the chaos of the post selsoviet 90s, russia and president putin wants everyone to know that they're pack. a resurgent russia is the inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. when the soviet union died russia was a mess. it's economy was a mess. the ruble were plunging in value as were numbers and life expectancies. several former sel soviet members went their own way. fast forward, boris yeltsin is dead, and yeltsine successor vladimir putin has reasserted russia's place in the world. >> russian president vladimir putin had a few surprises up his sleeve thursday as he announced the prisoner releases in his announcement. most notable, mikhail khodorkovsky. he has spent ten year in jail. he was found guilty of tax invasion in 2015 and i am bes embezzlementment in 2010. >> he's citing humanitarian reasons, his mother is ill. i think taking that into circumstances it is possible to make the relative decision. >> reporter: the russian president also announced a new amnesty bill which will free several political prisoners. prisoners not involved in violent crimes, minors, women, small child

president putin promised to pardon the country's most famous prisoner. >> ifill: plus, he's young, erratic and mysterious. north korea's leader stokes fears around the world. >> instability in north korea would be probably one of america's and the region's worst nightmares. >> ifill: those are just some of the stories we're covering on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: a security breach at the height of the holiday season has exposed millions of target shoppers to data theft. the retail chain said today that some 40 million credit and debit card accounts may be affected. it ur

president putin says he is ready to sign a pardon for russian tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky who spent more than a decade behind. and tax evasion. amnesty international says hardline syrian rebels have established a new form of tyranny enforcing a reign of terror with secret prisons where children as young as eight are. in prejudice london rejects an e.u. offer to fund food banks has put hundreds of thousands of people in britain going hungry on top stories. from a studio center here in moscow which just past midnight this is international president vladimir putin says he will sign a motion to jailed russian tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky the businessman he spent more than ten years behind bars for embezzlement has reportedly already filed a petition to be pardoned. has this report. the president was hosting a media conference which lasted over four hours but the biggest news came after it finished he was surrounded by journalists and someone asked the question about. and suddenly the president said that the former had asked him to be released and he says the man is already spent over ten

family members. what a range of opinion about whether putin did the right thing or not. people are debating whether or not they expected this especially on social networks for me personally i've been covering russia for the last eight years i was shocked first we should say that this is probably a p.r. attempt by the putin administration head of the olympics to gender some good press coverage some goodwill towards russia but also i think to deflect a little bit of tension and anger away from the e.u. and the united states over their recent losing the bidding war over the ukraine with russia i just want to be the devil's advocate and say even if this was a p.r. stunt ahead of the olympics what's wrong with that like the olympics in itself is essentially why do countries want the olympics they want the investment they want to improve their country why does it have to be a bad thing you know i think it can be seen as a clever move and i think this can be seen as a magnanimous gesture it will at the very least reduce the talking point criticisms that can be directed against russia duri

hungry our top stories. this is international and breaking news this hour president vladimir putin says he will sign a motion to pardon the jailed russian tycoon because of cortical ski the businessman who spent more than ten years behind bars for embezzlement has reportedly already filed a petition to be pardoned. as more. well the president was hosting a media conference which lasted over four hours but the biggest news came after it finished he was surrounded by journalists and someone asked the question about me and suddenly the president said that the former had asked him to be released and he says the man is already spent over ten years behind bars and he is ready to sign all the papers to wed in three. who the kosky recently wrote a petition asking me to pardon him he spent more than ten years in prison this is a serious punishment he cites humanitarian reasons saying his mother is sick and i believe taking jew account of all the circumstances it's possible to take a respective decision and in the near future i will sign a decree to pardon him artie's managed to reach. the mother

putin's stated in the nation address made mention of the evolving situation in recurring -- ukr aine. it was announced that the ukrainian president was pursuing a bailout package with russia instead of joining the european union. that action sparked protests in ukraine. there are reports today that about 100,000 people rallied in ukraine's capital, calling for the ukrainian president's ousting. reuters writes that although it was a relatively strong showing, the number was around half the previous weekend's turnout, which was estimated at up to 200,000 people. john mccain was in that region last weekend. he talked about the trip in this next event. atlanticted by the council and is a little less than an hour. all.od morning to you i am president and ceo of the atlantic council. the cold war seemed to have ended with the fall of the berlin wall in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of the soviet union, soviet empire. following that, both the european union and the nato enlarged. next year, at the atlantic council, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the berlin wall's fal

