Detecting language using up to the first 30 seconds. Use `--language` to specify the language Detected language: English [00:00.000 --> 00:08.620] The Guardian has published an interesting article regarding the Malvinas question which [00:08.620 --> 00:14.600] has not gone unnoticed in Argentina. British writer and historian Richard Gott analyzed [00:14.600 --> 00:19.360] Mercosur state members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay's recent decision to [00:19.360 --> 00:25.500] close their ports to all Malvinas' flagships. The UK is asleep while South America is growing [00:25.500 --> 00:29.800] in strength and increasingly united. What has changed in recent years is the political [00:29.800 --> 00:34.040] climate in Latin America. New governments have appeared across the continent with a [00:34.040 --> 00:38.920] progressive and nationalist agenda. They do not always see eye to eye with each other. [00:38.920 --> 00:43.480] Their views on economic policy may differ, but they are united in believing their continent [00:43.480 --> 00:49.160] should organize itself for the benefit of its own peoples without outside interference. [00:49.160 --> 00:54.640] Mr. Gott wrote in his column, former Argentine ambassador to the UN Emilio Cardenas considers [00:54.640 --> 01:00.320] Brazil, Uruguay and Chile, Mercosur's associate member, will play a strategic role in the [01:00.320 --> 01:07.040] sovereignty dispute. The big countries to watch are Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. If those [01:07.040 --> 01:15.280] three countries take a tough position and do not accept being subject to pressure by [01:15.280 --> 01:21.080] the Brits, then they will have to come to the table and bargain in good faith. It is [01:21.080 --> 01:27.920] in today's world kind of unacceptable to say I have nothing to talk to you. First because [01:27.920 --> 01:32.720] it isn't true. You have a lot to talk to me. I have a sovereignty claim. I was there at [01:32.720 --> 01:38.400] some point and I was evicted and then you showed up. Within a new regional scenario, [01:38.400 --> 01:43.160] Brazil's natural resources exploitation purposes in the South Atlantic, which have refueled [01:43.160 --> 01:47.800] tensions between both countries, could also be affected. If oil is found in commercial [01:47.800 --> 01:52.800] quantities, British Foreign Office will be obliged to awake from its long self-imposed [01:52.800 --> 02:01.000] slumber. Richard Gott pointed out in his report. And one has to think about the future. Can [02:01.000 --> 02:10.500] you exploit those discoveries without any kind of coastal support? If the region tells [02:10.500 --> 02:17.480] the islanders can't do that because basically what you're drilling for are Argentine resources, [02:17.480 --> 02:23.400] which are part of the sovereignty dispute. And therefore we will not deal with the vessels [02:23.400 --> 02:29.400] that you will need to go forward with the hydrocarbon exploitation. Common sense, according [02:29.400 --> 02:34.680] to the Guardian's article, should take Argentina and the UK to the negotiating table as Argentine [02:34.680 --> 02:39.980] President Cristina Fernandez has constantly requested following UN's resolutions over [02:39.980 --> 02:54.280] the Malvinas diplomatic row. Constanza Heller, Press TV, Buenos Aires. [02:54.280 --> 02:59.080] Three years have passed since Israel waged an all-out war against the Gaza Strip. Home [02:59.080 --> 03:06.960] to 1.5 million Palestinians, the tiny coastal enclave was bombarded by 100 Israeli warplanes. [03:06.960 --> 03:13.040] During the three-week onslaught, nearly 1,400 Gazans were killed and thousands more injured. [03:13.040 --> 03:17.800] Israeli forces used white phosphorus shells and other internationally banned weapons during [03:17.800 --> 03:23.280] the war. During a press conference, Hamas movement accused Israel of committing genocide [03:23.280 --> 03:30.240] against the Palestinians. Hamas considers Israeli war crimes in Gaza [03:30.240 --> 03:34.820] as another form of Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people. Israel has committed [03:34.820 --> 03:40.200] genocide against the Palestinians since the occupation of Palestine in 1948. Hamas calls [03:40.200 --> 03:45.280] on the international community and the free people of the world to recognize Israeli occupation [03:45.280 --> 03:48.120] as the most dangerous form of terrorism in the world. [03:48.120 --> 03:53.480] Paramedics and firefighters from the Gaza civil defense commemorated the third anniversary [03:53.480 --> 03:59.440] of the war by driving their vehicles down Gaza's main street at exactly 11 a.m., which [03:59.440 --> 04:06.080] marked the beginning of the war which Israel called Operation Cast Lead. Israel claimed [04:06.080 --> 04:13.000] it launched the war to stop the rocket fire from Gaza. [04:13.000 --> 04:17.840] International laws and norms were violated by Israel during the war. Israeli forces targeted [04:17.840 --> 04:23.200] ambulances and fire trucks and killed doctors and paramedics. They also targeted hospitals [04:23.200 --> 04:28.440] and clinics everywhere in Gaza during the course of war. Israel was able to get away [04:28.440 --> 04:33.720] with its crimes because of the international silence, but we will continue to demand justice [04:33.720 --> 04:38.000] for our victims. The offensive destroyed thousands of houses [04:38.000 --> 04:44.400] and devastated a large part of infrastructures in the blockaded strip, including U.N.-run [04:44.400 --> 04:50.120] schools and centers. Civil society organizations have called on the international community [04:50.120 --> 04:53.720] to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Gazans. [04:53.720 --> 04:59.440] On the third anniversary, we are calling on the international community in order to continue [04:59.440 --> 05:08.080] efforts to get Israel war criminals accountable on their crimes towards the Palestinian civilians [05:08.080 --> 05:14.400] on the same time to pressure Israel to end the illegal siege, to stop all kinds of aggressions [05:14.400 --> 05:18.600] on the Palestinian people. In recent weeks, Israel has been making threats [05:18.600 --> 05:23.920] against the Gaza Strip while Gazans haven't fully recovered from the last war. [05:23.920 --> 05:28.200] On the third anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza, Palestinians in the tiny coastal [05:28.200 --> 05:34.360] enclave say Israeli leaders must be held accountable for what they did to innocent civilians. [05:34.360 --> 05:52.040] Ashraf Shannon, Press TV, Gaza. The chilly wind of recession has already started [05:52.040 --> 05:57.920] to blow on Italy. This Christmas was the worst of the last 10 years in terms of revenue, [05:57.920 --> 06:03.760] the consumer association Kodakons has warned. Consumption is heavily dropping. Italians [06:03.760 --> 06:09.360] spent 400 million euros less than expected on the days leading to Christmas Eve and Christmas [06:09.360 --> 06:15.400] Day, meaning that each citizen spent about 50 euros less compared to the same period [06:15.400 --> 06:22.240] last year. Unfortunately, as predicted by all major consumers' [06:22.240 --> 06:27.840] associations, two Italians out of three are spending much less compared to last year, [06:27.840 --> 06:33.440] and all sectors, wholesalers and retailers have been heavily affected. [06:33.440 --> 06:38.360] This will seemingly not improve in the coming days as winter sale expenditure are expected [06:38.360 --> 06:45.280] to drop by 30-40% compared