i france's yellow vest movement shows no sign of letting up holding nationwide protests against the government over the weekend. also in the news this week people in the russian city. started the new year mourning the victims of a collapse on january. sixth ripped through the building killing thirteen. interior minister. because after a migrant gang brutally attacked local residents including children. and america's government shutdown enters its third week as the route of funding border escalates

. the twenty nine hundred has already been a busy one let's run down the top stories this week to day welcome to. any hopes the french government had that the whole movement will be confined to last year but dealt a pretty serious blow on saturday at least fifty thousand of the movement's members up once again taking to the streets across the country minus scuffles erupted in the capital as protesters set barricades on fire and cold for president to step down. i i .

well there's one here because you don't can more things were calm at first people were told they needed to declare their gatherings to authorities and that would guarantee our safety we declared the gathering spot where was our security things got out of hand everywhere they used tear gas on us it looked like a civil war they charged us used pepper spray journalists trying to take cover inside building lobbies were thrown out it's a hostile situation and it's terrible in any case what's apparent is that this movement is still here it's not losing steam into twenty nineteen it's still going on the movement hasn't called a halt to its actions despite a government climbdown over fuel tax increases at this weekend's protest comes just two days after the yellow vests sent a macro on

a letter that was pretty angry. you do not give straight answers and you drag things out by proposing full smashes measures that the people of france reject when will you understand that you and your people are no longer credible and that you have lost the confidence of those who believed in you and in your movement nineteen months ago with disturbances growing the french president or mineral mccrone has condemned the yellow vests on twitter and called on the protesters to calm down and recommit to dialogue the mayor of the town of mess on the fifty member are the leaves the reforms macron is trying to push through are out of touch with what the public wants. he said that they will continue is reforms but the reforms is asking for are not the reforms that your friends are demanding today you know it is seeking for european sovereignty which the french don't like so i think it is absolutely dreaming you know europe in the. searcher and i think it is

absolutely. absolutely out of the common sense of the french today i think that the luck role as been elected by chaunce but is not having a huge ledger it seems that he needs to implement what he wishes it was that you know. seventy or eighty percent of the french nation which don't like what you propose the protests spreading from france to other european countries breck's of demonstrators in london have now also would drop to the yellow vest as a symbol of rally in the city on saturday resulting clashes leading police to make several arrests including that of a thirteen year old girl. i. thought i she was one of our four people taken into custody during the demonstration which saw protesters hurling smoke bombs are police they marched across the capital block bridges and causing traffic delays about one hundred people took part in the

protest near downing street where in a characteristic high visibility truck it's also shouted insults at our pradesh prime minister theresa may and called for the u.k.'s immediate exit from the european union. it was the last day of twenty eighteen when a suspected gas explosion tore through a block of flats in central russia dozens of people were killed many in their sleep as their homes collapsed in the early hours of the morning. sister trouble which in secret book might be shot in the book is might be it's we did should it be easy to feel it that we deem urgency me a dumbass to get much of a book on the charts but not so much to proceed with that in their phone number

washboard distress provides please should you do you wish called to include shall upon my deeds proceed to a competitive she would know what it is the sort of praise the show for not impeachable which ensued in a machine the creature outer space seated in his no one stood still specifically. was this so. i'm just. picked out of the film to see. that it's not. but your colleagues are only people like you please see instead of that simply watching things that should force sat on the pistons.

holkins visited the site of the tragedy to hear some of the stories of those affected by this disaster. thirty nine bodies appears to be the final casualty count from this building collapse that the recovery works went on for around seventy two hours in total almost nonstop throughout the day and night pausing only for safety as you can see behind me some of the balconies and the roofs are in a state of total destruction and we're not allowed to go any closer for fear they may collapse as well residents fled this disaster scene with only the clothes on their back perhaps a few documents or cash they didn't have time simply to grab anything else they were allowed intermittently to go back to the seam to pick up any other possessions that they have left behind. on the ship a smart and is that of point one one they are innocent of all i see it was. just

a child some did i don't condone bush so wanted to be sure to just let you have it when you're could you were sure what their own and as you spoke to these people more and more stories emerged one shots example the family a mother and daughter who slept just as a one off in a different room they would have stayed normally the father stayed on the couch tragically that was the first part of the building to collapse she managed to get away with her daughter the father tragically was not so lucky another story to come out of her infant boy who was buried in the rubble here just behind me he was heard crying by emergency workers who rushed to the scene managed to get him out after more than twenty four hours in these freezing temperatures p.c. has been taken to moscow and now despite his multiple serious injuries his condition is described as stable many of the people we've spoken to the witnesses at the scene those who were directly affected by this tragedy but they are saying

