it's heavily heavily reliant on its on its income from oil exports the vast majority of which go through the strait that being said just because something that the iranian government doesn't want to do doesn't necessarily mean that it's something that it's won't do if pressure increases to the point where iran is backed into a corner two governments that have been communicating for over three decades and when you don't have direct channels of communication that increases the likelihood of miscalculations and misperceptions and it reinforces a cycle of escalation and conflict and it increases the likelihood that you can you can take actions that might not be in accordance even with your own interests and rather than governments controlling the conflict the conflict begins to control the governments and we end up with an outcome that i think both parties independently would seek to avoid. and i turning our attention to syria now where violence that began in march has spilled over into the new year arab league observers on a mission there to tour the country have warned damascus against cracking down on protesters at least thirteen people were reportedly killed in the past they have

alone despite the league's efforts to oversee the implementation of a peace plan this comes as two of syria's leading opposition groups signed a unification deal that also rules out any foreign intervention beyond arab involvement it's estimated that more than five thousand civilians were killed in syria last year but that cannot be verified because damascus has restricted access to foreign journalist afshin rattansi says the syrian conflict is a power that could ignite the entire region. it's certainly the western media's viewpoint that we must believe the we must believe opposition groups it seems that any mobile footage is no except as a source what is in no doubt is that thousands of syrian soldiers dying and they haven't died because of peaceful protests but this isn't a libya syria is a linchpin of the middle east and the united states and other countries are the

more intelligent people realize that there will be turmoil right across the middle east if anything happens to destabilize the government from outside forces but certainly syria the syrian government itself has to step up the pace because it's certainly losing the propaganda battle meantime the syrian regime claims its fighting an armed insurgency funded from abroad that's yet to be independently confirm but what is fact is that the rebel fighters who helped to overthrow colonel gadhafi in libya and now eager to take the revolution to president assad's door hundreds of libyans most in areas are reportedly already gunning for regime change in syria. now reports from tripoli. a butcher our dad made the owner of this kebab shop in tripoli still undecided what's the most fitting term for syria's bashar al assad. jealous of his economics if we give him enough in the way that the syria. other syria. you can

make it a lot of people in syria. out of solidarity with their arab brothers the owners of the shop have even put on display the syrian rebels tricolor but they're very firm on where the revolutionary support should be and we don't want syria and its soldiers we have. and our people subject syria these are just wrong if this subject we have to have enough but i think yeah we want to leave. in less than three months libyan rebels have gone from being celebrated as liberators to being called occupiers tripoli residents rally almost every week calling on the armed militia to leave and for some of these young man who are on adrenaline and willing to part with their rifles syria seems like the next logical destination. your were all ready to join the syrian revolution and with the help of

allah we will make sure that what happened in libya will repeat itself in syria. over the portraits of shaky bar i now ubiquitous on the streets of tripoli be some rebels even styling themselves to resemble the famous revolutionary. with the help of allah we can all belong to give aren't fighting for peace and freedom around the world. and it seems that che guevara's a deal of exporting revolutions have gotten a second birth in the middle east the arab spring has created a buoyant marketplace for soldiers of fortune they move from one revolution to another motivated by personal gain some by conviction all others by the venture if i put out on the vision of freedom and for now at least in the freedom to leave by the gun. as a romantic and spontaneous as it may appear aiding the syrian uprising with mercenaries may not be such

a genuine move video women and children in syria gunned down by snipers are involved on you tube while it's still unclear who is pulling the trigger there are terrorists neighbors who are shooting at civilians men women and children blind terrorism random killing simply for the purpose of destabilizing the country or from libya or from afghanistan or pakistan foreign fighters have been brought in here by the cia and the other western services. one man's terrorist could easily be anonymous freedom fighter but for the united states it's now. a big hiking but hodge one of the leaders of triple a militia was once on the cia most wanted list today he's the face of the democratic leader who according to our to store says that a group of several hundred li been rebels to syria just last month. we can't do any to support the syrian people because we are they are facing the same situation as

