welcome back this is these are the week's top stories. polling stations have closed and the vote counting has begun in syria's referendum on a new constitution which could put an end to fifty years of single possible there was reportedly a high turnout even though it was boycotted by the opposition. u.s. intelligence agencies agree there is no evidence tehran is building nuclear weapons but israel ramps up the pressure with continued threats of a military strike. thousands of people have joined hands in

a chain of protests calling for elections in russia the activists formed a sixteen kilometer human brain around moscow city center a week before the country chooses its next president. students and teachers again march in and go for education conference spain as the euro crisis tightens its grip around the mad with greece is breathing a sigh of relief as the ulead is finally approved an eleventh hour bailouts to stave off default up next takes you on a journey to russia's fourth largest city nizhny novgorod traditional russian to some of oz and plenty here and a plenty and a visit over the gas car factory are not for now a special report coming your way right now. for almost eight hundred years has stood along the banks of the volga river and it's one of european russia's most picturesque cities is the fourth largest in the country an important economic and cultural center and home to one point three

million people. steadily one of the better waterfront views of nice name you can see where the river meets the volga and also take a good look at the city's famous market and some of its churches. streets are filled with echoes of its past from the statues that line the promenade to the city's beautiful range of architecture but it's also home to a modern business community and one of the biggest markets here is transport. so this is a. minibus they're everywhere in russia cheap reliable and if you're very lucky really comfy. and seventy percent of them are made. and they're made by guys one of the city's most famous brands they've been

producing automobiles since the one nine hundred thirty s. and all the classics are on display in the company music. so you can see that used to produce some pretty snazzy family vehicles including the famous boulder which every soviet citizen wanted to own but it's commercial vehicles that have always been the company's. back in. this very first thing that rolled off the production line. the guy has a. they still make trucks today. of course along side the mission because.

gas is seen some tough times but production is now on the increase and it's all overseen by swedish c.e.o. bowen dessen who previously worked for general motors for more than twenty years. and see if i can grab among the big smoke this stuff. like excuse me strengthen james brown the company thank you very much for having us on having you got a minute to tell us more about your company but off the. i've been looking at the museum so you can already see there's a long history with sweetness and you know the road on gas how important do you think this factory and company offer the city begins extremely important i mean first next year we're turning eighteen years. psycho only to go through been anything noble old love the seventy five without the whole nation building we have three plants here of frequent lexus is a lot of business three thousand hectares of land. and there's fifteen thousand

employees are expecting a busy time ahead that churning out one of the most popular mini buses the gas micro bus on this line and each component is fitted in a matter of seconds they each cost around fourteen thousand dollars and they can produce four hundred every day. then once the puzzles been put together there's just a few final checks to take care of. sort of the last test that they do. make sure the inside cars waterproof see. with my fingers firmly crossed into the college. ok as you can see i was prepared for the spots i can safely say these are very good job. but dr. point tour of gas was almost over but unfortunately my new minibus wasn't taking me

home but at least in a commercial vehicles company you can always hitch a lift in something. i started with a very modern factory but now i want to get a feel from this nice cultural life well you might not think it to look around here but when it is almost over there's a few buds up here on the trees i'll always come to this old village to have a look at a very traditional. rite of spring new right. to be light on your feet for the celebration. of the room she's on. her. this big black berry because. sadly my tank spills on. much of the break to join olga and find out a little more about what was going on. for. some time.

too old for this previous who don't know so what's going on here then there is a bit of marrow making going on here spring has come the snow is melting away when you call those who with two dition it's a festive occasion. and it's been celebrated for well over a century mothers would bake shaped biscuits and when everyone how to treat it was time for the procession. everybody sings and books around the village leaving a biscuit on the door of every house. the idea of putting these little birds here is that they're supposed to attract the real well then fly down and bring spring with.