to December 2010, according to Kodakons. The Italian Bureau [06:45.280 --> 06:51.680] of Statistics has announced that the Consumer Confidence Index failed significantly in November [06:51.680 --> 06:58.080] while the country's economy has shrunk by 0.2% in the three months prior to October, [06:58.080 --> 07:03.240] the first contraction since 2009. According to most shopkeepers, pressure on [07:03.240 --> 07:13.360] Italians is really high. Taxes are heavy and wages too low compared to the cost of living. [07:13.360 --> 07:17.720] It goes without saying that the economic crisis and the recent emergency measures passed by [07:17.720 --> 07:25.880] the parliament have made people decide to spend much less, to be more cautious. [07:25.880 --> 07:30.720] I think most Italians fear hard times ahead, fear the challenges introduced by the government, [07:30.720 --> 07:36.560] the new taxes. People have not adjusted to the new fiscal regime yet. [07:36.560 --> 07:41.320] Italians seem to be very worried about having to deal with the new tax hikes contained in [07:41.320 --> 07:46.720] the anti-crisis package recently passed by the parliament. The announced increases in [07:46.720 --> 07:52.320] new taxes on petrol, the higher value added tax, as well as the reintroduction of the [07:52.320 --> 08:01.160] real estate tax on the first house will likely have a huge impact on their lives. [08:01.160 --> 08:05.840] Unfortunately the three austerity plans that have been implemented since August this year [08:05.840 --> 08:11.440] have made things really confused things. Italians are extremely disoriented and disappointed. [08:11.440 --> 08:16.480] We need the government to seriously start focusing on the country's economic growth. [08:16.480 --> 08:21.040] Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has announced that phase two of his emergency government's [08:21.040 --> 08:26.560] action would be all about growth. Monti is determined to take on vested interests and [08:26.560 --> 08:31.900] lobbies by opening up the Italian economy to more competition. Whether he manages to [08:31.900 --> 08:36.960] do so while retaining the political party's support remains to be seen. [08:36.960 --> 08:48.040] Max Civilli, Press TV, Rome. [08:48.040 --> 08:52.240] The youth revolution of Yemen held a press conference in Sana'a's Liberation Square [08:52.240 --> 08:56.560] about the events which took place in the March of Life demonstration and resulted in the [08:56.560 --> 09:01.880] death of 13 protesters. The conference also called for the arrest of the U.S. ambassador [09:01.880 --> 09:09.320] Gerald Verstein, who is said to play a key role in the killing of the March of Life protesters. [09:09.320 --> 09:13.280] Speakers during the press conference called for the U.S. ambassador to be held accountable [09:13.280 --> 09:18.980] for being behind the killing of peaceful protesters. [09:18.980 --> 09:23.520] We call on the so-called prime minister to arrest the ambassador because he's one of [09:23.520 --> 09:28.700] the first people to give the green light for the killing of innocent protesters. [09:28.700 --> 09:33.240] The presser in Sana'a came after Gerald Verstein said that the March of Life demonstration [09:33.240 --> 09:38.720] started from the city of Taiz with the intention to cause further chaos and to trigger a violent [09:38.720 --> 09:43.720] reaction from regime forces. [09:43.720 --> 09:48.280] His remarks sparked nationwide outrage as youth protesters have taken to the streets [09:48.280 --> 09:56.120] calling on the ambassador to immediately leave the country or to face prosecution. [09:56.120 --> 10:02.080] We are very surprised at the U.S. ambassador's latest remarks because he represents a country [10:02.080 --> 10:09.360] which is supposedly the world leader of democracy, free speech and equality. So how can he accuse [10:09.360 --> 10:16.240] this peaceful demonstration of having bad intention and being equipped with armed weapons? [10:16.240 --> 10:22.720] I was part of the demonstration and it was not equipped with weapons. [10:22.720 --> 10:27.160] U.S. intervention has been strongly condemned throughout the Yemeni uprising as many Yemenis [10:27.160 --> 10:32.080] accuse Washington of having its own agenda aimed at crushing the Islamic awakening which [10:32.080 --> 10:39.280] they say will one day rid Yemen and the rest of the Muslim world from foreign intervention. [10:39.280 --> 10:43.400] The youth revolution concludes today's conference by reassuring that their peaceful demonstrations [10:43.400 --> 10:48.520] will continue despite the government's continuous attacks and despite the U.S. ambassador's [10:48.520 --> 10:54.520] latest remarks. They also say their revolution started off peacefully and will remain peacefully. [10:54.520 --> 11:10.360] Yusuf Mawdi, Press TV, Sana'a. [11:54.520 --> 12:10.840] Press TV headlines. Iran's Navy commander tells Press TV about shutting the key oil [12:10.840 --> 12:32.560] transit straits of Hormuz. The leader of Iran's Islamic revolution says the popular movements [12:32.560 --> 12:43.480] and revolutions in their world are anti-U.S. And a senior Israeli military official says [12:43.480 --> 13:05.480] Tel Aviv must start another war against the Gaza Strip. Hello, welcome. It's good to have [13:05.480 --> 13:09.480] you company. It's 7.30 p.m. in Iran's capital, Tehran. This is Press TV International News. [13:09.480 --> 13:15.600] Ali Story, the commander of Iran's Navy has said the country can easily close the strategic [13:15.600 --> 13:22.680] strait of Hormuz if necessary. [13:22.680 --> 13:30.800] Closing the strait of Hormuz for the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran is [13:30.800 --> 13:40.760] very easy. It's a capability that has been built initially into our naval forces' abilities. [13:40.760 --> 13:48.800] But today we're not in the Hormuz strait. We are in the Sea of Oman. And we don't need [13:48.800 --> 13:57.360] to close the Hormuz strait. We can just deal with the Sea of Oman today. Therefore, we [13:57.360 --> 14:01.400] can control it from right here. [14:01.400 --> 14:05.240] Earlier, Iran's Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that not a drop of oil would [14:05.240 --> 14:10.000] be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on Iran's oil. The [14:10.000 --> 14:14.360] comments by the Navy commander and Vice President come as Iranian naval forces are midway through [14:14.360 --> 14:19.600] their 10 days of exercises in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond. Among the objectives of [14:19.600 --> 14:24.640] the Velayat-90 drills is to expand the presence of Iranian armed forces in international waters [14:24.640 --> 14:32.840] and to prepare against piracy, terrorism, or induced disruption to regional trade. [14:32.840 --> 14:36.060] The leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution says the uprisings and revolutions in the Middle [14:36.060 --> 14:41.880] East and North Africa are anti-American. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei argues current Arab revolutions [14:41.880 --> 14:46.500] differ from those in the past in that they have been opposed by the U.S. and that people [14:46.500 --> 14:51.340] maintain an active presence. The leader also criticized the U.S. for adopting contradictory [14:51.340 --> 14:56.120] stances towards regional countries. Ayatollah Khamenei said any democratic and patriotic [14:56.120 --> 15:01.120] leader to be elected in these countries will oppose the U.S. and Zionists. Iran's leader [15:01.120 --> 15:05.720] also said the victory of Islamic parties and elections in these countries proves the Islamic [15:05.720 --> 15:11.160] nature of these revolutions. However, that does not mean they all demand an Islamic government [15:11.160 --> 15:19.220] like that in Iran. On to Yemen, where a civilian has been shot dead in clashes between forces [15:19.220 --> 15:24.400] loyal to outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh and opposition fighters in the capital, Sana'a. [15:24.400 --> 15:28.480] What is to say the clash broke out after Republican Guard troops tried to remove barriers near [15:28.480 --> 15:33.700] the interior ministry to try to bring normalcy to the capital following the unrest. Three [15:33.700 --> 15:37.760] have been injured in the gun battle. In the meantime, hundreds of government employees [15:37.760 --> 15:42.920] have rallied in Sana'a. They are demanding reforms. They also want what they call corrupt [15:42.920 --> 15:48.560] managers to be expelled. Rallies also continue, demanding Saleh to stand trial. People hold [15:48.560 --> 15:52.900] him responsible for the death of many innocent people in recent months. Yemen has been the [15:52.900 --> 16:01.240] scene of demonstrations since February, demanding regime change. Meanwhile, supporters of the [16:01.240 --> 16:06.120] power transfer deal in Yemen have attacked anti-regime protesters in Change Square in [16:06.120 --> 16:11.440] the capital, Sana'a. As a result, 35 people have been injured. Sources close to Houthi [16:11.440 --> 16:16.960] movements say about 2,000 members of the al-Islam party attacked their camps, where sit-in continues [16:16.960 --> 16:22.200] demanding outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh to be brought to justice. The stone and stick-wielding [16:22.200 --> 16:27.400] attackers also dismantled tents, one of which served as a field hospital. Al-Islam party [16:27.400 --> 16:31.960] supports the power transfer deal brokered by Saudi Arabia last month. Under the deal, [16:31.960 --> 16:40.760] Saleh will quit power in February 2012 without being prosecuted. Bahraini regime forces have [16:40.760 --> 17:10.720] attacked anti-government protesters in several villages across the country. [17:10.720 --> 17:15.080] Anti-government rallies were held in Sitra, Dar and Maamir. Several protesters were arrested [17:15.080 --> 17:19.400] after they were attacked by the Saudi-backed police. Protesters were chanting slogans against [17:19.400 --> 17:23.840] the ruling al-Khalifa regime, calling for its downfall. On Tuesday, workers who had [17:23.840 --> 17:27.880] been sacked for taking part in anti-regime protests marched outside the interior ministry [17:27.880 --> 17:33.000] in the capital, Manama. They urged the regime to immediately reinstate them. Many more people, [17:33.000 --> 17:37.720] including teachers and doctors, have lost their jobs as part of the crackdown on pro-democracy [17:37.720 --> 17:41.680] protests. [17:41.680 --> 17:47.140] The crackdown on anti-regime protests continues in Saudi Arabia. Saudi security forces shot [17:47.140 --> 17:51.840] and wounded four protesters in the eastern province. One of the wounded, a young boy, [17:51.840 --> 17:56.560] is in critical condition. The protesters took to the streets after the Saudi security forces [17:56.560 --> 18:01.440] raided homes in Awamiya district. The eastern province is a focal point for anti-regime [18:01.440 --> 18:06.200] protests in Saudi Arabia. The demonstrations come as Riyadh has harshly enforced a ban [18:06.200 --> 18:11.520] on all anti-government gatherings across the kingdom. International right groups have frequently [18:11.520 --> 18:18.960] condemned the Saudi regime for what they call gross violations of human rights. [18:18.960 --> 18:24.140] Syrian authorities have released 755 prisoners who were involved in unrest in the country. [18:24.140 --> 18:28.720] The state media says the freed inmates were not involved in bloody incidents. Last month, [18:28.720 --> 18:33.840] Damascus released over 1,000 prisoners citing similar conditions. The latest release comes [18:33.840 --> 18:38.480] as Arab League observers are planning to visit Daraa, Hama, and Idlib as part of their mission [18:38.480 --> 18:43.360] to investigate months of deadly violence. Releasing prisoners was one of the key conditions [18:43.360 --> 18:48.460] of the League's roadmap approved by Syria. The observers have confirmed Damascus' cooperation [18:48.460 --> 18:52.880] with the team. In the meantime, armed gangs have killed four more Syrian troops and wounded [18:52.880 --> 18:57.760] at least a dozen in an ambush in Daraa. Earlier in the day, troops also clashed with armed [18:57.760 --> 19:05.200] groups and suspected arms smugglers along the northern border with Turkey. [19:05.200 --> 19:08.620] Press TV correspondent in Damascus, Mohammad Ali, tells us more about the Arab League's [19:08.620 --> 19:11.160] mission to assess violence-hit areas in the country. [19:11.160 --> 19:19.820] We have seen in the images that the satellite TV channels are showing us that the Arab observers [19:19.820 --> 19:25.200] were freely moving in the streets. They were freely moving and talking to the people there, [19:25.200 --> 19:30.720] asking them about the situation, how it was for the last several months in the city. We [19:30.720 --> 19:37.120] also saw that the residents of Homs were talking to them and telling them that in some cases [19:37.120 --> 19:42.400] without, if it wasn't for the Syrian Arab Army, the situation might have been even worse. [19:42.400 --> 19:47.600] Now, they have seen how, they have seen the destruction of some shops, the destruction [19:47.600 --> 19:54.920] of cars. They were burned. Also in the buildings, the result of armed terrorist gangs, gunshots, [19:54.920 --> 20:01.080] and also some results of heavy weapons such as RPG missiles. We know that the observers [20:01.080 --> 20:05.460] are still in Homs today. They also visited a number of other areas and neighborhoods [20:05.460 --> 20:12.720] in Homs. We know that also they will be visiting other cities, Daraa, Al-Suwaida, Idlib, and [20:12.720 --> 20:20.960] even Damascus countryside in the coming two or three days also. [20:20.960 --> 20:26.080] Israel headlines Israel is threatening to attack Gaza once again. Israeli General Benny [20:26.080 --> 20:31.240] Gantz says attacking the coastal strip is not a matter of choice but a war of necessity [20:31.240 --> 20:36.120] for Tel Aviv. The general says the war must be initiated by Israel and has to be, quote, [20:36.120 --> 20:40.560] swift and painful. Gantz added that Tel Aviv is looking for the right time to launch a [20:40.560 --> 20:45.120] military offensive against the Gaza Strip. The general views the upcoming war as a way [20:45.120 --> 20:50.440] to deter Hamas, noting that Tel Aviv is losing its grip on the coastal strip. Israeli forces [20:50.440 --> 20:55.760] have launched several air and ground attacks on Gazans in recent years killing many civilians [20:55.760 --> 21:03.780] and injuring scores more. Earlier we were joined by Haidar Eid, an associate professor [21:03.780 --> 21:09.200] in Gaza's Al-Aqsa University. Well, he believes revolutions in Arab countries will force Israel [21:09.200 --> 21:14.680] to think twice about launching a new war on the Gaza Strip. [21:14.680 --> 21:19.120] What is happening right now is that Israel wants to exercise a kind of psychological [21:19.120 --> 21:23.240] warfare against the Palestinians of Gaza in particular and