down on the racially motivated crime scene just. criminals from a goddess of their nationality some promises from the crown land. and the spoils of war on show israel and lebanon compete for tourists attention with thinking pox aimed at selling their side of the story. this is r.t. it's ten pm monday died here in moscow by name is kevin owen and our top story tonight former tyco. has been found guilty of stealing billions of dollars worth of oil by a moscow court hearing is now over but the reading of the verdict still isn't complete and could take several more days country is the latest from outside the court. so far we know that because of that he and his former colleague bill neighbors of

russia's once biggest oil giant company you cos have been found guilty of stealing up to twenty over twenty billion dollars worth of oil and embezzling the funds that of course is that the latest verdict in the second trial of the filter that builds keep him and his colleague apparently already serving time for a first conviction delivered in two thousand and five this of course is something that the prosecution seems very happy with they originally asked for fourteen years for meals a day and his former colleague the defense attorneys are of course saying that the trial has been politicized the evidence not substantiated and in fact the case itself has is somewhat ironic because according to their argument the trial so that is accused of stealing the very oil that he was found guilty of not paying taxes for in his first conviction so these are the arguments that they're using and that say they will continue using in their appeal they've already confirmed to the

journalists that they will appeal this guilty verdict and if it doesn't happen within russia itself they are prepared to take matters outside the country and go to the european court for their appeal now prosecutors of course maintain that everything was done by the book that every piece of evidence was submitted in accordance with procedure and that they are of course not prepared to comment on the verdict any further until it has been read out in full that of course can take days because there are fourteen files in the verdict itself each file comprises of the nearly three hundred pages and today the judge managed to read around a hundred so. if the math is pretty simple it will take days before the verdict is read in full and the most interesting part right now of course the exact amount of jail time that mikhail khodorkovsky employed the neighbors if the. well served will be delivered right at the very end my colleague that it was over what little closer

at the man for his life and his work. once russia's richest men he's now russia's most prominent prisoner coming to the end of it eighty a sentence for the biggest tax fraud in the country's history he and his partner. were charged with stealing two hundred and eighteen million tonnes of oil worth twenty seven billion u.s. dollars from a subsidiary company of ucas the verdict has been announced guilty khodorkovsky supporters say he didn't break any laws khodorkovsky was not to blame because he had a whole team of very experienced lawyers who used to tell him got. everything he did was within the law it was the blame or the laws that have dissolved 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 a state selloff in the one nine hundred ninety s.

when government assets would be hived off in often chidi circumstances it soon became russia's fastest growing oil producer but the path to success had a dark side to offer that associates were later found guilty of a number of murders. the thieves place is in prison of course he's accused of stealing tax evasion and fraud with the new charges he faces it's about stealing hundreds of billions his company security chief is in prison for murder. 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 west believe that he was singled out for prosecution and one of the billionaire businessmen because of his political ambitions the russian authorities say is pure live victim to the economic crimes of its manager. and i think there is a strong upper edge on the part of many in the media in the russian liberal media

and differently in the west to to politicize it as much as possible there is no question that. carter koskie and the rest of the crowd who participated initiated and was very active in the criminal privatisation of the ninety's are guilty of the crimes they're accused of so in that sense i think very few people would fatha khodorkovsky is persecuted for nothing yes there is a very strong case i thing against him he is dividing i think that most of russia would probably smell a recollecting if you're all those people i call that of course and that's why i don't think that i'm on russian broad public unlike liberals for home crowd of course he really is and i can he can find compression prosecutors have asked this that he was forty seven at least six years and this current sentence.

is it's going to last several days and the sentencing has yet to come down party ask him. next tonight moscow's airport struggling to get back to normal after a blackout because the cancellation of over one hundred flights this weekend thousands of travelers remain stranded because of the disruption with witness reports that there was an attempt to break through passport control out of frustration. first at the capital's main international airport with more. the second day of travel starts the people traveling to or from. you can see the huge number of people that are still around trying to get their flights incredibly chaotic situation still is of course off of the trouble that we saw yesterday when the entire port had a power cut because of the substations the power cables. that obviously take down the checkin hundreds of flights were canceled hundreds and

hundreds more passengers left stranded flight was supposed to be yesterday and we still don't know if we're flying today. yes we have been me and my mother. actually we stayed at a local hotel it was really nice and comfortable and we're back here today to see if we can get on a flight you know. with power around nine pm yesterday and then they managed to stop processing some of the flight domestic and international starts running at about midnight little bit it has caused a huge amount of trouble and we know a lot of the flights. to share a. feeling we share much of the space person say that they've really been trying to do with the weather conditions and they've had some. pull they go to the moment of the day to really trying to clear the streets backlog that they have up to the problems yesterday get the flight and get people