they're also pleasantly surprised by how people have come together offering their support for the political views in. the squad of. the need to this time so much. and we saw flowers and candles soft toys and clothes getting bigger and bigger. many of them quite emotional in tears coming here to express their. support for those affected by this and of course preparing for the large number of funerals in the city of magnitogorsk. not much headway was made on saturday in terms of breaking the funding his board. the government shutdown for over two weeks

now and neither the white house know the democrats look like are the ones going to . border safe where in a shutdown because democrats refused to fund border security situation with. the president over. the no wonder. we have no deal it's not who we are is a nation i'm very proud of doing what i'm doing because we're going to go in there really. i don't want to shut down i call it doing what you have to do for the benefit and for the safety of our city keep the government closed for a very long period of time months or even years so we can call

a national emergency because of the security of our country absolutely you know we can do it i haven't done it i may do it i may do it. for the democrat controlled house of representatives passed two bills to fund and reopen the federal government for the bills don't include funding for border. wall prompting the valve to veto the legislation while senior democrats to cry the notion of the war as an american the us president argues that he has wide spread support well to a hammer home his stance donald trump to instagram posting this statement of intent he also posted the following video. illegal immigration is wrong plain and simple.

the standoff over the wall looks likely to intensify with the democrat bills on getting the government running again and now going to the republican controlled senate where they are likely to get shot down and we discussed the border issue with a net ryan from conservative group american majority and robert pitino a civil rights attorney. well also understand the president has absolutely no leverage in this situation and he's already made his position position clear they should negotiate this last february during the last government shutdown there's no reason for nancy pelosi to move on this unless the president is willing to make a deal on daca make a deal on comprehensive immigration reform basically meant to close it has him bent over heard me right now she can demand whatever she wants were a minimal amount of wall funding there's no leverage to present ailes donald trump cannot back down on this i mean his base is expecting him to fulfill this major campaign promise and i know it doesn't seem like a lot of money i think we're not even really talking about the money because five point six billion in a four trillion annual budget doesn't really mean much at all so this is really

a showdown between his trunk going to get his wall or democrats going to deny him that and also you know at a certain point we have to acknowledge the left base inside a democratic party does not want to see a secure border is more favorable towards open borders and not really fixing our immigration policy so i think if they want the wall that should be telling the president to do is bring back the chuck schumer legislation from two thousand and thirteen that passed the senate sixty eight votes to thirty two votes in the house republicans killed there could have been a border wall for the last five years of looking for the freedom caucus and some of the extremists in the republican party not supporting it so for the current wall what we need to see the c.b.l. score for was actually wall will say that's what we need to see as a funding mechanism so we know exactly how this is being paid for and we need a concrete and universal comprehensive plan on immigration reform not simply say we're going to stick still slate's and in the desert that's going to probably need a real plan for this a lot of trunk space is willing to compromise we understand that these daca these dreamers they did not come here they were brought here they did not come of their

own volition we understand that there's a situation and i think that you would be really surprised if you were to talk a lot of time space they understand there has to be some legal status maybe even potentially a path to citizenship i think people are willing to negotiate but on the same time if there is not funding for a wall in return for a pad. the citizenship or legal status then we can have a serious conversation in this at some point we all know that politics is the art of compromise we have to actually get to a point of compromise donald trump has said here is my non-negotiable the answer of course you have to come up with something that says what will give you that in exchange for this and i think there is a path i got to tell you though they do not want to give donald trump any wins especially on one of his major major campaign promises. germany's interior minister is demanding tougher laws on asylum seekers after a migrant gang brutally attacked passers by including children the current laws do not allow deportation for even a violent crime. more not i've been asked for months already to make the

deportations more effective in germany that's why we've been working for weeks at the ministry of the interior to prepare a constitutional amendment for a more efficient deportation system so violent offenses are increasingly worrying me whether they are done out of xenophobia or whether they are carried out by foreigners and asylum seekers a state governed by the rule of law must decisively combat both that is our basic position the person who randomly attacks innocent passers by demonstrates that he does not seek the protection of our society the mediated perpetrators can expect no understanding in our country but only the full force of the law currently deportation is not legally possible but we're working hard to change that for following the incident that took place on saturday evening which left twelve people injured in a seemingly random attack in the town of place have four main suspects in custody

