up and touch it

a car from group shake or hit can you can you can hear it you could even smell it to. touching it and all of these things that's what's exciting that's a social. cause his culture is analog digital a graduate of the descent of a cat. of the arts he's made the fusing of opposites. the sculptor has already created several hundred data sculptures using his method he tries to emphasise the human element in his objects the artist came up with using c.d.'s as the raw material for his sculptures and making human figures out of them by pure coincidence in two thousand. that moment sparked the idea that c.d.'s are something more than a data storage medium. but a recorded cd corresponds to a gene

a human gene if you put genes side by side you end up with a big person. if i put a recorded cd next to a recorded cd i could because i work with the figurative creative figure. it. takes is a desperation from broccoli purely analog material for his first set he uses only the broccoli stuck he lets it dry out for a few days then reshapes it to obtain the bases for. him also works with the natural materials such as wood or blossom but the melted c.d.'s are what holds it all together working with the material has many advantages. when it comes to my work but always bothered me is the transients for example with wood with wax cracks i notice the opportunities i can exploit with this plastic.

i can pull it compress it. and stretch it into the finest of threads. and if i get it wrong and i'm dissatisfied i can just destroy it without a problem. those rules are the fuel to. the polycarbonate has even more pluses its light weatherproof sturdy to keeping four metres sculptures like these outside his front door is a cinch whether they're big or delicate senses sculptures are striking like these in this distance off gallery. dia kaya has known hand score fifteen years he regularly exhibits the artist's works. if. i think mathias hinske has remained true to himself over the years even though his work is very diverse curiosity has led him to chart new paths again and again.

his births are in demand all over germany here for example there at a trade show for plastics can decide often twenty ten or at germany's trade fair he doesn't give his sculptures names and he doesn't care what hidden data are on them either. he just knew there's no such thing as content that takes place in your head and everyone should think up something themselves about what's in the work but since says he's a long way from exhausting the potential of c.d.'s and will keep using them as a raw material for his artworks. now meditation is all about centering and focusing the mind many people find in a piece not sitting still in the traditional method but pipes searing a calming activity pontus youngs and is a great example of this the sweet creates giant sculptures made entirely of step

stones and to do this a needs a gentle touch and a very focused mind. it takes call my concentration and patients. come to see and so on communes with stones out in the wilds of sweden he balances them one upon the other to make impossible but fascinating sculptures. laws are not third to some point you feel how the stones attach to each other and start to balance. and then i go on and hope for the best of there is always a bit wobbly when you learn grow you never know whether it will collapse or not. this time the stone to stay in place it's almost as if they're floating in space this school church took just ten minutes to build. consciously and so on has made

hundreds at different spots on the island of the land in the baltic where he has lived for the past two years. the ideal location must have marks of pebbles and stones and no wind. he stocks stones come rain or shine year round. your worthless let's turn to call me or not so i like to be out in nature piling stone. it's a kind of meditation off welfare i like working in the north of ireland asked me for the most interesting stones are not. young son has been doing this for four years while some sculptures take just minutes to make. others can take hours. to the stones mustn't be too heavy or too smooth or rough surface is best.

know we're told the most important things are patience and adela. could touch him a little. softly say mr just aren't there to no stone walls like environment force there you can do that at home just start with two. when one of the twenty. despite years of practice young song does not always succeed even the best laid stones can fall apart. and a meditative soul can also get really mad. you know of long can be frustrating when you spend a long time more and you know it falls apart just as you want to think about it all be alone that is annoying. but today's creation is stable and he can take pictures at leisure. he tweaks the photos a little on his computer and then publishes them on instagram.

he also post videos and they go down especially well. or go to a limb people used to assume are just sticks and stones together but the videos prove that i balance them no glue is involved. they wouldn't be doing science at all one video went viral. on the israeli army or another. more now than it was in. york so that all. for yonks own stones are not a job they're his passion he even takes them home with him. but you know what a great shape or not someone looks like an egg. they're not a dinosaur a. his collection comprises hundreds of specimens sometimes he follows his

original stack at home in his garden. and then there are times when the and so on himself likes to distract his own compositions. all that is a bit of a wild side to him as well we say well that is what i'm going to pick up on that has wear off the site for us now to the war so welded bunch of paul and i and they would have been enjoying the nonstop trails his since the mid nineties this shit received to travel as choice awards and for just thirty eight year is a day it's a must for adrenalin seekers when visiting the island. this water slide is not for the faint of heart in just seconds zeus' thunder bolt sends visitors at lightning speed from an eighteen metre high tower down into the pool below. the slightest located it water world in a resort on the southeast coast of cyprus. is the largest themed water park in

europe waterworld is beloved by tourists and locals alike. i focus on more new water park on my first part we wouldn't mind if you try on the cross for me for more about putting you on you know. during a parking lot i promptly locked from zero. to my heart really my wife and i like the slide the most because all four of you can go together and it's really quick. she's referring to the chariot chase one of the water parks top attractions for people can race down this seventy meter long multi-lane slide at once the first to reach the pool below is the winner. and then there's the fall of a career on inflatable tubes two people slide down and then reach for the sun

