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 the terror on later this hour we hear about the pitfalls of the u.s. approach to dealing with the round from brian backer a member of the answer antiwar coalition here's a taste of what's coming up. the u.s. says they're not carrying out 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 now these new sanctions are not really even a like the old saying 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 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 ladin 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 free 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 is believe the paul will overwhelmingly reject the region's ethnic albanian rule and strain serbia as attempts to join the european union serbia which does not recognize kosovo as 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 founds gathered outside the funeral home hoping to catch a glimpse of her casket. it's still unclear what calls houston's death of some have speculated drowning or drug overdose she was forty eight years old. now with the election campaign in full swing here in russia presidential candidates are trying their best to move the electorate ahead of next month's vote from intense t.v. debates to eccentric video clips parties diapers cobra takes a look at the wide range of tools the contenders are using to make their mark in people's mind. you know if i shout out here live here gates i could do so for the most eccentric video in russia's presidential campaign urging to vote for

the country's top populist legend is it enough skin famous for his showmanship and occasional fist fights with fellow lawmakers do you. see what i see see that this little mangy donkey has become a symbol of our country the whole country has gone 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 blasted the streets with election posters desmond view is with t.v. promos heated discussions have become part of everyday life the study of god after all read your words i don't course in the race the billionaire businessman mikhail prophet of promise is there arrival of a new russia with a new president known for his quite riches and playboy past he is 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 the web we are vegetarian outlet for

the our 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 all of them in the a crowd unite is a band 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 contested by said game it on of from with a russia polity is the notion that b.g. can't even afford to milk now whether pensioners because. the competition has made zyuganov reach out to younger generation and offer them a brand new slogan there's always a choice bloody mad 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 he's promised 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 so he's job as prime minister he is there is the only one let's 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 come pain 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 all of the latest opinion polls also show the level of support keeps rolling across the country despite the wave of opposition protests i think that brought us tend to mobilize his core electorate because when people like drew her are saying that you know the social benefits from the cut that factories that are inefficient because that stage would not interfere so much i think that the message that people get

across russia is that like we should keep putting busy even a song and recent online secession praising the prime minister's virtues sung by supposedly when it claims to. be by his initials was sent to russia by god. as. long as she was. like yeah less power than many say this song is clearly too much and is just a clever headaches in the meantime the electoral campaign will soon with more surprises likely along the way down the fish goes up party scam. that wraps up the main news back here in our to 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 output may sell a 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 evolved from the west bank says that the stock will be a unique opportunity to invest directly into the dollar business. the company is in no hurry to attract money from the market but probably the i.p.o. for also is a question of. trading in russia a world. is going to be about one billion dollars it will give free float comparable to other russian metals and mining stocks are usually. a public offering company instead of becoming more. and more friendly to the public overall and to investors. well in terms of business and business development something that will change. let's have a look at the markets now exchange rates first the euro's trading lower against the

dollar and the ruble that's after being down in the early asian trading rate downgrades by the move by the rating agency also weighs on the ruble which is saying moderate losses against the u.s. currency. crude prices it makes this hour that's up to bill stern a plan 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. the european stock markets are mostly high after gouging the german investor confidence unexpectedly posted its first positive reading since may that spurred investors to take on more move more risky moves meanwhile rating agency moody's not two notches off spain's sovereign debt rating and looks on the crowds to make it. clear 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 all my sex is point

seven percent in the block the company plans to invest twenty nine billion dollars in fuel to go in the caspian sea by two thousand and twenty five. reversed early losses and is now adding around half a percent and trucks make a come out in the month the main gain is up eleven percent this hour on moves it has made a deal with done there. mother nature is once again playing tricks on russian crops just a year after a severe drought the country's plantings are facing a cold test artie's business. has one. home of some rotten fruit may have been damaged by the extreme cold weather say very formers italy germany france and poland are also risk from sustained low temperatures which of thirty three in some polls that is expected to skyrocket prices for things like wine and bread wheat futures have been thawing 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 the suspended load at its grain terminal several times of 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 of the country's great crops could be damaged by heavy winds and the worst weather in a quarter of a century first tests in russia sells show one in three grape vines have already been lost. and that the business is now i'll be back with more effective minutes hope you have a. louis