the nesting locks were regarded as a good omen meant to protect the villages homes from fire and disease and finally when the biscuits are thrown into the air it's believed they become part of spring itself. but if you're taking part in this ritual you might want to keep an eye on your new friends. the way it's apparent i've got some spring inside. and this snow is also supposed to be good for your health. always go right down my neck. now that spring had officially sprung i was eager to continue my sightseeing and all got pointed me in the direction of one of the area's most popular tourist spots this has got to do that it literally means little town in russian and it's one of the most picturesque

places in the news media of growed region originally though it was founded as a front here outpost and it's the place where the most famous russian warrior principal time i was on the nevski died. over the centuries gora jets gained an enviable reputation renowned for its painting architecture and woodwork and down by the riverside there's a house where the old arts are still practiced nowadays the artists make souvenirs and entertain the hundreds of visitors who pass through here every week. well i think. these guys tackle the brushwork today but i'm still going to take on something birch additional and very russian but it's much more up my street. burst back in the day having a couple was a very elaborate affair in all my time in russia i'd never had tea from a some of our gary jets boast the largest exhibition in the country it seemed like

a good place to break the habit there are some of us here that date back to the seventeenth century from single person pots to ones that can hold more than fifty liters of water but always talking really was making me thirsty. but i've got to have a drink so. let's go ok. but there was still some serious preparations to take care of. there's a good. getting the sum of all going takes time once you've got it your water you need to put in plenty of kindling light it up. or go on. more pile on the charcoal yellow now we give it some air. you have done only way you. can put on the chimney. and now we wait not to but it was pretty cold outside and i was getting

a little impatient yes i mean it's long yeah. ok let's take this off ok now i'm lost for each. to get on top but apparently the russians had an ingenious method to turn up the heat you just needed to give it a good showing ok that's. open to my. point of. doesn't taste of. going to be very tasty and i've heard of. the wellington. boots did the job admirably and with all some of our steaming we headed into the dining room to be greeted by a fantastic spread. saw through all that effort i think this is

a cup or the deserves a bit of ceremony and they definitely do afternoon tea here and there are idiots. it was a very civilized way to end my trip together and yes but sadly i haven't come to the news new region for tea and cakes. all. the time for relaxation was over ok well it wouldn't be discovering russia if i didn't do something bizarre and potentially dangerous outdoors so i've come here to a place called extreme land to see what they've got to offer. it's set in several hectares of land around an hour's drive from but they promise it's worth the trip ok well this looks interesting it seems that one of the most popular activities here involves inflatable fruits going very fast i guess i need to cry out i think

if i fall off the extreme but on a. this is a put. your. hand attached to another snowmobile but was given a tour of the complex. even gripping on for dear life one save you on the stage. so this is going to. take two. zero. zero zero to several more crashes i might be around to rest but here is extreme lands they make you put up or shut up. those who are still. growing. so i thought i was going to break. harmony it's time.

to show that a little bit intends. to. have no idea what i'm going royce. people with this royal. it seems that if i wanted my lumps i was going to have to point for my food and he's a watching the celebrity gladiator programmes would eventually come in handy. maybe launch filled cubes but believe me you still don't want to get smacked in the wrong place for. the bottle went back and forth behind you in the end of the brain even highly tactical assault on the red team would see very. well. so.

that there can be quite a comedown once the adrenaline ways off. who ever thought inflatable things could be so dangerous. in this case of ducking when our good boy. i had suffered enough for one day and i was ready to head back to the safety of the city it was time to explore more of nizhny novgorod itself i just needed to find someone to give me her around. culture is that so much as. we should call it. the price of crude stubbornly high and consumers feel the pinch but why are energy prices so high you

see the lack of supply and security. an issue free clinic ation free transport charges free. maintenance free. free. to tide free. download free broadcast quality video for your media projects and free media. i don't see seen plenty of the outskirts of nizhny novgorod but it was time to get out and take a proper look at the regions capital. so it's good to get a bit of. these trips so i'm off to meet a man who's going to help me get to know. a little bit. but. i want to show.

siegfried moved here from germany back in two thousand and six within a few months he was married getting regular work as a translator and he's lived ever since so what would you say some of your favorite things are about the city it just the russian. this oh i will show you some of them and you will visit one of these. right in the crable this huge stone citadel was built from fifteen hundred to fifteen eleven but most of its original buildings were destroyed during the soviet union nowadays it houses news news local. evident but it's still an imposing place to walk right in the heart of the city. these monuments and architecture have earned a place on eunice caus one hundred cities of the world of great cultural and historical value and secret had one more striking example for me.

