s and he's ready to fly to hawaii for his annual christmas holidays. well, he has managed to end 2014 ton an upbeat note a-- on an upbeat note lifting several travel and restricted

restrictions which with havana. the past six years in office, cyberattacks uths being carried out by north korea. he thinks that sony pictures have made a release of depicting the assassination of the president of north korea. >> i wish they had spoken to me first. i would have told them, do not get into a pattern in which you're intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks. we will respond. we will respond proportionally and we'll respond in a place in time and manner that we choose. >> president barack obama speaking there about those cyberattacks, saying he thinks sony pictures has made a mistake not releasing that film saying he wishes they had spoken to him first. well let's get more reaction to what he had to say and join

the publisher of harpers magazine, he joins us now from new york. thank you very much indeed for joining us. one of the things obama said early on in his address i'm making significant strides where it counts. that starts with the economy. do you think that's the sense that a lot of american people will be feeling as this year comes to an end? >> no. most people are feeling pressed and poor right now. one of the remarkable things about barack obama is his -- as we say in french -- he doesn't seem to be in the least concern or perturbed by the actual state of the economy. he has more people working part time today than before the recession, about seven million people. you got the median family income of americans since 2007 has dropped about $7,000. according to the federal reserve. many people feel up against it,

and the president looks quite pleased with himself. certainly he's right things are better than they were at the bottom of the recession. in the first months of the recession in 2008, 2009, but compare to where we were before the recession, it doesn't look good at all. >> ok. it's a long road isn't it, turning around a pretty can stroffic inherentans when he came to power since 2008. >> another thing to point out in detail, it's important he keeps talking about rebounding manufacturing but a big report came out that was reported in "the wall street journal" that shows that outsourcing of manufacturing and industry is still continuing at a higher -- more rapid rate than manufacturing jobs are being created during this brief increase we've had since oil prices started dropping. the outsourcing and the sending

of middle-class factory jobs to cheap labor locales around the world is accelerating. >> ok. but, john, he did say the united states is outperforming most of its competitors in what has been a pretty trying economic environment. and perhaps, you know, this is the best he's been able to do during the last six years. let's just talk a little bit more about his legacy, though, because obviously he's said i'm in the fourth quarter of my presidency. he's clearly thinking about what he's going to be remembered for now, the stage in his presidency and that's why presumably he's making overtures to countries like cuba. >> yes, that's of course a good thing. it's way too late but it's a political fact of life that florida, the state of florida, for many, many years has determined foreign policy towards cuba. the senators the congressmen the local cuban american population had a disproportionate influence on

whether or not we could have diplomatic relations with cuba. so now that political pressure is off him, he doesn't have to run for re-election and he doesn't have to worry about winning florida in the electoral college, he can afford to do the right thing and stop -- and get us out of this hypocritical position. the idea that you can have diplomatic relations with china and far more -- or just as oppressive regimes as cuba and not cuba is absurd. so it's a good thing. >> ok. so he's going to be remembered as a president who managed to turn around a half century of icy relations or no relations really with havana and other countries, too particularly those nuclear talks with iran and those efforts he's been making in burma are part in parcel, perhaps, are areas that he can do something because some of the other areas his hands look tied, don't they?

>> he's still too cautious and he's -- and with iran and cuba he's under pressure from the domestic political lobbies that don't want to see relations restored normally with either country. so you're going to have to wait and see what marco rubio, the senator from florida, the republican senator from florida who will become chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and is cubanth flickally does to -- cuban ethnically does to -- because the embargo is still on and for the embargo to be -- against cuba. so for the embargo to be lifted, congress has to approve and rubio is going to be playing -- playing it to the hilt that he's never going to concede to the dictatorship and the terrorists and the evil people in cuba. >> all right. john r. mckart you are publisher of "harper's"

magazine, sorry we have to cut you short. officials in pakistan say that two convicted militants have been hanged today in what are the first executions to be carried out in the country after the death penalty was reintroduced the government reinstated the death penalty after the peshawar killings. and scores more militants in the north of the country. >> cracking down, the pakistani army is intensifying their strikes against the taliban. military sources say they killed more than 30 insurgents in an ambush in the tiraj valley. the territory between pakistan and afghanistan has been the focus of sustained attacks against the taliban. mostly in the north waziristan region. on thursday the army reported they killed 17 militants in air strikes and more in ground

operations. this renewed offense follows the death of 131 children in a military school in peshawar on tuesday, an attack claimed by the taliban. the country's been in mourning for three days prompting many to call on the authorities for a tough military response. >> all segments of society, including all institutions, the government, the military, the police, together we have to fight back. we have to eradicate these terrorists and eliminate it completely at all costs. >> tuesday's assault on the school was the deadliest militant attack that pakistan has seen and prompted politicians of all kinds to come together in it a rare show of unity to promote the

president's plan to announce a counterterrorism plan as quickly as possible. >> well, the school in peshawar stunned the war and the course of retribution and across pakistan, mosques and schools held special prayers today in memory of those victims. and people took to the streets of peshawar shouting slogans against the taliban there. every since the massacre, the government has been under intense pressure to do more to tackle the extremists. to northern iraq there where kurdish forces have been making significant gains against the islamic state organization. they push against the biggest offense so far. well, the fighters have managed to secure most of the areas surrounding mount sinjar and it's also reported that fighting the jihadists in the east of the country has also resulted well.

