long. the thai court rules that the alleged russian arms dealer victor boot is to be extradited to the us within three months but russia's foreign minister describes a decision is political and that was to bring him back home. power on stand by russia prepares to launch iran's first nuclear plant on saturday under the observation of the un's energy watchdog. the debate over the building of

a mosque there new york's ground zero site heats up as an ad campaign seen by many as anti muslims posted on buses around the city. and are russia close-up team takes you on a journey back in time to carve a bowl was held in the northern russia where the way of life for residents has stayed much the same for hundreds of years. two am in moscow thanks very much for being with us here on r t our top story russia has condemned the decision by a thai court to extradite suspected russian arms dealer viktor boot to the u.s. previously a lower court rejected the u.s. u.s. extradition bid but the appeals court overruled the verdict. artie's correspondent catarina brings us the details from the russian foreign ministry. moscow's very

unhappy with this ruling because it believes that it was made under significant outside pressures specifically pressure from the united states the russian foreign minister sergei lavrov speaking earlier said that it is evident from the fact that the thai criminal court earlier refused to extradite mr billow and today of course the thai appeal court has sanctioned this extradition that this request was made possible after the severe pressure from the united states there for making this decision a political thread political one and that is an acceptable so it. was started at a time i appeal court has made this political decision according to the information we have this ruling was made in a very strong outside pressure and this is upsetting as to the interests of this russian citizen we've been assisting him for all these months we've been in touch with his lawyers in this family and will continue to do our best to get him

returned to his homeland mr bush remains a somewhat mysterious figure and international businessman who has had contacts with many people throughout his career he is believed by some to be nothing less than the merchant of death and one of the most notorious arms dealers in the world to date by others including his family to simply be a man who was caught in the wrong thing at the wrong time and is basically being made a scapegoat by the united states of course mr bood has received a lot of international attention following his arrest in march two thousand and eight in the thai capital bangkok and still the media today could not figure out whether mr booth is simply a good man or a bad man or what kind of a man he actually is how the woods lord of war there are over four hundred fifty million firearms in the world wide sure. that's one farm for every twelve people on the planet. the only question is. i don't we're on the other

eleven and his alleged real life prototype russian businessman because it would nicknamed the merchant of death denied all accusations of arms selling and laughed off parallels. and i feel. his statement never changed even when he came from behind bars in the infamous bangkok hilton he was arrested in thailand in march two thousand and eight in a joint sting operation by local and u.s. authorities he was apprehended in the final stages of arranging the sale of millions of dollars of high powered weapons to people he believed to represent a known terrorist organization the far not many people were willing to give boot that type of credit given to him by american prosecutors he's possibly a merchant of some death but he certainly isn't the us media would call them. i

mean around quite a large airline operation in. and i would think that ninety five percent of his flights were ordinary commercial goods. or all sorts of things so we're only talking about five percent of the cargoes possibly being. illegal in a long and drawn out extradition hearing that took over two years the united states changed added and modify their charges against mr boot to include violating international trade law as well as arms trafficking his family believes at some point it became a process for the process instead of a process for justice. with this decision to take you has demonstrated to the work of the criminal court has no role evidence gathering the question of our witnesses told this works to meet the law record to low to the extradition to the

u.s. . has been thrown the way. is controlled by the government directly and so huge pressure from the. new trial and tribulations have been ask loosely followed by the media as hollywood's version of the life of the merchant of death unlike a scripted movie there are no punchy closing lines powerful soundtracks or a list of all those involved in production unless that many believe is even more interesting than the lead man himself. catherine those are our teeny moscow. iran's first nuclear power plant is ready to start up on saturday it's been built by russia which says the joint project share will show that iran is entitle to the peaceful use of nuclear energy the reactor will be loaded with fuel whether the strict control of the un's nuclear watchdog the plant is expected to be fully operational about a month russia will help run the facility supply the fuel and remove the waste

ruling out the possibility of tehran using the spent rods to make nuclear weapons iran is under un sanctions aimed at pressuring to iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program artie's oksana boyko has the story of the fifteen fifteen year long planned construction. it's been a routine for more than a decade hundreds of russian constructors streaming to their workplace three shifts a day six days a week building iran's first nuclear power station it's been a long wait launched by germans in the nineteen seventies the construction was halted after the revolution when russians to call for the task was to feed the new reactor into the ready existing building business through its. direct instructors always more difficult than to build from scratch you had to fusion equipment that normally requires a much larger space this is one of the reasons why do launch of the station has

