Ive seen terrible acts of violence in the past two weeks. There have been killings and brutality, grave human rights atrocities committed. There has been evidence of apparent ethnic targeting of s. Uth sunni they rose up against the government on december 15. He says his men were only defending themselves against progovernment attacks. Several thousands are believed to have been killed. The u. N. Is battling to cope with the number of displaced. The scale of the crisis has challenged an already overstretched mission. We now have approximately 68,000 people that have sought refuge in our camps. And they are in 13 different locations all over the country, in the three major states first and foremost. The government and rebels had agreed to meet in addis ababa. A ceasefire could be in place by thursday. Three bombs have exploded outside a hotel in the somalian capital, mogadishu, after 11 people had been killed. The explosions occurred at a hotel near mogadishus airport. The blasts were fired by an exchange of gunfire. Ofshabaab was driven out mogadishu in 2011 but has continued to launch attacks on the capital. Moving on, lebanons military authorities have arrested the leader of an al qaeda affiliate. He heads the group which claims responsibility for suicide bombings at the irani and missy Iranian Embassy in the lebanese capital in november. This is the man captured by the lebanese forces. Majid bin Muhammad Almajid is the leader of an offshoot of al qaeda. The group a bill as im brigades claimed responsibility the group Abdullah Azzam brigades claimed responsibility. The strike left 25 people dead, including the iranian cultural attache. The arrest of majid was announced by lebanons defense minister. Ghosn says he is being interrogated in secret. Majid had lived for years in a Refugee Company camp before leaving for syria. Abdullah azzam brigades threatens more attacks if the Lebanese Shiite militia hezbollah does not stop sending its fighters to support the syrian regime. Staying in the region, there are media reports that the condition of former israeli Prime Minister ariel sharon has seriously deteriorated. Local media reports he has suffered renal failure. The 85yearold has been in a coma for some eight years. For more, we go to jerusalem. What more are you able to tell us . We know that the condition has so deteriorated that ariel sharon poss family is now by his bedside Ariel Sharons family is now by his bedside. The family is trying to decide what to do, whether to continue to operate. What do you do with an 85year old man who has been in a coma for eight years . Research last did some on his brain, they found that he did respond to things like the sound of his sons voice and family pictures. There is a feeling there is some life there. It is now up to them to decide whether they will begin on a complex set of operations or not, with all that means. It has been eight years since he has been in a coma. How are israelis reacting to the news . Polarizing amazingly figure, yet a huge figure even after eight years out of the scene altogether. He fought in every war since israels founding in 1948. He was known as the bulldozer once he entered politics. There was nothing he couldnt achieve, it seems. He was controversially tied to the massacres in lebanon and that stain never really left him. But it was him who pushed israel pushed the government, the rightwing government that he headed to leave gaza. He is a huge figure. He still casts that shadow over israeli politics today. Thank you. News. Other a palestinian diplomat has been killed at his home in the capital of the czech republic. Police in prague say Jamal Al Jamal died while opening a safe in his room. Police say it was the result of careless handling of dangerous explosives. A french Catholic Priest who had been held hostage in nigeria has now arrived home in france. He was kidnapped last november by militants in cameroon. He was then taken across the border to nigeria. Boko haram claimed responsibility for his abduction. They say they released the priest on compassionate grounds. Down on french soil early wednesday touching down on french soil early wednesday, home safe at last. A Catholic Priest was greeted by president Francois Hollande the Catholic Priest was greeted by president Francois Hollande before being reunited with loved ones. Speaking of his days in captivity, he said people should being held. Se still it is nothing in comparison to other hostages who were held longer and those who are still being held. I spare a thought for those who are still hostages and i also realize what others went through. Frances leader paid tribute to the 42yearold. I want to salute the bravery, the clearheadedness, and the selfsacrifice that father georges, who will tell you himself that he had to stay faithful to his beliefs and his religion in order to survive his capture. Express, in the name of all french people, our joy to have him back and our admiration for him. He was kidnapped in mid november by a group of gunmen in northern cameroon and taken across the border to nigeria here he was held for 48 days before being released on tuesday. The radical Islamist Movement boko haram claimed responsibility for the abduction. Each time french hostages are freed, there is speculation about whether a ransom was paid. Hollande did not provide details on the release, but france theyenied all reports that handed over ransom money in exchange for the priests freedom the priests freedom. Citizens from bulgaria can now walk work freely across the european union. They joined the eu in 2007, but until now have had to apply for special paperwork to work in other Member States. They have been members of the eurozone for seven years, but until now have not enjoyed the same rights as other members. Citizens of romania and bulgaria who want to work in the rest of the eurozone previously had to apply for work permits or special authorization. Since the start of 2014, those rules no longer apply. Starting