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lived. oh what i saw i want to sound amazing russian the national anthem of it all these far away is going off behind this summer. really amazing really beautiful and we

wish you all the very best as we welcome in twelve a very happy new year for me kevin. cheers to you and. very to millions of muscovites a close friend to the next few hours celebrate to go outside tonight officials have organized the first of venice in all the major parks with plenty to kick the people in to tie the singing dancing skates and even skiing and also late on plays the shows of music and traditional russian holiday films something that's right the weather of course the news only warm as well we've been out here for a couple of our thought i don't know if we can say the same but you resilience much colder freezing actually this time of year now the temperatures temperatures just hovering around zero into the air as well was lovely and that means there will be minimum frostbite as people celebrate out on the streets and maps them out on holiday in moscow and across russia for those of course we don't want to celebrate under the stars the restaurants bars clubs cafes and there are all open all night

and the majority i'm lucky right now have a full. days off it's very not included nine days off then some holidays they also cover orthodox christmas with the family graded on the seventh of january so plenty of time then to get some well. for another year of work listen to those incredible fireworks so his to twenty twelve without his very best wishes to everyone for moscow to say can't make every know it and this scenario the whole team in the background here as well on the river side beside the moscow river where the kremlin lit up behind us the fireworks still going off hopefully we can bring you a better shot of those fireworks not just around the corner from us where no we've got a camera trained on them but look absolutely stunning what a super backdrop for the on the river here as well we see the pleasure boats going up or down people reveling into the night as we usher in another new twenty.

ok well throughout december snowflakes of just sold with protesters on the streets of moscow thousands were angry at the results of russia's parliamentary election results they made up the biggest opposition demonstration in russia's recent history all through it still through the devons although the demonstrations postell peacefully though despite some momentous predictions let's discuss that now with a correspondent like our entire odd shape hi there kyra no no you're only is three so central moscow tonight. these were the biggest protests today in the russian the ministry take kids through the rallies it. was a very happy new year to everybody were here in red square it's very loud very noisy fireworks going off of course this year seeing some of the biggest protests in russia in the past two decades the past united russia winning two hundred thirty

eight seats all the foreigners fifty in the parliament those results of the summer for at the elections bringing out some many people onto the streets december tenth on both lists where you had protests there results showing about twenty five thousand people showing of course opposition claiming that there are about fifty thousand people again on december twenty eighth another result of the protest about fifty thousand thirty thousand people excuse me showing up their opposition claiming one hundred twenty thousand people calling for fair and free elections a mate's claims of ballot box stuffing and fraud so definitely a lot of people coming out onto the streets but for the moment right now everyone celebrating new year's having a great time and it's very noisy here as you can see. it is and before you disappear and enjoy yourself nobody also just want to use or bring your sub today with the thoughts about how the government dealt with it how did the crew. would

react. well the kremlin actually their reaction was very positive the government apparatus president mediates even prime minister putin do insist that it is the right of the people to come out and voice their opinion they do stand behind the people's right to speak right to voice their vote so to speak so that in that regard it has been a very positive reaction not to mention president made a divot did address the situation and he sort of proposes many reforms mostly having to do with the parties in the way that they're elected at the moment you have something of ten thousand votes needed he wants to drop down that number to five hundred the way that presidents are run for election at the moment in order to run for the presidency an independent candidate needs something around two million votes a two million signatures and he would like that number dropped as well to something of three hundred thousand not to mention you have governors in russia at the moment be on the elected by the president polls also have been put forth so that governors

are elected by the people the way it was back in the ninety's and they did it the way with that back in the two thousand so now we have yet to see how those proposals will play out in twenty twelve but definitely a good reaction so far from the government and the president. but what about the opposition we spoke to produce one of our guests just before midnight who is leading it now and is it going greater influence what's the food supply. while there are many different faces to the opposition you do have at the moment brokered of who actually put it is big for presidency and he is one of russia's billionaires the owner of the american basketball team the new jersey nets he hopes to completely a real lacked the parliament at the moment if he is elected president you also how many many names eduardo enough will actually today earlier to. they did have

a protest something like two hundred people showed up he was arrested and he was released on paying a fine of people to not to mention body snippets of a very popular opposition figure supported actually a very well known to be supported by washington's national endowment for democracy and aleksei money who is calling for a million man marches actually honest blog he is well known for the anti corruption activists and not so well known for his nationalistic line of russia is for russians who are sort of anti-government movement so a lot of different phrases in the opposition of. course the story harlow rejoinder the cover of we will be covering it thoroughly throughout this coming year from now covered thank you. will be both have been gathering in syntagma square throughout the evening in the

