best way to the heart of. never a sweet goodbye the sochi winter games are officially over kept by a spectacular and thrilling ceremony and going down in history for its remarkable performances as well as someone usual writers and highlights. of ukraine's newly installed leadership rushes through new laws after taking power i in the band on the former ruling party and the communists i mean fears of a surge in nationalist groups. and scotland's referendum means britain cyclonic national flag may be in for some major changes. so many things would have to change we ask some brits how they feel about their enjoying of one of their country's most recognizable symbols.

you watch an r. c. international with me marina call survivor welcome to the program well that's once in fourteen winter games have bid farewell cap and sixteen days of tough competition with a closing ceremony and our very own and they said now an artsy sort of studio was lucky enough to witness the games and she joins us live hi there and these was a bittersweet moment especially for you i can imagine because you've been covering this from the very beginning not even two weeks ago we're talking about years before. yes you could say that but i think for the fans it was really a moment that touched across the board across russia across the world really it's been very intense here throughout the past weeks battling it out on the slopes the

stadiums a great celebration of sport and now it's a little bit sad to be honest everything. is over there were lots of cheers and tears big breaks and heartfelt losses all of them going down in olympic history this was an olympic record breaking games and it was certainly sealed with a finale to remember viewers were taken further on the journeys for russian culture picking up from the opening ceremony it was a tribute to russian greats in the arts music and literature and the organizers did miss the opportunity to quote a little fun of themselves over the infamous of the big ring that would open at the start of the games of course the biggest excitement came from russian fans like i said touched across the country here in sochi after the social host nation surged to the top of the medal count with a total of thirteen goals and a spectacular finish to the farewell show of course it was the magnificent magnificent fireworks display i. think the closing ceremony and plenty of

moments to remember we put together our top five sochi sensations for you we start off with the dutch they managed to grab eight golds and all of them in speed skating and actually twenty three out of the twenty four medals they wanted so if she were in fact in speedskating number four a rising star of figure skating seventeen year old. was she became the first russian ever to take individual gold in women's figure skating. i'm very proud to have won a gold medal at the age of seventeen it's such a great feeling it's a bus with everything including with myself. but here is our number three the new russians korean born speed skater victor on he won three golds for his new homeland an american snowboarder vic wild who married to siberia and joined russia as the limbic team to become one of the gold medalist i didn't have any good for the united states and that was i'm going to reach the goals that i want to. show as

an opportunity to get people who. are sensation number two is in a region by astley. are born he became the most decorated winter olympian of all time a great performance for his sixth and this will be his last winter games and of course the top stop go to team russia the overall performance of the hosts national team making a victorious comeback from the vancouver games topping the charts table with thirteen gold medals thirty three overall the sochi games have been tough and tiring for need metal hungry athletes and also an emotional roller coaster ride for the facts artie's martin andrews has more about the lucky ones who made it to sochi to support their national teams. stand out from the crowd wigs schemes flags as passionate diehard fans will do anything to support that chosen country this month's olympics is also interesting to read characters from russia

and around the world the brighter the better patriotically standard for their sporting heroes to some it's taken lots of preparation. as soon as it was announced that the two thousand and fourteen winter olympics would take place and i started getting ready for there are a lot of things are prepared for it helmet clubs posters flags for others it's the first time in russia and face paint some extreme outfit so the only accepted form of a tie up spread the love and leave your inhibitions. so she's been off for gnostic it has been great like it has been a great time we're having fun. if you like at all everybody's friendly. the russian team fans house located inside the olympic park is a central point as it interacted in the museum more than ten thousand deliberate fans come here every day sharing emotions impressions discuss russia's victories

and watch the competitions life. russian foreign. here everyone is part of the big team well as the russia two man bobsled team school gold better to have your photograph taken here in the russian fun house there are also various other locations where you can pretend to participate in various winter olympic sports. fans are invited to participate in physical competitions complete all the courses on the computer and they can try the hands of olympic sporting equipment it's also a tour through time as torches from pos lympics are on display and over one hundred fifty sporting champions from previous games but my guest appearances so far. the fun house is open daily for all who are interested in like the games themselves brings people from different countries together extreme fans included meaning it's less about medals and winning and more about society embracing sport and uniting

