the. catcalls and jay set the tone for cia hopeful john brennan's confirmation hearing for the bombers hand-picked man seemingly sped tougher questions over drones torture and targeted executions. tens of thousands march from spain streets amid calls for the government to go after a fresh round of budget cuts sees a spike in university fees and the end of free prescription drugs for pensioners. is stretched to breaking point as the country gears up for more protests and strikes on the day of the funeral of the opposition leader whose murder has unleashed a new anti government sentiment. and a draft a bill in the u.k.

aims to open up private online communications to the forty's there are concerns it's taking national security a step too far. around the world around the clock twenty four hours a day of course this is our to carry. now it wasn't quite the grilling that many had predicted as president obama's choice to head the cia face the senate in his confirmation hearing this session began with taunts and jeanne is for the protestors were removed well lawmakers then prodded john brennan on themes ranging from torture to drones but appear to be somewhat timid in their attack not easy going to church or can reports now on the questions that were not asked. what most

people expected to hear was how does the u.s. government make decisions as to who should be on their kill list and mr brennan would certainly be the most appropriate person to ask because he is known to have been in charge of the kill list and he's known as the architect of the administration's targeted assassinations program so the question of who the drones are targeting was critical and one of the senators asked john brennan whether there should be at least some judicial oversight over those executions by drones and here's what he said none of those actions or to determine past guilt for those actions that he took the decisions that are made or to take action so that we prevent future action to protect american lives so the rationale that john brennan gave for not going to court is that the administration is not in the business of punishing individuals but it's in the business of preventing attacks and he basically says the u.s. government could execute people who are what they haven't done yet and you would expect a follow up questions from lawmakers as to how the administration determines the

level of threat as these people constitute let's imagine an angry yemeni man who writes in his blog bag he hates america as you can see is wife died in a drone strike and he wants to take revenge is that enough to justify him being killed by a drone there are so many questions about how the administration decides to put someone on their kill list and yet there was not near enough grilling on the part of the senators to get specific answers prior to the hearing a memo was released which the justice department handed over to congress and according to the memo the government can kill people overseas even without evidence that they are actively plotting against the u.s. the paper states that the u.s. would be able to kill a u.s. citizen or non-citizen overseas went down quote an informed high level of social of the u.s. government determines that target is an imminent threat to them here for also suggest that such decisions would not be subject to judicial review and outlines a broad definition of what constitutes imminent threat. at the very beginning of

the hearing as john brennan was delivering kids' remarks he was interrupted five times or so by protesters who stood up and expressed shouted out whether their opposition to those executions senators had to take a recess for the protesters to be removed from the hearing and these protests are steered by numerous reports that the drone strikes kill innocent people as well not just suspected terrorists everybody expected a tough questions on drugs but that did not happen john brennan got away with very broad answers like the program if saving lives and that you should take the administration's word for it but a private herring now waits john brennan in order to find out technicalities but given his a performance at the senate scholar and author of exporting made in america democracy colin campbell says it's a could all set a dangerous precedent this is a complete to our constitutional rights under the fourteenth amendment do grant so

those more and equal protection of the law and here with the ministry she is doing here is they're usurping the constitutional right not needed to the american citizens and so we can be judge jury and executioner we can show american citizens abroad without them having their court we can say they are jurors and we can go there and the danger is this is when you look at ministry she says we can determine who the jurors did and that means go in the room or and kill any american citizen without any drugs without any problem and that is a very dangerous precedent. drone warfare its consequences and the morality of it all are up for debate in crosstalk today coming up but twelve thirty g.m.t. we hear how drone strikes may be breeding the very terror they seek to destroy.

this fight arithmetic in africa but it's getting worse i mean there's a new new drawn be a snow in nigeria close to mali so that you've got the west of african i as well and so it's trucking up so that we're going to have drawn b.s. is all over africa and i'm not sure what a surprise really why are we doing this well isn't it the strategic reason she's per the most effective recruitment tool for insurgents in the world david what do you think about that drones are an improvement on torture drones are in a movement of a ground war theater the arguments were being given and yet we didn't have a ground war in yemen we might need one eventually after the damage the drone strikes are doing but that this is we're being told that this type of murder is better then of their human rights abuses. or the last week has seen three major confirmation hearings with the senate seeming to flip flop on its views when i website we have more on how the three candidates

