france has refused to help the central african republic fight off rebels closing in on its capital president of france who are under said paris will protect only its own interests not the regime of local protesters angry at a lack of action attacked the french embassy western discuss french. journalist joins us live from strasbourg thanks for joining us here in our president hollande said france will protect its interest in the central african republic what are those interests well it's quite interesting he said that the french army which has a base in central africa and republics was not there to protect a particular regime which must have come as quite a shock to the regime seeing as it was them that gives the press the french permission to have a base there talk. and the interests are of course you're right you know there is uranium mine in the state of the country. there is a certain amount of preview with central african government because the french actually suspended operations because of the fall in the price of uranium after the disaster in japan and said that it was unprofitable th

france says no to calls for help from its former colony the central african republic but later here on the program we idolize how western patrons treat local governments in the insurgency played between. if you're from my generation or younger and you were born into the one percent that i have a lot of college debt i sure do you know the deal used to be that you paid a significant amount for education but in turn that gave you a much higher salary later but now the system works in reverse many young americans studied very hard to not make any money at all around nine percent of americans with student loans have defaulted and at least nine but maybe up to eighteen percent are ninety days late with their payments given the situation the people at u.c. berkeley were nice enough to give away a million dollars in scholarships for everyone everyone that's an illegal immigrant yeah that's right if you're born in america then pay till you die but jump the border and enjoy the red carpet education treatment the people who would be getting the scholarships are mostly the children of illegal immi

it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in the region which is that you have very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign only your power is france and to be regrown of power grid and have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government and they would develop the country for the people by canonically. look at other news now from around the world egypt's president has acclaimed the new constitution as a new dawn for his country in his address to the nation after signing the fiercely disputed charter into law mohamed morsi also claimed it guarantees social freedom and paves the way for democracy critics of the constitution say it imposes elements of the law while ignoring the rights of women and minorities the islamist backdraft was approved by some sixty three percent of egyptians in a referendum which the opposition claim so massive fraud

again in the central african republic that's not going to be healthy for arab countries are going to have to move in and saudi's brown i think the french have a right to protect their embassy but beyond that if they become. it's not to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in their region which is that you are very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and to be regrown of power britain have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government grants and they would develop the country for the people at the nomic lee quickly and our other stories from around the world egypt's president has a claim the new constitution as a new dawn for his country in his address to the nation after signing the fiercely dispute charter into law. guarantee social freedom and paves the way for democracy critics of the constitution say it imposes el

african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in the region which is that you have very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign because only your powers france and to be regrown in power britain have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government went and they would develop the country for the people who economically. all right into the day we go starting with egypt's president who has a claimed new constitution as a new dawn for his country in his address to the nation after signing the charter into law. also claimed it guarantees social freedom and pave the way for democracy critics of the constitution say it imposes elements of law while ignoring the rights of women and minorities the islamist backed draft was approved by some sixty three percent of egyptians in a referendum which the opposition claims massive fraud. and lisa los angeles claim a g

african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in that region which is that you are very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and to be require power britain have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government whence and they would develop the country for the people by economically. we'll get to the arctic shortly here on the program for now though were russia does say the next generation of spacecraft design is ready it's a completely rebranding a new space ship capable of flying to the international space station and all the way to the moon those details on our website. also on line for you one russian family british car manufacturer bentley failing to live to its claims of luxury after a defective baggage claim the life of one man. has progressed into the world out there we go are starting with madrid's doctors and nur

reporting right now refused to help the central african republic fight off the rebels that are closing in on the capital and. said paris is only protecting its own interests not the regime the local protesters are angry at a lack of action a target at the french embassy lawrence freeman of the intelligence review magazine says this is part of the. these developments do not occur overnight this has been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they get become militarily involved again in the central african republic that's not going to be helpful african countries are going to have to move in and saudi's brown i think the french have a right to attack their embassy but beyond that if they become military involved it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in their region which is that you're very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and to be require power britain have kept

