despite the bitter winter cold 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 in 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 at risk getting hit or kicked for a punch and 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 rival spending be quite severely was quite

a frightening sight 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 they're very small rescue people in each one in there very quickly cornered by riot police detained and moved off waiting a police car you 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. are going to say we're here to defend our freedom which is being threatened by one man who's in power and who's making all the decisions but i'm still the entire system is riddled with fear we've just seen where the presidential candidates look human a client beaten brutally flares went off everyone was put down on the ground and told to stay down we heard the attackers swearing he broke the glass in our booth and began stealing our equipment like thieves only people were kicked out some with regrouped and came here to. 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 has apparently enjoyed a fourth consecutive win in a presidential election the only presidential elections that valerie's has had a force for all of the one thing coming president and it's on that will question 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 the only 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 forced 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 in the galleries but a lot of financial aid billions of euros if there is evidence of free and democratic elections perhaps that is why look so that will allow the opposition some semblance of freedom giving them on air time and sanction 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 them. the most could reach in his own security with hundred people detained as part of attempts to prevent violence thanks to ethnic tensions there with a recent wave of clashes between russia. minorities rather and please three thousand people have been detained in the last week. as an illegal prejudiced a days ago following the death of a football fun in a break with native north kook asians the gathering turned into a ride with ethnic minorities and please. at times there was

a repeat of the clashes on wednesday when extremist russian gibson migrants from the north caucuses gathered for a rumored confrontation with a man suspected of leading a grass told killing a migrant from kurdistan is now in jail and president dmitry medvedev authorities not to have the tape to use force at first sign of trouble. but good. clashes fighting in vandalism are not just administrative violations but crimes and those who commit these crimes should be locked up rather than just told. the police should be using the legal authority to vent extremism and incite literalistic hatred what happened in moscow and some of the russian cities has shown requires very efficient management i'd like to draw attention to the fact that inciting violence in our country is a crime. 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 senator jay rich has been defeated hot on the heels of a similar one by john mccain the court for their terms to be sent back to the drawing board meanwhile president obama is urging resignation 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 said it is formed in january the new strategic arms reduction treaty was signed by dmitry medvedev and barack obama in april and will slash the two country's nuclear arsenals by a third while but it won't come into force until ratified by both sides something moscow says it isn't ready to do for months and political analyst joey rubin is as pay it to ratify the start treaty will tarnish america's political reputation. if it doesn't. actually fails there could be serious consequences for american leadership on arms control fallout for the american reputation around the world

would be significant if it doesn't pass but it is not turned down but just delayed that's who also signaled that president obama is weak at home that's why advocates for the treaty are saying if you see get passed now. well coming up here later in the program links to secret detention centers and when trafficking just some of the accusations against kosovo's prime minister find out who's behind what he has to say about it and why some sad to say the revelations are not surprising. this week still continuing unrest in the streets of europe as government seek to impose austerity measures across the continent and economic crisis at a summit in brussels the ukraine to the permanent fund to bail out here as own countries a tricycle bankruptcy a strike in greece close schools banks and clueless and destructive public transportation trade union station demonstrations in france luxembourg belgium czech republic also in spain danish member of european parliament mr schmidt spoke

to how the crisis is proving that you wrote to be unrealistic. the euro as a construction has created this problem because it has destroyed the southern europeans countries competitiveness and the bailout now is just prolonging and thereby creating an even bigger problem because the depths will just grow and grow and if you know the eurozone is reacting to desperately introducing the suggestion on the euro bonds of course we need to be solidarity of 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 four years and there are at least several non harmonious regions within the euro which make it impossible to maintain the. and steve so i think that the even the strongest part of this 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 lie which is to admit

that the euro is a failed currency or spain is going to is 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 financial. industry and that depth prices just getting bigger and bigger if portugal falls which it is on the lip of everybody here in strasburg that will be a disaster strikes the spanish economy because 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. listen our check some other stories from around the world eighteen people have been killed twenty more wounded inter tykes in afghanistan for taliban militants stormed a naga recruiting center in the northern city of can do with two of them detonating suicide vests the ensuing firefight lasted five hours social local officials said and in the second attacked militants ambushed the brass carrying army officials to

the center of kabul the taliban has claimed responsibility for both the times. at least twenty seven people have been killed after an oil pipeline exploded in the central mexican state of poor thirty two people were injured while scores of houses were destroyed in the blast a government spokesman sad the first explosion occurred as attempts were made to steal gas or oil from the duct this triggered successive smaller blast forcing people to flee this small town fifty five kilometers outside mexico city firefighters say the flames are under control. severe weather across europe has shut major airports and stranded thousands of travelers hundreds of flights from london's gatwick and heathrow airport have been cancelled there is also a major disruption in france italy and the netherlands traffic accidents caused by the conditions that led to several deaths in germany while the belgian died when the snow they didn't roof collapsed on him forecasters say the arctic temperatures

