the end of foreign backing for terrorism and the formation of a new government president assad outlines his views on how syria could finally be at peace. no fall from the fiscal cliff president obama pushes up taxes at the eleventh hour striking a deal with congress that now really prevented a nationwide financial disaster that critics say there is still no long term solution in sight. and plus the f.b.i. lands itself in hot water after choosing not to warn the leaders of the occupy wall street movement about a plot to assassinate the. u.k. prime minister says he's ready to order the armed forces to war over the falklands

after the argentinean president publicly demanded the return of the island's. film icon gerard that produces this for their own year to france as he gets a russian passport after a dramatic falling out with his native land over a fierce new tax hike on the wealthy. with a look back at the top stories of the last seven days and the latest developments this is the weekly here on our. the syrian leader has outlined his vision on how to end almost two years of continued civil conflict one of the key conditions for peace according to president bashar al assad is for regional and international powers to stop supporting armed groups artie's election was following what he said

. well there has certainly been rather interesting quotes coming from the syrian president he in fact called to hold an international reconciliation conference. and the violence and the military conflict which is going on be going on for almost two years now in syria and this initiative according to assad will lead to a national wide referendum and fair election which is the only way according to the syrian president that the political landscape in this country can be changed but this initiative can only be possible according to assad if the western countries and some regional countries as he put it stop investing into terrorist groups which are fighting to overthrow. his regime has been again pretty much a defined don't think that the only way that syria will listen to the outside world is through a device not through a dictating will this speech of the syrian president comes amid very serious

concerns about the safety of journalists working in syria the year has only just started but already we have a syrian a pro governmental journalist killed this week who was wounded and then taken to the hospital where he later died also my own colleague from r.t. arabic station he got injured among a group of other journalists who were covering the movement of a governmental convoy through the country. says that they were shot at by the rebels despite wearing special jackets with the word press on them there also has been an ongoing story of a ukrainian journalist on how to question about who's been missing and nobody knows where she is and whether she's actually alive but the reports that she was kidnapped by the rebels and there was a ransom demand that for her release outraged many organizations with the reports that syria has already been named as the most dangerous country in the world for

journalists to work at certainly things are not looking any better at the moment. president assad has said that his government is not willing to negotiate with those opposition groups which he considers to be puppets of the west earlier my colleague bill dodd spoke to a political analyst marcus papadopoulos thing belief that assad will have a hard job finding any that aren't when president assad says he's not going to talk to the opposition he's rushed into the armed opposition the so-called free syrian army and his political wing of the syrian national council which is a form based opposition movement and it's very important to make this clear in particular for western audiences who are unfortunately not read the full picture it comes to syria the free syrian army is a lethal cocktail or various groups including many islamist groups and many groups linked to al qaida and the free syrian army or the f.s.a. it's more commonly referred to you has been responsible for heinous vial terrorist

attacks in the last couple of years in syria so it's it's it's pretty clear why president assad will not talk to the armed opposition and its political wing and the political wing being the syrian national coalition which of course is influenced by the e.u. in the u.s. so who is there left to talk to then much of the opposition is influenced by the west who does he talk to next then this is another important point to clarify there is a domestic opposition. parties which want to see political change in syria but they do not extremist groups islamist groups for example which reside in the syrian national council and also in the free syrian army. almost two years of anti-government protests change little in bahrain fresh prey reform demonstrations against the wall of a police crackdown some experts say it's their brutality that is fueling the uprising coming up and orthodox believers the world over are celebrating the birth

of christ there will be more on the spectacular ceremony later in the program. early this week barack obama worked out a last minute tax hike deal with congress to stop the country falling off the so-called fiscal cliff economists feared a slip back into recession if washington failed to implement the reform of the bush era tax code the wealthiest or income tax go up and middle class households will also see their tax bills rise charlie mcgrath from wide awake news says creating a sense of panic over the problem has helped the u.s. government ignore than. an enemy when the cameras are off and it's time to pass a trillion dollar nearly trillion dollar defense bill they have no problem whatsoever coming to coming together and holding hands up with that kind of a deal together since two thousand and one namely we've been covering this nation by proxy the world by crisis and it doesn't matter who gets hurt who is good who

