difference is a guilty one we know that one count of charges has been dropped but so far the verdict is a guilty one those are just news wires we are receiving from our colleagues inside the courthouse there are no details as of yet but we are forced to expecting more to come out of the port of courthouse in the course of the day the verdict that is being read today is of course the verdict in the second trial of mikhail khodorkovsky and despite the fact that it was delayed for a number of days nearly two weeks it won't be finished today it started today but because it comprised it is comprised of three parts all of which are very long it could take a very long time for the actual verdict to be read out in full and for everybody interested in the case to find out exactly what the sentence that mikhail khodorkovsky is facing will be like and we also know that of course in the previous

trial of because of the verdict to two weeks to be read in full so exactly how long this verdict will take is of course uncertain bought one thing is guaranteed the full verdict will only be read after the new year's but according to information we have already received that verdict is a guilty one so now the only thing that is left uncertain is exactly how long the prison sentence will be and whether any more charges will be dropped against the new pope and his hammer colleagues what india could read from the very start of this case is attracted a lot of attention both in russian outside of the country let's not take a look at the report that our colleague has prepared on the background to the new charges. once russia's richest men he's now russia's most prominent prisoner serving and eighty attempts for the biggest tax fraud in the country's history in a second case against him the prosecutors are demanding through prison for. him and

his business partner but only because if baggage dated to their first conviction they are charged with stealing two hundred eighteen of the in terms of oil or twenty seven billion us dollars from a subsidiary company of lucas had a cough supporters say he didn't break any laws. or was not to blame because he had a whole team of very experienced lawyers who are used to tell him that. everything he did was within the law it was the blame or the laws that had the those loopholes and them the former tycoon rose to great wealth thanks to one of the world's largest non-state oil companies ucas the company grew from the state selloff in the one nine hundred ninety s. when government assets were being hived off in often shady circumstances it became soon russia's fastest growing oil producer political task ucas had searched for themselves who wasn't connected to the country's economy or the nation's robe that

wasn't part of their charter for the company to work or russia's benefit song would bring others who started using state property for a long good. but the path to success had a dark side too of political associates well a defendant guilty of a number of murders the most high profile death being that of the mayor of new fifty two guns and oil town in the year olds in one nine hundred ninety eight he had insisted that you could pay a local taxes in food and was killed so it's a good article the thief's place is in prison which khodorkovsky is accused of stealing tax evasion and fraud and it's not about some trifling amount with the new charges he faces it's about stealing hundreds of billions and i'm not just talking about him his company security chief is in prison for murder they didn't like the mayor of nifty hugo sk so they killed him then there was another woman in moscow he refused to sell her little store to them. and they killed up then they didn't like

the goodman they hired and he's killed as well but there has always insisted he's innocent of the fraud charges which put him behind bars ever since his arrest in two thousand and three ignoring his past many in the worst believe it's a political case and her that of course is a victim who's suffering for funding opposition parties and pursuing his own energy policies the russian authorities say you is purely a victim to the economic crimes of its management if the prosecution has its way because of that of course he will not be free of guilt twenty seventeen but if he's found not guilty he would walk free in this than a year dairy pushed over r.t. moscow. was ok as you can see we continue to. keep our eyes on this case and monitor the situation there the latest that we are getting through the wires now is that the court is still in progress and delivering

its verdict and what we just heard is that he has been a goatee for stealing you because those oil will be getting more on this case as we get more information through the wires and from our correspondent who is following the case for us throughout the day. let's now take a look at some other stories that we're following for here in r.t. this hour and for millions of americans christmas joy is a little hard to come by this week that's because behind a turkey and so is a struggle to land a job as lauren lists reports even though welfare has been extended the clock's ticking. in the u.s. to use the season for holiday cheer charity and this year for some of millions of jobless americans despair now why did i work all of those christmases why did i give up that time with my family if now i have nothing and all of the work that

i've done in my life for no reason for teresa this used to be her busy season at work but she was laid off from her job in the gas and heating business more than two years ago and has been unable to find any steady work since i look for work every single day i feel like applications u.s. lawmakers reached a deal this month to extend unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed americans if we're all going to have the best holidays we can but lost in that story are millions of jobless americans like teresa who don't even qualify for this help any more benefits expire ninety nine weeks but a job doesn't magically appear by their own accounts and activists buying on their behalf these americans no longer count in this economy left out in the cold and out of the statistical surveys when for many for example their phones are cut off they are not counted and no one can say that they are but they're struggling arguably the most to get by merry christmas you're fired their people like sixty one year

