peter sharp has more. >> reporter: president putin cannot be accused of hiding from the press.his is another four-hour media marathon. allowing the leader a golden opportunity to put a shine on the country's image abroad. he approved a pardon for the multi-billionaire, mikhail khodorkovsky. >> he has already spent more than ten years in jail. it's a serious punishment. he refers to circumstances of the humanitarian issue, his mother is ill, and i think it's possible to make that decision and i will soon sign an order about his pardon. >> reporter: just two days ago putin offered $15 billion of state investment to its troubled neighbor ukraine. a bailout to save floundering economy from bankruptcy. apparently no strings attached. even some conciliatory words directed at the european yuan yoon. >> are we against the association with europe? not at all. we simply say we have to protect our economy. we have a free trade agreement with ukraine. we cannot leave it unchanged if ukraine opens its doors to the european union. >>> pewsy riot imprisoned for two years for that so-called ob

peter sharp has reaction from volgograd. >> talk to the people of volgograd, and you quickly pick up a sense of anger, a sense of fear, a sense of frustration. this city of 1 million people has lost more than 30 people killed, and more than 100 injured, many seriously. some of them children. the people are angry. they feel let down by the social service, by the police, by the security forces. they feel not enough is done to protect them, to protect their families. the city is all but closed down. there is no longer any faith in local transportation service, the trolleys run, and they rattle around the old city, virtually empty. today, on monday, about 400 local people gathered to protest about what has happened here over the last 24 hours, and the police cleared them off, saying their appearance on mass was another target for the people who are carrying out these bombings. >> that was peter sharp reporting from volgograd, russia. >> al jazeera is demanding the release of a group of journalists in egypt. correspondent peter greste, produces and a cameraman are in custody in cairo. egy

government and security is always going to be a problem bearing the location near the caucasus. >> peter sharpe in london, thank you. >>> top stories, egypt an explosion as we were saying has targeted a military intelligence office, at least four people have been injured in that blast. peter gresta, what more have you been hearing there? >> well, gone up from four to five now. we don't know what caused the blast other than it seemed to be fairly powerful. the military intelligence suggests the building has been fairly well damaged. we can't say definitively what caused the explosion or what it was that set it off. >> peter, there have been a number of attacks against government buildings in the last few weeks. >> that's right. we've seen explosions not just on government buildings of course. there was that massive bomb down in mansurra which killed about 6 people, and others that have gone off in cairo and have been defused by the authorities. most of those have been small scale things, home made bombs that have gone off in and near buses and so on, also those ongoing clashes between students,

peter sharpe is in volgograd. >> the twisted gutted remains of a trolley bus in volgograd. bodies and debris are strewn across the street. russian investigators say a male suicide bomber was responsible for the blast. it is the second in the last 24 hours. people were killed by a sue sierd bomber in volgograd's main railway station. security at the entrance prevented more deaths. >> the explosive device was the equivalent of 4 kilograms of tnt, it was filled with shrapnel. and because it was the same as the other incident, this confirms they were connected. >> formerly the kgb is coordinating the hunt for these attacks. the people now worried that this could be just the start of the concerted bombing campaign leading up to the start of the winter olympics in february. the sochi olympics are a major prestige project for president vladimir putin. no one has claimed responsibility for it a of these attacks but earlier, chechin leader, claimed responsibility. organizers have promised to make the games, "the safes olympics in history." peter sharpe al jazeera in volgograd. >>> k

peter sharp has more now from moscow. >> reporter: there is a gradual easing of the diplomatic and leagues seen the arctic 30 basically confined to their hotel in st. petersburg since they were bailed in november. basically, the prosecutor's offers is summoning them one by one. they go there for the offers, they receive a document which proves, an individual document that proves that the charges against them, charges of hooliganism which carry a seven-year jail sentence have, in fact, been dropped. then the next process is that the defendants have to take that document to the federal migration service to get their exit visa put in their passport and only then can they leave st. petersburg. but it's a very time-consuming practice he is. is they were hoping they would be home for christmas, now they are hoping to be back by the new year. they are all going to be released. they are all going to be -- the charges will all be dropped against them. it's just this legal hoops you've got to jump through in st. petersburg to get the process complete today allow them to leave the country because th

peter sharp, al jazeera n moscow. >> earlier, i spoke with charles hecker. he is a security expert who joined us from london. i asked him who he thought is responsible for this latest attack. >> well, doca amarav has gone public in saying he wants to do aggie he can and is calling on his troops and allies, if you will, to do everything that they can to disrupt the sochi olympics. he has branded them as an unholy event. you have to assume he has something to do with the attack that happened in volgerad today. >> many americans will think of volgegrad as stalin grad during the old soviet union but why volgegrad? >> that's a good question. you are right. it was called stalingrad and was the scene of historic work war 2 battle. there could be any number of reasons. it is in the south of russia and is near to the caucuses region awe noel it's not the closest big city, but that's an important factor. it has to be in terms of a target slightly softer than, say, moscow. the maximum impact would be to pull off an attack like this in the russian capital but moscow is

