arab league observers arrived in the syrian flashpoint town of homs to assess months of bloodshed amid doubts over the independence and objectivity of them. seeking justice for those killed in the gaza war it's three years since the israeli offensive but the battle is far from over as a palestinians who lost their families go to court. from putin's really run for the presidency to the parliament to lection a spark mass protests we revisit to learn not develop and russian politics series on twenty eleventh's key events.

world news and much more twenty four hours a day this is out. with more than twenty people reportedly killed in fresh violence in syria fifty arab league monitors are heading to the most turbulent city of homs to assess president assad's response to the anti-government protests middle east expert sharon said he doubts the observers can be objective. you have to kind of look at the history of the arab league which today many many critics might refer to as the american league or the british league or the french league i don't think that it's an independent we and i don't think that anyone or many i believe many people would agree with me when i say that it's not clear whether their interests are with the interests of the of the arab people i think it's clear that there are . opposing sides in syria right now there is the government but the

government has different layers and their opposition groups and they're not all united. i mean while the director of the beirut based center for middle east studies has been telling r.t. how he hopes the observers can tell the difference between insurgents and peaceful civilians no one can deny the presence of the answer vary in syria even hillary clinton didn't recognize this and said they are one and was drowned except the like that there are many. as they mix between civilians and children because when they talk about thousand of people killed in syria they don't mention. civilians and we cannot deny that. about two thousand. or so it is this year that wouldn't those observers are going to see the you see on that was going on. claim that extremists are fighting in syria shared by some

foreign journalists working on the ground. tells us in detail later that efforts by some forces to turn the conflict into a full scale civil war are failing as what's ahead. i think that would be the action to destabilize the country. we see a lot of people killed but this is not the civil war. to go into with throwing force inside. proxy for. the problem because. it's three years since garza was pounded by relentless israeli bombing and invasion that lasted twenty two days defensive killed almost fifteen hundred palestinians

many families being wiped out for many the battle has now shifted to the courts as artie's expects. a judge is unusual not because he laid a claim against the israelis but because he won victory though is bittersweet. i'm a broken man the israelis say their army has morals what morals are they talking about it. it was december two thousand and eight for three weeks israeli soldiers bombed the gaza strip killing nearly one and a half thousand palestinians for all to five were civilians at the same time hundreds of rockets fell on southern israel killing three israeli civilians the government couldn't get to my home for sixteen hours because the israeli soldiers were firing all the time as soon as they left i went down inside on the walls the soldiers had written you'll find the bodies fifty meters away i found the body of my brother buried in the body of my sister much to cover with some bricks.

solide took his case to the palestinians to enter for human rights in a president sitting moves they secured and out of court settlement with the israeli military it took so let's see weeks to achieve the bodies of his mother and sister because of continue fighting in the area these women military says this made the case exceptional and therefore justified with the way said sally received just under one hundred fifty thousand dollars compensation. if someone or his hands up or is killed or injured and the all the money in the world in iraq. it was worth fighting for here is a financial compensation that it will offer a settlement from. the palestinian center for human rights has more than two hundred cases on its books but the heavy paperwork iraq received and expenses discourages many others from coming forward this man however is a rare exception he filed a claim three years ago and is still awaiting

a response today. with some thought what it was early morning there was showing any apartment a bomb was on fire i want to start with my hands up in the soldiers told me to pull off my shirt and trousers i did with a suit but they found a rock i would behind me my mother had been blown apart i recognized her by the ear of my two year old daughter my father my aunt my cousin my entire family was killed at that moment but convincing israeli authorities that compensation is due can be a major obstacle if it's an act of war usually military operation thought according to the israeli caseload. fifty of their factor for. the state will be except for the ability with judges case will help other palestinians is not yet clear what these really are me is also said it's opened an investigation into what happened but so far no indictment against any israeli soldier has been filed for the c.r.t.

