Ukraine. Also on the program a nomination ceremony in moscow clears the power for russian president Vladimir Putin to run as an independent candidate in next years president ial election the move coming a day off to britains main challenger alexei not pollinate was bought from stand against. Votes are being counted off of liberias president ial runoff as the western african country prepares for its first peaceful transition of power of its seventeen is the poll gave liberians of choice between a former soccer star and the countrys current Vice President. Hello and welcome my name is Christopher Spring a good to have you with us its a rare moment of deescalation in the bitter conflict between Ukrainian Government forces. And pro russian rebels in the east of the country the two sides agreeing to exchange a significant number of prisoners later today this off the top two days ago in moscow mediated by the head of the Russian Orthodox church kievs representative at the talks said ukraine will be released three hundred six prisoners and expects the separatists to release seventy four of its captives in return. Ordinary people on either side of the front line the conflict has meant sacrifice on a daily basis a russian backed separatist insurgency erupted back in twenty fourteen leaving more than ten thousand people dead so far the pros in fighting gives these people in the donetsk time to repair their homes as best they can without enough glass available people are living with plastic sheets whether windows used to be there how use a freezing cold. One of the there was a cease fire at the beginning of the school year and another one now but we still get shells coming over its happened seven times in our neighborhood. The Winter Weather has exacerbated an already die a situation waterpipe to frozen and there is no heating local residents have come up with stopgap solutions for the cold nights the cool i fill plastic bottles with hot water and they keep us warm in bed i still cant get over the shock that there is fighting going on here where i live. Shows arent the only danger hundreds of people have been killed or injured by landmines including dozens of children parties to the conflict on both sides have deployed mine clearance squads but even as they carry out that work more mines are planted elsewhere. Four hundred thousand violations of cease fire agreements have been uprooted as the year goes to a close theres little hope that peace will return to Eastern Ukraine any time soon. Russian president Vladimir Putin is eyeing another six year term in office after winning formal endorsement yesterday to run in next years president ial election although six hundred of his supporters including prominent lawmakers in act as gathered in moscow to declare that backing for his fourth hootin has decided to run as an independent in a bid to make the most of his personal popularity among russians these Young Russians came to see the kremlin new years tree but were treated to a surprise appearance by Vladimir Putin. One of the children had the courage to ask the president how he feels about the opposition. I got that. Positively. But i will not have died. The opposition has little chance of victory after the countrys Election Commission barred alexina volley from taking part in the vote. The Opposition Leader is considered the biggest potential threat to putin and he has called for a boycott of the election. But theres still plenty of support for putin and more than six hundred prominent russians including lawmakers actors and athletes gathered in moscow to officially endorse him as their candidate. Our country has changed from a devastating one without future prospects to a powerful country. Like the mere putin is the only leader who said our health care isnt good and under him maternity clinics and cardiological and other medical centers were blown to do it because you believe it is good you see how the army has grown and grown stronger it now has powerful new weapons at its disposal and the person now are doing well. Now putin can submit his documents to the Election Commission after his bid is approved hell also need to gather three hundred thousand signatures to take part in the race. With polls showing more than an eighty percent Approval Rating putin is expected to cruise to victory in the march eighteenth vote. Staying in Russia International organizations writing in the country have had to become well cautious in recent years with legislation governing their activities tightening since twenty twelve for instance engineers and political foundations that receive foreign funding have to be registered and socalled foreign agents since twenty fifteen russian prosecutors are also allowed to declare foreign organizations desirable forcing them to shut down a case in point is germanys free trade a bet foundation which is becoming broiled in a scandal it says it has nothing to do with. It started as a Simple School history project and turned into a scandal last month. Was one of a group of russian and german teenagers to give speeches before germanys parliament about the fates of World War Two soldiers spoke about a visit to a german war cemetery. But the issues which upset me a lot because i saw the graves of innocent people many of them wanted to live peacefully and didnt want to go to war we would you because speech ended with a message of peace but in russia where the victory in World War Two is a huge source of pride many accuse the sixteen year old of belittling nazi crimes now the scandal could have a knock on effect for the german people about foundation. That of once the general Prosecutors Office to label the organization undesirable in russia he cites media reports that it funded the boys trip. We can see that the money is being put into brainwashing Russian School children and that money is being invested with the goal of fighting the russian motherland and its ideology which is essentially extremism so we asked for this situation to be investigated at. The foundation rejected the duma politicians accusations in a statement to the w. The foundation was in no way involved in the speech of. The german bundestag either in financing it nor organizing it nor providing Logistical Support we are closely monitoring reports about the