egypt decides voters head to the polls in the country's first presidential election since hosni mubarak's three decade rule was overthrown but many say they don't have much of a choice. as palin tells. members to tighten their belts those dirty capital is on the fast slipping up on its own targets for budget cuts. the hundred days of unrest tens of thousands of students march across montreal against like situation fees. from just restrictions in response.

he says are to news incoming to twenty four hours a day well. egypt is set for its first presidential election since the fall of longtime hosni mubarak last year polls are set to open in two hours time with thirty names on the ballot including islamists and a number of barack officials but artie's lana reports many egyptians feel frustrated with the choice they have. they stayed down the police and the military and they won but now they're staring into an answer in future and it's far from clear egypt's revolutionaries are holding the trump card i'm sure of the martyrs where life they would think that this is all it is just no one chanted for elections they wanted to free them now there's a monthly massacre that takes place when people feel that we don't even have the right to be listened in a big square how can they really surprised. it took my arm and other egyptian youth just eighteen days to topple

a dictator who'd been in power for maybe thirty six years but they haven't been able to come up with a single compelling candidate in the country's first post mubarak a presidential election is. people who are going to meet the political cost of this not change quickly so we have. political. support and some of the. subtleties. and after ten of them were disqualified thirteen remain in the race for egypt's top job the front runners include a moose or mubarak insider former egyptian foreign minister and head of the arab league abdel moneim of doing for top former brotherhood leader cairo physician and long time and to mubarak dissident and mohamed morsi the muslim brotherhood's choice who has a respected party and well financed campaign behind him the fact that there are two strong islamist candidates means the islamist vote is split although on foreign

policy issues they're united the council believe that the two of them. try to improve the relations but on the expense of egypt through the motions was the last of. them are going to try to improve the relations was. i believe it's going to get more. chances are high that egyptians will vote in an islamized president but this support is no way near what it was in recent parliamentary elections because egypt for. example surveys a picture of the city to consider the status challenges to. many of these candidates is expected to top fifty cities making it one of. the highly likely but the delays are making egyptians edgy time and again the ruling generals lift out as to whether the elections would even happen and concern is right that the army plans to stay in

power or at least pull the strings from a far but dr has some a far disagrees a military coup has to be executed and it is than they thought it would be very very violent and there will be a lot of bloodshed and i think there is very much aware of this there's been little about this election that's been predictable and no matter who wins the new egypt is likely to look a lot like the last few months of the old at least for some time the problems in the country run deep and economic and political frustrations are not that far from spilling over into fresh protests police here r.t. cairo. egypt's ruling military council is reportedly planning to publish a new interim constitution to set limits to the government's influence over the army professor of middle east history at west chester university lawrence davidson says the military is hoping to keep its grip on the country after the election. the

fear is i magine just like you know some twenty years ago. that if the islamists in charge will never give up power but then if you ask yourself what the military actually does here and its history once it's in charge it doesn't give up power either think what they're trying to do is create a sort of turkish model. where in fact the military stands independent and autonomous outside of the government and essential the requisite holds for itself a veto power over the government and so at any particular time if the government does things that the army does and why are the officer corps doesn't like it come back in and essential the. military to. bring about a eurozone and growth and solving the escalating problem of greece are dominating

the minds of the e.u. the it isn't don't make has a head of an informal get together in brussels germany continues to advocate a belt tightening and is opposed to joint borrowing but as a teaser pita oliver has been finding out it looks like the policy but it is foisting upon others isn't one it's too keen to perceive itself. the merkel message to hear it is clear that student groups by structural reform is important and necessary but a debt ridden growth would only revive a crisis we don't want that it will not do that. so. all around however don't expect german belts to be getting much tighter. according to the influential cologne institute for economic research while berlin bangs the drum for spending cuts in countries like spain greece and italy the federal government has made good on less than half of its planned savings of the boomers were young the federal government promised in twenty ten that they would

cut over ten billion euro dollar a year in spending from the budget two years later they've cut less than half of this amount some of this is down to changes in policy making the promised cots impossible but most of the promise savings just weren't made. this will make interesting reading for the heads of the twenty five year a peon union member states who signed up to a fiscal pact in march obliging them to show great it fiscal discipline pact championed by the chief cheerleader of austerity chancellor angela merkel as these are missing it looks as if the german government has relaxed a bit while at the same time telling orders to work hard our deficit goals were reached because of higher than expected tax revenue but the cots were not followed through. so after the government made good on only four point seven billion euro of the eleven point two billion savings that it promised the association of tax payers came up with a list of areas they suggest should be cut from the budget as part of