. well there are still ahead for you this getting to know kim jong il's successor he's a man the world knows almost nothing about but runs north korea traces the line back to switzerland to meet a man who says he shared a classroom with kim jong un. just into delusion the drugs firms in the us preying on americans who are popping culture and keeping a nation pumping profits. o.t. is reflecting on this year's most significant events it's definitely been a usual one for russian politics the ruling united russia party lost popularity in a parliamentary poll that didn't stop protests against the results and he's in the wake of the developments from the outset and she has now her experience of how it unfolded.

well i think that day it became clear that russian politics are changing lots of people say that russian modern politics are stagnant that they're predicting bold but nobody that day expected that announcement to be made yes people expected there was speculation that they would run for president in twenty two but no one expected it as early as september. the first ten that this congress of united russia wasn't going to be as simple as just the platform for the duma lections being announced was glazier putin and. entering the hall on time exactly when it was supposed to start together and that's when the atmosphere inside the hall kind of changed everyone thousands of people at the same time you could feel the energy going something's going to happen today. first to come up on stage was putin and he made the big announcement which no one expected but he

believes that top of the list for the dumas elections in december. after that everyone thought ok that's it this is the big news we felt something in the air that something was going to happen and now it's been announced to me that means major will be part of united russia he will be the list that was in it. and then of course you have to me saying that he believes that. should run for president in twenty twelve and there was just this uproar explosion of applause at least certainly in united russia people there i think were genuinely surprised like i said no one expected this to come today they thought they were coming to hear what their plans for the dumas elections were. the elections this year. were a big deal first of all because. clearly united. has lost popularity and the ironic thing is you have people who referred to the vote to demonstrate how

much they popularity but then also refer to the same exact vote saying that it was falsified so how can you refer to a vote that you don't think was real to demonstrate this kind of popularity think this was an interesting to me as a journalist covering the elections. so we have a lot of western publications and networks referring to this popularity fall for united russia which certainly you can feel it happened a lot of people i think went out to vote against united russia it's not a secret that the opposition in russia for twenty years hasn't really been able to get it together you have these figures like journal. who are very well known and and they are part of that whole stagnation because they've been around for years but you don't have any real opposition and i think that's what this young generation these so-called hipsters that that are part of social networking and are

on twitter and facebook and trying to be part of politics that's what they came out to vote they really came out to vote to send a message to united russia and that became very clear they lost. two thousand and seven it was some sixty four percent and it's just under fifty percent this time around so clearly united russia has a lot of work to do in this became very visible in these elections also course in the protests that we're seeing straight after the elections on monday we saw people come out to choose to prove that which is not very far from the from the kremlin thousands of people opposition members were arrested the interesting part about being in moscow at this time is to see how many different networks cover it differently you have. russian state television only covering it when it gets really big you have western media covering any little meeting that happens in the center of moscow many times exaggerating the situation.

and then the saturday after the election you really had it's fair to say historic day in russia you had tens of thousands of people who came out to my square just around the corner from the kremlin it was the same protest some fifteen thousand people is the most common number we have all the figures do vary depending on who you ask peacefully protesting for fair elections and you had the riot police and officials just letting them do their thing and their symbol really i think a really strong example of this where these white flowers or these white ribbons and there's pictures of actual riot police holding these flowers and it was certainly a feeling that day for me that it's such an interesting time to be in russia and i'm glad to be someone that they can they can work on all of these stories and cover elections and cover protests and that kind of be really in particular here in moscow not a far telling the story about russia from outside of russia but being in the center of it on. every day right up to new year will

bring you more personal reflections from our international correspondents on the events that dominated the news in turkey that there are any you missed you can watch them any time it's dot com. well north korea's lately that kim jong il will be buried tomorrow but what the world still wants to know is where the often unpredictable country will go next few things are known about his successor his in his twenty's and started in switzerland parties where a ferocious spoke to one of his former classmates to shed some light on the man their heads of the the world's most secretive country. the death of the north korean dictator has raised questions and hopes over whether the dictatorship one of the last in the world will follow or will this extremely close society remain isolated and it's a new leader too so little is known about the late leader is the great successor

his third and youngest son kim is a bit of a dark horse even his age remained a subject of speculation his thought to be twenty seven or twenty eight his new ascension to power increases the media hunger for information about him so his expensive education in switzerland said lead tracked it's a lot more interest and entrepreneur in moscow with russian origins alexander how good she believes he could have been one of kim's classmates when news spread that kim trannie may have gone to an elite school in this week's margins in late ninety's the businessman brought out his all the book to refresh his memory there were quite a few koreans. quieter than others. with the last thank you. as kim is the most common name in korea alexander remembers the koreans always different from other students they were very disciplined they were