welcome back the french embassy in the central african republic has been attacked by protesters urging paris to intervene to stop a rebel advance insurgents reportedly control vast parts of the country and are only seventy five kilometers away from the capital the u.n. has ordered its staff out of the country juta the armrest lawrence freeman though of the executive intelligence review magazine believes france will only worsen matters if it intervenes. these developments do not occur overnight this has been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they get become militarily involved again in the central african republic that's not going to be healthy for african countries are going to have to move in and saudis from i think the french have a right about tapping their embassy but beyond that if they become otero you involved it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in that region which is that you are very unstable government

from refused to help the central african republic fight off rebels closing in on its capital person from. paris is only protecting its own interests and not the regime of the local protesters angry at her lack of action attacked the french embassy or lawrence freeman of executive intelligence review magazine so it's part of the post clue you. these developments do not occur overnight this has been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they get become militarily involved again in the central african republic that's not going to help for african countries are going to have to move in and saudi's brown i think the french have a right to a cap and their embassy but beyond that if they become otero you involved it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in that region which is that you are very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and to be require power britain have kept thei

hello welcome back the friend jen busy in the central african republic has been attacked by protesters urging paris to intervene to stop a rebel advance and surgeons reportedly control vast parts of the country and are only seventy five kilometers away from the capital the u.n. has ordered it started out of the country due to be on rest. of the executive intelligence review magazine believes france they will only worsen matters if it intervenes. these developments do not occur overnight this is been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they give become militarily again in the central african republic that's not going to be healthy for our country. and saudis brown i think the french have a right to their embassy but beyond that if they become. it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in the region which is that you have very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and t

it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in the region which is that you have very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign because only your powers france and that be required power grid have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government and they would develop the country for the people at the nomic li. watching r.t. and russia says the next generation of spacecraft design is ready it's completely rebranding a new super space ship capable of flying to the international space station and the way to the moon more details on that on our web site. also on line for you a russian family sues british car manufacturer a bentley for failing to live to its claims of luxury this after a defective air bag claimed the life of one. ride into artie's what up that we now go starting with madrid's doctors and nurses who are once again on the streets call

france has refused to help the central african republic fight off rebels closing in on its capital president francois hollande is only protecting its own interests and not the regime of local protesters angry a turn like of action attacked the french embassy where the once freeman of executive intelligence review magazine says it's part of the post clue new fallout . these developments do not occur overnight this has been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they get become militarily involved again in the central african republic that's not going to help for african countries are going to have to move in and saudi's brown i think the french have a right about tapping their embassy but beyond that if they become no tell you it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in their region which is that you have very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign the colonial powers france and to be require power grid

african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.l.r. what's going on there is what's been going on in most of the countries in that region which is that you are very unstable governments these countries have never become sovereign because only your powers france and to be required in power britain have kept their finger on the resources of these countries and they basically have never allowed these countries to develop for government whence and they would develop the country for the people by economically. right into the r.t. will top that we go as promised with egypt's president having a claim the new constitution as a new dawn for the country this in his address to the nation after signing the fiercely disputed charter into law mohamed morsi are also claimed it guarantees social freedom and paves the way for democracy what critics say it imposes elements of shari'a law while the norm in the rights of women and minorities is the most back draft approved by some sixty three percent of egyptians. but angeles police claim a gun buyback ev

hello welcome back the french embassy in the central african republic has been attacked by protesters urging paris to intervene to stop a rebel advance and surgeons reportedly control vast parts of the country and are only seventy five kilometers away from the capital the u.n. has ordered its staff out of the country jus to the young rest now and freeman of the executive intelligence review magazine believes france they will only worsen matters if it intervenes these developments do not occur overnight this is been brewing for years the french are playing a very bad role and if they give become militarily again in the central african republic that's not going to be healthy for african countries are going to have to move in and saudi's brown i think the french have a right to remember. if they become otero you it's not going to be helpful to the central african republic or any of the neighboring countries of the c.a.r. book or any of the neighbor it's been going on in most of the countries in their region which is that you are very unstable governments these countries have never become

