m.p.'s drowned out the pleas of tens of thousands of demonstrators masters in short passing another round of unpopular cuts. the results proved incendiary. that uganda protests turned violent as protesters including fringe anarchists 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 governments past increasingly unpopular austerity cuts will be left asking who can they trust serve their interests the measures are very very tough part of the poor people especially and this is the reason that we feel. today i think more measures have been taken and they're not going to work in the end they'll be another bill here clearly bad and. oh i hope for the best but i don't see it coming.

under pressure from brussels berlin 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 was vulnerable to crisis conditions is a mindset some feel is doomed to fail and they already have destroyed the whole generation of young people and their dreams they will destroy the structure of the sabian the infrastructure of the whole country we know that it is. there that we have no signs that the easy legal or old do those bad we cannot continue like that because the ball is that what the government is following actually increases the day instead of finding a solution at the heart of activists claims is their search and that they've known austerity for the best part of five years now and that time taxes. have risen

incomes have fallen 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 governor warns would follow but what is a bad about our political system is that they have the right exactly the date even more. by this that all four. years 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 this so 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 being forced medicine appears to bring nothing but pain many are continuing their call for terms of treatment jake greece athens. greece hopes the cuts will allow it to write off around half of its

privately owned dad but that could mean some major sacrifices to come and a pm the leader of the you hang the panther party nigel farrar says the exterior measures will give the e.u. too much power over the greek government. what the e.u. is now doing it's trying to influence the outcome of the greek general election not satisfied with getting rid of the last democratically elected prime minister and putting in a puppet in the form of us to papademos it now says it's now saying to the greek people unless you vote for the right parties or less you vote for parties that are happy to be subjugated to a you control we will not give you the rest of the money and you will go bankrupt i suspect that despite the dissatisfaction that is felt by many german politicians i think the german parliament just as the greek parliament did last sunday will continue to toe the line and continue to say the buyout so the answer as far as i'm concerned it's rather like saving the cancer and not saving the patients we saw one of the commissioners. commissioners netty cruz said the other day that if greece

left it wouldn't be a man overboard situation so even at the top there is now a crack beginning to appear and very interesting really what i've seen in the european parliament is for the first time in years we're hearing real criticism and the big socialist criticism is that these austerity cuts are damaging living standards to such an extent that they now want to acceptable so i'm beginning you know i'm not the lone voice anymore in this place that these policies are bad you want an argument from moscow let's not take a look at some other stories from around the world well first to endure it's worth finery in the main market district in the capital injured at least eleven people and destroyed eighteen hundred stalls several blocks were engulfed in flames sending sick plumes of black smoke over the city much of the market area was outdoors reducing the possibility of people trashing placing buildings and kansas funerals were held following one of the worst prison fires on record which left three hundred fifty eight people dead or worse many victims burned alive in their

selves. land resounding lee rejected the idea of making russian. the country's second official language in a referendum whether around samedi five percent advance it was initiated by the russian minority which makes up almost a third of lobbyist population in protests shut out of political life since labia broke free from the soviet union in one nine hundred ninety one but many live in saw the idea as an attempt to encroach on the country's in the hands of the president describing the vote as absurd. and a familiar sound of carnival is in the air in rio de janeiro for the traditional blackball parade it's the day a legendary sad but true which has been performing for ninety four years gathers people of all ages to dance drink and sing until morning street parties take place in nearly every part of the city which is home to six million people with

a five day carnival hands on ash wednesday. now in just two weeks russians will vote for a new president the candidates are doing all they can to woo the electorate from intense debates to controversial t.v. adverts are takes a closer look at the tools contenders are using to win support. we watched this is the video that schools will most often draw so far in the presidential campaigns underway in russia and it's one of the candidates version of famously his showmanship and occasional fist fights going hello stalin experienced claims made on other times when russia's symbol was official troika with three day horses and jingle bells this little mantra donkey has become a symbol of our country the whole country has come to a standstill like percent of us with less than a month to go the five candidates have plastered the streets with election posters and desolate views with t.v. promos heated discussions on television and radio and the internet have become part

of everyday life. i don't course in the race billionaire businessman mikhail prokhorov promises their rival over a new russia with a new president known for his height breeches and playboy past he's the only new face on russia's political scene formally editorials party animal his reputation was once dented by an international sex scandal which has come back to haunt him on the way related to our long at will 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 are familiar crowd to go to the unchanging leader of the communist party good ideas are going to present a fresh image with a campaign featuring a mix of faces from the past as well as the president or his rival for the just russia party to still get on the streets trying to attract the older generation the only clear favorite in the race prime minister vladimir putin 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 promises never show his face. on the street politics there are only talk i've been meeting. either prop or tin or against porter so if you when he doesn't go to television when he's part of st paul it takes when he's a part of television coverage oh he's a job as prime minister he is there is the only one let's say the only kind 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 and according to the latest opinion polls the level of support keeps on growing across the country despite the wave of opposition protests i think the process ten to mobilize

his core electorate because when. people like right wing politic politician brought her up 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 election day may only be around the corner but this still plenty of time for the other four would be presidents to try and chip away at current lead and while some voters rely on traditional t.v. campaigning others are turning to the internet wasn't really. calling himself the live join supposedly. has recently become an online sensation with a song praising the virtues of the prime minister. beat by putin's initials.