>> our top stories this hour. full day of freedom after being targeted by president putin. president obama indicates he nsa spying.in and frankfurt faces and uncertain christmas. uncertain christmas after dropping a game at home. we start right here in berlin where the former russian oil tycoon is spending his first full day of freedom after spending 10 years in jail. reunitedready been with his eldest son. other members of his family are expected to join him later today. conferencee a press to outline his plans for the future. he was pardoned by president vladimir putin, which priced everybody. he spent his first night after being released from prison close to the brandenburg gate. a spokeswoman said he was feeling well and had been reunited with his eldest son. he is set to give his first press conference on sunday after being freed by vladimir putin. airport just the hours after being released from prison. his flight was organized by the former german prime minister. putin twice to discuss the former oil tycoon's case. he gave special thanks for the work done by the tim

vladimir putin's annual question and answer session with a thousand journalists there members of both domestic and international news outlets let's give you some of the highlights here there certainly were some highlights of bear in mind if you want to keep watching online you can do so at r.t. dot com for right now though the issue of the n.s.a. and the spying scandal has brought up one reporter asking the russian president what's your relationship with barack obama now do you guys communicate how do you get along the russian president vladimir putin saying well he's envious that barack obama can get away with all this spying and it carries on to this day though that being said to me putin saying there's nothing to be happy or sad about espionage is one of the oldest professions in the world he did say however he believes america and the n.s.a. is only spying in order to combat terrorism although there should be some moral and ethical agreements another question mr president vladimir putin have you mr snowden the former n.s.a. whistleblower do you know him the russian president

main street is still waiting for its turn. >> martin? >> well vladimir putin, the leader of russia who outmaneuvered the united states in virtually every strategic corner of the world. >> clarence? >> the most exotic political race, the new mayor of our biggest city. >> the envelope please, martin. thank you. >> i can't tell you what's in there, john. you've got to read it. >> it is magnificent, yes. johnny had the answers. right? >> yes. >> god bless his soul. >> the biggest winner of 2013 is russian president vladimir putin. he resolved the syrian crisis in the new york times that ended the military action against syria. in december putin snatched ukraine away from the west just before ukraine signed a trade pack with the european union. boosting russia's international prestige. okay biggest loser of 2013. >> barack obama and obama care. >> eleanor? >> you've got a small point there, pat. but the president still has his job. i think the biggest loser is the president of egypt, mr. morsi, who was deposed in the military coo and has not been heard from since. >> clarence? >> well,

homes. >>> the top political opponent of vladimir putin has been released from prison and is now in germany. as peter sharp reports, putin's motives are still being questioned. >> reporter: whatever the criticism of 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 imprison

where president vladimir putin has signed a decree pardoning the country's former richest man. honest international has khodorkovsky al prisoner of conscience. he spent more than a decade behind bars after he fell into disfavor with putin. the release comes as the russian parliament voted wednesday to approve a mass amnesty for thousands more. up to 22,000 people are such eventually be freed under an initiative vladimir putin says is meant to mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of russia's post-soviet constitution. could it say he also hopes to deflect international criticism of his human rights crackdown ahead of the 2014 sochi winter games. >> among the tens of thousands to be released are members of

after president putin earlier signed his pardon. stripped of its full marks the european union loses its top credit rating due to a lot of cohesion and turns from budget negotiations within the block. this year in kurdish community presses for a seat at the negotiating table at the upcoming three neither peace talks hoping to grab the opportunity to secure all data right. international news live from moscow you're watching international with me. and a bergman welcome to the program one of russia's most high profile prisoners. could walk free by the end of the day present pretend has signed a pardon for the former oil tycoon filed an amnesty plea and get more from. north he joins us now live from a better as i've also heard that you grow so of course very conflicting reports we're getting here so well do we know so far. we are getting mixed information right now with the authorities of that prison where because of the course he was serving the sentence here in korea they did confirm that he's been freed from his sentence they say that he should leave the premises of the prison at some