fighting between rebels and government forces in the central african republic and has forced thousands of people to fully. people in northern parts of the country are leaving their homes and looking for safety. the latest round of violence broke out last week when fighters took over strategic terms in a mining region. government troops were receiving help from neighboring chad to take back the town, but the rebels are maintaining control. they are within 100 kilometers of the capital. the rebels are angry with the president, who they accused -- of an arms deal. the country has had a history of coups and rebellions. groups in this area say they have been left out of profiting from their recent rich resources. in medicine group has extended its works in african central republic, concerned about people living near the fighting. >> for the moment, the situation is still relatively calm, however we are concerned about the well-being and security of the people with the possible incursion by the rebels in the next days or weeks. most of them are fleeing, as they have done over the many years

the president of the central african republic says he is ready to form a coalition government with the rebels. bozize made the announcement as fighters advanced closer to the capital. north korea's leader has congratulated scientists and technicians involved in the launch of a rocket. state television broadcast pictures of the ceremony. the launch of a long-range rocket put north korea's first satellite into orbit. it also drew international condemnation from the u.s. and south korea. pakistan's hopes of hosting international cricket have suffered another major blow. security concerns led to the bangladesh national team pulling out of the tour of pakistan which had been scheduled for january. gunmen attacked the sri lankan team bus in lahore in 2009. the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman last week has led to national furor and sparked a debate about women's rights in the country. in a sexual crime has dominated the headlines in india for nearly two weeks, and not just the case of this 23-year-old victim. rape, sexual abuse, and harassment are at the top of newscasts and on th

women march for peace and the central african republic as advancing rebels prepare for talks with the government. 4 die when a russian airplane crashes onto the highway in moscow. >>> for 13 days, doctors had fought to keep her alive but her injuries were too severe. now the six men accused of gang raping the 23-year-old woman in india are being charged with murder. she was thrown from a moving bus after being assaulted. thousands of people have called for more to be done to protect indian women against sexual violence. from new delhi, we have this report. >> they came and the hundreds to mourn the young woman brutalized and to show their anger to lawrence the authorities who have not year -- show their anger towards the authorities. the chief minister had already described it as a shameful moment for india, but that did not spare them the rest of the crowd. >> we need to do something because we have too much on the establishment and they have let us down. >> the government has been trying to put off protesters by sealing off large parts of the city and closing off metro stations. hun

in the central african republic, and they are reporting to be only one away from the capital. rebels advanced on saturday. they already had control of four regional capitals. rebels have rejected offers to negotiate. more violence in iraq, where muslims are continuing to demonstrate against the government. they have been protesting against the prime minister, who they say it is against them. we have this report. >> the protesters' message could not have been clearer. the people want to topple the regime. thousands have taken to the streets to protest against a perceived injustice of the government, nouri al maliki. >> we want to investigate charges against bodyguards of the finance minister, and it only targets of us. >> there is a powerful tribal leader in one province. he says the government. >> it will never end. they are targeting several, including the finance minister. more will come. >> the protesters also accuse their own political leaders of failing them. the deputy prime minister was forced to leave the protests. he was hit with rocks and bottles. there were tense mo

the american embassy in the central african republic is temporarily closed, and american citizens are being told to evacuate the country. rebel forces in the central african republic have seized territory, and are now advancing upon the capital city of bangui. and the state department fears another violent struggle for power. the country's president is pleading with foreign leaders to help him fend off the rebels. russian president vladimir putin has signed a controversial bill barring americans from adopting russian children. the bill could become law as early as tuesday. the measure was drafted in retaliation for a u-s law which forbids russians accused of human rights violations from entering the u-s or owning real estate. there are 46-american families with pending adoptions. the russian government now aims to block those. families in russia and the u-s argue the bill victimizes children to make a political point. experts will study the d-n-a of the man behind the newtown connecticut school shooting. earlier this month, adam lanza killed 27 people, including 20 children, before ki

chad has sent troops into central african republic to help the government put down a rebellion. the rebels and that governments signed a peace deal five years ago, but some breakaway groups are advancing on the capital. the former south african president nelson mandela is to remain in hospital under observation. the 94-year-old was treated for a long infection two weeks ago. he underwent surgery to remove a gallstone. the current south african president, jacob zuma, has won a second term. his new deputy is the former unionist turned business tycoon. >> president jacob zuma's win was expected. so was the political comeback of the business tycoon. the ruling anc has been plagued by infighting. >> by electing jacob zuma, this was not in the form of -- this was rescuing the anc. >> he left politics in the 1990's to pursue a career in business. his appointment as the deputy president of the ruling party gives him role of the. >> the business committee is hoping that he will put in business friendly policies that could stabilize the economy. >> his image was painted in august when pol

