under the franco dictatorship, until the mid-1970's, the people of catalonia were not allowed to speak catalan. today, as he is different. catalonia is an important driving force in the spanish economy, but an increasing portion of the population believe they would be better without madrid. >> team work -- that is what matters most in the textile, probably the most famous catalonian tradition. these human pyramids can be more than 15 meters high, a test of courage for the youngest climbers. various groups are taking part in the competition on barcelona 's main square. this is an occasion where cattle lands revel in their ethnic pride -- or cattleman's -- where catalans revel in their ethnic pride. this year, a new cry can be heard -- "independence." >> spain has ruined us. spain does not respect our culture or our language. this has to stop. our people have tried everything to get along with spain, but ultimately, we had to reach the decision to found a state of our own. >> the regional government of catalonia has voted to bring forward elections to the end of this november. the incumb

we talk to the politicians to see if catalonia is about to go it alone. fighting continues in syria this week. we speak to the former secretary general of the united nations, who has issued a stark warning about the syrian conflict. >> if they cannot come together or find a way to work together, then we are in a really, really hopeless situation. >> on board the africa express', the train which runs on music. hello. spain is poised on the brink of a bailout this week, but as the country's economic woes mount, there are cracks appearing within the complex relation between barcelona and madrid. catalonia is not germany, but the region is the economic powerhouse of spain, and nationalists there resent subsidizing other regions and in making their voices heard. >> of catalonia does one day get its own air force, it will probably be able to afford something better than these. on the beach in barcelona, the air show is a welcome distraction. spain's richest region is now at the center of the crisis with madrid committed to the austerity. there is now a rising d

and also later spain's national day of fractious spiny is with catalonia and separatists not taking too kindly to an anti independence march in their stronghold of barcelona. moscow claims that a group of russian citizens arrested in the u.s. earlier this month while for stud midge they were involved in illegally exporting high tech electronics to russia diplomats say the suspects are being put under psychological pressure and all that from aussies peter all over who joins us live now good morning peter so what else do we know about how this highly sensitive case is being handled in the u.s. all we've seen is the statement being issued by the russian foreign ministry regarding the four russian citizens currently still in custody who have been charged with the illegal export of military technology the foreign ministry spokesperson said they wanted a review of the decision not to allow these four russian citizens to be granted bail and also that they wanted to be put to what they've called the exertion of intense psychological and moral pressure in order to obtain a confession from these

it's also so huge protests with the national day of catalonia being spoiled by some clashes between those willing to become independent from madrid and those standing for unity there have been clashes with police that have said one hundred people have been detained some of them are trying to take down the spanish flag from the governmental been the buildings in catalonia this might hurt spain massive. because cats a lumia is the biggest regional economies spain and if it becomes independent and certainly it would be said it would be a massive economic blow for the country the funniest thing about it is that old this happens amid. while the european union was awarded the nobel peace prize and something which was owner it in this peace prize was the unity in the europe in the europe which the organization has managed to achieve according to the nobel peace prize committee definitely with these calls for independence to get a loony and other warring tendencies across europe this unity which the nobel peace prize committee have been speaking of comes into very serious question for the c

old to break up and that has to europe's unity is already underway in spain where tensions over catalonia as bad for independence came to a head even as the nobel peace prize was being awarded calls for a breakaway state in the spanish region of catalonia are among the loudest in the queue with feelings running high among the people there a mass and tile sara lee protest is expected in the capital madrid two that's going to be a part of a chain of synchronized protests happening in more than thirty five cities around the world today and with regards to catalonia morocco mikhail a senior researcher at the european think tank fried says it's part of a bigger problem. this really reveals a kind of a kind of real crisis either in spain or in a lot also a few up in countries and obviously we can disconnect the cats are doing issue from the global financial crisis that is going on in the european union but that said when it comes to. this such reducing of a noble prize to the european union obviously it comes into contradiction with both europe. the union is doing going to europe and what. he's