might change america's foreign policy. now tens of thousands of students and teachers have taken to the streets of spain one of the largest day of protests so far amid calls for the government to step aside spain's public sector is facing fresh cuts with a hit to education expected to be nearly five billion euros who are shit producer at artie's abruptly you agency spoke to some of the demonstrators. hundreds of people are gathered here in madrid to complain about cuts in education they are mostly students parents of students and teachers but the education is not their only concern they're also demanding the resignation of the government the government of money i know the whole has been accused of receiving bribes from private companies and opening bank accounts in switzerland look at other people you can see burton's saying calling spain the last vegas of the european union and also complaining about the lack of democracy that people are protesting and there is no

solution to their complaints the salary of a teacher. if i have to pay a mortgage and everything i can to send two kids to university i will have the money and how is privatization in the educational sector hourman education in spain well they see everything us business know that no matter what you do it ok sure should be an occasion for people to make money out of it today don't see it as a public service or not you know the whole service is the same they save you get to leave you have a problem you are a customer and you are your good they're going to make money out of you it's just a rupture and they take their money and everything to their budgets we have. no provision for the public system this has become a trademark of sonny's the most gracious after every march the sweeping trucks come rapidly and sweep all the streets leaving no evidence that there was a demonstration against the government. budgets have battle in brussels as

a fresh e.u. summit kicks off to the books traditionally like powerhouses all seeing eye to why britain leading calls for cuts to the budget for france accuses the u.k. of focusing on that just ahead. to news here is bracing itself for a third straight day of street battles friday sees the funeral of a key opposition figure. his assassination became a catalyst for the latest wave of anti-government fury the country's trade unions have also called a general strike to protest against. it some normally is the most leadership latest showdown police used tear gas the more troops stormed a group of testers chanting anti-government slogans were trying to approach the country's interior ministry in the capital tunis party's film crew is also a quarter roof national report. temperatures are still very high and tensions are

still at a very dangerous the very risky level the level that is threatening and challenging the security instability in this country has happened continuing throughout thursday we've seen many many people on the streets it's been many clashes between police and opposition supporters chant again police has been using tear gas against protesters my crew and me we've been attacked by a group of youngsters we've just because we filmed them and that tells a lot about the situation on the ground we've been hearing about similar violence in similar disturbances throughout the country especially in the southern part of tunisia where they had supporters of the ruling party have been vandalized the protests may go even more violent intentions may go even further but there has been attempts to ease the tensions in the country from prime minister if the idea was to form a government that will not be affiliated to any political party no particular government but the islamist party dominated tunisia's governing coalition rejected. ministers

decision we can understand the reason and internal political crisis it's definitely will be very hard for this country to overcome this crisis. georgia's a parliament to surging the president out of power preventing him from making his i will address his term in office doesn't end until october bill comes a part of the crackdown on dissent of the oceans of human rights abuses the details coming out. they are suffering i worked out a spectacular gonna show round off a day of celebration russia's black sea resort of sochi if you want to hear it on the most expensive winter olympics ever. u.k. government is trying to get its hands on privately where the information is drawn up a document referred to by some as the snoopers charter which looks to give authorities more rights to spy on its citizens online and despite concerns over invasion of privacy welty sarah firth looks at whether such measures could enhance national

security. the main area of concern surrounds this the draft communications data bill and proposals in it that critics say could see the public left wide open to having their facebook accounts or twitter e-mails read anything that they visit online the websites that they gayety logs by the government now understandably those plans to prevent hugely controversial with critics labeling it the snoop is charter now perhaps more concerning is the latest report by the intelligence and security committee and they'd like to see a nationwide surveillance regime implemented now the government say that they need to do this to catch criminals and stop terrorism but there's lots of the members of the public saying where are safeguards when it comes to what we do online will seek more about this i'm now joined by professor and sneakily to the director studies security and intelligence studies at the university of auckland thank you very much

for joining us you're in support of the draft communications data bill i heard you describe yourself at a recent talk the skunk at the picnic if these these and these proposals are so unpopular why are the government pushing them through all the time when the government is pushing them through because the government realizes that they're needed some thirty million people use the internet to communicate with each other each day in the united kingdom people in this country fully accept that for more than a hundred years. their telephone conversations are likely to be mine if they're seen as a national security risk so it's completely absurd to think that there should be this new form of communications that should somehow be exempt from these sorts of measures cape ysaye to bugger furrowing you need a warrant with the proposals the idea is the perhaps my information of finding

