what we've seen with the technocrats installed that are now running the governments of italy and greece and pushing through these reforms that were very much dictated or influenced by germany and what germany wanted today we see the focus shift to the arab spring which obviously is a political geopolitical issue but was very much has economic ramifications as we see reported davos investors questioning what is the prospect of the change in the arab spring nations and what the prospects for investment are we've seen economic impacts of the geopolitical changes we've seen yields in egypt for example surged bahrain kosky very high there so i think people are looking for answers to that and we have a number of events today that are geared towards discussing that very issue with some prominent leaders from tunisia and egypt here at the forum this year we've seen the occupy movement gather such steam and really of course they would be expected to be at davos at the world economic forum the irony is that as i was reading one analysis they were saying it sounds a little like klaus schwab the founder of the world economic forum is channeling

occupy and his rhetoric about the problems of capitalism the irony of course is that occupy protesters and activists are part of the conversation here at the forum . avi's laura lister reporting there from davos so let's get some other news now from around the world this hour time for the r.t. world update an intervention out of iraq an explosion there is killed ten members of a single family as they slept two police officers their wives and six children died as their house was destroyed when insurgents planted bombs around it three people wards are killed in a separate these are the latest in a string of attacks in the country since the u.s. military withdraw in december. a suicide car bomber has attacked a nato sponsored reconstruction team in southern afghanistan four people were killed all afghan civilians and more than thirteen wounded explosive a packed vehicle was detonated as the victims convoy passed through the volatile helmand province the region has been one of the areas hardest hit by taliban

operations against nato troops. the medical charity a medicine that suffered on tear claim that libyan prisoners are being tortured and denied urgent medical care it follows the u.n. human rights chief telling the security council she was extremely concerned about the treatment of some eight thousand detainees several have reportedly died in prison accused of supporting the toppled gadhafi regime. two high rise buildings have collapsed in the center of rio de janeiro with some reports saying two have died and unknown number is still trapped under debris emergency teams are working on the scene searching for survivors amongst the rubble eyewitnesses spoke of a strong smell of gas and an explosion just before the building collapsed. the first space mission of the year is underway and it's got more than a few essential is on board a russian cargo spacecraft is now on its way to the international space station

having launched earlier from the baikonur cosmodrome in kazakhstan the progress ship is expected to reach its destination in two days it's carrying more than two and a half tons of fuel food and of quitman as well as some presents for the crew from their families there are currently six people stationed at all but who are monitoring and conducting scientific experiments. in the farmers of rural america produce about forty percent of the world's corn every year but not all of it ends up on dinner tables instead of feeding the hungry almost half of the u.s. corn harvest goes to making ethanol to power american cars as artie's christine reports many are now asking which is more important food or fuel. it is a process that comes. with the price tag for the american way not just from farm to. but from farm to fuel and this is where it all starts where the

thieves are planted and the corn grows it is the most simple part of a process that has become anything but simple the production and use of ethanol one largely considered an environmental one has become very political being blamed for everything from the power of the state of iowa to world hunger fifteen percent right now of the food increases in this country that you've seen in the last year are directly associated with this policy and that policy a subsidy paid by the u.s. government to encourage the production and use of corn ethanol it lasted thirty three years and cost more than twenty billion dollars oklahoma senator tom coburn led the charge to do away with the subsidy and won but the government mandate requiring oil companies to use ethanol is still in place so just about anywhere you go ten percent of what you put into your car is ethanol. even if your car is

a race car. nascar's partnership with ethanol a sign that the pressure on the corn supply will continue forty percent of last year's corn crop. went to ethanol now leaves the other sixty percent to go toward food for people and animals and with the price per bushel more than doubling in the last five years it's no wonder food prices are going up when demand goes up the corn. farmers plant more corn. and they can't. research scholar tim searching or says that leads to the shortage and increased prices of other crops and it's not just this country in other countries where people rely on corn meal as one of the only meals for their family. has been devastated. ethanol farmers and plant workers argue that the claims are exaggerated

