if western nations proceed with blocking tehran's exports this comes as new sanctions from washington began targeting iran's financial and oil sectors. and six republican hopefuls are vying to take on the rock obama in a november's u.s. presidential election this at a time when someone or supporters are turning their back on the president and veteran senator mitt romney is seen as the front runner after building huge national momentum after his win in the iowa caucuses. now the euro zone's that rampant unemployment and widening cards have spilled over into the new year with warnings that parts of the region could already be in recession up next a prominent dutch economist tells r t what two thousand and twelve might bring for the struggling in. well today we're joined by our yo climber an economist author and professor at the erasmus university in rotterdam thanks very much on mr glover for joining us today

and the first question is in one thousand nine hundred one you wrote a newspaper article that a monetary union is not sustainable cannot be maintained without a political union well after all that said and done we have the euro exists and there is a crisis can that a political union save the euro at this point given the circumstances that it's in ideally. you could say that a political union could be formed to have a strong fiscal. record in nation but also a better social policy that would sort of supporting dural only in my system it is that this europe will not be able to form such a political union there is too much heterogeneity to countries to different. countries or to attach to their own so often t. they have different styles they have a hard time working together on international issues think of iraq. and so it will be very hard to do to have one address that foreigners can coal have

and emerge she is there. that they will speak with one voice that are willing to give up their very seats in the united nations and the i.m.f. and that they will speak involved voice it is at the moment inconceivable. that britain will give up their rights but also france is not even thinking of giving that up. germany will become too powerful there's simply too much that prevents europe from becoming one political union if you want a german chancellor angela merkel she said that political union is already taking shape is it though and what is she basic that's. went on well from where we are we are making progress in the in the sense of suggestions of because these are suggestions or plans to have stricter rules and to enforce those rules and in her

view and in her reality that is working moving towards. political union but my critique is that what is lacking and what is really needed for political union is also in sense of society i take as an example germany germany is a society how do we notice that germany is a society the parts of germany form east german states. that are a real dire financial economic situation much worse than than greece is right now do you notice anything about that in the rest of the world you know because west germans take it as as self as something self evident that they are to support the east german states those massive transfers of money going from west to east to maintain a sense of unity and a sense of stability and therefore a sense of society those conditions are not in place and not can be

imagined to be in place in europe at large how realistic is this transfer significant transfer of powers to brussels spending powers taxing powers given that you have so many different countries there's resistance coming from different places how realistic is it that it will actually happen the pressure is huge and the financial crisis is big and the euro threatens to fall then lots of things are possible and politicians will agree on all kinds of things including transfer of power that was in conceivably before or is actually conceived inconceivable right now because people don't want to transfer the power but when the crisis. really there then i see them. being able to do such a thing but it won't resolve matters because it's it means that you put some kind of control in the hands of the few there in brussel but they don't have the

power to control the financial market they don't have the the financial power to deal with these kind of instabilities and they don't have the political influence to deal with all the different interests throughout europe it is sort of an. idea that i think that in the end to a backfire because if you make a central this power too much. then what we will see is is it means a lack of dynamics lack of the flexibility as we've seen already because takes forever to get these decisions and then take for ever to get through all these different parliaments and it takes even longer then to implement that i mean that we talked about long lags. and so it just makes the politics too complex the greek government spokesman said quote unquote greece faces an exit from the europe bloc unless it clinches a deal on

a second one hundred thirty billion bailout from its international lenders how much do you think they really believe in this threat is it something they really think is likely or are they using this rhetoric to gain support for pushing more sturdy measures i think that they use it now as an argument to enforce all kinds of cutbacks and to get popular consent which they need to in order to make the policy effective i think that greece still an overall desire to hold on to the euro and the reason is that the greeks are very suspicious of their governments do so they desperately want to have european government involved in their country because there's sort of a countervailing power against their own politicians the same story applies to the italians. another issue is whether this is going to work i don't think so i think the left right and center are preparing for. the fall out of greece

