Welcome to countdown. I am mark barton. To russia positive richest man. He is now in berlin after giving a pardon from president putin. He spent more than 10 years in prison. He was released in a deal with Angela Merkel. Good morning. For khodoweekend rovsky walking into the first first scoffers and more than a decade after leaving his status the most popular print prisoner as becoming the most famous exile. He was received like a rockstar. Breaking between cameraman jockeying for vantage. I have not ever seen pandemonium alike in this. Did he come out fighting said he would take aim at Vladimir Putin . White the opposite. He said he does not get into politics. Quite the opposite. Tohe said he does not want get into politics. He said he will be a voice for Political Prisoners across the world. He said he does not think people should boycott of the winter on memphis. I spoke them a little bit. I asked him what he would advise. In the Winter Olympics. I spoke to him a little bit. He was russias richest man when he went to prison and a decade ago. He said. Forget i should give advice on that matter. He said it comes down to looking at risk and reward. To think isill like a step in the right direction of normalizing the climate in russia. Andry measured khodorovsky reminded people while he is a free man, he is a hostage in a sense. He has several friend in prison in russia and that may have been weighing on him as he answered the many questions he got yesterday. On what should we make of all of this happening in berlin where you are . Yeah, not just berlin. In germany, but all of this was happening in a museum at checkpoint charlie. I was astounded this press conference took place at there. I asked him about it. He said these people were very helpful to me. They have an exhibit celebrating khodorovsky and paying tribute to his time in prison. He played down the idea were in the cold war antiwas some type of component of it. We have david tweed with us now. Our expert in berlin to talk about this. This is a big success for Angela Merkel. I thought it was interesting that khodorovsky said in his News Conference yesterday that he had to thank Angela Merkel. It was yesterday he became aware of our involvement in the negotiations which went for 2. 5 years. Amount of timey going into the negotiations. It shows the success Angela Merkel can do when she was her power behind a position on like this. Negotiation is 86 years old. He was a forest minister foreign minister in germany and resigned in 1992 when of the wall was coming down. He was the chief negotiator. Would you look at this whole wrist lease hold release means, it is a victory for quiet diplomacy. Germany does not throw its weight around. It shows Angela Merkel can achieve, what she can achieve. This is night and day and comparison. Putin was described as a flawless democrat. Extremelykel is critical of human rights. She can still achieve a negotiation. Stay with this. Well pass it back to you. We are going to cover khodorovsky first two days of freedom and berlin. Russias most famous prisoner. Now the most famous exile. Thank you. Both in berlin. Apple fighting to get a market share in china with a new deal. They will be able to sell the iphone through china mobile starting next year. They have almost 800 million users, twice the population of the United States. Lets get to beijing. Good morning. They were talking about 2. 5 years of negotiations to get that political prisoner out of russia. Apple has been negotiating with china mobile for about six years to get into this market. It seems like all those years of hard work have played out and does come to fruition. A multiyear deal but we do not have the financial terms. It is quite significant for both parties. Itll give apple access to chinas bigs Wireless Network in the biggest market in the world. Subscribers inn addition to those already using iphones over the rival networks, China Telecom and china unicom. They have offered it since november of 2009. Telecom has offered to send a last year. China mobile playing catchup. There was a big stumbling block presumably over china mobile homegrown technology. No other carriers globally have adopted this technology. Apple up until now i had been reluctant to provide a td compatible iphone. There were revenue differences between china mobile and apple. Those differences have obviously been resolved. The iphone is going to go on sale in china mobile as of january 17th i think its the date. This incursion news for apple. What about china mobile . Deal removes the competitive disadvantage they had a drawing in the highend users. Those who can afford to pay more for the iphone. They have close to 800 million subscribers. All of them not going to be migrating to the iphone but if they can get a 100 million, that is a huge thing for china mobile which is already facing perhaps the first drop of decline in a decade because higher subsidies and cost of 4g rollout. Getting the higher margin iphones in the mix is positive for china mobile. Thank you. Lets look ahead. Of european banks. The industry has risen 23 and year measured by the euro stoxx. For a look at the prospects of banks in 2014, lets bring in senior banking analyst, Bloomberg Industries has 140 analysts who provide research and data on a 100 industries. John, good morning. One of the big events if not to the biggest that will take place in 24 for european Banking Industry is the ecb asset quality review. Absolutely. With this ebanks preparing for this. Havent had three or four years of running the provisions having had three or four years of running the provisions, it has never been lower. Inhas a coverage ratio 2006, one of the Big Questions l, are you declaring your oans in adequate or bad and how much cover should you have . What would this do if banks are required to increase coverage . Bullet to be a barrier for profitability for banks will it be a better year for profitability for banks . It is going to return 8 . Versus 6 it is here. Which is