. >> government forces in somalia is together with african union soldiers have launched an operation against islamist movement al-shabab. they sent tanks and hundreds of men. al-shabab admitted to losing territory but said that it would strike back. and joining me from nairobi is our east africa correspondent. things getting increasingly tense on this front. >> this appears to being a major offensive by the somali transitional government forces backed up by the african union peacekeepers, an effort to really to push al-shabab as far away from the capital as possible. the african union peacekeeping spokesman said this is the first time amazon troops have actually fought outside the capital. it's not a great distance, maybe four kilometers. but they have managed to take some bases from al-shabab from which al-shabab had been launching attacks on the city. >> does that mean mogadishu is safe? >> far too early to say anything like that. the situation has changed dramatically over the last few months, though. there's no longer front line in this war. al-shabab intended to carry out suicid

summit african union summit to my mind may play a very positive role in putting that roundtable in the center of tripoli or any other libyan city in order to inspire the process of national reconciliation but that's all political talk if you look at the last of an ordinary libyan guy was he better off before or now before the ordinary libyan guy it's very difficult to say because there are ordinary libyan guys and big guys the ordinary libyan guys in tripoli and ordinary libyan guys and desert living with that tribes and these are very different ways of living some people when you talk to them and dream about a so-called dubai scenario they want to see libya as a mediterranean resort with a five star hotels because you know isn't all that stuff but some people love thinking about the purity and islamic identity there are so many competing different points of view you can probably see today that you can find in libya even within one family total unanimity of views what are the chances that his son safe islam will actually get a fair trial a lot will depend on that that would show

summit african union summit to my mind may play a very positive role. in putting that round table in the center of tripoli or any other libyan city in order to inspire the process of national reconciliation that's all political talk if you look at the last of an ordinary libyan guy was he better off before or now before the ordinary libyan guy it's very difficult to say because there are ordinary libyan guys and big guys the ordinary libyan guys in tripoli and ordinary libyan guys and desert living with that tribes and these are very different ways of living some people are happy to and i saw it physically in tripoli some people are happy to drink openly in the moonshine which was absolutely prohibited in the time of warmer today and some people are really unhappy with that fact because then the favor of sharia laws everywhere in the country some people when you talk to them and dream about so-called dubai scenario they want to see libya as a mediterranean resort with five star hotels because you know and all that stuff but some people love thinking abo

chevy runs deep. >>> it's the third and final day of the african union leaders meeting. they see increased trade of the african countries as a way to improve it. the african union says that intraafrican commerce makes up around 11% of all of the continent's imports an exports. they want to double that number to as much as 25% in the next decade. >>> and as africa looks to its self for growth and development, it's also looking east to china. this year's african summit is being held at the bloc's new $200 million headquarters. it was built using chinese labor and it was paid for by china. we're joined from johan necessaryberg. how significant do african countries, the significance that african countries place in a growing relationship with china? >> you know, andrew, it is becoming more and important to africa as you alluded to. this downturn in europe. europe is in trouble and the bloc europe has traditionally been -- it's fast part of europe. you spoke about this building that china has donated to the african union costing $200 million u.s. dollars. if you speak to ordina

the issue will be discussed on tuesday during a round of african union brokered talks. election monitors in kazakhstan have said that the recent parliamentary polls failed to basic democratic principles. it says it should have allowed more general parties to participate. the snap election was won by the ruling party with 80% of the vote. still to come on gmt -- the search for life. but in the antarctic. we take you on the mission looking for climate change clues frozen in time and ice. >> the silent film "the artist's" has won the golden globe for best musical or comedy on sunday night. other notable winners include "the descendants." george clooney was awarded best dramatic actor. meryl streep was best dramatic actress for her role as margaret thatcher. these awards are seen as a barometer for the oscars. >> a long line of a-listers for round 1 at the annual awards season. ricky gervais was invited back to present despite upsetting everyone last year. >> the hollywood foreign press has warned me that i in sold any of you or any of them or cause any controversy -- that

government forces in somalia together with african union soldiers moved against al- shabab. the operation focused on clearing militants from mogadishu and the outskirts of the city. al-shabab said it would strike back. two foreign aid workers have been kidnapped in afghanistan. there are been no claims of a responsibility for those objections. there is a brush fire near the city of reno, nevada. thousands have been evacuated. it in recent months, there have been several spectacular attacks in nigeria by boko arm. among the deadly activities claimed by the group are the bombing of the u.n. building in abuja, also of an attack on a collision -- a christian church on christmas day. what is causing this religious tension? >> the most powerful religious leader in northern nigeria. in southern nigeria, traditional christian kings play a similar role. here in the north, for hundreds of years, traditional islamic rulers have maintained a huge influence. christians living in the north. a moslem cleric has come to their church. he explained that jesus and mary are in the koran, too. >