people even if you all addressed this presently. to. the sochi olympics have broken lots of records and it's not just sports we're talking about almost half of the planet was watching it at some point with at least three billion viewers and talking about those fans they also said a surprising sound record during one of victor on speed skating races with the cheers reaching as loud as one hundred ten decibels and here's another record quite an unexpected one thirty four babies were born in sochi on the day of the opening ceremony ceremony the city's highest single daily total new boards ever such a games will also go down in history for the weather becoming the warmest winter olympics in history. all right thank you that was our tease and it's in our reports and to us from our song studio well bearing

a heartfelt goodbye to their olympics we actually ask you what you thought about the olympic. and we asked you to submit your highlights and the moments you prefer the most to our facebook page so let's take a look at what you told us that in fact thank you for sharing your moments it's also a prize that you picked russian gold in the latest figure skating there and some were also impressed by the national team's parade while others select their of course the sublime performance by a russian figure skating rookie and the limpid darling. and our online scene has more on the winter games its heroes and most touching moments so you can head over to artsy dot com for more on the. right to see. her street. and i think that you're. on the record with. instagram.

and we consider now with other news after it's taken the reins of the ukrainian capital the former opposition is now busy establishment its own order in the latest measures against the old ministration the country's parliament has suggested banning the once ruling party of regions and the communist party from any political activity or seventy four delegates have already withdrawn from the ruling party saying they fear of reprisals the names of some members wanted for questioning have reports of me been circulated to airports while vehicles are also being searched on roads around the capital those on the streets that are trying to make their voice heard are being gagged. with the. silly you would think you see the full the full of. this footage is of

a protester who was earlier doused with and the septic liquid as he tried to speak out for ousted president viktor yanukovych and that was in the western ukrainian city of rome now our says it got the skin off takes a look now at how the political crisis is continuing to unfold freedom democracy independence as mind on the downing of the dictator and mourns those killed in kiev sears street battles and perhaps the way certain groups of the opposition have been acting going to court to be called. crowded. around five hundred offices of the now ex ruling party have been burnt down those with a different political stance are physically attacked inside the parliament most of those which right now it's more about emotions rather than political rivalry or the most important thing right now is to prevent old carjacks from audience bound completely because then the situation would lose own legitimacy. the president has fled the capital saying a cool has been carried out while the parliament passes new laws as fast as

a printing press taking down officials and appointing their all political rivals including putting a right wing hardliners in the government post such as i like much from the nationalists the party taking charge of the prosecutor general's office. just for me it's a new regime is taking shape really quickly and with the use of strong measures it has nothing to do with democracy because those coming to power will go on with pursuing tough policies and they will conduct massive expansion of the eastern territories. among the first laws adopted the banning of russian as the second official state language despite nearly fifty percent of those living in the east of ukraine being ethnic russians the public is stalled from now on the right wing is going to be heavily present in ukraine's one for spent at the moment the situation in kiev is basically controlled by radical people with with us who are

pursuing a very very militant agenda which is a political calls i think he is an utterly discredited man he cut deals with opposition who were quite obviously a since the nineteenth of january no longer in control of the crowds and here so he's a political leadership has been disastrous and i think that he's recognized across the whole country there are reports that foreign journalists who've been promoting different values from the rebels have now been put onto a wanted. list as well as trying to temporarily down russian t.v. channels many are now raising the question if this is the type of democracy so many koreans put their lives on the line for. foreign policy chief catherine ashton is visiting k.f.c. meet opposition leaders to discuss measures to shore up the country's crippled economy meanwhile the interview said that's right it's a provide the crane with twenty billion euro once a new government is formed by

a trough the former president of the soviet union thinks that the west should let the people of ukraine decide their own political future. in the near future you know don't have you seen what's going on there he told traders you need a bulldozer to push all the consultants from the u.s. and e.u. all told their they should let the people decide for themselves issuing great commendations to nations is unacceptable they shouldn't provoke people they shouldn't send bandits in my own sides need to had to the negotiating table and talking on the month or six months even needed they would come to an agreement eventually. still to come a potential boycott of its goods to sparks concerns and trial after the break we'll take a look at what's at stake for television for us a process on what it sounds like program and the west bank.