is pulling nonessential staff from the central african republic, the have already seized at least 10 towns in the north of the country. the protesters threw rocks and tore down the french flag. nelson mandela has been discharged after spending 18 days in hospital. the 94-year-old will continue to receive treatment at home until he fully recovers. he was being treated for lung infection and gallstones. u.s. president george h. w. bush has been moved to an intensive care unit, the 8-year-old suffering from a fever that has worsened. a spokesperson says he is in guarded condition but is alert and able to converse with medical staff. the suicide bomber has killed three people at a u.s. base in afghanistan. if the explosion happened at the operating base. have that giant palo? you through the top stories. egypt's opposition will continue to protest against what it is calling a fraudulent referendum. the president says he knows he has made mistakes but now's the time for national unity. a bombing raid has reportedly killed 20 people. and the head of the military police has defected saying

. >> rebels in the central african republic are reported to be only one town away from the capital. they also want further talks with the african union. the army was forced to retreat as the rebels advanced. the former israeli foreign minister has been indicted for a breach of trust down fraud. he resigned early this month. he denies the accusations and says he will run in the upcoming elections in january but he will be forced to quit if a court barring some guilty. 30 muslims in iraq are continuing demonstrations against the shiia-led government. they are reducing the iraqi government of discriminating against sunnis. what the demands of the protesters here can be evidenced behind me. they want an end to the policy of the government's of the policies. they want the release of female presidents and they want to and demoralization of sunnis in iraq. they denied all of the allegations saying activities should not be held and they should be held responsible for their own facts. they will be looking into the issues and when it comes to the finance minister, the rule of law should save

here are the top stories now -- crisis in the central african republic. the president calls for international help to fight rebel forces. >> five years after bhutto's assassination. the son makes his debut. >> u.s. lawmakers give thems a last chance to stop the falling off the fiscal cliff. it's no deal has been actually reached. budget cuts and tax hikes will tax place on january the 1st. >> president barack obama returned to washington deeply meyered in another partisan stalemate. but over in the capitol the lower house of congress remains dark to avert the fiscal cliff. it's republican leader will call the session on sunday. the top senate said his branch of congress must take the initiative on a compromise. >> it appears to me the action if there is any is now on the senate and we will have to see if we're able on a bipartisan to move forward. >> but the democrats say there can be no deal without republican concessions on tax increases. >> unless we get a sign-off from the republicans in the house, we can't get anything done. for them to talk about a

central african republic and president has urged foreign intervention from the u.s. and france to help him push back the rebel advance. the u.s. says it is a pact with its embassy as a precautionary safety measure. in india, a 17-year-old girl was gang raped has committed suicide after being pressured by police to drop the case and marry one of her attackers. the girl's death comes amidst growing national outrage over a spate of gang rapes ignored by india's police, including one on a public bus in delhi. on thursday, protests against rape in india continued nationwide. >> they are doing nothing about it. [indiscernible] it is unacceptable and completely humiliating. >> according to india's national crime registry, one woman is raped every 20 minutes in india. russian president vladimir putin has signed into law a ban on u.s. citizens adopting russian children. the ban is seen as a retaliatory move after president obama signed a law denying u.s. visas and bank accounts to russian officials linked to the death of imprisoned whistleblower sergei magnitsky. it will take

france has sent troops to the central african republic to protect its embassy after protests outside of the compound. they accuse the former colonial power failing to stop the rebel advance. they threw stones and tore down a flight at the embassy. our west africa correspondent is following the course -- following the developments. >> france has always maintained a small military presence in the center african republic, which has a history of coups,. . because of the rapid advance of the coalition for the capitol, a lot of people demonstrated today and said france should be intervening to help stop the rebel advance. hundreds of youths protested in front of the french embassy, demanding that france intervened. they threw stones at the building. toward down the flag. they insist they cannot intervene. they say talks must be held and they have now deployed about 30 soldiers around the embassy to secure the premises. >> to be clear on who has the upper hand, the rebels have the upper hand on the ground. >> it is clear that the rebels have the upper hand on the ground. regional leaders ar