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georgia arnstein line from moscow it's six thirty pm these are our top stories the u.n. general assembly prepares to vote on an arab resolution putting flame for violence in syria soley on the government the opposition claims hundreds have been killed in recent days during intensified assault on the city of poems well the authorities insist they're fighting. armed terrorists operating in the city. of first wave of downgrade sweeps across the struggling euro zone just six nations get their debt rating cut by moody's all this while greece faces further ballot hurdles from the

e.u. despite its latest harsh austerity plan that calls public outrage and now it's riots . and russia's military particular predicts the west might decide on a strike against iran before the summer and to rainy of rhetoric in the world intensified after israeli cuse the islamic state of being behind monday's attacks on diplomatic personnel. for more on the iranian issue are to talk to brian bagger a member of the answer antiwar coalition. thank you for joining us on r.t. thank you but does the united states want from tightening the sanctions. even beyond tightening the sanctions now indeed it is the united states government has created an artificial crisis that's first and foremost it's

a manufactured crisis iran is complying with the. iran does not have a nuclear weapon iran is not threatening its neighbors iran has not started a war with any of its neighbors israel on the other hand has hundreds of nuclear weapons and unlike iran refuses to sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty does not allow. inspectors into its country so there's not really a nuclear menace or a nuclear danger from iran and so what is the cause what's the cause of the crisis of the artificial crisis the real goal is the united states government has embarked on a course of extreme economic aggression against iran with the hope that by creating economic suffering economic isolation economic misery that part of the population will rise up or become disenfranchised with the government so that the u.s. can do as it has in history carry out regime change they deny that the us denied

that it's trying to carry out there was a change in iran right i mean we have to take it with a very very big grain of salt because we know that since one nine hundred seventy nine the united states refuses to have relations with the islamic republic of iran why is it because iran is a dictatorship well it's actually a democratic government it has democratic features far beyond some of america's most foremost their allies in the middle east such as saudi arabia for instance since one thousand nine hundred nine iran became an independent government before that between one nine hundred fifty three in one thousand nine hundred seventy nine when the shah was there. the shah basically is a proxy or a puppet or a client of the american power and so the u.s. says they're not carrying out regime change but in fact everyone who's watching knows that indeed is the u.s. policy to create pressure on iran carry out overt operate covert operations economic sanctions and now these new sanctions are not really even

a like the old saying they are saying to the rest of the world if you dare do business with iran central bank if you buy iranian oil which constitutes half of iran's 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 something like an economic blockade of iran and by international law in economic blockade is an act of war and so we should understand it just like that so what do you think iran's response is going to be well iran so far has been very prudent even though they said that they would consider closing the strait of hormuz that six mile stretch of the persian arabian gulf where twenty five percent of the world's oil supply goes through. and even though much was made of that in the western media in fact iran has not done anything to give the u.s.

. pretext an excuse a provocation so to speak that would allow the united states or israel to trigger a set of military actions a run i think is also telling its people that we are not panicked we the iranian government are not panicked that they're trying to show that they have a serenity and a calmness and a confidence and that they will weather the storm but in fact economic sanctions are taking a bite on the iranian economy right now there is a lot to see about this israeli possible attack specially israeli. possible attack wall street journal says that the u.s. is planning a plan b. should israel attack i think the israelis try to pretend that iran constitutes an axis stencil threat to israel i don't think that that in fact is the case even though iran's military has the capability to do great damage to israel in the event

of a war even though israel is a nuclear power i think that the israeli government has a pattern and a practice of invasion and bombing of its neighbors in the middle east it carried out the bombing of iraq's nuclear facility in one thousand nine hundred one even though that was permitted by international law and subject to spec sions in other words a nuclear program for civilian energy purposes israel came and bombed it they did the same to syria in the last few years and they would like to carry out military strikes against the iranian government the americans don't want that right now even though they are happy to be have iran in a state of tension they don't really want israel to become the main protagonist with the iranian government by carrying out an unprovoked military strike i mean i'm talking about the main sectors in the american establishment because that would then present the crisis struggle between the islamic republic of iran on one side

and the israelis regime on the other and in that case iran will be able to mobilize mass support throughout the middle east for it the united states has a different tack they want to keep israel sort of in the background lou mean danger in threatening iran in one way keeping iran in the state of tension perhaps militarily but have the economic sanctions do the bulk of the work by carrying out economic and financial isolation against the iranian government they think in the long term that's the easier way the better way or the more effective way to carry out regime. change the u.s. has puzzled over israel's intentions so what if israel does decide to strike iran and this is a u.s. official says it's hard to know what's a bluster and what's not with israelis well i think a lot of this is baloney and nonsense the israelis are the recipient benefactor of three billion dollars a year in u.s.

