if we look at just some of these countries yemen is an important american ally the rain is an important american ally i mean if we look at a place like the rain there the united states houses the headquarters of the u.s. navy's fifth fleet the big question mark for washington of course is iran because it does not have a strong american influence there in these clashes that happened today wednesday a lot of protesters were holding up and t. even with signs they were they were chanting anti american slogans and the feeling is growing within iran as it has been for some time against the american administration if we look back at what inspired a lot of these events the toppling if one can call it that of president mubarak in egypt the united states was giving conflicting messages at the beginning of the demonstrations it seemed to support mubarak the u.s. had supported for thirty years it then slowly changed its support to the demonstrators and other time about it was overthrown it clearly put itself of the

demonstrators but people here asking the question this doesn't really change the u.s. influence particularly in egypt because now the army is in place and for four years the u.s. has been financing with billions of dollars the egyptian army so to some extent the army is really just the other side of mubarak's power so the u.s. watching these developments with increasing concern and needing to balance itself people here criticizing any american involvement and b. their involvement as being of double standards and then of course israel comes to the party as well watching events israel increasingly concerned that it could see islamic republics iraq to on its borders so as the tsunami continues to sweep across the mid east the u.s. and israel as well increasingly alarmed. russian president dmitri medvedev who is in a state visit to easily expressed his hope that the governments of countries with uprisings will respect the rights of their people. it's a very difficult process we hope that all conflicts that are taking place in the

middle east will be settled on a legal basis through observing the constitution and fundamental rights and freedoms of people living in institutes and i was spoke to a third and cutting and expert on the middle east currently living in bahrain he says the u.s. has a habit of pumping up propping up corrupt governments in the region but switching sides as soon as the dictator is that talking out of. the us foreign policy is replete with contradictions and they heal the virtues of democracy free markets free speech and these kind of things but in reality on the growing they've shown trust and present to be full square behind regimes that are the antithesis of these values regimes that are brutally repressive regimes that are corrupt elites regimes to destabilize the region through their misconduct. use of their own populations under neighboring pope populations it's very telling

in the very mature real position of the us regarding the demonstrations in egypt and elsewhere they do you have to give so sort of lip service understandable support to the movements for democracy as well that these disparate is quite lukewarm and it's it's quite laggard really in its it's not so bad food some support for the demonstrators in my. uterus and there it is quite evident that the walking a very fine line because of their protests areas contradictions. i still say rising food prices also behind the wave of a government demonstrations sweeping north africa in the middle east the u.s. has warned of a looming catastrophe and of the impending social upheaval in countries across the world as hunger appears also to be western an appetite for political change in several states is also spreading to the u.s. where food stamp programs are being slashed came forward reports. in egypt the

revolution took to the streets alone. but it may have started at the table when food prices began skyrocketing for the more than forty percent of egyptians living on less than two dollars per day. and it isn't just egypt around the world where there are billion people who are already hungry they spend more than half of their money on who so these these kinds of huge world crop price increases grants they twenty or thirty percent or more increases in their cost of. food prices rapidly rising beyond the levels of the two thousand and eight food prices are forcing americans to make tough decisions at the cash register to. go and then we have to learn how to improvise and do things. because they don't know we don't get a raise. and everything means basic staples like milk tea

coffee and syria which rose five percent in the last few months alone. every summer going to fifty dollars and i get a lot of what i mean if i want to eat healthy food but decisions about who pays and how much aren't made at the register says journalist frederick kaufman imaginary wheat being bought and sold by financial giants is controlling the price of real wheat they're made on wall street by big investment firms who distrust dollars and euros. and instead hedge their bets on commodities who's winning you've got it goldman sachs j.p. morgan chase the largest holders a lot largest financial dealers in this they're doing very well as the u.s. pushes producers to convert corn crops to ethanol the crisis deepens around the world demand for biofuels has tripled over the past six years and will triple again by two thousand and twenty growing demand by almost challenge increasing the amount

