conservatives rebels and government forces. his men to snuff and. saying they get by and heading home if service from the gulf states leave the airport then mission incomplete leaving behind a country in a deepening crisis is never going to be easy so you want the arab league monitors to stay i don't want right from the word go the missions prove problematic the opposition accused the monitor's of being too closely aligned with the government the government's now accused of being part of a foreign conspiracy and they will it just tickle complains to the observers seemed ill equipped on the ground and there were concerns that they were simply too few numbers to undertake such a major task but if things were bad at the beginning now they seem even worse following in saudi arabia's footsteps all the gulf states withdrew their observers

after damascus rejected their recent proposal that included president assad cede power to a deputy and form a unity government was interesting that these countries is very interested in democracy and they have nothing and this is the most interesting this is something pani will talk about about what will have a new constitution we are going to more democratic country two parties was about what about two durable and the west talked about syria which would be changed and leave saudi arabia as it has damascus is rejection was no surprise both sides of the conflict of shame equal unwillingness to soften their stance even when the daily death toll in the country continually rising the killing of the head of the syrian arab red crescent was on the road to damascus yet another remind of the spiraling situation. of the observers at such a crucial moment in the country. quite cis is seen as clinching the arab league

essentially has no credibility on the arab street what the arab league mission is trying to accomplish is get enough evidence concrete everything some human rights abuses on the part of the also very seem to think so the un and the evidence will be so strong that even russia and china would feel compelled to work but as of now one month after this mission started they seem to know the monitors things and i know more about what's going on the ground than they did. at the beginning and so it all looks like you know we're going back to square one as the death toll rises the earlier proposal being floated to increase the number of observers on the ground and provide them with u.n. training could be a life saving would but for now those plans have been pissed on hold in fact much of the substance of the report that they graded pieces on both sides seems to have been lost in the flurry of diplomatic activity now france and britain have joined

forces at the united nations to try to end president assad's rule waving good bye to their gulf state colleagues some observers remain but it's small consolation syria didn't close the doors in for the arab league i think syria in its diplomacy wouldn't give anyone to help the syrian but the last decision in the hands of the syrian people not in the hands not all believe this could come soon so a national dialogue through these reforms despite damascus allowing the mission to be extended for another month and the observers officially saying that they can continue with the task behind the scenes and the sentiment is much less optimistic . it's a gloomy outlook for the country with little regional or international agreement or what action should be taken to stop the violence and putting an end to the crisis seem to be slipping further and further as a very. artsy damascus syria. will have been street demos and cyber attacks

in poland and anger at the government's decision to join a global protest to say threatens internet users freedom also is expected to sign up with the us canada japan and others a proposal similar to america's stop online piracy act which later we could p.d.s. tempi boycott count last week because the ocean city has more. the decision of the polish government to join in with the internet anti-piracy treaty known as the a.c.t.a. has already caused some dissent in the central european state several thousand people have gathered here choose the evening in front of the presidential palace here in warsaw to protest against what they believe could lead to serious censorship on the internet now the protesters held banners saying down with the censorship and also had their mouths shut with sticking tape as of symbolizing their protest against what they believe could be in fact the biggest censorship polish websites in this country but this is not the only step which the protesters

took against the signing of this treaty we understand that the hacker group anonymous also hacked several governmental websites including the prime minister website and digital and cultural ministries. along with a dozen other governmental websites which were also had by the group they also published a very stern warning a message saying that they have some very sensitive information about the polish authorities and should they continue with the signing of the information with then may be published. this far as we're understanding. no turning back and the agreement will be signed that poland will join the streets you understand that this will happen during thursday in japan. was to the head of the program the anticapitalist side of the world economic forum in davos to this way to get their voices heard as global decision makers take part in the economic forum the annual business press. it's the online election battle front where nothing

is off limits as russia's presidential campaign what's up let's call activists are moving away from traditional tactics and embracing the internet promoting ideas or spreading fears where campaigning is playing a bigger part than ever before auntie's are getting the true story. well it's about as i want is that you were right is that was that it was gray suits and ties and slogans cold out from the poor d m r the traditional election season fair but they're no longer considered politically in vogue. today's complaining has gone online in a hot new trend in russia. with programming and bloggers making fun of the opposition portraying them in prayer outside the u.s. embassy on sundays claiming they are connected to the u.s. state department and the opposition filming funny cartoons about politicians made