that the greeks are forced to step out of the euro because this is unsustainable. there will not going to need to tyria. economy is going to do worse which also makes it more difficult for me to quit ereal and so it is simply not to sustain a sustainable situation the best spreadsheet is to do what iceland did argentina has gone and so many other people countries have done before is allowed to have their own currency devalue it so to make their country much cheaper i use that as sort of the beginning all the. efforts to organize commercial activity that the neighbor has done to sell you have to recover that and sort of and one way to do it is by lowering the price which you only can do with your of your own currency and to make it much cheaper if you don't do it the only alternative strategy is the

very painful one is lowering salaries and wages and cutting back and that causes a huge depression in the economy and a real harsh way of making that adjustment well let's talk about politics now the two main cheerleaders pushing the euro forward of course in germany's angela merkel and french president nicolas sarkozy now there will be the french elections in two thousand and twelve that germany will have theirs and twenty thirteen what do you expect to happen in these elections and how would it affect the european union and the euro zone would we see a change in government a change in rhetoric that would eventually play out differently in the euro to hold on to the european union and especially to hold on to be euro. everyone has to make sacrifices and it's always possible the european interest prevails over national interest and that's a message message is very hard to sell to any lection time you see in election time

the people usually withdraw behind back behind the border so to say and basically talk about national interests interests that are close. to the people who are going to cause their vote. it turns out this whole european story is a hard sell for politicians to strew in germany in france is also true in the netherlands. and so politicians always have a difficulty of asserting the sort of common european interest. that is costing. money but also resources. will suffer until that also is again an illustration of a lack of political union like a society that will become an issue and that the fate of european union is dependent upon local or national elections and that's of course crazy i mean you

can of the magine country any country. that's faithful of any country is dependent upon the outcome of local elections that's unheard of and that illustrates once again the the union in europe is not all that strong and is forced it exists among the sort of european establishments so if you walk around brussels you feel like you are the european union is for real but as soon as you are away from brussels and walk around in the country in the rest of europe you see the brussel is far away from from them. and it's not real reality the people we live with when we talk to experts analysts and economists to even if they are euro skeptics it's a situation seems to have gotten so complicated that they would also mention concessions that they're saying that there are two choices now one is being forced into more europe more integration otherwise the alternative is

a financial crisis are these the only two options left. i do think that if if you give up you up the euro which i think you need to do we will face a so-called crisis i mean all kinds of institutions will get into serious trouble banks will fail countries will look at the trouble unemployment go up we will feel your face a serious depression i think all that will materialize but what i also see is the possibility and that's what i would focus on of restructuring rethinking the way be doing things rethink also the way we view the economy focus less on economic growth focus more on quality being more concerned with sustainability and so if you ask we have for that i see action an opportunity arising if we give up on an ideal that i think is an old fashioned one. and sort of people for the next

stage now when we look at what politicians are doing right now it seems that they're walking on eggshells when it comes to dealing with financial markets and banks are careful not to rock the boat they're careful to instill confidence in the markets what role do you see the financial markets and banks playing in this current crisis lest we forget that they had also that just gone through the two thousand and eight financial crisis and they were painted in a negative light at that time well the terrible thing is that we see that one sector the financial sector is keeping the rest of the going you hostage including the politicians and all the politicians are too scared for these banks to fail it is is unfair it is unjust. and it's also dangerous for should say debility of our economies so that has to stop are you a climber thanks very much for your time.

if they shoot something inappropriate for public they can easily be. casualties of war ok. i wish he would have never happened but it has. been a war a t.v. camera becomes an unnecessary what destroys their own safety all foreign nationals including journalists and inspectors should leave. and it's clear what happens with such witnesses i got on my site. many checks. hirsch's shooting on our.