already walked free after the russian president vladimir putin signed his pa. stripped of its full mocks the european union loses its top credit rating. and tense budget negotiations inside the block. for syria so it is community pressing for a seat at the negotiating table for the upcoming geneva peace talks hoping to grab the opportunity to secure their independence and their rights. this hour's top headlines from around the world it's r.t. international with me rule resewn a very warm welcome to you today reports are now saying that mikhail khodorkovsky may have already left the prison where he was serving the sentence for embezzle mint and fraud it comes less than one hour off the president putin signed a pardon for the former tycoon who had fallen amnesty plea let's get more on this now go to chris going off now joining us live here on the program what do we know yet god has he already walked out. well first of all i'd like to apologize for the sound problems that you may be hearing because we've just lended here at the airport and she said you can see behind. me here that may

, jesters have worked extremely well for the pope, for example, and president putin is considering reportedly a pardon for the pussy riot girls and the arctic sunrise crew. would you consider recommending to the government a pardon for snowden given that he is such a thorn in our relations with so many countries but particularly brazil? >> thank you for both of those questions. when these issues first appeared and especially when the allegations of head of government surveillance appeared, we treated the brazilian in the same way we treated the germans, which is quite remarkable given whatever allegations were out there. and the brazilian understood this and i think appreciated in the wrong way because it was indicative of the importance of the relationship. our intelligence relationships with those countries are quite different. germany has much more equity in our intelligence community then brazil does, especially with troops participating in isaf. much of the protection comes from u.s. sources. i do not want to get into characterizing the conversation that president obama had wi

her. >> julie pace, lets talk about vladimir putin with both of you. you've covered summits, you know how tense the relationship is with the white house. the white house assigning a low level delegation, no offense to the people in that delegation, but a delegation, first of all, does not have a president or first lady, former president, vice president coast guard to sochi in 50 days for ceremonies and a delegation that includes openly gay -- three now, because brian boitano has just come out, three gay athletes in the face of putin. putin has had his end of the year, pardoning political prisoners and trying to smooth over controversies. is that going to work with the white house? >> it probably isn't going to work. this white house has a long history with vladimir putin. they know there's a good putin and bad putin. when you talk about olympics, this is a clear message to rush not only has obama and putin and russia frayed, but the very specific issue about banning gay propaganda is something that the united states fundamentally disagrees with. as you mentioned, typically the olympic

world according to vladimir putin. the russian president prepares for a marathon conference. >> and why tourists are flocking to the peruvian rainforest for medical treatment they can't get at home. >> welcome to the program. south sudan's army said it lost control of the capital. half of the people are seeking shelter with the united nations. it comes days after an alleged attempted coup. east african foreign ministers will travel to the country to end the fighting. it raises fears of a civil war and force thousands to seek shelter with the u.n. >> in the world's newest country many people are finding themselves without a home. the u.n. says up to 20,000 people are seeking shelter at its camps in the capital juba. >> we have been able to get medical assistance. we were able to provide that with emergency medical assistance. >> fighting broke out over the weekend after what the government says was an attempt coup. riek machar denies there was a coup. that disagreement is being fought out on the ground. soldiers of the south sudanese army loyal to president salva kiir are fighting forces

mouths. president putin says his ready to sign a pardon for russian tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky who spend more than a decade behind bars for the betterment and talks about. this announcement came up to person face more than four hours of questions from journalists on russia's domestic and foreign policy. and honesty international says hardline syrian rebels have established a new form of tyranny and forcing a reign of terror with secret prisons where children as young as eight are allegedly tortured. international news live from moscow you're watching our international with me. and welcome to the program and the breaking news this hour president vladimir putin says he'll sign a motion to pardon jailed russian tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky the businessman who spend more than ten years behind bars for bessel and has reportedly already filed a petition to be pardoned and joining me now live for more is on she is a gold piece kind of how they were so why has put in decided to pardon the businessman well the media conference lasted for over four hours with the biggest news really happened