peter sharp has the details. >> reporter: the chaotic aftermath of the attack on a railway station.lies on the ground as the emergency services scramble to treat survivors. regional officials say a women set off explosives near metal detectors near an entrance to the main train station. the blast captured on camera. the station was packed with thousands of people leaving on their chris mat holidays. inevitably the attack killed and injured dozens of people. inning. >> according to preliminary investigation the power of this explosion was the he whiff lent 10 rounds of tnt. there would have been many more victims if it weren't for the so-called guarding at the train take, preventing the suicide bombing from getting in where at the time there were lots of people because three trains were late. >> reporter: in the same southern city in october 7 people died in a suicide bomb on the ground a bus, the woman behind that attack was a muslim convert from kazakhstan, the latest killings raise serious security concerns ahead of february's winter on olympics at the black zero sort of sochi. pr

peter sharp reports on how it's changed. >> waky, waky, it's nearly 10 o'clock. ever since the kremlin scrapped daylight saving time the people here face 18 hours of darkness a day through the winter, going without seeing a trace of blue sky or sunlight for months. for the people of moscow the daily walk to work can be depressing and dangerous experiences. carried out in almost total dark possess, crossing treacherous icy streets. then it has to be repeated again eight hours later on the way home, again in total darkness. >> it really influences people. they can get depression. statistics say that 10% of people suffer from this disease during winter. almost every person has a lack of energy. about 10% has to get medical treatment such as anti-depressants. >> for the first time city authorities declared, "let there be light." and lo and behold there was light. >> they don't celebrate. new year's is the big deal. it didn't stop officials turning moscow in a winter wonderland. as far as christmas decorations go, we are not talking about regent street. trust me, this

. >> peter sharp is on the phone from moscow. what do we know so far? >> the bomb exploded 3.5 hours ago at volgograd, 2.5 hours south of moscow. the - hello >> yes, we are hearing you peter. >> sorry, yes. the - it was carried out by a female suicide bomber. she managed to get into the station, and the device exploded in front of metal detectors. had she got through that she would have gone into the packed waiting room. the train station was crowded. this was a busy weekend in russia, before the annual holiday in the new year. there were thousands of people at the tags. it happened 3.5 hours ago. they've been revising the numbers of dead and injured. 18 were killed. 40 people unjurd, including some children. >> do we know anything about the bomber. we know she was a woman and it sounds like a suicide attack. >> that's right. volgograd was struck by a suicide attack in october, october 21st when another suicide bomber exploded her device on a bus, leaving six dead and five injured. they are called the black widows by the local people. they are members of

peter sharp was listening in. >> at the kremlin, the russian president was said to be working on his state of the nation speech. right up to about half an hour before delivery at the great hall. vladimir putin will have been gratified by the, toes magazine, voting him most powerful person in the world. but this was a speak addressed to the people of russia, and those who exercised believers of power across this vast nation. >> no one should have any ill solutions about gaining superiority over russia. will be spent on defense over the next ten years. and he acknowledged the tuck recess in avoiding military intervention in syria. but to some surprise he said little about the battle in ukraine and solve all problems. political analyst from the carnegie foundation, monitored the address. >> i expected the president to speak more about ukraine. and to sound much tougher than he did. as those events and that was -- eh sounded dismissive. >> and on the streets it was ukraine that grabbed the people's attention. >> the main problem for me is ukraine, that it can split from us. we have no as

as peter sharp reports, putin's motives are still being questioned. >> reporter: whatever the criticismf president putin, he can never be accused of hiding from the press. a surprise announcement that he approved for the multi-billionaire. >> translator: he has already spent more than ten years in jail. it's a serious punishment. he refers to circumstances of a humanitarian nature. his mother is ill. and i think it is possible to make that decision and i will soon sign an order about his pardon. >> reporter: just two days ago putin offered $15 billion of state investment to its troubled neighbor ukraine. apparently no strings attached, apparently no pressure on kiev to join moscow's union. even some conciliatory worlds. >> translator: are we against the association with europe? we're not against the association at all. we simply say we have to protect our economy. we have a free trade agreement with ukraine. >> reporter: and then there's putin's amnesty, pewsy riot imprisoned for two years, were the poster girls of the amnesty. and the arctic 30, rounded up by russian border police. wil