had spain's national day francia spiny is with catalonia separatists not taking too kindly to ninety independence march in that stronghold of books. before that russia has rebuffed claims that a damascus bound civilian flight from moscow was carrying illegal and military equipment on wednesday took a scrambled fighter jets to force the passenger plane to land at a sense soldiers to seize the cargo while base from artists on bot. russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov said that the contents of the plane which was removed was totally legal the documents were checked in moscow as the syrian plane departed but the equipment wasn't designed to be sneakily smuggled into the syrian government and that it broke no international laws. and there was certainly no on this plane and they simply could not have the aircraft was carrying a cargo that was being shipped from russian supplier to legitimate customer in a legitimate way it was a cargo of electrical supplies radar stations this is purpose equipment but it is not barred by any international convention shipping documents comply with all re

with london to hold an independence referendum has others ready to follow including the likes of catalonia examines the trend. tied to changing in europe nationalism bred by ways of crises has swept across a once united union scotland has just been granted the historic right to tease whether or not it wants to remain as part of the united kingdom in the next couple of years they're not the only ones across europe right now and there's a growing movement thinking nationhood from catalonia to venice scotland has been leading the way the year its independence seekers along with the cape belgium spain and italy have all seen a rise in cools the separatism that could be set to redraw the map of europe in venice recently thousands took to the streets to demand a referendum on establishing an independent the nation republic. this situation here in venice or it's it's almost explosive saw so there were thousands of people who have gathered in front of the regional government they were going present at the original lucia church signed by thousands of british to have a referendum for independence of

happening and five cities around the world today but with regards to catalonia. michela sing their research at the european think tank a fried sense part of a big the e.u. problem. this really reveals a kind of a kind of real crisis either in spain or in the lot also a few rippin countries and obviously we can disconnect the cuts are doing you know issue from the global financial crisis that is going on in the european union but that said when it comes to this. for a noble prize for the european union obviously it comes into contradiction with boasts what the european union is doing on the european level. and what do you opinion is doing in the rest of the world so i think that i mean the same way that we've seen or the same way that happened a few years ago when obama got the nobel peace prize i think that what is going on is that we can see that the nobel peace prize is much more a symbolical stance a symbolical process or decision that has the aim of just favoring some actors in order to push them to do better than what they are doing. this is still to come in

this protest particular protest in barcelona in catalonia comes only a day after the e.u. was awarded the nobel peace prize for maintaining peace and unity throughout the continent and definitely these events in catalonia suggest that they may not be such unity across the european continent as the nobel committee may consider this book protest has not been violent but we cannot rule anything out when it comes to spanish protests because in the past there have been clashes with the police in fact this week have in clashes in catalonia in barcelona in madrid definitely this this particular protest in madrid is only a part of a huge string of global protests in spain alone there were thirty cities protesting expecting another week of protests which is called the global noise wender stand that everywhere across the world protests have happened during the day in melbourne in australia in italy in rome in venice in new york so definitely this is a very global a major movement the main idea of these protests is anti-capitalism that the people are unwilling to pay their own money

time a pro independence parties are now at the helm in spain's basque country about elections in catalonia could bring about even more separatist forces to the forefront but it is scotland it's at the top of the breakaway trend now as it has a real chance to go it alone and south london agreed to little hold an independence referendum in two years' time further examination the separatism. tied to changing in europe nationalism bred by ways of crises has swept across a once united union scotland has just been granted the historic right to tease whether or not it wants to remain as part of the united kingdom in the next couple of years they're not the only ones across europe right now and there's a growing movement thinking nation heard from catalonia for valor scotland has been leading the way the year its independence seekers along with the cape belgium spain and italy have all seen a rise in calls the separatism that could be set to redraw the map of europe in venice recently thousands took to the streets to demand a referendum on establishing an independent the nation republic. over in s