old gabrielle a laid off veterinary nurse like a record one in seven americans to eat she now relies on a government program that helps pay for food known as food stamps meanwhile no work is on the horizon it's very hard i mean. the truth of matters are really nothing out there despite the tough financial situation so many are facing these will be happy holidays first of all st thanks for what the lavish christmas decor is just the tip of the iceberg big banks like this one are expected to post their second highest near profitability ever recorded second only to last year and still. the average beggar bonus may come out higher that means the average year end bonus would exceed last year's of more than one hundred twenty four thousand dollars a person but if banks earn this money what's so wrong with that many of the banks that are doing well are only doing well because the public bailed them out so we're seeing is a transfer of wealth from in

a way the needy to the greedy is unemployment soars last quarter american companies posted their largest corporate profits ever recorded in u.s. history and while the rich may be taking those earnings to the glitz of new york's fifth avenue for holiday shopping in the shadows or those struggling to see a little light at the end of the tunnel we've been cut off and we've been practically ignored by almost everyone that's out here the people in our government and the people you know we're in the media they're looking for any hope despite a system they see is sympathetic to business and banks but stacked against them we're really living in a society where we don't count this is really marie antoinette. at the balls while the french people starved and that's not different and they're fighting in that society to have holidays that count as anything resembling happy there's a sense of joy that's supposed to be here and it's not here lauren lyster r.t.

new york characters. are just to remind our viewers on the top story that we're following today it's somehow holocaust the story and the courts in progress so far we've heard that he's found guilty on the new charges we can talk to because he knows our who's outside the courtroom as we know what have we heard so far. we're standing outside the house where mikhail maybe do is hearing his verdict being read as we speak so far despite the fact that the verdict is still being read by the judge we already know that the judge has found the bail for that . guilty of stealing billions of dollars worth of u.s. oil we also know that some of the charges have been dropped because according to the judge. and the statute of limitations on them have run out and so some of the charges that prosecutors have put forward against because look at that and his

former colleagues at the navy did those charges had been dropped a lot on the charge of the after billions of dollars worth of oil they have been found guilty now the verdict is still being read prosecutors of course saying that they have more than enough evidence to convince the judge a court of political skilled it does seem to be the case as the verdict that is being read right now is a guilty one of course burdick will pay a lot of it in for exactly how many years a more radical he will receive a present is yet on certain and that perhaps will only be. sorry about the technical problem there that was our correspondent bring us the very latest from the courtroom basically if you just joined us so i remind you that the court is in progress now on the ski case and the information that we've heard

so far is that he was found guilty on the new charges but the court is still in progress and we'll be hearing more from our correspondent and of course through the wires will be keeping you updated on this case in the meantime we'll turn to some of the stories that we are following for here on our. ann powers return to one of moscow's main airports following a twelve hour blackout over one hundred flights to and from damage yetto were cancelled while some were diverted after freezing rain ruptured tricity cables some sixty flights were also canceled and dozens delayed at moscow's airport as the runways froze over. flights are getting back and schedule but there are still manny delays over four hundred thousand people in the moscow region were also left without a trace of hours some five hundred villages are still without power over temperatures or just below freezing it's unusually warm for this time of year it's because of rain freezing contact with power lines bringing them down drivers are having

a tough time to ask sheet ice on the roads has made it difficult for salt to be spread to make them safer leading to more accidents and traffic jams. the better a lot rivalry between israel and lebanon has taken a twist with competing theme parks each as showcasing their side of the propaganda battle hoping to win over a tourist to get their message across but as policy leader explains some are questioning their morality of displaying the spoils of war it might not be quite the real thing but it should brings one up close and personal dozens of tourists flocking to hizbollah strongholds deep inside lebanon. we decided to create and develop jihad tourism in order to thwart attempts to distort and falsify history. dubbed pallywood hizbullah land or hamas would these theme parks off with all of their own their appeal the danger here is all too real. we try to tell our

