yes and discover latest how do we know so what have we heard so far. so far marina we know that the verdict is still in the process of being read it is of course a very lengthy verdict and therefore a very lengthy process but we do know that the court has considered all the evidence put forward by the prosecution substantial enough to deliver a guilty verdict. has been found guilty of stealing over twenty billion of billions of dollars worth of oil and. we know that also some of the charges that the prosecution originally put forward have been dropped those include specifically the theft of a number of shares of various us. sister companies of your boss and daughter companies of the former oil giant if you close those charges were dropped because the statute of limitations had run out on those charges but the main charge that of stealing billions of dollars worth of oil is that according to the judge that is

reading the verdict as we speak has been proven by the prosecution and the evidence they have presented we already know that the lawyers of mikhail fanatical ski and his former you just call the club the navy ship is planning to appeal that verdict they have already confirmed that to the press that they will because it will appeal the verdict they've also said that they are prepared to take this outside the country to the european court if necessary to appeal the verdict which they and a number of other people believe to be have believed politicized of course prosecutors maintain that the in the case and the verdict itself has been done by the book that all the evidence that was presented was done in accordance with perceived every perceived role of process has been followed and therefore no politics were entered entered the fray when it came to the case of mikhail's that his lawyers of course refusing. the man himself in the courthouse looked very call

the judge allowed everybody to hear the verdict sitting down applaud the lives of a former colleague began reading a book. game cell started flipping through some papers they exchanged smiles occasionally none of them. neither of them actually looked at the judge a log during the process of the reading we know that the press was asked to leave the poor group almost immediately after the reading began all the t.v. journalists were asked to leave only the. the news agencies were allowed to remain and still do in the courtroom and of course the verdict itself is going to take a long time to be announced because it is a very lengthy verdict comprised of three parts in the previous pure trial of the. verdict took two weeks to be read so while the prosecution had originally asked fourteen years for because of that both he and his former colleagues walked on

a bit if we don't yet know how many years they will actually serve because that will only be revealed in the final part of the verdict the course of because some of the charges have been dropped a number of years may be reduced prosecution of course originally asking for fourteen years that starting with two thousand and three when the trial the original trial actually began so if the prosecution is granted their wish and the court does give them that. they're fourteen years behind bars they will be released in two thousand and seventeen. will certainly go to ring and we'll be hearing more on the various as you mentioned earlier let's now take a look at what our colleague has prepared for us on the background of the new charges. once russia's richest men he's now russia's most prominent prison after serving an atheist ten for the biggest tax fraud in the kind. he's history in

a second case against him the prosecutors are demanding fourteen years in prison for him and his business partner but only because of that he dated to their first conviction for that of course he supposes say he didn't break any laws khodorkovsky 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 of the laws that had 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 you could search for themselves who wasn't connected to the country's economy or the nations world that wasn't part of their charter for the company to work or russia's benefit along with

bringing others who started using state property for their own good. but the fast to success had a dark side to a 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 a local taxes in full and was killed. the thieves place is in prison holocaust 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 her then they didn't like the hitmen they hired. and he's killed as

well for their cause steve 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 west believe it's a political case and her of course is a victim who suffering for funding opposition parties and pursuing his own energy policies the russian authorities say you can is purely a victim to the economic crimes of its management if the prosecution has its way because of course you will not be free on till twenty seventeen darry bush r.t. moscow. well as soon as we know the verb is being still is still being read there and so far cos he has been found guilty what's next. already this is a very good question because of course despite the fact that the verdict is being read right now we don't yet know when the verdict will finish will be finished being read because of course in the previous trial of the pills the verdict took

two weeks to be fully read it's comprised of three parts and the last part of course the part which now is most interesting to everybody involved in the case the part that actually specifies exactly how many years will be filed that he spend behind bars that is in the very last part so we may not know exactly what prison time alphabetical city faces again after the new year that perhaps is when the verdict will be completed when the judge will finally announce exactly what prison time the court is getting to. and his colleague the lives of many of course are hoping that the verdict will be shorter than in the previous trial and therefore take less time to be fully read but of course that is still uncertain as the verdict is being read as we speak it this is only the first day we don't yet know we sack you when not sentenced will be pleaded when the reading will be completed

but we are of course monitoring the information here outside the courthouse and we'll keep you updated. absolutely convinced of our thanks very much indeed for bringing us all the very latest from the courtroom there. allison turn to the other stories that we're following for you here on our team this hour for millions of americans christmas joy is a little hard to come by this week and that's because behind the turkey and tinsel is a struggle to land a job as lauren lyster reports even though welfare has been extended the clocks ticking. in the u.s. to 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 the 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 theresa 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 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 at 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 do. spite the tough financial situation so many are facing these will be happy holidays first of all st thanks for one 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 reported 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 a 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. empowers return to one of moscow's main airports following