are predicted to last well into the new year. we're going on now russian prime minister vladimir putin held his annual q. and a session this week with the russian public putin's spent four and a half hours on live t.v. and some of the million plus questions which flooded in noriko up for the event. 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 the holes of their course whose. currently serving an eight year term in prison for fraud and tax evasion it was a question that got put in going to be sure just like a character in a famous russian movie i'm sure that the thinks place is 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 from 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 vaticanus 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 meaning system goes down diseases start to spread but if society is mature and these bugs of radicalism and extremism simply lie dormant we can't cause any damage but. russian's domestic worries too 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 is that

a bit better than 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 upbeat 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 a sleeping. larry everything is under control. now that explains why he 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 by look at artsy moscow and as we

just heard the fate of me was touched upon and that q. and a session and this week course delayed its verdict in the second trial of the former oil tycoon until the twenty seventh of december he faces charges over the ten stepped of billions of barrels of oil from his company and launching the proceeds the former you could c.e.o. was arrested in two thousand and three and is currently serving eight hid jail term for fraud and tax evasion and his found guilty will stay in jail for another six years in record clear what of course go the latest charges who will be released next year the forty seven year old made his fortune cheering the turbulent ninety's through they provide ties ation of state assets which made him russia's richest man . this is all still ahead blasting off for the holiday. what if you got good laughs off from the coals on the job because it's not cash the action in a couple of minutes here on our c n n don't so. bring

a century old christmas tree to light up the heart of moscow getting a festive mood here and i'll see just a few of. the u.n. security council has met in emergency session at 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 within a few hours russia's u.n. ambassador said his country is concerned the war games threaten unpredictable developments in the region and north korea tanks this south last month in response to similar naval maneuvers russia and china both called on south korea to counsel the drills while the u.s. has condemned repeated north korean aggression for died in last month's northern area sold on a southern island but pyongyang is warning it will strike even harder next time the security council drafted a resolution calling on the parties involved to avoid it as taps that will worsen

tensions but failed to agree a motion and political analyst friend said russia is the best place to act as a mediator in the korean conflict. russia is the only country that does have a stake box no specific interest. which actually is a difference between russia and the european union so russia can actually be a trustworthy and reliable mediator a neutral broker the interest that russia doesn't have concerning korea is stability but never there is a situation emerging that might trigger a major war that will inevitably not only involve both careers but also china us that will have a negative effect on the ability in the region and on russia and hands russia's major preoccupation is if you maintaining peace be found oh the whistle blowing website or we can leagues julian assange was released on bail for

a british jail on thursday he's now under house arrest wearing an electronic time and awaiting a court decision whether he will be extradited to sweden and he's going to balance sex charges which were previously dropped a songe denies any wrongdoing and calls the accusations a conspiracy to tie his reputation and the case against him was dropped in oldest but later reopened in which many believe a politically motivated move and poor investigative journalist based at london's burnell university believes the u.s. is desperate to find a way to prosecute a sound. regarding the swedish problem that he's got he's just going to have to white's until such time as the extradition process proceeds so that that could take any time between a few months in the year i would think however he's also got a problem with one of the americans going to catch up with him and whether they're going to catch up with him in the u.k. or sweden the fact is the americans are very very angry about this and they are out

for revenge and they all going through every statute book they can and to find something they can charge you quick because really you know why he's position is more like that of a journalist he's being given documents which he is then were released but 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 that they are going to go off the judean assange without the council of europe has unanimously bought an inquiry into the cost of a prime minister after a draft report suggested he was involved in a crime trafficking human organs sabse a that western governments knew about the allegations that have been turning a blind eye to them for years and it's habit has gone. this ellen has never spoken to the media before he's been to 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 watch of its 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 albanians 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 who went missing both during and after the late ninety's kosovo war and is still unaccounted for and allegations leveled against senior members of the kosovo liberation army including the prime minister has since had she and a council of europe report oil will not help to ease the minds of men like this one in the report claims mr attaches links to organized crime date back to when his the needs of group became the dominant factor within the k.l.a.