members. public i'm doing nothing well why should my emails you know place to my twitter account be a friend to investigate well it's important to realize that this is not a charter to mind everyone it's a charter to mine anyone against two there is intelligence all be a serious risk to our national security your mom or another related to members of the public would still be kept we're talking well what the government is asking the internet service providers to do is to retain data that at the moment they're just getting rid of so if there is a suspicion that a particular person is engaged in serious organized crime sex trafficking so terrorism the government can then institute a probe as a member of the public what if i do my emails for a well if you don't want your e-mails. if you want complete privacy

don't write any letters to your friends don't speak to them on the telephone and don't send them photographs of yourself in joking that can very much for joining us to fester and see if the has that is the solution maybe is the time for a big log of things hey someone is actually watching their first london. i mean she's everything even the continuing economic crisis even leaders plan to spend millions on an online propaganda blitz to hunting the books of reputation the use of social media will have more on that story and much more when we come back. well with. science technology innovation all the least i'm elements from around russia we've got the future covered. sometimes you see

a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything you thought you knew. i'm sorry welcome to the big picture. it's easier to. believe.

in you the it is have started tough negotiations over the blocks next budget valid for seven years from twenty fourteen a financial wrestling comes with u.k. prime minister david cameron in one corner leaving calls for may just spending cuts and crisis hit countries in the other party's explains what else makes the talk so complex. we've seen some of the leaders who had arrived here already making strong statements first of all david cameron continuously saying that if the budget is not brought down to a level that he is happy with there will be no deal we've heard from countries who are saying that they may use their veto if they are not happy such as the czech republic to simplify the vickery going on right now it would be between northern and southern countries you could say the wealthier nations versus those that actually depend more on the e.u. funding and on the one hand you have countries like the u.k. germany the netherlands denmark these countries are supporting harsher cuts to the

e.u. budget david cameron being the most radical and controversial taking this step now he has been demanding since november last year in two thousand and twelve that was the first try today is the second try and since that until now he's been demanding for cuts in brussels bureaucracy for instance but on the other side you have those countries who are dependent on these forums and one of the loudest voices on this is a lot of friends also the u.k. is coming into this summit this is the first time since david cameron announced that in or out referendum that he said that he would pose the question of whether they should remain in the e.u. twenty seventeen if he's reelected in twenty fifteen of course this is a possibility of a creating even more tension in the u.k. with the cost benefit of actually being a member of the e.u. interpreted by the other members not being a team player in this regard and also as this talk is happening talking about budget cuts of the e.u. level we see the budget cuts on a more local ground level we've seen the protests continuing even until today

people very angry at the cots imposed on them on their livelihoods of their pensions are on their potential jobs while the e.u. cannot agree upon a budget of their own. all right said that image is everything in politics and in times of austerity the e.u. is eager to do whatever it takes to maintain a good reputation even if it means spending big two million euros have apparently been earmarked to spend on a p.r. war with online euro skeptics nigel faraj from the u.k. independence party himself or euro skeptic think such actions show the bloc is unfit for purpose but they decided that they got to train in house staff in the run up to the european elections of twenty fourteen train those people to go online to look at facebook twitter other social media sites and to correct that's their word not mine to correct any misapprehensions that may exist about the european union

and i have to say the fact that it's a parliament that is doing this that is using taxpayers' money to do this says a lot about the institutions that all one of our parliament says the person is it's him a chair of parliament he's the speaker in westminster he's the chairman in other parliaments around the world but he and all the rest of the staff are supposed to be neutral they're not supposed to take any political position at all and the fact that the parliament decided it's going to spend money time and resources doing this shows you that frankly they're no better than a banana republic this is all the mcgarvie would do or someone like that so i think many people outside would be shocked by it having worked there myself for thirteen years i'm not surprised at all they are really really scared they're scared that from north to south to east to west all over the european union citizens are saying

we've never voted for this thing to become the united states of europe we've never asked to have the majority of our laws made somewhere else and we want to do something about it so they're scared and they're fighting back. online if you today a key document in russia's recent history disappears you called it declaring the breakup an issue isn't going to reduce it's working theories that the flight stand which is. also alien life forms scientists claim that our galaxy contains billions of potentially habitable planets more about that. the georgian parliament has postponed the president saakashvili his annual address after his party now minority refused to agree to constitutional amendments removing his rights to fire the government the president's party lost its grip on power in a recent parliamentary vote following