please have a look at this beautiful old building it was built in the nineteenth century and it was the house of. tradesmen rise to the successful true regional museum what do you think visitors to news the north court can expect. they can expect. a very friendly. with much. sides. and that's hospitality also applies to one of ms knees most cutting edge attractions. so finally i could back up corner and turn with complete precision and that meant i was ready to head to a brand new just the landmark. so i think we've probably got the worst conditions you could possibly have for driving it's a day to be inside or at the very least walk but here in the road there is

a place where you can burn rubber. whatever the weather. you're looking for me and i think. i meant let's check this place up so. i feel ok. so he works at the end ring the country's only f.i.f.a. approved motor sport circuit. all right you're at the major model sports venue in russia entering the start as in ring yeah so you've got the right and frank how they're all right here to the right building the main building so there's going to be a lot of people there yes through last summer. though and you've still got things to build some wintry techniques and snow yeah ok and now while they're after practicing here they were driving away safer on the roads and this sort of thing

you'll you'll be teaching me a few tricks as well the. brakes. were. the first turn is the most challenging one of the biggest number of precious understand the race pace could. barely see a thing that was looping going just be able to get a feel for the bus again was able to give me a few good tips because those are going here and you try to slow the shortest possible distance. here you. go that's a bit more the next we'll just do a straight guess refused to go my lap time down which was useful because i had a different type of challenge ahead of you know a bridesmaid so if you can do it the way that's right you. want to rest of them i think we do. know it's

a busy month. we decided we'd do five laps i was getting the better things on the streets of those coolers were still proving tricky. point and draw. like you know. safe and secure in jamestown is a tenant. going to win me any races so i have the accelerator. to photo hole and squeeze cost on this. number coming over to take. ok i'm probably not going to make the championships but if i ever get into a wintry caught i'm source it's. my need for

speed was still unfulfilled fortunately down by the banks of the volga there's plenty more where that came from now over the chance to try out some pretty false machines on discovering russia but in the nizhni novgorod region they've created a monster piece of merits own design and she's a record breaker. these are a crown a plane it's a cross between a ship and an airplane and they're the fastest commercial amphibious vehicle on the planet. they're designed to effectively fly on a cushion of air just above the water's surface and were originally developed under a cloak of secrecy in the one nine hundred sixty s. but after the soviet union collapsed so did the project and it's only recently that small of versions have been built here in the news new region by rubin and his company and the aqua glowing five is their pride and joy motion picture of a star in. the body of the place and see how light.

takes a five liter i'm a sadie's engine runs on petrol and she's designed as an art market water taxi. so here we have it a fully functional i could glide for life because. the fact that this river is frozen won't matter a jot we're still going to be able to fly. and he can see he even looks like a plane cockpit inside here as well so i think for a change i'm going to take a break from driving and just relax for this one. once more it was time to sit back enjoy the ride and wait for the speedometer to reach the magic number. so we just crossed the one hundred kilometer an hour barrier and now we have liftoff. literally flying across the ice now.

and that was just the start we moved post one hundred seventy kilometers an hour and despite the speed it was still an incredibly smooth trip if you do happen to have a spare half million dollars lying around when highly recommend. called believe i was already flowing just a couple of centimeters above this river. that is a pretty special taxi ride sadly i was going to have to hit the roads again if i wanted to get back to moscow. but i still wanted to pick up some authentic new psni souvenirs and for those there's really only one place to go. haven't been elevated to the aristocracy but i think the grandest gift shop that i've ever seen is this region is the birthplace of one of russia's most famous and lavish painting styles and it has souvenir is fit for a king. this is whole folk arts it was developed here in the seventeenth century

and almost four hundred years old the industry is still thriving. the style takes simple items then paints them to give them an appearance of great value and my going oksana was ready to show me how it was done. so this is as me would involve me to live like clay but then it has the special oil applied to it which shines it up and then the ladies here it's on this album a name out of them almost ready to be fired. but first to go through one more process. this. base method to go. is a serious business the factory employs nearly sixteen hundred people and customers will pay a high price for their work and there's almost no limit to what they'll paint. it's a great custom jobs that goes well i think i'd be afraid to click that one of

damage if i wasn't in the market for a laptop but i did want something original to take home so it's on offer to help me in a little d.i.y. project. some. tips i was working with the traditional colors of red and black but i don't really go in for broad strokes here . small delicate lines and then suddenly it just all came together. and see this news amazing how your artistic abilities can develop just a little concentration. pointer to the news we know good region has been a roller coaster rolling on scene modern business is visited historical monuments and tried my hand at the delicate and dainty to just plain dangerous secret was

right whether you're a culture buff an adrenaline junkie or just posting through. will welcome you in with open arms.