russia would be so much brighter if you knew about some move from funds to pressure these. friends starts on t.v. dot com.

a broken dream lucky immigrants who when a chance of a new life in the u.s. find the grass isn't always greener when they find poverty and unemployment in the land of the free. the spouse of the alleged arms trader victor boot faces interrogation ahead of her husband's trial. card she speaks with all of that in an exclusive interview all the details from new york ahead in the program. and despite billions of u.s.

reconstruction dollars flooding into iraq some families are still left on the rubbish heap. broadcasting live from our studios in the heart of moscow this is our team and we're certainly glad to have you with us for the millions of immigrants that dream of a better life in america the green card symbolizes entrance to a land of opportunity but winning the lottery for the right to work is not always all it seems that's why qualified doctors and teachers often end up driving cabs or cleaning floors if they're lucky lauren lyster reports. in the united states and here in new york every year countless people play the lottery. and train for a chance to win or you can be a mega million dollar fantasy and believing a few dollars and

a dream could buy them ten for the life of a ticket that could change their lives every year more than ten million people also play a different kind of lottery and fifty thousand when i meet one of them hi my name is one gemini and her. husband teenage son and seven year old daughter you see here . are immigrants from nepal they entered and won the united states diversity visa lottery this lottery is a congressional mandate it's supposed to be an opportunity for people to come to america from countries with historically low rates of immigration jackpot with permanent residency the prize is not cash but green cards and this startling experience was due to a lot of we had to start from scratch from zero once we got here two years of struggling with joblessness after finding their education in nepal doesn't count in the u.s. setbacks they never expected this we didn't know people used to say you're educated

it will be easy america's a big country with a lot of facilities life will be better but in reality everything the incident. just to hire. experts who work on immigration issues a lot of the winners really are given no resources from the government that invited them here and the struggles of jimena and her family are not unique for most people we have encountered it's been very difficult they reflect a group of immigrants who come to the u.s. not because of a job lined up or a family sponsoring them but for many because of the vision of what they can achieve they really have that american dream of coming to the u.s. they know that they've invested in their education and they think that the united states is the place to put that skills those degrees and that ambition to work with the greatest possible return. when they find is maybe something milieu of an ethnic neighborhood like this one that has southeast asian music restaurants and fashion

what many struggle with is finding economic opportunities that are any better than what they had in their home country or even finding jobs that allow them to survive here we're seeing a lot of this downward mobility of immigrants. and often that highly qualified and good and. finding foreign degrees and experience don't count for many u.s. employers these immigrants end up taking anything it means engineers and business managers and up as cab drivers and cashiers according to a study two out of five foreign educated immigrants are either in this situation or unemployed all together it's an american dream they want to wake up from if you got if we had known this we wouldn't have come life was much easier in my country people who see their plight firsthand argue the government should help more i do think it's the state department's responsibility and i think that the united states is going to lose out relative to other countries have taken that step possibly losing out to countries such as canada and germany unless they make sure winning

the lottery actually pays off lauren lyster r.t.d. new york. and staying in new york where the wife of the alleged russian arms dealer viktor booed she and her children were detained for hours and questioned on arrival to the u.s. boots family travel to the city where he's being held in custody while he waits trial pretrial hearings have been postponed until the end of the month and associate his latest. the family of victor boot arrived to new york for the first time since his extradition from thailand took place two months ago and we did speak exclusively with his wife all aboot outside the airport after they were held inside the airport for over two and a half hours and she didn't really seem quite traumatized by the experience she was telling us how her self her teenage daughter and victor boots mother who is over seventy years old were held by u.s. officials and alibi was questioned they were scooped up by officials as soon as they stepped off the airplane and really asked calculus questions take

a listen to how she described this situation to us. we had to spend two hours in some strange room they turned our luggage upside down and took personal things from my bag they told me to switch off my cell phone and didn't allow me to get in touch with the russian consul until the interrogation or questioning was over one person introduced himself as a special and to terry agent he said he wanted to talk to me about the purpose of my visit an immigration officer i think also asked me whether i knew my husband was a terrorist and why he had been arrested i said i didn't know why my husband was being kept in new york because no one has proven he was a terrorist or linked to terrorism the russian vice consul was present at the airport to greet all aboot and her family members and try to reach her on her cell phone several times but she did not pick up the phone she later told us that she was told by u.s. officials at the airport that she was not allowed to speak to the russian vice consul even though this of course did raise questions since

