the week's top stories are not see and the guessing game is over president medvedev and prime minister putin could swap jobs after the two thousand and twelve presidential election both pledging to continue the path of modernization and economic stability if indeed they win. palestine's a un statehood bid euphoria degenerate into clashes as crowds in the west bank find themselves battling heavily armed israeli riot squads. and europe's top financial figures planned for an inevitable greek default that's according to a leaked report the float follows a sliding markets and spreading fears of a double dip recession.

the top stories that have made headlines this week you're watching the weekly with me rule research and we begin with saturday's big announcement the prime minister vladimir putin will run for the presidency of two thousand and twelve the news came with a ruling united russia party convention the current president jimmy treatment will head the party in parliamentary elections and is ready to lead the government if they went he said he said i heard the historic speeches first. the wait is over. i believe it would be right for the convention to support the candidacy of loving your putin and the presidential election i.

believe this it was means i don't have to explain what kind of experience under thirty. and as. you show us get off my i'm going to say something else as there's been a split within our town and i can see this is a well thought through decision. putin is running for president was going to look at the pleasure i'd like to express my gratitude to you for supporting my candidacy to run for president it's a great honor to meet you. thank you but i could look at the numbers and with the parliamentary elections coming in december i'd like to ask all russian citizens to support the united russia party we can meet you know better . and i will issue you. maybe i'm convinced to become prime minister continue to thoroughly modernize our society.

the tandem now running on a platform of taking russia through the next decade promising more growth and stability but their party united russia in december parliamentary elections and next year's presidential run both putin and medvedev have their work cut out united russia's popularity has been falling in recent years by making such a move. tandem as you say they sent a political message to the russians as well to the best of the world but that. is not outdated it is not absolute this is a lie. well construction which didn't work for years you see it you describe effective and so was the announcement evenly her delegates were seriously taken aback when you know. of course everybody expected it but it must count as one of the best kept secrets really in recent political history when asked has already

started emphasizing how much the moon lacks surprise sure that some of the opposition political commentators are mentions are you proud to say is of course the risk of political stagnation and after all these kinds remembers very well the year out of the seventy's in the eighty's especially one the communist party leadership didn't see the change there and they all stayed there until the age of five years old now i would rather disagree with those who predict stagnation even in russian politics for one simple fact. and this is a healthy sea of meaning a so-called western style democracy might not be the way for russia something we are seeing the u.s. especially push for across one of the world's most unstable regions i think it's really disgusting how the u.s. is use the arab spring and try to use it to put in their new dictators their new friends and their fictitious democracies to be able to control the oil we control

these populations countries like russia just want stability and stability is something russia knows this dynamic duo can deliver at least so far russian g.d.p. has almost doubled the level of life in russia alone russia not only the capitals hasn't but putin and medvedev want to take it to the next step with a reshuffle in united russia already under way new faces transparency less corruption and more growth are all part of the platform the intrigue is dead and now the real work begins united russia has to convince the country they are the party. move past stability towards further development and so the west's russell has a right to its own style democracy and he's now a party moscow. and charting a money from abroad is crucial for developing russia's economy and injury and perhaps the professor of politics the university of kent in england believe that if putin becomes president he should make this

a priority. i think part of best would only be forthcoming in much greater scope when corruption and the rule of law you know are changed there's too much rampant corruption and too little rule of law. i think has the authority to do something about that i think after. presently he needs to strengthen those institutions i need to government i can implement with presidents beautiful wraps becoming prime minister that might be possible but it's not just changing personnel you need to also change policy and you need to implement across the country market week administer capacities around russia. fortunately still reality in moscow and st petersburg i would say she was good outside the case for the region so really we need much greater determination and implementation it's up to the ruling town and jamaica. working side by side for more than a decade satirise announcement has. to continue. and i'll accept the

background of the terms of how the top of russian politics will heal from samplers burke called had been political hound for ten years now the two have proved it a double headed eagle on the russian flag is not only a number in the two thousand presidential vote after brazil's left office and putin was named his successor it was dmitri medvedev who managed his complain but the world would hear about five years later when he became deputy prime minister the senior an implantable business magazine in russia would name him the man of the year overseeing national priority projects we believe painted his vision for years to come away from a resource economy modernize the country. all these would later be put together in his manifesto will russia in december two thousand and seven cheering