the basque region a challenge for the beleaguered government which also faces separatism calls in catalonia for more let's talk to gonzales he's founder of s.p.d. dot com which provides analysis on possible crisis scenarios joining me live there from germany now for decades basque separatist group that used violence to get autonomy how strong is the desire to go it alone among the majority of the people in that region. what promoter anderson and i did. exceedingly didn't go independent. or. the civil war but the fact that they are getting with this especially now is just a sense of how do people who. were present you had about. a really sore to interrupt but connection really isn't good enough for the moment let's try and get by jenna later more try and sort out any apologies thanks for the moment gonzalez and say we're trying to watch a bit later. the one hundred thousand people turned out in london to protest against the austerity being widely imposed scuffles are up to the media after the marches hundreds of protesters broke away and tried to storm the shops so today's rally in the briti

in barcelona to call for home rule is becoming more and more familiar catalonia is a people with a long history of language and identity and it has been struggling for the last thirty years to be recognized and to do there are. other areas a stain in italy a seeing similar an easement it's a sentiment that stretches all the way to belgium with the separatist me flemish alliance trying thing in the dutch speaking flanders region the rapid momentum gained by these need ment's seems to have been fueled primarily by the economic crisis. leaving richer regions less willing to put their money in the hands of essential is government but there are structural regional results the main reason is. we are being. more in a situation worse than a colony because there's a worse. actuary in italy it's the highest in the world and our services are extremely poor when you build your nation. our region our resources each year and that's how bearable around two million people out of a population. of. people is asking for the right of the nation in a democratic way but the union orientated voters have also

head even as the nobel peace prize was being awarded calls for a breakaway state spanish regional catalonia are among the largest in the room with feelings of running high among the people that a mass protest is expected in the capital madrid two that's going to be a part of the china fitting for a nice quiet happening in more than thirty five cities around the world today but the regards to with regards to catalonia mikhail a senior research at the you would think time fried as it's part of a bigger problem this really reveals a kind of a kind of free will crisis either in spain or in a lot also a fury up in countries and obviously we can disconnect the catalunya issue from the global financial crisis that is going on in the european union that said when it comes to this this attribution of a noble prize to the european union obviously it comes into contradiction with boasts what do you european union is doing on the european level and what do you opinion is doing in the rest of the world so i think that i mean the same way that we've seen the same way that happened a few years ago when ob

live in are getting the best deal scotland is in a slightly different position of course than from catalonia where scotland's economy is i think more like the rest of of the united kingdom and there is a historical difference of course for scotland and its relationship with the union and of course there's another big difference is that your package also said that the u.k. government is agreeing constitutionally binding referendum for scotland but there's a very big difference in that actually opinion polls are suggesting that support for independence for scotland is in the little thirty percent maybe twenty five to thirty percent so it is different from catalonia but we will have the referendum but i think that the popularity is less here's a good question we're hearing so much about this scotland with the media but who's driving it is it the politicians at edinburgh it isn't the people on the streets is it so much no it's not and the excitement here is the first minister of scotland the leader of the devolved government and scotland. and his party pretty much outpour support for independenc

what's going on at the right now and a sort of broader context of what the policies have been in catalonia for the last year or so since the government came into office basically he was sort of the pioneer of a lot of the austerity that the spanish government has been carrying out and that was actually starting to have a very strong effect on basically support for his party. what we've seen was i guess polls at the beginning of the summer showed that his support for his party had dropped significantly there is more austerity on the way so was pretty reasonable to assume that he was going to have even less support he'd been having to pact with the conservative base which is the party in the government right now at the spanish level and they have a very hard line sort of position so. what could muscle himself obligated to do basically was after the big rush of the millions of people in the street for the eleventh of september sort of capitalizing on the momentum that more national nationalist sentiment had here and call for elections and sort of read that in the polls are showing that he's a