transit to vnukovo report your best way to the heart of moscow. going to extremes all across europe right and the e.u. parties in groups are gaining strength and in some cases respectability what accounts for this hard economic times are the growing alienation and frustration with the euro project could it be said the new right is really the old right so we're in a nice suit. the

sarcy international welcome back beginning track has long been then inspiration for artists fashion designers and an uncertain symbol and pop culture but with scotland's independence referendum just months away there's cornstalk about whether the iconic flag will need a make over there are already several designs around an artsy xl or smith once a find out will people in london thank about them. the campaigns on both sides of the scottish independence debate a hot in op the factions have until september to sell their idea of how the union should look going forwards westminster says an independent scotland would lose the pound but hardly anyone seems to be talking about something even more simple legs

at the rest of the u.k. could lose if scotland declared independence the union jack scotland's represented on the flag by the blue background and diagonal white cross but if scotland left the u.k. might have to give that back old these flags would become obsolete and replaced with balls the u.k. charity the flag institute has most tops and suggestions so let's see what people think that's the nicest looking want to see. who's got the kingdom so the current state sure king. no is too famous you that one. my favorite british one ok and what what you think of the idea which think of the concept in general would have to try to do what is going to more. and everything so i don't want to change i suppose it makes more sense i mean that's one point of having a show in there of an impartial anymore that's quite attractive. she shook educational

all flag that you know be difficult for people to have any change really yeah i mean i'd be sad. so many things would have to be changed. it really anyone that you think maybe. the union jacks enjoyed a resurgence in recent years becoming an iconic brand again apparently everything from high fashion to soft furnishings it would be haute for britain to discard it and indeed there are no firm plans to change it even if scotland does declare independence but david cameron and alex salmond might do well. the flock in mind as this war of scotland's gets. separatist movements have been gaining momentum in the e.u. casting more downs only european project the free movement of people is also

another major concern for your skeptics and calls for tougher measures are getting stronger this months what's the unbanked quartos on migrants from the e.u. and later today selfish of an announcer said stand with the vice president of the swiss people's party to discuss this move. germany's foreign minister has said that this vote will harm switzerland president of the european commission warned swiss citizens could lose their right to live and work in the new was it worth it was it was the risk free immigration with an outside countries that these strange and i'm confident the european union will understand that we have to renegotiate we have to rediscuss this problem this issue immigration i don't have any regrets at all twenty years ago ten years ago switzerland was in the process of joining the european union now that's what sort of has changed its direction and we do not want to become a member anymore it seems to be normal that you rearrange immigration. and

online for you right now not in my backyard energy giants my claim fracking is safe but their bosses clearly don't want the technology anywhere near their homes for more on the controversial statements from exxon c.e.o. had to artsy dot com. also their internet giant google claims robots will be able to understand us better than we understand ourselves more they tell us on the beat for us that forecasts are just a click away. i

think that in all of these areas where you have the rise of what is called the right there was this shatters faction with with left wing. my my friend in berlin does not seem to be aware of how widespread is this shit germany is and having spent the last forty years and in an academic lunatic asylum i assure you that. in many many quarters of american life. i was in academia for a while i found it in a straight jacket as well a dime's so i'm going to jump in london yeah i mean i think spending time in the lunatic asylums is kind of the fact. you know thinking a little bit to the point is that in the u.k. the. cross europe values have changed cultural values have changed need to become much more tolerant much more open much more liberal and space even in the united states.

chancellor angela merkel travel so israel among the country's prime minister benjamin netanyahu he describes germany as a good friend but his country's relations with the european union haven't been particularly warm recently are reports. when european parliament president martin shorts touched down in jerusalem recently he experienced the cold shoulder of israel's right he was heckled while dressing the parliament and accused of telling lies surely more fairly was among those who walked out on the. world leaders spoke here just recently french president hollande said very harsh things on the need for a palestinian state and we needn't walk out of. shoots later acknowledged he was mistaken about some of the figures of palestinian versus israeli access to water

although the figures are far from equal now it says fellow countrywoman angler merkel's chance to face the firing line. that day in my mind and in my party's mind this illusion is not to have two states rather the solution should be that in the land of israel there will be only one country and i hope that under merkel is coming to talk and not to pressure us this is the most divisive issue israeli settlements in the west bank and jordan valley because of it according to recent polls only fourteen percent of germans view israel positively the european union already bans all products grown in settlements as israel's number one trading partner accounting for about a third of its total trade it hurts the pockets of farmers like your seed deeply your seed grows organic vegetables in the disputed jordan valley anomaly that we used to sell two or three tons per month today i barely export two hundred to three hundred kilograms when i asked these companies why they tell me it's because the