very. very serious for their. they wouldn't always take part in. fun and games at the other students were very hard studying to be top because they didn't like to do although some think the deceased leader's son may be a figurehead overshadowed by his recently promoted uncle who is thought to wield the real power alexander says the three years china has apparently spent in europe may change the country's future forever i think. it will make him realize that he has to do something good for his people first country and make a change in terms of. past experience his knowledge of foreign languages. the skills that he managed to do it in being able the outside world used to get most of the news from behind north korea's iron curtain through the country's

strictly censored state run media covering the live of the secrets of society from the inside has been an almost impossible task for international journalists but the details now emerging about the new leader is exposure to the liberal west or for a glimmer of hope that he may ease bag the rigid control over the two terry regime and begin to open north korea to the world and maybe their war old to north korea. r.t. . lotty dot com has plenty of video commentary and analysis for you to explore let's take a brief look at what's being lined up for you today a titanic task as the hundred thousand verse of the world's most notorious maritime disaster approaches a fearless tourists head on a discovery dive to the legendary rock. band the polar bear cub that will melt your heart we need

a little fellow who's already got millions of fans due to this cuddly video tell you why it's one hundred in denmark. pakistan's army is rejecting the key findings for america's investigation into how it's drones killed twenty four pakistani soldiers last month u.s. saying that both sides should share the blame but also do little to restore the all but shattered relationship between the two countries artie's military contributor says america is trying to offload responsibility for its blunders the results of the investigation regarding b u s unfortunate read. across the afghan pakistani border were neither conclusive for the u.s.

military on the ground nor for the pakistani army in fact that pakistani military flatly denied their results in fact that pakistan or action to that pentagon investigation was totally predictable the pentagon announcement states that the u.s. forces involved in this baleful accident acted in self-defense and really appropriate use of force after being fired upon this particular warning is in the open work attempt to exonerate the u.s. chain of command for taking such an erroneous and baleful decision and tacitly shift the blame to the pakistani side small wonder that pakistani leadership at large and especially then military leadership what enraged by the conclusions of the pentagon investigation. for more of the world's news now and first to japan where the scale of the nuclear accident at the fukushima nuclear plant is being

blamed on a lack of preparedness and response. new government study found the plant's operators did not properly until the impact of massive tsunami that struck in march the facility was severely damaged in the disaster and explosions at four reactors of things going systems failed fishel said last week that the plant was now stable but one thing it does take decades to complete. a teenager has been stabbed to death in london's oxford street during one of its busiest shopping days eighteen year old was attacked to refer to a store before staggering to the street crowded with thousands of christmas bargain hunters a second man was wounded nearby in another stabbing shortly after it's not known if that incident was related to people been arrested. the flash floods which destroyed the philippines have now claimed fifteen hundred.

composing bodies have been seen in the sea sixty miles from the worst hit areas the search has been widened with the agency crews continue for as long as bodies have been recovered so dead. the united states has a passion for pills in their country holds the record as the world's biggest users of psychotropic drugs consuming sixty percent of the pharmaceutical firms are keen to keep cashing in on the multi-billion dollar market even if it costs people's health is very important reports. america is regarded as a country with the ravenous appetite for consumption today a widespread fondness for pharmaceuticals has turned the us into a nation of popper's bipolar depression doesn't have to consume here's me and here's my depression you know when you feel the weight of sadness. you may feel exhausted hopeless and anxious with over fourteen billion dollars in annual sales

anti-psychotics remain america's top selling therapeutic class of prescription drugs this is a medical journal dr harriet fraud believes big pharma has manufactured a climate of insanity by manipulating and even creating illness for capital gains the advertising strategy is to have a big diagnoses and then find wiggle room so that they apply to everybody prescription nexium the u.s. is the only western country that allows direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs this ad for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder warns that untreated patients will likely end up divorced and this commercial for emmy award this is assuming you don't have to be alone but side effects may include dry mouth insomnia sexual side effects diarrhea nausea and sleepiness the critics also say big pharma uses its financial muscle to provide doctors with gives cash kickbacks

