pay off its enormous debt leaders are scrambling to reassure lenders that greece is solvent so they can get more bailout cash but the european commission president is warning the e.u. may collapse if its finances are more harmonized but says greece can stay in the euro. has more from athens. we saw a very positive restaurant yesterday for the greek prime minister george patton jr he was in berlin just seeing the heads of industry there we had very similar statements coming from the german chancellor and now we know that the coded team heading to greece and they're going to be holding talks here about whether to release the next tranche of money the eight billion year raise and greece really opened the way for that team to return here bypassing the very unpopular property tax that happened quite late yesterday and it was already known that lawmakers were almost certainly going to approve that but that said that's going to probably add

around an extra thousand year ways to most people here in the country household bills and they're going to try and collect that to the electricity bill now just to show you the problems that the greek government faces here the electricity company the electricity workers have said that they're going to boycott that collection of that tax so really they're in a very difficult situation indeed the team the audit team against the coming here we saw the troika quit talks last month after the stations that they said in the slow to stick weeks a quick quiz take which is taking to implement some of these reforms we still pushing ahead with these but whether or not they're actually going to be able to raise that money it is very very uncertain and they you really can't express enough the earth ury on the streets the people outside parliament just absolutely livid about what they said it's the greek government really. pushing them into a situation that they can no longer stand their people showing me pictures of their

families telling me stories about losing jobs unemployment is rife here they really are in a very desperate situation and we seen this before and this really is one of the service things about the situation here in greece is that through the rhetoric coming from the e.u. leaders and that try. stabilized me that way from the economics of the people here in the country genuinely really suffering and you know once again we seen it taken to the point where they were praising these nations but the people on the street i just. saw last night some of the was that we see the policy up that we believe again because you think. it really is a very just desperate situation and that is the catch twenty two. get a country back on its feet when the base is that the government policy. crippling the people. eurozone leaders are keen to cling to greece as a euro member to stop the rot spreading to their own bags but financial journalist

dimitri kovtun as things go it alone for the sake of its people they need to default on their debt if they want the austerity measures to work because right now you have austerity with tax increases and a giant that and you're not going to get anywhere and the greek economy is contracting so if it if it continues in this way in the short term long term it just means surf down because you have this giant debt that's not going to go away that goes farland in portugal and spain as well and perhaps italy but i think that the smartest thing for the e.u. and the i.m.f. to do fail really want a solution would be a structured default of greece of portugal of. probably spain as well in some sort of way and to allow some of those currents of the country especially greece for example for the public sector to issue drachmas again it doesn't mean that you are going have to circulate but it would mean a kind of dual currency system in the long term the euro is not going to survive for reasons that we're already seeing in terms of national policies overriding pan european policy i don't think they're going to be able to create

a fiscal treasury and integrate europe but in the short term the e.u. may stay alive if they allow some of the other countries to begin to issue their own currencies and partially default on their debts. we're gathering expert opinion on what's needed in order to sort out the struggling euro zone click on r.t. that com or among other part is often more analysis blogs there of belgium's former deputy parliament speaker a lot of the new mr believes the great troubles are a decade old but paid attention while there was still time to stop the catastrophe is that many other views at artesia. between serbia and kosovo have been delayed until renewed until the renewed conflict on the disputed border crossing calms down russia's foreign ministry reacted calling for peace peacekeeping forces to remain neutral and stick to the un resolution several people were injured tuesday night in a clash between ethnic serbs and nato troops and northern kosovo both sides blame the other for a start of the violence and most rubber bullets and tear gas burning horses and

burros late july one kosovo authorities tried to seize the frontiers to enforce their unilateral trade embargo local serbs responded with barricades one serbian historian has been telling our teenager his presence in the region may be only making the situation worse nato is absolutely outside the bounds of my its mandate it is not supposed to be a law enforcement agency for to form a self-proclaimed government to push into it is it wasn't supposed to seize these so-called customs posts in the first place and it certainly isn't supposed to be shooting at people they don't peacefully protesting the stern of the turn of events it's very easy to improve the situation by not making it worse in the first a spy not deploying these troops in support of. chachi speak state oh now that they have been deployed they could have just as well and retreated like they did back in july and early august again needing comancheros to escalate and they are giving us this pabulum about lloyd older and criminal elements and their foremost criminal

elements in this case. stay with us here on r t coming your way in a few minutes we'll look at the cost of free speech even much loved american celebrities like kerner tony bennett a fine they're not immune when speaking their mind in the u.s. we'll tell you why he's getting his words later this hour plus. our see reports on the millions of indian children suffering abuse as they are forced to work on top in plantations to be their families instead of going to school all the details straight ahead. but first the international community has ripped into israel for its decision to build eleven one hundred homes in disputed east jerusalem russia says it's deeply concerned that the plan and hopes will be and hopes it will be reversed europe and the u.s. also join the chorus of disapproval prime minister benjamin netanyahu defended israel's right to build with people in the country referring to it as a gift for the jewish new year celebrations this weekend will also see the occupied west bank under strict curfew except for emergency crews palestinian authorities