stores they sell to tell them they don't want to buy any more from the settlements all mother guti who spearheads the anti israel boycott disinvestment and sanctions movement believes the e.u. stand is making inroads europe no checks they ask for the place of origin if it's coming from a settlement they want israel to declare that increasingly and they know their new thing the settlements are losing the european german market. he has always had a special relationship with israel because of its nazi past but merkel's visit comes amid reports that germany is really ties of the would in a decade no don't put pressure on the israeli government especially as the german public feels it needs to apologize lisa live. jerusalem. and a quick look now at some other world news in bahrain the funeral procession for an answer government campaigner has turned violent activists threw molotov cocktails at police in the capital the app rising in basra and has been ongoing since two

thousand and eleven with thousands for its hassen against the monarchy. people were killed including two children one a grenade exploded at an opposition rally in bangkok leaders of the protest movement blame the governments for the attack all the prime minister has condemned it as an act of terror more than twenty people have died in thailand in the last four months as an ongoing government demonstrations. in venezuela one of prize the critics has engaged in an armed standoff with army officers who came to arrest them general us who's accused of masterminding a trap that killed the government support are arming themselves with an assault rifle and with the surrender the officers were then chose the way by the supporters the standoff took place after thousands gathered in caracas and supporter of president maduro. up next the europe's far right on the rise artie's panel about

his gas discuss what it means for the e.u. and cross to stay with us.

judy cox a utah mother out of spite but an entire line of t. shirts at a popular chain store at her local mall the reason that she bought them was because she feels that the images of nearly naked women on them violate her local towns decency code she wants to make it clear though that she feels the store has the right to sell this type of shirt just not displayed in an exterior window ultimately her plan is to return the shirts on day fifty nine of the store's sixty limit let's hope for her sake they don't have a no return policy i bring this up because this is a great example of a nonviolent form of protest that actually works cause the scandal and more importantly it will make the company lose a few dollars technically the girls on the shirts are even fully exposed believe me i checked thoroughly and i would even call them r. rated below communities have the right to be more conservative than the rest of the nation if they want to be and it's good that judy cox actually did something rather than just sitting at home on the internet complaining about moral decay across the country hey if a housewife from a small mormon community can stand up to the man what's stopping you but that's

just my opinion. i think. they would like to know that you know the price is the only industry specifically mentioned in the constitution and. that's because a free and open process is critical to our democracy albus. role. in fact the single biggest threat facing our nation today is the corporate takeover of our government and across a cynical we've been a hydrogen lying handful of transnational corporations that will profit by destroying what our founding fathers once it's all just my job market and on this show we reveal the big picture of what's actually going on in the world we go beyond identifying the problem trying to fix rational debate and a real discussion of critical issues facing america five different ready to join the movement then welcome to the big picture.

hello and welcome to cross talk where all things considered i'm peter lavelle going to extremes all across europe rightwing and to e.u. parties and groups are gaining strength and in some cases respectability what

accounts for this hard economic times or the growing alienation and frustration with the euro project could it be said the new right is really the old right but wearing a nice suit. to cross talk the rise of the right i'm joined by my guest sony one dell in london he is a journalist and writer for the guardian and al-jazeera in berlin we have harold whelan bach he is a researcher and member of the european radicalization awareness network and in harrisburg we cross to paul godfrey he is an author and professor emeritus at elizabethtown college right gentlemen cross-talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want and i very much encourage it sunny if i go to you first day i think my introduction should be a little familiar to you because i stole it ok from an article that you wrote recently and i want to quote one of the sentences talking about the right wing right wing groups and parties in the west they put on smart suits stop using crude racist language and set out to gain respectability explain to our viewers what you

mean. well i think that the lot of the parties across western europe especially in the u.k. in france in germany austria austria you know and specially in the netherlands what they're trying to do is realize that a lot of the language at the union of past which was sometimes very anti sematic you know very racist you know they realize that times of change and people have cheated views of those issues and so they can actually get respectability using that language in using those phrases so what they try to do is try to become a focus their arguments and make that much more about muslims have to make their arguments much more about just immigrants generally and played on existing worries that people have to use to gain more respectability and to get more political power across across western europe you hear all that kink in it what do you think about that because if you look at the.