more now from the kurdish capital. >> i'm standing on a vantagepoint overlooking the plane that stretches over in that direction there, about 35 kilometers away. this point where i'm standing now until just two weeks ago was held by i.s. organization forces. just recently, the kurds have managed to push them back. we're understanding now the forces whose mood has been boosted enormously over the last few days and the news which has just come in of the operation the other side of mosul on sinjar mountains where there is a big operation with 8,000 men has managed a corridor 70 kilometers retaking several villages from i.s. organizations, making it possible now for the refugees, for the villagers who were sieged by i.s. to leave the

area if they want to. the operation is being described by the kurdish government the biggest victory in their fight against the i.s. forces. but they're critical, it has to be said, of the baghdadi government saying if they had had the heavy weaponry they have been demanding from the iraqi government in baghdad they could have done things much more effectively. they're demanding, again, that it's not just coalition aid they need, which they've been praising for the bombing attacks that have been launched over the last few days but concrete support military support in the form of heavy weaponry from the baghdad government. and if that assistance were to come, they said, the next step would be to launch a major attack on mosul itself, iraq's second biggest city. the kurds say they won't do that by themselves. it has to be done in cooperation with the iraqi armed forces. and the big question of course, is -- are those forces combat ready yet? >> that's rob parsons reporting

from kurdistan. turkish prosecutors are seekingage arrest warrant for a u.s.-based muslim cleric who's accused of trying to topple of president. gulen has been living in exile in pennsylvania for 25 years now and back in april the turkish president is planning to ask the u.s. to extradite gulen. such a request is unlikely to be granted without evidence. turkish state media says that gulen is the leader of, quote, a criminal group. to libya's presidential campaign has been wrapping up this friday. that's ahead of sunday's runoff vote in which the incumbent goes head-to-head with the 88-year-old frontrunner. well after a four-year transition from the decades ruled by the strong man, zine al-abidine ben ali, this is the first time that they've been given a chance to truly elect a president since 1956.

results are expected to be announced sometime between december 2 and december 24. well, in the first round of tunisia's presidential elections in late november the incumbent, moncef marzouki, took 33% of the vote leaving him trailing 6% by the anti-islamist party, has been part of politics for several decades. >> he was the minister heading up ben ali's parliament, the political background is certainly solid. >> firstly, i'd like a return to the state. but what state? a state of law in which all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. a fair state in which every human being has the same right. states that promote favoritism. >> unlike his adversary he's got strong support from other parties who see him as a

unifying force. >> on the one hand he has a real sense of what the state should be and on the other he brings people together. i don't think he's doing that. >> his party's often accused of being anti-islamic yet they describe themselves as secular. >> our party is not anti-islam. but we are against islamism and by that i mean an exploitation of islam for political ends. we do consider ourselves the secular party, but when we say secular we're not against religion. we're muslims. >> he showed his commitment to muslim like his visit to the mosque. the politician has said he's a disciple of the father of tuesday niecea independence. -- tunisia independence.

>> when it comes to democracy obviously, we -- he's not gone that far. obviously in the 21st century, democracy is one of the most fundamental elements of any state. >> at 88 years old, he can't claim to represent the new guard but he's hoping that experience will prime. >> and of course throughout the weekend we'll have the eye on tunisia, following events there during those presidential elections. it's time now to check the top business stories. we'll start with a fresh round of protests in belgium, several thousand people demonstrating near the european commission headquarters but no one was inside the building, kate, by all accounts. >> that's right. european union leaders was supposed to hold a two-day summit and they wrapped up early and went home thursday evening. the crowds were demonstrating a proposed free trade deal between the united states and the union.

it was supposed to cut tariffs make it easier for the u.s. and e.u. to do trades. >> protesting before an empty building, hundreds of farmers and activists gathered near the i. headquarters in brussels friday but leaders ended their duty meeting early and gone home. that didn't stop protectors from -- but their real target was austerity and the trans-atlantic trade and business partnership. >> you hear support the farms that is sustainable in the future. this treaty will put this into question by having european do quality work compete with u.s. breeders using totally different production methods. >> officials on both sides of the atlantic had been haggling over the terms of the ptip for 18 months. campaigners are especially worried about the so-called investor state dispute

settlement a measure that would reportedly allow companies to sue governments if they feel local laws violate the trade deal for example, in health and safety. >> hormones in milk, this means chickens we're only putting chicken in the freezer but they're putting color even in us. all these things, we want these people living well tomorrow. >> if the agreement is signed on schedule by late 2015, it will create a market of 800 million consumers spanning half the globe and could bring in some 120 billion euros to the single currency zone every year. >> now, in his end of the year press conference, president barack obama said he would, among other things, focus on reforming the u.s. tax system. it's an area where republicans, who will control the congress next year, are anxious to work together.

