up to tonight egyptians are choosing a replacement for the ousted president mubarak amid concerns the revolutions being the railed by stagnant candidates and hard line military rulers. break through or break down or rather this nuclear program is in focus and under pressure once again with a new round of negotiations between the round in the west bringing up to date on that tonight. and the leaders get together in brussels to dine and discuss salvation for the eurozone with many believing it's time austerity came off the menu. hello eight pm here in moscow you're watching r t with me kevin zero in with the

top stories for you this hour and first two days of voting are underway for egyptians as they decide on a president to replace hosni mubarak was toppled last year but it's already been marred by bloodshed with a policeman shot dead outside a polling station in cairo and as for the vote itself some who took to tahrir square to bring change said none of the candidates represent the revolution as paul asli reports. they stayed down the police and the military and they won but now they're staring intern uncertain 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 or is just no one chanters for elections they wanted to free them now there's a monthly massacre that takes place when people protest we don't even have the right to be listened in a big square how can they really support the east end of all of what's. it took my arm and other egyptian youth just eighteen days to topple

a dictator who'd been in power for nearly thirty six years but they haven't been able to come up with a single compelling candidate in the country's first post mubarak presidential elections since the front runners included i'm a looser insider former egyptian foreign minister and hit of the arab league abdel moneim of doom four 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 islamised candidates means the islamist voters split although on foreign policy issues they're united. in constant believe that the two of them. try to improve the relation bookmarked on the expense of egypt's relations was the us and. them are going to try to improve the relations was israel.

i believe it's going to get more. chances are high that egyptians will vote in an islamist president but this support is no we near what it was in recent parliamentary elections. was egypt off on. several surveys of picked up the surge. that said if the status challenges to. many of the thirteen candidates is expected to top fifty six making a run for him. 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 we're at least pull the strings from a far but dr hassan the far disagrees a military coup has to be executed and if it is then they thought it would be very very violent and there will be a little bloodshed think the them is very much aware of this there's been little about this election it'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 here our team cairo political analyst bill or i'm done he says the choice for egyptians is mostly down to two options it's not even clear what powers the new president will be given. if an islamist is elected they are concerns about the fact that it should stifle pluralism a parliament in egypt is already dominated by islamists the drafting of the constitution is being done by a majority of his amiss as well and the fear is that they will put in place illegally or solitary regime but based on religion now we for former member of the mubarak regime was elected then the fear is that the this person will not.

challenge the the structure of the mubarak regime and he will not challenge also the military's grip on politics the responsibility of the new president haven't hasn't been defined yet the new constitution hasn't been drafted yet so this is a major stumbling block to democracy as. you know people are voting for somebody who doesn't quite know which power he will hold. the bigger ramdani is focusing on lebanon now the conflict in neighboring syria is increasing violence and tension between supporters and opponents of president assad clashes and to the left a dozen dead there in the past week alone not is with nausia has the latest for you from the lebanese capital i and other night of street protests in beirut i was sparked when thirteen lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in syria apparently by

groups linked to the syrian rebels the lebanese capital witnessed what it hadn't seen in years is who i am not about here but i'm moving to a real war between sunni and shia muslims this is at least what i see in the last. i the reason the spillover from the chaos in neighboring syria shia muslims here generally support syria's president assad while most sunni's favor the rebels likewise lebanon's ruling coalition led by the powerful share his bola is process while the opposition backs the uprising the situation is getting worse obviously in the region and this is having a spillover effect here in lebanon and where we're having to cope with the consequences of that there's also internal tension that's increasing there's a large flow of refugees and there's a lot of instability all around us. some though believe the problems in lebanon and only down to the crisis in syria. the observers like spanish journalist thomas

archive editor says they are a symptom of a deep divide that's long bubbled under the surface but he does there were many unresolved issues after the one nine hundred seventy five one hundred ninety seven war like religious division in your forty's didn't short it and now they're discovering it again they kept the situation of instability for many years and that's a good ground for a new conflict like a spark in a powder keg get out of order and the bad news is the resplendent of power in the cag for how the recent history of warfare here makes sure that and means the political and religious refits. i remain more dangerous though or more dished out of either liberal or not there are so many factions now sunni or shia salafi what's really bad everybody has weapons not only hezbollah as they may think but everybody in every house and they use them or thought about the shia and sunni neighborhoods exist side by side in central beirut and in recent years it's been a stable peaceful arrangement but the syria in fact means fear has now greet them