they range from seventeen to nineteen years in age and come from afghanistan and iran well this is prompted ministers to call for a change in the laws as it stands at the moment you can be deported back to a home country if your applying for asylum and your a minor or the country that you would be returned to is deemed to be dangerous now the christian social union under merkel's coalition partners in bavaria they've come out and said they want this law changed now the green party and the mayor of the town of umberger have accused the christian social union and interior minister horse and see hoffa of playing politics with this issue i do understand the anger which i see in some of the reaction to amberg but this hate and the threats of violence now coming from all over the republic have gone too far the hard for is using the amber consistent f. actively to tighten asylum legislation such proposals have next to zero impact when it comes to fighting crime and only helping extremism politician. split over what

to do over to porting asylum applications certainly seems people are also equally as spliffs i spoke to people on the streets of berlin and they gave me their reaction to the story they should be honored to be able to be here and. yeah should . they have to do and not commit a crime and if they do thorough they have to go back to fences. it's their mind this is ok they have. been to a lot so in the war in afghanistan they need help i think we have our laws we don't have to change the laws i think we are right doing it. right now they deserve a second chance while the center for european reform says that one third of those migrants and refugees that came to germany since twenty fifteen currently in full time employment or an apprenticeship scheme however it's what to do with those other two thirds especially those among them who would commit crime well that's

causing headaches for legislators across the country we have a constitution that is very strong on human rights you cannot ever under the german constitution you point someone to the united states when he's facing the death penalty he has gassed and if they commit crimes then they can no longer be our guests so what is the all of us should be doing is to actually work with countries. to enable us to deport people when we have the promise that they will not be tortured like in ca rendition sites or i'm the threat of the death penalty in fact what he's doing he is fear mongering and so he is scaring those people that are willing to integrate while he should be targeting the radical islamists that his government has let into our country. meanwhile on tuesday a fifty year old german man slammed his car into a crowd of people in the german city is that of the s.

and injuring the majority of the victims were migrants from syria and afghanistan is reported the driver made xenophobic comments while the police were arresting him the man reportedly has a mental illness. a former u.s. marine who was detained in russia on spying charges we learned as a citizen of britain canada ireland and america and media speculation is rife that he was seized by russia to be used as a possible blogging chip in a prisoner exchange russia's deputy foreign minister has rejected that speculation a correspondent in the trunk of picks up the story. haven't they god is scared rather used to hearing about russian spies getting caught in america we have the hybrid warfare that you're seeing with russia which is very much forefront inspired master this is the one saying this is a hard and fast rule of trading when you when you go into espionage. particularly coming out of the soviet union or russia they will accuse of being

a russian spy has pleaded guilty in a us federal court this time the case is the exact opposite paul whelan an american national and former u.s. marine was arrested in moscow in perhaps the fanciest hotel in the capital but who would have known when the news broke that as many as four countries would end up saying he's our guy about mr we won the embassy violent in moscow has requested consular access to an irish citizen currently detained in russia we are extremely worried about pool whelan we have offered consular assistance consular officials are aware that a canadian citizen has been arrested in russia ambassador huntsman expressed his support for mr whelan and offered the embassy assistance however when it comes to the canadian passport the suspect. brother couldn't even say whether he still has it or not i don't know i know that he was once a canadian citizen so he may still be and i know that he is an american citizen

right now strange but that's how it is paul whelan is in detention in moscow having been charged with espionage although his family is sure the reason he went to russia was just a wedding party the american ambassador had been given permission to see the spy suspect and so he did mr whelan's lawyer is seeking bail for his client but don't forget several countries have lined up to help him out so while u.k. officials are waiting for the green light to get access to the alleged spy their top diplomat has spoken out but our position is very very clear which is a very straightforward point that individuals should not be used as forms of diplomatic leverage and. you know we need to see what these charges are against him i understand whether there is a case or not but we know ruling out any theories are told at this stage as to why this might have happened there are very few details on the case that we know off for now there hasn't been much reaction from senior officials either but

journalists around the world are old all over the story and speculation is rife he faces up to twenty years in a russian jail deal of cash plenty of time to be swapped to dispose of. what's most likely as we'll as a pawn in russia just play to get back one of its spies after maria patino here in the united states the rehab boot do you believe the arrest of your brother was retaliation was revenge in some way by the russians as you've just heard many are linking this case with the case of maria bhutto she was arrested in america in july and eventually pleaded guilty to conspiring against the u.s. with the russian government official and at least one other person without notifying the attorney general however the fact is the charges brought against maria buthe and paul whelan are completely different. earlier this week the

washington post published an article about mr whelan's attention and it a former cia official john shares his doubts about whelan being a spy saying quote we don't send in a random americans with al diplomatic community to collect low level stuff so we are legal and media analysts lionel for his reaction he says that we only use according to this people with diplomatic immunity when you look at this as far as the illegality of it what is the role of the diplomatic community how does that work are does that in any way interfere with spying and vice versa you're not going to see a lot of people address this and you have to see a lot of people in american media in the american media speak to this particular point we must be sure that all individuals in all countries are recorded their rights that are that are available to them what's fascinating is that you will see american mainstream media in particular that does not have necessarily some of the

