>> the situation is south sudan as they get ready for peace talks that are still unsure. top stories, a french priest held hostage for several weeks returned home. father georges vandenbeusch was kidnapped by islamic militants in cameroon. also coming up for you, in this bulletin, happy 2014. we will take a closer look at celebrations that rang in the new year around the world. we will start the return of paris of the french priest georges vandenbeusch, released tuesday after being held hostage for seven weeks. haram.mic group boko

he was kidnapped in cameroon before being taken to the jury. the group says father georges was freed on compassionate grounds, insisting no ransom was paid. an inside source says boko haram decided to release the priest after he offered medical service to some of the group's members during his time in captivity. father georges arrived in paris early this morning when he was welcomed by french president francois hollande. >> since my release i found about all the people who reached out to me, the communities he prayed for me and thought of me. the days in captivity seem terribly long, but at the same time, it is nothing in comparison to other costs -- hostages held for longer and those still being held. it puts it in perspective for me. i spare a thought for those who are still hostages, and i also realize what others went through. i want to salute the bravery,

clearheadedness, and self-sacrifice of father georges, who will tell you himself he had to stay faithful to his beliefs and his religion in order to survive his capture. we can see father georges is full of faith and energy. i don't know how he manages to have so much. but he is to continue his mission, and i want to express in the name of all french people, our joy to have him back and our admiration of him. french president francois hollande speaking on the release of the french priest georges vandenbeusch who was kidnapped seven weeks ago. his release helped francois hollande and 2013 on a high note. our international editor has more. >> it has been a rough year for

francois hollande, marked by abysmal approval ratings. this at least is one happy ending. it is actually the third hostage release in the last few weeks. in mid-november a french hostage gave his captors the slip in nigeria and in late october, four french hostages kidnapped by al qaeda were freed. however, the french president didn't note in his address that six french captives are being held around the world, the majority of them in syria. >> that is our international affairs editor. the government of south sudan has confirmed that it has lost the key town of -- a key town that was seized in the latest clash with militias of former vice president machar. it could be bad news for the peace talks that were set to

start soon in ethiopia. the fighting has been brutal in south sudan after it -- dissented began two weeks ago, leaving 1000 dead and pushing 180,000 from their homes. talksected imminently, aimed at bringing peace to south sudan. resident salva kiir who met ethiopian mediators monday and former vice president riek machar both agreeing to send presented to addis ababa. >> it was the other side putting toditions and refusing present a team of their own. >> machar, rejecting face-to-face talks, had been holding up the process, stating previously he was not prepared to sign a deal unless his demands were met. pressure from the west and east african leaders appears to have paid off. >> i see the commitment to send negotiators as a first step, but

a very important step, toward achieving a cessation of hostilities and a beginning to negotiations. >> despite the apparent progress, fighting continues to rage on. says his forces are advancing on the q but, having taken a strategic town of bor - having taken juba, a strategic town of bor. ethnicg has been along lines since the 15th of december, and that is when kiir toused machar of trying establish a coup against him. >> troops have arrested a man in connection with the double suicide bombing of the iranian embassy in the -- they view. -- beruit. a group linked to al qaeda said it was responsible for the

attack. what more can you tell us? arrest of the leader of a sunni extremist islamic group linked to al qaeda. as confirmed by the defense ministry. what is important is it is his group that claimed responsibility for the bombing of the iranian embassy november 2013 him a double suicide attack that killed 22 and injured 140. this followed multiple bombings in lebanon, including the suburbs of beirut, in a traditional hezbollah stronghold and then bombings in tripoli, a traditional sunni stronghold with let people -- a lead people to fear a tit-for-tat, linked to the syrian conflict. at times, heightened fears about spillover fighting

from the syrian conflict over the border. perhaps, this is a positive note at the start of the new year that the lebanese have arrested somebody. that is not, at any rate, immediate link to syria. a group neither from the syrian government or sponsored as far as anybody knows up until now. >> thank you very much. adam reporting from beirut. early this morning, the russian president vladimir putin went to visit the site of another twin attack earlier this week. those bombings at the main railway station of volgograd and on a city trolley bus killed 34 and left doesn't hurt. went to visit victims' or did the claims of responsibility for either attack but they do come after the

leader of an islamic insurgency in russia called for attacks in the run-up to the winter olympics in sochi next month. jong-unh korea's kim gave his new year's address. he hailed the recent execution of his uncle. he referred to the man as a "scum element" saying his removal helped cement unity in the country. the first time the north korean leader publicly commented on the concert -- execution. formula one legend michael apparently in stable condition now, three days after the tragic accident in the french alps. he suffered severe brain injuries after he crashed while skiing off the main track with his son. his manager came out with more details earlier today. his condition has been carefully supervised throughout the night. stabledition remained