visitors about real events that took place in this region many stories are about those who gave their lives for their brothers. and in the space of sixty thousand square meters all the trophies collected by hizbollah fighters are displayed captured is raided weapons and tanks alongside katyusha rockets and grad missile launchers. it's given us a chance to see firsthand how wars are fought. but what is jihad to tourism for one tourist is nothing short of terror tourism for another here and now under other sides a bunch of criminals they don't they don't they did tell the world they want nothing of the one of the neighbors. and so the battle to win the hearts and minds and pockets of visitors is on the mop up operation after the real war in the arena of pop culture and entertainment taking people to those places is a very powerful event for those people to shape their mind and to convince them

wasn't we convinced about this group of tourists visiting the jewish state through a specially designed package titled the ultimate mission to israel in the course of one week we brought them to meet with. better officials who sound intelligent drove them to the defense ministry to the border in so be eleven hours they live in is their forward positions and the highlights include a visit to an israeli unit that carries are targeted killings a tour of the lebanese frontline and listening in on army trials of hamas suspects i'm looking forward to seeing the color and getting a better picture of the franking we actually see. one of the generals books as long as it's based on fact propaganda is not based on deception and force on a jason and a presentation it is more than ok when the problem is done tours hit home with

photographs and memories but far from the usual snapshots these ideological holiday makers have a different experience to share point three our team television. the massive flow of narcotics out of gas stands a major world headache and efforts by america's drug enforcement administration have made little impact this year artie's military contributor sounds that's because the agency's got bigger political ambitions. the outgoing year could have been and should have been the. ganesh day but instead according to the latest we can leaks batch regarding the drug enforcement administration activity all across the globe. turned out to be not a hay day old da in afghanistan but instead it turned into the may day for d e a indeed since two thousand and six when driven by political motivations d.

a heavy assumed in numerous paul workers and expanded its thirty from drug enforcement to counter terrorism activity it's hard to say who motivated obviously the hidden agenda for d a expanded authority from drugs to terrorism was mostly driven by internal turf battle and ego traipse off its leadership to assume more political clout and paul worried at the white house having failed on counter-narcotics especially since the whole counter-narcotics the fans if in afghanistan have been totally occur tail and put on the back burner scenes to reach and holbrooke totally hijacked they counter-narcotics policy in afghanistan as a result the drug enforcement administration has turned itself into their voyeuristic out feet eavesdropping and watching on everybody everywhere and doing absolutely nothing when it comes to reid's true core mission fighting the drugs no

accusing the war on drugs have the political undercover operating as they see a front company. that was going to crucial day and now we are in line for you around the clock for more news and analysis and let's not take a look at what's on line right now. why the u.s. isn't saying no to naziism as u.n. members support a russian resolution to clamp down and far right ideology washington votes the other way also. marking a date for doomsday the russian man who was preparing for the ancient prediction that apocalypse is coming in two thousand and twelve and refuses to boiled by armageddon. and also take a look at some other stories that we're following for you here on our t.v. this hour i briscoe's opposition leader is calling for a nationwide general strike until the incumbent president steps down wrong babo

refuses to leave office despite international calls while west african leaders say they will remove him by force if he fails to go baba warns that any attempt to oust him could throw the country back into civil war the u.n. says over one hundred seventy people have been killed while fourteen thousand have fled the violence following last month's disputed elections. so dear weather conditions are causing massive destruction across the eastern coast of the u.s. thousands of travelers are stranded as snow forces hundreds of flights to be canceled a state of emergency has been declared in maryland north carolina and virginia forecasters say the wintry weather is moving north with more snow and freezing temperatures expected. well right now we can turn to our correspondent was following our breaking news story this hour and

that's moscow court that's found former tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky guilty of stealing oil it's among the verdicts being delivered during his second trial the former head of the oil giant ucas is already in prison for to. oxidation and laundering let's see if we can get more on this case from our correspondent had to recuse outside the courtroom because i mean to tell us what's been happening. as far as we know marina the verdict is still being read it is of course a very long verdict that will take a lot of time to be delivered you know we can expect the final words of this verdict to be delivered only after new year's of course in the first trial of new tales about guilty that verdict took two weeks to be read what we already know that the court has said that it would believe that the evidence presented by the prosecution to be consistent and convincing enough for the court to find details of that his former colleague about the lives of guilty of stealing billions of dollars

of oil we also know that one of the charges that the prosecution also presented against because of that and let them live as if that of stealing the shares of an oil company that charge has been dropped due to the fact that the statute of limitations has expired on that particular charge but as far as the main conviction goes the main charge of that of stealing billions of dollars worth of oil that the court believed to have been proven and has tell me about the guilty of that charge of course prosecutors asked for originally for fourteen years in prison for me and his colleague left on a video of what that prison time would start from. one to help with that was originally put behind bars so from two thousand and three that would mean that if the court does give. the fourteen years that the prosecution or originally asked for he will be released in two thousand and seventeen of course the exact number of