against the Palestinians in [21:23.240 --> 21:29.160] general because the context within which these statements are taking place is very important. [21:29.160 --> 21:34.880] We need to remember that, you know, one year ago the regime of Hosni Mubarak, which was [21:34.880 --> 21:40.560] considered a strategic asset for Israel, actually was toppled. And Israel needs to test the [21:40.560 --> 21:47.120] water of the new Egyptian regime. But it also needs to test the water of the other Arab [21:47.120 --> 21:53.840] regimes, including, you know, the new Libyan regime, the Yemenis and the Tunisians. [21:53.840 --> 21:59.720] We need to remember that the Arab people have actually been fighting for human rights and [21:59.720 --> 22:05.200] democracy. And human rights and democracy are the essence of the Palestinian cause. [22:05.200 --> 22:10.240] Democracy is also the antithesis of Zionism. Judging by what happened to the apartheid [22:10.240 --> 22:17.360] system in 1994 when most South Africans went to the polling stations and exercised their [22:17.360 --> 22:24.400] democratic right and voted for Nelson Mandela as the first black president of South Africa, [22:24.400 --> 22:28.960] that ultimately meant the end of the apartheid system in South Africa. [22:28.960 --> 22:34.320] The same thing might happen here in the Arab world, where democracy will ultimately lead [22:34.320 --> 22:41.080] to the end of the Zionist enterprise in Palestine. And that is why Israel feels very, very serious [22:41.080 --> 22:46.120] about, you know, the loss of the strategic asset in Egypt, that is to say the Mubarak [22:46.120 --> 22:48.240] regime. [22:48.240 --> 22:52.520] Statements by Haidar Aid there. Well, another news related to Israel. Israel has approved [22:52.520 --> 22:58.240] the construction of 130 new settlement units in East Jerusalem, al-Quds. The new units [22:58.240 --> 23:03.200] are scheduled to be built in Gilo settlements just a few kilometers north of Bethlehem. [23:03.200 --> 23:07.560] Israel has been expanding settlement activities over the past months, despite international [23:07.560 --> 23:12.520] criticism. The move has been a major stumbling block to direct negotiations between Tel Aviv [23:12.520 --> 23:16.520] and the Palestinian Authority. The United Nations views the settlement construction [23:16.520 --> 23:28.800] in occupied Palestinian territory as illegal. [23:28.800 --> 23:32.280] Egyptian opposition leader Mohammed al-Baladai says the U.S. is in talks with Egypt's military [23:32.280 --> 23:37.960] council to try and preserve the Egypt-Israel peace treaty. Al-Baladai says secret negotiations [23:37.960 --> 23:42.280] between U.S. representatives and the ruling military council are aimed at ensuring the [23:42.280 --> 23:47.640] new government will maintain the 1979 peace treaty. This is while some political parties, [23:47.640 --> 23:51.120] including the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, have questioned the fate [23:51.120 --> 23:55.300] of the peace treaty. Calls for an end to the Cairo-Tel Aviv treaty have grown since the [23:55.300 --> 24:00.120] fall of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak earlier this year. Most Egyptians have demanded [24:00.120 --> 24:08.720] an end to all ties with Tel Aviv and want an end to the treaty. [24:08.720 --> 24:12.160] And in other headlines, Egypt's ousted leader Hosni Mubarak has returned to court for the [24:12.160 --> 24:16.960] resumption of his trial after a three-month break. Mubarak, his two sons, former Interior [24:16.960 --> 24:22.120] Minister Habib al-Edli and six of his aides took the stand again at the police academy. [24:22.120 --> 24:25.920] Mubarak is charged with corruption and killing hundreds of protesters in the crackdown against [24:25.920 --> 24:35.080] the massive uprising which ended with his rule on February 11. [24:35.080 --> 24:39.200] Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he is ready for dialogue with the opposition. [24:39.200 --> 24:43.960] Putin says the opposition has failed to reach a common set of demands. This comes after [24:43.960 --> 24:48.400] tens of thousands rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg to protest against parliamentary [24:48.400 --> 24:54.600] election results on Saturday. [24:54.600 --> 24:59.360] Anti-corporate protesters in the United States say they will expand the rallies as Republican [24:59.360 --> 25:04.560] presidential hopefuls step up their election campaigns. Protesters have pledged to interrupt [25:04.560 --> 25:14.820] candidates at events and camp out at their Iowa campaign offices. [25:14.820 --> 25:20.480] Thousands of Israelis have demonstrated against ultra-orthodox violence and gender segregations. [25:20.480 --> 25:25.040] Protesters protest exclusion of women as well as violence against girls and women by Haredi [25:25.040 --> 25:29.760] extremists in the town of Beit Shemesh. This comes one day after several Orthodox Jews [25:29.760 --> 25:34.560] were detained during clashes with police. [25:34.560 --> 25:38.480] An Argentine president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has been diagnosed with cancer [25:38.480 --> 25:44.160] and will undergo an operation in January. Her government says the cancer is in her thyroid [25:44.160 --> 25:49.960] gland and has not spread to other parts of her body. Fernandez recently began her second [25:49.960 --> 26:00.520] term as president after a landslide election victory. [26:00.520 --> 26:05.120] Coming up later in the Speliton Funeral Ceremonies for North Korea's late leader, Kim Jong-il. [26:05.120 --> 26:26.240] You stay with us. [26:36.120 --> 26:50.240] How to shelter in place. [26:50.240 --> 26:55.520] Sometimes they have like a big old torch out there that goes, you know, it just blows like [26:55.520 --> 27:02.160] that. [27:02.160 --> 27:09.320] Shelter in place is where we ask the public to remain indoors, close all doors, close [27:09.320 --> 27:12.320] all windows. [27:12.320 --> 27:16.920] We would not discount anybody's concerns about living by the refineries. [27:16.920 --> 27:19.200] I think they've been very responsive as an industry. [27:19.200 --> 27:22.440] There's no excuse. No excuse. [27:22.440 --> 27:29.440] You will get your daily dose of toxic chemicals. How many people know a child with acute asthma? [27:29.440 --> 27:34.440] Hands down. [27:34.440 --> 27:41.440] Hello. Welcome back to World News here on Press TV. [27:41.440 --> 27:45.440] Hundreds of activists have demonstrated in front of Cairo's city council to show solidarity [27:45.440 --> 27:50.440] with Samira, a woman who was forced by the army to undergo a virginity test. [27:50.440 --> 27:54.440] A court has recently ordered military prisoners to stop such tests. [27:54.440 --> 28:00.440] Karim Gamaladeen has been following that story from Cairo. [28:00.440 --> 28:05.440] An Egyptian court has ordered that forced virginity tests be stopped on female detainees [28:05.440 --> 28:06.440] in military prisons. [28:06.440 --> 28:10.440] The decision was made after a case was brought by a protester, Samira Ibrahim. [28:10.440 --> 28:15.440] She was forced by the army to undergo a virginity test after she was arrested during a protest [28:15.440 --> 28:18.440] in Cairo's Liberation Square in March. [28:18.440 --> 28:22.440] Samira told Press TV that many women have lost their trust in the army, especially after [28:22.440 --> 28:28.440] such brutal acts, and she also called for the downfall of the country's ruling junta. [28:28.440 --> 28:32.440] You have to