into the government's austerity measures encouraged and call on the president to step down. and in business despite record outflows in two thousand and eleven most experts see no threat of group a valuation this year journey for one that and other stories it's possible. nine pm in moscow good to have you with us here on r t our top story the u.k. has finally admitted to spying on russians after years of denying it the chief of staff to then prime minister tony blair confirms they were caught red headed when the f.s.b. discovered their surveillance equipment back in two thousand and six it was hidden inside a fake rock in a moscow park archy's i bet it has more from london in the murky world of spies spooks and cold war stereotypes it's very hard to discern fact from fiction and so

a question marks always remained over this story but these comments now from jonathan pow i think it pretty conclusive evidence is what he had to say despite iraq was embarrassing they had us bang to rights clearly they knew about it for some time and had been saving it up for a political purpose. these revelations will be hugely embarrassing for m i six and the british government firstly because they were they were spying in two thousand and six for an aching on an agreement that the u.k. made with russia the end of the cold war not to spy on each other and secondly that the fact they were caught doing so by russian television the report actually showed two videos one of one man walking along a path in the moscow park slowing down looking at this rock and slowing down again almost to a halt before walking off and it's believed that he was using a handheld device actually. to a computer inside that well then another video showing a different man walking on the same path looking at the rock actually bending down

and picking it up and checking on it and as obvious as it seems from that so long as the british government actually stayed silent and denied these allegations then they would have remained top secret and that this sort of thing doesn't come to light for another thirty years or so after it happens but the fact that this is actually come from someone within the establishment here and saying no these were this didn't fact happen this story is indeed true not only is a hugely embarrassing for m i six and the british government but also potentially very damaging to. better reporting for us from london r t caught up with the investigative journalist who broke the story of the spiral here in moscow arkady moment of who says it was a matter of national importance. that's why i didn't journalism for more than twenty years and i believe that russian journalists must defend russia's interests soon as soon as i found out about this story i began to disabuse them of what i said this was a sense the ship was in

a matter of my country's security. and doubts about whether all this information about the stool was actually true and what if you carefully channel it with many sources and witness of the documents and the footage i had no more downs but you can stay with us here on r t still to come in the program back from the blackout i had twenty four hour protests by wiki pedia made eighteen u.s. congressmen backtracked on our support for how to burgle and i received. by first at least eighteen people have reportedly been killed by security forces across syria thursday all as arab league observers reached the end of their month long mission to the country they'll put together a report over the weekend and continuing death rate in syria is pushing the to prepare even more sanctions on damascus they have already introduced penalties on ten separate occasions including an arms embargo and a ban on crude oil imports the u.n. security council continues mulling over what course of action it could take russia introduced its latest draft resolution this week aimed at holding all sides of the

syrian conflict to account marking sarraf earth has more from damascus. how do you stop the faction country pulling in a country where some cities now is then going to say well the economy's on its knees and what children at being shot in the streets. it's a question everybody desperately trying to find an answer to you right now nobody knows what's going to happen some are clearly for military intervention others a cooling diet of the city in case is not isolated you have to. mention that mention the west and i mentioned the russian mission. everybody has its own interests but russian foreign minister saying. that most would not authorize a u.n. resolution involving military intervention has struck a resident chord with the main opposition in the country. we refuse on principle

any type of military foreign intervention because it threatens the freedom of his own country often model damascus has promised to push through reforms including parliamentary elections later this year to some head that's simply not enough. this could have been done in the past the killing in the violence pushed the population and the opposition and the people not to believe anymore in the promises of the regime. who didn't protest this it started by calling for reforms now more than ten months into the best and they simply want president is that. your backyard that many in syria right now simply want peace in their country they hate reforms might be a way to achieve that. the president announced we will have an expanded government and independent opposition all the parts were included this would be better for us all having different opinions is much better than having

a one sided discussion i do not feel. opposition want to take on why not all syrians after all we all care about our country. as a country descends deeper into crisis this everyone's desperate to find a resolution it's fake that the government reforms will go some way to building a bridge between the two sides but those with homes have been a long time coming and with so many lives already lost they're going to come at a very high price so. the best guess. the syrian president's promise to speed up democratic reform in the country a political analyst come out was me thinks he can even offer the opposition a power sharing. he'll. need to implement form and he actually called for. broader government would include a position i think every government here and there needs to update itself and i