claim israel is not serious about bringing peace jeff harper from the israeli committee against house demolitions explain to us why he thinks israelis don't appear to be in a hurry to get to the negotiating table. basically and israel has created facts on the ground over the last forty four years then it really made made its occupation irreversible i mean you've got half a million this rabies more than half a million living in the occupied territories so that i can't possibly see how to negotiate sions are going to end israel's occupation i don't see any pressures to get a half a million people out and i think that's what abbas is saying you go she shoes are useless either you get out of our territory period or they or there's no point in going on with the process i don't think israel has anything to worry about from its point of view there are three countries that matter the other hundred ninety are

irrelevant the three countries are the united states. britain and germany as long as they're behind israel's policies or at least even if they criticize as long as they prevent saying and provide this umbrella for israel israel has nothing to worry about who's going to saying that who's going to force it to get out who's going to put pressures on israel. israel's decision to dramatically increase the size of jewish settlements in the west bank comes hot on the heels of a palestinian bid for statehood at the u.n. wednesday the security council starts considering its membership the u.s. says it will veto the decision if the big gets more than the nine out of the fifteen needs to pass but even if washington blocks a full membership bid palestinians could still get an elevated legal status in the general assembly where they have a majority of support. european countries have dropped their call for further immediate sanctions against syria the u.n. draft resolution has been softened and now threaten the sanctions only if assad's government doesn't stop its violence against anti regime protesters but that

crackdown continues syria's army supported by tanks and helicopters stormed the key rebel city of rostov on russia wants both sides to enter talks and imposes sanctions on branding them as an unreliable strategy hornberger from the future of freedom foundation says the real goal of any western intervention might be to put men in power and not help civilians. sanctions have never succeeded in achieving regime change which is what the u.s. goal is and then let's keep in mind that this was a dictatorship that the us government used at one time to torture canadian citizens name a our air are they supported we barracked they support the dictatorships in saudi arabia jordan but what they're trying to achieve is to put their man in power that's the whole quest of us foreign policy so there's a lot of hypocrisy here too as well this is something that the syrian people should decide not the u.s. government it's none of the u.s. government's business this revolution's announced or of regimes should be up to the

people of that country because as we all know the price can sometimes be very high in revolutions and that's why it's up to the people of that country to make that decision. a little later we got the thoughts of a leading british commentator on why countries in the west may feel the need to get involved in some other nations here's what simon jenkins also asked to say. i do not believe the states have legal rights or an obligation or a duty to interfere no the slogan states is written into the united nations jones. this is not a country that threatened britain didn't threaten any of its neighbors invaded in the labor is getting ready then business got a revolution it was indecent if we're going to go in wherever there's a possible loss of human life we're going to go invading countries all over the world all the time i'm assuming the moment assuming i think i know there are mixed motives in always interventions we tend to intervene in countries where we think we might win there's no to any moral attitude we tend to really be intervening

countries where we have some interest in this case the oil that we tend to intervene where we think i think that that was quick glory to be had as was the case of into iraq and. was the case here there are always mixed messages but i think we always need to examine all most is and also so the simple question are we going to do good rather than home. more from the leading guardian columnist simon jenkins in about twenty minutes. ukrainian prosecutors want former prime minister yulia timoshenko to put it to be put away for seven years for what they see as unlawful gas deals with russia team a shank zero could also be fined about one hundred ninety million dollars almost matching the money ukraine says is a loss to the contract she signed with russia's energy giant gazprom in two thousand and nine the former pm has been on trial in kiev for abusing her power and corruption since june and a verdict they think could be reached by the end of the week to go denies all the charges and claims the trial is a political show if killed e.t.a.