. >> reporter: and peter sharp is live from moscow and i'm sure it wasn't easy for them, peter, any ideahey found their time in jail? >> i think maria had a particularly difficult time and the inmates were prejudice against her and she was suffering physical attacks from these people who had condemned this punk protest. it got to the extent where she personally requested basically solitary confinement so she could protect herself from the attacks from the other prisoners. as you say as a result and the sentence is two years and finishing for her after this punk protest in the cathedral in february 2012 really protesting about what pussy rights saw as the russian orthodox and the kremlin. >> an all girl punk band became an international part of protest to president putin, interrupting the church with the punk prayer, mother of god chased putin away and it was pussy-rights last gig for a while. and the church church is the largest and the beating heart of the orthodox faith and it drew outrage and criticism from state in equal measure and it was carried around the world and they were jaile

peter sharpe reports from moscow. >> maria walked free just after dawn from the remote prison colony where they was serving a two-year sentence. she didn't ask for this amnesty and didn't want it. >> the prison had received an order and that's why i was brought here. i would like to meet human rights activists and would like to engage in human rights activities. >> reporter: the final member of the punk band pussy rois was released from her siberian jail a few hours later on monday morning. calling for nothing less than a boycott on the russian ploiks. >> i am calling for boycott, i am calling for honesty, i'm calling not to sell yourself for oil and gas that russia can provide. i'm calling to use all humanist traditions and roles which europe talks about so much. >> both were serving a two year sentence for taking part in a demonstration in a moscow cathedral. interrupting the morning services with "mother of god press putin away". >> the largest in moscow is the hoylest of holys. no wonder that pussy riot's antiputin rant at the altar drew outrage and criticism from church and stat

peter sharp, al jazeera, moscow. >> opposition forces and the ukrainian government are at odds.n tuesday russia greed to buy billions of dollars in ukrainian bonds and cut gas prices. the deal guarantees stability but opposition activists say it could worsen the country's economic troubles. >> everyone should respect sovereignty of every country, including ukraine, and everyone should allow the peoples to make the free choice of how they want to develop their country, how they want to develop their sta state. >> the trade between moscow and the rue crane i ukraine is not p trade request e.u. >>> indian diplomat is charged with visa fraud for sneaking her into the u.s. and paying her far below minimum wage. she was arrested and strip-searched and held in a cell with drug addicts. >>> heading of the opposition said there was no coup. it was only a misunderstanding here are reports. >> reporter: fleeing for their lives these people are looking for a safe place to hide from the fighting. the message from their leaders are to go home. when you came here you were looking for peace. no

peter sharp has that story. >> reporter: there wasn't much left of the trolly car when the ambulances arrived. but survivors were hanging on, and the hospital was less than ten minutes away. this was one of more than 20 badly injured brought here. >> translator: it felt like a huge electric shock. i didn't see anyone with a bomb. i was looking out the window, and i can't remember anything after that. >> reporter: for the second time in less than 24 hours, the wards were filled with the victims of another bombing, some with terrible burns. this doctor said his team were carrying out ten operations at the same time, but thankfully he said the trolly bomb doesn't as powerful as the train station bombing. outside they posted lists of names of victims and where they were being treated. trauma specialist, part of a disaster emergency team had been flown in from moscow to help family and friends cope with the shock and loss. those two badly injured to be treated here were boarded on flights to be taken to special burn units in the capitol two hour's away. this city used to be known as stalin

peter sharp has more from moscow. >> reporter: the punk group pussy riot are apparently eligible.hey come under the category of young women with children. and the green peace, the arctic 30 who were arrested in september, they were charged with hooliganism, another area that would benefit from this amnesty. the green peace people have been released on bail, but they can't go anywhere. they are hoping they will be home for christmas, but most of the people will be ordinary russians, 26,000 of them. they include the vulnerable, women over 55, men over 65, men and women who served in the armed forces, but no one with a criminal act or any commission of violence will be allowed to participate in this amnesty. a lot of the people too, 16,000 we understand are people who have been charged but not actually gone to court. it was an amnesty drafted by the president to mark the 20th anniversary of the constitution of russia, and should start to take effect in the next couple of days and will last for six months. >>> opposition forces and the ukrainian government now fighting over that deal

peter sharp, al jazeera in moscow. >> the global research director for controlled risks and joins us live from london, thank you for joining us. who do you think is behind this? >> a pleasure. >> he wanted to do everything he could to disrupt the sorbi olympics. he has labeled them an unholy event, and on u tune and it appears that the tranquil period that had exceeded this bombing and some of the others that led up to it is now over. >> over destabilizing the game some six weeks away, what is it that he and his followers want and what are their capabilities? >> well, it's interesting. there is a bit of a pattern emerging here that is before certain large federalents and the sorbi is the biggest of them all, but prior to federal e elections and other large national events, there have been these sorts of attacks. i think what they want to do first and foremost is remind the criminallin they are here and they are a force to be reckoned with and that even in spite of the enormous security that will accompany the olympics, there is a force out there that is cableable of pulling off ernts