before and do appreciate it comes to lead and we will. provide the syrian people who they need help to get their freedom i think we should do what the use of soldiers of fortune is hardly new in this troubled region middle eastern rulers hard then for centuries a save garci against their own populations and it now looks like the history of mercenaries in the middle east has got to it's new and no less bloody chapter x. in the wake of artsy tripoli. and i still have forgive us our here on are. we thinking about just a few of the momentous stories of made the headlines in two thousand and eleven around the world. in egypt pro-democracy protesters held a candlelight vigil in cairo's tahrir square on new year's eve in memory of those killed during the uprising that ousted hosni mubarak meanwhile the u.s.

says egypt's current rulers have agreed to stop song pro-democracy rights groups it was earlier this week soldiers on the police stormed offices of non government actions including some funded by washington documents and computers were seized as part of investigations into the foreign funding of his actions the groups accuse the ruling military of using the same tactics offer pressuring the former mubarak regime foreign policy analyst dr ideal shamu thinks the generals want to make sure they hold on to power but people want to stop and so they're out there. this is part of the military the supreme council on forces way of making sure. this. basically is molded to the to the type of government they want because that's the sort of the same generals by the way who work for mubarak.

so that's basically is part of that struggle is going to go to go forward or is that a good use in going to be molded and some dude into some sort of role to the military but really the military has to step aside and let this into the government come to power once the election are held and the election should be held as soon as possible they will not give up the power of that easily but i think the egyptian people and the arabs in general mos def fearful government and they have restored of their dignity and they will not tolerate another military dictatorship in the country i think all the evidence indicate that despite the sacrifices. now at ten minutes past the hour here in moscow let's get to the world update for you some other headlines from around the world in brief first to nigeria where the country's leader has declared a state of emergency in areas hit by a wave of islamist. president goodluck jonathan has shut borders with neighboring

countries following a string of christmas day blasts which killed over forty the leader has vowed to crush a book or heart are militants who did claim responsibility violence has continued since churches throughout the country were first attacked a week ago tens of thousands of fled their homes fearing for the conflict. in the south of sudan thousands of fighters from the newer tribe have laid siege to a town of one of their rivals members of the tribe stormed people torching buildings stealing livestock and forcing schools to flee it comes to spy un troops attempts to step up security in the town in recent months ethnic infighting caused by cattle rustling has left about a thousand people dead. a former member of the japanese cult behind an attack on the tokyo subway in one thousand nine hundred ninety five has turned himself into police just before midnight on new

year's eve he had been hiding for seventeen years since the group released sarin gas on the underground system killing thirteen people. started as a spiritual movement mixing hindu and buddhist beliefs but then developed into a doomsday cult obsessed with. us president barack obama has signed the bill which means any person can be detained without charge a major defense bill is aimed at dealing with terrorists suspects and comes with a massive six hundred sixty two billion dollars price tag but critics say the military will now have more authority to detain and interrogate people denying them of their basic constitutional rights. well coming up in the program here on r.t. it's an insight into you and me we meet one of the few people able to shed some light on the new leader of the world's most secretive country a man north koreans having to defend their down.

the israeli military has confirmed it carried out an air strike on gaza on friday one palestinian was killed in the attack which telhami of claims was aimed at preventing militants from firing rockets into israel the country's been stepping up its airstrikes in recent months leaving dozens dead three years now after the jewish state briefly invaded gaza military officials are saying there may have to start what they're calling quote a war of necessity attempts of brokering a peace deal have so far proven fruitless but israeli columnist gideon levy thinks telaprevir isn't really trying to avoid any conflict. three years ago israel had the car blunder not only the west had plowed this. and didn't say it would against the city but we are facing a new egypt and gaza ease in the backyard of egypt and i'm not sure that egypt will