how president putin's temporary bailout of ukraine fits into his larger ambition toward russia so- -- toward russia's called "near abroad." he has pulled out all the stops to threaten ukraine away from europe. russia has bought large amounts of ukrainian trade and threatened to cut off the gas supply in the dead of winter. putin threatened president yanukovych with far worse economic retaliation if he assigned -- signed the economic agreement with the eu. said thatputin russia's agreement with ukraine is free of conditions. agree withe that, -- that, i have some beachfront property in arizona to sell you. bullying extends be on the ukraine to the other so- theed -- extends beyond ukraine to the other so-called eastern partnership countries. it has sought to prevent mold over from signing its own -- prevent moldova from signing its own agreement with the eu by threatening to cut off its supply of gas and suggesting it would stoke separatism. russia has blocked lithuanian trade and deployed its missiles to -- it is working to establish pardons -- borders by building fences that encr

obama snubs russian president putin over the countries anti gay laws, but will the move backfire. >> the e.p.a.'s top paid employee claims to be a spy and scams the agency out of $1 million. how did he get away with it for more than a decade? >> why are americans skipping out on vacation when we know taking time off reduces major health risks? >> welcome to consider this. we begin with the arrest a understand strip search of an indian diplomat in new york that has parked a diplomatic uproar. india's deputy consul general was arrested last week for committing visa fraud and underpaying her nanny. the outrage in india stretches from the streets to the prime minister, mostly because she was subjected to cavity searches after her arrest. indians have retaliated by removing security barriers surrounding the indian embassy in new delhi. headlines there says india takes on uncle sam and bulldozer diplomacy. for more on the case, i am joined by legal contributor jami floyd, joining us here in our studio and by ambassador nancy soderburg. jami, i want to start with you. the facts of this

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. >>> kimberly martin is a proaferred aprofessor at barnar. >>> what can we expect? >> there's no question that it's connected to the upcoming olympic games and it is a message to putin that things are not as secure has he would like. >> the ioc issued a statement: "we offer our sincere condolences to those affected by the bombings and that we are always concerned about the safety of our delegation, the sochi games are no different in that regard. we will continue to work closely with the local organizing committee. what are we to make of that statement? >>> well, of course it isn't the first time that the olympics have been threatened by a security concern. we had terrible circumstances at the munich olympics so it makes sense for the ioc and the united states they are concerned for their athletes and to make sure that the sochi games are safe. >> from the

-- vladimir putin has been having a good year diplomatically. he used his press conference to confirm the increasingly conservative course he seems to be charting in his third term as president. while he is the subject of today's inside look, former advisor and spokesperson mike to mikhailhev -- gorbachev. thank you for speaking to us. it seems like putin is making no apologies when it comes to his hardline stance he is holding to the west. he says it is about protecting russian values. is that the case, or is there more to it than that? >> i would say vladimir putin present himself as someone on the defensive. giving the image as if his under was under attack or offensive from the west. from this point of view, he is foreigno resist on policy and also on the internal policy front. this is why he mentioned the values dispute, so to say. >> one of the issues in recent days is the situation with ukraine. president putin mentioned ukraine, speaking about the brotherly connection that russia has with the ukraine and denying any link between his offer to help ukraine as well as the offer f

don't know if you agree with a lot of me or vladimir putin agrees with you but let's listen what he had to say about the state of russia's economy. that and of course we are feeling the affects of the global economic crisis but let's be frank the main reasons for the slowdown in our economy are internal rather than external in nature in terms of the size of its g.d.p. rusher is doing well and counts among the world's five biggest economies but in key indicators such as labor productivity there's a two to three fold gap between us and the developed economies we must work hard to close this gap. and that's a very different tone usually heard from the president when it comes to the economy is it does it match the situation i mean it's encouraging him to. put in put his finger on one of the big problems i mean a that they admit that you know it's our fault it's not just the global economy strategy or tone it where you date and the second thing that he identifies productivity increase mention the investments down and there's been a huge problem and really that going forward next year what ha