leave. The scam must step down. Leave. Leave. [28:32.440 --> 28:37.440] Meanwhile, hundreds of activists demonstrated outside the city council in solidarity with [28:37.440 --> 28:41.440] Samira and all the women who were tortured by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. [28:41.440 --> 28:45.440] They called for the immediate transition of power to an elected civilian authority and [28:45.440 --> 28:50.440] have warned that a second revolution will take place on January 25th. [28:50.440 --> 28:54.440] Ahmed Harara, an activist who has lost sight in both his eyes in clashes with the government [28:54.440 --> 29:00.440] forces, urged them to respond to the demands of the revolution. [29:00.440 --> 29:03.440] The Egyptian blood is expensive and the women of Egypt are red-lined. [29:03.440 --> 29:07.440] The SCAF must be held accountable for the violations they have committed. [29:07.440 --> 29:11.440] And we are warning them, they must leave on the 25th of January. [29:11.440 --> 29:15.440] Other activists have expressed their anger and frustration with the military council [29:15.440 --> 29:20.440] and denounced all the violations committed by the SCAF against the Egyptian women [29:20.440 --> 29:25.440] and all the peaceful protesters calling for an end to military rule. [29:25.440 --> 29:32.440] The whole world saw the army brutally crack down on females, and this is unacceptable by all means. [29:32.440 --> 29:36.440] And the only solution to bring an end to all this is immediate transition to power. [29:36.440 --> 29:41.440] We had enough with the army, and the only solution to bring an end to all this [29:41.440 --> 29:48.440] is immediate transition of power to elected civilians. [29:48.440 --> 29:52.440] Activists and revolutionary forces have called for an end to the discriminatory and patriarchal [29:52.440 --> 29:57.440] attitudes of the SCAF towards women in Egypt, as many believe these acts are standing in the way [29:57.440 --> 30:00.440] of the reform process in post-revolution Egypt. [30:00.440 --> 30:05.440] Kareem Gamal-Eldin, Press TV, Cairo. [30:05.440 --> 30:09.440] North Korea has begun two days of funeral ceremonies for its late leader, Kim Jong-il, [30:09.440 --> 30:12.440] with a huge procession in the capital. [30:12.440 --> 30:22.440] Hundreds of thousands of wailing mourners braved the winter conditions to pay their respects to the late leader. [30:22.440 --> 30:26.440] Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang [30:26.440 --> 30:33.440] and braved the freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of the hearse carrying Kim Jong-il's coffin. [30:33.440 --> 30:38.440] A limousine bearing a huge portrait of a smiling Kim led the funeral cortege [30:38.440 --> 30:41.440] as crowds wrapped in the streets. [30:41.440 --> 30:46.440] Kim's son and successor Kim Jong-un and other top military and civilian officials [30:46.440 --> 30:51.440] walked beside the car carrying the coffin. [30:51.440 --> 30:54.440] The snow is endlessly falling like tears. [30:54.440 --> 31:00.440] How could the sky not cry when we've lost our general who was a great man from the heavens? [31:00.440 --> 31:03.440] As we have separated from the general by death, [31:03.440 --> 31:08.440] people, mountains and sky are all shedding tears of blood. [31:08.440 --> 31:13.440] Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on December 17. [31:13.440 --> 31:16.440] He had led North Korea for 17 years. [31:16.440 --> 31:22.440] In the weeks since Kim-il died, state media has called Kim Jong-un the great successor [31:22.440 --> 31:26.440] and referred to him as the leader of the military and the party. [31:26.440 --> 31:30.440] Kim Jong-il left behind a nuclear-armed state. [31:30.440 --> 31:35.440] International talks aimed at disarming North Korea have been deadlocked for months. [31:35.440 --> 31:42.440] North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, drawing tightened UN sanctions. [31:42.440 --> 31:46.440] Although it's yet too early to predict North Korea's political future, [31:46.440 --> 31:49.440] one must wait and see whether a change in the leadership [31:49.440 --> 31:56.440] will bring any change whatsoever to the country's policies. [31:56.440 --> 32:01.440] More than 2,000 candidates have registered for Iran's upcoming parliamentary elections. [32:01.440 --> 32:04.440] The registration process will be wrapped up on Friday, [32:04.440 --> 32:07.440] and authorities insist it will not be extended. [32:07.440 --> 32:09.440] The legislative vote is scheduled for March. [32:09.440 --> 32:13.440] The candidates, among other things, must be committed to Iran's constitution [32:13.440 --> 32:22.440] and the principles of the Islamic establishment. [32:22.440 --> 32:27.440] India's anti-graft campaigner Anna Hazara has called off his planned three-day hunger strike. [32:27.440 --> 32:31.440] The plan aimed to press the government to redraft the key anti-corruption bill. [32:31.440 --> 32:34.440] 74-year-old Hazara has cited health concerns, [32:34.440 --> 32:37.440] but says he will continue his fight against corruption. [32:37.440 --> 32:39.440] Addressing the media at the venue of his fast in Mumbai, [32:39.440 --> 32:44.440] Hazara also vowed to step up his campaign to turn voters against the ruling party. [32:44.440 --> 32:48.440] The warning came as the lower house of parliament passed a controversial Lokpal, [32:48.440 --> 32:52.440] or so-called Bhutan, bill. [32:52.440 --> 32:56.440] This amid widespread unrest and scandals involving ministers and senior officials. [32:56.440 --> 33:00.440] Hazara and his supporters accuse the government of pushing through a weak bill. [33:00.440 --> 33:03.440] Hazara has become the figurehead of the fight against corruption [33:03.440 --> 33:09.440] since his 12-day hunger strike in the capital in August. [33:09.440 --> 33:12.440] Members of the global computer hacking group Anonymous say they have obtained [33:12.440 --> 33:15.440] thousands of credit card numbers and personal information [33:15.440 --> 33:19.440] from high-profile clients of a leading analytical intelligence company, [33:19.440 --> 33:21.440] all in the name of charity. [33:21.440 --> 33:24.440] Presbyterian Colin Campbell tells us more. [33:27.440 --> 33:33.440] Authorities say the underground computer hacking group Anonymous is engaging in cyber warfare. [33:33.440 --> 33:37.440] We aren't a group. [33:37.440 --> 33:39.440] We're an idea. [33:39.440 --> 33:45.440] We're an expression of the anger that every person feels. [33:45.440 --> 33:48.440] Members of the group Anonymous say they have stolen credit card information [33:48.440 --> 33:50.440] for the purpose of charity. [33:50.440 --> 33:55.440] About $1 million was reportedly stolen from Stratfor in Austin, Texas, [33:55.440 --> 33:58.440] a leading provider of military, economic and political analysis [33:58.440 --> 34:02.440] for clients that include Apple and the U.S. Air Force. [34:02.440 --> 34:06.440] They've released their name, a credit card number, the expiration date. [34:06.440 --> 34:10.440] Anonymous is a network of computer-savvy users who engage in hacktivism, [34:10.440 --> 34:12.440] computer activism. [34:12.440 --> 34:17.440] An operation began in June 2011 with an attack on the serious organized crime agency, [34:17.440 --> 34:20.440] the U.K.'s National Law Enforcement Agency. [34:20.440 --> 34:25.440] Since then, Anonymous went after the governments of Brazil, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, [34:25.440 --> 34:30.440] NATO and various U.S. law