event and currently assume there has been a mix up of names for russia analyst who used to head another German Political Foundation in moscow this is all part of a recurring anti western narrative in russia. The general atmosphere is what putin has outlined again and again. The west is hostile towards us and we have to defend ourselves. Russia was supposedly humiliated by the west in the one nine hundred ninety s. And now it needs to get back on its feet and reclaim its inherent and rightful place on the world stage. David. Russias general Prosecutors Office must decide this week whether to investigate the german foundation. Ok time now to catch up with some of the other stories making news around the world the red cross in syria says evacuations have begun of critically ill patients from the rebel held on claims of Eastern Ghouta to Damascus Forces loyal to the government of president Bashar Al Assad sieging almost four hundred thousand people in that enclave the un has called on the government to allow the evacuation of five hundred patients urgently need medical care. Of course in myanmar has responded to reuters journalists in custody for a second fourteen day period with origins of probing allegations that the to breach the countrys official secrets act the journalists were reporting on the crisis in iraq and state where a military crackdown has seen more than six hundred thousand muslims flee. A judge in argentina says that ill bet tonys mom the prosecutors shocked it in january twenty fifth teen was it this mans body was discovered just days after he accused former president at least enough of an undeserved covering up irans role in the one thousand nine hundred four bombing of a Jewish Community center its the first time any legal official has labeled the case. And in libya militants have blown up a pipeline pumping crude oil to the port of see that the explosion occurred near the town of. Libyas oil output has been cut by one hundred thousand Barrels Per Day leaving oil prices to surge to two and a half year high as the state run National Oil Corporation is blaming socalled islamic state. Now vote counting is underway in the west african nation of liberia after a president ial runoff yesterday election observers say the ballot proceeded without any violence a result expected within the next few days and what will mark the countrys first peaceful transfer of power in over seventy is. The election has gone off smoothly with only minor irregularities former nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan who is there to observe the vote count called on the candidates to respect the results and the will of the people. So what was in the story that this is a lie here because it was a source of labor so the issue is no we didnt know it was that if you when you celebrate this a bit and were sure that it was he wrote it to the president of everybody if you lose yourself except. Its a runoff vote between former International Footballer george weah and Vice President joseph. Both of whom join voters in casting their ballots. That are great beer because of the curse of democracy in this one we went in one time there were two right there at work and i would reduce it cool. We have got to the process heres what the president rules were willing to live with. Born in a slum in the capital monrovia george weah star performances for europes biggest football teams in the ninetys won the hearts of young liberians this is his second run for president. To this this victory they said im going to win the all black cock and i will go george oh yeah outgoing president Ellen Johnson sirleaf to rule cemented peace in the west african country after civil war ended in two thousand and three but the majority of liberians still live in dire poverty whoever wins this election will face that challenge and will have to prove that he can govern in a way that will benefit the country and its citizens. As they had twenty seven change draws to a close weve been looking at some of the trends that define the last twelve months and one of those has been official intelligence progress in that field is bringing the dream of ultra sophisticated robots to service who work for us and even think for us closer to reality some robots might even replace our pets these robot soccer players doing well for rookies but maybe theyll improve through learning. Miro the robot dog can already do that he can learn the floor plan of an apartment and fetch help if necessary he also makes cute little noises and likes to have his back scratched but without the inconvenience of walkies and feeding times at cbot twenty seventeen pepper got a lot of attention with his Coffee Service he serves a hot drink of choice without bothering the client with small talk. You go get it and you get its a close and he talks to people its great. But like a deal is you from. The scope of jobs that robots are able to do is growing rapidly pretty soon farmers wont need farm hands anymore to feed their animals tennis clubs wont need ball boys and pizza delivery will become a job of the past even though this delivery robot has a top speed of just fifteen kilometers per hour. And then twenty seventeen brought us robots that could try to do the jobs that some people already regarded as unnecessary how much better or worse would this rehearsal have gone if there had simply been a metronome on the conductors podium. The robots are coming that much is clear the small high tech helpers are stepping into our lives but some obviously still have a long way to go before theyll offer serious competition to humans. A court in new york has found the former president of perus Football Federation money will boot got not guilty on charges of racketeering but it was charged with taking bribes from marketing firms vying for lucrative rights to major. Tournaments two other suspects are also being tried in new york one the former president of south americas soccer governing body called the ball and. The former president of brazil soccer federation. Both convicted on several counts last friday following a five week trial youre watching news do stay with us if you can. Images from an isolated injury images from north korea. And italians a toggle for captured fascinating shots of everyday life in a regimented society