been released from a prison in russia, they were gaoled after staging anti-putin protests in a moscow church. putin issued partons. the due so does not plan to stop their activism. we have that report. >> maria alyokhona walked free. >> i was going to reject the amnesty, but the prison received an order. i was brought here. now i would like to meet human rights activists. >> the final member of the manned. na did, ezhda was released a few hours later calling for nothing less than a boycott of the winter olympics. >> european countries could revisit their opinion about the winter olympics. i call for the boycott. honesty and not to sell yourself for oil and gas that russia can provide. >> both were serving a 2-year sentence for taking part in an anti-putin demngs. it will be pussy riot's last gig. a flash performance deemed obscene interrupting morning worship. the punk pair, mother of god chased putin away. >> the court case carried around the world. three members of pussy riot were gaoled. found guilty of high school gannism. it triggered international protests with amnesty li

all domestic however towards the end of president putin addressing some international issues that i'd like to touch down on very briefly for you right now one of the issues i put in talking about that of the so-called european or american missile defense shield that is essentially being peppered along russia's western border supposed to defend europe and america from rogue states such as iran however mr putin saying that that should be redundant now as a russia was one of the main mediators in accomplishing the historic anti nuclear missile deal with iran and yet for some reason the missile defense shield still being built across from western russia and eastern europe in fact president putin saying it's not missile defense its missile all friends the russian president saying military systems are being developed sonic military strike hardware hyper sound enabling immediate strike capability he called it unconventional military weapons perhaps to be set up along eastern europe ultimately as president putin saying undermining the strategic balance in the region although the russian p

by vladimir putin. he u.n. is looking for 5,000 more peace keepers in south sudan. they say there have been summary executions. a catastrophic ice storm hits toronto in canada, cutting power to thousands of homes. weather wreaked havoc to many christmas plans. >> thank you very much for joining us. the last member of the punk protest group pussy riot was released from jail earlier monday, calling for a boycott of the sochi winter olympics. she gave a defiant speech. she called her release a publicity stunt by vladimir putin in the run-up to the games. >> flashing the victory sign, she walked free after spending almost 18 months in a remote siberian prison. it was seen as an attempt by the kremlin to improve russia's image. >> they just put on another show ahead of the olympics. such is their desire to prevent european countries from boycotting our olympics. >> another member was released she said it was a publicity stunt and would not give up. >> we remain in our human rights activity. we remain passionate about what we believe. >> they were sentenced to prison in 2012 after a pro

the president's speech putin says russia is not seeking to dominate the world and is capable of defending itself to protect its values. european parliament resolution brandes ukraine's u. turn on the association agreement a huge missed opportunity. should use all its power to persuade kiev to sign up. plus israel and saudi arabia reportedly tag team over common interests in the middle east after forming out washington on syria and iran. from a studio center here in moscow where it is midnight this is international the russian president has championed traditional values of the state of the nation address and stressed the country can defend itself if need be that in the in touch on a wide range of topics in his speech from the economy to international politics. was listening to what the top man in the kremlin that. it's traditionally become the place to be to find out the president's vision of the president and his plans for the future every year russia stop politicians businessmen economists and elites gather at the kremlin to listen to his address firsthand just returned from th

and the several months nothing was happening then in two thousand thirteen in february president putin housing meeting with the federal security service and. suddenly says i'm bodily you know this law non-governmental organizations how come i'm not seen any implementation and as soon as he says that . the inspection competing is being launched and olders ideas it is really new from my direct question you show the court proceeding. so this is how planning and organization are taken to court and they start losing their cases in the picture is really very grim in mid july president putin says in the face of very strong international criticism. they are going to reconsider will possibly among the law and once he sells them out some organisations started winning the i.p.l. was and that's what you are referring to you see the shadow of mr putin in any single case in russia but we have to take a very short break now one we come back their russian government is often accused of using the law selectively against its critics but why did they break the law easily that's coming up in a few moments

