up to fifty thousand people expected to a descend on central moscow as people gather for the second major protest against the results of this month's parliamentary poll. and several thousand people have already gathered as that rally officially begins joining me and us now live with more details. no christmas cheer for syrians as the country struggles against waves of violence but the arab league looking for ways to help restore peace and find out what's behind the crisis. and turning from libya to somalia london names that a failed state and a terror training camp leading to speculation and invasion is the next step.

two pm in moscow i met good to have you with us here on our team our top story thousands are expected to take part another protest against the results of russia's parliamentary vote earlier this month the mass rally in central moscow was being organized by various opposition groups claiming that the voting was rigged or he's an isa now he joins us live from where the demonstrations going on now and so people are arriving how big is the crowd so far. long bed with numbers but i think it's fair to say that several thousands of several thousand people have already gathered here in central moscow i just want to give you a look at what's happening at the stage has been set up you are talking about different political parties you can see the flags the yellow white and black that's the nationalists you see communists you see solidarity organization which is not a political party so lots of different groups and people slowly making their way fifty thousand is expect. clearly that number of course is not what we're seeing

here on the streets of central moscow but it is expected that tens of thousands of people will show up very much like what we saw two weeks ago when there was a similar rally on below my us where there are some fifty thousand some say plus showed up the rally was peaceful there were a lot of police but there were no incidents no arrests and both protesters and authorities are calling for that to hopefully be the situation here in moscow today there were rallies across the country earlier today beginning out east and bloody of all stalky and across central russia not many people showed up but we are hearing that everything was peace when there were no incidents there are certainly a lot of people hoping that that will be what we see here today in moscow but it's the second protest on this scale since the election happened what's been the government's reaction so far. all right from the beginning we saw protests almost immediately after the vote some of them sanctioned some of them not both president medvedev prime minister vladimir putin encouraging people to come out as long as

it's within the law to express their feelings they want and are saying that it's a very good thing that russians are becoming more politically active at the same time we are just two days before this protest we heard from president medvedev posing massive reforms to russia's political system a lot of different proposals some of them the most really surprising i think it's fair to say to some what people say is most necessary are regional elections people be able to elect their own officials across russia so that you kind of the central law is the power coming from moscow some of the other points would include less or no signatures to register political parties many less signatures to run in the presidential election a lot of people criticize how complicated that system is as a really it's a push or would be a push to decentralized like i said power from moscow and really create a representative proportional system. in the parliament protesters saying that that

is not what their demands are about and it's not enough they're here to call for free and fair elections. tell us more about the organizers who are the people behind the rallies. well there are several different groups that could be called organizers really the most well known are the faces it's fair to say of the opposition some of them have been in russian politics for years very well known british numbskulls not connected with a particular party he has been in russian politics it's fair to say for decades now he was the deputy prime minister back in the ninety's he has a lot of. associates and that really. makes a lot of trips to washington so he's really known for his connection with washington's national endowment for democracy this is something he doesn't deny he often makes trips to meet with congressman in washington it's something you has criticized where he's expected to speak here today and also recently he was in the media because of some leaked phone recordings of his in which he was criticizing

other opposition leaders so a lot of people talking about how the opposition is not together of those recordings in which you can blatantly hear him rudely very rudely talking about other opposition members a sign that perhaps they're not really together but the opposition say that's not the case they're also not you can see the very different flags here it's certainly just not one group also in terms of the opposition a really up and rising star as the next in the war and he's very well known in the west right now he's an anti-corruption activist mostly known to his blog and he was detained at a protest earlier this month and was his remains detained for fifteen days he's expected to make his first real public appearance at this protest a lot of his supporters coming out to hear him but you don't hear a lot about alex in the garden is his nationalist. movements really and if you read his blog you can you can discover more about what he really sees as a vision for russia it's a russia that's just for russians he's known to be part of a movement that's called. not feeding the caucuses that sort of an anti immigration