where they want to go. all measures to normalize the situation the atmosphere in the airport is calm and no incidents involving passengers have been registered trying to get back on schedule within a day you can see the traffic coming into. poor still experiencing some slight delays especially nothing like we saw yesterday that completely understand so you have people getting out there calls a walking with the luggage to just try and make it to the airport. but of course the weather conditions still having in effect all the rain that we think come down over the past few days has worries or not and essentially turned everywhere and so like an ice rink it's been pretty treacherous to get around another of the fact that we've seen the trees freezing up and snapping we've already had a number of incidents of people have been injured with a stalling tree and of course pretty dangerous when they're by the right you can see how low some of these we see in the work is today around the airport actually

trying to clear away this debris to avoid any further delays of course the airport as he said now working really very hard to clear this backlog i get the running the full capacity so to first report in there will despite said what we see at that airport it is the season to be jolly although not for everybody. the pockets of some americans june july the way we didn't get a job for christmas have little or nothing to celebrate as beautiful just ahead in the program tonight. first the russian president's surprise his kremlin colleagues you're in a meeting on monday dmitri medvedev began a session of the state council of modernization commission by addressing the recent racial violence in the country he's a country groucho has got the details. the president today. as in a phobia and tensions are threatening the country's stability and here he was addressing local governors and said that they should work more closely with acne

groups to prevent the kind of mass clashes mass riots that happened in moscow and inside because barrack on december eleventh over a bottle thousand people clashed with police in these two cities in moscow it was just outside the kremlin they were chanting russia for russians and beat ethnic minority groups represented just mostly from the north caucasus those mass riots followed the killing of an ethnic russian the sparta football fan representatives and three of the four suspects who were released shortly after that of course it urged drew to fire a football fans in moscow it also drew the are a ball the president and the prime minister these quick release after such a short detention and they carried out their own investigation whether those policemen were somehow under pressure to do that of course that all raise concerns about a rising tide of xenophobia in the country and also the government's bungled reaction

to that today the president urged police to act more fiercely to act more harshly to disperse rioters next time but overcommitment more of them i'm. tempted inciting racial he should in provoking violence should be stamped out with extreme prejudice forget about loyalties criminals don't have a nationality they must be isolated and punished regardless of their ethnic and social background from the prime minister putin who was also present at this meeting admitted that as needed balance that was formed in russia through saying truce is now changing and these changes are rather painful and prime minister putin urged young football fans not to try to settle scores after the games by breaking the law and he also urged them to. stay away from the radicals and extremists are actually nothing to do with the game it's no surprise that the country's leaders beat their alarm the country just recently won the bid to host the twenty eighteen

football world cup and of course it's unacceptable for a country which is preparing to host such a pristine savan that's similar attacks and similar conflicts clashes between football fans and police take place. deeply entrenched on opposite sides of a fragile peace barricade israel and lebanon are fighting a propaganda battle having won the hearts and minds of their own peoples the two rivals of now set their sights on tourist resorts his policy affirmed that some of the attractions are more than authentic 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 his by the land or hamas would these theme parks offer or throw all of their own there

were people the danger here is all too real. we try to tell our visitors about the 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 israeli weapons and tanks alongside katyusha rockets and grad missile launchers. it's given us a chance to see first hands her 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 them over 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 intelligence brought them to the defense ministry to the border in some of the year 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 him as suspects i'm looking forward to seeing the and getting a better picture of the franking you can actually see. one of your books as long as it's based on fact propaganda is not based on deception and force allegation and it's false presentation it is more than ok and so the battle to win the hearts and minds and pockets of visitors 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 when the problem 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 television. today two fifteen pm here in moscow and the head sending best wishes for. your part the us fellows daddy i love you so much you would be best dad in the world have a happy new year over to joins in the holidays. being sent hundreds of kilometers above the ground. so world news in brief first two suicide bombers have killed at least fourteen people in central iraq the attacks with the second this month targeting a government compound in ramadi one bomber blew up a car and minutes later another detonated an explosive vest as people gathered at the scene at least four of those killed were police officers forty seven other people were wounded. nine are in course in britain charged with conspiracy in

terrorism offenses it's alleged they were planning a large scale attack aimed at landmarks banks and government buildings around central london the men room and twelve suspects taken into custody last week during police raids in the u.k. but three detainees later were free without charge. missiles fired by a suspected u.s. drone have killed at least fifteen militants in northwestern pakistan u.s. drone attacks a car when it was a stand which is a hub of taliban and al qaida there's been more than one hundred attacks by pilotless u.s. aircraft in twenty ten most of them in north waziristan. to ivory coast where protesters in the city of abidjan have demanded a compromise in the ongoing power struggle incumbent leader laurent gbagbo is ignoring warnings from may bring countries who threaten to use force if you refuses to step down the recognized winner of the recent elections called for a nationwide general strike time but by words says attempts to oust him could lead