gets work by the wayside as long as a special interest is served so is long as it's always under the shadow of a crisis. where it's only when it has to do with acting in behalf of the people of this nation it seems like the people always take a backseat when artie's economics expert max kaiser thinks the deal might bring short term relief but does nothing to address the underlying problems. the fiscal cliff is just more theater. trying to distract from the underlying root catastrophe that is a bunch of. manipulating the system. the strong economy this fiscal cliff is just more drama more theater and it doesn't really focus on the true underlying problems and we're going to see more of this going forward in two thousand and thirteen. the tension from the mob. and they're going after these people they want to just delay that. many months if they can but that

day of reckoning. it's. cause report has more predictions in store for the new year and you can watch it any time take. british prime minister david cameron says he's willing to fight to keep control of the falkland islands he comes after the argentinean president sent him an open letter calling for negotiations over the disputed territory which the team nations for a war in one thousand nine hundred eighty two. has the details. i asked this question in an interview whether britain would fight to keep the fox and islands and prime minister david cameron saying of course they would say he made his position extremely clear if an attempt was made by argentina to retake the folk

and islands that military treats would be destroyed by britain so absolutely very clear on the very strong rhetoric coming from the prime minister david that ishy this comes on the back of argentina's president making these accusations. the focus not as a stolen from argentina by britain i think she called it nineteenth century colonialism and i think some concern for people here today that you know this is something very much focused on in the course of the n.t. this is some of the strongest statement that of course say the shattering a little bit some of the other very important issues that are happening on a national level at the moment here in the country we've got the cuts to child benefit coming in this week she say that i'll go to the house of commons it's very important issues here at home at the moment of course a lot of people say we're talking about fighting a war somewhere else where she was fighting our own battles here in the country. nearly thirty years since we saw the end the focus well it definitely has

a very strong resonance with people here in britain that we've seen this this ultimate kick off again as i said we've had very strong comments from the president in argentina is also of course come in. and it's been discovered that there are large oil reserves of course i think that's really going to play a big part in seeing this contest over the island between britain and argentina really heating up again it doesn't look like it's going away well journalist and blogger neil clark believes the falklands issue came up at the right time for the british prime minister. but david cameron it's a great issue that it's come up again because the economy here is in dire straits in britain austerity is really biting people are very unhappy with what he's doing and so i see you know. the falklands issue and i think that cameron is very much hoping that this was back to the green back the average of ninety two and the

people's attentions here from the very popular things that he's doing but for this issue to come up now is a very trying week because the government is well down of the opinion polls and government is really unpopular i can't recall him becoming so popular so quickly and so i think that he will want to keep this in the news headlines is why he's reacted in such a sort of strong failing to deliver on his promises president obama has approved a new pentagon spending bill along with all its controversial provisions the law keeps one ton of open and allows the u.s. military to play terrorists or terrorist suspects for as long as it likes more on that shortly but. the jew trades while in the loop for vodka and the ball surely theatre the now former french actor enjoyed his first day as a russian at the black sea resort of sochi along one very special guest we'll tell you who that was just a little later in the program. a recently obtained

f.b.i. documents shows the bureau knew of a plan to use me to assassinate occupy wall street leaders but gave them no warning instead it chose to keep spying on the movement which it branded a domestic terrorist group arena portnoy or as the story for us. well it's not clear yet why the f.b.i. would neglect to tell activists that there was a potential assassination plot surrounding them what we do know is that new documents obtained by the partnership for the civil justice find u.s. human human and civil rights advocacy organization have revealed that the u.s. the f.b.i. the department of homeland security the u.s. military and private corporations all cooperated together to monitor and investigate occupy wall street protesters as quote domestic terrorists and quote criminals now the more shocking revelation the headline of this story is that

reportedly buried deep within the government. mentions of a plan to use snipers to assassinate occupy protesters in the movement's leaders in various cities throughout the to prove to be taking place in the fall of two thousand and eleven and now they're into the groups individuals. for civil justice fund received the f.b.i. documents on december twenty second so this is fairly new information and this was after they filed a request under the freedom of information after now many civil rights attorneys previously have accused the f.b.i. of functioning as a de facto intelligence arm for u.s. corporations during the occupy wall street movement especially as it grew bigger however some critics say they never ever suspected that the f.b.i.