. >>> the african union opened its new headquarters in the ethiopian capitol. the project cost $200 million. the chinese government funded the construction. the organization held a ceremony saturday to mark the opening of the 20 story headquarters. senior chinese official attended the ceremony, called the building a precious gift from his country and symbol of deepening ties. he told john ping wants to help africa's development. he offered they will provide nearly $100 million to the organization in the next three years. china has been extending massive economic aid and making investments in africa. analysts say china is trying to gain greater access to the continent's natural resources, and to boost its international influence. >>> china paid a high price for rapid economic growth. that cost can be seen in polluted rivers and smoggy air. people accepted environmental damage as the tradeoff for progress, at least they used to. a reporter detected a change in the air. >> reporter: this was how central beijing looked january 10th. this blanket of smog cuts visibi

now let's take a look at some other stories from around the world somali government forces and african union troops have launched an offensive against islamist rebel hideouts on the outskirts of the country's capital four somali soldiers and a government official were killed in the heavy fighting against al qaeda linked militants it's the biggest of these launches strongholds in several months. a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks have killed at least seven people in northern nigeria the radical islamists. claimed responsibility for the deaths that targeted different locations including police stations and the regional police have quaters the group has been behind a recent campaign of violence in the country's mostly muslim north. the company which owns the costa concordia cruise ship is facing a lawsuit in the u.s. italy's consumer association of once at least one hundred sixty thousand dollars for each passenger on the vessel many blame the captain of the ship for the tragedy which killed eleven people and injured hundreds more when the liner hit rocks last week. while there is a w

the political elite is not ready to sit at the round table african union summit to my mind may play a very positive role in putting that roundtable in the center of tripoli or any other libyan city in order to inspire the process of national reconciliation. that interview with russia's presidential envoy to africa on air in full in just about twenty minutes from now on r.t. . gulf nations pulling their arab league observers from syria even though the mission's been extended for another month the saudi dominated gulf cooperation council also wants the un's most powerful group to now put pressure on damascus to to end the bloodshed syria's foreign minister accuses some arab states of joining an international conspiracy against the country and of a blatant interference in series internal affairs damascus insists it will continue to take all the necessary steps to protect the country against what it calls chaos syria's already rejected an arab brokered peace plan calling for president assad to step down while the use impose more sanctions to further squeeze the regime result the syria fur

update or some other headlines from around the world for you in brief somali government forces and african union troops have launched an offensive against islamist rebel hideouts on the outskirts of the country's capital four somali soldiers and a government official were killed in the heavy fighting against the al qaeda linked militants it's the biggest offensive on the islamist stronghold now in several months. a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks of killed at least nine people in northern nigeria including two journalists at the radical islamist sect boko haram has claimed responsibility for the deaths that targeted different locations including police stations and the regional police headquarters of the group has been behind a recent campaign of violence in the country's mostly muslim north. the parliament of yemen has a rule that the country's x. president ali abdullah saleh can keep his political and legal immunity altering law proposed by the temporary government paper said the subways administration should also be immune from prosecution but under the new ruling they can be tried

process you may remember that president zuma of south africa went to libya a couple of times the african union tried to intervene but remember that very systematically from the beginning gadhafi refused to negotiate the refused to consider any kind of alternative to the invasion that actually then eventually happened it was said in his defense that his son safer as lamb also try to intervene and that say for the islam could function as an intermediary but you may remember that very famous interview that's a full islam gave two days after the uprising started that he himself was threatening to shoot everyone literally like rats in a barrel as he put it was dancing on top of an s.u.v. . in his hand there really were no alternatives anybody who makes you believe that gadhafi was willing to negotiate at that point simply does not know what the diplomatic process looked like that summer last year ok if i could change gears a little bit here next. week when you were really was over he wasn't it's their country it's not ours and you're talking as if we have a perfect right to sit here and decide what

york let's take a look at some other stories from around the world somali government forces and african union troops have launched an offensive against islamist rebel hideouts on the outskirts of the country's capital for somali soldiers and a government official were killed in the heavy fighting against al qaeda linked militants it's the biggest strongholds in several months. the series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks have killed at least seven people in northern nigeria the radical islamist sect balkan harami has claimed responsibility for the deaths and that targeted different locations including police stations and the regional police headquarters the group has been behind a recent campaign of violence in the country's mostly muslim the worse. gyptian election commission will announce today the final results of the parliamentary elections in the country parties are expected to punch above their political weight catapulting themselves into a powerful government roles that captured an overwhelming majority of the seats in the first round of the poll. athletes from around the world to al