since leftovers are actually used to make high protein animal feed everything else from the fiber from the protein. in their fat though the corn oil is left over that is what over and rated for animal feed and still it doesn't change the fact that one sixth of the world's corn supply is burned in american cars that is enough corn to feed three hundred fifty million people for an entire year. raising the question of fairness in the increasing competition between fuel and food. in iowa christine freeze out our teeth. coming your way shortly here and i'll tell you the thorny subject of russian of multiculturalism and the play in the presidential election next that the business with the maitreya. thanks rory the world economic forum

a maybe about big ideas but it's the contacts and negotiations done on the fringes that are the attraction for many delegates. on of is in the alps he starts the development of the russian capital as a global financial center and says divorce provides opportunities for. its very very important because that was the unique place where more than three thousand. from business from government and little innovation come together to discuss. different. it's the place where most core must be exhibited. to promote itself as a potentially interesting for all those people are going to. businesses and countries. financial business emerging markets are suffering the biggest capital

outflow since two thousand and eight in the past four months it reached two and three quarter trillion dollars with russia seeing record losses however the situation may not be as bad as the figures suggest as the c.e.o. of financial group explains. firstly they're not relevant they're not recorded on a relative basis in the record in absolute terms or they're not going to look at the office relative to the size of the sophist court secondly we're at that stage of the cycle where russia normally isn't doing very well i won't be told surprised to see a pick pick up and fabricating this ship or be surprised if we see that capital outflow situation for if someone is sentiment towards russia picks up russia is a high growth economy the fundamentals are very check the from the club standpoint and then the third issue is there are there are serious policy issues is political risk so you know that we'll continue to rely on friends and there's a there's

a four story one just that. tries take a look at the markets and everything looks pretty good and positive a major boost happened on wednesday when the us a fed reserve kept interest rates at record lows or at least the end of the twenty four to low cost of borrowing is supporting the us economy boosting oil demand this hour w t i is just under one hundred and one dollars per barrel brant is at a hundred and twelve. there of the markets are also falling that us suffered was a decision now in the markets are expecting the potential strength of the u.s. economy to benefit those across the ocean both the footsie other diets of more than one percent the south. caucasus and russia also continuing and their client the r.t.s. is up by fifteen thousand and five good fifty fifty one hundred fifty points to be exact not more than the two point three percent highest point since november my six also up more than one percent second to what's moving to leave my sex abuse the

metals demand is pushing minus seven dollars lost some ground but it's still up almost three point one percent so this our number if it's steel is also strong banking stocks continue to rally improving sentiment about the euro zone's debt crisis approvingly. i'm with bank leading us up more than three percent that's out . now finally currencies ruble is a slightly lower doses of the euro but it's much stronger versus the dollar forty to one copaxone my six trading the dollar has dropped versus the earth. so for now we will be back in around fifty five minutes time with like.

to move. to. the book.

well with. science technology innovation all the latest developments from around russia we've got the future covered. five thirty pm here in the russian capital you're watching our two headlines now a mass march in poland as the country signs up to a global pact to take down internet piracy it covers everything from movies and music to fashion and pharmaceuticals but it's feared the deal will give a big corporations too much power to take web users offline. heavy clashes in syria as troops storm a densely populated damascus suburb after a confrontation with opposition fighters last week the un security council could

vote in the next few days. of the escalating conflict. a battle for russia's top job goes far with creative thinking the new weapon in the arsenal of politics internet campaigns and you tube videos are fast becoming more powerful tools than even conventional t.v. debates. now being an ethnic melting pot is tricky for most countries russia is no exception and it's going to be tough to avoid in the upcoming presidential election spotlight discusses right now. my. hello again and welcome to the spotlight they interview show on hard to our in iran today we're talking out of lead a very potent election manifesto the current prime minister who runs for president

in march has published a new article seen as part of this electro program this time he focuses mostly on ethnic diversity immigration and national these are indeed very important issues in modern russia and they are among put biggest concern that how can these problems be tackled if put is elected and should we then expect toughening of the immigration laws all the more emphasis will be placed a multicultural education we're asking political analyst bill carter and the wall at trenches are the ones going. to the favorite in the russia's presidential election race prime minister vladimir putin will not be participating in public debates with the other contenders for the office instead he's putting forward his vision of how the country should develop in newspaper articles which as soon as he's election manifestos the first one called russia concentrate challenges we must