to civil war more than a hundred seventy have been killed and fourteen thousand fled violence following last month's disputed poll. street protests in the u.k. may have quieted down lately but there could be more to come forward british m.p. and minister tony benn thinks government cuts are threatening the basic rights of the people. it will build up and build up because i think it is a threatening the whole nature of our society and so i would expect it would have very very profound political effects in the future there are moments in history when people look around and say we are being controlled by those who don't have to listen to the truth and the right to education is a basic human right and we now have accepted britain and most products of the world the right to please educate the right to health care. the right to stand justice our human rights. and just

quick reminder for you can watch the full interview with tony benn in about fifteen minutes time here on r.t. tonight. as millions of people around the world enjoy the holidays many americans are struggling to find reasons to celebrate this year unemployment an expiration date on welfare is up the ante is the money runs out results is lower enlisted reports next while some are broke others are still raking it in. in the us to the season for holiday cheer charity and this year for some of the 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 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 health anymore 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 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 big. their 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 are in 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

avenue for holiday shopping in the shadows or those struggling to see a little light at the end of the tunnel lauren lyster r.t. new york thank you very. well with just four days now until new year artie's been checking the festive spirit around the globe and beyond as you're about to see the crew of six currently living on the international space station a planning a new year's party complete with tree and presents marty's tom barton was lucky enough to talk to the cosmonauts ahead of their big day down here on earth will be celebrating new year all around the planet in our customers fashion with celebrations and parties but there will be six people who won't be able to they'll be one hundred kilometers above on the international space station and they'll have a bit of a different experience cut off from the rest of the planet as it were have limited to be patients but each of the crew will be up there for six months they've been doing experiments and living quite

a different life to most of us down here here at mission control in moscow we were able to day to get a chance to talk to them on the on the live link up to the international space station hello my name's tom barton from russia today television merry christmas and happy new year there are sixty. six billion of us down here what is your message to the. happy new year we wish everyone good health love happiness success in all the new beginnings and plenty of room warning achievement in the upcoming year. also here was father frost the russian father christmas he turned up and on a live link gave greetings from the russian people and from planet earth to the crew of the international space station and had a quick chat with them he also was with some children here today the children of the astronauts and cosmonauts up there and they were also split over to speak to

their parents. fellow daddy i love you so much you are the best dad in the world and happy new year old. physically it seems that the spirit and the festive spirit of new year and the festive season will be able to penetrate even outside the. town by now ok will be here with sport in twenty minutes or so tonight not long now until the big top four clash in the english premier league under the shadow of an arsenal aim to beat roman abramovich is chelsea for the first time the league in two years big buildup to come tonight but it's monday night business. business the price of oil hit a fresh two year high on monday a mix of opec's production freeze and blizzards in the u.s. pushed brant over ninety four dollars a barrel this morning before edging back light sweet has also lost ground but

remains just over ninety dollars also is here remorse go fell off the china raised interest rates increasing fears that its economy will slow the process central bank has also upset the interest rate charged to brutal accounts most of the blue chips fell on monday carmaker after has lost almost three percent after announcing production will stop from thirty first december tenth of january gazprom also fell off to saying it won't change exports supply terms is lower after talks on expanding in liberia welsh markets close on friday for a ten day break but alexander's a record of analysts finish says many investors have already gone for the holidays market with a slight decrease most probably on the news china increased interest rates but what can be saying now is that the market is quite in a. really low and we don't see it we we are not in skating any.

more substantial move till the end of the year and for tomorrow as well because most of the brave but traders are already all would keep norrin and been long qualities. analysts predict a further strengthening of russia's currency the ruble as oil prices remain high market watchers also remain confident in global stock exchanges for next year but in a caution over reports. the russian ruble strengthen two point eight percent against the us dollar and nine point four percent against the euro between january and of twenty ten december has dragged yet 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 as it 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 get a slap use of the chief economist from deutsche bank thinks the ruble has chances to strengthen into an eleven four c. a complete. free float for the ball 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 volatility horribles 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 to diversify the economy a slow in bearing fruit that so many analysts expect commodity price inflation in

twenty eleven particularly as u.s. authorities print more dollars and that bodes well for the ruble my dinner which no business r.t. . that's the latest you can always find more stories on our website dot com slash business.