out of lego. getting information out there is becoming easier all the time but the internet is a very different medium to television while on t.v. it's enough to just look into the camera like this to viewers attention not so although that too maybe you are police video reach millions of lines it's not a lot it just. it also has to be provoked to brazen and sometimes project a whole different image. it's no surprise then that putin as a character from harry porter became an overnight hit. doing this you will. see what i see you stuck with something just the body but. you'll make. sure that when you're critical of it would you. propose that what it was just be

them. but of the conference of cuba apart from catching images of memorable catch phrases are used against those in the corridors of power opposition blogger alex enough while me was the first upload his shop which is a chance online a year ago he labeled the ruling united russia party of the. and scoundrels. brazen first appeared on the net but quickly migrated to almost every magical media in russia and beyond a year after the party won in the parliamentary elections and reworked the catchphrase philistinism vote for the party of thieves and scoundrels for ten years of economic growth but the party of these in scoundrels united russia. the mastermind behind that video and state duma deputy robert proved his party can also fight its wars online broke out superballs the use of being able to my aim was to

provoke supreme reality darker than that is often i don't agree with such statements in my videos but they do work. in that russia without rides why not give away your country your beautiful girlfriend to some foreign guys what will happen to the caucasus nothing less just give it away to. spawning a war technically this video is made of very professionally you can see that a highly paid. to primitive responses but works one hundred percent first thought is that there is indeed no intro without put but videos from the opposition are just. an adequate trend of this election season eavesdropping on politicians and posting recordings online or those taking part in a massive opposition rally in december were surprised to find out that one of their inspirations boris himself described them in a phone as. here to meet skeeter a promise for. your comfort or to comfort your. naive to

expect from any side when we are living in election year there are no holds barred in this war not even interfering in someone's private life. a lack of privacy for today's politicians is already a modern day reality and with fifteen. million russians going online today about forty percent of the adult population she's the future is predicted to be sure to look at all the line political avatars pushing the boundaries of a virtual world even without borders it's even a gradual than r t more scale. that all of our stories latest videos are much more available on our website at r.t. dot com here's what's waiting few online now just a click away from the web whistleblower to t.v. talk host clicks about unisom get susan show. me right here on t.v. by the what to expect worldwide reaction to the news on our web site. the other

celebration of the year of the dragon in thailand went up in flames as one exploded to think homes ablaze see how it happened to dot com. more people are expected to protest in the egyptian capital with to where square already full once again a year after the ousting of hosni mubarak thousands of protesters are desperate for the interim military government to immediately relinquish power with dozens have been killed in recent months as troops climb down on several demonstrations the barricades currently on trial activists are angry that these key allies are still pretty strong and a new parliament has been elected and is trying to the constitution by the military

still reigns supreme and of iraq in a state of emergency or has finally been lifted but egyptian author and filmmaker for the risk says that change is little. i don't see it as being that big of a shift i mean we lived under military rule for thirty years and that gave the government their storage had to do just about what they wanted today we live under military rule so to me it's just a formal matter and that they may lift emergency law while we live under the rule of a military judge since the military took over general twenty eight's over fifteen thousand civilians that we know of have faced military courts and have received trials of anywhere between six months to fifteen years and a formal matter like lifting emergency law means absolutely nothing when we have a newly elected parliament that is still under the thumb of military they've tasted power they have massive economic interests in the country again everything that's happened in egypt really needs to be looked at from an economic perspective in that

there's a group of cronies of one box and his government that were in power they've been moved out of power and there's a new group of cronies that are in place and central to that group of power hungry rulers today are the military generals and they will not just let go and hand over power like that without having guarantees that their interests will be secured. some world news in brief for you now this hour insurgents have bombed a house in iraq killing ten people inside the house fifty kilometers south of baghdad was owned by two police officers who were brothers they were both among the dead as well as two infants a police spokesman says the house was leveled by an explosion. libya's defense minister has arrived in the town of bani walid after this formally market don't seize control of the area on monday the minister has begun to go she ations with militia drove out government forces three. people killed twenty. eight in the battle retaking of the town is

a first major challenge to the new government so. the multi-story building has collapsed in the center of rio de janeiro with reports saying two people are dead eleven still trapped under the rubble dozens of firefighters and paramedics are working at the scene looking for survivors thick layers of dust and debris cover the surrounding area making this search difficult i witness is say there was a strong smell of gas an explosion all the building collapsed. one of the owners of the cruise line about capsized off the italian coast denies telling the ship's captain to change the vessels route it comes after captain francesco schettino told a friend he was pressured by managers to steer the ship to the area where the collision occurred the company says the captain was going far too fast to be so close to shore sixteen bodies have been recovered since the ship ran aground in the search continues for seventeen people still missing. well coming your way this our