let's cross to moscow and peter sharp who will listen in to the speech that vladimir putin will be delivering. peter, a range of issues we expect vladimir putin to address. what do you think he'll talk about? >> you're right, it will be a marathon question. i can't remember another leader exposing himself to these questions. up to 4.5 hours. foreign issues. they'll be making remarks about the peace conference in january. there'll be an element from putin of i told you say. always said that any attempt to remove assad from power will create a dangerous vacuum. it has been filled by jihadist fighters. they pose a threat to russia in the northern caucuses. vladimir putin will take credit for persuading bashar al-assad to dismantle the records. the future under debate. of course, we have the amnest which, that was announced yesterday, involving 26,000 minor criminals. most of the groups but already we in this morning criticism that the amnesty doesn't reach tens and tens of thousands. and really this is a whitewash job at a time when russia's human right's groups comes under attack. this is a cha

peter sharp reports. >> reporter: back in mass cow after serving nearly two years in penile colonies,embers of the rock group pussy riot are back in the spotlight. both women met the world's press, both looking surprisingly well. they said there would be no more pewsy riot. they are moving on in a different direction, and their opposition is now to russia's winter olympics. >> translator: what we want to attract attention to, first of all the attention of people living abroad is that they should not go to the olympics as if it's some sport of cultural event, think of it as a political event. and if you decide to come, just remember there are russian citizens who do not have this opportunity because they are behind bars and for no reason. >> reporter: russian president was another target, describing him as . . . >> translator: reserved non-transparent security officer with lots of fears. he is afraid of lots of things. he surrounds himself with walls and doesn't see the reality behind them now. he is deceived and is ready to believe in that deceit. >> reporter: they are now forming a n

reputation before the winter olympic games in february and let's go straight across to moscow where peter sharpout to talk to us. do we have an idea about the release, are there any constraints on his freedom? >> so i just didn't get that question. >> just asking about in terms of his release are there any constraints possibly on his release? >> we have no idea about that. there is a real confusion exactly how this came about and his legal team who represented him for the last decade did not appeal for a pardon from putin because they said it would confirm his gift in the case and he protested his innocence and if he himself actually appealed for the pardon we don't know and won't until he walks free but the fact remains that less than 24 hours after putin stunned the nation by agreeing to release the most credible political opponent that he has, he is a free man. we don't actually know if he is actually out of the prison yet. he is serving his time and was serving his time in a penal colony about 700 kilometers north of st. petersburg and his legal team is now moving in that direction and it's

peter sharp is in moscow with the latest >> the chaotic aftermath of an attack at a railway station in volgograd. a body lies on the ground as emergency services scramble to treat the survivors. police say a woman set off the device near a metal detector station. the station was packed with thousands leaving on christmas holidays. >> everything was covered with smoke. after 10 minutes i was able to see. inside the train station everything was destroyed >> the attack killed and injured dozens of people. >> translation: commodoreding to preliminary information, it was the same as 10 kilograms of tnt. there were lots of people in the waiting hall but because of the checking system she wasn't through. >> seven died in a suicide bombing on a bus. the latest killings raised serious security concerns ahead of february's winter olympics at the black sea resort of socchi. >> president putin offered support to families and relatives of those killed and injured in this attack. security at the winter olympics will continue to be an overriding concern for the kremlin. it's already deployed 30,000 t

peter sharp, al jazeera, moscow. >> the lights are nice. thank you for watching al jazeera. i'm richelle carey. "inside story" is next, and for updates throughout the day always check out our website at www.aljazeera.com. >> america's cities are a mixed bag. some are thriving. some are sinking. one thing they have in common is this: when they get into trouble they can't look to the state house or capitol hill for help. running cities in the time of austerity. that's the inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. for many american cities the big municipalities for the core of the metropolitan areas it was a rough half century. from the 1950s on many of them

peter sharp reports from moscow. >> it was the moment when an obscure moscow all-girl punk band became a symbol of protest and opposition to vladimir putin. interrupting morning worship with the punk prayer "mother of god chase putin away", it was pussy riot's last gig for a while. it's not just any church. christ the saviour cathedral is the holiest of holies, the beating heart of the russian orthodox faith. pussy riot's rant at the altar drew outrage and criticism from church and state in equal measure. the court case was carried around the world. gaoled, sentenced to two years in a penal colony motivated by religious hatred. one of them was released later. the sentence triggered international incidents. at the news conference last week, he announced they would be free as part of an amnesty. >> i feel sorry for pussy riot, not because they were gaoled, but the disgraceful behaviour. the women undermined the moral foundations of the nation. on moscow streets opinions are different. >> translation: they haven't committed a crime. the maximum punishment is a crime. >> the girls showed t

peter sharp is in volgograd. >> reporter: the twisted gutted remains of a trolley in volgograd. russian investigators say a male suicide-bomber is responsible for the attack. it's the second in the last 24 hours. on sunday 17 people were killed by a suicide-bomber in volgograd's main railway stati station. security controls at the end of the station prevented even more deaths. >> the explosive device was the equivalent of four kilograms of tnt like the bomb at the train station, it was full of shrapnel and this confirms that the two terrorist acts were connected. >> reporter: president putin has dispatched the head of the intelligence service, formerly the kgb, to coordinate the hunt for those responsible for those attacks. the people here worried that this could be just the start of a concerted bombing campaign leading up to the start of the winter olympics in february. the sochi olympics are a major prestige project for vladimir putin. none is claiming responsibility for either of these attacks but earlier this hebre year chechen leaders wanted to carve out a section. organize