think i know for sure that it needs reform to form has to come fast and i think maybe in the coming months we'll see initiatives by the president of syria where we he he will invite the opposition to establish order to build the next government of see if those people who want to build that country i think will invite him. there's a new twist in the assassination case of russian journalist anna politkovskaya five years ago another forensic examination of the word murder weapon has found female d.n.a. on the gun the main suspect chechen born of mahmoud of oras arrested in two thousand and eleven after several years on the run he's the one believed to have pulled the trigger but his d.n.a. was never found on the weapon the expert who carried out the initial forensic test five years ago is now facing accusations of leading the whole case up a blind alley politkovskaya was shot dead outside her apartment in two thousand and six became one of the most high profile murders in modern russian history. if you

want to find more details on the story our t. dot com has you covered and while you're there you can also check out the latest developments in the gulf tehran accusing washington of body europe's quote economic suicide by forcing it to impose an embargo on iranian oil imports. the photos where the russian scientists are narrowing down the possible reasons for the probe to mars failing to reach the red planet. the world's biggest most popular online encyclopedia is back on line after a self-imposed twenty four hour shutdown we keep pedia deliberately blacked out its english language site in protest of proposed anti-piracy legislation in the u.s.

that could affect more than one hundred fifty million people the action by wikipedia and thousands of other sites eight senators withdraw their backing for the bills the laws designed to prevent illegal sharing of copyright material face criticism of endangering internet freedom connor kennedy from the progressive change campaign committee says the bills could dramatically change the web. no one's opposed to bills that fight piracy but at the same time we need to be aware that large corporations are going to be able to use these laws to drag their fair competitors into court instead of competing with them in the marketplace for small innovators that don't have access to money for legal fees yet that just spells the end of the internet as we know it what's going to happen to innocent people innocent innovators who are brought into court and forced to shut down their web site even if they haven't by elite at the law those the end of the american dream it's really important that we have freedom and the ability for kids in college

dorms and working in garages across the country to have access to capital and to be able to change the world from a college dorm room this could threaten that and that's why we in addition to three hundred forty of our members have decided to join the blackout solidarity movement against these bills small innovators are saying look out pay attention to these bills because they do threaten to kill the internet. still to come this hour taking the plunge. when you really. see. my. party join the russian orthodox opinion so. gratian that are not for the faint hearted. but first to libya where entrepreneurs in western nations are lining up for their chance to strike it rich in the war torn country opportunities are plenty for those hoping to cash in on the rebuilding process post gadhafi as artie's acts on

a boy who reports the same powers that helped bring down the regime are now the ones eager to make a profit. they may have how to bring down the house. but they were very careful not to burn bridges as libya rises from the ashes of civil war the countries that poured the oil into the fire and now lining to gas sheen undoing the damage the believe that russia benefited more than all others from trading with his regime is very widespread here in tripoli but it's simply not true in two thousand and ten moscow was number seventeen on the least of libya's main trading partners accounting for just zero point four percent of its international trade the countries that had the largest trading volumes with a plus sized lead the one that spearheaded the campaign against him the european union the united states and turkey and they're all on their jostling for contracts to rebuild believe via some of them helped to destroy your. everything good

good good good. american business style is still a bit of an oddity here but it's already catching up construction firm owner richard peters arrived in tripoli just before their prizing to seal a multi-million dollar contract to get off his government the war and peter subsequent incarceration threw him off track but now he hopes to make up for it i don't condemn anybody even the people that work for him you could have a choice here if you don't work for him what do you do die. to reach your companies also involved in rebuilding iraq in afghanistan after the u.s. led invasion and libya is familiar turf he even says the country's business potential make shamble all over their post conflict areas there's nothing they don't need here you know if you compare it to like the united states everything they need everything we have you know everything there infrastructure has to be totally redone all the all the priscilla you know in some of the things we are

involved you know is executive centers with golf courses theme parks the. people haven't really had any entertainment all these years so now you can imagine you know a theme park or a little disneyland americans and the only ones just looking for food called turkish airlines was the first to resume commercial flights to tripoli and they're now packed with businessman scouting for opportunities. even during good at this time turkey was pretty comfortable doing business in libya and was tripoli's fourth largest trade partner lost here but many now hope for even better deals following its early recognition of the rebel authorities definitely few have a strong relations with. someone but that it would facilitate and this is an instrumental for the business. vision of the book that's the only ones who are still far slow wondering claiming their business