feel very turn into a deadly bloody past which residents here desperately hope to avoid but they are doing it is nothing that there's nothing to do. but it takes all what's happening in the region at the moment this is a good thing you said early against violence in lebanon yes some of the people had to leave but the would be horrified if it was still happening and how mothers seventy remembers all the major conflicts more than lebanon has gone through as a chilling forecast about the latest trouble surely you know what i see no reminds me of the nineteen eighty two in two thousand and six israeli wars and the one hundred seventy five civil war and the two thousand and eight political uprising here i didn't think i'd witnessed yet another conflict in my life. but it seems a worse case scenario could be getting more and more likely this neighborhood in beirut where the violence started is known as the ticklish d.d. meaning new road many fear this road may lead the country to civil war.

marry for nationality beirut lebanon. russia's big trying to mediate a peaceful solution in the region with the country's foreign minister giving a clear cold foreign forces to stop filling the violence and come clean about the motives. the only rules there was there's a real threat that the syrian conflict could spill into lebanon where due to its history ethnic and religious makeup could turn out badly it's a pity the divisions are being artificially stirred up between the shia and sunni populations the aim of the syrian opposition and those financing you know make it from abroad is obvious to me to disrupt kofi annan peace plan always grossly violates un security council resolutions those behind it must honestly say what they want whether they're ready to assist in ending the violence and start a national dialogue or if there's a hidden agenda they're following aimed at regime change in syria. iran is hoping

to convince world powers its nuclear program serves a peaceful per person isn't about making bombs a new round of talks has begun in baghdad all about it with further pressure on taran to stop higher grade uranium enrichment which is feared could be put to military use it's important to future iran's already tried to ease worsening tensions by tentatively agreeing to new un inspections of sites which are suspected of involvement in atomic weapons development but washington says there will be no letup in the heat on to iran fresh sanctions are expected to hit in just over a month targeting the country's oil and nuclear sectors as well as international trade links this because we saw this in chris bambery in london he's a political analyst chris good evening and the west doesn't want to bargain by the looks of it with iran over sanctions and it wants it supposed nuclear sites disclose first do you think to iran's arguments will just be ignored at this meeting by the west. well there's two things going on here carol and i think firstly we are as i understand it the talks about to resume this evening in baghdad originally was was that ended for the day and it's interesting the talks are

continuing there is an offer on the grown for the five plus one the five members a security council plus germany cutting the radium enrichment program from twenty percent down to five percent the iranians have not rejected that and indeed have said it's an offer they can talk about informally some sources in a round of said actually that is the possibility of this being a good basis for a deal with the call with sanctions been removed and in the meantime we've seen the . currency go back up in value against the dollar when expatriation there is going to be a deal i don't think there will be a deal when the next few hours i think it's clear when the process firstly in america it's a year so obama wants to be seen to be driving a hard bargain and secondly tehran doesn't need to rush to a deal because the sanctions although they're quite tough aren't biting because china india and even its oil are taking up the slack so there's that discussions going on which hopefully for all those who want to see a peaceful solution will come to fruition at the same time we have this rhetoric

coming out of western capitals which seems to blow away the fact there is any talks going on the tollway i mean you had in tel aviv any. really defense minister is said that the talks really should not be occurring that it should be no deal you can't trust the arrhenius there is offering inspection doesn't mean anything whatsoever no perhaps you might take their say the israelis would say that but the from the u.s. congress we have voices and want to hold this morning you open your newspaper in britain and you discover that it's revealed britain has plans to intervene in the case of a war between israel and iran no i don't think those plans are that the royal navy is going to impose an arms embargo and israel or the our air is going to enforce a no fly zone no fly zone over tel aviv the what the intervention is is going to help the americans to keep the straits of hormuz open so this. two things going on here the rhetoric which is still warlike and belligerent towards iran and these discussions in baghdad which on the surface seem to be going quite well you say the