peter sharp reports. >> the russian kremlin was said to be working on his state of the nation speech up to half an hour before delivery at the great hall. >> never shy to court international attention, vladimir putin would have been gratified by the forbes magazine voting him the most power of the person in the world. this was a speech addressed to the people of russia and those that exercised power across this great nation. >> no one should have illusions about the possibility of gaining military superiority over russia. >> defense spending is vital in protecting the borders. $700 billion will be spend on defense over the next 10 years. he acknowledged russia's success in avoiding military intervention in syria. >> we acted with confidence and prudence. not once have we put in danger our own interests or security. >> on domestic issues vladimir putin said the education system needed to be upgraded. he spoke of concern over illegal immigration and impact on local jobs. he said little about the crisis across the border in ukraine. >> translation: i hope political forces in ukraine can

peter sharp has that story in moscow >> reporter: wakey, waky. it's nearly 10:00 o'clock in the morning. it could well be midnight. ever since the crimin kremlin sd daylight savings time, the people face 18 hours of darkness a day through the winter, sometimes without seeing blue sky or sunlight for months. >> the people of moscow, the daily walk to work,a depressing and at times, daying dangerous experience carried out in almost darkness crossing treacherous icy streets and then it all has to be repeated again eight hours later on the way home, again, in total darkness. >> it really influences people. they can even get depression. statistics say 10% of people suffer from this disease during winter. almost every person can feel lack of energy and about 10% have to get medical treatment such as antidepressants. >> so for the first time, the city authorities declared: let there be light and lo and behold, there was light. they don't celebrate christmas in december. new year is the big deal but that didn't stop cities flashing out $10 million to tur

peter sharpe al jazeera moscow. >> let's take a look at our top business headlines right now. holiday cheer on wall street. investors picking up where they left off last week with more buying. right now dow is up almost 72 points. the blue chips are on track for their fourth, fourth straight record. apple is getting access to more than 700 million potential customers. it reached a deal with china mobile the world's largest cell phone carrier, the deal could add billions of revenue, to apple. >>> lawsuits in response to target stores being hacked affecting millions of credit and debt card holders. chase bank is now limiting how much its credit card customers can spend in the final days before christmas. al jazeera kilmeny duchart reports. >> she could only withdraw 100 from an atm. far short of what she needed for her extended family's christmas list. >> i have 12 girls to shop for, 13 brothers to shop for. and i have to get their sweat shirts and i don't know what i'm going to do now because i'm pretty sure that's over $300. >> reporter: and that is more than chase will allow

. >> peter sharp in moscow. >>> a long dispute between the u.s. and jaman over the island of okinawaw has been settled, the governor moving a marine base to a remote part of the island. some wanted truck driver closed because of crimes that were committed by u.s. service members t could take about 10 years to build a new base. the pentagon says it welcome did the decision. it says the base is an important part of plans to bolt ter america's influence in that region. >>> more a million members are about to lose unemployment benefits. it was not included in the budget deal that the president signed on thursday. senate democrats say they will try to renew the program when congress reconvenes next month. >>> up next on al jazeera america, child brides in kenya still being married off even though the practice is illegal. (vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. (vo) we pursue that story beyond the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >

. >> that's peter sharp in morning on you. right now, we are joined by fred weir via skype, the moscow correspondent for the "christian science monitor." do you have any idea who might have been responsible for this attack? >> reporter: i think that it's 99% susta 99% certain that we are looking at the same insurgents who attacked in bolegrad barrel two months ago, dokumarav's network from the north caucuses or some other group. but it certainly originates there in russia's really eithering insurgenseething insu >> fred, as he indicated, he was going to step up attacks saying he was end his moratorium. i want to read to you, the warning, there is a heighten risk against softer target did such as transport infrastructure in sochi and the surrounding area. this was written in october. so, if i am an american citizens thinking about traveling to sochi for the winter games, how secure, how safe should i feel? >> i think everybody is going to be worried because there are two schools of thought. >> fred, we are having problems. >> s

peter sharp has more from moscow. >> reporter: it was a thunder bolt that stunned the country. putin granting a pardon to his enemy. seen by many as a political prisoner rather than a criminal. the view on the street was shared by many here. it was at this penal colony where he was serving the last seven months of a 10-year sentence for tax evasion. >> translator: i'm not able to even speak anymore. i feel ill. i have been talking all day. and the most important thing is that there is nothing to say. i don't know anything. >> reporter: the 50-year-old was once the richest man in russia, he was one of the oil barrens who became powerful during the chaotic years of yeltsin's presidency. his supporters say it was part of a kremlin campaign to punish him. he was once considered a serious contender to oppose putin for the presidency was named as prisoner of conscious by amnesty international. his imprisonment became a symbol for what critics here and overseas say is the kremlin's abuse. his release is the latest move in president putin's carefully orchestrated charm offensive. >> it