interest in libya or russia and china both countries for vocal in their opposition to the use of force in libya a stance that has already backfired most russian companies who did business in libya prior to the war are still has it into some personnel bag x. parts of war and that the waiting game may not be the best strategy yet. we're going to lose libya like we lost iraq syria and yemen will follow what they see they can drive russian others out of the market and then take advantage we have to work there we will take measures we're going to enter those markets they're waiting for us if interim government see we don't. even see a few words about russian businesses being driven out then just step aside. but the ones losing the most i believe themselves in two thousand and ten day economy and that by about ten percent reaching abbey thing like that growth now seems as having

a load as building the country from scratch on a boycott artsy. just three months after my mom. market avi's death the daughter of a former libyan leader is now seeking justice speaks with her lawyer who says that investigation into the killing of her father's long overdue it's coming up in three hours time here's a piece. of it was murdered in the brutal fashion. the whole world saw with. prosecutors international criminal court has an obligation to investigate all aspects of the conflict which was referred to the united nations security council. that would include also the loan the gadhafi especially since the prosecutor has stated that there are grounds to believe that this is a real crime in the present instance we do good to be with proteins as they stand at present the will capacity to carry out such best to gratian and that's why we're calling for the investigation to be conducted immediately we shouldn't be sitting

here today talking about why is an investigation taking place it should have started a few days off to the murder itself. given this on the very same. turning now to some other stories making headlines across the globe beginning in southern afghanistan where at least seven have been killed eight injured in a suicide attack in the city of kandahar the bomber detonated explosives near the entrance of an airbase used by u.s. forces the taliban claimed responsibility saying they were targeting a nato convoy this comes just a day after twin blasts killed twelve people in the rest of helmand province. pakistan's prime minister has appeared before the country's supreme court on charges of contempt for failing to reopen a corruption investigation into the president the case against yousef dates back to the ninety's but he insists the president has complete immunity from being questioned if found guilty golani could face a prison term and be barred from holding public office. or rescue

efforts have resumed for twelve people still missing on a cruise ship that capsized off the italian coast last week the search was suspended tuesday after the vessel shifted slightly eleven bodies have been recovered from the wreckage so far a salvage crew is preparing to pump more than two thousand tons of fuel from the ship to prevent a possible oil leak. and greece's government is continuing talks with investors to try to beat a deadline and secure vital funds for slashing its debt things needs the next installment of bailout funds to meet a debt repayment deadline in two months thousands of workers hit the streets in their anger at destructive austerity cuts all as the i.m.f. says it needs to raise up to five hundred billion dollars to buffer the world against any further european slump. romania is now gripped by the worst protests in seen in a decade as demonstrators show their frustration with the government austerity cuts

and corruption in the capital some sixty people were injured in clashes with riot police who responded to the stone throwing and fire bombs with tear gas parties tom barton reports from bucharest. nights and they come to scream that defiance. into feeling the government isn't listening have spilled into and even violence. i've come here for the pain of their mean people in the entire country for twenty two years old they've done is tired country you know if you have no jobs. mostly water is sixty she's worked all her life in a textile factory in booker rest but now she's forced to pay for her social security out of her small pension savings you know whether you're young or you're a pensioner you need a pension when you get old that they need to give us a fair pension and not tell us they're borrowing the money because they don't have

it bad. or is not just to herself her son left her manja but it's enough to try and find work young rumanians feel trapped into directing most of their anger at the president try and assess the. protest as accuse him of trump private democracy presiding over a political elite riddled with. a long steep descent speed down down repossess as parents left us in a heritage and we love our children and just didn't the problem it's the younger ones that need to have a. good life you know mania and we are not allowed to have peace because of stupidity of high levels of government and parliament. and international monetary fund loan in two thousand and nine came with tough conditions unlike in greece the remain in government has tried to force its financial house into water

budget benefit cuts slashed pay pension freezes falling living standards but some say it's the people who are now being forced to pay for the mistakes of the few who stayed the country economic disaster. this was done at the expense of there are many in state that know now those who hadn't been guilty for their situation that they didn't even profited from it played on those who had profited the us the government blames international economic conditions however for the country's worst doings let's not forget that we're in the eye of a storm of an economic boom. paeans still around us unfortunately is a mighty tempest with economic consequence is that inevitably affect us too just not good enough so that the opposition who argue of course that they could do that to them once every day discourage inefficient government stays in power is a day last for rumania give the ball or juice used to shorten the period as much as