a similar united russia. convention we did it was in normally indorsed as a candidate for the country's stop drop and these time it was putin who delivered his successor a successful campaign he's a poor student that is popularity tolbert seventy percent of the vote and in march two thousand and eight he did it was elected president why do you regard it as more liberal than his predecessor his term would be remembered for reforms in the judicial system and law enforcement investment in new technology and strengthening civil society he also approved major changes to the constitution makes standing the presidential term so if i didn't put in makes it to the kremlin in march twenty twelve he will serve six not four years signature goal russia transformed into. both models brought the house down it wasn't simply a president passing the bus and say new candidates instead the two most powerful

man in russia simply swapped seats thus proving don't worry about us competing in the upcoming bull as we will reach an agreement between us long before but it's been a great chill got our team. all right her let's all get involved here at r.t. dot com we're asking what you think will happen if president and prime minister putin do end up switching jobs or check out the pie chart here and. say that. there will be a success because it will bring people what they want twenty nine percent think the plan to swap war voters and who support for the opposition. twenty three percent feel a little boost foreign investment in russia but not much of. a look on the website to argue dot com do tell us what you think. are going to ten minutes past the hour here in moscow if you're watching the weekly palestinian officials have accused the u.s. of putting pressure on members of the u.n.

security council. to keep them from voting in favor of a free. state so that washington's came to be spared the embarrassment of having to veto it which would be disastrous for its credibility as a peacemaker. as more of the political complexity of the case. it was a weeklong gathering of the world's most politically powerful people but not part of the united nations the pursuit of peace in imperfect world america's nobel prize winning president said in an ideal tone as the sixty six session of the un general assembly hope it yet at the heart of almost all diplomatic dialogue. demonstrations and media attention was that palestinian pursuit of official u.n. membership well then go on its own with the arab peoples or through democracy arab spring the time is now over the spring the time for independence. supported by the

majority of u.n. member states president mahmoud abbas submitted an application for statehood i historical bid the us a staunch ally of israel now to block with a security council veto these will not come through statements and resolutions at the united nations if it were that easy it would have been accomplished by yet following eighteen years of failed negotiations on borders and security both parties see the path to peace in the middle east quite differently and we will know that they're ready for compromise and for peace when they start taking israel's security requirements seriously. and when they started knowing or restore cool connection to our intern or more as diplomats worked around the clock to bring israel and the palestinians back together at the negotiating table. delegations for thirty countries abandon the iranian president during his speech to the general assembly although. some european countries still use the holy costa after sixty

cade's as the excuse to pay for a ransom to the zionists should it be an obligation upon the slave masters or colonial powers to pay reparations to be affected regions mood ahmadinejad's annual attack against the west and israel was a reminder that peace is hard but we know that it is possible a possibility for the palestinians and israelis to resume negotiations was put forth by the middle east quartet friday russia the us the european union and the un presented both sides with a twelve month timetable to solve this sixty plus years dispute within three months of the negotiation beginning to resent comprehensive proposals on borders and security that is the only way in the end we deal with the difficult issues around the table in a negotiation at the u.n. general assembly was this week's biggest political show

a spectacular display of pride for the palestinians a quote theater of the absurd for the israeli prime minister the security council meets monday to discuss the palestinian bid for a year when membership as the quest for peace goes on divisions over how to achieve it remain firmly in place. r.t. new york and a. former cia officer who served in the directorate of operations there also head of the near east and south asia mission asserts that israel's policy towards the negotiations with the palestinians will ultimately backfire. the u.s. position on this issue this week is very unfortunate this has become a sort of theater of be observed the u.s. wants the two parties to go back to the negotiating table when one of the parties keeps grabbing land that is supposed to belong to the territory of the other party that is the palestinians so this is

a nonstarter especially as regards the netanyahu government being in power which is not in time to yield after all netanyahu has twice. floated president obama on the settlements tissue and on the borders issue the intention of the israeli leadership is just to continue stalling until eventually the. the west bank remains under israeli control with a probable that with that is that what it is going to do with all these palestinians who remain inside they can't push them over the river into into jordan so you're going to eventually have in majority arab population in israel and i think that says it's a tragic lack of strategic could a vision on the part of the israelis that they don't see this happening or they don't care. from a standing ovation at the united nations to euphoria on the streets of the west bank it was a real sense of joy among so many of the state it but on the border with israel joy