peter sharp, al jazeera, moscow. >> the bailout deal that the country signed with moscow on tuesday will help the country. but with reports from kiev what is russia expecting in return. >> reporter: the people at this camp of supporters of president viktor yanukovych are happy with the deal with russia. >> it's a good deal. we needed this deal. >> reporter: in moscow president putin promised to bayou cranan government bonds as well as cut the cost of gas that moscow exports to ukraine by 33%, but it does not make it part of a customs union led by russia. demonstrations against that union have gone on for about three weeks. protesters in independent square demand that yanukovych make a deal with europe or resign. >> reporter: the question now is what will it mean to these opposition demonstrations. >> for now they're still going strong with people demanding that ukraine align it is with europe. >> ayanukovych was looking at moscow and bruc brussels. there is no need to look at bruce else. >> we don't trust russia. we don't belong to russia. we should be part of europe. in. the ukrainian p

peter sharp, al jazeera, volgograd. >> here to talk about the response in the wake of the attacks istephen layer bee, distinguished chair of european security with rand corporation. good to see you. good to talk to you. i guess my first question is how worried should the world be about the security of the olympic games after these attacks? >> i think the issue is how worried should the russians be? if there are more bombings it's going to affect the olympics, and it effects putin's credibility as well. while it may be difficult to penetrate sochi, the whole country he has--the terrorists have at their disposal where they can wreck terror. >> and you can't keep everything safe and secure and buttoned up, can you? >> no, it's simply impossible. so i mean, the situation could be rather dire if there is another terrorist attack, a lot of people may not come to the olympics. they may cancel, but it will be certainly an embarrassment to mr. putin, and it overshadows and neutralizes what he had done previously by freeing kordohkovski and-- >> and the punk rock band. the attacks have brought

peter sharp reports. >> reporter: there wasn't much left of the trolly car when the ambulances arrivedruptured tin can surrounded by bodies, but survivors were hanging on, and the hospital was less than 10 minutes away. this is one of 20 badly injured brought here. >> translator: it felt like a huge electric shock. i didn't see anyone with a bomb. i was looking out the window, and i can't remember anything after that. >> reporter: for the second time in less than 24 hours, the hospital was filled with victims of a bombing. this doctor said his team were carrying out ten operations at the same time. outside they posted casualty lists of those brought in by ambulance, and where they were being treated. the relatives of the injured scarcely able to believe this was happening all over again. trauma specialists had been flown in from moscow to help family and friends cope. out of the airport, those too badly injured to be treated here, were loaded aboard special flights to moscow. for many quite simply it was the difference between life and death, taken to a special burn unit in the capitol

. >> peter sharp live in moscow. thank you, beater. >> now the u.k. first supermarket aimed at helping the country's poorest has opened doors in northern england. it claims to be britain's food store. prices are up to 70% lower than other shops. >> reporter: as austerity measures take hold statewide the poor are getting poorer. but this new community super hopes to help those most in need. those who have been depending on handouts to survive. >> it is about using surplus food for social good and the people who benefit the most from that are the people on the cusp of food poverty. >> reporter: all the food and goods here come from the country's large supermarkets that for some reason or another would have been thrown away, maybe misshapenned or mislabeled. but this story is about more than low-cost food. it's about encouraging people back into society. >> people here don't have a lot, so it's been a problem. >> reporter: more than a thousand similar stores have opened in spain and greece during the global recession. 24 for are planned for the u.k. next

. >> peter sharp live for us near the russian capital. >>> south sudan says 20,000 armed militia from the white army that's a group said to be loyal to former vice president riek machar is locked in a power struggle with president salva kiir. largely from the ethnic group the nuer. mohamed ado is live from the capital juba. what are are you hearing mohamed? >> well, news about the thousands of white army militia marching towards bor, according to government officials these militia is less than 50,000 kilometers. from vice president riek machar but the control of it was taken by government forces a phi days ago. -a few days ago. the white army is called so because of the white ash the men put on their faces. they are tribal militias who come from a subtribe of the nuer community of former vice president riek machar. so far government officials in bor are telling us that government forces have taken positions in and around the town waiting for white army to attack. now the white army has been responsible for most of the volatility and violence in the jonglei state involved in cattle res