of food produced for people and. farmers are having a tough time keeping up but americans aren't as eager to push frustrations from the grocery store to the street from earth to table. you know we have got. thirteen point nine billion dollars in cuts to food stamp programs over the next three years means that the average american family will receive fifty nine dollars less per month bringing less food to their table but it's unclear whether it will also bring them out in the streets and ford are in washington d.c. . meanwhile u.s. president barack obama has unveiled his twenty twelve federal budget proposal what he plans to seven to eight billion dollars of defense spending over the next five years but brownback of women and who says the military budget for the next growing and is the largest since world war two. next year for instance the defense budget

goes up by five percent at the same time that the federal government with the new budget eliminates two hundred federal programs including five million families who depend on energy subsistence because they can't afford to heat their homes those people are being sharply reduced students from low income families are losing one hundred billion dollars over ten years and pell grants that's the money they need to go to college and yet the defense budget is growing and growing and growing not only is it not enough if you look at inflation adjusted spending levels this is higher for the defense which is misnamed it's the war budget it's higher than any time since world war two higher than during the vietnam war higher during the new cold war there's always a some new enemy some great scare some catastrophe looming unless the defense industry the war industry really gets everything that it wants and so this country is not a welfare state is the conservatives claim it is a warfare state it's the a.b.c.'s of modern globalized capitalism for the united

states is a great subsidy through the state the so-called free market really isn't operating when it comes to defense these are guaranteed problems for the biggest banks the biggest corporations but next in a few months you'll see big cuts mean plan for medicare medicaid social security this is not the end of the story this is the beginning of what the obama administration with the republicans hope to do in terms of changing the face of the united states. this is still ahead for you this south a runaway wrestler. and you know it's a prize fighter who broke out of a mental institution in russia and escape to norway is there he is going to go silent and will stand trial by sex charges for the details on that story coming up next minutes. and other news now an opposition party leader in this way nice facing a trial for denying soviet aggression and a gun battle in the news to decades ago the official account is that fourteen people were shot dead by soviet troops and nine hundred ninety one but now the

opposition politician could face up to two years in jail for simply disagreeing with the government's version of events peter allen of it takes a look at accounts of that day i january nine hundred ninety one fourteen protesters during the clashes with sultan troops the incident sparked international support for the demonstrators cause an independent state of lithuania however one local politician who now faces a possible jail sentence but disagree the fish equation of the beds a good artist polansky this is a member of the bill the city council and says soviet soldiers were responsible basing my opinion on the witnesses and on the book which was published by the former head of parliamentary national security committee chair so he wrote in his book and nobody denied that but from the start were representatives of libyan oil

for a case where shooting into the crowd. and other businesses white all who lived in that area and still live pointed to those houses here on the roofs off the shelters there are people with the shooting and be stolen. you fresh opinions on historical events are nothing unusual so based on newly discovered evidence others merely conspiracy theories what's different is that mr polanski is argument that it was live gunman that were responsible kurt landed in jail i am facing a charge of. up to two years in prison i mean i may receive a fine up to two years in prison i think this is absolute from term in terms of human rights and freedom of opinion absurd or not it's the law. that was as well because both of our part the lithuanian penal code survives for

criminal responsibility for the public thing are all of genocide crimes against humanity or work crime was people who believe so these crimes are more victims should be held responsible as in one thousand nine hundred gratian against lithuania and its citizens falls under the definition of a war crime if you can get those as an elected official mr plates case is a mune from prosecution however he has waived this right and he's prepared to stand trial local historians question plates cases sources and back the official version of events from my start i mean we're. on the one hand there was a villian so he wanted self-determination on the other hand it was military might in my assessment the events of january nine hundred ninety one were an attempt to salvage the use of force claimed innocent lives. but should questioning history bring with it a criminal investigation. i don't think that this is a reason for a person to be prosecuted it's his personal opinion your thirty seven overreacted

