the oil prices now have increased this comes at a time where birth europe and the year worse are witnessing a very very dire economic situation economic problems both in the u.s. and europe and this latest step taken against iran will only of course set the precedent for increasing economic problems for the west in general escalation won't serve any side whatsoever we've seen the the economic situation in europe they'll be somewhat i believe very soon between the french leader and the german chancellor angela merkel to discuss the economic situation and so it's in nobody's interest to continue with this and i have to head back to the negotiating table the european union has agreed in principle i repeat it in principle for no for an embargo on iranian soil now will that happen in effect will they take this measure in practice june will will see a meeting on january the thirtieth for the european union regarding this matter i doubt that that will happen i believe in from now until the end of this month until the end of january we might see some kind of

a solution with players like turkey coming in trying to bring about a solution the editor of the colbert report current affairs website says that by trying to slap more sanctions on iran the u.s. and e.u. are only staring a dangerous tension in the region. i think it's quite remarkable to think that france and the us and other countries would be willing to step up sanctions that have already had such a profound effect on the iranian people on the basis of their hunch that iran to run is developing nuclear weapons as as france has basically put it it's quite remarkable because that really does is tantamount to an act of war the idea that iran would really close off the straits of hormuz or attempt to do so would only be an absolute last measure resort for a country that relies on the importation of refined gasoline and other things through the very straits that they would be a sensibly sabotaging and planting mines in so it's it's quite remarkable to think that that iran would do that in any other situation other than they felt that the

entire existence of their country was an under threat so adding more sanctions to to the mix is is really just a recipe for military disaster i think. now you can always share your take on this developing story along with all of the big stories on our web site that's exactly what we're asking you what you think of these new sanctions on iran which is what you've been telling us over half of you who took the time and trouble to get back to us say iran will be pushed into a corner fifty three percent say that i'm seeing new sanctions is not toward this hour eighteen percent of you slightly less than last believe the u.s. simply won't work the story the rest of you evenly split between saying the world economy is going to suffer a sanctions drive up prices sky would we have seen the start of that already are those who think they will only hurt ordinary people in iran see dot com is the place where you can cast your vote on this story. the process of finding a republican candidate to contest the twenty twelve american presidential election officially got underway in the state of iowa the results the anything but decisive

career politician mitt romney beating his conservative counterpart rick santorum by just eight votes just a few points behind the two was libertarian wrong paul the only antiwar candidate in this year's lineup even hours before the vote many people are still undecided after a republican election run up by sex scandals mudslinging in tit for tat despite all that the former congressional aide and diplomat joel rubin believes it is wrong paul stands out from the rest. of his foreign policy is very distinct from the other candidates in that he has a more isolationist viewpoint he wants the united states to retreat from international conflicts and the rational fear is in some areas that can be good he's opposed to military action with the ron who is opposed to the iraq war but the other candidates are all extremely hard on foreign policy very neoconservative ron paul does stand out among them he makes voters want to support him but inspire is

leading the party in getting other republicans on board to really change the agenda no he hasn't done that someone who says i. make it on my own and that's what really embodies but republicans also understand that kind of positioning will not win the general election against president obama. well as the republican campaign develops democrats are beginning to wonder just how much appeal president obama still has having come to power on a wave of hope four years ago his chances of beginning to live dimon with complaints from voters of broken promises and corporate favors driving them away at his most important points. three years ago one historic campaign turned u.s. politics into a pop culture phenomenon. for the democratic candidate achieved unprecedented support international fame and

a record breaking six hundred fifty million dollars in donations. thousands of new yorkers celebrated the victory clutching an enormous american flag hand sewn by obama supporters but the winds have changed and the very same democratic symbol waved in honor of the president elect in a way you straight from straight has been donated to the movement that became a phenomenon in two thousand and eleven there are about twenty people holding out david mccullough to organize the flag project after being inspired by obama rhetoric a dream shattered by the subsequent years of politics as usual curly what's inspiring me as up as a lot of us like that that's the thing that's inspiring me now but that's why i brought the fight so ws and the thing that inspired me about it is the fact that it's a grassroots movement. that had a like a very clear and transparent process artist shepard fairey seems similarly just an

chanted releasing an updated version of his iconic hope poster replacing obama with his now clear support for occupy wall street with an economy still in crisis wall street largely unregulated social programs slashed and over forty five million citizens on food stamps it all starts with making a decision to get involved obama's familiar prose may not be enough to win back his familiar fan base who didn't produce what people wanted him to produce in two thousand and eight professor and author dr cornel west was one of obama's biggest supporters i think you get the beers you got the nooses. at the freshness taking part in more than one hundred campaign events but last april the prominent intellectual told r.t. that obama has failed he's the friendly face of the american empire abroad he's in the process actually of becoming very sadly a pawn of big finance and