a twelve hour blackout over one hundred flights to and from damage the airport were cancelled while some word diverted after freezing rain ruptured electricity cables some sixty flights world. cancelled and dozens delayed at moscow's sheremetyevo airport as a runways froze over flights are getting back on schedule but they're still manage to lace over four hundred thousand people in moscow region were also left without electricity for hours some five hundred villages are still without power over temperatures are just below freezing it's unusual warm for this time of year because the rains please contact with powerlines bring them down and 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 waiting for more accidents and traffic jams. while the bitter rivalry between israel and lebanon has taken a twist with competing theme parks each has showcasing their side of the propaganda battle hoping to win over tourists to get their message across as paul's lir

explains some are questioning the morality of this playing the spoils of war. it might not be quite the real thing but it sure 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 and all hamas would these theme parks off with all of their own their appeal the danger here is all too real. we tried 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 first hand how wars are fought. but what is jihad to tourism for

one tourist is nothing short of terror tourism for another here and now on the other side the bunch of cars. they don't they don't they did tell the world they want to go there one of them over. 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 the boat this group of tourists is visiting the jewish state through a specially designed package titled the ultimate mission to israel in the course of one week we broke them to meet with. officials who sell an intelligence drove them to the defense ministry to the border in the 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. and getting a better picture of the fighting. actually this is. one of the journals books as long as it's based on fact propaganda is not based on deception and jason and it's false presentation it is more than ok when the problem is done terms 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 tell of it. all we are online around the clock for more news and analysis we like that's let's now take a look at what's on my right now right here on why the u.s. isn't saying no to nazis and as you remember a supporter of russian resolution to clamp down far right ideology washington votes

yet away. also marking a date for doomsday the russian man who is preparing for the ancient for diction apocalypse is coming. well and with us this fall by armageddon. the massive flow of narcotics out of afghanistan is a major world headache and efforts by america's drug enforcement administration have made little impact this year artie's military contributor says that's because the agency's got bigger political ambitions the outgoing year could have been and should have been the a year in afghanistan but instead according to the latest we kill leaks batch regarding the drug enforcement administration activity all across the globe. turned out to be not a hay day. in the afghanistan but instead it turned into the may day for a indeed since two thousand and six when driven by political motivations the eight

head of the soon enormous paul workers band expanded its thirty from drug enforcement to counterterrorism activity it's hard to say who motivated obviously the hidden agenda for d a to expanded authority from drugs to terrorism was mostly driven by internal turf battle and ego trip of its leadership to assume more political clout and power of the white house having failed on counter-narcotics especially since the whole counter-narcotics the fanciful in afghanistan have been totally occur tail and put on the back burner since richard holbrooke totally hijacked the counter-narcotics policy in afghanistan as a result the drug enforcement administration has turned itself into their voyeuristic out feet eavesdropping and watching everybody everywhere and doing

absolutely nothing when it comes to reid's true core mission fighting the drugs no accusing the war on drugs. if the police do go undercover operating as a company now you want to know if you live from moscow let's take a look at some other stories from around the world and i worry coast opposition leader is calling for a nationwide general strike until the incumbent president steps down laurent gbagbo refuses to leave office despite international calls while west african leaders say they will remove him by force if you fail to go 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 fled the violence following last month's disputed elections. severe weather conditions are causing massive disruption across the eastern coast of the u.s. thousands of travelers are stranded as the snow is forcing over

a thousand flights to be cancelled 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. a tourist bus has collided with a truck near the southern egyptian city of aswan killing eight americans and injuring over two dozen other people. carrying thirty seven passengers traveling in a convoy to the ancient egyptian abu simbel temples the bus then hit the truck which was broken down on the side of the desert road. cars maybe skidding and sliding their way through the wintry snout but there's one russian mode of transport that's galloping ahead and once again the traditional troika has fans young and old even as ours in soviet leaders have been they get meyer's through the centuries and here is how horse power is making a comeback. it's not very often that the type of horse carriage becomes the symbol

of an entire nation and yet that's exactly what's happened with the troika a true symbol of russia come join me for a ride in what is possibly the world's most exciting full of transport. probably the reason the troika is so famous it's because it looks like it shouldn't work but it does troika me three in russian so this carriage consists of three horses reversed amazing thing about them as they using different stats at the same time the whole of the middle is trotting with ones around that are galloping a troy can develop things of up to fifty kilometers to people right here who are controlling how destroyed operates and even they're struggling with it sometimes it's a skill that has to be trained for years and years and years old. and my father used to ride the troika and he taught me what to do after serving in the country's main cavalry regiment i was sent to the communist party's leaders dutcher i've had all