it will rule out hope to transfer the presidential race in twenty fifteen take a spark wide protest with thousands of her supporters rallying and camping outside the court. straight out of some other stories making headlines across the globe clean up operations underway throughout the philippines in the wake of the devastating typhoon assata the storm battered the capital manila with tarantula rains leading to widespread floods that left eighteen dead and thirty five missing residents are also bracing themselves for another tropical storm heading their way . the u.s. has struck a three billion dollars deal to sell eighteen f. sixteen fighter jets to iraq military commanders say baghdad needs the fighters to maintain air sovereignty after u.s. forces leave the country this agreement comes as iraqi officials consider expending the december thirty first deadline for withdrawal of u.s. troops in the country. gunmen have attacked a police outpost in afghanistan's helmand province killing eight officers and

wounding three others and estimators are looking into the disappearance of another officer from the outpost and are considering where the attack that the attack came from within it's the second violent outbreak in the region in twenty four hours. california jurors are reliving the final days of pop star michael jackson's life as the prosecution presents their case against his personal physician dr conrad murray the doctor is accused of involuntary manslaughter with prosecutors insisting his gross negligence led to the famous singers drug overdose induced death in two thousand and nine murray denies the charges despite evidence that he continued to give the pop star powerful drugs even after signs of his deteriorating health. in america everyone has the right to speak their mind but that can sometimes carry a high price at least that's the experience of some high profile figures who have lost their jobs and sullied their reputations after voicing their views especially when it comes to sensitive subjects as artie's got a cheeky on reports from washington. an american i can legendary singer world war

two veteran and pacifist tony bennett because come under fire speaking his mind on a radio talk show he said america's actions are broad it provokes terror with the terrorists or with the terrorists or are they the terrorists well two wrongs don't make a right they're the ones who started with the plane flying into the world trade center what do you know i don't know about that tony bennett was attacked afterwards with stinging criticism from some quarters then he went to great lengths to apologize to those his remarks may have offended i'd like to say that i am sorry if my state statements suggested anything other than an expression of my love for my country america calls itself the land of the free but some are asking why our living legend like tony bennett has to apologize for his thoughts there's no tolerance really for any deviation from the official law even though here in america we're very proud of our freedom of speech and the right to speak his considerable holy except if you

say the wrong things you can get in trouble and artists have musicians have now tony bennett to speak question freedom of speech proved no defense in protecting the jobs of a number of public figures in america sacked after its commons that appears to challenge conventional us establishment views journalist helen thomas who'd been a white house reporter for over half a century was forced to resign after she said he's really should leave land they taken from palestinians everybody has been fired for what they say these days you can you but not if you say anything about the president of the united states you can call him anything in the book but you can't say anything about israel. automatically makes you any sematic see it is for a senior editor of middle east affairs and not sir was sacked a year ago because of a tweet she wrote about her respect for a lebanese cleric who had one time had been seen as the spiritual leader of the

hezbollah but had leader broken ties with them nasir also apologized but was promptly pushed out of the us mainstream media it's all about consequences social and economic just pressure rather than real censorship politicians expressing ideas against the establishment if you come under fire true like congressman ron paul who is running for president osama bin ladin and i am tired i have been missing. they have been explicit and they wrote. that we are can act we attacked america because you had bases on our holy land in saudi arabia you do not give palestinians a fair treatment and you have been bombing. i didn't say that i'm trying to get you through i understand what the motive was behind the bombing at the same time we have been bombing and killing hundreds of thousands of iraqis here near would you be annoyed if you're not annoyed by who got in there some problem booed and labeled

on patriotic by some just like tony bennett was when he spoke his mind it's not so much about what these people say that led to them being booed or even being fired from their jobs but rather about the fact that in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech that freedom often comes at a hefty price i'm going to check out reporting from washington our to. of course if your tongue is a little too loose you might sometimes end up mincing your words as president obama recently found out what's the difference between a janitor or any jew the president president obama found the distinction difficult after confusing to in a speech over the weekend all the details. part. i hope. for

millions of definitely all work no play to be the main breadwinners for their families what's worse is that they often don't get the even. how little is being done to break this vicious circle. from across the street sixteen year old navin prosodic can hear the chatter of children a few years younger than him going to school but his school going days are long gone for saad was taken to work on cotton plantations with the dream of making

money for his family going to the farm when i was four am to six pm every day twenty six of us children work i came home as i was so the work i did was for nothing. he was promised the equivalent of around two dollars per day but left the plantation that summer with nothing r t obtain this hidden camera video from social workers who say that these children are regularly sleep deprived hungry overworked and oftentimes physically verbally and sexually abused they use these visuals to provide evidence to policemen in the area so they could conduct a raid and save the children. we need to highlight the field of beats just with the blood in the children but. we have to see how many cases if you know like us being raped the children are taken to the cotton plantations each summer and used to pick

cotton their fingers are better able to pick the plants and the farmers can lower costs by paying them less than adults agents or middlemen say they're just trying to help the kids make money and that they too ended up getting cheated in the process but. i wonder if. i can give him a lot of the move commission. in many rural parts of india schools for children above the age of fourteen are rare so parents believe that if they send their kids away to work at least they won't have to worry about how to feed them seventeen million children in this country are engaged in labor work agriculture is actually not included in the child labor prevention act seventy percent of india's economy is dependent on agriculture so many people argue that banning it would actually prevent children from working in the fields with their parents. experts say that it's a problem that stretches far beyond india these plantations harvest bt cotton the