and research funding in exchange for endorsing or purse cry big the latest and most lucrative drugs what you have is a whole network of doctors who are hustling these drugs if a patient comes in with a need injury and says i'm so sad oh are you depressed hey write a prescription they're given out like eminem's last year per script and drug abuse became the number one cause of accidental death with more than thirty thousand americans overdosing blood sugar has been reported missing and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to calm the number of children consuming anti-psychotic medication doubled in the past decade millions of american adolescents are taking drugs like adderall doled out by doctors to treat hyperactivity only drugs are very very similar to illicit really. drugs are dangerous their water is a little safer but you should note sure pfizer america's most profitable

pharmaceutical company makes anti-depressants not only for people but also for animals in two thousand i love pharma giant the two point three billion dollars to settle civil and criminal allegations over illegally marketing one of its drugs it was the largest health care fraud settlement and criminal why ever didn't leave by all u.s. drug company that being said the money reportedly amounted to less than three weeks more of a prize for drug sales the pharmaceutical industry remains the most profitable business in the u.s. more success and financial gain for the companies will always remain possible as long as more americans are encouraged to take drugs marina r.t. new york. with such accounts with business news now in the trash.

it's almost twenty four minutes past the hour welcome to the business program on r t o's two thousand and eleven is coming to an end to business or to you looks back at the highlights of the year the stews they will focus on the nord stream pipeline one of the most important international projects in the energy sector it started taking gas from russia to germany in the for the meantime a design co reports on what it took to launch the longest subsea pipeline in the world. they said it wouldn't be possible too expensive too long too complicated nevertheless not stream came to life it took four years of planning and eighteen months of construction and the pipeline was launched on the eighth of november twentieth levon with the valve like a wheel of fortune turned in europe's favor let's now take a look at this map over here the whole goal of building this immense one thousand two hundred twenty two kilometer undersea pipeline is to deliver gas to europe and

of void having to go through countries like ukraine which at times prove themselves as not safe partners to russia the first completed line is transporting twenty seven and a half billion cubic meters of gas a year and will double once the second one is completed and that's expected in the fourth quarter of twenty twelve this will be enough for twenty six million european households and around a half of what's currently going for ukraine north stream goes through the territorial waters of five countries so it took a lot of time to conduct all necessary ecological research to make sure it's safe there for the four years in the making and of course a lot of money to seven point four billion euros to be exact this meant many experienced partners gazprom understandably took fifty one percent a majority controlling stake in the project germany's winter's hole and the yuan rule goes to fifteen and a half percent each and the french g.d.s.

whereas hold nine percent each this excess of the project made gazprom confident and in september the shareholder agreement for south stream assisted to north stream was signed but now europe is worried is becoming too dependent on russian gas which already accounts for twenty five percent of its demand but with ongoing instability in the north african region projects like nordstrom unsure diversity and therefore security. and let's now take a look at the markets oil first. prices are trading flat near the highest levels in two weeks light sweet as now and below one hundred dollars a barrel while brant is trading at more than one hundred eight dollars a barrel. and on to activities trade is pretty thin in asia in tokyo than a case dropping less than half a percent given up some of the previous these gains bucking the trend is toyota putting on almost a quarter percent after dealing in new hybrid car at the on monday and hong kong the hang seng remains closed for the holidays you're seeing the closing figures

from last friday. and it's two hours ahead of the opening bell here in the moscow the russian markets on monday had a pretty bullish day they gave almost the most in four trading sessions both the r.t.s. and m i six finished more than one percent and the all eyes are on the u.s. markets they'll reopen on tuesday after a holiday weekend figure for higher from troika dialog says growth is the likely to continue but in the volumes. big positions will be opened or closed till the end of this year i think everyone will really kind of done what they wanted to do in this year but i wouldn't exclude some speculative trading and maybe someone to trashing before the end of the year usually the last week of the year it's growing week so i would expect say ten or fifteen percent growth but i would be surprised to see both five maybe six percent growth through the end of the year and that's all the latest from the business team i'll be back in about fifty minutes elsie.

if. russia would be soon which brightened if you knew about songs from phones to christians. for instance on

t.v. don't come. in two thousand and ten especially economic zone for industrial production was established in russia somalia region with a total area of six hundred sixty effect as. its investors are granted exclusive tax and customs benefits which includes a five year exemption from property land and transport taxes as well as an income tax reduction to fifteen point five percent. discretional economic zone operates as a free customs own which enables manufacturers to market their products in russia free of in for duties to some our region as he said is currently witnessing a sewage infrastructure could.