food for thought why america's production is barred debate of whether it ends up on people's plates or at the pumps to help around the nation's problems. the world economic forum in davos has opened for a second day of debates with power brokers. as for politics and business but into restore confidence in the economy and capitalism itself while some insists that the current downturn isn't the fault of the system of radical reform is urgently needed from the swiss resort town artie's minister has more. the there is an official agenda at davos and then there is an unofficial agenda at davos which is one that you also hear about and also that you see when you're on the sidelines and not in all of these sessions that are kind of the official program we heard on the stage some concerns about capitalism same criticism about capitalism also we heard some defenses because of course at davos there are plenty of people to defend the

current system of capitalism which they have benefited from dr warning and the c.e.o. of bank of america of america is one who was saying you know the western capitalism is subject to boom and bust this is part of it but come on there are so many people that we talk to when interviewed on our show that talk about how long and how painful the costs are of this bust that is it here by accident and has a lot to do with maybe some of the bailouts that his bank has benefited from and the boom years of easy money that they did as well so there obviously are plenty of defenders and we'll have to see if anything really comes out of that conversation i've seen some reports of billionaires defending are concerned about inequality and having concerns about capitalism in that regard we'll have to see if it just amounts to some talk because i'm seeing a lot of little business action go along on the sidelines with participants who are bringing up inequality in this issue of inequality so i did talk to them and their concerns were some of the concerns that have been concerns from outside of davos over the years that these are

a bunch of elite getting together to talk about solving the world's problems in a way that's not democratic as if they have actual implications and they do turn into policy in some way shape or form there's a lot of people locked out of that conversation but there is an occupy tinge to it and definitely a world economic forum focused so let's just hear from from their words what one of them had to say to me but overall they're saying they're improving the state of the world and to me that's truly going to you bruce stick to to take on these shows that their decisions and or the networking they're doing and what they're discussing is going to have global ramifications that are going to affect the entire seven billion people on this planet. there is a big line of star economists all those people still be speaking not on the record some of these are in closed door sessions that press are privy to at all but some are really about talking about the impact of democracy the. people that are upset over inequality or is this about figuring out where the best investment opportunities lie that's what we'll have to find out we'll keep you posted but for

now i'm lauren lyster here in davos and russian representatives for us also have something on the discourse to tell the of the business. in the business bulletin in twenty eleven emerging markets suffered the biggest capital outflow since the onset of the crisis in two thousand and eight and russia of course was no exception more than eighty four billion dollars left the country last year but speaking and down both the head of the country's direct investment told business that negative trend may reverse after the march presidential election details in about five minutes. the russian that progress spacecraft has launched from the baikonur cosmodrome in kazakhstan but it's not on its way to the international space station it's the first for pretty twelve on the six foot to reach the two day journey because the ship is carrying more than two and a whole tons of you. couldn't what is personal for the crew members from.

there from the six people stationed up on the truman conducting some terrific experiments. and staying with space exploration and russia's recent unmanned mission to mars failed to leave due to harmful solar activity that's the preliminary finding by russian investigators looking into the breakdown of who was groomed probe launched in of ember last contact before planting back to earth in pieces ten days ago experts also think it could have been downed by american radio interference but nasa is refusing to work with the russian experts present their final report on sunday. the farms of rural america produce around thirty nine percent of the world's corn every year but not all of it ends up on dinner tables instead of feeding the hungry almost half of the u.s. court supply goes to making ethanol or to power american cars as artie's christine

for their reports this has many asking which is more important food or fuel. it is a process that comes. with the price tag for the american way not just from farm to. but from farm to fuel and this is where it all starts where the thieves are planted and the corn grows it is the most simple part of a process that has become anything but simple the production and use of ethanol one largely considered an environmental one has become very political being blamed for everything from the power of the state of iowa to world hunger fifteen percent right now of the food increases in this country that you've seen in the last year are directly associated with this policy that policy a subsidy paid by the u.s. government to encourage the production and use of corn ethanol it lasted thirty three years and cost more than twenty billion dollars oklahoma senator tom coburn