rebels in the central african republic are reported to be only one town away from the capital. the army was forced to retreat when the rebels advanced on saturday. they already have control of four other regional capitals in both the north and center of the country. rebels have rejected offers to negotiate. there's been more violence in iraq where sunni muslims are continuing to demonstrate against the shi'ia-led go. thousands have taken to the streets to protest the prime minister, who they say is discriminating against them. >> the protesters' message could not have been clearler -- the people want to topple the regime. thousands have taken to the streets to protest against perceived injustice by the government. >> we want courts to investigate the charges against body guards of the finance minister and we want the government to end the anti-terrorism law that only targets us. >> this is a powerful tribal chief in anbar province. his men fought al kida with the help of u.s. forces. he says the government is targeting their forces. >> this is something that will never end. oth

a quick update from the central african republic or rebels seized much of the country have renewed their threat to enter the capital. the president says he's ready to form a national anti-government after the coalition launched a rebellion earlier this month. >> the headlines here on bbc world news. politicians in washington are facing another day of intense negotiations. they have got to reach a deal to prevent damaging tax rises and spending cuts. hillary clinton is in the hospital, being treated for a blood clot. new year's festivities are beginning around the world. the first major city to walk, 2013 was auckland, new zealand rid as midnight struck, a huge fireworks display took place on top of the sky to our, the tallest building in new zealand rid thousands of people were gathered around to watch. there are planning a fireworks display in the capital city until unfortunately there were high winds. it was postponed. many people are celebrating across new zealand. it is summertime there. next up, a very famous celebration to take place in sydney, australia. kickoff in less than an ho

. >> more demonstrations demanding peace in the central african republic. women marched through the pacoima and call for negotiations between the government and rebels. a coalition have been advancing toward the city. neighboring countries have been urging them to join peace talks. >> in the south african republic rohanna -- right now, a delegation supported by au, which has moved today to the countryside, to the rebel area, so they could have a dialogue and encourage them to send a delegation. >> rescue teams are searching for survivors of for a boat sank off the coast of guinea bissau. it was steering dozens to the capital when it went down. at least 22 people are known to have died. nigeria has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. it stands at 20%. it seems women are the most affected. a report from just outside the city. >> a 5 month old baby is strapped to her back, and three others to feed at home. the only thing on her mind is to put food on the table. she is one of dozens, many of whom are widows or have been abandoned by their spouse

. >> the president of the central african republic has appealed to france and the u.s. for help against a rebel coalition that has vowed to topple his government. france has declined to intervene against the rebels who have already taken several towns and are now advancing on the capital. >> heavy snow has paralyzed large parts of eastern canada. in montreal, traffic came to a virtual standstill. police are telling people to stay at home, as some areas are expected to receive almost half a year of additional snow. well, we are going to a short break. after we come back, we will look at europe's crisis year 2012. >> we will find out how it will be a year to forget for one of germany's top swimmers. stay with us. >> welcome back. in just three days' time, we will be seeing up the old year and welcoming in the new, but before that, we will be taking the chance to reflect on some of the main events of the task 12 months. >> in europe, it was all about the debt crisis. greece and spain were the worst hit. >> eventually, it was the european central bank's controversial bond-b

france says no to calls for help from its former colony the central african republic later will bring you live analysis of western patrons treat local governments in the. region. and these teams look back at how during a santa launched his groundbreaking interview show broadcast exclusively on r.t. view of winning stories from twelve after a short break coming up soon. it's time now for business and dimitris here in the studio with us so this is a u.s. fiscal cliff still causing havoc for the market that is absolutely true seeing a fourth day of losses on the u.s. markets for example because there's still no deal reached just four days left to find some kind of deal between obama and congress and also now it's coupled with the debt ceiling in the u.s. also hitting the ceiling just once again this could create drastic consequences certainly could and they could more on this in a couple minutes. it's. was the. in this remote siberians image people still sing the songs which russians sang in the middle ages and they cherish the ancient rituals practiced by the will set up church before t