been postponed so many times for the rain it meant the delay in their nuclear dream for local russians more time away from home. let me the works in the local kindergarten welfare has been disputing finishing touches to the station she's explaining to her peoples what it's all about. why we need nuclear power stations i need to sit in the light condition it delish asked. let me know that the congress or the conditions are good here every family has a separate house something that we couldn't afford at home the launch of the pushchair plant is a major political and economic milestone for iran but for the russian constructors who built it it's a very joyous occasion to out of about three thousand only one in town were able to bring their families with them the rest committed themselves to lonely and rather tedious lives but now everybody is counting the days until they go home. ciggies

one of them after seventeen years of marriage he had to adjust to a bachelor's life again now he's gearing up for the opposite transition. i'm very happy to go i miss my family. just as the rainy and societies isolated from the rest of the world the russian village and bush share is caught all it's wrong to buy walls guarded day and night by the uranium police women are required to observe the muslim dress code men have to forget about alcohol and drinks life is especially mum not to notice for the local teenagers version. i wish we had more freedom there are not many things to do here and girls always have to cover their heads it took me a lot of time to get used to it. the construction of the plant has always been in tangled in big politics but it is also the lot of little man and their families who have spent years away from home building iran's nuclear dream. on

a boycott see iran. and as bush era is about to become operational the host of antiwar radio scott horton tells our team there is nothing to fear from the plant except for rhetoric coming out of washington. the bush area actor has nothing to do with nuclear weapons grade fuel at all it's a light water reactor and in fact george bush had said that he was perfectly fine with the operation of the bush area after since the russians would be providing the fuel and would be removing all the waste it's basically impossible to harvest plutonium out of this reactor for use in any weapons without the whole world knowing and of course iran is still within their safeguards agreement and the bush era actually just has nothing to do with the nuclear weapons program at all the israeli government themselves have backed off the claim that bush air is a step forward in any nuclear weapons progress in iran whatsoever american israel threaten them with war on virtually a daily basis and offer a nuclear program

a nuclear weapons program that does not exist there is no manhattan project in iran every bit of their nuclear program is safeguarded by the international atomic energy agency under their safeguards agreement they're not in violation of that they're only in violation of un resolutions that demand that they cease their peaceful uranium enrichment electricity supplies have been completely restored in st petersburg after a blackout that lasted for almost an hour but two cities in the leningrad region remain without power the blackout plunged about forty percent of russia's second largest city in take chaos friday evening it knocked out traffic signals causing massive congestion on the roads train stations and metro service was also hit while water supplies are still affected according to reports the russian emergencies ministry says it was all caused by an accident at one of the city's electric plants but hasn't given any further details. controversial plans to build a mosque just two blocks from the site of the nine eleven terror attacks in new

york is causing anti islamic sentiment in the us posters asking why there have been put up on buses around the city as artie's maria porton i reports it's now a fight between freedom of speech and freedom of faith. here in the u.s. media capital millions of messages for the streets but only one advertisement rolling through new york city is provoking emotional reaction to its inflammatory i think the ad that ran very offensive this ad has been slapped on twenty six buses in the big apple on the left a plane crashing into the north tower on nine eleven on the right the proposed mosque slated to rise two blocks from ground zero the red text ask why there this is the latest offensive delivered by critics opposing the development of an islamic center two blocks from ground zero this woman pam geller reportedly paid eight thousand dollars for the bus ads no i'm not trying to spread islamophobia i'm trying to spread openness and you know what we are hoping to pander and criticism

and and and freedom does it in a country founded on religious freedom poll shows sixty three percent of americans a close the development of an islamic cultural center so close to sacred ground i think it's a great ad and i think it is an absolute disgrace that people would think about building a mosque with three thousand new yorkers and americans more than one hundred of those victims were muslim americans if you're saying. there's a group of people who are. willing to spend a lot of money to advertise that we're islamophobia r.t. got an exclusive tour of that nineteenth century building in lower manhattan it turns out it's already been serving as a temporary mosque for the past year as a citizen. and as president. i believe that muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country and throughout the country the new