movement that's only you hear less about but here again is really going to be the superstar it's thought of today's rally and then there's the well known garry kasparov was known of course for being world chess champion he didn't come in for the last rally it was criticized the fluid especially from new york to speak at today's rally we're also hearing of course not a member of the opposition but former president mikhail gorbachev is also going to be speaking so like i said a lot of different political parties just some people coming out also to call for free and fair elections and certainly just not one group out here today and i just want to point out that this time around certainly there's a lot more nationalist flags it's something interesting last time around we didn't see as many of the nationalist flags the yellow white and black are really flags it's people that are really pushing strong for stronger immigration laws again very similar to the garden's although he's not connected with that group completely this whole movement about russia is for russians but like i said

a lot of people not connected with any political party just coming out to make their voices and have their voices heard all right thanks for that update our teasing me so now i live for us in central moscow. as much of the christian world gets ready to celebrate christmas there's a little festive spirit in syria the capital is recovering from two suicide blast leaving more than forty people dead more than one hundred injured the arab league is searching for a solution to the crisis in trying to find out the truth behind me and arrest syrians say they just want the bloodshed to cease artie's sorry for reports. and confusion in damascus is the capital which until now has remained largely spared through the violence starts to feel the effects of an escalating conflict. on. the first day of the league's war it was a bloody tragic day the people of syria will never forget. this kind of here the capsule. usually brightly lit is christians here comes the time to send to the

population get ready to celebrate christmas but these scenes of devastation are a harsh contrast and a stark reminder of just how much the country has changed in the past nine months. last year at christmas we used to wish health and pray for people in other countries that were going through hard times with war we never thought that this year it would be us. this year is totally different because of the situation in our country. the priests here planning their own mark of respect for the christmas. we. of syria our people to avoid the external signs of festivities but to go. there one really feels like celebrating anyway when the country's hospitals are full of casualties the government claims it's fighting militant groups sponsored

from abroad the while the opposition regionally marked by its insistence on peaceful protests it's now been joined by growing numbers of army defectors and has become increasingly arms on the months quite downs by the government and this violence spreads its prevailing extremely hard to know exactly who is responsible for what. you have for instance. from somebody who is not. the government. position the. government. taxing killings have been met repeatedly with claim counter-claim an accusation. you know we have. two different varieties.

needs to see who is more gruesome to the to the arab league team will be attempting to cut through the rhetoric and discover his version of events is most accurate they many remain skeptical about how much they'll be able to achieve but there's one thing that everyone here is shaping food and that's for the violence to be stumps of christmas celebration thing going down this religious services will be happening people for. and against being with their country. as the year draws to a close we're looking back at some of the major events that shaped two thousand and eleven today we focus on the crisis in syria with our king's tests or so we are sharing her thoughts about what she saw firsthand during a visit to a conflict torn country.

well when we went to syria it was sometime in october and the situation was getting there so our flight arrived at the around three in the morning so you can imagine the surprise. when three foreign journalists arrive at a time when there was a media bad international journalist there will. be a syrian you can see behind me traffic is just about started to flow again going into the city damascus was rather peaceful it was quiet although very tense still because everybody knows what was going on in the country. and what's interesting. for us is that we saw the kind of. diverse opinions on what was going on there was no clear. there were more than two sides it was not the regime.

and there was one time you were interviewing a young man and he was rather critical of the government gave his point of view and what you didn't see on the camera is that there was a group of men around him and listening to what he was saying. and afterwards after the interview was finished they all came up to us and said get us on camera we want to see what we feel. and then we also spoke to those people who were protesting specifically those who were on the streets in about twenty minutes outside of damascus one of the guys that we interviewed he actually disappeared for two days and he said he was held by security forces. after forty eight hours of detention and torture they took all of my money and belongings and threw it into this. st. we also spoke with soldiers' families those who have been killed and you can wholesale feel that they are angry at the protesters because their sons have

been lost fathers have been lost husbands have been lost and you can't understand the point of view that they're coming from how console jer's killed their soldiers this is impossible whatever media says this is plainly lawyer. speaking about fear tell you one incident we were supposed to interview one of the leaders of the national coordination council the local opposition. the interview was sets and he when we called him he said i might have to cancel because we there were security forces we think who were at the office and he wrote some threats on the wall. we had to our fixer who translated what it meant. it said you're working for the u.s. we're going to kill you. and so they were threats at the