-stakes drama and a flash point of the larger power struggle between russian president putin on one side and the united states and europe on the other. on this edition of our program we're going to dig in to why all this matters for america. but we start on the ground in kiev's independent square. >> for more than two weeks demonstrators have rallied against the government in the ukraine's capitol kiev. in the middle of the night riot police moved into independent square. >> we're standing here, but we're moving. we're moving forward step by step, we're going forward. everyone makes a big effort for our country, for our families, and the whole world is watching ukraine. >> in freezing conditions the police pushed and shoved their way in the square trying to remove barricades and tents. protesters pushed back for hours chanting shame while those in occupied buildings dumped ice cold water on approaching police. finally the authorities pulled back. the government claimed they only wanted to restore traffic downtown. protesters are protesting against the decision of president yanukovych's d

country into civil war just two years after its birth. >> russia's president vladimir putin said he will pardon his number one political opponent. mikael khodorovsky was once russia's new richest man. but then he was jailed. some 20,000 prisoners will be freed ahead of the olympic games. >> he spent more than a decade behind bars. now, mikael khodorovsky is said to be a free man after vladimir putin appeared to pave the way for his release. wrote atly, khodorovsky letter and addressed the pardon to me. he cited humanitarian reasons because his mother is ill. taking into account all of these circumstances, a decree to pardon him will be signed very soon. >> lawyers for karate -- four khodorovsky could not confirm a pardon had been made. formerly the world -- the country's richest man was arrested and charged with fraud and tax evasion in 2003. this was after a spectacular falling out between putin and up arovsky, who had built fortune from his oil company. he had used some of that money to support russia's opposition group, making the fatal mistake of mixing business and politics. al

surprise card -- surprise pardoed by president vladimir putin. >> he was escorted to a waiting aircraft in a hush-hush operation work out behind the seasons -- worked out behind the scenes by the german government. >> it is unclear whether he still harbors any political ambitions. >> he was welcomed by former german foreign minister who worked behind the scenes to secure his release. russia's most political prisoner -- most famous political prisoner arrived in the afternoon. hours before the former oil tycoon was released from a prison camp near russia's border with finland. he apparently immediately boarded a flight to germany. but even a day after russian president vladimir putin unexpectedly announced his pardon and release, many questions release -- questions remain. he had asked putin for a part in citing family reasons. he also said that signing event mission of guilt was -- signing an admission of guilt was out of the question. his fall from grace dates back to 2003 yard the billionaire oligarchs was sentenced to a long term for fraud and tax evasion. he said the claims against h

policy. >> and mapping the way to the stars. russian president vladimir putin has made what is arguably his biggest political decision of the year, saying he will free from prison his most powerful rival, the jailed oil tycoon. >> he will be amnestied along with the two jailed members of pussy riot and the 30 greenpeace activists as well as thousands of other political prisoners. >> we'll talk to our correspondent in just a bit. first, this report. >> in front of hundreds of reporters, vladimir putin held force for hours on current affairs, including moscow's controversial financial aid to ukraine and the amnesty measure passed on wednesday, but the bombshell did not come until the news conference had officially ended. putin told a russian tv network that he also planned to pardon a jailed oil tycoon. >> he has already spent more than 10 years in jail. that is serious punishment. his mother is ill, and i think that given those circumstances, the decision to release him is possible. >> the billionaire was arrested in 2003 after openly opposing putin. his imprisonment for money-

the establishment, a critic. vladimir putin, lauded as a rival, he outlined his plans for the future >> translation: i'm not going to engage in political activity. i said that in my letter to vladimir putin and reiterated it since. i'll engage in public work. the struggle for power is not for me now >> mikhail khordorkovsky may have ruled out a role in front-line politics. it's unlikely he'll sit on the sidelines and stay silent. what he does is closely followed by the kremlin. >> mikhail khordorkovsky has a visa to stay in germany for a year. a return to russia is not eminent. he may face more charges. >> for more on this we have an associate professor of international affairs. a lot of people are expecting mikhail khordorkovsky to come out and blast the kremlin, blast putin. he didn't. why? >> he didn't because he could not have been released without vladimir putin's pardon, he could not have gone germany without putin's approval and him arranging for that to happen. he couldn't come out right away and say vladimir putin is my enemy. he is planning to appeal his imprisonment for 10