on january 1, they can now move freely among other Member States shown herein green. Now, croatia is the only eu country remaining with work restrictions on its citizens. Bulgarians and romanians no longer need specific permits to work in france. Despite warnings of a wave of emigration from the two poorest countries in the eurozone, some Officials Say there is nothing to fear. There are only 90,000 people from bulgaria and romania. We are not expecting more to come all at once. 2000 eight, romanians and bulgarians have already benefited from since 2008, romanians and bulgarians have already benefited from likened restrictions. From lightened restrictions. In france, they have used contracts. The system is unlikely to be affected by the new year changes. The first of january, 2014, also a big day for obamacare, the american president s overhaul of the healthcare system. But millions of americans remain uninsured and uninformed. They will have to get Health Insurance in 2014 in order to escape a fine. Now it is Barack Obamas a it isnge to see that Barack Obamas big challenge to see that 7 million americans get insurance. Those without insurance still sit in the waiting rooms. There are 48 million of them. I cannot survive. I am diabetic. I cannot afford to get my medicine. I had to pray to god. Thats all i could do. Not just because of has obamas name on it. It is people who need assurance. Insurance. Some people cannot afford insurance at all. He is signing up in 2014. He will have to be insured. Such is the law. The Administration Needs the young and healthy to enroll en masse as well. 50 of americans remain uninsured. We hope that more of our patients will have insurance and access to medication formularies and specialty care. I think patients feel more secure when they have insurance as well. We expect we will have a lot more patients show up. Here and across america, patients are still told how to sign up. A lot remains to be done. Plenty of Small Businesses despise obamacare, though its cost for them is not yet entirely clear. Health care taxes for small employers like this one will go up because of what is seen as a change in prose change imposed by one barack obama. They will have to sign up or face a minimum fine of 95. You have a choice. You can get the insurance or pay the government the money they want. For me, it is kind of like extortion. 2014 will be a make or break year for obamacare and possibly also for the president himself. The first reaction at the polls could come at the midterm elections in november. The first democratic mayor of new york city in more than two decades has been sworn in. Bill de blasio took the oath of office outside his home just a few minutes into the new year. He succeeds billionaire Michael Bloomberg and has promised a liberal agenda. It is not new years day in europe without some hardy people deciding to go for a swim. Be at the atlantic, the north sea, or even the river tiber, many decided conditions were just perfect. Sprint, a splash, and then back again. It is a new years tradition that attracts over the bravest or the most bullish. Foolish, but it is a popular one, as demonstrated by the turnout on this chilly north sea beach in the netherlands. This is my first time and it is just amazing. I will do this more often. Im feeling really great now, but i cant feel my feet. They are completely frozen. The desire to plunge into freezing water at the start of the new year is shared right across europe. In berlin, revelers take to the lakes to wish people a happy new year. Rome, italians dive into the gray waters of the tiber and then some surface with a message. I want to dedicate this dive to the roman people, mothers and fathers who have children without jobs. I dont want to talk about politics, but i want to wish everyone a happy new year. Over to dunkirk, northern france, where the cold temperatures seem to have affected people even before they have gotten to the water. The veterans from this yearly ritual are only too happy to give out advice. You have to start by thinking of your feet and the rest follows. Thats why i have shoes on, because it allows you to go slowly. Soon enough, it is all over and the brave swimmers are free to warm up. By any means possible. For me. Oo cold thats it for now. Stay tuned to france 224. Beyond business. Week, the nsas spying methods continue to anger washingtons allies. Brazilians are furious over allegations that the National Security agency eavesdropping on petrobras, possibly for financial gain. How far is washington willing to go to further its Strategic Interests . Beyond business on france 24 and france24. Com. This week on down to earth, scavengers. Their only source of wealth is waste. We are recycling the garbage we receive. The authorities turn a blind eye to these communities. Here, there would be rubbish rotting everywhere in the city. Wouldnt be happy. When the authorities tried to replace them with modern systems, the western models failed. Way. Have to pave the this week, we are down to earth in egypt. This neighborhood is one of the filthiest places i have ever been. The sour stench of thousands of. Ons of rubbish is suffocating this is home to a community that recycling so adept at waste, it rivals the most modern systems in the world. They take their name from an arabic word for rubbish. They arrived here from upper egypt to work in what is now known as garbage city. This is one of their leaders. What is the core of your work . Recycling. We do isimportant work collecting, transporting garbage, and then sorting and recycling. Recycling plastic, paper, all lots of things are being recycled. A lot of things are being recycled. This is aluminum. We are in the business of recycling. Well they work, they believe work, theyle they believe they are watched over. They are coptic orthodox. They still make up less than 10 of the population. She comes from a family of plastic traders. It is the only type of world she has ever known. Come back from