before falling back down again. one of world's most thirty five attractions in all over an area of around a hundred thousand square metres. in. for those behind the scenes keeping visitors happy and safe is a balancing act. as a challenge of having the right stuff finding the right stop the right attitude framing them. having the right rides attractions making sure that all these poor things are dealt with all the time the safety of the courtesy of peace and see the show that's a big challenge in itself so you have it every day so it's bringing this team together to bring to life this water park. water world is a theme park based on greek mythology. with its snake like cube

slides the quest of herrick least pays homage to the greek hero who slew the hydra and nine headed water serpent. then there's the trojan horse themed children's area . and there are plenty of ornate columns to serve as reminders of ancient greece. and cyprus is called a greek history. and that's the most prominent history that we have. we have all over the island different. different ancient findings all. of greece. when people come here they think of the greek history. but even zeus needed a break from his adventures so the waterpark also offers guests plenty of ways to relax and. they can write down the lazy river take a dip in aphrodite's bat or get

a bite to eat at the poseidon preferably from them. to ensure the safety of the guests around fifty lifeguards are on duty. enjoy every day together with our customers our job is nice of course their keep. safety we enjoyed together we didn't cross the murderous me thing every day fighting people and make sure they enjoyed brings joy to us also. the waterpark attracts people from around the globe for many it's an action packed alternative to a day at the beach. good roads so the sauce was well you saw some of the dip in the pope co down there's a lot of variety so even if you don't want to go in the sizes by the way fool and just relax in the lazy river. but there's also just. you something to do with the

whole day. that's already has made water world a splashing success the water park has already received thirty one international awards and it could soon be in line for more with four new attractions planned for the future. wet and wild it certainly has themes but let and the show today with a seasonal treat gingerbread and not just a piece of it a whole city but again in no way has created a wonderful annual tradition to bake and presents the world's biggest gingerbread city every is since nine hundred ninety one schools kindergartens and local businesses have come together to create a miniature edible version of. mark the onset of the festive season a miniature town made up of two thousand delectable buildings has been unveiled in american american is norway's second biggest city. but it boasts the largest

gingerbread town in the world. this was made by care steep rock star she's the architect of the sugary settlement . when you go around looking we want to audience to dream themselves into for instance this that they're sitting on the front where they can dream that they're sitting in a poem or go into the. merry go round they can we want to give them their experience of escaping from their reality and into. local residents pitched in to help build gingerbread city kindergartens schools families and local societies all got involved. a total of ten thousand volunteers contributed to the tiny town including members of americans a coastal culture setter. form our instrument

making together has become a tradition there. it's a. little. more like something of a christmas. gingerbread artist drew inspiration from the old buildings around the coastal culture center. they used to store dry cartridge now they house museum sort of a function is to. combine this with a pinch of creativity and you get some great results. curiosity brock's was getting gingerbread creations right up to the very last minute so improvisation was key. so then you maybe have to change them a bit if we get a photo with. paris. paris and then we.

have to. start and her team of thirty work for about a month to transform the four hundred square metres of a former swimming pool into a hilly winter wonderland. steiner kristofferson began the festival tradition twenty six years ago back then it was more of a gingerbread hamlet. idea came in ninety ninety one. when i was in look at things. that we had exhibition area what we wanted to do something. we got the idea of making the gingerbread city. since then bergen's gingerbread town has morphed into a major tourist attraction some one hundred thousand visitors flocked to see it beach here. some of them even joining in to help build the town. there were

five hours together and building all these houses and all these features who is in the music children and families call the christmas the magical christmas we made the. it's the. little train that goes up and down the hills in very good mom the kids build a different game house each year this year's theme was hollowing. the architecture of the miniature town is certainly diverse the train chugging along the tiny track leads from buildings in the norwegian style to the eiffel tower and maybe a short stop at london's iconic big bands. well i don't know about you but i'm craving something sweet now it's the perfect day to indulge to you so enjoy it if you can and i'll see you again tomorrow on the show for the next five reports and twenty five at the five in our view on happy holiday.

coming up next you're a mac special a blue drink from spain that closely resembles wine. germany is home to realm of the world's longest rope suspension bridges. and nathan leaves a prominent it flew two feet from britain joined us from this a small top stories you know next door a special. the but.

in the eye of the storm moves christians in egypt for centuries they've lived here she stood alongside muslims. bob the tensions between the religions are rising.

cost to christian family today museums worrying developments in christian still lead a normal life here at all. fifteen minutes after. the fast pace of life in the digital mold success shift has the lowdown on the web but it shows up new developments useful information and anything else worth knowing. prisons the latest finds. looks over the shoulders of makers and choosers. shifts in forty five minutes. story so many people the world over information provided. the means they want to express g.w.

on facebook and twitter up to date and in touch follow us. they make a commitment. they find solutions. they conspire. africa among. stories of both people making a difference shaping their nation playing and their continent going to double his new multimedia series for africa little. dot com africa on the move. plenty. to have a terrible problem with biofuels right now in that in that they're eating they're taking food. so i bet a prediction that about

a century from now maybe two. we have a new industry that grows up that supplies carbon for industry. you can imagine making synthetic fuels out of carbon that you broke. with plants it will be in salt water goes to syria will be in the ocean. and the reason is if it's on the fresh water supplies of water it competes with food that is a perfectly possible scenario plays. out. a rockslide in austria's valis valley has cut off an entire village from the outside world just ten minutes before the rocks came down on the main road some locals had tried.