years that that will skew will spend in prison is still on certain as the verdict has just begun being read today and will continue for a number of days we know that it will only be finished after the new year. there's but the fact that he has been found guilty is significant enough there are hundreds of people outside the courthouse standing there with banners shouting slogans freedom without a post you know that they're still they're still standing outside the courthouse they're also over one hundred journalists both russian and international media because the case of course is a very controversial one that has been a widely followed in the international press and many of course claiming that it is a politicized case when the prosecutors in russia insisting that everything has been done according to the law and that all the evidence that has been presented to the court is substantial enough and has been dealt with according to procedure the course of the port of course seemingly agreeing with that as it has already

delivered a guilty verdict targeting things for bringing us of the very latest from of a core they are going to realize are there and just remind our viewers of course it is being deliberate ad the moment and of course throughout the day will be hearing more developments and cause we know will update us on what's happening there so far me hotter cos he has been found guilty of the new charges well we'll bring you more on this story throughout the day in the meantime we'll take a look what's happening in the world of business with you here. that's right time to delve into the world of business the ruble has hit a turn

a half month high of last december and continue to grow analysts predict further strengthening off the currency as oil prices remain high but market watchers confident in the quiet will stock exchanges but in a court of reports. the russian ruble strengthened two point eight percent against the us dollar and nine point four percent against the euro between january end of and the twenty ten december has drugget more games rising oil prices and returning confidence in russia after the crisis are fueling the rally of the forecast for the ruble remains flat even though it's hard to make predictions i believe the ruble will strengthen in twenty eleven and remain stable the central bank of russia says it may relax controls on the ruble further next year i said aims to make the currency free floating. this is key in realize the the government's ambition to promote it is an international reserve currency the importance of the ruble has also recently been giving

a boost by the start of trading against the chinese yuan on the my six given all those factors you just love use of oil if the chief economist from deutsche bank thinks the ruble has chances to strengthen in two thousand and eleven do not foresee a complete. free float for the bull in the next several years i think given the dependency on oil prices given the volatility that we see in the markets the central bank is likely to be cautious although i have to say that the flexibility of the will of the volatility honorables movements will certainly increase in the coming years but when it gets down to it the ruble is still haven't he depended on commodity prices to diversify the economy and slow in bearing fruit that so many and. expect commodity price inflation in twenty eleven critically ask us a story just print more dollars and that bodes well for the ruble. business r.t.

. let's check on the stock markets the nikkei is trading in the black held by positive news from china which hiked interest rates to curb inflation in tokyo elpida memory jumped four percent on reports that the company will enter talks with taiwanese forums with an eye to forming capital tie ups can and will stop around one percent off of the company said it plans to raise its full year dividend based on its burning up close and expected capital demand for investment banks saying it's closed for a public holiday. and here in moscow the markets the dollar as investors will waiting cautiously for the verdict in the trial of jailed tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky read out by him of course the shouting a quarter of a cent then my six almost top of the cent lower most of the blue chips are trading in the red was losing three quarters of a percent on the arch yes. and i'll be back with more news in less than an hour's time.

culture is that so much good news really made a lot of people there isn't a burger its consumption. western lifestyles are being adopted globally but would be adding to the global recession all those who were once rich.

sons from phones to christians. who threw stones on t.v. don't come. wealthy british style. markets why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy with much stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cons a report. download the official tea up location on the phone on

pod touch from the top story. life on the go. video on demand teasing blindfold costs and feeds now in the palm of your. question on the dot com. welcome back here with an artsy and our breaking news this hour former tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky has been found guilty of stealing billions of dollars worth of oil that's among the verdicts being delivered during his second trial the former head of the oil. already serving a jail sentence for tax evasion and money laundering and you're now looking at the latest pictures from the courtroom. and up next here in our t.

peter lavelle's cross-talk looks at how recession is forcing the kings of consumerism to cut their cloth. and if. you want to. follow it well the crosstalk i'm peter lavelle one of the defining characteristics of modern life is mass consumption western lifestyles are being adopted globally but with the advent of the global recession all those who were once rich now have to live more modestly.