france has refused to help the central african republic fight off rebels closing in on its capital president of france on down said paris will protect only its own interests not the regime of the local protesters angry at her lack of action attacked the french embassy where independent journalist robert ha nice says around has failed to give a clear answer that what kind of interests are there. he said that the french army which has a base in central africa and republic was not there to protect a particular regime which must have come as quite a shock to the regime seeing as it was them that gives the french the french permission to have a base there top. and the interests are of course you're right you know there is uranium mining in the east of the country. but basically because of the president and all and stake in this morning i rang the doctor say the french ministry of foreign affairs and said well if they're not there to protect regime what are they there for a moment may actually get a very clear answer. will be french clearly have an interest in the country but they're not going to

to close test embassy in the central african republic. the state department ordering our ambassador and his team to flee the country as rebels advance there. u.s. citizens are being evacuated. the car company if is car mfisky own millions of dollars. the plans to open a factory is very much in doubt. if is kerr g fisker would have to pay the money if it doesn't follow through. they got a $529 million loan from the department of energy and that is paid by you. >>> 2012 was a nail biter from a bruising economy to a high spirited presidential campaign. we take a look at a year that was. >> 2012 was a make or break year for political careers speegsly in the campaign for the white house. president obama remained unopposed and was a shoe in. plans for recovery made the 44th president vulnerable. >> the president's policies have clearly not been successful in reigniting the economy putting people back to work. >> his party's nomination was not as easy as former massachusetts governor mitt romney. he declares winner of the iowa caucuses he had to

the central african republic is a country many americans and others don't hear that much about. they heard of the troubles in countries like the democratic republic of congo and sudan. it is the central african republic and many analysts say the inspiration for these certainly inspired by what has been going on in congo and this is a mineral rich country loaded with uranium, gold, diamonds and there is a lot to shoot for. it has been a very unstable country for decades. coop after coop has been involved and there is has been a mission and things have been okay after elections, but now things are at a crisis. >> too unhappy with the rebel advance. they are targeting embassies. what's happening with the americans on the ground there now? >> the state department is urging anyone there now to leave the embassy. non-especially personnel or family members have been asked to get out and the un has done the same. there were dem stragonstrations at the french. they have a former french colony. they gained independence in the 60s and france's president said we are not getting involved. we

the state department is closing its embassy in the central african republic and has ordered its diplomats to leave. the center-left in republic could be on the brink of another violent changing government -- change in government. the president of that country is trying to fight off rebels approaching the capital. the rebels have already seized an ounce. secretary clinton is expected to return to work next week. she's been recovering from a concussion she suffered after fainting while sufferfighting a stomach virus. she will testify next month before congress on the deadly attacks in benghazi. it all comes down to sunday for the redskins and cowboys. the nfc east title is on the line. john gonzalez is out there. he is previewing what you call it an extra it christmas. >> is a bonus christmas a couple days after the real christmas. fedex field might look dark this morning, but it will be a few days. the last time the redskins were in the playoffs was 2006. at what is at stake on sunday night. the game will be so big that they changed the time of the game to prime time on national television

. >>> in news of the world in the central african republic, the u.s. is removing their -- >>> prime minister -- international experts have found no evidence of banned weapons use by syria. >>> the side of a huge aquarium suddenly gave way. the 33-ton fish tank was filled with sharks in a shanghai shopping mall. the surveillance video shows a man being swept away from the rush of water. 16 people were injured. investigators blame cheap materials used for the fish tank. and the mall has no plans to rebuild the tank. >>> the ports that would be affected by a strike handle an estimated 40% of the nation's containerized cargo. and some experts say a work stoppage would have a chilling effect on the nation's economy. >>> the transportation security administration says it confiscated a record number of firearm this is year at u.s. airports. the latest figures from tsa shows 1,527 guns were confiscated. the tsa doesn't keep track of what happens to the people after the weapons are found. local law enforcement agencies handle any arrest. a tsa spokesman also re