a puppet of big business and any politician here knows they're in trouble when the hollywood a listers start turning their backs are you happy with the way that obama has been running the country. you know. and i think i really think he misinterpreted his. yet the approval ratings show voters are even more turned off with the alternatives leaving obama seemingly the lesser of two evils america's president clearly enters the twenty twelve race amid a growing band of disillusioned democrats most will still back barack obama over his republican rivals arguably with heavy hearts in two thousand needs he was the unassailable candidate of choice this time mr obama is likely to stay in id fields. artsy new york. ahead of the program tonight earning their daily

bread we'll tell you the story of two wealthy expert on. the way to the top of russia's top and pastry sector. the euro's woes flare up again as we head into the new year with aphids now threatening to pull out of the eurozone unless the e.u. and i.m.f. bailout cash into its collapsing economy. polling stations have closed in egypt after the final day of a three stage vote the country's first democratic election in more than half a century final results are to be announced next week with the muslim brotherhood being the favorites after clinching the lead in the first two stages of the vote last year earlier rounds were overshadowed by clashes between protesters and the army egypt's ruling military generals have been accused of clinging to power the now facing anger over their handling of the protests that left fifty nine dead since mid november recent army raids on western sponsored n.g.o.s have also added even more concerns over the country's stability let's go live to london and talk to political analyst chris bambery to discuss what the election means for egypt chris

good seats not very happy new year two things spring with this the results so far of a strong islam is showing seem to mirror the partner elsewhere in the regions elections since the arab spring what does this trend mean for the arab world do you think. i think it's not surprising the muslim brotherhood have done very very well in these elections they were the only organized force in egyptian society they had an ambiguous or on to mubarak form or they were banned but actually were allowed to participate in political life in egypt and therefore they hide their network they have popular support popular support for several decades in egypt and as i say the only organized force who are able to really affect where we are the action campaign which could do well i think second way as well there are those in the west who are almost hysterical by the idea of islamicist parties doing well in the elections of june is here now now in egypt i think you have to say that if you give people the

right to term in their own future it was always good to be the case that is imus's policies would do well in egypt as he did in. his ear so i don't think it's a surprise i think it also reflects the fact the really in the time span between the revolution the overthrow of barack and these elections the various other forces the left in the liberal forces have not effect we got their act together it was always going to be difficult to get the right to go to the eye to eye to wield enough but i have to say the muslim brotherhood are held up occasionally as a boogie man in the west of course they are party which did collaborate on occasions with mubarak and previously nasa listen to repression from both as well but they did collaborate they made a commitment that they will respect a free market economy they've entered into dialogue with hillary clinton in the west they've gone out of their way to suggest as the record shows there are moderate force in egyptian society the front organization of political organization of freedom and justice party has been taking lessons from the trucker's government

which operates really particles under the same name as was the case engine is here and i don't think it is a bogeyman in any sense i think this is a sea of hands chris that we patrol themselves as a moderate force one thing but the muslim brotherhood spokesman has already told local media that his party is set to grant immunity to army officers who killed protesters in the recent clashes short of that adds to the fears of a possible alliance between the islamists and the ruling military no. well i think you're right to talk about this the muslim brotherhood have cooperated with the military don't they're rude they were not killed in the protests which followed up and in the summer they did eventually join the protests this that which we saw in november which you mentioned in an introduction but again the winners of the participation in those protests there was a faith where splits of the youth wing militia has been involved in the revolution ever since which is far more radical and far more challenging in terms as well i

think you're right i think the possibility of some sort of compromise between islam and his forces the army is there in fact the more radical islamist rivals are being backed by the saudis who talk about a pakistan. scenario in egypt which is a coming together an alliance of islamicists and the military in the secret service the sort of the alliances we've seen in fact in pakistan and indeed by extension into into afghanistan but there are clearly tensions here people have expectations of the muslim brotherhood will deliver and some of the promises it made in the past there i would contain more radical elements in particular among the longer use people who want democracy want more radical change and they will be expecting as well that mubarak should be brought to justice and some of those officers responsible for the torture and the killing of activists in that was recent recent months should be dealt with and any talk of an amnesty for the military i think will inflame the sit situation has to be said that many of those people who. look

to the military as safeguarding safeguard the revolution of no turned against them because of the record in office over the last few months chris final thirty seconds what role now for washington e. in egypt as we head into twenty twelve thinking of course of last week's raids on american sponsored. cetera what's washington's role going to be. i think washington is a very poor or to stand back and watch the form of barack they don't like it they have to see weasel words of the support of the revolution i've been a very keen to rebuild support with the military and was after all the key ally along with israel but i think the americans have taken a hit in egypt and i think those raids were a warning to the white house that yeah of course we'll play ball with you and occasion but we're not going back to the situation as it was before the fall of mubarak and i think overall the arab spring despite some of the voices made in washington has been a ball to washington i'm going to sit back and watch the fall of people like mubarak and possibly how we are in yemen or still calling on the americans i'll go to a taken