a russian citizen should be entitled to have the members of the consulate present especially when they're working with this particular family specifically on this case was extradited to the united states two months ago and was initially arrested upon the request of the united states in thailand back in two thousand and eight and for those two years the united states was demanding that he be extradited tight courts did refuse twice to do this however the extradition. it eventually takes place in november and this extradition has been raising a lot of questions in terms of how exactly was conducted among them is the fact that victor boots case continues to remain in a thai court of appeals which technically means that he is still his case is still being considered in thailand and he should be there for that but he's here in the u.s. victor boot himself has always denied all of these allegations that are being made against him and his wife told us last night that she believes that what is her family's dealing with is a propaganda war and doesn't count on the trial here in new york to be fair. we

came here to fight for victor's freedom and to win i hope common sense will prevail in court because it's very hard with all the propaganda against victor in the american media but i do hope for a normal proceedings and professionalism in court because it's difficult to fight with the kind of image of victor that has been created here and i doubt the court will be unbiased all aboot also told us that she intends to remain in new york in the united states until she gets to meet with her husband to something which is out of the question for now since he is in solitary confinement and the only contact he has with the outside world is with members of his defense team as well as members of the russian consulate that was artie's on associate you're going to reporting from new york. coming up later in the program of the story that has ruffled some feathers. birds falling out of the sky around the world we look at whether it's a media frenzy or an apocalypse in the making. in

russia's far east a search and rescue operation is underway for a fishing boat with eleven crew on board the vessel sent a distress signal on friday before all contact was lost in the same region two russian ships remain trapped in ice a powerful icebreaker is on the way to help rescue the vessels there are more than three hundred people on board the ships but officials say they're not in any danger and have enough supplies the rescue is it being hampered by extreme weather conditions alexander from the federal fishing agency says the mission is far from smooth sailing. the weather has gotten worse snow storm has settled in with winds of up to twenty meters per second the temperatures well below minus twenty degrees celsius visibility is low it's difficult to say how long the admirable car of will take to get back to the remaining two ships in the path forged by the ice breaker through the ice closes back up quickly and this makes the risky operation even more difficult. in iraq millions are living below the poverty

line despite america's billion dollar rebuilding program there they've often have to turn to the garbage dumps as a means to survive as artie's sebastian meyer reports for those driven from their homes by sectarian violence life is literally rubbish. at seven am every morning fatima crouch is outside her house and along with her sister and cousins begins to sort through garbage displaced from southern iraq that miss family is too poor to send her to school and so she works eight hours a day sorting through baghdad's landfill collecting plastic and metal that will be shipped abroad for recycling a reward for carting forty pounds of trash around two dollars and fifty cents behind me six acres of back that's trash to many this is just waste but for the families here this is not only their livelihood but also their homes over two thousand people live on baghdad's landfill. making their homes out of the garbage

that the rest of the city throws away there's no running water or electricity and certainly no access to medical treatment if someone gets sick they have to be taken to hospital the same way they get drinking water by donkey cart can you believe in iraq you would live in a shack made from garbage people who feel it and change so we could see if it's iraq is still a wonderful place at least by god the old regime is gone and we have a new government but the situation was reliving in shacks america spending fifty three billion dollars on the reconstruction effort in iraq but the residents of our jet haven't seen a dime of it what they have seen though is the sectarian violence the drove them from their home five years ago. we used to live in abu ghraib you know then america came the war increased in iraq people started killing each other and so we fled because we were freed in two thousand and five names family moved to the landfill and has been living there ever since too afraid and too poor to return home you