address was published a week ago and provided a broad outline of putin's election they janda in particular it was aimed at the country's middle class and was viewed as a response to those who took to the streets in this somber protest in the dumela action results this week's article touches upon the issues of migration and xenophobia are putin opposes the policy of multiculturalism and speaks in favor of uniting russia's multi ethnic society under the banner of russian culture and values. whole job will walk into the show thank you very much for being with us well we just we just saw. this video about about the the new and the other part of putin's. election strategy is well first of all do you agree that this is really his manifesto published chapter by chapter of the press well i would believe this is the aleck shock and

pain and this is a short resource or because obviously put in try to pleasurable sites here for it to send a message to can i am additional lives it should be fred at the same time here send a message to the russian ethnic majority this is should be afraid if there arise were protected against the rights of migrants and soul just for authority but no matter what is how to implement this or would you would you agree that this issue the this city issue may become the major issue of this year's election campaign i think it could be perfect later this year we'll probably see a shift towards economic issues because as we know there is this developing world crisis ridiculous from europe in the united states so it may be that now nationalism is high on the agenda but later in the year we might see. economic issues tying together with

a national issue. and if if there are job losses then of course people will be concerned about. you know who is taking the brunt of this economic crisis whether it is us nick russians or or other people will let's go back to to to putin steps the text here's how the prime minister sees russia's historic model of interethnic relations. historically russia has been neither a monolith you steve moore a us style melting point where people are easily migrants brushwood you move through the centuries it's a multinational street you print your groups and needle into room and connect with each other domestic and professional women's and into society and friends. well this point his own words put is consistently referring to russians not as all citizens of russia but to russians as an ethnic group other than world a i

dunno the jews and others well what would it be better to call russians all the i mean this is i mean there is such a problem in britain there are british people and english people so so so so why are we creating the same problem in russia where there's no problem with it was i mean yeah it's a good example to compare with britain because britain is somewhere that really has embraced this multi cultural as over the years maybe the current government wants to step back from that and i think that putin in his article said that some leading politicians in europe are stepping back from this multiculturalism now but i think there's a danger in that because even though put in says he wants to avoid division that if you make one ethnic group the dominant group and that is what you see running through his article again and again that the russians are the dominant group then

you will tend to marginalize the other groups this is different from the soviet times when everybody was on a more equal basis well you say is this cement or ease that he's missing while he point actually for russian identity as a key was not at monza right or blot on the right of land because russian a was. called a really choice. a russian empire. you had the right to be called prussian if you were up that ox creature souls a bell famous here or beggar written here of the war for eight hundred twelve he was half armenian horror for georgia but he was a russian because he was a creature who didn't have this problem in the soviet union because all the people well so it took over thirty people in there were russians that was burke's you mean in europe they still call all of us russians including the ukrainians the jor-ai right guys asshole i mean i think these russians from moscow are different from russians from key of the of course yes but so much more is the us the russian

empower the russians for a united by itself a little squishy need to veil it really goes to the u.n. soviet union and they were united by so it was what what wages we should be united not well let's hear how putting formulates his nation building strategy. we need a national policy strategy be used in syria catch which is a breeze no need for anyone living russia to get their religion requires or to meet with they should i don't you point them selves primarily as citizens of russia and take pride in that no one has the right to be religious interest was on land the same time national laws must take into account the specific characteristics you can have any religious group. as similarly said in one of the passages put in calls ethnic russians this state constituent people. that are there isn't it contradict the constitution of the russian federation which

says that that russia is constituted by its multi ethnic people well as always if not for the fans but this is a matter of interpretation how it should end up because it could make a claim to z. and city should carry it and yet it can get its own interpretation which would be correct with wooden rules but in my tories there is no engine provided for z's russian a nation to be combined because its new city is a key it was blood shed after this have several centuries when russians were cold heartless christians and so people saw that means it was a risk terrible ethnic mix called all the best techniques we just called russians and now he will try to find ethnic groups or we will get the conflict very soon as gorbachev deed new ones the time of the soviet union collapse to you you mentioned multiculturalism in europe well putin is stating as a known fact i quote the failure of the multicultural prior project and even

