10/12/2011 BBC Weekend News

Tens of thousands taked to the streets in Russia in the biggest

anti-government protests for 20 years. They want a re-run of last

week's parliamentary elections, claiming they were rigged in favour

of Vladimir Putin's party. biggest protests were in Moscow and

St Petersburg, where there were 100 arrests. David Cameron's decision

to veto a new EU deal is backed by the Chancellor amid claims it could

isolate the UK. Concern that time is running out for an international

Good evening. Tens of thousands of people have taken part

demonstrations across Russia in what are the largest anti-

government protests there since the fall of the Soviet Union. They're

demanding a re-run of last weekend's parliamentary elections,

arguing that polls were rigged in favour of the Prime Minister,

Vladimir Putin. The largest rally is being held in Moscow, from where

Daniel Sandford sent this report. They came from every corner of

Moscow in their tens of thousands to protest on an island over

looking the Kremlin. The usual opposition groups were there, they

were far out numbered by ordinary, middle-class people. Furious at a

government that they believe cheated at last Sunday's election.

I was really shocked about, like, how big the falsification was. I'm

not OK. Among the crowd the opposition deputy, who had actually

won a seat in the controversial election. It doesn't respect the

results of real people power. That is why we are here. Not only we,

tens of thousands of people. It was clear this was going to be a

significant moment in Russian politics. The numbers so large that

it was the biggest anti-government rally in Moscow since the days when

the Soviet Union fell apart. Although this protest was about the

election results, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has ruled

Russia for 12 years, was the focus for much of the anger. Russia

without Putin, they cried. Russia has found a new generation of

protesters. The internet generation. They are young, and well-informed

and they are fedup of corruption and lies. Many of those there had

never been on a demonstration until this week. We just want new

elections. Yeah, they are shouting "new elections" that's all.

protests elsewhere in Russia there were scuffles with police, like

these in St Petersburg. This was not a day about revolution. It was

just a day when some people in Russia stood up and said, stop

treating us like idiots. Let's go live to Daniel now in Moscow.

Russia hasn't seen protests like this for many years. How

significant is all of this? It is a significant moment. For 12 years

many people in Russia have been happy to put politics on the

backburner. They wanted to stabilise their lives, buy new cars,

start to live like other people in Europe. They have also travelled

the world. Seen how other people live in the world. They have become

better connected through the internet, through social networking

sites. They have started to want to have more control again over their

country. That, for many people, is what these elections were bfplt

they felt that they had been cheated. This is, in many ways, a

political reawakening for people in Russia and a political awakening

for a new generation. What does it all mean for Vladimir Putin?

this point he is still OK. He has presidential elections in March.

There is no time for a new candidate to appear. As long as he

handles these protests all right he should be all right. Today there

was a heavy presence of the military and the police, that will

have upset people. Whether these protests grow and grow. If they

grow and grow all the way through to the presidential elections in

March, I think he could be in a bit of trouble. Thank you. Here, the

Chancellor, George Osborne, says David Cameron was right not to

approve a new European Union treaty to deal with the crisis in the

eurozone. He says Britain will continue to have a strong voice in

Europe, and the UK's economic interests have been were texted.

Some have accused the Prime Minister of pandering to

eurosceptics in his own party. Saturday in the City of London is

quiet. It's a far cry from the working week when it's briming with

suits, spilling out onto the streets. David Cameron feared the

plan for a new Europe would have made this a daily scene in its

biggest financial hub. He refused to go their way and sign up to a

deal. It's left some wandering if the UK is facing a future outside

of Europe. We are not exiting the European Union, we are protecting

the European Union as an institution that serves all its 27

members, including Britain. What we've done is made sure that the

things that are relevant to Britain, have to be discussed when Britain

is at the table. It was the City of London, more than any other place,

with its bankers and investors that David Cameron was seeking to

protect when he used his veto. There are serious doubts about what

Britain can do as it stands alone in a club of one to protect this

place from Europe's new rules and regulations. If the rest of the EU

comes up with a new transaction tax, it could be hard for UK firms to

avoid it, unless they avoid all business in all 26 countries. One

veteran Tory with close ties to Downing Street is worried about the

threat of isolation. Britain has done xordly well up until now. We

have to be very clear we don't become the wrong end of the policy

making of the 26 who are now, as we know, an essential part of the

marketplace that the City serves. Just hours after that veto, David

Cameron hosted a private dinner at Chequers, Tory MPs toasted the

Prime Minister's success. Some in his party want more now, maybe a

referendum. The coalition partners think Britain needs to make friends

again. We have to make sure we don't lose friends within Europe.

That we don't sound as if we are happy to be going our own way. To

the Eurosceptics don't think this is the beginning of us pulling out

of Europe. It absolutely isn't. UK stands alone. David Cameron said

it was worth it to protect the national interest. What influence

will he have around the table in the future? Or is it the beginning

of the end for Britain in Europe? In the Philippines 13 people have

been killed after a light plane crashed into a shanty town near the

believed to have been among those killed. The pilot and co-pilot also

died. The plane burst into flames when if hit the ground engulfing a

nearby school, which was empty at the time. Britain's Ben Ainslie,

the three-time Olympic gold medallist has been disquauld from

sailing's World Championships in Perth after a confrontation. He

felt he had been impeded by the wake from a media boat. He swum

over to the vessel and hauled himself on board to remonstrate

with the crew. He apologised for the incident. Climate change talks

are continuing for an extra unshed Kewelled day in South Africa.

There's concern that time may be running out to agree a process for

a new deal on cutting carbon emissions. I'm too exhausted to

tell you how exhausted I am. you optimistic? Hard to tell.

People are talking. It's good. When people stop talking that is the

problem. They are talking about who should cut greenhouse gases and

when. The delegation from China is reluctant to commit. So it

America's chief negotiator. Under press. The European Union and the

poorest countries are pushing for a new treaty as soon as possible. The

haggling is getting complicated. Due to the processes them things

are being dragged down in time so much there is a risk that ministers

will have to leave. That concerns us in the European Union very much.

Harder than usual these talks face several stumbling blocks. Whether

to extend the Kyoto Protocol. Whether to negotiate a new global

treaty that would include those three. They are resisting. If there

is a treaty, when should a mission -- emission cut start? In the past

some promises haven't been kept. For the moment those emissions keep

rising while scientists are saying they should fall to avoid the worst

affects of global warming. South Africa has done its work. This is

work that is now in the parties hands. The bargaining goes on. The

result is uncertain, except for one thing. Climate change is not being

tackled in a hurry. The last total lunar eclipse until 2014 has been

seen across the world, the spectacle, which occurs when the