debts were not going up in horror areas but as the bills mounted so did in turn all support for catalonia as independence with a vote to hold a referendum passing last month but trade has been hostile at basle with one. things that police mind raid polling stations and seize ballot boxes if barcelona presses ahead with a vote more now on the stand off with not a care from the european partnership for independence thank you for joining us now it was a spanish public prosecutor that said police might raid catalonian polling stations if a referendum is held would in madrid dare do such and such a thing. it was the spanish i mean a tennis association well these were there who don't want us which is the vice president of european parliament know who they will go down because you know we do need to understand that we are in a european context and the european you rope of the you know the rupee and you know it was actually creates a void. type of democrats to proceed to use the spanish prime minister has also called the effort quote delusional adding he would never allow a breakup of the country

the only ones across europe right now and there's a growing movement thinking nation heard from catalonia. scotland has been leading the way the year its independence seekers these are some of europe's richest regions each steeped in their own unique identities and cultural pride along with the cape belgium spain and italy have all seen a rise in calls to separatism that could be said to redraw the map of europe. in venice recently thousands took to the streets to demand a referendum on the start listing an independent the nation republic. and hearing. it's almost. saw. thousands of people who have gathered in their regional or government they were gone presented the original. signed by thousands of british to have a referendum for him to. favor in spain in the sight of catalonians marching on mass in barcelona to call for home rule is becoming more and more familiar catalonia says a people with a long history have language and identity and it has been struggling for the last thirty years to be recognized and to develop. policies other areas of spain and italy is seeing similar in the xme

it's the latest in a number of european regions to consider independence including scotland and catalonia that's not told to press a little because he was a chairman of the separatist independence of any the party which is organize the rally good to see you today can you please explain to us all of us here why exactly do you want the venetian region to go it alone at all to everyone know well there are several regions results that mean reason is economic is that we are being. jewish and we're in a situation worse than a colony because there's a worse once they get x. three in italy it's the highest in the world and our services. are extremely poor we have about twenty billion a sin from our regional resources each year and that some bearable and i just see. a couple of days ago there was a siege of say mark spell powered by four workers and there's this situation here in van it so it's it's almost explosive sold today we had a thousands of people who have gathered in front of their regional government they were going to present to the. a resolution signed by thousands of british banks who

today also in spain there have been fresh clashes in barcelona between those supporting an opposing catalonia sent a pundit's comes as the e.u. was awarded this year's nobel peace prize for sowing peace across the continent researcher baracoa also says the award comes in to contrast with what the union is . doing. when it comes to this this attribution of a nobel prize to the european union obviously it comes into contradiction with boasts what the ear opinion is doing on the european level and what do your opinion is doing in the rest of the world so i think that i mean the same way that we've seen the same way that happened a few years ago when obama got the nobel peace prize i think that what is going on is that we can see that the nobel peace prize is much more a symbolical stance a symbolical process or decision that has the aim of just favoring some actors in order to push them to do better than what they are doing when it comes to spain's problems we can see that this really reveals a kind of a kind of real crisis either in spain or in a lot of sort of european countries and obviously

this is our sea welcome back and it is has cut the credit ratings of catalonia and four other spanish regions to below investment grade this comes as a spanish parliament begins debating twenty eight thirteen budget spending cuts letters which have already caused thousands to hit the streets are protests. and for more on this story let's not talk where they stand pedre an associate professor from grade one college university i think so welcome to the program see you are in the drake tell us what's the attitude of people in the capital towards what's going on with the nation's finances. it's difficult to say because they. have not been legalized. last night for example. headquarters surrounding the parliament of spain were really prepared by the police to freeze protesters it's so uncertain what he's going to have to date actually no one can see how many people are going to show up or how the. police reaction will be. yes regarding the top twenty thirteen budget is based primarily on spending cuts is that chance it will be well received by they did illusion to people that. well the pro

have been demanding independence from madrid and this protest particular protest in barcelona in catalonia comes only a day after the e.u. was awarded the nobel peace prize for maintaining peace and unity throughout the continent and definitely these events in catalonia suggest that they may not be such unity across the european continent as the european as the nobel committee may consider a definitely the so far the book of this book protests has not been violent but we cannot rule anything out when it comes to spanish protests because in the past there have been clashes with the police in fact this week having clashes with the lumia in barcelona in madrid so we are waiting to see how the situation rebels whether there will be any clashes and violent bloodletting events in the streets of the spanish cities a mentor is not alone of course selection has more to come to say. definitely this this particular protest in madrid is only a part of a huge string of global protests in spain alone there were thirty cities protesting expecting another week of protests which is called something of a mo