greek capital which will both come twenty two probably just two hours time under two hours time now this is where as members of the mouth of the protests throughout the year and actually something a lot more like it sounds in moscow with these far worse lots of protests monson tear gas that running the country has seen its fair share of violence like i said gas and destruction let's talk to sara for a few days enough and has been covering the greek protests throughout the year and thanks for being with business new year's sarah there must be a different feeling on thing tagg must wear now that compared to the rest of the year people are coming to celebrate i assume. that's not you know first of all a very happy new year kulit most case from us we here in greece still think in fairness to celebrate treat isn't as g.p. leighton as in a positive because of course it's been an extremely tough year for the people who. like debts like better. at bias thirty matches that have really affected just say

many people here in the country in real terms and many people that's meant job losses and he cheats numbers it's meant tax hikes is meant cause to social services he's seen a new wave of homelessness spring up in the country in the impacts of what has happened in the last year again to be felt certainly internet2 for low long time to come here in the country and throughout the year he said has made everyone very very nervous about what the year ahead holds as we've been finding out from some of the people here today on the streets of greece. i'm not optimistic you know here in greece everything is a really bad saward to solve in any plans for for being better the streets expect an uprising here in greece because people won't stand any more those cuts very difficult very difficult here look one thing for christmas.

that covering the event terry that the last year was really being marked by is the he's made invasion of the people taking to the streets to have their say and to really try and bring about real change here in the country because of course as the euro crisis has continued we've seen the un's anytus continued inability really to stem the own going situation and the people here have certainly made their voices heard in many ways this year it was greece that one of the smallest members of the euro you say that really made everyone sit up and take note of what was going on with this year crisis and of course we see that spread to so many other countries in the usa as well going forward into the next instantly people here are going to want to be saying much more decisive action. but they're what kind of changes i mean actual changes can we expect over the next coming of lungs from this new green government in two thousand and twelve. well the next year is going to pretty

crucial for greece best to see the next few months the decisions that are getting to be made again feels very very closely because greece is he she was in the euro is indeed the future of the year are you saying itself has never been more uncertain in fact we were asked to put that on what would be happening in twenty twelve well even taking a real gamble with your money because one thing the euro crisis has been monks by is uncertainty and certainly there are no guarantees now moving forward what's going to happen any years' time this might not be worth the paper it's printed on you know what they tonight is media and the people here are going to want to celebrate and have a temporary reprieve from what's been an incredibly tough year instantly there's going to be hard times ahead. all right our sara perth reporting live from athens where people are celebrating the upcoming new year's and will reach out in just under two hours of course after a very difficult two thousand and eleven thanks erin happy new years to you and.

more analysis of the situation in greece and indeed the rest of the eurozone which has been going through its toughest economic test yet. talk to a professor of the u. competition lord of the university of berlin one of our experts as we talk to assert a lot of last year dr marcus coverage joining us on the line from paris. thank you for being with us tonight this appreciated it's been a tough year as we were saying there for the whole you are with the fate of the single currency hung by a thread still what do you think twenty twelve is likely to bring. about two thousand and twelve is going to be the decisive you will be you are the we have to boo breaking decisions. which means that we could even take into consideration whether or not to split up the euro area of the euro will not survive anyway so you are a rescue correct as we have see this form one of the have used but no we're not be able. to continue because it is only curing the syndromes treating the symptoms

without trying to put an end to the fundamental mismatch within the eurozone but there is a lack of competitiveness for some countries so that we have a sub optimal currency area this is the fundamental problem either we are going to solve it all the asking to be. even a unilateral split up of the eurozone. leaders or course very level best they say to try and solve it the set to meet again at the end of january to discuss a new interim government treaty to ensure those tough budget controls are not deeper fiscal union everyone's been talking about will it be enough the big question of course. it is not enough and it is too italy unsuitable to bring an end to the euro crisis because it doesn't cure the fundamental mismatch which we have in the us and we will not solve this by tightening fiscal control or

even going further to fiscal union going further to fiscal union or to having tighter fiscal printers mean that the nation states give up a fundamental part of democratic policy that is to say fiscal policy taxes that they no longer decide about major param it is of their national sovereignty i think that would be great for systems apart from that that it will not solve the competitive last competitive just problem of least portugal spain and perhaps italy so we have to find a totally new method a new approach to the problems of the euro currency area otherwise. we will have and meeting some brussels which will be outdated with decisions being mixed with misunderstandings which are lagging behind the markets the markets are expecting tough decisions for structural reform of the eurozone in order to melt this down to something which is. homogeneous to survive all of those things will bring those q