know the american occupation turned iraq into a battlefield as well as sowing the seeds of political corruption how can americans stand back and watch without intervening in this situation everybody knows about the failure of the iraq economy this is having a terrible impact on the ground both socially and economically. experts worry about the children who grow up too poor to go to school without an education and they're easily preyed on by criminal gangs and terrorist organizations who lure them with money and promises of a brighter future so how can i fulfill a dream when they leave in fear i can't accomplish anything nothing good security it's really want to go back home there's no work we only need security that's it iraq remains a very dangerous place where kidnappings and murders a part of daily life for these families living on a trash heap is still better than living with sunni neighbors back home but until

that is possible until american reconstruction dollars reach the quarter of a population that lives in poverty children like fatima will continue to collect trash in order to survive sebastian meyer r t in baghdad there's plenty more news views and analysis on our website r.t. dot com here's some of what you'll find online right now. twenty five years after the world's worst nuclear disaster could have food grown at near the radioactive site really end up on european dinner tables. but not out he may have suffered his first defeat but find out when the russian fighter dubbed the last emperor will step back in the ring. when dead birds started falling from the sky in the american state of arkansas it was blamed on festive fireworks since then a series of mass animal deaths worldwide have triggered speculation online but the

incidents are far more sinister filmmaker and blogger danny schechter told r.t. the media shouldn't treat the events as merely a coincidence. when one set of incidents happens followed by another set followed by a third said suddenly it becomes a trend then it becomes a much bigger story in the media but it's still sort of a mystery it may be that each example is actually specific to a particular local set of circumstances we don't stone know they're calling it a flock of lips you know for a flock of birds coming up with new catchy words new ad lives and the like obviously it's it's a something that intrigues audiences even if there isn't a lot of explanation it seems to be a pattern of this sort of thing where you have alarmist headlines followed by a few examples which then you know lead to sober conclusions about the dramatic events of religion then there's no follow up for it so you know if we really never

find out what really happened and this is we in attention of the media maybe even the amnesia of the media the refusal to speak to the people who are most in the know because all of this is sort of titillation for the public and yet it could be a very serious and now some other world news in brief for this hour. what ng has killed at least a thirty five people and left over thirty thousand homeless in brazil heavy rains have been battering the country for weeks and a state of emergency has been declared in some sixty towns in sao paulo state local media reported to wish flooding in twenty years more rain is forecast in the region in the coming days. tests on contaminated animal feed in germany show levels of the toxic chemical dioxin at seventy seven times above the legal limit five thousand farms have already been closed down to the chemicals found in eggs produced in the north west of the country none of them are now able to make

deliveries of their produce some infected eggs have reportedly been exported to britain the of the metal. people were getting ready for prayers. inside the building. with a look at. hello

and welcome to the show that was millions around the world are recovering after the recent festivities most russians are celebrating the orthodox christmas this weekend but soon it's back to work for everyone and the colder weather is on its way to moscow but it's not all doom and gloom as january is the best time to go shopping subject this week's program the department store which we see here is one

of the most glamorous places to buy clothes in russia. built between eighty ninety and one thousand nine hundred three i'm located next to red square came one of the few stores in the soviet union that was not plagued by a shortage of consumer goods today well it's all about expensive designer clothes first it's in to one of my favorite shops paul smith an example of such design is that of open stores in russia this moscow shop opened in two thousand and six muscovites and visit. eccentric approach to the classical british style. although the stalls in game are generally expensive january is the best time to come shopping here you'll find terrific bargains during the sales and western designers such as paul smith. for example amazing clothes discounted prices striped fabrics smith's trademarks and those russians who can afford it have

already joined the army of those already wearing. his goods on sale in dozens of countries still here musk it was a huge step forward as well as a large event for the capital's fashion. store has been open for five years now so paul smith himself attended the opening of a special fashion show was organized by the cation and moving from boom to our next clothing location let's take a look at this week's entertainment news. the two hundred fifty fifth season at the bolshoi theatre has finished with the magical performance of the ballet and not. cracka states to peaceful music by tchaikovsky performance premiered at the bolshoi in one nine hundred sixty six and since then it's become the most popular show to see over the festive period. the ballet is a must see the perfect fairy tale treat to two thousand and eleven. this