sanctions are biting much of course the new law to come in in july and the u.s. said it's backed sanctions on iran is that is that all they can do to try and force around their. no they're also trying to have a military build up in the persian gulf where we're seeing a growing numbers of american warships and growing numbers of american personnel brits and french tag along behind as usual iran is of course virtually surrounded by american american bases not just the american presence in afghanistan afghanistan so they're ratcheting up the military pressure in there oh it's associated as well with the tensions over syria and as we were hearing in a previous just in lebanon so there is a of again going on here which is a very dangerous game the military build up in the gulf it's particularly dangerous for those who recall at the end of the one thousand eight hundred iran war the americans intervened on the side of iran iraq when they were seemed to be was in the war and shot down and really in civilian airliner was over two hundred eighty

dead and deranged remember that and today indeed iranian prime minister was remembering chemical attacks by iraq iran during the war and pointing out that western governments including our america provided the basis for those weapons of mass destruction which is used by the saddam is in the side and you see seen regime and say the people responsible actually brought to book you know the ratcheting up of military tension sanctions is creates a dangerous situation but america and the european union are able on the wrong to simply embargo and really an oil the chinese the indians and the italians that can pick up the slack here and how broad a base of support is there amongst ordinary iranians for a peaceful nuclear energy program it's pretty strong isn't it. well this is no become a touchstone for a reunion nationalism because essentially the west that iranians you can't do that

although interestingly the west in the one nine hundred seventy s. were encouraging iranian nuclear program you know there were americans brits and germans were queuing up to sell in the technology but that was under the shah of iran so there was a different story there but i think it's going to touch sort of a reunion nationalism and people in iran have long memories of western intervention in around the support of the shah or the one nine hundred fifty three could which overthrew a democratically elected government of mosaddegh to impose the dictatorial rule the support they gave to torture the secret police of all of this is remembered in iran and therefore this is becoming like as i say a touchstone for renia nationalism and many people who would not support i'm a degenerate buyer would not support khamenei the supreme ruler would take a position on this because it's an issue of national pride and i don't really think the west understand just how far that goal is and how deep the record of people's memory and understanding of west western involvement in iran is which stalks resentment of the west treating iran is of

a somewhat older child and refusing to accept the repeated promises and statements that this is a peaceful nuclear program i actually oppose all nuclear programs but i think it's ironic speaking in london tonight that we have a british government telling around you kind of a nuclear program which is replacing its tried a nuclear missile defense so-called defense system and is expanding its nuclear program you know so if it's ok for the brits and it's ok for other europeans in north americans why not for ron and his double standards here chris bambery thank service much for your thoughts a bit on the program under both political analyst as you are thank you. eally desserts have an informal dinner just a little later tonight in brussels but the main cause will undoubtedly be the euro zone's crippling debt crisis spurs a growing belief that the austerity drive heralded by france and germany has backfired now setting we could countries into a spiral of decline europe's appetites moving away than from austerity with greece on the brink of leaving the euro zone more spain's rocked by protests against

further cuts reports the single currency but nations are preparing backup plans for the consequences all of a greek exit france's president hollande wants the strike to shift to growth something that germany's reluctant to agree to both sides then have to search for a compromise however ahead of what could be a decisive second greek election in june let me pay durkin a pink told us he believes the eurozone 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 stalled competitiveness make sure that and can set up companies again and that the economy starts growing again but when it enters a ship we need lower taxation we need competitiveness and all these things these things we have to do are really in a few years time because you know now we're in

a process of internal devaluation we're not developed 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 is 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 it is a grim and between paris and berlin and that is really in the heart of the euro as though if if germany and france do not agree on the line to take then to you is really in trouble. practice what you preach is a golden rule which germany so my failing to follow parties people of a reports next on how berlin supplying its own belt tightening policies. the merkel

message to europe is clear that storm doing growth by structural reform is important and necessary but a debt ridden growth will join the revive a crisis with one that will not do that. so all sturdy 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 but they were caught 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 a promise to cuts 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-p.

in union member states who signed up to a fiscal pact in march obliging them to show greater fiscal discipline a pact championed by the chief cheerleader of austerity chancellor angela merkel as these are missin out it looks as if the german government has relaxed a bit while at the same time telling others to work harder 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 taxpayers 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 good spring cleaning tradition and 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 cut 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 in 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 gives 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 or merkel's christian

