people here despite the bitter winter cold but that protest unfortunately did not last very long some people started breaking down the windows of the parliament building trying to push through the doors destroying the property riot police pushing them back almost immediately clearing out the square our crew actually got injured in the process while filming and the crowd right by the windows riot police started pushing everyone back until like hell and then actually got hit on the head with police batons they were able to continue their work their feeling all right but it was still quite a sight it seemed for a moment that police couldn't really distinguish between civilians and journalists anybody that was in the crowd risk getting hit or kicked for a punch. only later did they seem to distinguish the foreign journalists protesters and actually tried to avoid the press we saw some protesters being cornered by riot police spent quite severely was quite

a frightening sight but right now it does seem that everything is calm down riot police and gain control of the square have cleared out all of the protesters there are still some groups. about a block there very small rescue people in each one in there very quickly cornered by riot police detained and moved off waiting in a police car and saw a lot of people being detained a lot of people were injured as well in the protests that turned violent in a matter of moments what have just as quickly been staying with by officials. because they were here to defend their freedom which is being threatened by one man who is in power and he's making all the decisions by him still is that the entire system is riddled with fear we've just seen where the presidential candidates in a client beaten brutally flitters went off everyone was put down on the ground and told to stay down as we heard the attacker swearing he broke the glass in our booth and began stealing our equipment like people were kicked out some with regrew. so

of course many people showing the will to protest what they believe a fraudulent election presidential election that seems to be once again won by incumbent president alex on that will question because he has apparently enjoyed a fourth consecutive win in a presidential election the only presidential election that valerie's this had of course for all of the one hundred president nixon that looks good morning to opposition leaders these results are falsified and the over eighty percent that lukashenko a seemingly gathered according to exit polls is also a falsified number that's precisely why they were out in the street so far international observers haven't reported any major violations involving heard of one registered record where an international observer was denied access to a polling station but so far that is the only report on record and we are of course waiting to see whether international observers will wait for a more detailed report of their observations the money incentive in there having

a positive conclusion is a very big one the european union has promised and galleries a lot of financial aid billions of euros if there is evidence of free and democratic elections perhaps that is why i look so that will allow the opposition some semblance of freedom giving them on air time and sanctioned anti-government rallies but critics of course say that that is all for show international observers are still to publish their reports and will of course update you when we get. the moscow region is a security alert with more than four hundred people detained as part of a tense to prevent violence links to ethnic tensions there arrests follow a recent wave of clashes between russian right wing groups minorities and police more than three thousand people have been detained in the last week violence erupted at an illegal protest eight days ago following the death of a football fine in a brawl with a native north called caijing as the gathering turned into a riot with ethnic minorities and police attacked and there was

a repeat of the clashes on wednesday when extremist of russian he said migrants from the north caucuses were gathered for a rumored confrontation another suspected of leading unrest or killing and murdering from kurdistan is now in jail present to be treated at a fish to authorities not to hesitate to use force at first sign of trouble. clashes fighting in vandalism or not just administrative violations but crimes and those who commit these crimes should be locked up rather than just told off the police should be using their legal authority to prevent extremism and incitement to this nick hatred what happened in moscow and some other russian cities has shown that requires very efficient management i'd like to draw attention to the fact that inciting violence in our country is a crime to achieve. u.s. senate democrats have beaten back a second republican attempts to scupper ratification of the new start nuclear arms

reduction treaty with russia a motion by sen june ridge has been defeated hot on the heels of a similar one by john mccain who called for their green ones to be sent back to the drawing board meanwhile president obama is edging ratification as soon as possible saying it's critical for national security monday is the last day for democrats to push it through before a republican majority senate is formed in january the new strategic arms reduction treaty was signed by dmitri medvedev and barack obama in april and was slashed that two country's nuclear arsenals by a third but it won't come into force until ratified by both sides something moscow says it's been ready to do for months political analyst job will business as failure to ratify that start treaty will tarnish america's political people. but if it doesn't. actually fails there could be serious consequences for american leadership on arms control for the american reputation around the world would be significant if it doesn't pass but it is not turned down just delayed that's true

also a signal that president obama is weak at home that's why the kids for the treaty are so used to get personnel. this is on c.n.n. coming up later in the program for you links to secret detention centers and trafficking just some of the accusations against kosovo's prime minister find out who is behind the water has to say about it and why some subset of the revelations are north surprising. this week's continuing unrest in the streets of europe as governments seek to impose austerity measures across the continent in economic crisis at a summit in brussels the huge crater that permanent fund to bailout here a zone countries a trace of bankruptcy as tri can greece closed schools banks and courts and disrupted public transportation trade unions staged demonstrations in france luxembourg belgium and the czech republic. spain's. european parliament morten messerschmidt spoke to all say about how the price is proving the you richard