members of the f.c.c. particularly leader. that was a scary time because we they were just outside we didn't know whether they would come in and we asked their our interview are you scared he said you only die once. so the syrians are very i felt hospitable people but when it comes to political talk when it comes to expressing a political view in a crowd it can really get heated they would. jostle at the rally that we went to it got pretty rough. and so. ever do you know but that is your job you go in there she try to get you try to do what you can to try to film as much as you can try to put it in as much context and we had to tell sometimes. to tell people please calm down otherwise you can't get anything on film where you are the center of the period after the show their support for the government is

a far cry from the images we've been seeing in other cities that the country where there have been reporting of. government protests those elaborate what they. know where and whenever they'd be to use about syria would be. you suppose syria i would really pay attention. to hear say that that's correct i don't think that's. as precise as i think it was so i'd like to think that because of my trip there and my experience there. that when i see something about syria i don't take it at face value i remember everything that i had gathered and look through it through that perspective rather than just what i see. looking back at the ten most significant events of two thousand and eleven through the eyes of our correspondents covering them in the case you miss any you can always catch it again online at r.t.

dot com. with the campaign in libya now seen as mission accomplished the british prime minister has turned his attention to somalia david cameron plans a summit in february discussing what to do about what he calls a failed state and bring the secret services have named it a new training ground for terrorists or he's laura smith explains why london the sea somalia is a threat. in the words of prime minister david cameron somalia is a failed state that directly. interests his solution options ranging from humanitarian aid right through it's a military intervention report suggests that in the new year following the perceived success of the libyan campaign in government circles somalia could be the next target for u.k. forces newspapers as saying that the royal air force could be sent to help african union troops to support the weak spots transitional government equipment and money

other nations despite a tough economic situation. there are around one hundred thousand somalis living in the u.k. making up one of the largest muslim groups according to m i five somalia is the latest terrorist training ground british residents from a variety of backgrounds pakistan. had the risk is that they then come back to the u.k. and carry out terrorist attacks. the threats of piracy the kidnapping of a tourists but crucially somalia has boston gas reserves and other natural resources including which the u.s. and other countries have had their eye on for years is many points also to somalia's strategic position presiding over a large pots of oil transport through the gulf of aden you usually find.

somewhere. to gas one of the biggest. community here. most of whom. are. saying to me. support to get a functioning system of government. since somalia some see this as a direct result of the perceived success by the government of the campaign in libya operation oust gadhafi successful next stop somalia. stay with us here on our team still to come what do you look for. do you think that i sense of humor would be appealing in a world leader and think it's an international way of speaking you know everybody gets it and everybody likes it our own resident in new york ask people on the streets of the big apple about the must have qualities or the warm dangers of today . but first with a withdrawal of u.s.

troops from iraq has left a wave of sectarian violence in its wake america says it left behind a stable country but even the largest oil reserves in the world aren't enough to pay for the peace or rockies want or thomas investigates what it means for the reputation of the u.s. in the region and beyond. packing up to head home it may be easy to overlook the total costs of follow up at least one hundred fourteen thousand iraqi civilians killed as well as thousand american soldiers millions displaced from their homes not to mention a one trillion dollars financial burden still the former occupiers leave behind some words of encouragement i can say it with confidence that in the next twenty or fifty years iraq will be a leader here in the gulf region that rivals any country in sizable region i think right now is a safe and secure environment it's not

a safe and secure is it is it should be or it will be but it's it's progressing very well the american occupation of iraq saw the fall of the baathist regime the capture and execution of deposed leader saddam hussein and the implementation of a democratic government but now nearly nine years later eases the country better on . the plea below my. the u.s. troop invasion of iraq in two thousand and three and the grief mystique recommitted made the situation here worse there are so many mistakes committed by the us military leadership especially in managing the civilian aspects here this had a negative effect because. in fact many here say it was the american mismanagement of iraq and that led to the rise of sectarian violence in the country all people if you ask who brings the terrorists to iraq he said us a. whole damage to the infrastructure of iraq he said. so

i think. we on american must cooperate in order to. put up this. culture that hate. between two peoples the timeline for u.s. troop withdrawal was set in two thousand and eight and while the obama administration initially tried to extend the deadline the official transfer of power came sixteen days ahead of schedule on december sixteenth two thousand and eleven but we hope that the future. all of us many good things if. and then he can look to the iraqi in a quill a balanced not my view with see. iraq he follow america must have been everything's on american. good subsisted not sources and also mind. many people who.