the latest news and the week's top stories fresh clashes in syria claimed dozens of lives as the arab league decides to carry on with its observer mission despite criticism that the organization is not achieving its goal in ending the bloodshed. iran says it will continue war games in the persian gulf threatening to close at key oil route in the region if western nations proceed with sports this comes as a new sanctions from washington began targeting iran's of financial sectors. and the six republican hopefuls are vying to take on president barack obama in november u.s. election this at a time when some core supporters are turning their back on the president better and

senator mitt romney is seen as the front runner after building a huge national momentum after his win in the iowa caucuses and i should say veteran governor there now up next on our team is here with all of the latest sports news. hello welcome to the sports and these other top stories battle of manchester wayne rooney schools twice and paul scholes returns from retirement as united winning three two a ten man city to knock out the holders in thrilling f.a. cup third round tie the next bench and give a pool. while warm up andy murray enjoys the perfect preparation for the australian open with a straight sets victory over how xander build a follow up when the brisbane international. lions tames drew brees throws and

three touchdowns to meet the new orleans saints to an n.f.c. wild card to try over detroit in the n f l. but first a football of the sort of arises when rooney scored twice as manchester united survived a riveting fight back to win three to attend our rivals manchester city to knock out the holders in a pulsating f.a. cup third round of the against the run of play rooney headed united in front after ten minutes and it got immediately worse the city as captain vincent kompany was controversially sent off for a two for to tackle on the club later announced they would appear however united took full advantage danny welbeck volley them further in front of the half an hour and rooney headed in the rebound from his own penalty to make it three no by half time but it looked to exact some revenge for sixty six wanted to create a traffic tobar but the home side fought back straight after the break through and found a lot of free kick and so i wear i pulled back another following error from returning

substitute scholes after sixty five minutes however despite a frantic finale and penalty goals for both sides we wanted to go through to the first round. that chelsea scored three times in the last five minutes is that these one for now it's time to portsmouth the second half goals from sebastian lawson and change maclean gave sunderland to nose with peter brown and chris o'grady snatched the late winner as least one sheffield wednesday from west found it had a tendency saves twelve following those times the draw for the fourth round was made and manchester united's reward for winning at city is a tricky part rivals in the support you take of the sixteen time is otherwise all leaves the play on monday will after the last minute also move go to either brighton wrexham stark make sure triply darby everton rock and fallen in an all premier league fixture. elsewhere the winner of natural skills and bolton's replying will have swanzy want either empty dons or q.p.r.

will place six time with chelsea but remember wolves will go to sheffield united as a team. ne obvious sunderland welcome little brother so i'm getting nearby i want food and respond take on all those games will take place on january twenty eighth or twenty nights. probably means i'm paul scholes decision to come out of retirement was announced an hour before kick off at the end he had stadium and he played the final half an hour from gripping cup tie the thirty seven year old had called time on his glittering career at the end of last may and was coaching at old trafford he made his united debut in one thousand nine hundred ninety four and went on to make six hundred seventy six appearances when ten premier league titles the f.a. cup three times and the champions league twice however the sixty six capping the midfielder has now chosen to carry on playing until the end of the season before his injury had former missing darren fletcher and gone cleverly in midfield. tennis now and andy murray has enjoyed the perfect warm up for the upcoming australian

open with a comfortable victory over alexander dog apollo in the brisbane international final right from the start of the world number four showed his intention to quench his twenty second title and first under the guidance of new coach former waterborne yvonne lendl the scot won his first three service games without dropping a point on the way to a four one a little resistance from ukrainian before taking the first set six one the world number fifteen stood the crowd into life in the second it is not enough to stop mary for wrapping it up six three four an impressive first victory of the new a.t.p. tour season murray's focus now switches to the australian open is going to be confined to the past to the first down sound of the season starting the sixth and. also want to thank. mr learned think you got there somewhere hiding. out first with your team and you know it's good to really enjoy it it still will bring more success in the future. and finally. thank you very much the crowd the

whole week not just for my matches but for. all of the matches it was pat you know it makes a huge difference when everyone comes out in sports events that really really appreciate it thank you all to come back. moving on to the n.f.l. now where drew brees drew four four hundred sixty six yards and three touchdowns to lead the new orleans saints to a forty five twenty eight n.f.c. wildcard victory over the detroit lions new orleans to set a new season mark a total yards of six hundred twenty six weeks from the previous record set fourteen years ago greece fired the ball downfield fifty every henderson caught it in his stride running for a forty one yard touchdown as new orleans went seventeen fourteen ahead in the fourth quarter brees made a forty one yard pass. to edge of the end zone to downs later at three hundred the ball off to yet thomas who took it in for the game seeing