a crisis of a nation state while i personally agree to this opinion which is expressed by many of my colleagues in the west but do you think it makes sense for a for a calendar that. to the presidency to to to to choose this categorical option well i think it's very interesting that he seems to be playing a soft nationalism hard if you like not a hard nationalism card but i think that if you look down the road into russia's future demographics shows us that the people who are not the ethnic russians are going to become a larger and larger. percentage of the population that the migration routes are yes because people you know in every country of the world migrants eventually become citizens and feel a loyalty to that country but they don't necessarily buy into the ethnic

composition they want to retain their ethnic composition i think that putin is trying to respect everyone's an ethnic traditions and religion but he's he's facing a very difficult. situation because on the one hand he has the liberals who are criticizing him for being too author terry and on the other hand he has the nationalists who are looking to scapegoat certain groups from caucasus and central asia and he's stuck in the middle really it's quite a difficult situation and it's even more difficult when he has to to to take a decision during the election campaign well according to putin i quote if a multi ethnic society is infected with the virus of nationalism it loses the strength and stability we writes putin must understand the far reaching consequences of indulging those who are trying to incite ethnic strife and hatred

towards people of other cultures and states and quote but this this morning made by the prime minister in his article had out with with the nomination with employment of the media of our boys in a no nationalist where we're where we are who expressed his nationalistic views as a vice premier and one of the closest allies in the putin elections that well you see they've got an appointment is a clear message to the east but there's a part of society we just. would like to support them already call russian nationalism visible right but have russian nationalists agenda another side of the problems that if you'll take a european history no one country. was able to balance for a long time on this age between the construct of nationalism with the one who can because constructive constructive positive things and the age after all the heart rate and the. other nations are started so you got a little bit of this sort of

a balance maybe dangerous sort of a balance no but it was succeeded to keep his balance in a long time well we'll talk about it in just a minute i just want to remind our viewers that our guests today are a key. political analyst and moscow news editor in chief tim wall spotlight will be back short shortly after a break so stay with us don't go. to the for this month's charms by particles that make up the fabric of the universe find what you're looking for in the deep siberian forest prevent a fire with the help of lasers in fibers pull out your tablet of a new gaming religion and let the inventor begin all of that here in novosibirsk

technology on day age here on r.g.p. we've got the future covered. so. i gave.

welcome back to spotlight i'm al gore in auburn just a reminder that my guests on the show today are a key deal cocteau's political analyst and the every chief of the moscow news tim while we're discussing let me put in a recent article which is considered to be. published part of his election program. platform or whatever well one of the issue is that president touches in this in this article dedicated to the nationalities ethnic problem is he proposes a creation of a new nationality is a ministry well then there's a question why did put in closed out the special nationals ministry back in two thousand and one if it's a good solution to the ethnic problems well let's let's hear what putin writes about it. i believe that the federal government should set up a special emergency responsible for its development of interethnic during an interaction these problems are currently the responsibility of the ministry of

regional development unfortunately with the overwhelming volume of how do you choose to deal with these matters are open pushed to the back burner this needs to change. well and i don't know about you colleagues but i see a contradiction putin himself closed this ministry. but about ten years ago when he was president now he proposes to open it again so but he does not mean that that was a mistake so was go on how can you answer this question. well i think that we always have a different situation now from ten years ago and the big difference is that at the time there of course was the the war going on in chechnya and we've moved on from that time. some of the problems of the caucuses and have been solved in our time and some of them haven't and other ones have arisen and there is still i would argue this seventy official fostered you know atmosphere where people

from the former soviet republics living in russia. and from different nationalities are attacked on a regular basis and very little is done to catch the killers or to really combat this if this ministry could do something about that could really foster friendship perhaps a little bit more in the soviet model between peoples then it could be a positive thing but we have to see in the construction that i see in this proposal putin curial is that well by proposing to create a body create a ministry put in x. not like a politician not like a political but like a bureaucrat because you know the answer of a bureaucrat to any question is we will create a commission a ministry i want to yes yes and the other side's friesian of commission would provoke bureaucrats about the.