ben-veniste the euro as a construction has created this problem because it has destroyed the southern europeans countries are competitiveness and the bailout now is just prolonging and thereby crew creating an even bigger problem because the dept will just grow and grow and you see now the eurozone is reacting to it desperately introducing the suggestion on the euro bonds of course we need to be solidarity in the european union but we also need to be economically realistic and the realism of the euro zone is that it doesn't work it hasn't been working for for years and there are at least several non harmonious regions within the euro which makes it impossible to maintain a common currency so i think that the even the strongest federalist will have to either recognize that we need to have one hundred percent of governance from brussels and since the europeans don't want to have to go with the second line which is to admit that the euro is a failed currency well spain is going to most likely going to be the next big topic

either spain or portugal in spain the unemployment rates are right now around twenty percent which is the future which puts a huge pressure to the finances in spain in the depths rises just getting bigger and bigger if portugal falls which is on the lip of everybody here in strasburg that will be a disaster strikes the spanish economy because those those two countries are interlinked so severely in economical terms so when i don't know whether portugal spain falls first but when the one falls the other one will do as well. let's now have a look at some other stories from around the world eighteen people have been pointing a wounded into types in afghanistan for taliban militants stormed in on the recruiting center in the northern city you can do is with two of the intimating suicide vests been suing firefight lasted five alos local officials said in the second attack militants understood by scaring army officials to the center of kabul the taliban has claimed responsibility for the turks. at least twenty seven

people have been killed after an oil pipeline exploded in the central mexican state of poor blood said two people were injured while scores of houses were destroyed in the blast a government spokesman said the first explosion occurred as attempts were made to steal gas or oil from a duct and base triggered successive smaller blasts forcing people to flee the small town fifty five kilometers outside mexico city firefighters say the flames are under control. severe weather across europe has shut major have pools and stranded thousands of travelers hundreds of flights from london's gatwick and heathrow airport have been cancelled there is also major air disruption in france italy and the netherlands traffic accidents caused by the conditions led to several deaths in germany while a belgian died when a snow they didn't roof collapsed on him forecasters say the arctic temperatures are predicted to last well into the new year. russian prime minister vladimir putin

held his annual q. and a session this week with the russian public put in a spent four and a half hours on the live t.v. answering some of the million plus questions which flooded in turn in the vehicle that followed the event for us. not quite truth or dare in his annual q. and a session the russian prime minister was given a choice and some of the questions were rather daring like the one about former oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky who's currently serving and eight you. a term in prison for fraud and tax evasion it was a question that got put in going so we should be just like a character in a famous russian movie i'm sure that a thinks places in prison because he's accused of stealing tax evasion and fraud but with a new charges he faces is about stealing hundreds of billions of his company security chief is in prison for murder they didn't like the mayor of nifty uganda so they killed him then there was another woman in moscow who refused to sell her

little stool to them and they killed her when they didn't like the hitman they hired he's dead as well. another sore spot was the issue of recent ethnic clashes between russian that tickles and people from the north caucasus that the government failed to prevent the prime minister said nationalism is a common disease. radicalism is like a virus if society weakens the main system goes down diseases start to spread but if societies mature in these bugs of radicalism and extremism simply lie dormant and can't cause any damage but you are going to. russians domestic worries you can everything from social security and police reform to real estate prices and if you foreign policy issues were touched upon as well such as the recent spying many that has spread across the atlantic to reset a bit and then yes i mean we don't need to use special squads to punish traitors i can assure you all of them will fall off the perch themselves they can take their

thirty pieces of silver but it will stick in their throats the video conference was held in the rather chatty and big matter the format was introduced by britain when he was still president back in two thousand and one and then become a prime minister he's continued the tradition of the annual informal discussion with the public and as ever he likes a good joke politics mixed with a little ironic humor. in the country when you and president medvedev are sleeping . don't worry everything is under control now that explains why wolf is a city that never sleeps after an exhausting q. and a session of four and a half hours russian prime minister vladimir putin can now go and rest as russians now know they will still have their backs covered about artsy moscow now and as we heard that the fate of me. was touched upon in that q. and a session this week in moscow of course delayed his verdict in the second trial

of the former oil tycoon until the twenty seventh of december he faces charges of with a theft of billions of barrels of oil from his company and laundering the proceeds before you get c.e.o. was arrested in two thousand and three and is currently serving an eighty eight jail total fraud and tax evasion if he's found guilty he'll stay in jail for another six years if the court clears what of course kill the latest charges he will be released next year before seventy year old made his fortune during the tefillin through the privatize ation of state assets which made him russia's richest man. there is still ahead blasting off for the holiday. the goggles the bike rides the snowy roads while the rocket blasts off from the goldmans growing problems not. just the action of the couple of minutes here an aussie also. bringing