. >>> in news of the world in the central african republic, the u.s. is removing their -- >>> prime minister -- international experts have found no evidence of banned weapons use by syria. >>> the side of a huge aquarium suddenly gave way. the 33-ton fish tank was filled with sharks in a shanghai shopping mall. the surveillance video shows a man being swept away from the rush of water. 16 people were injured. investigators blame cheap materials used for the fish tank. and the mall has no plans to rebuild the tank. >>> the ports that would be affected by a strike handle an estimated 40% of the nation's containerized cargo. and some experts say a work stoppage would have a chilling effect on the nation's economy. >>> the transportation security administration says it confiscated a record number of firearm this is year at u.s. airports. the latest figures from tsa shows 1,527 guns were confiscated. the tsa doesn't keep track of what happens to the people after the weapons are found. local law enforcement agencies handle any arrest. a tsa spokesman also re

the state department is shutting the doors on its embassy in the central african republic. this as rebels seize at least ten towns in the northern part of the country. leaving the capital city in fear of an attack. 40 were reportedly flown to kenya. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton will return to work next week after being sidelined by illness for the past few weeks. she's kept a low profile after suffering from a stomach virus and then a concussion she reportedly sustained after fainting. she had to cancel an overseas trip as well as testimony before congress about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. clinton is preparing to step down as secretary of state in the coming weeks. >>> this morning, two of the three men accused of brutally beating a capitol hill man this summer will be in court. police say tommy branch and sunny kuti attacked and robbed thomas maslin in august. maslin suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma nearly two months. the third suspect, michael moore, waived his right to a hearing. >>> this morning, four children, one a

citizens and diplomates evacuate the central african republic. president obama ordered the evacuation after heavy criticism of the administration security response for the september 11th attack in benghazi. >>> george h.w. bush is out of intensive care and in a regular room in houston. a spokesman says his condition is improving. the 88-year-old has been hospitalized for more than a month with complications related to bronchitis >>> on december 31st, 1907, the first big ball drop took place in times square and somewhere back then a newscaster sat at a desk and talked about preparations. nothing has changed. the famous crystal ball is ready to drop and ring in 2013. the party planers leave nothing to chance. they tested the confetti in times square and packed on to broadway to watch the ball drop. >> there was no tv, big anchor desk or "today" show. in 1997, a newscaster was like, you will be doing weather. the ball is dropping pretty soon. >> how do you test confetti? >> do you hold it here and let it go? >> they cut up 1 million pieces an stando

. >>> the emergency that stopped a metro train at one of the busies the embassy in the central african republic is shutting doors as rebels seized at least ten towns in the northern part of that country. people who live there fear an attack at any time. the u.s. ambassador and 40 others were reportedly flown to kenya. >>> hosni mubarak is back in the hospital. his lawyer says the 84-year-old is suffering from complications from an injury he sustained last week when he fell in a prison bathroom. mubarak has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of protesters during egypt's uprising two years ago. >>> newly released classified documents so a close personal relationship between reagan and margaret thatcher in the 1980s. letters written show how they dealt with the 1982 falk land's war. reagan was the only person who understood the significance of the situation. she also said the friendship between america and the united kingdom is "important to the future of the free world." . >>> today, many will pause to remember the birthday of a former president. the national cat

. >>> overseas now, the united states has temporarily shut down its embassy in the central african republic. rebels advance on the capital and the state department is warning americans to avoid the republic. u.s. citizens already there are told to leave and there are no plans to evacuate u.s. military personnel. >>> now to a terrifying scene for shoppers in friday. if you are afraid of sharks, you may not want to watch this video. this was an indoor tsunami. a huge shark tank burst, sending broken glass and water crashing into onlookers. more than a dozen people were injured. sadly, the sharks did not survive. >> who thought that was a good idea? >>> the economy could suffer a major blow next week if thousands of union dock workers make good on their threat to strike. a walkout would close every port from boston to houston. that means tons of goods would not be able to move in or out. the contract expired back in september. >>> and it is that time of year again when warnings go out to everyone about the dangers of thin ice. case in point, take a look at this from monroe county, michigan. ji