love. our country right now the u.s. and iraqi governments are working on a new type of diplomatic relations building a new type of trust if you will but now the next step is in the hands of the iraqi government to move the country forward as america's influence waned political infighting and sectarian divisions in the iraqi parliament has diminished as well giving iraqis hope for a strong future i'm overjoyed a bit of fun with it as regards other aspects civil life the political and parliamentarian aspects as well as the economic aspect that lets me see that iraq has good capabilities but to be put to become one of the developments it's but as iraq prepares to move past this dark chapter they have a message for their former occupiers to defend america. police don't be another. because you wouldn't stick is a great. fix. but just teach. you

to be sure and friends are few right now in a region in which america's reputation lies and trillions in the eyes of many. times. and we're exploring the impact of the long wars on returning soldiers on our website r t v dot com u.s. troops returning home from conflict zones could face the toughest battle yet with suicide now killing more servicemen and women than any bullets. for the cosmetology completed journey to the stars of the russian soyuz rocket successfully docked with the international space station bringing in the new crew members all the details are put away that are. turning out as some other stories making headlines across the globe a suicide bomb attack on a paramilitary camp has left at least six pakistani soldiers dead in the northwest of the country the bomber drove an explosives filled vehicle up to the camps office in the town of bad new the taliban claim the attack was revenge for u.s.

drone strike that killed one of its commanders. the cuban government set to release nearly three thousand prisoners including many convicted of political crimes but those accused of serious offenses including murder espionage and drug trafficking will not be granted amnesty president castro said the humanitarian gesture would show cuba's strength ahead of the upcoming visit to the country. barack obama has agreed to the approval of a short term tax cut extension by congress by asking for another extension the president said the move was a make or break moment for the american middle class after he managed to overcome republican opposition for a landmark victory the conference committee will try to sew up a year long deal after the holiday season the bills will extend payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits for millions of unemployed into the new year. i had a presidential elections in the u.s. russia friend south korea and many other countries in two thousand and twelve the

question on many people's minds what does the world look for in a modern leader today's artie's correspondent in the new york in the big apple laurie harkness asking people on the streets what they expect from a potential candidate. important elections will be held in many countries in two thousand and twelve what's it going to take to be a good leader in today's world this week let's talk about that what do you think is the most important quality for a world leader to have right now just empathy for what's going on right now just the inability to be able to be flexible just with the american people and the people the world and a lot of patience i equate intelligence with humor. i mean say oh yeah a quick mind so you think that sense of humor would be appealing in a world leader think it's an international way of speaking you know everybody gets

it and everybody likes it that circumstances are controlling all the countries right now so somebody step up and take the reins you know would you follow someone that was strong like that even if you didn't necessarily believe yes yes their true leader who were honest with people is having the ability to lead people more important than having the intelligence or the right kind of policies. yeah i would say it is because you have to have a whole team of people that are actually implementing your the work so you have to be able to provide that process for them you know is it important for them to have money so that they understand how it works or is it important for them to not have so much money so they're in touch with people on his probably important for them to have come up having no money i mean look at great leaders nelson mandela i mean you look at mary came from larry ended up. i mean he understood what it was what it was like to have nothing that's probably what made him such

a good leader of course for me it was a new apostles the kennedy was because of one the leader of my mind because you had to really man. my vision was and he would he was a man who really wants to lead nations to the future do you think it's possible in today's world or is it too different a time now than it was in the path of sort of this totally different because of global war it is a totally very complex and not easy to manage matters including by have a social or social networking is starting to change your mind over how to leave the people no matter what qualities we'd like to see in the new world leaders of two thousand and twelve let's just hope we aren't too disappointed in who they turn out to be. and coming up with year and innovations and technology out. of the day's top stories stay with us.

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