become once passed as we can by fair elections system with many of them accepting there is no escape economically politics for them off is the only hope of change and that leads straight back out onto the streets. these are. not annoyed at the base of the. stereotype that said. the president heard a little about the magazine here and you can see why remain you want to tear it all down not start again yet on boston are able to read. finally in this news block and maybe the middle of praising winter here in russia but that's not stopping the determine from taking a cool dip a midnight immersion in water on january nineteenth is the traditional way that orthodox christians ring in the holiday of a pin fanie but was artie's to bang might say brave enough to test the waters let's find out. and they're. all right let us say.

the hand of christmas night as well as the epiphany that we need is that to be the same lindsey's it was that time that doesn't believe that my sadness is not. a. dream that my need to be. left in the woods which then turns into value what. it's like to be good i think thank god when in rome do as the iranians do. find a way to die in. my eyes. like you do it i never. look back at all. the.

stuff but i'm not much of nothing. but i. think. there was an amazing let me see that i've done and. that's even making me shiver while be back with a recap of our top stories in a few minutes but first kareen is up with the business news stay with us. hi welcome to our business update this office for joining me despite record outflows in two thousand and eleven most experts see no threat of robots evaluation

for the past three days the ruble has been appreciating against the dollar with money market rates rising most in a month that says russian companies convert overseas earnings into local currency to pay taxes band are dying out from log says russia is in a very good position right now. or will trade quite strong closing the old price will stay quite high and the truth of the new we're in good balance a little bit of a weak economy would be true because she were demanding internally with a big demand for infrastructure development in the same time quite stable i think space where the big if we can position ourselves better we can expand better to people in other part of the world was going to russia we would have trouble with essence. so government officials and leading business men are in moscow to brainstorm ways to improve the russian economy and tackle the side effects of the european debt crisis see you dive of the director of spare banks macroeconomic research center outlined some of the main challenges facing the country right now.

and we discussed the liquidity crisis in the bank uncertain or not and that banks now want to be more liquid year from the central bank and the use in that's that's changing the a more neutral post on budget of course risk huge demand for increase will soon suspending hope you'll lose and become a pooling device and government bonds oh it's the same time the government has to keep it it's budget more last balanced a fine she knew not three super system running on student investments in infrastructure in. their investments which actually will since it will. be and that's the reason that's a challenge because a bunch of us. and staying with financials russian banks reported record high profits for two thousand and seven despite economic uncertainty the central bank

says the total profits reached twenty seven billion dollars held by a strong growth in lending from the central bank expects lower profits this year around twenty two billion dollars. the soundtrack to markets cooled futures trading higher recouping the previous sessions losses oil is higher for the third day over concerns that tensions were wrong could spot disruptions in exports from the middle east sell to the u.s. rise at midday after declining in a bid and applications for unemployment benefits and strong bank earnings bank of america and morgan stanley are up after reporting a better than expected results and the number of people see an employment benefits plunged to the lowest level since april two thousand mates. and in europe stocks were mostly high. with banks leading gains investors were closely watching the ongoing debt talks and greens would largely smoothed out options for france and spain media reports indicated that the two parties could reach a debt swap deal in the coming days. kiran russia stocks and bad for the fourth day

on thursday as oil crime in new york the r.t.s. added nearly a percent in the black was point six percent higher here are the biggest movers on the mindsets financials did well russia's biggest levers bear bag gained over one percent energy mages advance to shares of trans there gained one point seven percent after congress on daily reported that because the company is interested in building pipelines in croatia and electricity producer take a ny was among the top gainers on news that its parent company is merging its energy assets were gassed up. well that's it for now but remember you can always find more financial news just log on to our website r.t. dot com plus because.

this is the launch. nolen sitting on the move past present. reality it's nothing new. but if you enter. the mystery of supernatural. shamen of siberia on. the.

line. would be soon which brightened a few new movements from phones to parachute. meals for instance on t.v. don't come. by in thirty pm in moscow these are your arty headlines london admits an electronic spy rock found by the f.s.b. in moscow six years ago but wong to her majesty's secret service the u.k. had vehemently denied involvement in the scandal told them. more tough new sanctions against the syrian regime in the pipeline as the arab league observers mission readies its final report on how to stop the daily deadly violence. and romania gratified mask.