this is just the current situation talk i think if you look at the solutions to be independent as catalonia within the world is not a solution the solution of course is a closed european union a closely euro zone and this will be the result so one is the hawks but the other thing is the political result that it will lead to robert you've been very patient go right ahead. the european union is causing these countries to break up because it's causing these countries to become in a sense failed states it governs economic policies of the south of you and these countries are suffering economically massive unemployment no growth you've got deep recessions what are people going to do they're going to say look for turnitin political structures that is inevitable now of course one point that david made was that all these nationalist movements are nothing new while recent until relatively recently in catalonia in spain most people supported staying part of spain now of course that situation has changed dramatically because of the economic crisis which originates from the euro and these austerity meas

national day chess playing is with catalonia separatists not taking kindly to take independence march and that stronghold of barcelona long battle after the break. in the glow of russia's not far away from civilization and history are one helicopter treat from the nearest village. yes they still one family have been living here for a long time in tents made of reindeer schemes. lodging runs in ada signal and then it's they also grew up in the to draw but left it at the age of six and never returned they now live in the city in apartment building but still room and they are regions. was planted here as a dancing teacher. was. next to his den says he tells the stories about his motherland. laws in europe to now has a one thousand strong reindeer had when the enemy only saw the lichen and marks around it is gather the turns and move to another poll sure they travel hundreds of kilometers in winter we men and children for them. the two families have less of a chance to come across each other they belong to different worlds even though there's sometimes a similar. wealthy british style suc

whether they have a deficit or not depends on the central government and that is the reason why cataloniain particular is now clearly asking for nothing less than the candidates because they think that if they are downgraded to be they if they have these huge deficits they have is because there is a fiscal imbalance that there is that they are treated unfairly by the central government and i use another crisis that is quite a serious one because what we're talking about the world of the survival of spain as a united country i just turned twenty third of october what are your thoughts about whether spain will eventually ask for a bailout lot of people saying it's still almost inevitable and it could the eurozone evaluate if it did well it is inevitable but it's clear the first some problem or several different problems first of all the spanish government doesn't want to ask for the bailout. in there in the conditions that are offered because that would mean even more austerity over their cities are these already here and you see the protests in the streets they could it could spiral out of

certain and in catalonia as well it's really the result of spain being a country that is basically the project united under a crown that imposed one spanish national identity on several other communities with who have their own languages in their own histories what's going on now is the economic situation is weakening the central government so much that independence now seems quite plausible and even favorable to the people in these regions so that's that's really the shift but it's not just economic factors there's a major major historical and cultural. i guess impetus behind what you're seeing today but watch it closely. appreciate it thanks for having me. it's a bird the deadly earthquake in spain last year could well have been manmade online no reporting only you research the place of water extraction disturbing a full line venture leaving nine people dead hundreds homeless. from the classics condensed is it possible to tell tolstoy's war and peace in a hundred forty characters that's the question what to do think you can and it's got a fiction festival to try and prove. a major se

and spain's catalonia receives a blow from moody's rating agency. on the possibility of independence from the central government and much more after this short break. the stunning beauty of reindeer gracefully dancing across the arctic tundra more than just a scenic image it is a way of life for some traditionally the net its people are nomadic reindeer herders and though in many ways they lead a simple and rustic life they are also highly skilled and organized in their trade . another weekend will be preparing for the winter and living around their need for a response this summer is depending. on the day we found this particular camp they were settled near the coast of the ta to see here for families work together to manage nearly a thousand reindeer herding reindeer is not just a job for the people in fact they say it's a part of their entire culture heritage and way of life and back they say that they can use almost every single part of the reindeer to help them survive. naming a deer is a means of transportation if it's. meant. for the. life in