of the problems. ok thank you for your thoughts of the program it is much appreciated professor view competition law at the technical university of berlin dr marc is on the line from paris thank you. well twenty twelve is yet to reach the united states of course where the east coast is. more scope of what it does a roi that promises to be a busy year and see cool fruits occupy protests will go on the economy in the wook is the small matter of a presidential election barack obama's running for a second term but against who is still to be decided let's cross to the big apple known get some more insights maltese report a very happy new year to you well for us at least good to see you again obama's approval rating a slump since he was elected one of the reasons for this and whatever happened to yes we can. well it seems as though that yes we can slogan

was a lot easier to chant at stadiums while campaigning then turning into action when assuming office because for the past three years u.s. president barack obama has faced an increasing amount of disappointment among his peers for volunteers former voters and when he came into office those that supported him enough health temp break records when it came to campaign contributions that he received did see obama come into office and under the umbrella of the promise of change and then followed on an extended what many perceive to be bush era policies such as doubling down on the patriot act and extending tax cuts for the rich also increasing drone attacks in this at the same time corporate profits have increased here in the united states. over the past

three years while more americans are suffering in the wake of the financial crisis so while many americans put their beliefs and their hopes into candidate obama three years ago many have been publicly speaking out over their disappointment with regards to the actions that he has taken i spoke with one person recently that said when they voted for him they really thought that they were voting for someone that was going to stand up on behalf of the american people and defend all the hard working americans and now they feel that barack obama ultimately is part of the so-called one percent the that the occupy wall street movement has a point. still some way off how does obama called obama's competition shaping up at this point is really would be worried. well it looks as though according to polls that u.s.

president obama will possibly most likely secure a second term and there are two candidates that he should be obviously paying much attention to and i would say that mitt romney and ron paul because those are the two republican candidates that are leading the polls in iowa where the first us caucus will take place on january third so there is competition for us president barack obama it's not a landslide by any means. but he does at least almost half of the country's approval rating so going into a second term a possible second term that doesn't look so bad but it will be a fierce election one we will be reporting on and paying attention to you in the meantime happy new year's to the both of you guys there in moscow. do as well of course you'll be seated couple of. live from new york which is a sort of ring in the new year which comes in just under. no no sugar that's right

really no no no is ok well thing with us now we can cross to boston prison in flight and pinion from one rock obama's political libels she is the executive director of the libertarian party is not a party you hear a lot about how your party is the largest and fastest growing political board in america what makes you different to the republicans and democrats and how come we hear so little about libertarians in the us media. the republicans in the democrats are basically big government they raise taxes increase government wage wars and get all all over the backs of businesses which hurts our job market the libertarian party fields candidates who are much who are for much smaller government for downsizing big government for staying out of foreign entanglements for lower taxes less regulation much less government.

and the republicans and democrats all been threatened months arguing over laws someone's not even yours i'm different are the two parties in reality in terms of domestic and foreign policy if we focus in on. the democrat republican politicians are virtually the same ones wearing a blue jersey wonder wearing a red jersey they're like a football team both playing the same game their rhetoric tries to draw distinction tries to make one look for peace and one for war as one for welfare and one against one for higher taxes lower taxes but the reality is if you look at their voting records they are both voting for higher government spending higher taxes they're sending our troops to war all over the world and they are encroaching on the economy and hurting the job market they are virtually indistinguishable the libertarian party in contrast is the opposite we're for shrinking government were for getting government off of people's backs and. both in their private lives and

in the economy and they're in our businesses so that we create jobs so that we restore american prosperity. but how much political leverage do parties like yours actually have in terms of influencing the political system in america. our potential fall into influencing the reelect the elections is huge which is why they keep trying to keep us out of the limelight and trying to block our campaigns in a number of ways but the despite their efforts the libertarian party is growing we now have a republican and a day ron paul running for president who is actually winning in the polls in iowa stands a chance to actually become the president of the united states who is running on a libertarian agenda we also have libertarian candidates vying for the libertarian nomination for president as well as libertarians up and down the ticket at local office state office and federal office all of these candidates pose a potential for winning or for changing the outcome of the election or to minimum