year has been announced as the year of italy in russia many events featuring the country's culture of being staged in moscow throughout the year a festival called the winter garden of arts has already taken place dedicated to the italian city body the event featured an art exhibition and showed concert by both russian and italian musicians and many of the performances bringing the cultures of two countries closer together. to women's close now but in a much lower price. than english of the same thing different to the moscow fashion scene it's. designer clothes that have been put to the back of unwanted presents sizes or simply. fashions secondhand old and decrepit not. amazing with amazing

price tags. january sales. were out. of our first shop was opened over fifteen years ago the one we're in now is open just two years we get clothes from celebrities and less known people like their owners are tired of having them in their wardrobe we have very sales and discounts and only sell branded products from the world's top designers. second breath is among a group of small companies that understands. firing the. classes from vintage dresses to private school purses this is what most school needs more of and some retail industry insiders aim to change just that. located in the back streets just off the moscow river this place isn't easy to find but what's a gem it is a most the code look as if they're brand new the collection is impressive the price is all low cost that's the original price sounds good to me. it did.

seem one of the largest and most successful department stores in russia some fruit is all gone is of more scope for this next venue is the place to shop to be seen after it's about chic and stylish prada gucci and. the was a lovely to meet you there to meet you so tell me about your position here in through i'm a fashion their fashion director is the person who choosing the brands that supposed to be in the store this friends the most popular this collection i have goal and. tell my buyers what to bowl what to buy how to buy and i know it soon as one of the best apartments souls in moscow but how would you explain the complex to somebody who doesn't know what it is in its international department or in moscow. it's in the center of moscow it's been

all stored in building. and always had a very patient with a pool while it's closed and good service so. company mercury took at the over six years ago i decided to do that in the apartment most of us know everybody else but they know they have to come to sort of a clothing industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. yes of course because you know. we have more and more stores more different boutiques more brands that will bring all over the world and of course you know twenty years ago we couldn't even. today. russia is international love me everybody here. our customers have a great base. with being the best. design is the

showcase the. question that in this and this is the. last two years and we. know what does the russian design this is the way it's been beer you know we're looking at each season one wanted for a russian and it will have a space for them here and we. will be supportive of them and you also have many western design is the. showcase exclusively here. we have american designers in this we have any designers that. you know that they are. good at it with asian everybody talks about them i am the first one to run and get them for the ball on the for. the to make it the very much. various international designers showcase their clothes that suit many of

which are exclusively by presenting stool american brand. recently launched his collection off here the top model naomi campbell attending the event now moscow's fashionistas can join the label spans monkey research as in the coke kidman janet jackson and brooke shields a controversial subjects in fashion many say that such glamorous sparks coach wraps and hats on the city's caution freezing russian winter months living in america we're almost doing before we all know that it's the biggest and the most important story here so for the. it's an honor to be here to be able to bring my collection of very creative this wonderful department for me so i just feel very much excitement and to come back to the face of my company that really big city was crushed. not to spend a fortune on clothes even the most democratic brand sometimes give my clients a chance to explore design

a fashion plate swedish company a.t.m.'s works with several top designers to create special collections and the latest collaboration with one of the world's oldest fashion houses was a huge success lanvin signature styles but with h. and m. price tags sold out within a day in moscow it's now called the sales in russia extraordinary. is one of the best known designers in russia it's like ships store in bars located on moscow's trendiest electrical fly along so it's pretty expensive battery and believe it tony simmons charles has developed his own style mixing traditional russian patterns with contemporary culture in his designs the well known red black and yellow compacts into a centuries old as well as prince of serbia symbols on t. shirts and i closely associated with his name. there are several discount stores in. vintage here is one example they offer discounts

between seventy and ninety and they're. brilliant and to get credit card. calvin klein the clothes in here are cheap or they're from tasteless love the jackets to bright pink or green jumpers if you do you have to search for the perfect dog and the most fun because i like to shop because there's a wide range of brands on sale here and you can find various clothes from casual to classic. to many isn't fashion heaven the high prices might put many off but still with many recent designers new shops in malls. hoping all the time things are changing here. if you're looking for something a little special i think with good research of local stores up and coming designers and new boutiques the city has a lot to offer. as a true sign of an evolving country recent crisis or not the fashion world in moscow is simmering with excitement but why.