a crackdown on protesters claims of human rights abuses against political prisoners parties alexia ski has been hearing some firsthand accounts. georgia has performed miracles we moved from being a failed state will be one of the top business destinations in the world while it would be a high degree of comic freedom according to the world bank i'll be number one fighter with corruption even worldwide many people started to believe in the stations people started to believe the mockers it was because it is giorgio really a beacon of democracy and freedom not from your viewpoint when he's universities rectory refused to build a prayer room he helped organize a ten thousand strong peaceful student rally but it ended with his arrest and sentenced to four and a half years behind bars you know you. could just walk into our cell and start beating us for no reason the even put twenty year old students in wheelchairs and prison one of the inmates went insane because they showed him footage of how his

wife was being raped. georgie thought he'd be spending his time with murderers and drug barons and stan he found himself among academics architects and righteous all jailed for having a different opinion to the country's leadership. works as an advisor to the minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. which is what he had often been joked at in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. shocking video of prisoner abuse in georgia in jails went viral and effectively diminished the president's party support by more than a half inch lost both the election and control over the country it's not yet known where the second street will face prosecution of the prison torture allegations for

two hundred political prisoners a change of power a man with a chance to walk free because i guess we will formally remain as georgia's president until october. powers have already been transferred to the prime minister if anybody has already declared a national wide amnesty of political prisoners but x. byrd say their resources zation may take several more years. r.t. reporting from belief in georgia. now have a look at some other international news in brief this hour two back to back explosions have ripped through a busy baghdad reportedly killing at least twenty six people one of the bombs was hidden in a box at a pet market the other was in a parked car targeting a busy city areas on fridays which is the start of the muslim weekend has become a widespread terror tactic with insurgents. the ferry carrying around one hundred passengers has gone down in a river in central bank reports suggest that more than forty people have been

rescued from the shore but scores remain missing in no immediate reports of casualties very accidents are common in bangladesh treated poorly maintained souls and it's regulation. after a day of picture perfect celebrations work in russia's winter olympics host city of sochi is in full swing once again the festive spirit spread not only across russia reached the spire as the u.n. headquarters in new york as it marked one year until the games. former wraps up the movement. of the six kids apprenticed instruction i think so she sent on i'm straight in terms of getting prepared for these games that last night some upbeat one year together and it was a lavish ceremony here that really caught the fireworks so so it's time to say to shut. up big business putting building you can see behind me that was all very impressive can control switched on across structure and it's mentioned there are

a touchy feely experience people each man building. if your fancy kids come on sile now the cheapest ones you can pick up some fifteen dollars if you're a. video cam pick up the kids want to get me something not to need it goes i have been here the last thirty days i'll be very impressed by it see the postman benny's in the running ninety's staggering c.v. makes me feel perhaps the most wanted to consider not was the last guy sorry the ski jumping center up in the mountains which can see some. they are slightly behind shed and the budget. in the rush to get taken over old the message case very positive this is needed except when i'm just makes it from the back seat to swimming and they're just minutes against fifteen degrees this will be the first one to be. done with your pinky it's once

told me people will really enjoy it because it's likely to get around and really pick up these streams. and couple grand old bennies that within about twenty minutes would be to be neat to watch something on the ark so keep the killing in all this case in the event and then if you want to see the same day you can get on the train within thirty minutes or be up in the mountains to watch the get out kind of bread. that's all uneasy this hour next stay with us for that to special. saudi arabia has ordered its retailers to construct one point six meter tall

barriers in the middle of their stores a rather unusual demand is that something related to everyone's favorite buzzword terrorism no it is to keep male and female coworkers separate saudi arabia is pretty infamous in the west for its laws regarding the sexes and their segregation activists always want to go to other countries to convince them to adopt western attitudes that deep down in their hearts they secretly want but often they miss things like the fact that it was saudi women who ask for the segregation feeling uncomfortable while buying products from men according to a.f.p. you know some people in countries like saudi arabia or north korea might actually like living a radically different lifestyle and even if they don't like living that way well it is their job to fix it not by some sort of western intervention when i want to live in either of those countries not really do i want to live in a country with the saudi arabian concept of gender no not really but part of having freedom of choice means being able to choose things that i may think are backwards or illogical you know let them have the walls in the stores if they want western

civilization you know if it's truly the end all of human evolution then they'll take those walls down eventually on their own but that's just my opinion. at the start this strange new disease affecting healthy young americans looks like this a period between the first outbreak of aid summer in one thousand.