ls and while the jury's out on whether it's propaganda or clever aimed at discrediting putin the electoral campaign rolls on with more surprises likely along the way gary showed up party scale. and i'll bring you the recap of the top stories in just a few moments stay with us. you

know sometimes you see a story and it seems so for like you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realized everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm sorry welcome to the big picture. the limited. to do.

to. me. if. i. was. maggie watching r t live from moscow here's a look at the week's top stories the syrian government feels a squeeze internationally and from within as a struggles to crush wife calls a foreign funded insurgency while promising to usher in democratic reform russia and china are pushing for a diplomatic solution while violence rages on across syria. israel accuses iran of targeting its diplomats in a series of explosions in thailand india and georgia this week tehran fiercely

denies being behind the attacks but israel wants more international sanctions against it and its nuclear program. greek m.p.'s pass newest airline measures causing more protests in athens from angry workers worried about further cuts to wages and pensions demonstrators say the budget slashes will damage the country's economy well into the future. and just two weeks before russia goes to the polls to elect a new president the candidates are using all tools available to woo voters and gave maximum support they're turning to head to head t.v. debates and controversial advertising to get their message across. now for more insight into the circle of sanctions closing around iran we spoke to brian becker a member of the answer antiwar coalition that it is coming right up.

thank you for joining us on r.t. thank you but does the united states want from tightening the sanctions i mean 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 i.a.e.a. iran does not have a nuclear weapon iran is now 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 a 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 u.s. tonight that it's trying to carry out there was a change in iran right i mean we have to take that with a very very big grain of salt because we know that since 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 and 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. 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. i think is also telling its people that we are not panicked 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 u.s. possible attack specially israeli possible attack wall street journal says that the u.s. is planning a plan b.

. said israel attacked i think the israelis try to pretend that iran constitutes an excess 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 an 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 a 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 crazes death struggle between the islamic republic of iran on one side in the israeli's 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 tact 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 try. 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 the 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 and dictating u.s. policy in this geostrategic we are not 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 the iranian scientist which rick santorum called half a measure. or john bolton of. the former u.s.

ambassador to the united nations the sanctions the tightening of the sanctions the . coalition that the u.s. is trying to build against iran 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 the venezuelan 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 that don't want the entire world to be dominated by one power the united states of america they recognize that the existence of iran is 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 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 vail and what's going to happen with iran in terms 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 in 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 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 why he's not a liberal. or something like them 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 lee 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. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something

else you hear sees some other part of it and realize everything you thought you don't know. welcome to the big picture. download the official t. up location on the phone on called touch from the top story. one life on the go. video on demand all keys and line gold coast's and feeds now in the palm of your. question on the. wealthy british silence on. the telephone.

market why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy with much stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into kinds a report on our. latest news in the week's top stories here in r.t. the syrian government feels the squeeze internationally and from within as it struggles to crush what it calls a foreign funded insurgency while promising to usher in democratic reform russia and china are pushing for a diplomatic solution found violence rages on across syria and. israel accuses iran of targeting its diplomats in a series of explosions in two. india and georgia this week to iran fiercely denies being behind the attacks but israel wants more international sanctions against it and its nuclear program. greek m.p.'s passed new measures causing more protests in

athens from angry workers worried about further cuts to wages and pensions demonstrators say the budget slashes will damage the country's economy well into the future. and just two weeks before russia goes to the polls to elect a new president the candidates are using all tools available to woo voters and gained maximum support you're turning to head to head t.v. debates and controversial advertising to get their message across. well those were the top stories of the week and polls here now with the latest sports news. hello and welcome to the world of sport it's good to have you along here's what's coming up. loses to roger federer in three sets in the semifinals of the world tennis tournament and. the

final countdown russia in their second straight victory at the beach. to set up a decisive clash against portugal. green with envy phil mickelson closes in on a second title in two weeks with a share of the lead heading into the final round of the northern trust. but we start with boxing where ukrainian vitaly klitschko has retained his w.b.c. heavyweight world title after a unanimous points decision against challenger in munich she had courted controversy before the fight by slapping dr i am faced at the weigh in but despite being an overwhelming favorite with the bookmakers the forty year old was unable to stop his opponent before the end of the ballots it was a spirited display by the brit to win some way to redeeming himself following his actions in the build up he may have given away six inches in height and reach but i .