military aid if they do something that's completely contrary to what washington wants they will be on the very short end of the stick the israelis are not dominating in dictating u.s. policy in this geo strategically they are not they have a big influence in washington they have a strong lobby but when it comes to iran or when it comes to iraq the israelis do not tell the united states what to do it's vice versa if israel strikes know if the conflict is presented that way between the islamic republic and israel the people of the middle east will really to the side of iran the assassination of tehran in scientist which rick santorum called half and that's fair. john bolton of. the former u.s. ambassador to the united nations the sanctions that tightening up the sanctions the . coalition that the u.s. is trying to building in what is iran going to do to face all of this pressure well

iran has certain allies to iran has russia and it has china increasingly it has venezuela and cuba another words those governments in the world in addition of course to syria which has its own problems right now but the countries in the world don't want the entire world to be dominated by one power the united states of america they recognize that the existence of iran as an independent government is something that is positive meaning that if the united states were were were to be successful in carrying out regime change in iran they would be emboldened to carry out further destabilizing efforts against other powers including russia and china by the way even though there are great powers. so i think that iran has allies and i think iran is trying to show that they can weather the storm and also that they can rally their population in spite of the fact the divisions that were revealed in

two thousand and nine after the elections the presidential elections the iranian people as a whole i don't believe they should be sanctioned the iranian people believe that they have as they do the right to develop nuclear power for peaceful civilian purposes and i think right now the iranian government is trying to weather the storm they're also making it clear that they don't options that they have they have limited options they have limited options and that's the big issue here i think is that. in america right now in the united states nobody feels this issue they don't feel there's a war looming they don't feel the problem of economic sanctions it's the iranians who are feeling it it's the tension the pressure of the economic problems are all one sided this is like a great power the seven hundred pound gorilla who decides to sit wherever it wants to sit and it can create immense tension and pressure and economic suffering

somewhere else without having to endure any political price so that that's the big problem and as a peace activist and as someone who believes in human rights in i think will do will see this more and more in the united states we are starting to concentrate our efforts to expose the fact that the united states government is carrying out through a different set of tactics the same thing that they did in iraq they carried out regime change in iraq not to make iraq more democratic more human rights oriented but to dominate a wreck and i think they they want to do that in iran and we need to have people outside of iran stand up and say iran should not be alone on this does the presidential elections have any say in what's going on in and what's going to happen with iran and tens of washington. i think the presidential elections in the united states definitely play a role in u.s. policy towards iran that by the way has been the case ever since the iranian revolution iran has factored into american politics in this case the republican

candidates are sort of baiting obama and suggesting that if obama is reelected we will have a nuclear armed iran someday soon well i do something just to counter their statements because it's an election year i don't think so i think that it's not out of the question that obama could opportunistically up the ante or even escalate tensions or even allow some sort of limited military attack against iran in order to show how tough he is and how well. he's not a liberal or something like that but i don't think so this is a very big project for the pentagon for the cia for the us establishment i think it goes beyond electoral politics and i think the obama administration and the pentagon are having a carefully calibrated approach that won't again with regime change the republicans and democrats share the same objective one is more demagogic we militant against iran they both share the same objective which is to bring iran back into an

americans fear of influence and i think the republicans can't move obama that much because obama actually has the backing of the pentagon in terms of this particular approach the pentagon is bogged down in afghanistan they really were pushed out of iraq they have a lot of a lot of military problems a major full scale war right now which could happen even if they don't intend it by people climb the escalation ladder. wealthy british style. market. why don't what's really happening to the global economy

with mike stronger or a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into a report on our. world . technology innovation all the lives developments around russia we've got the future covered.

party's top stories the u.n. general assembly prepares to vote on a resolution putting blame profiling and serious folie on the government the opposition claims hundreds have been killed in recent days during an intensified assault on the city of home while the parties insist their fighting armed terrorists operating in the city. the first wave of downgrade sweeps across the struggling euro zone a six nations get their debt rating scott by moody's all this while greece faces further balance hurdles from the e.u. despite its latest harsh austerity plan that calls for public outrage and mass riots. that russia's military predicts the west might decide on

a military strike against iran before the summer and to urania rhetoric in the world intensified after israel accused the islamic state of being behind monday's attacks on diplomatic personnel. kate is here next with the support. and i welcome to a few sports updates during this week of big european football action and here are the top stories. to find the elements substitute goalkeeper roy carroll saves a penalty at ten nonempty office and rubin won a nail in the first leg of the a great time here in moscow. while coming back strong to call us ten as is set to return for manchester city after a three month example known to no. stars russia's state is shining the on some of the best of the worlds take to the ice the swiss city of davos. but first

football and former manchester united goalkeeper roy carroll came off the bench to say a late second half penalty was ten man and n.p.r. course beat ribbing because on one at luzhniki stadium in the first leg of their europa league last thirty two time well due to the harsh weather being taught to play only artificial pitch in moscow and the game finally came to like an eighteen minutes to go they did start scoring for the great champions but two minutes later they keep up with. the red palings in the nice cabin he said that's thirty four year old carol kaye wants to make his debut and save the resulting penalty to let us not show sure the greek side now has a foot in the long sixty but meanwhile there's one of the europa league game this tuesday night and in a considerably warmer climate the sporting wrong loss to fellow portuguese so i point out the most to his final post the sheikh bashing from turkey. but meanwhile the champions league also resumes this tuesday with defending champions barcelona in germany to pay.