quickly turned to violence culminating in clashes between police and palestinians fall asleep takes up the story. and historic moment after decades of struggle tens of thousands of weight across palestine after president mahmoud abbas admits of requests to the united nations to recognize a palestinian state but as feared it wasn't all cheers and on side the celebrations of violence clashes have erupted across the west bank as fears grow of a third intifada we are here in ramallah where there is a scandal between the israeli army and palestinian protesters just a short distance down the road they are tires burning everywhere the army is also using a new found device known as the screamer which in and bearable found now be situation here is very very tense the clashes have spread across the west bank one palestinian have been killed now what we understand happened is that country one hundred israeli settlers started burning the trees belonging to palestinians in the

village the army was called in and the result was one palestinian shot and killed in the nick. four months the israeli army has been preparing for these exact scenes and palestinians were retail of it will now use these clashes as an excuse to beef up its army presence in the west bank and possibly even punish palestinians by withholding tax money it collects on their behalf for weeks the army has been planting land mines on israel's northern borders to prevent the columbia chip point scenes from unfolding here the mines are not necessarily a very to deal with people who have peaceful intentions of mines or a legitimate form of the sense any countries have mines on their borders for that reason but the locals are outraged now they are going to would. be worth it maybe it's more comfort. for a program at the heart of the clashes are israeli settlers and palestinians both

claim claim to the same piece of land jacob taylor has been farming deep in the hebron hills for more than twenty years he says the land is his and he has the papers to prove it and we are the only people in the world that have got a document a document that is in. no. effort that is to. go by but not so large and makes the same claim he insists the land has been in his family for some eight hundred years but now this is the closest he can get to it and it's eating him up watching jacob farm it it's a very hard feeling but what can i do nothing or even if we don't resist and forces soon after persepolis says was the army will come immediately and arrest us this fence cuts through your calls farm meaning that right now i am standing inside palestine and as i walk through here. i'm now in israel it's one thing to declare a state and another to determine where its borders will be policy artie muller.

and there we got more news and analysis on the situation in west bank and the palestinian people for independence are on our website come still the plan to help you in the program here on r.t. in cluing who will be the first to face charges of humanity crimes to be embattled colonel gadhafi all presidents are causey is not suffering lawsuits over the military intervention in libya. and yet another high profile taliban assassination underlines the ongoing instability and afghanistan as the country appears to be losing its battle with militants and failing to cut off their main source of income . and watching the weekly here on r.t. and leaked reports suggest that some of the euro zone's finance ministers already the greek economy as a lost cause they say the country is doomed to default on its debt of around three hundred fifty billion euro the i.m.f.

has reportedly given eview countries six weeks to build up a financial fire wall to protect themselves from the shock wave of the greek default the new one hundred fifty billion euro bailout package due in october is now just seen as a means to buy the eurozone some time to prepare this comes after the markets in europe and the us saw their worst trading week since two thousand and eight prompting light spread fears of a looming double dip recession james at midway a senior economist at the new economics foundation think tank believes we are seeing the beginning of the year as. the cat is out of the bag and to be quite honest the statement is quite close to simple statements of the facts greece cannot supposedly repay its debt under under current circumstances the growth isn't there the debt is far too big and the simply no earthly way is going to be repaid this year on any plausible timescale certainly not by twenty twelve which was the original kind of hope the other european nations the divisions that are in place right the way across europe now with countries completely unable really to agree on

any kind of way forward out of this mess other than the. essentially tried and tested and tried and failed methods they have last year which essentially is give a bit of a bailout to certain countries and then impose austerity measures we are certainly i think in the early stages of disintegration of europe that deep rooted structural problems inside the euro system imbalances that built up the last ten years so i'd be surprised to see the euro continuing in its present form given the situation we're in at the moment and the next hour here are two you can watch an exclusive interview with russia's finance minister for his opinion on how the current crisis will pan out. libya's transitional government forces have renewed fighting with loyalists of the art of leader colonel gadhafi in one of his last strongholds that's the town of sirte i mean while some western leaders are facing charges at home over the legacy of a military intervention i don't

a bushel examine the reasons for claims and we want to you may find some of these images disturbing. fridge explorer minister roland do more says he's ready to defend gadhafi in the international criminal court which is issued a warrant for his wrist but later will have to foil the coble first libya's deposed leader is it hiding for good reason. or if it finds him will kill him in london some states are now claiming the right to kill but against all international law. images like these are moving frige lawyers to turn against the government because the faces lawsuits over the birth of ordinary people in libya lawyers here in france accuse the presidents of committing crimes against humanity this lawyer calls the libyan war renew vietnam with the u.s. sprayed tens of millions of liters of toxins on crops in the sixty's and seventy's causing brain disorders miscarriages and birth defects to this day are.