all the night and remain stable also this morning. that is for the the moment good news, but i repeat, it is just a moment. is heavy andury the overall situation is critical. but for the moment -- and i don't want to go into any further medical details -- the situation is stable, which is good news today, for this moment. this january 1 is a big day for u.s. president barack obama and his signature health care law. today the major benefits take effect along with an unpopular insurance mandate, and a risk of more disruption. the law requires virtually every american to get health coverage either through an employer, a government program or by buying a plan directly. comes to the healthcare.gov website, it does appear to be largely fixed. with more than 2 million people signed up. they do still seem to be bugs in the system. here is our philip crowther with more. >> those without health

insurance still sit in america's waiting rooms. those without the means like darrell -- there are 40 million. >> i'm a person who is diabetic and cannot afford my medicine. i have to pray to god, all i can do. not just because it has obama's name on it, because it is helping people out that need insurance. some people can't afford insurance at all. up.arrell is signing in 2014 he will have to be insured. such is the law. the administration now need to be young and healthy to on a roll en masse as well, 15% of americans remain uninsured. >> we hope more of our patients will have insurance and access to medication formularies and specialty care. i think patients feel more secure when they have insurance as well. we expect we will have a lot more patient show up. >> across america, patients are still told how to sign up in the first place. a lot remains to be done.

and plenty of small businesses despise obamacare. though it's cause for them is not yet entirely clear. health care taxes for small employers like this one will go up because what is seen as a change imposed by one barack obama. >> personally, i think he is turning the liberal socialist. >> for his own health insurance he will also have to sign up or face a minimum fine of $95. >> we do have a choice. you can either get the insurance or you can pay the government the money they want. kind of like extortion. >> 2014 will be a make or break year for obamacare and possibly also for the president himself. the first reaction at the polls could come at the midterm elections in november. this new year's day also marks the regular six month change in the presidency of the european union. this january 1, greece takes over the reins. it will be an interesting time as greece is seen by many as the

epicenter of europe sovereign debt crisis. it did not keep athens from ringing in the new year with a beautiful display of fireworks over the acropolis. just one of many new year's eve celebrations around the world last night. if you missed them, here is a quick global trip starting in new york. >> in typical new york fashion, the ball drop over to a chilly but love the time score heller -- heralded the start of a new year with confetti and unmistakable voice of frank sinatra adding to the party atmosphere. ♪ >> further south in brazil, more than one million revelers packed the copacabana beach to watch fireworks light up the day. inls of big been brought 2014 for londoners with the help of fireworks, pop concerts, and crowds on the banks of the river

thames. explosive display was a multisensory show with peach flavored snow, edible banana confetti and orange scented bubbles. and france, a slightly lower voltage affair. more champagne and embraces them. fireworks in paris. , inite the fireworks moscow, the new year celebrations were low-key and russia. festivities have been oversight -- overshadowed by two suicide bombings in volgograd. some just want the basics of the year to come. >> i wish everybody busier to be lucky, happy, and peaceful. no wars him and no conflicts. and no catastrophes. >> dubai is thought to have broken the record with what may have been the largest firework show ever. the highest firework reached more than one kilometer in the sky. 500,000 fireworks and 400 firing locations were synchronized by 100 computers from stations across the city.

>> condition of formula one champion michael schumacher that they are relieving pressure on his brain. he remains in intensive care after suffering head injuries in a ski accident in a french apls resort monday. he is being kept in a medically induced, yes, emma and doctors cannot give any prognosis regarding his future. richard gasquet got off to a winning art to defend his title at the qatar open, up against the egyptian wild-card. trying to make the most of his chance against the frenchman. he break in the 12th game of the opening set and the fitted his nose in front. cascade then crashing through the gears in the second set -- richard gasquet a crashing through the gears in the second set.

nadal safely through to the second round but not without his problems against rosol. very much on the defensive in the opening set. unansweredith two breaks of serve. thennadal's server under pressure as rosol of his range. tie-break. 7 in the end after thoroughly entertaining exchanges. he will face tobias kamke in the second round. english premier league busy the graham continues new year's day, arsenal back on home soil and taking on cardiff, impressive back-to-back wins in the travels. back to the top of the tree. the cost has been high with riddled with injuries to a

number of key players. >> we have plenty of problems. ng, of course, they are out. we lost a few. we lost gibbs in newcastle with well --train, and as others was not sure will be ready because they came back the cause of illness. about him --we lost another with an ankle problem that newcastle. bes morning, training will more of a medical check to see who will be available for tomorrow's game. cardiff are without craig bellamy with a knee problem --an injured andrew taylor will be replaced.

perhaps temporarily if they avoid defeat to swansea, chelsea looks to build on sunday's win over liverpool going to westhampton -- manchester united hosting tottenham. the strike are said to a return. the 32-year-old french international will be playing -- has been playing in the russian premier league since the light but he can return to france to better his chances of making the french world cup squad. third stage of this year's tour rino to frederico pellig an early need. -- early lead. hamilton had other ideas.