a hit and worry about more radical forces emerging in the region and worried about the challenges that may arise it's our israel in egypt in tunisia and other countries in the middle east london based political analyst chris bambery thanks for your thoughts on the program. the rise of the miss parties in egypt has prompted western concern for the policies the country may adopt if the likes of the muslim brotherhood step into power and we caught up with regional politics expert jeremy soult his outlook on the developments in the arab world for the next twelve months coming up next hour in our latest interview. good look at what's been happening in the middle east and the policies the western governments of followed since the beginning of this year they have always had the the noble motive we're doing this for this very very good reason but we don't have to be terribly skeptical or cynical to understand that actually behind the noble motive is self-interest if we look at what happened in egypt the west backed mubarak right to

the very last and there was no longer possible to back him when it was indefensible they dumped him. doubtfully my mistake that's come up in fifteen minutes from now a little bit later this hour. greece has announced that it could ditch the euro and exit the eurozone as little as three months that is unless the e.u. and the i.m.f. fund it with a second one hundred thirty billion euro bailout talks over the cash life lot of stall for months now over the poor performance of a sturdy measures and fears for the future we spoke to belgian business journalist your butt overvoltage believes the number say it all the greece's exit is now unavoidable. the greek economy is going down like a stone. g.d.p. contracted by four percent in two thousand and ten by six percent in two thousand and eleven and there is probably worse to come in two thousand and twelve and i think we are now at a point where everybody in research realizes that we cannot go on like this and

that the unrest and even the nikki in the country is becoming so much of a threat that some drastic things need to be done and my reading of what a greek government is doing is that they are trying to do that they are looking for an alibi to offer to their public by which they can say well it's not our fault it's the international community that pushes us towards the exit of the euro zone and i think also here in europe at the brussels headquarters of the european commission people start to realize they really are at the end of the road there is no other option left for them they're in a deadlock they cannot rewind the greek economy and so they are facing in a big black hole. it's seen as one of the biggest blights so of modern day britain tackling gang violence there is proving really difficult with the government saying a firm response is the only means of dealing with it but now there's growing criticism that the attempts to improve the situation that actually addressing the

roots of the problem is laura smith explains more. the dark underbelly of life in britain is in a city's gang culture dramatized here for a television series for gavin it was real life he got into a gang to escape a feeling of powerlessness an abusive home life where money was a constant struggle. so. over the top. for the crazy. people. at his lowest ebb gavin admits to having stabbed a girl and his story isn't unusual in deprived areas nowhere is the question of how

to solve the gang problem in london more relevant than here in new. london two thousand and twelve olympic park but it's also got more guying than almost anywhere else in london around here young people say you start just by hanging out with your friends on the streets and you end up in a spiral of gang violence and fear. in you're more than half of the kids are living below the poverty line and they don't feel the government's doing anything to help them how can you hold me. you have to have. a government really understood. when gavin met sheldon thomas an x gangster

himself he turned a corner and they're now working in a team to get young people out of gangs the government claims it wants the same thing and having laid the blame for august's riots firmly at the door of gangs their solution the carrot and stick method are if you found some excellent police work to identify and manage the highest risk going members through a combination of targeted surveillance enforcement and arrest for any offense however minor and positive offers of training employment and drugs treatment for those who want a different life. but for those not prepared to break away from violence they will face harsher and tougher punishments but this isn't going to work according to shelton thomas who feels the government is forcing him at every turn what they do is they look at. the manifestation of gangs gun violence. gang rape drugs digital that's just a manifestation that the causes of the cause in stem from family breakdown

moles on the window from society as a whole while the government rhetoric sounds encouraging other policies will undermine both carrot and stick economic austerity cuts will mean sixteen thousand fewer police officers on the streets and services that deal directly with gangs now will have their funding cut by between twenty and ninety percent in some areas that means young people like gavin in the future will have nowhere to go but the st lawrence smith party london more of the stories we're covering on our web site up to you dot com few stories of interest tonight we focus on television to shape funny eleven to bring you our correspondents first time the kurds reporting from the world's hot spots in sanaa test a series of being captured last week pretty interesting accounts from some limits online from us tonight r.t. dot com. the plan of party to go to war you do it with a good time we want to live picture galleries capture the high spirits from around