they using missiles with depleted uranium which causes cancer in tripoli i saw people crippled by nato attacks office workers who have nothing to do with the fighting that's why we're suing president sarkozy for crimes against humanity. first denied bombing this residence where thirteen civilians including four children died it then called the place a military command center this journalist went to see what it really housed. videos by the bad guys and cultural moves and everything is nothing nothing military in another attack is wife or child the grandchildren were reportedly killed in their home nato is accused of deliberately wage a campaign of terror. warnings targeted libya's electricity water and food supply after five months of deadly needed ones and thousands of deaths people will stop

supporting the regime because they simply cannot take it anymore. western leaders a ploy for their first big legal challenge of libya if they stop the cases coming to court all together as chicle day it will prove once and for all that western justice really used politicians not the rule of law then you will shortie paris and as we continue our coverage of the events unfolding in libya you can catch up i think you might want to website there's also plenty more available at r.t. dot. here are some of the other items you find they're waiting for you right now alarming statistics showing that one in five english youngsters leave school without basic literacy and they're struggling to find a job as a result. is on the move a russian firm unveils his dream design called the sleeping box it's a peaceful shelter from the airport hustle and bustle.

today violence is once again flared up. these are the images. from the streets of kandahar. a giant corporations. with the headlines of the week you're watching the weekly with me research i run out see thousands of mourners gathered in the afghan capital kabul on friday for the funeral of the country's former president. was assassinated on choose a by a suicide bomber who hid in the device in his turban and all the while claimed to be a taliban envoy rabbani who had led the countries in the one nine hundred ninety s. was the key figure in current peace talks with militants this is followed a string of high profile targeted killings including the murder of the current president's half brother in july. sultanzoy

a political stunt former afghan and says rabbani was trying to maintain stability and believes his loss may affect the alignment of forces in the country. he was a very moderate figure and he was a very important influence in bringing moderation and. stability and the politics of the country and mr karzai and others will miss that but the problems that we're facing are monumental problems sort of three years is not very much time for the problems that afghanistan is facing and i don't think. figures like that and the absence of those kinds of figures do not render themselves for stability and do not help stability the radicals are winning this out. with the taliban stepping up its attacks all across afghanistan but of the main sources of income is in full bloom countries in from us drug trade kills tens of thousands of users worldwide each year and trying to get renewed criticism of the blind eye turned by nato problem

despite its ten year long presence in the country. ports from. the penalty for drinking beer in kabul sixty whips on the back publicly it is a very traditional muslim society or is it there are dozens of people if not more for doing what's right there this bridge in the center of the sea with this coming against doing these insane conditions we rubbish being through here we're streaming right now this is just incredible to see. here all in all. it's all cooked mixed injected or small to write on more on these clouds of rubbish or rotten meat and indescribable. and no one policeman anywhere near but that's not all we were told these people don't just come here to do drugs and many of them called the score. here and we don't have any jobs we don't have any kind of

thing to do if you can see fargo point i don't want the police. a study commissioned by the u.s. state department sure each family has at least one drug user or found in breast milk and all kids even knew was that morphine. there's no doubt that period plantation song with narcotic crops has increased since military hostilities started on afghanistan i believe that the war was the root cause that forced afghan people to try to poppy growing around ninety percent of all the opiates in the world are produced in of yellowstone into of all queens the markets global trade has also passed the five hundred billion dollar mark russia is one of the worst affected state around eighty tons of heroin to a new resettle in the country like those it's tragic that despite the enormous resources nato has put into afghanistan including military force drug production is

just phenomenal moreover the head of nato military committee personally told me fighting drug production is not their goal it was no such directive. and many experts find this a bit strange given the fact that a large part of the revenues from drug money is used to sponsor the taliban and needles key enemy in the region meanwhile the international community and spends billions of dollars to fight drug traffic but since nato has no legal way to coordinate the funds are spent with very little private resort while officials say the multi-billion dollar drug network has the whole world and it's a group you got was kind of kabul afghanistan. live from the heart of moscow this is a scene i'll be back with the headlines of the week and just a few moments.