remain indifferent visa via another. but having said this i'm not sure that this is enough to prevent an attack because unfortunately israeli politicians in general has not always react in the most racial and logical way the current government of israel has no serious intentional about serious dialogue with the palestinians maybe some photo opportunities but nothing more than these the palestinian authority has just launched another proposal for israel to get back to the negotiation table they even gave up the conditional freezing the settlements which is a minimum. condition and they just just. symbolic release of one how the police do prisoners to get back to the gauche asian table and what do these words say lol. well korea has vowed to improve the economic life of

its impoverished people rallied internal support for kim jong un in a new year's state but the country is entering a new era with a new leader firmly installed a supreme commander of the military and head of the ruling party this of course following his father's recent death however the quote great successor remains an enigma so what is more than often i looked at what we do know. 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 condit's new leader too so little is known about the lately to his great successor his third and youngest son kim turning is a bit of a dark course even his age remains 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 some quieter than others. with the last name kim. as kim is the most common name in the koreas alexander remembers the koreans always different from other students they were very disciplined very disciplined as a group of students. very serious for their direction. they wouldn't always take part. for the games that the other students were very

hard studying to be top class they didn't like to do that although some think the deceased leaders son may be a figurehead overshadowed by his recently promoted uncle who is thought to wield the real power alexander says the three years channing 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 culture and make a change in terms of. past experience his knowledge of foreign languages. the skills that he managed to retain 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 life 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 of a little tear in the regime and begin to open north korea to the world and maybe their war old to north korea. r.t. moscow. it is generally the first of two thousand and twelve here in moscow it's good to have you with us here on r.t. of course our russia has welcome in the new year with quite a bang being the world's biggest country it celebrated in new year nine times of course thanks to its nine time zones with the country's far east kickstarting the festivities and russia's western most point the baltic city of kaliningrad finishing off while hundreds or also gathered in moscow's red square to toast the new year the world was treated to mass celebrations and fireworks all over the globe right here that's new york thousands packing in times square for the ceremonial ball dropping at midnight again to sydney and come to sydney there it is

australia was among the first countries to open its doors to the new year with glittering fireworks and picked up the baton with spectacular shows held all across the region and then to dubai where hundreds gathered at the world's tallest building to watch an amazing elimination display also the millions of revelers packing european cities for the big countdown to midnight really was quite a show from all over the world now with sweeping celebrations all around the let's turn over to audience and he said she looks back what made two thousand and eleven . two thousand and eleven could easily go down as the most eventful year in years the killing of bin ladin after a decade long manhunt libya's good to have after months of nato bombing and the death of north korea's kim jong il don't even begin to illustrate twenty eleven. times shows the protester as person of the year and although there were different

slogans signs and demands of solutions twenty eleven will ultimately be remembered as the year people came out onto the streets the arab spring bloomed into a european summer which harvested. an american autumn from cairo to california moscow to madrid to harir to occupy global rallies shared common themes but if one thing stood out in the middle east and north africa alone it was protests that lead down one road regime change. tunisia and egypt got rid of their dictators without war but libya was not so lucky nato allies began a humanitarian mission with a fierce bombing campaign the critics called it a mislabeled invasion to take down gadhafi for benefits the only reason they're interested in with libya is about the oil you hear anybody screaming and yelling

about all those people last week they were killed in the ivory coast or whose sudan gadhafi was brutally killed in october as the world watched the graphic video go viral thousands of civilians were killed over months of bombing and twenty twelve neared syria found itself in a similar set up for intervention russia and china fearing a repeat of the situation in libya as civil war intensifies this is a direct effect of that wrecked clash between the u.s. and nato on one side and russia and china on the war you know on the other side much more david was in league protests continue in egypt libya syria and many more arab countries as the year ends. the battle to save a drowning single currency left to board rooms and banks in twenty eleven and flooded the streets of europe most commonly and violently in athens greek debt became the