a school so decided to beat the last forty by twenty eight to advance to the second round the playoffs now come to san francisco to take on the forty nine ers next saturday. now let's continue our look back over some of the big events of last year and this time it's the turn of swimming in october american star michael phelps took just two goals from six races at the world cup stage here in moscow while russian world record holder kenny cata teach again did perform to his best winning the one hundred meter butterfly comes in but out of his that. despite we're going to be four men after below point is plan to use the fourteen time olympic champion michael phelps produced almost an identical santa result on day two of the world cup in the russian capital in the two hundred metres freestyle the twenty six year old american was overtaken in the last fifty by john the world record holder paul be there monday and had to settle for silver. and phelps competing in moscow for

the first time frame to make it to the body i'm in the one hundred metres butterfly where world record holder you gain you can out the skin ripped first place to the delight of the home crowd. you mean you have all of the it was very important for me to win today so i can see of want to beto and know my aim is to win a war and by that i mean the london olympics. however just as he did on the opening day selves showed his competitive desire as he bounced back to claim gold in the two hundred metres backstroke after being fourth for the first one hundred fifty metres then there confounded burst of power and managed to surge to victory it's all working on some of the small things to really get to the end of the year being able to tie together some of the stuff you know the starch turns under waters health i can do that. as many times i can leading off in the feel of a child and form a session i drive. the london olympics and just nine months away and berber ations

are well underway for the swimming event however there are still four stages to go before the end of the world cup even press fondant and swimmers alike were to change it to gauge who will be queen xing the gold medals at the twenty twelve games is a bit of a o.t. . let's move to the golf course russia's only female professional golf for maria the trauma of a miscarriage moscow last autumn preparing for a tournament in south korea but she took the time to talk to a business correspondent consenting to tap off about her colorful life on and off the course. might even it is arguably one of the biggest commercial attractions in women's golf since you turned professional in two thousand and six if you want to five year old muscovite remains the first and only russian plane full time on the ladies' european tour following an impressive amateur career that included victories in the russian austrian liftin and slovenian championships. because i got to go on tour and i was the only russian player and i was there all the girls were

half of them were english british and australian and it was quite tough to get myself like good mates and you know in the end of the day they're playing against me the germans showed great improvement in her second year on the tour with her career best finished tied for fifty since being enforced a degree a low round of sixty six in dubai as a result finished fifty fifth in the games in two thousand and eight still have based policing so far and despite having some injury problems she's doing dishes and has lots of goals to achieve with her new coach definitely i'll play for another five years because of my back i don't know how well my body will give me a chance to play golf but there we set up some goals when it went to the eighty and hopefully get ill wind down there with a major that i can go. professional golfer who spend most of their time travelling from one tournament to know that we can be the hardest part of the job however well

in search of success some ladies european tour and many funny stories have a reason. to make area i don't mind to say a kid is a cheap hotel and i put my pajamas on i want. to throw came back and my room was completely locked throwing inside so he had to go because it was going away out so i went outside and all the guys were like oh uncle we go through by this now. despite bringing mourners to results over the last two years the trauma stays up to. and focused on golf however the one meter seventy six told brunette directs a lot of attention not only with her performances on the way but obviously also because of her appearance i'm not trying to attract my attention i'm trying to bring something more in golf and that the girls who are low play fame elderly here and is again better and better now so a girl is attractive girls beautiful girls get into gulf there john no it isn't by

any in a sport which is widely considered to be a hobby for wealthy people in her homeland and there is still a long way to go before being accepted as a mainstream sport in russia but with the likes of virtue of the country couldn't ask for better ambassador to lead the way concern about. and that's all the sport i think.

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three broke. free. of the week's top stories clashes in syria. arab league decides to carry on with its observer mission despite criticism that the organization is not achieving its goal the bloodshed. says it will continue war games in the persian gulf threatening to block oil in the region the west imposes. republican. president barack obama in november. the president.