a spring cleaning plan which could save an extra one hundred and fifty six million euro these include scrapping a quarter of a million euros subsidy for growing organic carrots as well as a similar initiative for apple juice all the way through to reevaluating civil servant pensions and the driver service for former presidents of the german parliament. are thirty examples are meant to inspire ideas about how and where the budget can be cut even with a large spending blocks the government should take the goods bring cleaning tradition in the blood to the budget and start saving. there are those who argue that the recent growth posted by the german economy means that they are under no obligation to the rest of the proposed eleven billion euro that it's only those countries posting negative growth that need to trim their spending but the reason why the cuts are not as deep as periphery countries that are suffering the most

from the financial crisis is simply the fact that we have a higher tax revenue right now and that leaves room for maneuver so the german economy is showing growth but as the country's debt rises by the second even europe's dominant economy isn't out of the woods yet at home under merkel's christie and democrats have suffered some major political setbacks most recently a crushing defeat in regional elections in north rhine-westphalia a state seen as a bellwether of opinion in germany the because the theme of the christian democratic party has a tradition of celebrating its victories together it is the same for the defeats this is a common defeat we have discussed this defeat today and looked at length and the duty as we have despite mrs merkel putting on a brave front as a party loses support from the electorate the question has to be asked how can the german chancellor preach austerity to the people of athens madrid in rome when her

party's policies can't even win over the people who sold off peter all over r.t. germany. spain is returning to work after it was ground to a halt on tuesday by striking teachers and students across most of the country schools and universities shut their doors angry at proposed cuts to education plans including putting students in one class slashing the number of teachers posing. jobs are concerned testers are university tuition hikes many without verification the government says the cuts are needed in this year's spending targets minister is promising reforms as the country battles in crisis the employment of almost twenty five percent belgian m.e.p. and i think this is the usa needs to learn to balance cuts with growth prospects. grow there's no i love everybody's in favor of love everybody in favor of growth

but how to bring it about and one hand you need austerity because our budgets are bloated already for a long time many countries have too much debt on the other hand we have to be store competitiveness i make sure that and. set up companies again and the economy starts growing again but when it enters we need lower taxation we need competitiveness and all these things these things we have to do only in a few years time because you know now we're in a process of internal devaluation we're not develop waiting a currency but we are developing countries and it's a very hard process that may take years but the political and social system are not able to cope with that and that is part of the problem there is no time for the things we have to do the problem here is that nobody is coming up with a plan b. everybody says we have to stick with plan a greece has to stay in the euro zone and that is the official line of the european commission of the european council but nobody really looking beyond what's going to happen and that is part of the crisis

and part of the uncertainty that we also see is a digital between paris and berlin and that is really at the heart of the euro if if a german. and franz do not agree on the line to take then do you is really in trouble . here watching r t well that's still ahead of you this hour heightened tensions serious unrest spills into neighboring lebanon with clashes between pro and anti assad supporters raising bring inflict their. major demonstrations to mark a hundred day of student rallies have shaken canada tens of thousands filled the streets of montreal to protest against a huge planned rise in tuition fees in attempt to quell the movement local authorities don't. know what restricting protests instead of pacifying students the controversial measures have only fuel their anger over three hundred people were detained and more than twenty injured of the demonstrations spiraled into violent clashes with police on sunday night. in charge of quebec federation of university

students thinks the government's actions of only made matters worse. we've been trying to understand why he is the guy french going far despite all that. restraint a lot of celebrities give you a pretty you know the expression you manifestation everybody has to see ition so it's very difficult and i was in our pose now because think you know what where is this film a study of us or this new bill that the government passes and i actually didn't step back from all of this demonstration that has been going on with the government trying to make social peace by in the city of montreal of actually received several demonstration going out this is. since friday so i think it's not working for the government and will be trying to go back to their table. to make sure that

