the u.n. general assembly prepares to vote on the arab resolution putting the blame for violence in syria soley on the government that's amid fears the country might soon plunge into sectarian chaos. a fresh wave of downgrades sweeps across the

struggling euro zone a six nations get their debt rating all this while greece faces further valid hurdles from the e.u. despite its latest partial sturdy plan. and russia's military predicts the west's might decide on a strike against iran before summer clouds gather over tehran following israel's accusations that the islamic state was behind monday's attacks on diplomatic personnel. live from our studios in central moscow you're watching are with me and he said now it's six pm here in the russian capital four pm in damascus syria but we begin in new york with the u.n. general assembly which could soon wrote on a new draft resolution on syria which is believed would put all the blame for violence on the country's government saudi arabia and qatar drew up the tax in

a fresh bid to pressure. the syrian president the move follows the recent double veto of virtually the same document by russia and china at the u.n. security council season as the theater is following developments. this meeting has definitely lasted the entire day we've been hearing speeches from dozens of countries that started early in the morning and of course this comes only a week after a double veto from russia and china blocked in the arab and western backed resolution on syria at the security council so what we saw is an attempt from the saudi arabia and qatar to go to another body of the united nations and attempt to find some kind of decision there even though the general assembly does consist of over one hundred ninety members we have to keep in mind that it's not nearly as powerful as the security council because whatever decision comes out of the general assembly is by no means binding it's only seen as a recommendation by the rest of the international community and what's key here is

that the text of this suppose address aleutian that the general assembly will be voting on voted on has not even been circulated yet we're hearing about it's going to be pretty much the same document that russia and china vetoed and russia and china's problem with the text was that it seemed biased to the countries saying that it only named to the syrian government as the main cause of the conflicts going on on the ground in syria but not the armed groups and that's something that continues to be a major sticking point the recognition of two sides to this conflict by the international community because the effort to end violence should come with negotiation attempts involving all syrian forces including the government and the opposition in order to start the talks the countries that have an influence over the opposition groups going to him now have been unwilling to commit should exert their power. we've been hearing all of these countries make speeches today see it saying that the syrian government is committing atrocities so really this is another opportunity for those who do support regime change on the ground to send

out criticism towards the syrian gun. i meant many experts are saying really that the fact that this symbolic diplomatic gesture is being attempted at the united nations does not really mean much because any sort of document is not going to help stop the crisis on the ground unless it pushes for a cease fire so many are saying that should be priority prioritized at the general assembly these days and not just you know a lot of words of criticism well syria's opposition say the rebellious city of holmes has come under some of its heaviest shelling from government forces yet rebels claim around four hundred people have been killed and several days of an intensified assault but the syrian authorities blame violence on armed terrorists operating in the city now adding to the increased turmoil in the country there are fears syria could soon plunge into sectarian chaos as sara firth explains. the predominantly christian town of million lies in the syrian mountains it's even

here in this hauntingly beautiful place and the signs of the pre-writing conflict is tearing apart much of the country right now creeping in and a sense of foreboding hangs heavy locals tell us they don't travel out of this area much they may longer feel safe we speak to the nuns at the monastery here they tell us about the town's preservation of the ancient aramaic language and like their cherished tongue they hate the fine balance of religious groups in the country can be kept even in these difficult times we have been living here with all people regardless of their religion ethnicity in peace for a long time. back in the center and damascus is known as a melting pot of religions allawi sector a minority in the country but despite making up around just twelve percent potato population heloise have occupied elite positions in the government and the military for decades and now there are fears that resentment among the majority muslim sunni

sacks could erupt the country that until this crisis breakout was religiously diverse as the tolerance now the can increasingly polarized genuine fears that is where those divisions my laid his a sectarian tensions being further exploited have been staked by the emergence of an al qaeda video link the holy war illustrate the assad regime the violence is just not going to end we see it happening and iraq neighboring iraq sectarian violence that is catastrophic and nobody is reporting on that the reporting on syria and they're not focusing on the potential problems that syria could lead into another iraq on the streets through an increasingly desperate population has called for help in whatever form it comes as long as it stops the violence there's little time for them to think about long term sick carrion rests. as many of them worrying about daily survival anyone home. we are ready to hear to say yes