a century old christmas tree to light up the heart of moscow get in the festive mood here on our scene just a few minutes. the u.n. security council has met in emergency session as russia's request to address escalating tension on the korean peninsula moscow's war is coming as south korea announced new military exercises along a disputed border to begin with in a few hours russia's u.n. ambassador said his country is concerned the war games threaten unpredictable developments in the region north korea attacks this south last month in response to similar naval maneuvers russia and china both called in south korea to cancel the trails while the u.s. has condemned repeated north korean aggression for died in last months in northern artillery assault on the south island beyond young is warning it will strike even harder next time the security council drafted a resolution calling on all parties involved to avoid any steps that will lessen tensions but fails to agree emotion or political analyst were to go front says

russia's best place to act as a mediator in the korean conflict. russia is the only country. box no specific interest. which actually is a difference between russia and. russia can actually be a trustworthy and reliable mediator a neutral broker the interest that russia does. is stability but never there is a situation emerging market for a major war that will inevitably not only in both careers but also china us will have a negative impact on the booty in the region and on russia and hands russia's major preoccupation is actually maintaining peace. they found oh the whistle blowing web site if we can legs julian assange was released on bail from a british jail on thursday his now under house arrest wearing an electronic time

and awaiting a court decision whether he will be extradited to sweden is one to balance sex charges which were previously dropped a sarge denies any wrongdoing and calls the accusations a conspiracy to tar his reputation and the case against him was dropped in august but later reopened in which many believe a politically motivated move and poor lashmar investigative journalist basically london's burnell university believes the u.s. is desperate to find a way to prosecute a savage regarded in the swedish problem that he's got he's just going to have to wait until such time as the extradition process proceeds so that that could take any time between a few months and the year i would think however he's also got a problem with one of the americans going to catch up with him and what are they going to catch up with him in the u.k. or sweden the fact is the americans are very very angry about this they are out for revenge and they are going through every step they can to find something they can

charge you with because really you know why he's position is more like that of a journalist he's being given documents which he is then released he didn't actually still the documents he didn't go behind you know he didn't go into the computer itself but they're so angry they're so embarrassed by the whole thing that somebody has to pay for it and at the moment it does look rather than going to go all the judean assange without the council of europe has unanimously about an inquiry into the kosovo prime minister after a draft report suggested he was involved in a crime ring trafficking human organs so of say that western governments knew about the allegations but have been turning a blind eye to them for years and as habit has most. this ellen has never spoken to the media before he's been too angry his brother went missing in the summer of one thousand nine hundred ninety eight and no one has helped to find him while he went

to work as usual with his friends to the blotch of it's mine and that was it i never saw him again we went to the police and everyone else we can think of after the war i thought there'd be an exchange of prisoners and hundreds of opinions were freed the so many serbs are still missing now after twelve years i've lost all the international officials who didn't do anything when they easily could have his brother is one of the near two thousand four hundred people he went missing both during and after the late ninety's kosovo war and the still unaccounted for and allegations leveled against senior members of the class of a liberation army including the prime minister has since had she and the council of europe report although not help to ease the minds of men like this one the report claims mr links to organized crime dates back to when his then it's a group became the dominant factor within the k.l.a. and the alleged decision of western powers to largely ignore its activities in the

hope of a stablish ing some form of short term stability in the region allow tetchy and his followers to assume positions of political pillow with kosovo in the years following the war but the full everybody including western countries knew all about these allegations for years but he wanted to keep them hidden they only. was in charge here so ensures the e.u. is rule of law mission in kosovo says it will now launch its probe into the allegations and general unix takes a league ations on war crimes and obviously with crimes very seriously should be sufficient evidence and should be responsible for building with them we will certainly look into the issue. raised to hash in time she has dismissed the reports is baseless and the thermometer tree and is threatening to sue it's another shocking twist in the history of this already troubled region. peacekeeping in

police cars stung god twenty four hours a day you saw i did this bridge that divides the serbian and albanian parts of the town of meet the roots are ten years after the end of the concert been worn ethnic divisions he is still run very deep bass with the release of this report people are now saying that they feel abandoned and let down by the international community here supposedly charged with protecting the ball these years. kosovo. and don't forget to log on to our website dot com but there are always more stories for you and here are some that might catch your eye i. think at the dance and entertain a iranian born in iran she has told me about his international roots and skyrocketing career. and review told stories can sometimes feel like galleries but based time the luxury fashion house has got a real exhibition in moscow that song right up until christmas get the details that

