with r.t. as we highlight the week's stories that made headlines i'm showing a widely publicized reshuffle in the tandem and sudden departure of their trusted finance minister of all dominated the week's news headlines at this also prompted an unexpected interview with the president as he took the time to clarify his latest political moves but it's not easy. reports the pre-election period in russia may still even hold some more surprises. this week's headlines have been told that if putin putin made that it the news of the drops was brought up polemic switch russia hasn't seen for quite some time while some criticised others applauded the tandems deal and the kings of photo shop rolled out some of their best work yet

with the general mood being that the deal had been done long ago but it was an exciting for just a few days until the first rich shuffles in the corridors of power began to me that if you think your views on russia's economic agenda differ from mine as president if you can resign sure that's the one you just because of my opinions do differ from yours i don't only take such a decision after i've talked to the prime minister. or most of social skill and you can talk to whoever you want including the prime minister but as long as i'm the president i make these decisions. was the surprise right now between the president and putin's longtime ally aleksey could render left many questioning is there a split in the tandem that the solution is the situation with mr cooder it is a matter of discipline in government service we are a presidential republic not a parliamentary ones it implements the president's policy if you don't agree you should step down meanwhile many read it not as a sign of a split but of

a new maturity in russia's democracy i believe is wrong most were mostly a wish for think all the bottles are born else these people probably remember the times of a horrible overthrow for there was a rift inside the port of the will which ultimately was one of the reasons for the collapse of the u.s.s.r. and i remember before coming to power gave an interview where he basically said that russia will not survive another conflict inside the elites the big news of putin yet again running for president brought up so many questions that may treatment that have had to meet. t.v. hat's to cross the t.'s and dot. of course it's nice to know that people trust me as president and that my approval rating is quite high and circumstance you also know that prime minister putin undoubtedly remains the most popular politician in our country and his rating is even higher. the election campaign has just started.

a simple question which is what if our people rejected. what will happen to these decisions. these decisions are merely the party's recommendation for those people that's all the choice is made by the people pushing us and these are not me a word to top saluki true by any politician of any political field who may lose an election but many questions are still in the air like why would a politician like me trinidad if his approval rating is still so high in russia not seek reelection and what will the face of the new cabinet of ministers look like under him should he become pm immediately after the united russia congress many rejoiced in the fact that the country's top political is finally over and they can go about their usual business but this week has shown that when it comes to the chess game of process and politics there are many more moves to be made before the

final makeup of the new government is no it's to do that show on our t.v. . just after president showed a finance minister in the door fears a rose. could throw the russian economy into stagnation however a london based russian expert. thinks the country has the potential to overcome the financial hurdles. russia is in a pretty good economic situation present if you look at the oil revenues if you look at gas if you look at gold. roma trios diamonds and so on russia is a very strong position in the world down isn't really affecting russia really because it has reserves of over four hundred billion dollars. it can take some buffeting but at present economic situation this is quite good because the i.m.f. is expecting something like four percent growth this year which is vastly superior

to the european union america. it without any still to come for you in the program here of how it's done is clouded in the interest of the shadow of an imminent u.s. veto hanging over at statehood bid at the u.n. security council. and eight months after the overthrow of president hosni mubarak we'll look at whether gyptian has managed to get what they were fighting for. at least seven hundred people have been arrested after a police crackdown on the ongoing wall street demonstrations in new york dubbed the occupy wall street movement they say they're protesting against the tremendous influence and misdeeds of corporations on billionaires. as this story this clash and confrontation between and why he gave the new york city police department and thousands of protesters took place on the brooklyn bridge the police showed up and basically cornered off both sides of the brooklyn bridge and started

to move in on the protesters to make arrests that's when things got ugly to say the least the protesters were were banging drums and chanting the whole world is watching police moved in they were paddy wagons brought to the scene and things got very physical and this is just the most recent incident that has taken place in new york in the hospital weeks last weekend we saw demonstrators in the these five police officers police officers using adding to our rights demonstrators that have been camped out on wall street now these protesters have been demonstrating for about two weeks this is a group occupy wall street a group of americans that have called on all those that are frustrated over the u.s. economy over the fact that people are losing their jobs people can't get their jobs people are struggling to find money to to make ends meet and these americans are

now saying this is their their american spring and there are they are planning to stay down there through the end of the year and i can tell you this week by week this group of demonstrators that you know call themselves out by wall street this group is getting bigger and bigger there's no doubt about that. we have more from new york. first. fueling the growing.