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 of the r.t. germany. more world news in brief tonight's clashes between government troops and al qaeda forces of the twenty ninth yemen seven soldiers and twenty two militants were killed in the fighting in the country south the area's been under militant

control know since last year it comes as dozens of countries including the u.s. and russia gather for the international friends of yemen conference to help the nation overcome its economic and security challenges. five aide workers are kidnapped by gunmen in northeastern afghanistan two female doctors and three afghan translators were abducted while traveling on horseback near the city of fires or bad search and rescue operations under way the kidnapping of foreigners has become common in afghanistan since u.s. backed forces toppled the taliban government there over a decade ago now. demonstrators in pakistan have burned vehicles and set shops ablaze in fierce rioting in karate after nine people shot dead at a protest gunman opened fire on a political rally in the city on tuesday also wounding thirty people it remains unclear who is responsible for the attack on the demonstration organized by the nationalists crouches home to several rival political groups in armed violence between them has become commonplace lately. from the twenty four beach party to top

most wednesday night was cut short with katie in the business the other katie good to see you there was a gloomy picture when i was here just last week got a few days off but again with you tonight still you can offer no cheer if serious foes not far from it bring us up to date what's the problem yeah you're quite right there kevin and you know what monday tuesday we did see a light relief actually and that was coming from china because they said they were going to boost growth and that filtered through as there was some of mention going on but today it's a completely different picture i was going to global. now it all started with declining or prices we know here in russia that has a real effect we also have the russian government deciding not to privatizing stake in a number of energy companies let's see the artist in the my sex and see how they closed up in today's trading session of the overriding the taking it's toll here drops out is a potential great exit from the euro zone now as we can see that we've got nearly four point four percent of the r.t.s. three point four percent for the migrates if we look at

a snapshot of the moves that shake is today we see this bag had a really challenging day in the markets they lost over five percent and powered you know generators m.r.s. . just now they're two of the companies that were actually listed as a state companies that will not be privatized that is going to have to be u.s. i will say see that this greek exit will the potential of it is really taking so i will state side as well now the dow jones that's nearing its lowest level since december there were eighty alcoa you slide in the exit is across the globe and europe as well says have a look at europe now there's loads going on because we've got we leave you ministers meeting today and one of the top executives are talking about is the zero bonds because that's what the president of france wants to see in other words selling a debt together to really take off the strain from the peripheral countries who have very high interest rates that they have to pay and that really takes its toll whereas angle of up to germany they pay for. sorry larry you say to she's very much

against this is she's standing by now that's how you guys up today they've now just finished that trading day ok now talking about yes we had earlier today max amos has been called he's head of trading. that he said is going to do x. it could take away some anxiety. i actually assure you suppose a.d.'s of the gregs it's so-called greg zigzags it of greece from the euro will be very positive for the markets it removes the things which markets fears most uncertainty and was greece so as long as the european community able to prove that it has sold it for war i think that the markets could actually recover especially food coincide with a collective action undertaken by european central bank by us all the governments in the world to actually address deficiencies in the economist so long as this concerns address i think you know they'll be roughly the board to move the market.

and if we look at the common currency risk see is now losing it's actually gaining ever saw it one twenty five ninety five parts i say losing because that's still at its lowest level since a dollar since july two thousand and ten and that's the yearly tons of that's what it looks like this hour so we look at the river with me that have a challenging day against the dollar and a common occurrence a loss because by the last because investors are already having to save the high event because the ruble is seen as a risky asset i consider those oil prices i did mention that they are indeed falling if we look at the light sweet with its full and below ninety dollars and that's the first time in seven months that it hit that light and that's because u.s. stock falls in our twenty two month high so playing into the price right now now little what brix this was the term to describe the emerging markets of course china india russia brazil and it was coined by jim o'neill from goldman sachs and he's

saying forget about europe we need to be focusing on the emerging markets because they have a much bigger say of the health of the global economy have a listen. in the context of the european crisis for example. fond of saying that china creates the economic equivalent of another greece every eleven and a half weeks you could wire greece off from within eleven weeks john has created a little last year the combined g.d.p. of the four brics increased by about two point one trillion dollars so the equivalent of creating a little italy every fifteen months so it has been and it remains the single most important global economic story of our generation. they have it have al be back in about fifteen minutes of the not all right folks for our culture with the then ok but a few minutes much before that the u.s. congressman shows his views about washington's approach to rand's nuclear program we've got his latest thoughts it's all on our offer brought you a recap of our top stories live from moscow next after this quick break.

thank you are. going. to. go in.