i've already made clear in my letter to president putin and confirmed many times i'm going to devote myself to social issues the struggle for power is just not for me appearing carmen in a smart blue sooty fielded questions from a a whole host of journalists packed into the burly and wall museum just not too far from where i am right i am right here in central berkeley and in amongst those questions he did appeal for some kind of privacy for him and his family. said that he didn't have any concrete plans to exactly what he would be doing right now b. timeline it's seeing him come here has been such has moved at such a whirlwind pace from when he was told apparently it to in the morning his time in the penal colony our penal colony on friday morning in russia that he would be set free. it's all moved at such a pace that saw him arrive here in germany just to live at that first press conference to speak to the the world's media in tell him how he feels and basically he's saying that he needs a little bit of time to readjust to life outside and pay thanks to everybody who helped him alo

breaking news on r.c. this hour. walks free after president putin signed a pardon what hey called humanitarian reasons. of the mark credit agency standard and poor's covered the european union's long term rating due to our lack of solidarity among the twenty eight member state. consumerism battled. admissions for thor's to autonomy rather to a new level demanding a seat at next month's international peace talks in switzerland and. the obstacle to true freedom of. speech is the obstacle which is in my mind the idea that the people don't deserve our system or because people cannot deal with. ati's speaks to a wiki leaks associates and co-producer of a movie which shows just how hard it can be for whistleblowers to get the truth in print. and welcome to our scene to national twenty four hour news live from moscow my name is you have our breaking news this hour and after a day cade of the incarceration of the holder is free his lawyer says russia's most high profile prisoner has left trail president allegedly a preacher and signed a pardon for the former oil tycoon following a persona

then in two thousand thirteen in february president putin has a meeting with the federal security service and the meeting suddenly says i'm bodily this law non-governmental organizations how come i'm not seen any implementation and i saw as he says that. the inspection competing is being launched an older lady who from my direct question was. a listen to this so this is happening and organizations are taken to court and they start losing their cases and the picture is really very grim and then in mid july president putin says in the face of very strong international criticism they are going to reconsider will possibly among the law and once he sells that out some organisations started winning the i.p.l. is and that's what you are referring to. you see the shadow of mr putin in any single case in russia but miss loach and i we have to take a very short break now when we come back their russian government is often accused of using the law selectively against its critics but why did they break the law so easily that's coming up in a few moments on will depart. the cool. speak your la

thirteen in february president putin has a meeting with the federal security service and. suddenly says i'm bodily you know this law non-governmental organizations how come i'm not seen any implementation and as soon as he says that. the inspection competing is being launched and olders i do use it including you from my direct question you show the court proceeding. so this is how planning and organization are taken to court and they start losing their cases and the picture is really very grim and then in mid july president putin says in the face of very strong international criticism. we are going to reconsider we will possibly among the law and once he sells out some organisations started winning the i.p.l. is and that's what you are referring to you see the shadow of mr putin in any single case in russia but i really have to take a very short break now one we come back the russian government is often accused of using the law selectively against its critics but why did they break the law easily that's coming up in a few moments on worlds apart. your bank account how does that look tod

me now. another surprise from vladimir putin. will get hiscoon freedom after 10 years in jail. yesterday, we had a little bit of an uptick in the russian stock market, rose about one percent. analysts saying the russians are still the cheapest of anyone in the emerging markets. >> we will have some data later on on that. caroline hyde is standing by. what is the sentiment on high street? five days to go until christmas. >> the countdown is on. the christmas lights are beautiful. you can really smell it. christmas is in the air. air is also an air of panic. in every shop window, a sale sign. marks and spencer is offering 30% off. don the road, 50% off. more on why retailers are slashing their prices and why ubs says the clothing retailers have hit the panic button. >> caroline, we will get back to you very shortly. , let's have a look at these equity markets. we are seeing higher equity markets as europe loses aaa s tatus. does that really matter? stocks saw their biggest rally in nearly three months. higher by door to voice a -- deutsche divorce a -- borse and merck. we will s