changing the conversation of the election so voters start to realize that they do have a choice for much smaller government. it's kind of in here for you for most school i would have a chip if i could president obama's though baking is paid for reelection are there any real low to tips to him at the moment do you think. most certainly the most notable right now is republican ron paul who i mentioned is is a lifetime member of the libertarian party and running on a libertarian agenda he has proposed shrinking the federal budget by one trillion dollars by bringing our troops home by ending the federal reserve which controls our money in the united states there is most certainly an alternative to president obama. in that candidate and the libertarian party is expected to field candidates as well former governor gary johnson of the state of new mexico recently announced his bid for the libertarian. a nation we have legal rights in

a host of other candidates also vying for the nomination for the libertarian party will present a stark alternative to president obama's big government policy is. going to last question what are your predictions for the next twelve months of american politics. well you know i don't like to go too far on this question because alternately we need to give voters a choice and let them be the ones who decide and polls are often wrong and predictions are often wrong but that said i think it's fair to say that something very different is happening in america this year the poor economy is getting people more and more frustrated the endless entanglements and foreign wars that never panned out to be what they are they claim to be. and the fact that democrats and republicans have reached repeatedly failed to do anything to write the economy or to stop the encroachment on our personal liberties high taxes and big government so

there is a rise with the tea party movement with a libertarian movement with strong libertarian candidates in this country like we have never seen in my lifetime we stand a real chance this year and in coming years to turn american politics around and start to truly downsize government and restore freedom. whole executive director of the libertarian party of the u.s. joining us live from boston the thanks ever so much as you said earlier on for a happy new year to you. well you know never good know where the arab spring uprisings were arguably the most significant events in the last twelve months protests are still raging across the region even after regimes were toppled let's go now to our correspondent reena good news because she's in the egyptian capital for us hargrove it was one of the center of the arab spring uprising egypt of course where. you are this new year's eve an uprising in february saw president

mubarak forced out it was the second country hit by the so-called arab spring revolutions after tunisia share your experience the pomeranian that. well of course as you mentioned the first it was to media where the uprising started which essentially gave birth to the entire phenomena of this so-called arab spring that on the words spreading throughout the entire northern african region we saw been a lead toppled in tunisia then we saw hosni mubarak go down in egypt and of course finally was down to leave with the ousting of more of our khadafi and his subsequent death of course poverty unemployment corruption the lack of freedom of speech all of these things were what people in all of these countries were asking for of course whether or not they actually got them as a whole entire question it was a very very trying year for all of these countries in some cases like in tunisia after the ousting of ben ali and some of the things that they have asked for they have not gotten the unemployment has gone up poverty has actually increased some of

the regions are still to me a still remaining unintended for in egypt clashes continue of course then in libya the national transitional council still is suffering from the internal strife unable to decide to exactly will leave the countries so whereas the situation was very streamlined complicated all of these places with bloodshed violence and demonstrations of course all of this is now behind in the year of two thousand and eleven we have yet to see what the year two thousand and twelve will bring. what exactly re doha is covered here or you're told to the three revolutions there that brought change to the our world the one of the other countries seeing protests which have not resulted in a change of power what future for them. well of course the we have bahrain we have again and we have syria all of these countries are also going through an extremely difficult situation right now. in fact russian foreign minister sergei lavrov. said

there is an all out civil war going on in yemen there were clashes between the protesters and police today in bahrain and we always get the same reports from syria with the rumored thousands of people supposedly killed them slashes with the governments hopefully the situation those countries will soon unravel in a different way with less bloodshed with less violence and hopefully the year two thousand and twelve will be happy one for them as well as for the entire region. exactly artie's the ridiculous could live from the egyptian capital this thank you ever so much kyra of course set to ring in the new year just want to i was off to moscow. to go. but we have some news just in for you in fact this new year's eve u.s. president barack obama has signed into law the latest round of tough sanctions against iran this is something we've been talking about the past couple of days just coming up to new year's is expected to ratchet up the pressure on the islamic

nations with relations between the two countries already at an all time low well he also brought into force the legal light of the u.s. military to detain terror suspects indefinitely without charge trial or even the right to a lawyer but going back now to the arab spring for you this evening as our special coverage continues let's turn to london for some more insight from dr markets look and into politics first magazine thanks for being with us this evening the birds are rising into news began over a year ago and saw president ben ali leave the country now that free elections have been held do news ins truly have something to celebrate for this new year. when i think it would it would take a very brave political commentator to try and predict the future especially of a region like the middle east but on the positive science fiction is it suffered the least amount of blocks and bloodshed and violence of all the countries which are involved in the average spring or the arab awakening that's perhaps it should

be cool it's an.