over the past several weeks in fact yesterday it's also so huge protests with the national day of catalonia being spoiled by some clashes between those willing to become independent from madrid and those standing for unity this might hurt spain massively because that's a loony it is the biggest regional economy in spain and if it becomes independent then certainly it would be so it would be a massive economic blow for the country the funniest thing about it is that although this happens a minute. while the european union was awarded the nobel peace prize and something which was owner it in this peace prize was the unity in the europe in the year but which the organization has managed to achieve according to the nobel peace prize committee definitely with these goals for independence it gets a loony and other warrington this is across europe this unity which the nobel peace prize committee have been speaking off comes into very serious question. yes q there's so social justice groups from five continents to nine hundred for mass protests again. the political and financial elites who they acc

spain's catalonia. the things that need is rating agency just weeks before an election focusing on the possibility of independence but that's tricky central government story and much more. if you're passing through rushes to be a region you really can walk on the wild side thousands of kilometers of unspoilt countryside make up an area where it's still possible to live off the land such spectacular scenery makes it a paradise for fisherman and provides a business opportunity for hunters there are defined hunting seasons in russia but lax enforcement means many animals are killed out of the allotted times which can leave young animals orphaned and unable to survive the heart of just u.s. forest provides a sanctuary for the most famous beast in russia it's home to a group who rescue often bear cubs and raise them when they're old enough to fend for themselves the cubs a target taken to a remote location and released back into the wild but it's not just bears who find a haven here this is wolf island here

you know, i think they have that referendum in catalonia. they want to get beyond that before they get into any program. >> absolutely. >> talking about catalonia, the spanish parliament has voted to block a move for independent state by the region. lawmakers from the ruling people's party have rejected a motion brought by the catalonia party for referendum on the issue. the move marks the late nest a series of showdowns between one of spain's most indebted regions, and the central government in madrid. this is all about the pressures that are being put on the internal political dynamics of spain. >> a reminder, too, not only the political dynamics, but should it now face issues with regards to the funding that it raises from some of these member states to redistribute to others is running into problems there. and it's just one additional issue that may catch the attention of ratings firms here. >> you have more of an understanding of that in the federal system. what does the central government take from the states. >> in the u.s., very few

. >> in mexico city, it is very similar to what happened in catalonia. the bullring's are empty. the plaza is empty. they survived on the whim of powerful economic sectors to still think they can do is they wish. >> we look at some of the memorabilia that they have collected over a lifetime dedicated to the spectacle. he fears memories might soon be all he has left. if the ban is passed, the whole industry faces a very uncertain future. >> with every presidential election campaign here in the u.s. comes on entire business dedicated to promoting the candidate. anything, basically from badges, ribbons, posters, to the millions spent on television advertisements. now, from a mountain has gone under display online. it seems like those buttons have a long tradition. >> we are looking at 1952. this is an archive of presidential campaign memorabilia from 1952 until the present. >> vote for president johnson. >> we have about 400 commercials. we started off by going to the different presidential libraries and correcting videos and converting this to the digital files. you can jump to any

the wool for the weft was imported from new zealand, in the heart of catalonia, and tested for durability and resistance to fading. weaving from the bottom up and in meter segments, the completed section is pulled below the working bridge onto the floor, enabling the finished portion to be viewed as the work progresses. in march, miro visits his young colleague's studio. he inspects the progress, makes suggestions, and gives his approval. royo works with a team of fellow weavers whom he has carefully trained to complish this imposing task. royo's revolutnary concept allows weaving to be performed from either side using multiple groups of yarn twisted together and passed over varying numbers of warps through the months of april and may, meter by meter the forms of the tapestry gradually begito emerge. miro has said of his approach to art, "things come to me slowly. my vocabulary forms has not been the discovery of a day. it took ape alst spite of myself. in this way, ty ripen in my spirit." into the steamy month of august, the spirit of "femme" grows until the figure is complete. now, with