mr. obama said he'd like to crack down on corporations who try to avoid paying u.s. taxes. take a listen. >> we know there are companies that are paying the full freight, 35% higher than just about any other company on earth, if you're paying 35% and then there are other companies that are paying zero because they got better accountants or lawyers. that's not fair. there are companies that are parking money outside the country because of tax avoidance. we think that it's important that everybody pay something if in fact they are effectively headquartered in the united states. >> turning our attention to the markets now, we saw a mixed picture in europe after strong rallies across the board on thursday. just closing the dax way down. the european central bank and its possible quantitative easing program. the eurohit a 28-month low against the dollar. wall street's trading up on the

back of another strong session thursday. investors still encouraged by the federal reserve's reassurance that interest rate increases would be slow and measured. the dow industrial and s&p 500 on track for their second best week in nearly two years. nigeria's central bank has toughened restrictions on currency trading in an effort to defend the currency. nigeria's currency has been heard hit by the collapse. crude oil exports is 20% of the government's revenue. last year the central bank -- last month, they devaled it by 8%. this week the currency hit record lows of nearly 187 to the dollar. losses in the third quarter but the revenue dropped more than expected from 1.2 billion a year ago to just under $800 million. the smartphone maker a classic

keyboard. and a thai food company is seeking to corner the tuna market in the u.s. thai union frozen products in buying bumblebee for $1.5 billion. it already owns chicken of the sea and you have two america's three largest companies in its basket. and finally, a new twist on first class. abu dhabi is rolling out its new 8380 jet to feature a three-room suite. known as the residence, the private suite features a living room private shower and bedroom as well as a dedicated butler. daily flights between london and abu dhabi will again the 20th of december. it will cost $21,000 and it's reportedly already booked for that inaugural flight. >> it looks quite the way to travel, doesn't it? >> it sure.

>> for such a short flight you wonder if you're getting maximum value for money out of it. showering facilities. >> but a personal butler, there you go. >> thank you so much. that was the business news, thank you so much, kate. time for a look at what's happening online, webb news is up next. -- web news is up next. >> welcome to the web news where our pick of the stories is making via online headlines. coming up on today's show -- web news react to the u.s. and cuba normalizing relations. turkish person is on trial tore terrorism. and a christmas sound and light show in his back yard. >> the president of the u.s., barack obama and his cuban counterpart, raul castro, announced a deal on december 17 to restore full diplomatic relations between the two unts

countries. the announcement sparked commentary among americans. thousands have taken to the network hailing the news that washington and havana will be normalizing relations after 50 years of tensions. ordinary members of the public say this is just the beginning and in the long run the u.s. embargo on cuba will also be lifted. it's high time that president obama changed it toward the caribbean country and nothing had the desired effect. while many praised washington's decision and hailed barack obama's bold move not everyone is pleased about the plan to resume diplomatic relations between cuba and the united states. take these republican politicses, for example. critics of the president have been posted a manner of messages online saying he shouldn't have extended the hand of friendship to cuba. they say by asking for very

little in exchange for the normalization of relations, the president has made an error that discredits american diplomacy. some say it will only benefit the castro regime and its propaganda machine and will do very little to change their everyday life of cubans. >> 35 supporters of turkey's football club, attempts to stage a coup during last year's mass protest. the supporter group has been adjourned until next april and prosecutors are seeking life sentences. people are outraged. fans were outside of the courthouse where the defendants were appearing for the first time. thousands of istanbul supporters gathered around the building, voicing their anger and demanding the immediate relief of their fellow

citizens. and the defendants have also gained support from outside of turkey, as you can see from these messages shared on twitter. many have been posting under the carsilsnot alone hashtag. they believe this is a violation of their basic human rights. n.g.o. amnesty international agrees and say they've been broadcasted under broad anti-terror laws that are wide open to abuse. laws implemented over 20 years ago which have been used by the authority, says the organization, as a means of stifling freedom of expression and dissenting voices in turkey. >> the n.g.o. reporters without borders have released the annual report on the abuse of journalists. it shows that syria remains the

deadliest country for journalists and ukraine saw the highest number of reporters kidnapped. dangers that prompt news professionals to flee their country. 43 were forced to leave libya in 2014. the ernest hemmingway foundation has been showing some of the author's most famous nofble into 15-second video clips. offering an original take on some literary classics including "the old man and the sea," "a farewell to arms" and also "for whom the bell tolls." it is showing extremely popular on social media. instagram for a closer look. >> i love you. two new york co-workers decided

to re-create some iconic classic paintings. with things found around their office. the end results are pretty assuming indeed and they're

by democracy now!] >> every time i came home from albany i would walk into the front door of my house and my kids would say well, did you ban fracking yet? today, i am going to go and say ask me the question again. yes, we did it. >>