just one in ten minutes past the hour here in moscow this is the weekly the end game is rapidly approaching for greece as its government admits that it only has the cash to pay its bills for eight more days after which the only option is default in response of the e.u. kicked its bureaucratic machine into gear in an all out effort to release more cash fast and french president nicolas sarkozy admits that the much criticized bailout approach is of the blocks last line of defense and preventing the crisis from consuming the eurozone under germany's angela merkel also announced a meeting in the coming days to finalize a radical expansion of the blocks emergency cash but it's reports it may come to nothing as the greek economy crumbles under the weight of unprecedented austerity.

greece has been the place the child of the year. with germany expand the bailout fund the country looks to get that much needed cash injection with the help condition here in greece that people say the price of being made to pay simply. burning that. is deadline day for the first to be hit with the greek government's special tax one of the measures they use in place to try to secure the next tranche of money the country needs to flee bankruptcy the extra tax which is about another three percent for people. supposed to help plug some of the massive deficit in the budget nothing more than a year's salary cuts rises in living costs people here already at breaking point the last two years.

from the opposition movement in title pay he tells me how the media expanded rapidly in recent months as more and more people hit that financial wall before. most of the people were not playing because they wanted to protest against the no unjust situation no there are thousands and dozens of people who will not pay because in most people's desperation has become increasingly evident on the streets of greece the violence is repeatedly play can out between riot place and protest as she sticks to even more clashes this parliament and feted yet another austerity measure in the fall of any property tax where organizing all the various czars to put goodies on them are. just for political reasons and critics do not need the i.m.f. many people in greece now question just here it is the thing control unfortunately

today very a leaders in your resume are the bankers. is mr. bunker . beginning to gear. spears in the euro zone despite germany having baited positively to expand the size and power of the european pan out fund already critics are questioning whether that will be enough insights now turn to the many challenges. still facing the problem who will move from. other european countries then to german banks. even germany. will be you know. will be affected. not just for all the european union countries

with past measures failing to have the face of this political leaders continue to struggle to convince the public to. still hangs in the balance but these protests. continue many people hate it greece is a country now at risk of having not only a financial but it democratic deficit as well sir. outside the parliament building in athens. the e.u. may be throwing billions at athens to prop up its economy and create the appearance of stability but the greek crisis has now grown too big to be contained that's according to. you professor. i think that the big question facing us today is not whether we are going to default but how we are going to default i mean all the measures taking by this throwing up by the european union the the i.m.f. lead one way or the other to some sort of default some sort of moneths default but

these new form is going to be accompanied by new us that even in. the midst of some sort of. give us station of their lives productive capacity of this country i mean this is a risk we have that to default on our own terms which means immediate stoppage of payment through the debt immediate exit of greece from the euro zone from the euro or sometimes it's easier for governments to impose a ban rather than listen to the public following a summer of demonstrations at london's find themselves gagged by their own government for a large chunk of the city is hit by a protest. it featuring the week's top stories here on r.t. and violence flared up again over the past several days around kosovo's northern border as nato troops attempted to dismantle a roadblock. recognized the pristina administration as

a legitimate authority and barricaded roads to disputed checkpoints that albanians seized early and with the help of k. four troops. went to kosovo to witness the deadlock. in some parts of the world this walk the road would probably be part of an extreme safari impossible it is now a fighting chance if. ever says july's border dispute many lives have been dependent on this godforsaken grable road through the mountains now this is the only way that belgrade can use to deliver food and better all to the tens of thousands of serbs living in northern kosovo the course of the serbs have been barricaded in the road since july in response to the cost of the police checkpoints which enforce the trade embargo between belgrade and the meeting of itself on tuesday the situation turned critical again clashes between the barricading serbs and the k. four troops led to multiple injuries on both sides ok for blame the consular