. the new crew members of the international space station are making themselves at home for their state lasting almost six months the soyuz craft carrying three astronauts successfully talked with the ice on friday the crew aboard says it all gifts to those currently on board the station peter although it was at the baikonur cosmodrome in kazakhstan where the blast off . over my shoulder you'll be able to see the soyuz t.m.a. twenty rockets that will be blasting off sending cosmonaut the meet to be called the last year of astronauts polo nespoli from the european space agency and catherine colgan from nasa into space now this is the product of two years of very intense training the trio will be spending six months on board the international space station while they're up there they'll be carrying out a number of experiments and continuing the work in space that the international space station carries out now i think we can just see the fireworks of the stuff

behind me i'll let you get on with the. domino theory but you know what is the story behind one of the rocket blasts off from the cosmodrome in kazakhstan sending the military called the monster paolo nespoli and proper and coleman of the international space station. while it takes pride of place at the heart of russia's capital over the festive season a century old christmas tree was delivered this week to the kremlin's cathedral square where it will stand tall for the next three weeks they share the tree was blessed by the russian orthodox priest for the first time and will be decorated with thousands of russian tricolor lights and ornaments christmas trees have been back and the kremlin for nearly fifteen years now when president boris yeltsin provides the pre-revolutionary tradition this year's event was accompanied by

a theatrical sharing creating a visit from father frost and a rabbit the symbol of the coming guest according to his time. and with christmas trees lighting up across the world many of grips with the face with the festive spirit but there are those who view the holiday as appear a commercial event and web journalist laurie hoffman it's also known as the resident hosp. people in new york with the reason means to that. just christmas have anything to do with jesus anymore this week let's talk about that. pagan celebration. eating do you think that's a good thing or. look very carefully much but it's kind of sad isn't it is that the company's fault for marketing all these products to us or is it our fault for forgetting what it's about going to the companies they want to make money the

parents responsibility to bring it to the home it really is if you believe that's fine if you don't that's fine too you know but it does lose a lot and you have to keep it at home and if you pass it on to your kids the kids will pass it on you know do you think this whole war and christmas thing people are trying to make sure that we're celebrating all faiths and not just christmas takes away from the christmas spirit or does it everybody should do what they should do upon their release so if you want to put up a christmas tree should be able to put up a christmas tree that i believe in i think to get angry about it i'm not sure that's helpful and i'm not sure that's in the spirit of the season either maybe to educate and evangelize in a more friendly way maybe that's what we should be doing so that people who are screaming about us forgetting christmas are kind of adding to the noise than and forgetting about jesus too. you know if what you want to try then ok we can get

that we're all from different backgrounds so we have to honor the muslim faith and all the other faiths that are out there and just be one big happy family will break up the country is not really what it should be about whether or not you think society has forgotten about jesus that christmas time the bottom line is if you're a christian the best place to find jesus anytime is in your heart. and that was our look at the big stories of the week and out the bank in just a few moments with the headlines for you.

chosen from among many. he was given a clear cut mission and a mission he successfully accomplished. and became the first ever man in outer space. hero of the soviet union one of the best known persons in the world. all his thoughts were focused on flight. could he ever think that his life's work would cost him his life. what happened in those few seconds. and what she could see these sealed barrels still hold.

your regarding the flight when archie. observed nature and discover its buzy. communicate with the wild and lead the. test yourself and become free. see what nature can give you. the secret incursion into the country. the invasion by means of. tradition the language you visit the first day copied could be. culture. that's being used. the drones are still unaware of what's going on in their mouth you're still asking me why do you. like this

i don't know if you both. agree. on our feet. again this is these are the latest headlines in the week's top stories for you opposition demonstrations turn violent and bad they're very sort of clashes at parliament buildings as thousands take to the streets in protest against an apparent landslide victory for incumbent president and it's on the bush and co and camera crew has been injured as riot police tackled well to opposition presidential candidates have also been heard. ethnic tension between russian nationalists and groups from the caucuses forces moscow forces to take preventive security measures

to avoid a new wave of clashes hundreds have been detained over the last twenty four hours taking the total to more than three thousand in a week as a result of isolated clashes and barris parts of the city. also no topic was off limits says prime minister vladimir putin to the hot seat for his annual q. and a session with the public nationalism and justice were among the issues that came up in the four hour long discussion and other subjects covered included. social security police reform and property prices. and europeans speak out against their governments and the methods used to deal with their volatile economies the single currency is increasingly being seen as the root of the problem this came as leaders agreed to set up a permanent fund to rescue fairly eurozone economies. and those are the headlines up next to the story and legacy of the first man in space yuri gagarin.