would neglect to tell occupy protesters u.s. citizens about an assassination plot surrounding them protests calls for a full police finally lashing out at anti-government rallies it is a picture of bahrain has been seeing for nearly two years now i would need to be open with a regime willing to budge demonstrators have dug in and continue to be a transition to a democratically elected government as my darwish from the european bahraini organization for human rights claims police brutality no one even the innocent. here you see forces who are working for the ministry of interior and migraine are practicing and all to by an end and all to by a nations to human rights when confronting when pro-democracy protests and behind the protestors here inviting although they are those radical and protestors they are the minority and not the majority but they are using such methods to prevent

them why didn't security forces from entering their their it their religious and attacking it on armed civilians and children like we witnessed and big you had off of the four year old child being an attack by security forces with tear gas canisters but we're heading into a short break now but stay with us because when we are but we will show you how russia's orthodox believe is not the birth of christ with a grand ceremony in the heart of moscow. mission free credit take free. car charger free. range month three. free stereotype free. download free bar video for your media project for free video don carty dot com.

well. it's technology innovation all the latest developments from around russia we've got the future of covered. hello welcome back now it is one of the holiest nights of the year for the orthodox believers all around the world as they celebrate christmas in moscow the birth of

christ is marred by a religious ceremony with hundreds of people attending a holy service in the heart of the right. is that for us. here at the christ the savior cathedral the main cathedral in the russian capital in churches and cathedrals both here across russia and in all for docs communities across the world it isn't fact christmas it would be awful lot church in the in the crisis a few cathedral worshippers have packed in to take part in to listen to the liturgy chanted and to feel the presence of of the spirit of christmas eve which is here celebrated on the sixth to the seventh of january not the twenty fifth of december because of the use of the julian calendar here but the or russian orthodox church rather than the gregorian calendar in other countries after the soviet union which is just over the end of the soviet union just over twenty years ago there was a

a large gap in the number of believers after that long atheist period and even today most russians don't strictly observe the russian orthodox christmas for most russians new year is the real celebration but there is a significant number of of strict religious observers of the russian orthodox faith and for them this is an immensely special night indeed for them just as for most russians on new year's eve at large banquet is held many big dinners held and it's also a time for them to go to their church to take part in what is one of the longest services in the russian orthodox calendar but also. in the view of many believers and observers of russian orthodox faith one of the most beautiful services. and the best pictures from the cathedral service will be available online shortly.

hundreds of loyalist protesters clashed with police in the northern irish capital of belfast over the weekend the riots are an escalation of a campaign against the city's decision to fly the british union flag only on designated occasions rather than year round jason walsh from the christian science monitor things there are deeper reasons for the unrest than a flag being taken down but first it's traditionally throughout its history been a predominantly protestant i'm going to city and their latest census results show that's not really the case any longer it's not slightly it's like a republican national have still majority work out we can look for the decision itself to fly the flag only on seventeen designated days a year to go on december third. reflects this change and that seems to work struggling loyalists' a role in the flag itself because in fact flying the flag there is simply brings

into line with all the british government and civic buildings. the mere suspicion of ties to terrorism is now enough for the authorities to detain anyone in the us indefinitely without charge or trial so after president obama signed into law the new national defense authorization act this week the n b a a would also keep the infamous guantanamo bay prison open for at least another year veteran congressman dennis kucinich thinks that the new law is part of a pattern undermining democracy right now we're much more of a garrison and a garrison plus. a powerful military which keeps asserting itself globally and it doesn't make america any safer. begun presence for more what.