service for starting the violence but injured alexandre a father of two saw it differently. we were standing by the barricade when the soldiers started shouting and shooting at us i didn't know what they were shooting with so i got scared and started running away and i was hit on the shoulder and it turned out to be a perforating wound of my lung nato forces also claimed they used only rubber bullets and tear gas against the protesting mob this was quickly rejected by doctors in. fuelling speculation as to who started. forty seven men and have a condition gunshot wounds fractures and bruises there were not wounds from rubber bullets not a single of them had a rubber all those wounds were caused by regular bullets which we extracted from their bodies delegation. to meet you know i think she did everything serves but they came too late i did take socks pulled up at the border crossing

before had already forced the barricades how exactly nato troops managed to disregard the un's plans is unknown but they quickly set up at the limits to the web. that journalists and issued should do q. who would have for anyone trying to penetrate it they've totally and openly stepped out of there you want to mandate and they're really really now just like during one nine hundred ninety nine during the bombing when they were at the air force for the albanian separatists are now acting as their infantry so this is what we have this is a clear breach of the u.n. charter and of the resolution twelve forty four it's totally destroyed there are standing as any sort of mediator belgrade has reacted with indignation and halted negotiations with kosovo until the dispute is resolved meanwhile gate for refuses to comment on their actions and bulldozed to the border barricades the border is

open now to syria trucks blocking a breach just speeches the way to destroy block suggests this battle is far from over betters like this one are scattered all across more than a core civil war and they pretty much reflect the mood of the local serbs it seems they would never give in and accept the fact that they're living in a self-proclaimed state and in this book canyon melting pot nobody knows where this standoff go. or become yet another frozen territorial dispute let's. see reporting from kosovo. meantime. the situation because of remained relatively calm that is until the e.u. stepped. it's the european union and the nato so-called peacekeepers or other in forces who have caused this problem the kosovo issue but the situation in the north of conservation is what we call a frozen conflict in other words it's an unresolved anomalous situation that has

been relatively peaceful now for more than ten years and it seems that the european union is determined to make it not peaceful anymore in my view the powers of you lex which is the european union body that sent the troops there to enforce the new customs regime i believe that your leks itself is illegal i take the view that it's the united nations which should be governing kosovo according to resolution twelve forty four and not you lex. and indeed i think one can make a case for saying that there are parallel structures now in kosovo the european union on one hand and the united nations on the other but legally speaking it should be the united nations the european union itself in a state of advanced collapse why on earth is serbia trying to join it and why is serbia determined to sacrifice part of her own territory a very historic part of our territory so that of that's the reality and i'm afraid

of the situation we're in to improve until belgrade abandons this in my view suicidal goal of joining the e.u. . you without a life from moscow and of course for more stories are comments on videos on our website that's where you'll find everything at our dot com some of the items on our fields of despair thousands of farmers in india take their own lives devastated by one of the driest seasons. and the pairing for the great flood was august sales again thanks to a dutch family. for all. the week's top stories here on arts he and the revolutionary euphoria in egypt back in

february assumed give way to disillusionment with both the people and political forces dissatisfied with the way the country is being run after the regime of mubarak many feel let down by the transitional military council which has so far failed to implement promised democratic reform. went to cairo to find out more. that's what we knew that change had come to egypt a new chapter of freedom and democracy don't judge a book by its cover when reading post mubarak egypt it's between the lines where you'll find the new chapter hasn't been published ended or slightly revised we still have the supreme council of the on poor souls of those. i cannot say that they have been. in any sense gearing this country towards democracy barak may be gone but his policies are not the most new mubarak's case is ongoing at this tribe

you know new figures from human rights watch claims more civilians have been forced to face military trials last six months some twelve thousand during the entire thirty year rule of mubarak average civilians are giving five to you know seven years in prison a lot of torture has occurred since scaf has come into power. actor ali simply doesn't clown around when it comes to the supreme council or scarf he has taken part in protests since day one and still has scars from being detained because the burkes are much worse he said very long they told people they had to stick it humbly from it after that i was shocked with a stud gun and beaten with a bat on the head least only because i'm well known now most of us leave the country for thirty years according to law if i have to seek asylum but all stay and fight for freedom like mubarak skaf gets the supported needs to rule egypt from