scientific abbreviation for genetically modified cotton monsanto an american agricultural company that critics say has a monopoly on agricultural practices around the world sells bt seeds to these farmers boss who many international companies are investing and involved in to be some of the cost of production is too high a multinational companies like that work for now the victims of this mass the scare children can barely speak about their time at the plantation. i came back home now i want to go back twenty six of us were cheated by going to. cheated out of a childhood for the greedy to make a buck preassure other r.t. india. coming up one of britain's most prominent calmness explains why he thinks some western powers feel the need to meddle in other country's affairs first the business news with.

hello and a very warm welcome to our business update trust authorities have raided european offices of gas over a possible breaches of competition rules the company's partners are w. o m v also subjects in the investigation artie's dental bushell is reporting from brussels. there was a coordinated raid across the offices not just of gazprom but the suppliers and the intermediaries companies like german energy major all w.-e. who then supply heat and electricity or to consumers like homes and offices there is a price fixing the relationship between supplier and intermediary a too cozy and there's not enough competition on the gas markets in europe the european commission has issued a statement saying it suspects exclusionary behavior such as partitioning obstacles to network access barriers to supply diversification as well as possible exploitative behavior such as excessive prices is being seen here in brussels as

a final big check up before the european union opens up its national gas markets to international competition gets from says its ordinary practice an official in its export. standard within the framework of competition rules under have been applied to all of the leading european energy companies there was a similar investigation in two thousand and five which found that gazprom didn't breach any regulation. but erosion costs came from north capital believes thousand no chance the radon gas probably could develop into a full on dispute between russia and e.u. . this is a will when the relationship i mean the european union unfortunately can. go by with gazprom right now there is little alternative but i don't think this conflict has perspective to develop into a full fledged contradiction into a full fledge conflict i think some of. this will be

a result of one way or another and. because it's the last example of their dependence. russian markets are struggling to retain the gains they enjoyed at the start of the week they managed to avoid fallout from the resignation of finance minister makes a good run but europe's debt crisis is weighing on the markets all the russian indices are managing to peek into positive territory plowman money from renesas as a manager's explains what is driving the rollercoaster. the reason locomotive of the drug should be so above these could go for us is the cars beat the market in the world from volume markets it's always been quite cheap when the global markets are in thermal russia first in the form of the other reason but you can look pulled out his top of the russian market is still relatively quick compared to global births and when people really money tends to suffer disproportionately so there is a flipside throughout printings go up russians still perform everything else and

that's where a little loss they create seems to bear market. recently russell's book called the market in the world three dollars goes up more than anything goes on more than anything. let's have a look at those figures russian markets are flat off to seeing some gains and three it's the r.t.s. the slipped into red one of the minus six is slightly on the rise let's take a look at some of the individual should moves in the might six energy majors are mixed from is losing almost one percent while looking at this point four percent. is the main gain of this solve the company jumped the most in three weeks after it started accepting bits for its four billion dollars buyback program. and european stocks that makes germany's dax is gaining a quarter of london's foot say is low up a day off to post a conspicuous one day percentage gain in sixteen months as investors reconsidered expectations that euro zone policymakers would act aggressively to resolve the debt crisis shares and many current have plunged nineteen percent of the world's biggest

listed hedge fund manager of large flows. and or those heading for the biggest quarterly decline since two thousand and eight thoughts on speculation that fuel demand will drop as the u.s. economy slows and europe's debt crisis batters consumer sentiment brant blunt is trading at over one hundred six dollars per barrel while the w.h.y. is that eighty three dollars. still floating the market investors mostly a looking blue chip sanchez in companies focusing on asia. the criteria for the short term to determine the mystery inches certainly going to be highly quiddity that's number one number two of the companies with the highest earnings visibility going forward. number three the companies that could benefit from growth in certain parts of the walls where the forecast is still strong of course i'm talking about asia mostly. that wraps up the business news for now join us next

hour for more stories here on r.t. . if. you.

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. four thirty pm in moscow these iraqi headlines furious crowds clashed with police in athens as parliament passes a new property tax to pay towards its massive debt this as the e.u. president warns the bloc faces its biggest challenge ever and that further economic integration is vital. border violence delays talks between serbia and breakaway kosovo after several people were injured in clashes between ethnic serbs and nato troops russia's foreign ministry once peacekeeping forces to remain neutral and stick to the un resolution. and a wave of global disapproval hates israel which has announced the building of eleven hundred new settler homes in disputed east jerusalem this is the un's most powerful body prepares to consider palestinian statehood.