this conflict as they head. iran and the group of well palace are due to begin today talks in baghdad the terror un's nuclear activities earlier the u.n. nuclear watchdog said a deal was close to allow inspections of the tree sites when you can the weapons might be developed despite does washington says it will continue pressuring iran as a senator continues to expand sanctions on the country u.s. congressman and he's seen it says to resolve the rayney an issue in washington that need to change its approach. were being tall we should have any contact with them we're being told that we shouldn't be negotiating with them we're being told. to get ready for war for thirty thirty thirty all that is wrong you know what we need to do is to have direct negotiations we need to be talking with the union. and we need to stop this very glorious notion that somehow

we can settle our differences with iran through war we have to believe that peace is possible what we have is a type of thinking. out of washington that says war's inevitable when you say war's inevitable you actually create a war a self-fulfilling prophecy so you get war we wonder why do we have war because people think in terms of war. where you can hear more from a u.s. congressman dennis can see that in about fifteen minutes time arundhati. well more stories on our website at r.t. dot com as it takes to what's there right now made in china the u.s. congress exposes counterfeit electronic parts into a nation corporations american forces a problem isn't potential threat to security. and read about the controversy of the russian parliament spends to pay a bill to enforce a talk of punishment supporting illegal protests or other stories that come to dot

com and then forget to check out the latest videos which. is. the official altie allocation your i phone oh i pod touch from the top story. on the go. video on demand. old girls and streets now in the palm of your. question

on the dot com. conflict in syria is continuing to ferment the trouble. across its border in neighboring lebanon where they've been fresh protests it comes as syrian rebels reportedly kidnapped thirteen lebanese shia muslims returning from a pilgrimage recent clashes between pro and anti acid supporters in lebanon have left a dozen dead of the past few days what is meant for national has more. the roster signs of the recent violence here everywhere as you can see scarred buildings behind me by a blackened walls garbage we were told that there's been some burnt cars here but they've been taken away and police and the army have cordoned off the area and on patrol here twenty four hours to prevent further escalation of violence this recent round of the clashes here in lebanon was triggered by the death of a prominent lebanese and ardent opponent of president bashar al assad he and his companion were apparently showed. by army troops at the checkpoint in the northern

part of the country feel sorties here in lebanon have been very quick to react and investigation is right now and to go in more than twenty soldiers and officers have been detained for interrogation about sunni politicians happen pretty cold for prime minister and on the come on the to resign and they also want the death penalty for those responsible for what they see as an assignation similar fight interrupted earlier this month in the northern city of tripoli claiming twelve lives and they spin disturbance at the border with syria recently its heart lies just how divided the lebanese society is while the country is trying to remain neutral some accuse the lebanese army of cooperating with assad regime while all others point fingers at lebanon sunni population saying they are based in the syrian opposition by providing it with all kind of support everything they need including weapons well levanon is actually known as one off if not the most

tolerant arab country where different confessions have poise this tit for years but this recent incident obviously reveals just how fragile the stability is and fears are growing right now that this situation may boil lebanon's own religious tensions well political analyst and the journalist on the shopping says that western powers may be providing in direct support to terrorists which could destabilize the entire region. there are some serious internal divisions not necessarily about who supports against as it's more internal divisions between a group that is the south how did a group what's called the fourteenth march group that wants to overthrow the government because the government has taken a position a neutral position on the situation in syria the ironic thing is that al-qaeda and the western powers are seem to be in the same group that is defying the lebanese authorities i mean this is this is

a very peculiar situation and i think that many european and american allies are warning that this is a situation that the. western powers cannot sustain because these groups these islamic fundamentalists group some of them are affiliated to the movement or they are supporters of al qaida openly i mean no one can actually be denied that and at the same time the united states and the us and our support the fourteenth march coalition which is really very close to these persons who are supporting al qaida and we have interviewed many of these people and they have openly supported the movement. or some other international news in brief for you now balance out as a political rally in pakistan after a gunman opened fire on protesters at least nine people were killed and more than thirty wounded in shootouts in the city of karachi for in the incidents demonstrators torched dozens of vehicles and also set several shops ablaze hundreds

have died in politically motivated attacks in the city which is often targeted by taliban and al-qaeda militants. a bomb has been found in argentina's capital head a former colombian the president's visit to the country explosives were hidden in the theater. to give a speech before to say the bomb was designed to be treated remotely we being cracked down on drug smuggling guerrillas during his two terms as colombian leader raising suspicions they might have been. not. firefighters that rescued around six hundred people after a blaze ravaged a high rise office building in mexico city twenty people suffered carbon monoxide poisoning with one person being treated for serious burns seven people were evacuated from the roof by helicopter but initial information from the emergency