i and other places. i mean security and i continue to footprint around the world as far as our military the pope any time saying make sure you have got plenty of cash. well all credit card operations have been suspended and a.t.m.'s have been emptied find out why on our website dot com and also bad food lovers across the world you don't need to worry about losing weight anymore online for you we have the details of a new study which claims being overweight played along the line. egypt's muslim brotherhood is under investigation for taking billions of dollars

from the u.s. before even coming to power it's also alleged the organization used the money to fund our networks to spark violence at street protests one of the lawyers that far the complaint side made says the money was all about preserving interests and influence. this money might have been beneficial to both the american side for the muslim brotherhood while they in turn promised to secure american interests in egypt namely a u.s. air force base in the province of. dealing with the brotherhood as a political authority is permissible for funding it before it had even come to power is not we also believe that the brotherhood run cells tasked with provoking public unrest and violence are protests the former active member who quit the brotherhood spoke of such groups who carried out operations for the muslim

brotherhood benefit. other international news in brief suicide bombers have killed five people after managing to enter a government compound in sudden. arrived in a car killing a guard before detonating a bomb three members of the local council along with two other civilians fifteen people were also wounded trick of spin boldak is one of the most violent in the country and a known smuggling route. this house started a search for hundreds of people missing in. winds and very hard. to break out the weather bureau warned that the extremely hot and dry weather.

big screens dinner in his new homeland with none other than x. rays pushed on the rich by the new president and free since francois hollande took office in part thanks to be moving to russia my colleague but. let's look at the taxes and the. tax rate here of thirteen percent and.

if you look at france the forty one percent thirteen percent so you can see it very much. up to the mark for france goes up to seven the brics countries which means it is one of the emerging markets in the world but if you look at what's been happening around europe in fact in the past year we've been seeing austerity protests we've been seeing people come into the streets who are looking for jobs and in fact the unemployment rate if you look at greece twenty six percent if you look at the e.u. in general. the unemployment rate in russia only six point four percent so you can

see there are more jobs to be had here less people looking for work less dire situation but it's also an emerging market it is a diversifying market in things here locally much more stable than in the rest of the button a lot of people saying there's an awful lot of opportunity here right here in russia the biggest country on the planet interesting that the united nations is actually taking a moment to appraise russia's immigration policy is that what's what about well certainly if you look at the numbers the most recent numbers in fact show that russia is the second most desirable country for immigrants to come to only second to the united states in fact in fact it can be a little bit confusing because people look at the numbers about moscow being one of the most expensive cities for ex-pats to live with that's for ex-pats and it is true things here it is a big city it can be expensive but if you look at average cost of food it's cheaper than the rest of europe much cheaper to live here for gas prices as well now keep in mind moscow russia you know this is the biggest city in the countries of course things are going to be a little more expensive here but russian general things cheaper than regardless of

that it's just a fun place to be is and certainly is in fact the arts and the culture of the entertainment here moscow is famous for its nightlife but if you look past that we have famous musicians coming from russia famous artists famous history architecture all of that here but i'm going to say russia has always had this balance between east and west right so if you look at the orthodox culture in the western cultures i think that the real reason people come here is that you get two christmases and you get two new years. more news in half an hour coming up next though it's a documentary here nothing.

i. can. divine power in action activate the shotgun's. i am jesus we need peace we are under the control of those governing us before at the service of a space mafia i found that on that day the magnetic field of the sun will be for us to create the super got the stuff. after the second coming it will be a beautiful place it will receive its paradoxical glory it will be a renewed world and it will be a beautiful place. full of the best. little stuff this

type of ammunition. is good business for us it's kind of like being a doctor you know if there's a disaster businesses. better unfortunately. one afternoon on the shores of the ocean blue. one of those days when it feels good to be alive on the planet earth. carefree humanity.