best newsrooms some of the best let's say experts available who will have to feed that twenty four seven media monster you have to feed it you have to give it something you're going to talk to anybody who's ever been remotely work with the cia was in the cia drove by the cia knew somebody who was in the cia so a lot of times you're not going to see some of the best vetting of the experts. in an historic split a newly formed orthodox church of ukraine has been granted independence from the russian charge and although some politicians in ukraine are elated at the decision many orthodox christians are concerned about the moves possible consequences medina caution of a house. a long awaited present has finally been delivered to ukraine patriarch of constantinople has granted its ukrainian are to dogs to urge and autonomy on the

eve of our two dogs christmas special decree with officially recognizing an independent ukrainian art adox church and of course ukrainian president's petro poroshenko was there shedding tears of question shoot. thank god it would be impossible without god's blessing. i want to thank the millions of ukrainians across the this has become possible thanks to your prayers well sems like for one's happy but what's all the fuss about church's independence from hope. per se interests ukrainian are to dogs church has been under control of moscow patrick cates and everyone has been ok with it until the fall of the soviet union and ukrainian independence and nineteen ninety one gradually tensions between the churches. through the years was more and more voices inside ukraine demanding

churches and dependence sounds like some in the religious dispute so what's so important about it. also says should effectively give ukrainian orthodox church full autonomy in terms of parish financing and lands but in fact how much of it does keith actually get while the documents signed states that ukraine in church actually falls under control of constantinople ukrainian are dogs church can control only territory with then ukraine and as prohibited to create any parishes abroad and all disputes are going to be sas wells by constantino people so basically it is just replacing moscow mike . but well president par shango is struggling in the polls they had off march presidential election and experts say while making this

a centerpiece policy of his campaign he hopes to win over for support and more than that other are to dogs churches are not thrilled at all by the move the tentacles of globalization to trying to penetrate the church to destroy its politicians interference in churches is a clear sign of this show going to lead by corrupt politicians and illegal assisted by the constantinople patriarchy have deepened and worsen the already existing split and put the unity of orthodox christianity as a whole in danger and inside the ukrainian church itself there is not want unanimity when the plan of autonomy has been announced back and not one of the branches so if you crane and church has slammed the plan we consider these actions to be canonical they sanction will not bring anything to ukraine except trouble separation and sin. but it is at least anyone supporting the move apart from

ukraine itself well you must have guessed the answer the united states reiterated strong support for religious freedom and the freedom of members of religious groups including ukraine's orthodox community to govern their religion according to their beliefs free of outside interference oh well not everything one calls freedom is actually making you free. i mean i was saying not everyone is happy about this decision some have resigned from the patriotic could have caused downton ople the case in point american orthodox priest mock tyson he has since joined the russian orthodox church. told us about what prompted him to make this decision. i want to be in communion with christ and the church and i feel that the actions that have occurred over any crane have definitely placed people outside the church if you will the head of the the new church it's been created in ukraine

metropolitan to be funny it's not a parish he was ordained by the so-called patriarch phil read after he had been reduced to the status of a layman how do we commemorate someone who doesn't even have a valid open nation i don't want to see metropolitan unfree his bishops his priests his people persecuted i don't want to see them thrown out of their churches and monasteries and i don't want to see that most rested interrogated there is a potential for that to happen and i'm not being hysterical it could definitely occur. i drove by my my former parish yesterday on the way to visit someone who was ill after seventeen years of serving there now i am on able you know to do it so anymore there's a separation between myself and people that i love very deeply and it's directly related the feat of patriarch bartholomew maybe he wasn't thinking about the so-called little people when he made these decisions which of course can be seen on a very grand to geo political scale but the fact of the matter is people who are wonderful dear orthodox believers have lost their their priests not just me but

father nick charles trevino in manassas virginia and also the priest in florence italy and who knows how many others they lost the stability of their parish life that's how it's affected us here in america. it is very dangerous because if let's just say a number of the autocephalous churches do not accept the ukrainian new church then we will have a. a schism a break and then there may be a serious break in communion and we have disunity in the church this is the most serious question we've faced on and close to a thousand years. and there are many levels to this decision some of them could be because of the traditional and historical rivalry between cause that's a couple of moscow off some of them could be because of western political influences there's no doubt that political players from both the european union and the united states are involved or some of the top stories from the first week all of this.