centerpiece of the euro crisis protests raged against desperate austerity cuts to qualify for i.m.f. bailouts germany and france bond for influence in the debt ridden zone i think we will see an exit of greece. given the situation in which the greek economy find itself has become really unavoidable draining the economy of big brother germany can't go on forever greece and italy are now led by on a lark to brussels back technocrat leaders who are trying to curb the crisis coming into a new year critics say twenty eleven bell outs or bust was the beginning of the end for the single european currency there's every chance the euro is going to crash. london burned for days in the summer of twenty eleven what began as a peaceful protests demanding justice over the death of a twenty nine year old man who was shot by police turned into days of riots and

left authorities helpless talks of possibly bringing out the military bars the shops were looted car set on fire and windows smashed across the u.k. the police the job center all the banks everything that's happening in the recession you know there's a lot of anger about that social experts also through a felt multicultural programme and racism into the mix. so the police institutionally. institutionally racist as well the riots faded but the problems are still passing some say only a spark is needed to set the public off again. occupy wall street became a household name in the us and around the world but when the protests began in september if you were talking about it the mainstream media stayed silent until

seven hundred people were arrested on the brooklyn bridge and then truly based in the end of his fruits of american politics but. there are a disorganized a look but there's one of the protesting nobody seems to know but negative coverage didn't stop us from spreading from small towns to huge ports occupied was not going anywhere raids on camps heavy handed police and burning pepper spray only helped occupy grow and spread their message of the need for economic equality and an end to corporate greed their slogan became we are the ninety nine percent and they the rich the one percent from oakland to boston the more people occupied the more. mentality became more evident the was the in the i'm sure if you're right on the urgency of the army

or police forces have been militarized they are working more in cooperation with the pentagon they're buying and being given military surplus the quick meant that has been kind of designed for use in war and this is something that leads to treating the public as you would treat an enemy a public that has promised to come out in full force in twenty twelve. parliamentary elections were the push behind tens of thousands of people coming out onto the streets of moscow after allegations the december duma wrote was raked. the protest at least fifty thousand strong the largest in recent history call for free and fair elections and remained peaceful ruling party united russia lost popularity in the vote with official results putting their numbers i don't most

fifty percent but experts say a sixteen percent drop from two thousand and seven should be taken as a warning i think a lot of people want to punish. united russia for having power for so long and maybe not doing everything they could protest organized by vast groups of opposition members are said to continue in twenty twelve next year russia along with the u.s. and france holds presidential elections which makes it a safe bet people will be out on the streets in twenty twelve in europe america and around the world and you see now a r.t. moscow. we have more on the events that shaped two thousand and eleven no waiting for you on our website c.n.n. dot com also for there right now see how the world is celebrated the arrival of two thousand and twelve you will find some spectacular footage of new year's celebrations from around. the end of the year so all u.s.

troops wave farewell to iraq to dot com explores the implications and consequences of nine years. and a look at the uprising. disasters of two thousand and eleven those seen through the eyes of our correspondent you're going to hear that testimony. witnesses. to history in the making. testimony. ten stories that shapes two thousand and eleven. i will be back in just a moment with a recap of our top stories cæsar. tried

to clean a ghost town. squandered money. abandon . what is now. more than sixty square kilometers of the environmental devastation and those who are still surprising new lives i'm finding are just. it's getting bad out here. not saying hardly any birds squirrels you know. you know i don't

know what's going on here. concrete on our cheek wealthy british style. markets. find out what's really happening to the global economy for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines good. he.

imposes a new. nuclear this is. some tension between the two countries. in the world. with. the globe and.

with world changing. the issues dividing the world. the u.n. security council rejected russia's proposal to investigate civilian deaths from nato strikes in libya what members avoiding or it is simply a case that ongoing conflicts and i wore important. well you know first of all it was not rejected the fact of the matter is that a number of the security council delegations including the russian delegation there is the need to have some clarity about civilian casualties as a result of nato bombings because for months.