abroad and the aid that we get from the us that one point five billion a year the easier to seize from from the usa. and most of it entirely goes to the to the supreme court to the to the army you know the scout and while the west coast . history books will change for the better the arab spring is a massive opportunity to spread peace prosperity democracy egypt sions are left reading the writing on the wall in many areas it's the same as before going to for fun in some areas it's getting more worse and he's now i r t cairo. a special admissions committee of the un security council has held its first meeting over the fate of the palestinian statehood bid it was put forward for consideration just this week with the number shot up an occasion review period

expected to take several weeks a total of nine out of fifteen votes in the security council and needed to push the application through with no veto being cast at the same time at this stage analysts believe america will try to stall the process u.s. lawmakers have already blocked two hundred million dollars and a palestinian authority allegedly as collective punishment for the bid among the international bodies endorsing the bid is the european parliament which called the palestinian quest for statehood legitimate meanwhile israel has yet again come under fire from much of the well community after approving more settlements on occupied palestinian territory a senior official told us here at r t that unconditional us support remains a major factor behind israel's behavior. israel has declared. that it's going to construct the one thousand one hundred settlements units in jerusalem and this is actually a total erosion of the international force to really bring back the two sides to

the negotiating table even by companies that has said that the jewish settlements in that but as you know there is an obstacle to peace they are not legitimate and so on we ask them today the european union the united states israel is announcing these seven months what are you going to do about it so i think this is the question for the entitlement community there israel is a very very big violating the months by evaluating international legitimacy evaluating all. related to united nations the question is what is it that the international community is doing about it we hope that the international community does not go into new to deal with israel as a spoiled kid of the what this. some european capitals you with r.t. live from moscow now are the rights of protesters something the u.k. has long up held and defended but now as the british government slaps a month long marching band on several london districts there are those who argue

that civil liberties are under attack artie's lorem it investigates. the view of workers activists on the home office ban on marching is clear it's an attack on the basic democratic rights in this country through september in six areas of london anyone marching like these people did last winter is liable to be arrested and fined or even imprisoned. the ban was prompted by plans by the anti muslim english defense league seen here in luton in february to march through tower hamlets the area with the highest concentration of muslims in the country but instead of banning one march on one day the home office banned all marches in six bars for an entire month activist richard seymour sees a wider motive want to savannah's past doesn't necessarily mean to say that march

isn't going to happen it just means that the police more powers and that's part of the wider problem that if you're restricted to a static demonstration the police have a right to pen you in. a restroom very. small doses or non-offensive these people behind me are amongst the lucky few they still can march just by pure accident of geography we're here in lumberton which is not one of the six baros affected by the baton but if as many fear the government extend and widen the ban to take in more parts of london the scenes that you see behind me both small and large marches through london and many other cities across the country could be a thing of the past the band comes hot on the heels of widespread rioting in many english cities in august it also coincides with the introduction of government austerity measures which some say amounts to the dismantling of the entire welfare state many say public fear of civil unrest is being manipulated to prevent unions

from turning out to protest fierce cuts and pat. reagan from the workers revolutionary party says it's just the tip of the iceberg to the for that area curfews that talk about shutting down facebook social network sites they're talking about it or your civil war measures because what they're doing in britain is creating a historic change in which inevitably. the majority of the population will oppose them freedom of expression and dissociation are enshrined in u.k. and european law with the u.k. renowned for its powerful union organizations but the ban gives police the ultimate power to step in and arrest demonstrators merely for exercising their right to speak out against the government and that's a dangerous precedent to set. our teeth london. is the

weekly here on r.t. we're coming to you live from moscow if you do stick around for a few moments we'll be back with a recap of the week's top stories. we'll . bring you the latest in science and technology something. we've got the future covered.

with the week's top stories here and this is the. election fever grips russia with president medvedev forced to clarify. plans with the. departure of the country's long standing finance minister. some one hundred people arrested in new york. zero tolerance policy towards the rapidly escalating anti wall street movement protesting all against corporate greed and inequality. greece on the brink. to scramble to secure more bailout cash for the crumbling economy with just a week to go until meltdown this is a french president warns of a new. explosive standoff. disk.