. >> yes, he was found guilty of the attack which nearly blinded the man peter sharp reports. >> reporterrial that revealed the deaths of the poisonous rivalries that lay at the heart of an institution. it was a trial that transfixed the country. dancer and former soloist in the ballet found guilty of masterminding the attack. he refused to give him and his girlfriend any decent rolls in upcoming production. he was nearly blinded in the attack and was left writhing in in agony. he is in germany undergoing treatment. the man who admitted throwings as a -- acid in the directors face was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in trial. and the third man, the driver was given four years. all men were said to have turned themselves in after the attack and have been in precourt detention. he said he ordered that he be roughed up but never sanctioned ans ans a -- an acid attack. the three will serve out their sentencing in a strict penile colony. it is hoped that from now russia's much-loved cultural icon will be known for its successful performances on stage and not from the vicious gossip com

peter sharp reports from moscow. >> it was a very public display. and economic links between russia and the ukraine. but the meeting and the ukraine leader victor produced more than just memories of a shared history. among the protocol signs at the kremlin, a landmark agreement by russia, promising to reduce the price of its sales at natural gas to ukraine by a huge 30%. prices dropping to $400. for the hard pressed ukrainian economy. >> let me remind you -- the market is 30%. added to that, a $15 billion bail out loan, russia will buy $15 billion of ukrainian bonds to sure up an economy that has seen it's foreign currency reserves drop to a seven year low, and is battling its third recession in five years. we have prepare add plan of action. a two way road map. it will let us improve our performance, and it's realization with tangible positive results to entire sectors of the economy and our government. >> the visit deep in the political crisis in ukraine, where for week pros test tors have been demanding closer ties with the e. u. now the oppositi

peter sharp al jazeera volgograd. >> let's talk to ann '08 soltatov joining us. if volgograd on sunday, volgograd on monday, where else? where can we possibly feel safe? >> i think there's a big problem actually nobody knows. everybody feel that actually every town in the county might be attacked. and because volgograd was as you tensibly chosen for no apparent reason, everybody feel that something might happen in moscow. and the problem is that everybody feel that it might be a diversionary attack and that the idea is just to of the security services from what might happen in sochi. >> i suppose the question in the first place is why volgograd? is it because it has a special place? if you like in russian history, that it was effectively where the tide was turned in the second world war and the russians were able to effectively repel german forces and it's regarded as a mother russia stronghold? >> i don't think it's that complicated. i think the explanation might be much simpler. first of all the militants wanted to make a point that they're capable to carry out

six week, the third fat fatal attack in since months and stands with russia against terrorism and peter sharps in moscow on the latest on the train station bombing. >> reporter: the aftermath of the attack in a railroad station in volgograd and a body on the ground as emergency services scramble to treat survivors and a woman set off explosives at the entrance to the main station and the blast captured on camera and it was packed with people leaving on christmas holidays. >> translator: everything was covered in smoke and after ten minutes i could see again and there were bodies everywhere and in the train station itself everything was destroyed. >> reporter: it killed and injured dozens of people. >> translator: according to preliminary information the power of this explosion was the equivalent of ten kilograms of tnt and would have been more victims if it were not for the guarding system at the train station and prevented the suicide bomber from getting through the metal detector and in the hall and there were lots of people because three trains were late. in the same southern city in octob

okay, we will go to rory in just a moment in kia but first let's talk to peter sharp in moscow. is this a symbolic meeting between the two just to show they are as close as ever or would anything concrete come out of it? >> i think this meeting has been sign posted and expecting concrete things to come out of it and the ukraine president is coming here when his economy is sort of floundering and his currency is down to the lowest in seven years. and they are going through the third recession since 2008. what basically he is looking for is some financial help from russia and a reduction in the price they have to pay for russian gas and also, this is very important, a substantial loan from russia to help avoid any sort of a bail out. the big question now of course is what is russia going to ask for this because we understand that the decision to ask the ukraine leader to sign up for the russian-like customs union simply won't be on the table today. it will be a further provocation for the protesters back in kive and not looking to destabilize him, they see him as a leader they can

peter sharp is there. >> you pick up an sense of anger, a sense of fear, a sense of frustration. in the past 24 hours this city of 1 million people last lost more than 30 people killed and more than 100 injured, many of them seriously, some of them children. the people are angry. they feel let down by the social services, by the police, by the security forces. they feel not enough has been done to protect them, to protect their families. the city is all but closed down. there is no longer any faith in local transportation services. the trolleys still run and they rattle around this old city virtually empty. and today, on monday, about 400 local people gathered to protest about what's happened here over the last 24 hours. and the police cleared them off, saying their presence altogether en masse was just another target for the people who are carrying out these bombings. >> and joining me is david garton ross, thanks for being with us tonight. >> my pleasure. >> i want to talk about thiss chechen leader dokuku umarov. >> for example, he orchestrated from 2009 to 2010 bombings of th