services suggests an electrical fault in the basement may have been to blame. but south america's strained it ties with the u.s. come under scrutiny the latest installment of a dubious son to show here now to keep the world's top whistleblower asked the president of ecuador korea what role we'll explain the decision to boot washington's ambassador out of the country. you kicked out the u.s. ambassador to ecuador as a result of with your its publication of cables why did you kick her out and i thought she was a woman totally against down government a woman of extreme right wing views that he still lived in the cold war the nineteenth sixty's where we can learn what broke the camel's back the last straw was wiki leaks where she wrote her own ecuadorian contacts told her that the chief of the national police was corrupt and that surely i had given him that post

knowing he was corrupt so i could control him so the lady embassador was called and asked to give an explanation with all her loftiness insolent imperial as she puts on that she said she had nothing to account for good if you look as you may i'd like to say some months ago after almost a year of inquiry commander hurtado. accused in the wiki leaks cable by the ambassador was found not guilty of all charges in australia shows once again up how ill intentioned u.s. officials due to their ill will towards progressive governments that are seeking change my report on anything groundless based purely on rumors and gossip provided by their contacts who are usually people in opposition to our government miss. week watch latest episode of children a santa showing just over an hour's time here not

a. ballerina joins us next the latest from the world of business hi there how are investors reacting to the downgrade of japan's credit rating hi carol well they're not taking this very well as i expect of course but the whole world was surprised really and thirty ratings criticize the government for taking a so-called leisure only approach to solving the country's spiraling that problems and it also said if the governor. fails to take action more downgrades will call and as i said markets haven't been taking this very well let's take a look at the latest figures as you can see there both the nikkei and the hang seng i shouting over one percent and we have other factors play in there as well we have in european concerns as well as a string of negative economic data in the region the japanese government reported that there's been disappointing that exporting data for the month of april there was a different shipments to china which resulted in the bigger trade deficit for that month and when it comes to china the world bank has caught its growth forecast for

this year so not much optimism there a sea of red as expected now in the uighurs the markets are closed so we're going to see the session on tuesday and how it ended that was pretty much of the last session as you can see there after late fall that's in the first we had positive housing data which lifted housing and the banking stocks but we had weakness in materials and energy shares which offset that positive sentiment results and in the figures that we see right there now here in russia it's two hours ahead all the opening bell the markets manners to end the trading session on the high and on after pretty much a trading session that we can see both the r.t.s. and the mice excited about a fifth of a percent there now we'll have the updated figures when the markets open about su hours and look at the current wall in fact first as they always have an effect on the russian recall those are naturally those two go hand in hand there are going south for a second day after and scape in a six day losing streak now some of the factors that were u.s. and rising u.s.

stockpiles as well as the wrong reaching agreement with the united nations as we can see light sweet is floating at around ninety one dollars per barrel while the brant blend is at around one hundred eight dollars per barrel and now we can take a look at currencies the euro is still losing against the dollar and when it comes to the ruble it gave against both major currencies on tuesday and will have the updated figures when the russian markets were open for that as well. now in other news the man of the coin that sound bricks has said that so much emphasis has been placed on the fate of speaking of it to be london form jim o'neill from goldman sachs said that growth in those markets and by those in brazil russia and china and south africa of course is far more critical for global economic health. and the concept of the european crisis for example. fond of saying the china is the economic equivalent of another greece every eleven and

a half weeks so you could wipe greece off the map and within eleven weeks china's created another one last year the combined g.d.p. of the four brics increased by about two point one trillion dollars so the equivalent of creating another italy every fifteen months so it has been and it remains the single most important global economic story of our generation. erroll southers bag it is a breath of fresh air to hear that some other countries are far more important for global oil especially with everything that's happening and that he's here thanks for updating us that. shortly we examine that middle east attention for that something your mind of our top story step in this.

culture is that so much money in which of course you might want to give them sylvia but it may go many critical elements that summit in chicago this military alliance decided many things in principle like ending the occupation of the. world or the truth. is asia is the name of the game when you're saving lives it doesn't mean small is architectural masterpieces laser precision is what matters most the technology of the future it's just ready at your fingertips acknowledge

young get here on r.g.p. . the future coverage. wealthy british style. that's not on the title. like that. market. why not canada find out what's really happening to the global economy with max cons or for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune in to kaiser report on our.