the world as we should in twenty twelve great pictures from moscow as well about to talk. up next ex-parte entrepreneurs based here in russia tell us their success stories and describe the path to prosperity in the latest from our pathfinder series. and today we got the stories are very hands on bosses even go to cullen re gurus of break their way to a fortune in russia's premium pastry sector for more than four years now they've been one of the most successful business of its kind they started from scratch up next they are this know what it took. i am twice a week in the production sector and the rest of the time i'm in the restaurant genya . genya to hear that stuff just to make sure everything is ok definitely

in the way when you're starting something new everything is more subtle the industry has existed here we had to do everything from scratch. when we started the business we realized that we had to. really difficult objectives one was that we had to create our own brand and we decided to license at least initially in the nation's national brand for us and the whole point of our project the whole point of the business was that these products high quality bakeries hardly exist in russia today you don't have many customers here you can help in the early to this and that customer should be greeted every time every time we are developing a company culture you know one of the most difficult things in russia a few years ago was to make sure your line staff smile is just smile if it's not the interesting culture at the beginning i would say if i come to the restaurant and if you're smiling i really give you

a hundred. if you're not arsed. relevel my desire your resume so you could give me this again be still but it's still a challenge the first quarter we spent in two thousand and six we spent about nine months developing a very small factory we basically had a thirty square meter room where we were trying to make something like fifty products fresh every day and the biggest challenge was the local ingredients it would be insane to import let's say flour to russia when russia is one of the biggest low exporters in the world we were very very lucky that we did this because by the end of two thousand and eight when the recession started the first thing that happened in the recession in russia was a collapse of the ruble exchange rate compared to the euro so suddenly overnight imported prices up. thirty forty percent and that is deadly for any kind of business like ours but for us at least the cost of our products was relatively stable because for the main ingredients like sugar like flour we were using locally

made products. it's still a lot of things happens in russia mechanically in the service industry we have a hard time the idea they followed the rules or did they have a problem so this is the difficulty in russia we are nice it states or in europe it's a little bit easier because they have be used to it. you need to empty the garbage cans you need to clean up that place what is that carthon there however on the other hand if we see that you are rooting hard to take it to heart. in other cultures that may be a little bit more difficult the idea to build a bakery business in russia was exactly right and the idea that the competition wasn't so high in the sector i would do again but i think i would make sure that we raise a bit more capital upfront than we did i would also make sure i think that we invest at the beginning far more in training of production people than we did we should

have outsourced much less than we did four years ago we should have made much many more cells and then we would be even more successful than we are today i think but yes i would absolutely be. interesting story we've got more features about for an entrepreneur's to big business here in russia or in our pathfinder series here on r.t. throughout the rest of the week as well the world news headlines no it's just laughter twenty seven it's past ten moscow time a series of three explosions in the second largest city in afghanistan is killed at least thirteen including a child the first blast happened as a suicide bomber attacked a police checkpoint and two other bombs then later went off as well the violence comes a day after the taliban in afghanistan announced plans to open an international liaison office in qatar saying they're hoping could be a step towards formal peace negotiations. thousands of people take the streets of

northern peru protesting against the development of a gold mine the demonstrators say waste from the works will take their water supplies the protests coming one of the country's most heavily mined regions it also has a history of troubled relations with neighboring farmers and ranchers. coming up in the next half hour we focus in some more on the latest developments in egypt and elsewhere in the arab world to get an expert view about what's likely to unfold in twenty five twelve that's coming up also andrew pharmacy the latest sport for you to this wednesday evening my name is kevin o. and thank you for watching r.t. convention live from moscow.

with the bounce building block. just a war of barricades from one side and fears blockade from the other. invisible border people from the land for twelve years. the conflict that divided serbia into two hostile parts is still not over.

this is r t moscow our top stories tonight the u.s. says its warships will stick to their mission is there a crucial oil laid out of the persian gulf despite warnings from around stay away the standoff continues to drive up oil prices and tension. the republican presidential candidate race gets underway in this with voters from a decisive over just who would have put forward to capitalize on this newsgroup with barack obama. the euro's woes flare up again now for christmas lol with athens now threatening to ditch the eurozone unless the e.u. and i.m.f. bailout cash into its collapsing economy. and egyptians head back to polling

stations for the third and final round of the parliamentary election the first vote since president mubarak was toppled in february last year. and a day developments in egypt and elsewhere in the arab world come into sharp focus next on this channel as we talk to professor of mideast politics jeremy salt. thank you jeremy for joining us here on r.t. and a pleasure as well as call put it when it comes to the middle east there west talks idealistically and acts brutally if it's true if you agree with this what should be done what can be done to prevent syria from fall than into these patterns look at what's been happening in the middle east and the policies the western governments have followed since the beginning of this year they have always had the the noble motive we're doing this for this very very good reason but we don't have to be terribly skeptical.