school, i work for an hour or two. This is white plastic, this is hard plastic, this is a flexible plastic, and these are cables. I find this work easy. It is better than school. In wahhat way . Because it is really easy to do this work compared to all the exercises at school, which are difficult. She will quit school at the end of this year. She prefers to work here with her brothers. She also helps her father, who, along with trading plastic, breeds egyptian buffaloes on the ground floor of their home. They eat the rubbish we find outside in the street. This is food waste left over from what people dont eat, like salads, carrots, bread, things like that. We ask if we can see her apartment. She proudly leads us upstairs. House. Is our this is the table and the chairs , where everyone sits. And this is the living room. Inside, we are amazed. The apartment is immaculate. She explains there is a clear distinction between her life in here and her life outside. Downstairs is where we work and where we play, but we live in a tidy environment. Our house is clean. There is nothing dirty here. There are only nice things. Just because we work in the dirt doesnt stop us from living in a clean way. Its an early start. The two treo is on their way to the trio is on their way to nasser city to nasr city. Doortodoore, waste pickup service. This 12yearold starts at the top of the building and slowly makes his way down. Za the zabbaleen will recycle up to 85 of this rubbish, an astonishing figure. Work in richer areas, where they believe they will find highquality waste. Look at this, for example. And these pots. Cardboard thats also useful. We throw out all the organic material. Here, there would be rubbish rotting everywhere in the city. The residents would not be happy. We have to clear this every second that every second day or he would just accumulate or it would just accumulate. In 2003, the Egyptian Government tried to formalize the citys Waste Management by signing contracts with european countries. Tallmodern machines clear rear square and the capital clear Tahrir Square and tehe capital. These Foreign Companies offer Better Health and conditions than those seen with the zabbaleen in garbage city. I think this is crazy. It is a shame. They want to pose you cannot allow such a system. It is completely unsafe. Integrateshould be to them into the system and make them grow and develop a better system. And then, ok, leave them alone to manage, but not now. The western companies have been accused of not doing their job properly. They are not as thorough as the zabbaleen. Everyone seems to agree the european model has failed. Now there are two systems. The people of cairo pay for both. Every time i need to collect my garbage, i have to pay. This is a problem. This is not taxes. In theory, the work of the zabbaleen is it legal. Without it, cairo would be a mess. For now, the authorities look the other way, at least until 2018 when the contracts with the foreigners run out. This government had nothing to do with it. We have to honor the contracts that are already signed, even if we have reservations. In the future, we will employ a egyptian businesses to do this work employ injection businesses to do this work. It is up to us, the egyptians, to clean our own backyard. En are already working hard to win these contracts. The community has, for the first time, formed a union. 8,000 members. 44 companies have registered. Coming out of the shadows and we are trying to be shown to everybody. And thats why a lot of the za bbaleen are afraid of this. It is like adventure. Thats why the youth are leaving. It will take time. We should be formalized. We should be shown by the government. Otherwise, we will lose everything. He is among the youth who will change the face of this community. This is the school where he has been studying since he was nine. Today, he has brought with him a large bag of plastic bottles to use in the recycling program. What is happening here . He is now sorting the bottles which he is delivering to the school. He buys them from his relatives. Sometimes he brings garbage from cairo. For each bottle he brings to the school, he receives double the price he paid. I collect them by the kilogram. I earn three egyptian pounds per kilo. We negotiate. These come from the multinational giant Procter Gamble. Money for the school. The boys are replacing the counterfeiters. The bottles are destroyed in the shredder. Win. S win the bottles are crushed beyond recognition. Last year, Procter Gamble paid the school the equivalent of 17,000 euros. Now the boys can earn based on how much they study. Curriculum includes math, arabic, and computer studies tools that will help these young boys in their destiny as garbage workers. These children are going to work with waste, just like their families, but in a better way, more efficient, more organized. And collaboration with more companies. We are trying to modernize their jobs. They will work with maps. They will know how to read the names of streets. They will know their way around. They study subjects that will make them more professional in their future jobs. Aware of the job ahead of him. His dad works with waste, just like his grandfather. But at school, he wants to keep records so one day he can manage his own finances. Of friends in this school. I convinced them to come here so they can have a Brighter Future like me. Im sure my future is going to be better than my fathers, because i know how to work with the computer. Im learning the best way to work. The future of the zabbaleen will unfold over the next five years. These children of the rubbish people may never work in an office, but they will inject a 01 01 13 01 01 13 [captioning made possible by democracy now ] from pacifica, this is democracy now my name is edward snowden, im 29 years old. In hawaii. What my country is going through as a result of this climate events is madness. The Climate Crisis is madness. In the next week, turn it over, all of i