led the charge to do away with the subsidy and won but the government mandate requiring oil companies to use ethanol is still in place so just about anywhere you go ten percent of what you put into your car is ethanol. even if your car is a race car. nascar's partnership with ethanol a sign that the pressure on the corn supply will continue forty percent of last year's corn crop. went to ethanol that leaves the other sixty percent to go toward food for people and animals and with the price per bushel more than doubling in the last five years it's no wonder food prices are going up when demand goes up for. farmers plant corn. and. other research scholar

tim searching or says that leads to the shortage and increased prices of other crops and it's not just this country in other countries where people rely on corn meal as one of the only meals for their family. price hike has been devastated. ethanol farmers and plant workers argue that the claims are exaggerated since leftovers are actually used to make high protein animal feed everything else from the fiber from the protein. and fat though the corn oil is left over that is what over and rated for animal feed and still it doesn't change the fact that one sixth of the world's corn supply is burned in american cars that is enough corn to feed three hundred fifty million people for an entire year. raising the question of fairness in the increasing competition between fuel and food. in iowa christine freeze out our teeth. coming up in our sports her later this hour fighting to the

last breath the number one ranking but there's a mash up of. butter rousset this weekend it's truly an open which determine who becomes the world's leading tennis player. that sells the way in just over fifteen minutes next we get the latest business update. twenty five minutes past the hour here in moscow you're watching business autarky emerging markets are suffering from their biggest capital outflows two thousand eight investment advisors cross border capitals says in the past four months it reached two and three quarter trillion dollars and russia is of course no exception last year money was leaving the country faster than predicted but speaking at the devils economic forum the head of the country's direct investment fund told r.t.

the negative trend should reverse after the presidential elections of march. the people at the podium got the election for. the successful people all to come before the election the sort of if your filthy rich we believe this is so low because we need to be flew up to you like three. russian men group called to be very strong because of all the tools that you give the yugoslav largest reserves the slow discussions with the leading investors who will be lending to russia we hope our lives with no help look for infections in the next one months it will be close elections. and let's now take a look at the markets oil first and it's in the bois and got a major boost someone's they won the u.s. fed reserve kept interest rates at a record low the low cost of borrowing supports the u.s.

economy boosting oil demand this hour put out the try has slipped below one hundred dollars a barrel brant is at around one hundred in the house dollars now on to equities and the european markets are higher early trade following the u.s. fed reserve decision which i already mentioned they expect the potential strength of the u.s. economy to benefit those across the ocean the footsie is gaining around half a percent at the moment the dax is around one percent higher. and the russian markets of posting strong gains this hour the r.t.s. has come down from reaching its highest point since last november but it's still trading almost one a half percent higher and the my six is around half a percent higher. and let's check the biggest movers on the my sex abuse than the demand for metals this pushing metal stocks higher obviously severstal is up almost two percent whereas noble if it's steel is trading over two percent higher and banking stocks continue to rally on improved sentiment about the euro zone's that

prices with the spare bank up almost two percent this hour and now on to currencies the ruble. it's slightly lower to the euro but it's continuing its rally against the dollar all thanks to that at this or the session. of the un changed to rates throughout twenty four teams are offering that support the dollar itself though has dropped against the euro. and that's all the latest from the business team on the back of a fit that. mold

into the future this must be challenged by particles that make up the fabric of the universe find what you're looking for in the deep siberian forest prevent a fire it was the help of lasers in fibers to call your tablet of a new game in the region and would be in danger begin all of that here in know with severe sputnik knology i'm danged here on r.g.p. we've got those huge earth covered.

so recap our main stories for you now a call to action the u.n. faces arab pressure to adopt a resolution on syria to push president us out from power but russia has made it clear it would be to any security council that without it you mentioned. plans to enforce an anti piracy though in poland prompts thousands of people onto the streets and a wave of cyber attacks on government websites so they are saying the agreement

designed to protect intellectual property rights but actually need to censorship. and vying for votes online a new dynamic in russian politics as millions of people take to the internet is to ensure the actions they borrow videos and creative campaigning with the most weight . your team talks to a british author whose recent book entitled after the arab spring predicted the egyptian revolution gives his expertise on the middle east that's next. i'm talking to join our bradley who's a foreign correspondent who's dedicated his life to writing about the middle east to publications all round the world in the wake of the arab spring he says fall from the democratic pluralism that the west assumed would take over was in fact washing into the power vacuum.