to anyone over the cell phone decision yes anyone in syria right now the split still largely remains along political lines but there's concern that is this increasingly bloody conflict continues it could turn into a sectarian one as well south r.t. damascus syria. staying with the many police in bahrain have fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters trying to occupy a landmark square in the nation's capital and happen on the eve of the first anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising in the gulf coast on monday hundreds of protesters marched through now much marker well that was crushed by security forces middle east expert terry kelly told r.t. there's a huge difference in how some world powers treat suppression protest in the region . those countries which are regarded as as the west or stooges of the west

basically. criticized regularly very rarely do we have coverage it's not just the gulf states and bahrain in particular it is also going to increase like yemen was brutal dictatorial present to prison former president is going to be in the united states receiving medical treatment and no reporting is taking place from the yemen there were demonstrations in saudi arabia a few days ago which got very little coverage of course the so these have no democracy at all it is probably the most undemocratic a concrete leanto the arab world much much more undemocratic even the libya was no one talks about this because it's a useful country it has always lived elsewhere the west starts to mention in bahrain was greenlighted by the united states which is very strong in there. and they crush the uprising and they were brutality so until brutalities we just dealt

with it in a different way and now the problem in bahrain is that seventy to eighty percent of the population feels it has no representation whatsoever and yet nothing happens on this front. well still ahead for you on the art see this hour u.s. and china at a crossroads as representatives of the two powers meet in washington we explore what turns their ties might take in light of america beefing up its military in beijing's backyard. and with just a few weeks left before russell's presidential election we'll look at who exactly the candidates are appealing to in their media campaigns and somewhat unconventional tactics that they're using. with a debt ridden e.u. has suffered another blow from ratings agencies moody's has downgraded the debt ratings of six e.u. states including vulnerable portugal italy and spain it comes as the box struggles to provide greece from default by offering balance in return for more austerity but

argues jacob greaves reports more and more greeks feel the measures will only make things worse. system on the seach m.p.'s drowned out the pleas of tens of thousands of demonstrators amassed within a short passing another round of unpopular cuts. the results proved incendiary. that uganda protests turned violent as protesters including fringe and a kiss clashed with police again leaving their mark on athens. the day all this is the remnants of public anger big losses and the only thing that's been broken as the government's past increasingly unpopular austerity cuts have been left asking who can they trust serve their interests the measures are very very tough part of the poor people especially and this is a zone that would still. be today and i think more measures have been taken

and they're it's not going to work in the end they'll be another bill. and. oh i hope for the best but i don't see it coming. under pressure from brussels and the international monetary fund the greek government has cut more jobs to slash funding for the nation's pensions a minimum wage but current policy appears to mainly expose those most vulnerable to crisis conditions is a mindset some feel is doomed to fail they already have destroyed the whole generation of young people and their dreams destroyed. the safety and infrastructure of the whole country we know that it is. a dead that we have now signs that these illegal or old bad we cannot continue like that because the ball is said that the government is following actually increases the day instead of

finding a solution but the heart of activists claims is their search and they've noticed their. the for the best part of five years now and the time taxes have risen incomes have full but the country's deficit only seems to grow and in this austerity cycle is something sought by an increasing number despite the turmoil the government warns will follow but what is above. them is the break up by exactly even more. people buy these third. they are going to come the only way out of this point is the default default is going to be very tough for us but there's going to be a better solution than the slow death for now relative calm has returned to the streets of athens smashed buildings have been patched up the signs of damage swept away but the simmering discontent hasn't been

a mass force medicine appears to bring nothing but pain many are continuing to call for turned to treatment greece athens well despite greece passing its harshest austerity package yet there's no guarantee it will get more bailout cash there are still conditions and those needs to fail including making written assurances that the agreed measures will be implemented but international consultant and author adrian she says the country is locked in a vicious circle. are bank of that stupid that they always make the mistake of lending too much money and are governments that stupid that they take loans much more than they can pay back or insist is this part of a model where like shylock's pound of flesh you ability of the solver in there is literally used to control the entire country it was so sad to see the same sickening scene time and again since taking to the streets they are repressed by

the police who tear gas they throw stones and somebody gets injured hundreds get in because somebody always ends up getting killed and i always figure that it's the poor people on the streets fighting the police who are also poor and i always wonder if there are a cigar smoking perched on the fifth floor boardrooms looking down of these horrific scenes and just laughing at it all later today will bring you a unique take on europe's debt crisis in the kaiser report the full program coming up for you next hour. here some images from athens is that from two thousand and nine two thousand and ten two thousand and eleven or two thousand and twelve can you tell the target by any other year or still a sweep greeks approved tombstone austerity deal with troika so we see over and over there's a great deal there is not a great deal there's a great deal there's not a great deal to go. on again off again there is a deal now there were german. we're crazy we're trying to milk you dry and