slowing down the most banks. Profitability will rise. How much growth is there in this environment . And the question of margins in the buildup of lost coverage and how that might impair profits. What is the outlook for Cost Reduction . And, to fall from 55 this year. Positive, not to judge riven by headcount. And not just age riven by headcount. Driven by headcount. [indiscernible] the raiders of deals. Us, willt was telling 2014 be any better . Reviewasset quality could fail certain banks. Spain or portugal. Upice he some the larger players benefited for reasonable deals you can see some of the fromr players benefiting reasonable deals. Its a little too early. What do spend more restructuring than m a. Held with closer to the union how do we get closer to the union . They said no public funds will back up. There seems to be the criticism. You understand. Germany has been in the eurozone for three or four years. That had 10 years to build a 55 billion dollars. What happens if there is a problem in the near term . That is the real question. Thank you, john. Bloomberg Industries Senior banking analysts. What can the eurozone expect after the fed taper decision in 2014 . Our next guest has more analysis on that. His top three stocks for the new year. Stay with us. Time for company news. A 1. 5an to sell billion. Most int shares up the six years. They plan to sell 3 billion and assess overall. Game in had is biggest four years to outsource its handset production to foxconn. A seat as a transformation into a Smaller Services provider. Ace they took a right down. Tiffany is being ordered to pay 500 million to swatch group as after joint venture failed. Were inruled they breach. They said they blocked the development of the swatch watches with tiffany branded. They were taking 300 million charge in the fourth quarter. Welcome back to countdown. I am mark barton. Barclaysguest said will be one of his top picks for 2014. Us on the set. Ns we would talk about the stocks you pick in at the next segment. Since 2007. R europe will we see the same again next year . It is been a stellar year. We will see further gains. What is interesting with had this wonderful stockmarket rally at confidence is not that high if you go across the street and recovery is very fragile. It is so perpetuating. There is a risk it could derail quite easily. And the fed starting tapering and the fed starting tapering in january, how does it change . Started inuldve september when they signaled whether burba to do it. Everybody is taking it with a little bit of salt. That washey signaled when it. The demand many are thinking it will be 10 billion through the end of the year. Youd think they should finish it sooner . The market is slightly addictive. A sharp decline would be good as long as economic figures are there. They seem to be there, dont they . The gdp numbers on friday. I think recovery is stable. That will be the question mark. Whether the Global Markets recover, a quick unwind would be good. The fed will continue if the rates will stay low. That is the message but mark low Interest Rates are critical. People on the street are not comfortable for the if you raise up quite quickly, that wouldve why did the recovery. How will heey, convince investors with economy rising and Housing Markets all over the place. How with the governor of the bank of england convince investors that rates will not be rising . Is a very difficult job. Bubble comingrket along. Get into seven percent at the the end of the year. He has changed it. You said seven percent is a guide. We do go below. The fed has not come to his for guidance. True. Left is toreally have credibility. What he said is irrelevant. The unemployment is 7. 4 . What point do they started to issue stronger Forward Guidance . The next few months . Wouldve already seen the subtle change. Not a trigger. Expect you to do something else, not talking a new threshold. Or is it a thing of the past . It is been bit, hasnt it . Is not aecovery typical recovery we have seen. It all has to do with house price recovery. That would derail straightaway. Criticizing the recovery. But somerset at least it is a recovery and maybe it will lead to stronger business investment. We got a plus side on the figures in the thirdquarter gdp. Maybe it will lead into a self fulfilling recovery. I think it will. People are getting more confidence. The christmas retail figures will be very interesting. The first christmas we have cash. Lets go spend money. Hiring will begin to come back in. A lot of companies are going to keep flexible. U. K. Shares are underperformed the european peers because he u. K. Benchmark awaiting predominantly for banks and mining companies. That is a big reason. Do the u. K. Stocks, the think it couldou lack again the next year . I think it probably will. Comparing to germany and the recovered it has dramatically. As they have had a turnaround in their economy. Germany is in a massive boon time. Recovering, itk. Is so global. Economyout the global rather than individual light germany and southern europe. What was he Something Big blow up next year . I think we will. Especially what is happening in germany and greece and spain and portugal. Not for germany pushing but a server in your penn state saying we do not want to be the eurozone. The button saying we do not want to be in the eurozone anymore. Joe rundle. Stay with us. Welcome back to countdown. I am mark barton. Still with us to talk about 2014 is joe rundle. Your for big picks for 2014. One had a great 2013 stop easyjet. By 90 seven percent. The company has it right. They have got it right. They are moving more into Business Travel within europe. That is an incredible alternative. Are a good service. They will continue to get growth and then positioned himself very cleverly. Another one in your chosen which is interesting is barclays. Did not see the big again this year. 7 . Program. Form they are stepping up their assets reduction target. A couple of regulators looking at them