enforcement websites and even Fox News. [34:30.440 --> 34:35.440] Anonymous has made worldwide headlines for hacks the group claims to have carried out. [34:35.440 --> 34:41.440] Websites such as MasterCard, Visa and PayPal have been targeted, to name a few. [34:41.440 --> 34:43.440] The group posts videos on the Internet. [34:43.440 --> 34:45.440] Sometimes the messages are cryptic. [34:45.440 --> 34:49.440] At other times it discusses the need for sweeping government reforms. [34:49.440 --> 34:53.440] This video criticizes the National Defense Authorization Act [34:53.440 --> 34:57.440] and discourages President Obama from signing it into law. [34:57.440 --> 35:01.440] The entire U.S.A. to be a battleground upon which U.S. military forces [35:01.440 --> 35:05.440] can operate with impunity, overriding posse commentators [35:05.440 --> 35:10.440] and granting the military the unchecked power to arrest, detain, interrogate [35:10.440 --> 35:14.440] and even assassinate U.S. citizens with impunity. [35:14.440 --> 35:16.440] It's almost farcical. [35:16.440 --> 35:19.440] Well, it would be farcical if it weren't so frightening. [35:19.440 --> 35:23.440] The group receives widespread criticism but insists it's only acting [35:23.440 --> 35:28.440] in the interests of the underrepresented, sort of like a modern-day Robin Hood. [35:28.440 --> 35:31.440] Anonymous says it will target an entire consumer database [35:31.440 --> 35:35.440] from an online military and law enforcement supply store next. [35:35.440 --> 35:40.440] Colin Campbell, Press TV, Washington. [35:40.440 --> 35:42.440] That's it for World News on Press TV. [35:42.440 --> 35:43.440] Stay tuned. [35:43.440 --> 35:46.440] I'm going to be telling you about the more interesting side of the news momentarily. [35:46.440 --> 35:50.440] Do stay with us. [35:50.440 --> 35:52.440] And coming up in the more interesting side of the news, [35:52.440 --> 36:00.440] no more tiring stairs climbing for the locals of an impoverished neighborhood in Colombia. [36:00.440 --> 36:04.440] And a crocodile with a long record of bad behavior goes naughty again. [36:04.440 --> 36:19.440] . [36:19.440 --> 36:24.440] Jacques Monsieur was arrested in the U.S. in August 2009. [36:24.440 --> 36:30.440] He is one of the five biggest illegal arms dealers in the world. [36:30.440 --> 36:36.440] 400 Serbian tanks, 30,000 soldiers, hundreds of cannons and even fighter planes. [36:36.440 --> 36:39.440] The United Nations voted for an arms embargo. [36:39.440 --> 36:41.440] Why was this decision made? [36:41.440 --> 36:45.440] We hoped we could contain the Serbs and that they'd stop their offensive [36:45.440 --> 36:49.440] and instead of dividing people, we'd stop them from attacking each other. [36:49.440 --> 36:52.440] Why didn't you come with an army of a thousand soldiers? [36:52.440 --> 36:54.440] What army? What soldiers? We didn't have any. [36:54.440 --> 37:00.440] We found one of the end-user certificates used by Jacques Monsieur to get arms into Croatia. [37:00.440 --> 37:06.440] In reality, he was the one who organized the purchase and the delivery of the weapons. [37:06.440 --> 37:13.440] He was tried again in France in 2008 for armed trafficking in Togo, Congo, Kazakhstan and Setar. [37:18.440 --> 37:19.440] Hello and welcome back. [37:19.440 --> 37:21.440] Let's take a look at some of those interesting stories. [37:21.440 --> 37:26.440] First off, life has just become a little easier for locals living in a slum on a steep hillside [37:26.440 --> 37:28.440] in a poor Colombian neighborhood. [37:28.440 --> 37:31.440] Authorities in the country's second biggest city, Medellin, [37:31.440 --> 37:37.440] have recently inaugurated what is said to be the world's first outdoor escalator for domestic purposes. [37:37.440 --> 37:42.440] It replaces hundreds of concrete steps locals use to climb up and down every day. [37:42.440 --> 37:45.440] The brand new stairs stretch some 130 meters [37:45.440 --> 37:50.440] and are made of state-of-the-art materials designed to withstand all weather conditions. [37:50.440 --> 37:53.440] They're especially welcomed by the handicapped and the elderly, [37:53.440 --> 37:57.440] for whom getting up and down the hill used to be a major challenge. [38:01.440 --> 38:04.440] Wonderful. It is a dream come true. [38:04.440 --> 38:08.440] And I was one of the first ones to use them. It is wonderful. [38:09.440 --> 38:13.440] Zookeepers who were mowing the lawn at an Australian reptile park in Australia [38:13.440 --> 38:18.440] did not have the slightest idea what was lying in wait for them. [38:18.440 --> 38:23.440] A five-meter, 500-kilogram saltwater crocodile lunged out of the blue, [38:23.440 --> 38:27.440] grabbing not the man who was mowing the lawn, but his lawn mower. [38:27.440 --> 38:33.440] The monster croc named Elvis then dragged the mower to a pool from where he'd launched his ambush. [38:33.440 --> 38:36.440] Elvis lost two teeth in the course of this attack. [38:36.440 --> 38:38.440] The keeper's next challenge was to retrieve their instruments [38:38.440 --> 38:42.440] as the reptile spent the rest of the day guarding the mower. [38:42.440 --> 38:47.440] The plan is to get that mower out firstly and just try and drag it backwards, [38:47.440 --> 38:51.440] lure the croc around the other side because he's dropped two monstrous teeth [38:51.440 --> 38:54.440] whilst he attacked the mower, and then we'll get those teeth out. [38:56.440 --> 38:59.440] Officials at the zoo say Elvis has a long history of bad behaviour. [38:59.440 --> 39:02.440] The 50-year-old crocodile was captured in 2008 [39:02.440 --> 39:07.440] after bullying locals in Darwin Harbour and climbing aboard fishing boats. [39:07.440 --> 39:12.440] The video from a pet African bullfrog has created a frenzy [39:12.440 --> 39:15.440] since it was uploaded on the internet about a week ago. [39:15.440 --> 39:18.440] The video has been viewed more than seven million times so far. [39:18.440 --> 39:23.440] It shows the frog trying to eat ants displayed on the screen of a smartphone. [39:23.440 --> 39:28.440] After several tries, the frustrated amphibian takes its rage out on its teasing owner [39:28.440 --> 39:30.440] and bites down on the frog. [39:30.440 --> 39:33.440] The frog is then thrown into the water, [39:33.440 --> 39:37.440] the frustrated amphibian takes its rage out on its teasing owner [39:37.440 --> 39:39.440] and bites down on its thumb. [39:39.440 --> 39:42.440] The moral of the story, don't mess with bullfrogs. [39:51.440 --> 39:54.440] And that was a look at the more interesting side of the news here on Press TV. [39:54.440 --> 40:03.440] Thanks for watching. [40:54.440 --> 40:57.440] I'll see you next time. [41:24.440 --> 41:27.440] I am going to go to the office with my gun. [41:27.440 --> 41:29.440] I'm going to kill myself. [41:29.440 --> 41:34.440] I would say probably intentionally by France Telecom caused these problems. [41:34.440 --> 41:38.440] The problem is that employees like Vincent, whom the company wanted to quit, [41:38.440 --> 41:42.440] felt intimidated and bullied by the methods used. [41:42.440 --> 41:44.440] They want to push me over the edge. [41:48.440 --> 41:52.440] The problem is that many people didn't leave the depression phase [41:52.440 --> 41:54.440] and now they are dead. [42:22.440 --> 42:25.440] Iran's sanctions were imposed on its crude exports. [42:25.440 --> 42:28.440] Iran is currently holding naval maneuvers in the Persian Gulf. [42:32.440 --> 42:36.440] The leader of Iran's Islamic revolution says the revolutions