and the alleged decision of western powers to largely ignore its activity in the hope of establishing 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. everybody including western countries knew all about these allegations for years but he wanted to keep them hidden the only. other was in charge here interests the use rule of law mission in constant says it will now launch its own probe into the allegations in general a legal actions on war crimes and other serious crimes very seriously should be sufficient evidence. should we be responsible for doing with them we will certainly look into the issue. she has dismissed the reports is baseless and the farm a tree and is threatening to sue it's another shocking twist in the history of this

already troubled region may so andy you peacekeeping in police cars stand guard twenty four hours a day each side of this bridge that divides the serbian and albanian parts of the town of meet the reeds are ten years after the end of the cost of the worn ethnic divisions here still run very deep bass with the release of this report people are now saying that they feel of bound and let down by the international community here supposedly charged with protecting them all these years. and please don't forget to log on to our website r.t. dot com well there are always more stories for you here a sound that might catch your eye plays a singer dancer and entertainer iranian born a riot has told r.t. about his international roots and skyrocketing career. in. stores can sometimes feel like galleries but this time the luxury fashion house has got a real exhibition here in moscow it's only right up until christmas get that he's

hailed at r.t. dot com. the new crew members are going to national space station making themselves at home for their stay in lasting almost six months they saw use craft carrying three astronauts successfully docked with the ice on friday the crew brought a seasonal gift so those currently on board the station peter all of ours at baikonur cosmodrome in kazakhstan for the blast of. over my shoulder you'll be able to see the soyuz t.m.a. twenty rockets that will be blasting off sending cosmonaut the meeting called the r.t.f. and astronauts apollo nespoli from the european space agency and katherine coleman from nasa into space now this is the product of two years of very intense training in the trio 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 you're seeing the fireworks of the stuff

behind me i'll let you get on with that. bike is the story still twenty rocket blasts off from the cosmodrome in kazakhstan sending the make to become the once you have paolo nespoli and catherine coleman off to the international space station. all right 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 all stands tall for the next three weeks and this year they tree was blessed by a russian orthodox priest for the first time ever be decorated with thousands of russian tricolor lights and ornaments christmas trees have been back in use at the kremlin for nearly fifteen years now when president boris yeltsin revived the

pre-revolutionary tradition this year's event was accompanied by a theatrical show including a look at the post under rocket the symbol of the coming get called into the chinese calendar. and with christmas trees lighting out across the world many groups with the festive spirit but there are those who view the holiday as a purely commercial event and web journalist laurie harnessed also known as the resident all six people in new york what this season means to them. just christmas have anything to do with jesus any more this week let's talk about that. pagan celebration of shopping. eating do you think that's a good thing or. look very careful you much good 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 one of the parents responsibility to bring it to the home it really is and 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 on 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 well you know if what you want to try then ok we can get

that we're all from different backgrounds so we have to know the muslim faith and all the other faiths that are out there and just be one big happy family one because 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 the big stories of the wing. and i will back in just a few moments but the headlines for you.

culture is that so much of him and there's a huge musician mind. when embarrassing fail this is how many describe washington's most recent attempt to reach a peace settlement in the middle east is it time for the u.s. to drop to create. that are killing innocent kids allies or call it a base of course and that's never absent. mom a song from the skull spoke with me i think of it every day. i still feel the flashbacks trouble to memorise last laugh so much so that

a long time this year trying to go. i was ashamed. i was ashamed that i. i was ashamed that i had been a hero why i got my legs. in the mine. where i like to be our nominee for to. now believe what i was going on once or i think. that i was a good. children. are knowledgeable shoulder on the other side and i think i'm just an. india old geezer made ability to move the joint either to. the gateway to

the grand imperial. towards west coast you can a let's go toe to toe to go. round to the colonel was her job as a retreat. welcome back and these are the latest headlines on the week's top stories for you opposition demonstrations turn violent and valorous the two presidential candidates among over one hundred people detained for in clashes with police and our camera crew and other journalists were injured as riot police broke off the crowds tens of thousands flocks to the central square of minutes with a pretty ridiculous ration of indicating that the current president of example who has won almost eighty percent of the bud. police are on the high alert in the region is over four hundred are arrested in an effort to prevent more clashes

between russian right wing nationalists and ethnic minorities sparked by the death of a football fan almost two weeks ago. also all subjects world fagged game as prime minister vladimir putin took the hot seat for his annual q. and a session with the russian public nationalism the justice system were among the issues he addressed in the four hour session. next auntie's debate cross-talk today about his guests discuss whether the u.s. should risk think its role as a mediator in the middle east after critics claim that washington's a recent attempts to reach a peace deal are no more than an embarrassing failure. hungry for the full story we've got it for. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers on.