steal the elegant marbles but the u.k. already stole them. well china has promised to help resolve the eurozone crisis but it's made no specific promise to invest a new european balance fun sang song so from the center for international monetary research and remy university says china will invest in the e.u. but only under certain circumstances. if europe accepts the provided to the right preconditions for chinese. rescue farms i think trans side that we have given we'll provide some follow for the rest kill all for your own course in the for example i think of the european union issue of the recall though it's the study of marketing called me for china and opening up

a first order for the bucket of chinese investments in your eyes or soul and we'll take measures you should take more measures to prevent the protectionism in us and time to trade for to the rest of the trigger so i think right now all the mutual dependence by that's role should be to your china has the stones being munchie in those years or so i think china. we also will provide help if the two sides reach out right conditions. but as international pressure on iran amounts russia's military has assessed the probability of a western strike against the islamic republic as being high concerns of pending military action grew after israel blamed tehran for two bomb attacks on its diplomatic staff on monday and today's blast in bangkok peter all over is following developments. the chief of staff of the russian armed forces is. said on tuesday

that he thinks a plan for a western attack on iran could be in place by the summer of this year and he's basing that statement on the fact that since the arab spring started a year ago russia has been monitoring the area of the wider middle east very closely enough to looking at the findings from that monitoring this is what he's come up with now and this comes just a day after two israeli diplomats were targeted with car bombs in the capitals of georgia and india now the bomb in georgia was able to be defused however in india that car bomb exploded very very close to the residence of the prime minister of india and injured several people now israel was very very quick to point the finger of blame for those attacks at teheran despite terror experts looking at the findings and coming up with saying no there's pretty much no evidence that was behind those attacks this is all really part of the ongoing blame game between tel of the terror and the iranians claim that the israelis have been behind

a two year campaign of assassinations on their nuclear scientists well on tuesday in bangkok what we've seen is a rainy and none taken into custody by police after an explosion two explosions in bangkok injured several people there now it's really media very very quick to point the finger of terror towards that iranian man who's being detained there so this is all part of as i say a blame game that's ongoing between tell of eve and terror on what later this hour we hear about the pitfalls of the u.s. approach to dealing with the round from brian bakker member of the answer antiwar coalition here's a taste of what's coming up. the u.s. says they're not can we not regime change but in fact everyone who's watching knows that is the u.s. policy to create pressure on iran carry out overt operate covert operations economic sanctions and all of these new sanctions are not really even

a like the old saying is they are saying to the rest of the world if you dare to do business with iran central bank if you buy iranian oil which constitutes half of the runs g.n.p. if you have any business with iran whatsoever you will not have access to american banks to american corporations to the american market this is in fact a blockade. but taking a look now at some other news from around the world a radical muslim cleric with alleged links to al qaeda and said to be bin lot is right hand man has been released from prison on bail in the u.k. extremist preacher abu qatada has been locked up for six years but last week a tribe you know ruled he should be freed british officials say he poses a threat to the country's security but attempts to deport him back to jordan to face terrorism charges have been blocked by the european court of human rights.

serbs in northern coast of oh have voted in a referendum that asked whether they accept kosovo's government it's believed that paul will overwhelmingly reject the region's ethnic albanian rule and strain serbia's attempts to join the european union serbia which does not recognize kosovo's declaration of independence in two thousand and eight has criticized the measure the results of the two day referendum is expected on sunday. and the body of the late pop star whitney houston has arrived in her home state of new jersey ahead of the morial service scheduled later this week dozens of families gathered outside the funeral home hoping to catch a glimpse of her casket. it's still unclear what caused here since death though some have speculated drowning or drug overdose she was forty eight years old. now with the election campaign in full sway here in russia presidential candidates are trying their best to worry

a lack to read ahead of next month's vote from intense t.v. debates to eccentric radio quips parties diapers cobra takes a look at the wide range of tools the contenders are using to make their mark in people's mind. what i write oh yeah here gates he did so for the most eccentric video in russia's presidential campaign urging to vote for the country's top populist legend is that enough skin famous for his showmanship and occasional fist fights with fellow make is. so you will see that this little mangy donkey has become a symbol of our country the whole country has come to a standstill like this animal if i become president i will get moving again. less than a month to go and five candidates have plastered the streets with election boosters desmond view is with t.v. promos heated discussions have become part of everyday life. after all read your words i don't horse in the race the billionaire businessman mikhail prophet of