the party officials in the back of my carriage british native who have to go fast but now there's no one to take the reins from me. if you think about russia how it's different to say western europe the distances are longer the climate is harsher so what we needed was some horses that could travel long distances without losing does stamina going at high speeds and that's exactly how the troika developed first it was used for the postal service maybe sometimes the fire services after a while it became almost a symbol of decadence and luxury the troika stopped just being associated with the irish stock recy but became a sort of symbol for the country itself or russia wild untamed going somewhere really fast but where and why when the soviets came to power in nine hundred seventeen they rejected a lot of the symbols of old russia but the troika was one of the symbols that actually kept for a while during the time of the soviet union it was given to foreign dignitaries much like you know

a pound as given by the chinese government now as the soviet union was collapsing the tradition of the troika's began to decline but quite soon they made a big comeback as a sort of status symbol for the note of a reach. well i could sit here all day talking about the history and writing troikas but really you haven't experienced that until you read the troika also eager of all to see. and a reminder of our breaking news this hour a former oil tycoon me hotter kosky has been found guilty of stealing oil and laundering the proceeds the verdicts were announced following his second trial the former head of the giants of the oil giant hugh coast is already in prison for tax evasion and fraud i mean a lot of cost his lawyers are saying you're going to appeal the court's decision the judge is yet to give sentencing details but the conviction could see how often you remain in jail until twenty seven to course keep you updated on the belgians as

we do here on our team. right now though let's take a look what's happening in business with you we're going. that's right time to get the latest from the world of business through a bill has hit a two point five month high last december and continue to grow analysts predict further strengthening of the currency as well prices remain high with market watchers confident and the global stock exchanges but in a caution reports. the russian ruble strengthened two point eight percent against the us dollar and nine point four percent against the euro between january and the vendor twenty turn 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 in 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 this practice you just lifeless of all it chief economist from deutsche bank thinks the ruble has chances to strengthen in two thousand and eleven and not foresee a complete. free float for the full 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 bull the volatility of rubles movements will certainly increase in the coming year but when it gets down to it the ruble is still have really depended on

commodity prices afterwards to diversify the economy and slow in burien for. that sent many analysts expect commodity price inflation in twenty eleven particularly as u.s. authorities screened more dollars and the dude's well for the ruble. business r.t. . let's check on the stock markets and in asia the nikkei is trading in the black on monday in tokyo allocated memory jumped four percent on the ports that the company will enter talks with the taiwanese forums with an eye to foreign capital tie ups can and will stop growing one percent off of the company said it plans to raise its four year divident based on its earning outlook and expected capital demand for investments that saying this close a public holiday. and in europe the german dax is trading in the right motion of sand banks are among the biggest losers for shedding almost five percent as well as

among financials the bank is losing around two percent the group c. is closed for a public holiday. and here in moscow the markets of dollars as investors were cautiously waiting for the verdict in the trial of jailed tycoon mckillop about of course he read out by animal school court yard yes a shouting point four percent my six is more than hundred percent lower most of the blue chips are trading in the red with burbank losing three quarters of a percent on the arch yes. well business news in an hour's time.

the club some team has been to the region where industries are rapidly developing. now wattie goes to the homeland of those with strength of mind and body. to the land developed by cossacks in ancient times and which became a premier destination for nineteenth century political exiles. this is the armscye russia play some on oxy. we'll. bring you the latest in science and technology from the in.

the future and covered. welcome back you're watching our team live from moscow and our breaking news this hour former tycoon hotter coffee has been found guilty of stealing billions of dollars worth of oil and laundering the proceeds of verdi's following his second trial former head of the oil giant ucas is already serving a jail sentence for tax evasion and fraud and bring you developments from the courtroom in moscow here on our team. and up next british political grandy tony

bennett tells us why he's backing the turbulent student protests even though they've been turning violent. today i'm talking to the right honorable tony benn one of britain's foremost socialist and the president of the stop the war coalition tony benn thank you so much for talking to r.t. now you're a big believer in democracy as the means to pos power from what you call the wallets to the ballots what do you think is the state of democracy in the world today very imperfect i mean if you look at the world people are beginning to see the world as a single unit i mean my granddaughter's school in london with seventy six nationalities ways to go to school right addressing the general assembly of the united nations and i think that the younger generation see the world now as just.