the president of the central african republic called on france and other powers to help his government send off the rebels. >> french officials have declined to offer any military help. >> police say an autopsy showed the government of pill to you new york firefighters died of a self- inflicted gunshot is head. >> autopsies show one of the firefighters died of a single shot, and the other died of two shots. 62 year- old william spengler said his home and car on fire on christmas eve morning. >> he then opened fire on the first two firefighters to arrive on scene. this is video from the same. >> the body found inside his home had not been identified. >> please leave it was a sister. >> the government also wanted to of the firefighters and often a police officer. >> he formerly served as a wise lieutenant governor and his eight former why a democratic chairman. hawi iss governor said he was best serve to build congressional authority. >> a labor dispute is based on at an expiring contract and the longshoremen association and the u.s. maritime line. >> the labor dispute is based on an asp

. >>> and then president obama sending 50 troops across the border from central african republic, and that's where personnel from the embassy were pulled out of the country this week. the rebels are moving in on the capital city and could spark violence and up rising. the president described it as a deteriorating security situation. >>> today is the final day for the nation's gun show happening here in our area. thousands turned out yesterday for the event. the weather did not stop the crowds or buyers that could buy things now that could soon be banned. >> every time the doors open, it draws thousands. >> i brought my grandsons down. i want to get them a little involved in stuff like this and not be afraid of it. >> reporter: but the lines at the checkout, enormous. mostly in part to this game, ar-13, and it's a gun if banned could put dealers out of business. >> it's going to drive us out of business. the situation that we are in now with the economy, we don't need any more kicks. >> the ar-15 is the poster child for the genre. with all the talk in and around capitol hill with banni

is telling all american citizens in the central african republic to get out now. >>> in russia, president vladimir putin signed a bill banning americans from adopting russian children. the law is reportedly in retaliation for a new law in the u.s. that calls for sanctions against russian officials for human rights abuses. it takes effect january 1 and it blocks dozens of children already in the process of being adopted by americans from leaving russia. >>> still ahead at 8:00, the president of a national adoption agency joins us live for a closer look at the impact the adoption ban will have on the families who hope to welcome a new child. >> but first, bitter rivalry again redskins and the cowboys. we have a sports historian here, and why it's been called one of the greatest in sports. it's 8:07. we'll be right back.  >>> back now with a winter weather update. across upstate new york and northern new england residents are digging out from up to 2 feet of snow. heavy rain and strong winds pounded coastal areas already devastated by superstorm sandy. the system is now blamed fo

african republic. today's crisis is a tragedy, but it also offers a genuine opportunity to help the congolese people set a more sustainable course towards peace and stability in their own country as well as with their neighbors. the framework for action at the national, regional and international levels that i have outlined today could help enable the peoples of the region to escape the recurring cycles of conflict which have hampered progress in the eastern congo for nearly two decades. thank you again for the opportunity to testify this afternoon. i have a longer submission for the record which you may have. i look forward to answering any of your questions. >> thank you so much, mr. ambassador, and without objection, your full statement, letters referenced by ms. bass before will be made a part of the record. mr. ambassador, a couple of hours ago -- at least online -- the guardian newspaper posted an article, the titlee of which is obama accused of failed policy over rwanda's support of rebel group,

deteriorating security in the central african republic has forced the u.s. state department to temporarily suspend operations. there the u.s. ambassador, his diplomatic team and some private american citizens are out of the capital. the country's president has asked france and the united states for help to stop rebels that threaten rule. >>> it's not clear who will replace lisa jackson as the head of the environmental protection agency. jackson announced yesterday she's stepping down in january after the president's state of the union address. the epa created new standards for air pollution from coal power plants on her watch. >>> massachusetts congressman ed ma markey throwing his hat into the ring for kerry's senate seat. a special election would be held early this summer. markey a 66-year-old democrat is the first prominent candidate to declare for the race. >>> mom and pop shops across the country bracing for a labor fight that could cripple businesses. more on the key workers that could walk off the job coming up. consider this: when the unexpected happ