promise is the arrival of a new russia with a new president known for his quite riches and playboy past he's the only new face on russia's political scene formally and a tory as party animal his reputation was once dented by an international sex scandal which has come back to haunt him on land related to how long it with a war body and soul as for the elections will win them anyway you can buy anything so you can buy your victory to the remaining candidates unfamiliar crowd united you've gone of the old time communist party leader has always relied on the pension of voters who form about one third of russia's population now his laurels all calm . just as once again middle of promising russia party is on the notion b.g. can't even afford to milk now whether pensioners. the competition has made is he gonna reach out to younger generation and offer them

a brand new slogan there's always a choice bloody mate put in the running for his that time has refrained from getting involved in the campaign directly he has controversially refused to take part in any t.v. debates sending his representatives instead and his promise to never show his face . when he doesn't go to television when he's a part of st politics when he's a part of television coverage oh he's job as prime minister he is there is the only one that say the only can do that with so many resources so much media attention i think that he wants to show that he's the only real candidate precisely by not going there as the campaign picks up steam it's expected so will the number of street protests both for and against putin and it's likely election two thousand and twelve will be remembered as one that got russians on their feet however the latest opinion polls also show the level of food and support keeps on growing

across the country despite the wave of opposition protests i think that brought us tend to mobilize his core letter because when people like brought her up are saying that you know the social benefits would be caught that factories that are inefficient would because that stage would not interfere so much i think that the message that people gather cross russia is that like we should keep putting busied in a song and recent online secession praising the prime minister's virtues sung by supposedly migrant worker it claims to. be by his initials was sent to russia by god. however the many say this song is clearly too much and is just. in the meantime the

electoral campaign will resume with more surprises likely among the. party. that wraps up the main news block here in our two businesses next with kareena. hello and welcome to business here in r t thanks for joining me out of the world's largest diamond mine a buy out put myself fourteen percent stake in an i.p.o. the flotation of the state owned company may take place in the second half of this year and you are evolved from the west bank says that the stock will be a unique opportunity to invest directly into the diamond business. the company is in no hurry to attract money from the market but probably the i.p.o. for old also is a question which is a chatroom in russia a world the size is going to be a. one billion dollars it will give flawed comparable to

russian metals and mining stocks usually after a public offering companies are becoming more. and more friendly to the public overall and to investors in particular well in terms of business and business development that. let's have a look at the markets now exchange rates for us the euro is trading lower against both the dollar and the ruble that's after being down in early asian trading due to the rate downgrades by moody's the move by the rating agency also weighs on the ruble which is saying moderate losses against the u.s. currency. crude prices or makes this hour that's up to bill stern a plot of approval by the greek parliament and tighten sanctions on iran futures climbed over two percent after companies in control of more than one hundred tankers said they would stop loading cargo from. european stock markets are mostly high after gouging german investor confidence unexpectedly posted its first

positive reading since may that spurred investors to take on more move more risky move meanwhile rating agency moody's not two notches off spain's sovereign debt rating and cut its outlooks on the u.k. in crowds to make it. here in russia markets are mixed in the evening trading session with them isaac's fluctuating between positive and negative territory let's check on the index movers album isaac's look oil is point seven percent in the black the company plans to invest for you nine billion dollars in fuel to go plant in the caspian sea by two thousand and twenty five. reversed early losses and is now adding. around half a percent and truck make a come out in the month the man game is up eleven percent this hour on the weather has made a deal with that. mother nature is once again playing tricks on russian crops just a year after severe drought countries plantings are facing a cold test artie's business. has won. the home of some russian

troops may have been damaged by the extreme cold weather say we're informers it's only germany france and poland are also risk from sustained low temperatures which is more in the thirty three in some polls that is expected to skyrocket prices for things like bread wheat futures have been soaring of the ukraine and russian government warned they may limit exports to guarantee the mystic supply both countries are usually big exporters of grain global we proceed to jump eleven percent in the second half of january alone we will russia's top port never received because suspended load at its grain terminal several times after the black sea froze over for the first time in thirty years a drought from july to november last year had already weakened crops the head of russia's one company says fifty percent.