peter sharp has the latest. >> the chaotic after math of the attack on a railway station in volgograd. a body lies on the ground as emergency services scramble to treat survivors, a woman set off explosives near metal detectors near the main train station. the blast was captured on camera. >> thousands were leaving on holidays >> translation: everything was covered with smoke, there were dies everywhere. inside the train station it was destroyed. >> inevitably the attack killed and injured dozens of people. >> translation: according to preliminary information the power was 10 kilograms of tnt. there would have been more if it weren't for the guarding system, preventing the suicide bomber from getting through the metal detect tore into the main hall, where there were three trains as they were late. >> seven people in october died after a suicide bombing on a bus. the latest raises security concerns at the black sea resort of socchi. >> president putin offered support to the families and relatives of those killed and injured in this attack. security at the winter olympics will continue

peter sharp the reports from moscow. >> this isn't just any news agency, it's one of the biggest in therld. it's got bureaus in 30 countries. one of the main sponsors of the sochi facilities. so was this expected? well, not according to local journalists at the organization. first they knew was when the news came on the kremlin's website and a man chosen to run the organization, that's dimitri krisiliof, he is a well-known anchor, talk show host, often venomous comments, very antigay, very antiopposition, very antiamerican. and his appointment will be seen basically i think as a further example of putin and the kremlin putting pressure on a very already heavily regulated media. >> cancer researchers release stunning results in the fight against leukemia. saturday the university of pennsylvania announced the success of its advance treatment. dozens of patients tested have remained cancer-free for years. as al jazeera's chris bury reports now the treatment involves a customized cocktail of the patient's own immune system and a modified hiv virus. >> for bob lovette, he was preparing to di

peter sharp, aljazeera, in moscow. >> joining us now is the political analyst maria lit man also monitoringutin's speech. thank you so much for joining us. with everything going object in ukraine, we are seeing three weeks plus of demonstrations, it's surprising he didn't focus more on ukraine. why do you think he did that? >> it was a surprise, maybe the most unaccepted part of his speech. he only mentioned ukraine in passing and did not refer to the political crisis in ukraine for many days now. he only referred to developments as those he is vents and sounds conciliatory, which was too unaccepted. he said russia would like ukraine to be part of thure rain union russia presides over, but russia is not imposing anything on anyone and he surprisingly referred to europe in which russia is in a standoff with ukraine as our european friends. >> he mentioned iran, saying the nuclear problem in iran no longer existed. he mentioned syria, the fact that russia had successfully avoided military intervention. can we infer from those comments that perhaps russia's moving its intention to a new sphere

peter sharp looks back at his life and legacy. >> it's 1947, the very beginning of the cold war. and rolling off the production line at the soviet armament factory, a new weapon, a weapon that will change the face of war. the ak .47 taking the name from that of its invent err. a former tank officer he was wounded in the war and while recovering in hospital, listened to soldiers complaining about the lack of a reliable infantry weapon. rugged and reliable the ak 47 can fire 600 rounds a minute. lethal at distances of less than a kilometer. 14 countries 82 armies equipping their troops with the ak. still in use. it is a remarkably simple weapon to use, it only has eight moving parts. you could easily teach a child how to strip and shoot an ak .47 in under an hour. for the child armies of africa, in sierra leon, liberia and uganda, it was the weapon of choice, turning ten yeerlsdz into killers. the ak was favored by drug dealers and drug cartels. a weapon that became an icon for violence in the 20th century. four years ago, the russian leadership celebrated his 90th birthday, awardi

peter sharp has more from moscow. >> this isn't any ordinary news organization, this is one of the biggest news agencies in the world. it's got bureaus in more than 30 countries. it's one of the main sponsors for the winter olympics in sochi, was formed in 1941, just when the germans were invading the soviet union. in recent years it has not necessarily followed the party line and also one of its chief editors has had an uneasy relationship with one of vladimir putin's senior press officers at the kremlin. was this expected? not according to local journalists at the organization. first they knew was when the news came on the kremlin's website. and the man chosen to run the are organization, that's dimitri kasiliof, well-known anchor, talk show host, venomous comments, very antigay, very antiopposition, very antiamerican. his appointment will be seen basically i think as a further example of putin and the kremlin putting pressure on a very already heavily regulated media. >> the charismatic new leader of italy has dismissed suggestions he might vote against the current government. 38-year-o

from moscow, peter sharp has the story. >> whatever the criticism of president putin he can never beccused of hiding from the press. this was another four hour media marathon, allowing the russian leader a golden opportunity to put a shine on the energy abroad. and afterwards a surprise announcement he had approve add pardon for the multibillionaire, and former boss. >> i think bearin bearing n mind, it is possible to make that decision, and i will soon sign an order just two somedays ago he was offered $15 billion to troubles ukraine. a bail out to save it from bankruptcy. we simply say we have to effect the economy. we cannot leave it unchanged if ukraine opens its doors. >> and then there was putin's amnesty. for their so called obscene performance in the main cathedral with the poster girls of the amnesty, expected to walk free over the next few days. and the arctic 30, rounded up by russianboarder police, in the freezing northern, toes during a green peace demonstration, and a russian drilling rig, will also it seems will be home for christmas. >> as for the fact thatster covere