the 26-year-old american overtaking on the final corner and sprinting away for a world cup win. badly.ino fading norway third, ahead of the italian. a change at the top of the standings in the latest competition. a tough day and yakoffsen -- final wound up to the last rent. the only one to keep pace with her compatriot. osberg winning by the narrowest of margins. osberg leading the tour.

welcome to today's weather news, where we take a look at some of the stories making online headlines. coming up on the show today, tech industry news dominated by the snowden revelations. 2013, the year of the self he. most popularhe viral videos of the past 12 months. no one had heard of them six months ago but edward snowden is not considered to be one of the most influential figures of 2013. -- now considered to be one of most influential figures. a torrent of news stories and had massive repercussions. webas a huge eye-opener for users and prompted much commentary from web giants and politicians. to such an extent the former nsa contractor told the washington post recently he feels his mission has been accomplished.

some a web users no longer able to trust the big internet companies implicated in likesment spying -- the of google, facebook, and yahoo! have changed on my. in a bid to protect rousing data, a growing number of people have been turning toward alternative search engines that don't track their users. chats and internet shopping -- they have been going to a site prison break listing secure programs they can use to protect privacy. torators have also decided attack the issues exposed by edward snowden's revelations. three german providers, for example, launch the e-mail made in germany project to guarantee confidential telecommunications. deutsche telekom, the biggest internet service provider in germany wants to take control over local internet traffic by making sure it is routed via servers based in germany, thus protecting it from foreign intelligence agencies. the highesthed

political rounds in germany when chancellor angela mel or -- angela merkel and other heads of state had their phones bugged by the nsa. she and the brazilian president asked the u.s. for a resolution to safeguard internet previous -- privacy. also taking reaction in the borders forcing large incident companies to store locally gathered data inside brazil. edward snowden offered to help brazil investigate u.s. spying on its soil in exchange for political asylum. in internet speak, a selfie is when you take a picture of yourself with your mobile phone and post the photo online. it has been chosen as the oxford dictionary's word of the year. -- a social networking mode -- must, narcissism for some, and for others it is a way of updating your every move by posing in front of a mirror or by holding your phone out in front of you and pointing the land that yourself.

in the bathroom, a concert, on holiday, during a rally, or even in space. the trend has been very popular in showbiz land but also popped up where you least expect it. , named head of the catholic church a few months earlier -- he caused a sensation when he posed with teenagers. barack obama cause quantities you're -- mr. taking a laughing and smiling selfie with the british and danish prime minister's at nelson mandela's memorial ceremony december 10. the shop was not released to the public but absolutely deserved atbe featured on them selfie funerals blog, which compiles them taken by web users not bothered by the loss of a loved one. and you don't necessarily have to be famous to being selfie that goes viral.

an instagramecame sensation after posting hundreds of photos with his signature smile. more recently, eddy wheeler created a buzz with these selfies, copycat close-ups with his several weeks old baby. they racked up millions of views from across the globe. heartwarming, often absolutely hilarious. here is a selection of some of the most popular viral videos of the past 12 months. topping the list with over 300 million views is this totally offbeat offering from a norwegian duo ylvis -- a novelty track which asks the famous question, what does the fox say? these soldiers also enjoyed massive success online with

their version of a harlem shake him a dance which involves a group of people, often in costume, doing a crazy convulsive dance to a song by american artist vj bauer. an entirely different note, mr. epic man got a lot of people laughing by imitating various animals. in this video how animals eat their food. and finally, when users and space enthusiasts were captivated by videos uploaded by a canadian ashton not chris hatfield aboard the international space station -- asheville not chris hatfield. he had a weightlessness version owie's song.

>> two hours from guatemala city, no one has forgotten the 36 years of civil war. the crimes committed -- by the military regime between 1982 and 1983. human rights activist family was killed during a massacre in 1982 which left 101 villages that. the hope is for justice were shattered when guatemala's court overturned the genocide conviction of the former president. she hopes the influence. >> symbolically, this is a very important trial. i regret that it is not resolved and there is no end to this situation, because it is important that the people who

died get to rest in peace through this trial. sentenced the court him to 80 years in prison but the verdict was overturned. under his reign of terror, the army massacred a mayan community. 1008 hundred people were killed, supposedly for supporting the opposing marxist guerrillas -- close to 1800 people were killed. a new trial has given hope to some but also encountered opposition. the current president molina denies the genocide ever took place. naysayers will not have to face guatemala's first woman attorney general who is strongly in favor of a new trial. the possibility for victims to be heard is an essential part of the healing process, and getting access to truth and justice are the big and to fundamental rights.

>> part of the process to get the truth is through the identification of the bodies buried in mass graves which have recently been discovered, with the help of the european union and the u.n.. in total, the conflict left 200,000 people dead or missing. >> the bodies were highly degraded, but we managed to get the dna to make comparisons and deliver the samples to their families. >> guatemala an international ngo's including amnesty international have criticized a7gucññññññs of the new trial