as well. If they going to Treasure Mission . It is. Are they going through a transformation . It is. The low Interest Rate. That should be positive. Andglobal economy recovers it will be a little bit of pick a and the return of banks and doing what they do, lending and making the mining. Regulatory issues for them will always be there. Issues. A few big im sure the libel issue will reemerge. This is regulators. They went a long time ago. Easy political point scoring. Tepco some of my saves a brave pick. It is a fantastic company. It has a structure wrong at the mall at the moment. Up. Ng to catch if they can really focus on the u. K. And execute their strategy and go to smaller stock, takeaway the u. S. , they saw bureau. Problems in europe and asia. It is such a big company, a very slow ship to turn around. Look at the success. They will go into that. They will claw back market share for share. Thank you. First theresin dinner reservations of the new year. That is next. I am mark barton. , he said he will focus on freeing Political Prisoners. He is in germany after being released last week from 10 years in a russian prison. Isernational Monetary Fund raising its outlook for the u. S. Economy. Christine lagarde said there is certainty. In an interview, she credit the budget deal in washington and the fed plan to taper bond purchases for improving conditions. People in spain are celebrate christmas early. The lottery paid out 2 billion euros. Fattop prize known as the one. It is a welcome reprieve from spains financial crisis. Welcome back to countdown. I am mark barton. Straight sunday of kiev was filled. They are putting pressure on the president. President Vladimir Putin. Mark champion is here to tell us more. Mark, good morning. Is it over in the ukraine, the demonstrators have they given up . What do you think . It is not over. The protests are smaller. They will continue to get smaller. I think the fundamental issue remains. The west definitely lost this round. Putin outplayed the marvelously. The fundamental question of where younger ukrainians want to be . It is a divided country. Yet, we know on this one issue of integration into the eu, it is there majority want to stay there. A new move will being suggested. Willing to gain traction . Do they need to be behind one leader . They definitely need to. It is difficult. A political culture, a Young Company and. Since 1991 and that they cursed with their leaders. Vich or in between, the orange leaders. There were always terrible. They have done the country a terrible disservice. We are in a position where you have a Leaderless Movement in part because the leaders have been insufficient. Plays out, i do not know. It will be more about the ulovych makes. Yan that will be the issue. If you look at the deal that was made. A big question if it was a good deal . Is it a good deal . What do you crave give for this 15 billion deal . Not know. Do they said there were no strings. Lets imagine there were none. And putin saying we are friends, we are brothers, we are giving a gift because we are brothers. If we are brothers and you look at to be two parts of the deal we know about, we know about the gas, they cut the price by a third. The prices forger dollars which is not only above the european thee but if you think about transit required, itll dramatically above the european price. The current price is 260. That is what it shouldve been. They said will stop extorting you for gas. He is not said we will give you a discount but we will stop extorting you. If thats the kind of brother you want, thats a brother you like. He is in getting people out of jail and broke windows and brokerages in the middle east. Some has a yet outwitted the eu. The winter home ethics is a few weeks away. The Winter Olympics are a few weeks away. He has been a inverse of obama. He is unchallenged. He can do what he wants domestically. Nobody to check out. Abroad, all of his plays have worked. If you look in syria, he got in the deal he wanted. He is doing tremendously. The question is there is if it is from playing a weekend strongly or see generally in a strong position . I think its a former. If you look at syria and the chemical weapons, that was a deal he made because headed the u. S. Struck, there was nothing he could do. He would be standing by and his client was struck and he did not know if his client would be able to survive in that. It is very important to him to make a not happen and he succeeded. Not necessarily from a position of strength. Thank you, marc. Highlights ofc 2013 stop which restaurant to look out for next year. The chief food critic. Good morning, richard. Up 2013. The year for restaurants. A great year. They have opened so much. I thought they would clear up some the less successful ones. Where people coming in and properties going up. The space comes up now. A lot of restaurants compete. Taking rant that is he said a dozen people going flat. That is happening. One of your top 10 restaurants. Lets check in through some of them, richard. So fast medical ones. In at number eight, cafe. Some surprising growth. It is a kind of lowerpriced, down market of her flagship. Where she worked years ago for gordon ramsay. Beautiful dishes. And to the bar and eat. It is fantastic. Jason addison had a busy year. He opened a little social. Which is ang house much nicer place than soho. Hes also going to open in the city. He is going to combine the two. He is putting in city social. He wanted to be a stop. Three, this from the team who brought you very popular. Their charge toward three concepts before. The mexican place. With the steak place and it is taken off. Several branches. First is the neighborhood and it is cheaper. Ribs. You like grain store. A french chef. To start with the vegetables and the center of the judicial stop center of each edition dish. Not to meet, just mushrooms. Your number one is an agreement with jim carter. Your best meal ever . To be at the number one, why is it so special . It is my favori