but it's up to the lawyers to decide it's a provocation but it's based on certain logic lithuanian authorities did make attempts to provoke the save your thirty's and compel them to start solving the lithuanian issue. should he be found guilty by the call. lithuania and gladys polanski says he will appeal to the european court of human rights an appeal he's convinced would be carried out from a jail cell history may not agree with the opinion of mr pilots sort of comes to be of beds of january nine hundred ninety wall however those same historians are unsure whether it's the role of the legal system to determine who can say what about the circumstances of the deaths of fourteen people here and build this picture all over if you wait here. and let's now take a look at some other international news stories and bring. a tropical low pressure system in australia has turned into a category one cycle own bringing more flooding to the country down when the north

it's been paid face time with over forty centimeters of rainfall and this is his suburbs demonstrating today emergency service koreans say they've received more than two thousand calls for help since the storm began and forecasts are expected to worsen by friday the side clothes for the severe flooding in queensland for weeks in the east with schools missing and. rescue party from a british gunboat has freed five yemeni fishermen held hostage for three months by somali pirates in the indian ocean labels and ordered a bird knees by the bandits and destroyed weapons including grenades fishing boats and there are no reports any pirates were captured a south korean merchant vessel spotted this and radioed h.m.s. cornwall which is sailing as a part of a task force in the area it's trying please a huge maritime area off the west african coast but they're still at least one

attack a day from somali pirates. south sudan has been announced as the name of the world's newest country the south will split from the north in july after last month's referendum results showed ninety one percent support forcing a full session other names such as coercion and other. public had also been suggested the separation of south from north as hope to end decades of violent conflicts in the country. and all rights activists in china condemning a magic trick with synchronized goldfish they say cruelty was required to make the . song after it was made famous after being broadcast on state television during luna new good celebrations last month and the most watched the get the magician responsible says there's no abuse but refuses to give away the secret of the tree. hot out fearsome

reputation and the ring linked to new noses and being caged in them in a mental institution in russia before breaking out with his bare hands and escaping to norway but just love six bed for political asylum has been delivered. by a court and also which has ordered his return home to face trial and set charges after his release from jail that on gun charges. out of a has the story. request was sent by the russian prosecutor general's office to norway asking that this man be returned to russia to stand trial he is of course wanted here in this country for a number of robberies he is also of course known for many strange and bizarre acts. as a self-proclaimed and relative to some sort of pagan gods that he believes to be of russian descent he has called himself the lord of the more room school forest which

of course is a region in russia has denied christianity as this country's religion has proved himself to be a hardcore neo nazi and even the fighters themselves of course not the m.m.a. fighters the mixed martial arts but perhaps other well known figures in the fighting community have all said that as a fighter and even as a human being that is not one of them and he of course continues to shock the public with his escapades the latest of course ring that he broke out of a psychiatric hospital apparently allegedly tearing at the fencing with his bare hands and then rode in a boat to norway from st petersburg that is how he arrived in that country and asked for political asylum that was refused to him and he's currently serving

a prison sentence there for illegal possession of and on the registered firearm of that prison sentence will continue up until may recede eight months behind bars as soon as may be just may be extradited back to russia of course and his lawyers say that they will fight this decision by the region or it's islam does it is already considering asking for political asylum in both law to be and looking at. and of course you can always log onto our web site for much more news and videos and you can also read blogs from around the world and leave your comments here's a taste of what's in line right now if you get all. so she's been proved to the terrorists after twenty fourteen winter olympics host city prepares to stage the alpine european cup. so wanted to travel back in time that fantasy was the promoter of the film called distant neighbor who based on a japanese monday called she spoke with the lead so find out what i want to say and

talk to you know. if. you. two russian cosmonauts on board the have taken this year's second space walk flight engineers dimitri. have now returned back to the station after spending nearly five hours an open space because one also climbed in a state of the art space suits which have interactive displays telling them what must be charts and what to do in an emergency the walk to take six hours but because men also able to complete their work sing. well i'm hopeful all drugs produced in afghanistan are consumed in russia and the over thirty thousand people die every year from drug addiction in russia alone she spoke to former u.n.