in the Middle East [42:36.440 --> 42:38.440] and North Africa are anti-American. [42:38.440 --> 42:42.440] Ayatollah Said Ali Khamenei criticized the US for adopting contradictory stances [42:42.440 --> 42:44.440] towards regional countries. [42:44.440 --> 42:48.440] He added any democratic and patriotic leader to be elected in these countries [42:48.440 --> 42:52.440] will oppose the US and Zionists. [42:52.440 --> 42:55.440] Israel has threatened to attack the Gaza Strip once again. [42:55.440 --> 43:00.440] Israeli General Benny Gantz says attacking the coastal Strip is not a matter of choice [43:00.440 --> 43:02.440] but a war of necessity for Tel Aviv. [43:02.440 --> 43:07.440] He says the war must be initiated by Israel and has to be, quote, swift and painful. [43:12.440 --> 43:17.440] Syria has released 755 prisoners who were involved in unrest in the past few months. [43:17.440 --> 43:21.440] State media say the freed inmates were not involved in acts of violence. [43:21.440 --> 43:26.440] This as the Arab League observers are planning to visit the cities of Daraa, Hama and Idlib [43:26.440 --> 43:28.440] to investigate months of violence. [43:33.440 --> 43:38.440] In Yemen, a civilian has been shot dead in clashes between forces loyal to outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh [43:38.440 --> 43:41.440] and opposition fighters in the capital Sanaa. [43:41.440 --> 43:43.440] Three others have been injured in the gun battle. [43:43.440 --> 43:47.440] Meanwhile, protest rallies continue across the Arab country demanding the trial of Saleh. [43:52.440 --> 43:56.440] In Saudi Arabia, at least four protesters, including a young boy, have been wounded [43:56.440 --> 43:59.440] as the crackdown on anti-regime protests continues. [43:59.440 --> 44:01.440] The young victim is in critical condition. [44:01.440 --> 44:04.440] Demonstrators were attacked while protesting the raid of homes [44:04.440 --> 44:07.440] by Saudi security forces in the eastern province. [44:07.440 --> 44:12.440] Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he is ready to sit at the negotiating table [44:12.440 --> 44:16.440] with the opposition to discuss the alleged fraud in the recent parliamentary election. [44:16.440 --> 44:20.440] He had rejected earlier opposition calls for reviewing the election results, [44:20.440 --> 44:22.440] which are alleged to be rigged. [44:28.440 --> 44:33.440] And finally, North Korea is holding a two-day funeral service for its late leader Kim Jong-il. [44:33.440 --> 44:37.440] Thousands are expected to take part in the event in Pyongyang. [44:37.440 --> 45:04.440] The North Korean leader died of a heart attack on December 17 after leading the state for 17 years. [45:04.440 --> 45:07.440] And 11. What a year it has been. [45:07.440 --> 45:12.440] A year in which the new year was rung in with U.S. assassination drone attacks in Pakistan. [45:12.440 --> 45:15.440] Iran even captured a CIA drone. [45:15.440 --> 45:22.440] While the civilian nuclear program pursued by Iran with the IAEA was yet again questioned by the IAEA. [45:22.440 --> 45:25.440] From the financial crisis of the U.S. to the American awakening. [45:28.440 --> 45:32.440] Europe fared no better with the Eurozone debt crisis. [45:32.440 --> 45:37.440] The austerity protests, such as in the U.K., the most violent in decades. [45:37.440 --> 45:40.440] Press TV was there, especially with its in-depth look, [45:40.440 --> 45:44.440] as presented in Press TV news analysis and its guests. [45:44.440 --> 45:50.440] And Press TV programs and roundtable discussions took us through a journey of discovery. [45:50.440 --> 46:02.440] But it was surely the year of the Arab uprising and revolutions. [46:02.440 --> 46:07.440] The Islamic awakening that shaped news for the year 2011. [46:07.440 --> 46:20.440] So join me, Kaveh Tafwai, for Reality Check's Year in Review 2011 at the following times only on Press TV. [46:37.440 --> 46:53.440] November 7, 2010. [46:53.440 --> 46:56.440] The first elections in two decades. [46:56.440 --> 47:04.440] It was an occasion that a majority of people in Myanmar and those living overseas had been waiting with bated breaths. [47:04.440 --> 47:07.440] Could it be a clarion call for the country? [47:07.440 --> 47:16.440] Would it signal the start of a new era where a civilian government would take power? [47:16.440 --> 47:19.440] Free and fair were not the case. [47:19.440 --> 47:22.440] Universal suffrage, even less so. [47:22.440 --> 47:26.440] A chunk of the population was disenfranchised from the voting process. [47:26.440 --> 47:30.440] Many activists in exile called the elections a sham. [47:30.440 --> 47:34.440] Analysts with more moderate views were cautiously optimistic. [47:34.440 --> 47:41.440] Pro-government parties called the event historic and a new chapter that would pave the way towards democracy. [47:41.440 --> 47:50.440] Days after elections, the country's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from an on-and-off house arrest that had lasted about two decades. [47:50.440 --> 47:54.440] She's fondly called Do or the Lady amongst her people. [47:54.440 --> 48:05.440] Since her election victory in 1990, when she won over 80% of the popular vote in her subsequent house arrest, she had turned into an international icon. [48:05.440 --> 48:10.440] November 13, 2010 marked the expiration of her detention. [48:10.440 --> 48:18.440] And it was an event that was greeted with even greater enthusiasm than the elections by crowds that gathered outside her home in Yangon. [48:18.440 --> 48:23.440] Do Suu Kyi had been freed. [48:23.440 --> 48:40.440] Despite reprimanding from the international community, a government that called itself civilian was inaugurated on April 14, 2011, claiming an end to five decades of military rule. [48:40.440 --> 48:45.440] Just over a year since elections, what is the prognosis? [48:45.440 --> 48:57.440] The complex political history and huge divisions between different segments of Myanmar society has meant that there's no single yardstick that can effectively measure progressive change. [48:57.440 --> 49:05.440] But there's certain core areas in dire need of justice and reform that must be taken into account when discussing Myanmar. [49:05.440 --> 49:10.440] These complex issues roughly fall under five categories that I aim to explore. [49:10.440 --> 49:29.440] An evolving political military structure, free speech, economic progress, peace in ethnic minority regions and basic human rights for all. [49:29.440 --> 49:32.440] Military and governance. [49:32.440 --> 49:37.440] The two terms have intertwined in Myanmar's political system since 1962. [49:37.440 --> 49:45.440] But there have been recent reports, such as the one by the International Crisis Group, that claim that major reform is already underway. [49:45.440 --> 49:58.440] The report adds that what it calls a semi-civilian government must be commended for current efforts in order to energize reformists inside the country to further advocate political and economic restructuring. [49:58.440 --> 50:05.440] The pertinent question here is if reform in the socio-economic and political spheres can be implemented in practice. [50:05.440 --> 50:16.440] Ong Neng-U, former activist from the 1988 generation who heads the Wahoo Development Institute based in Thailand, is optimistic that Myanmar is headed on a positive track. [50:16.440 --> 50:20.440] We haven't had democracy for so long since 1962. [50:20.440 --> 50:24.440] All we had was the military rule. [50:24.440 --> 50:30.440] I mean, even