has arrived in java may opt in being a pardon by president of the meal putin he was once considered routines political rival. a girl cos he left for gemini on friday immediately after being grounded the pot he released a statement online along with a photo of him and shaking hands with so much among foreign minister hans dietrich can share the ball in a helpful. in a statement. the girl cop speak and found that he had asked putin fall pumpkin last month but he did not admit guilt the german government said in a statement that again showed why with a great level of commitment and this coupled with council on film and tell them the foreign ministry world cups tea is a form of president of the now defunct eu calls oil companies. he has been jailed folks in the for taxi based not on the charges. before his arrest in two thousand twenty he often criticized for russian administration have made a large political donations to the opposition analysts say the release many indicate that putin is trying to ease international criticism of his country's human rights record ahead of the sochi wint

biggest winner of 2013 is russian president putin. in december, putin snatched westing russia's international prestige. biggest winner glad. >> biggest loser of 2013. >> president obama and obamacare. >> the president still has a job. i think the biggest loser is the president of egypt, mr. egypt. >> being able to deal with the obamacare setbacks is bigger than president obama. >> i have a tie, the city of detroit and the average american working class individual whose real wages have declined in a time of relative prosperity. >> obama drew the line and smudged them and then eraced them completely it will be a long, long time before president will invoke red line. best politician? >> prime minister of -- the president of iran. >> i give to pope francis. he loves people and that is a key ingredient if you want to be a politician. >> are you stuck in that track. >> he deserved all the applaud that we can all give him. >> hillary clinton who kept herself out of the dispute of obamacare and preserved all that she needs for the next presidential campaign. >> i give to governor chris

prisoners. in this case, two young women. it is vladimir putin's attempt to tamp down a few pr problems before the games begin. so far, it seems to be having the opposite effect, as our own jim maceda reports from siberia tonight. >> reporter: they left prison today as global celebrities. maria alyokhina and nadezhda tolokonnikova both members of pussy riot. part punk band, part activist collective convicted of hooliganism last year after this anti-putin performance in moscow's largest cathedral. still defiant and contemptuous of putin's limited party. this is a hoax and a pr move, she said. if i had a chance to turn it down, i would have. in an exclusive interview with nbc news, nadezhda said an extended hunger strike and prison hospitalization hadn't drained her spirits. >> translator: in fact it's the opposite. my determination in terms of being engaged in politics and fighting the authoritarian government has only increased. >> reporter: she said her activism now had a new focus. >> translator: now i'm not just an artist but a politician and i feel it's my responsibility to

outlined the letters that were written by her to called ski to vladimir putin he said there was to one of them was a personal letter to president putin the of the was the official petition to be to be released from prison and that it was that petition that resulted in him receiving this pardon this release on humanitarian grounds due to the serious ill health of his mother we'll get a glimpse into what could be coming next on sunday he's holding a press conference at the berlin wall museum where he may outline what he plans to do now that he's out of prison initially had said he just wanted to spend time with his family enjoy the holiday season but perhaps he might have some some old further reaching plans in a mind to now at that press conference he said almost certain to. sank. to thank the the former german foreign minister. again sure seems to have been instrumental in making sure the holocaust killed come here the german chancellor in a statement from the chancellor spokesperson angle merkel spoke first and she paid she paid tribute to the work done by mr gained share in bring

his lawyers and is reportedly heading to st peters was that after president putin signed his pardon. also this hour stripped of its full marks the european union loses its top credit rating due to a lack of cohesion and turns budget negotiations within the block. the syrian kaddish community presses for a seat at the negotiating table at the upcoming trini but peace talks hoping to grab the opportunity to secure their right. this is the international coming to life from bosco hello and welcome to the program and one of russia's most high profile prisoners. of jail according to his noir president bush and had earlier signed a pardon for the former oil tycoon who had filed an amnesty plea let's get more now from. he joins us now live from petrozza vaults there you are so where is it me right now or do we know at this point. well her ghost is a lawyer has confirmed that he's left the premises of the prison although he didn't say where he was headed in fact he said he didn't know where he was heading but here the staff of the airport in because of what's clear we are now around two hund

gaol as part of an amnesty announced by vladimir putin. mana alyokhina was sentenced to two years in gaol. the second member of the band is expected to be released. 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 founda