. chief you know. about a new five year plan aimed at eradicating drug production in afghanistan that's up next. thank.

you thank you very much for being with us today. well here you are now it worked or to afghanistan. do you agree with american ambassador eikenberry who says that president karzai is. brother is a major afghan opium trader i was in the missions this guy was already no. major traffic so it's true of course it is true but this is just one. out of many problems what about you work so closely with afghanistan that's why i'm asking revelations for example in diplomatic cables to u.s. diplomatic cables dry disastrous picture afghanistan for example is it true that afghan minister arrive to buy with fifty million dollars in cash or like other cabinet members have privately last in palm trees already in dubai it's a true absolutely true. but this is just one the piece of the truth

you might report you would find many figures and one important figure is this that out of a forty billion dollars that lived in afghanistan for the civilian aid all the eight of these forty went through the afghan government so the corruption with african go a month is big so where does the rest go to the government officials know that there is international corruption so they're all intertwined yes or each is never addressed. international newspapers particularly western newspapers never speak about this big piece of the cake they speak all the time about corruption which is there of course but this is most life these are the biggest corruption. that i discover the steal of from african people eighty percent that with

international aid operation on a bigger scale for instance and they tell us anti-drug. policy in afghanistan has had any impact. on two thousand and one up to now while many thought doesn't do. x. operation. the contribution of a military occupation but you need to. offer very stanleys different. their contribution to corruption in military logistics. base some contract. from time to private companies. these companies subsequent to. the military will just use the business of a couple billion dollars to africa companies who are comprised by world roads sometimes even by the taleban. dig out of the security of. boiler trucks or goes from kabul to anywhere in afghanistan in exchange of huge

amount of money and that the money that is taken from the military nato military logistic is more i calculated then the money the taliban takes from drug trafficking. well now you as an executive director at the office for drug control and crime prevention i know that your policies almost brought about a collapse in afghan poppy trees did you directly negotiate with the taliban to kill the poppy crop or i spoke with the taliban leaders in one thousand nine hundred seventy when they just conquered. the country about the limitation. of poppy cultivation in exchange for international aid for the occupants. they did not abide by the agreement we've got. and i changed the strategy. i ask of the security

council sanctions they got substance also i submitted them politically from the countries that surround the focused on the states fifty percent of. it was having to russia or before arriving to europe. after going to have a state in the region both to pakistan. to the six countries borders and i created an alliance of these countries to put pressure on the taliban and stop the cultivation and that this fact or blige at certain point the taliban to be the production for the year two thousand and one there was almost zero production you know for this time this is important because. i showed that it is possible to eliminate the drug cultivation of i'm not going to stand it is not something that is beyond our possibilities for example in a recent interview in russia today its recent interview with cars actually said

that you know it promises that we are in control of there is no poppy production where we're not in control we you know we can't be responsible true it is true that if they cooperate with the international community in the plan to provide africa base and ultimately a livelihood. drug production can be eliminated i'm sure that to the point that with the even of. in the with the between russia and the e.u. we have. a plan to meet production in five years thank you very much. thank you.

typee the how of. the church in twenty hotels hotel royal shall his the groom photo the show would hotel. full of hotel. the hotel type the. town springs resort and spa tied to a hotel royal she plans come closer to the town. evergreen close a hotel in thailand thailand as hotel time to type the full point and. the. telling touch of both the photo and how an international house. hotel.

well again this is the headline. travis continued to swim across the muslim world song by the revolutions in tunisia and egypt where reformed illustrators take to the streets and leave a yemen bahrain and they run using the internet to plan a day of action on saturday. and opposition politician a different way name a phrase up to two days in jail for disagreeing with his government's version of recent history he denies that the shortcomings that saudi troops are responsible for a gun battle in vilnius in which fourteen people were shot dead in one thousand nine hundred. and hungry for change as the say rising food prices but how drive recent unrest with the united nations warning of the looming catastrophe and social upheaval some blame wall street for trading price hikes helping to launch the seeds

of revolution. right now. the united nations high commissioner for human rights is on her first state visit to russia after also one other ways to advance civil society in the country into the show spotlight is coming up next. we'll. bring you the latest in science and technology from. the future of. hello again a welcome to spotlight the interview show on party.