current system, you might want to say it's an indirect military rule. [50:30.440 --> 50:35.440] So it's clear that it's better. [50:35.440 --> 50:39.440] There are still a lot of hardliners within the government. [50:39.440 --> 50:51.440] But what we're seeing is there are also a lot of reformists, people with reformist agenda who really want to change, including the president. [50:51.440 --> 50:56.440] And I think the military has also taken a step back. [50:56.440 --> 51:02.440] He does point out that as with any transition, the future months will be fraught with risks and uncertainties. [51:02.440 --> 51:08.440] But that changes have taken place in mentality of leaders and institutions of governance. [51:08.440 --> 51:14.440] With the new constitution, it's just a bit like an experiment. [51:14.440 --> 51:18.440] We are a bit groping in the dark. [51:18.440 --> 51:21.440] But we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. [51:21.440 --> 51:28.440] The creation of new institutions like elections, the parliaments, the various new ministries. [51:28.440 --> 51:33.440] For instance, we have the Ministry of Environment, something we didn't have before. [51:33.440 --> 51:40.440] So there is a very healthy kind of debate going on. [51:40.440 --> 51:50.440] David Matheson is the new Researcher at Human Rights Watch and has observed the dynamics between the military and ethnic minority communities for the past many years. [51:50.440 --> 51:58.440] His primary concern amidst the current climate is a continuing iron grip of the military over Myanmar and its ethnic minorities. [51:58.440 --> 52:07.440] The biggest issue I think facing the military and the government, and let's face it, they're one and the same pretty much, is military reform. [52:07.440 --> 52:15.440] I think that's the big lurking issue that no one's really talking about. [52:15.440 --> 52:21.440] And in some ways it's an interesting dilemma for them because they're all former military officers. [52:21.440 --> 52:23.440] So they come from that culture of impunity. [52:23.440 --> 52:26.440] The government's laid out a fairly ambitious set of priorities. [52:26.440 --> 52:35.440] Economic reform, counter-corruption, a legislative agenda that includes a trade union law, freedom of assembly bills. [52:35.440 --> 52:47.440] All this stuff is great stuff in theory and we hope that they're actually very sincere about it. [52:47.440 --> 52:54.440] Closed country, the worst country to be a blogger, amongst the lowest in the press freedom index. [52:54.440 --> 53:04.440] These are labels often associated with Myanmar due to a highly restricted environment for journalists, activists, labor unions and protests of most kinds. [53:04.440 --> 53:12.440] Over 1900 political prisoners are purportedly serving decades-long sentences in prisons across the country. [53:12.440 --> 53:19.440] But there has been visible movement from the government over the past few months in the areas of freedom of speech and association. [53:19.440 --> 53:27.440] The lifting of the ban on international media outlets such as BBC and exile media such as Democratic Voice of Burma. [53:27.440 --> 53:33.440] The publishing of an exile editor's interview including controversial topics such as political prisoners. [53:33.440 --> 53:37.440] And the unprecedented coverage of protests inside the country. [53:37.440 --> 53:41.440] These might seem like insignificant moves to a majority of the world. [53:41.440 --> 53:56.440] But one has to retrace events to just a few years ago in Myanmar where such acts were unthinkable. [53:56.440 --> 54:08.440] The Saffron Revolution, 2007. It was the first time many across the world witnessed a people's revolution in Myanmar led by its spiritual leaders on their television screens. [54:08.440 --> 54:20.440] When hundreds of thousands of Buddhist monks took to the streets in defiance of the then ruling junta on August 15, 2007, the world watched with trepidation. [54:20.440 --> 54:30.440] The regime's use of mass arrests, murder, torture and imprisonment has failed to extinguish our desire for freedom that was stolen from us many years ago. [54:30.440 --> 54:36.440] We've taken their best punch. Burma's Saffron Revolution is just beginning. [54:36.440 --> 54:40.440] Gambira, who is a prime figure in organising the protests, bravely wrote, [54:40.440 --> 54:52.440] At age 35 and four years after protests, he remains behind bars in Myanmar, a prisoner of conscience with rapidly deteriorating health due to torture he suffered at the hands of prison guards. [54:52.440 --> 54:56.440] Bochi knows the hardships of being in prison from his own experience. [54:56.440 --> 55:06.440] He served more than seven years in Myanmar's notorious prison system before fleeing to the border where he heads the assistance association for political prisoners. [55:06.440 --> 55:10.440] Seven years in prison, it must have been a very testing period. [55:10.440 --> 55:17.440] I was arrested for two times. For the first time was from 1990 to 1993. [55:17.440 --> 55:24.440] At that time I was arrested because I did a demonstration calling for the release of all students detainees from prison. [55:24.440 --> 55:32.440] Intelligence or military officers said to me, three years imprisonment is not enough for me, therefore I was re-arrested again. [55:32.440 --> 55:41.440] The state of Myanmar officially denies the existence of political prisoners and they've been staunchly juxtaposed against AAPP's broad definitions. [55:41.440 --> 55:49.440] Our tradition is those who involve in non-violent action or resistant means are political prisoners. [55:49.440 --> 55:59.440] AAPP's efforts were partly rewarded with the release of about 235 political prisoners in October as part of a general amnesty granted by the president. [55:59.440 --> 56:04.440] Benjamin Zawaki at Amnesty International is the lead researcher on Myanmar. [56:04.440 --> 56:12.440] He points out that given the array of recent developments, it is no longer feasible to assess Myanmar through a black and white lens. [56:12.440 --> 56:18.440] The purpose of the paper that I wrote was to say that look, neither one of these two camps is exclusively correct. [56:18.440 --> 56:25.440] There has been for decades reasons for real pessimism in the country and most of those reasons still exist. [56:25.440 --> 56:34.440] But the optimists have a point as well in pointing to certain changes that happened this year that would have been simply inconceivable a year ago. [56:34.440 --> 56:42.440] Bold statements by Tinsui, director of the censorship board, on the inevitability of free media for Myanmar continue to make headlines, [56:42.440 --> 56:46.440] triggering heated discussion amongst analysts across the spectrum. [56:46.440 --> 56:52.440] The times it has decreased and the times we've seen incidents where it seems to be on the rise again. [56:52.440 --> 56:58.440] But by and large we can say throughout 2011 the degree of censorship in the country has decreased. [56:58.440 --> 57:01.440] Aung San Suu Kyi is now frequently written about in the press. [57:01.440 --> 57:06.440] She was of course persona non grata in the press for years if not decades. [57:06.440 --> 57:11.440] She herself has been allowed to publish a piece on the front page of a publication. [57:11.440 --> 57:21.440] Another sector that has experienced tangible progress largely due to successful efforts by the International Labour Organization is the formation of labour unions. [57:21.440 --> 57:24.440] Have there been any legal changes and how has that changed?