york dispute has become a central campaign issue perceiving the november elections some would say the national debate surrounding the so-called ground zero mosque has pitted freedom of speech against. up religion now it's quite clear in this case you have become a political issue but it's also become an issue of security to cover here just thirty feet from the building a park police car extends here all day to make sure things are made safe. we are. shifting gears now our team takes you to our close up takes you on a journey to one of russia's hidden pearls. time we're going a thousand kilometers north north of moscow to the small town of cargo ball there's history dates back as far as the eleventh century something reflected in the towers

art and architecture artists are sell at a cultural tore back the future. but in. a town frozen in time. these stone churches and centuries old wooden houses once owned by rich merchants stirred the magination . once upon a time cargo paul was one of the wealthiest towns in russia thanks to bustling trade by the onyango river but it began to fade into obscurity when c. trade was moved to st petersburg and later on when the railroads were built bypassing the town life here is simple quiet and for the most part that much of anything nothing has changed some have automatic machines but they still come to wash the things in the river after they wash to build a machine in the room next to linen feel fresher. today there's no real industry and gargle ball so people have to make do with what they do best making clay toys

to cover this is our main work and means of support for these figurines are my life now i can picture my life without them. it's the parents that the once dying craft was restored in the one nine hundred sixty s. they call it a peasant art potters used to make clay dishes and used leftover clay to make tools for children and a so-called goggle toy has become a grand in itself tourists flock to their home especially for these have made pieces of ages local culture and to get very hands dirty as well the card. apple's got more to show for itself than just glee figurines they're a small black as i could remember and five generations of my family have been involved in some form of want. because art brought back smiles and color into a place otherwise left behind by history but only is on the lookout for

a sturdy piece of history over the people of my you could open air museum the largest in russia they've managed to save some of the majestic and ancient wooden structures typical from goggle ball these massive wooden structures were brought to mind you could really piece by piece that reassembled and restored here and intensive a labor of love for the museum steam over stores will choose to move their houses in the north are built from pine wood but the windows of this one are made for use for dries out and disintegrates over time we want to preserve it and restore what we can. for vladimir it's enough that their family restored a piece of card because history and are keeping it alive after all a new fields way of life is all they've known pretty quickly realize that in this place it's all about the simple life and going back to basics i'm here at a call in a laundry room where locals wear their clothes more often views than during the

winter so if you'll excuse me i've got work to do. does our cilia arty cargo pull in the high heels region. next to our t.v. host martin andrews delves deep into the history of an ancient town that's no stranger to modern life style art or russia's golden ring continues with a visit to which. a destination for the little gem of

a place quite old it sits in the shop corner of the volga river it's the coach on the straight facts it was even often the terribles favorite location so we're always bats is good as we could see you out for the gold bugs. glitches most likely to be visited this part of the boat trip the approach into the towns where the most memorable sights of the cruise along with. as the town lies in the shot bend in the river here that's ritz name is said to have come from google in russian meaning cooler. is located two hundred fifty kilometers from the russian capital regarding ground transport you can get here by train and bus taking various routes but the best way is by cop it takes around four hours as central colorful reflects off the river it's a fairy tale picture perfect location ideal to snap happy tourists. move the centuries old houses and streets are amazingly preserved here but at the same time

is not just an ancient town it's a very modern place too we have done a lot to develop infrastructure for tourists there are several new hotels many restaurants and cafes and most importantly interactive museums to go students a population of just around forty thousand it's a small but well known town in fact it's one of the oldest in russia a local tradition but since origins nine hundred and that's what was said to be founded by prince describe it for the first documents they said. as eleven forty seven either way it's very very old. the biggest changes were to come centuries later the soviet era brought a new stage in the development of. l.a. the foundations for many existing industries cheese production machinery and energy . hydroelectric power station is located here a landmark you won't miss the river. a

most will mention the tragic event that took place here over four hundred years ago after ivan the terrible death in fifty four his second son dmitri was sent here. however several years later on the fifteenth of may fifteenth ninety one the dentistry of rurik was cut short as a ten year old boy was found dead. this left to the time of troubles in the bloody period of civil wars imposed as a foreign intervention russia's history was changed forever. suspicion immediately fell in that saatchi to devise a course in off the bell rang to break the news of the death caused public outrage and chaos its tongue was ripped out an exiled to siberia fortunately though it was returned to get in eight hundred ninety two and here you can see them reunited as for the cause of death after an investigation it was determined that the young boy

died falling on a noise. today in the tumultuous period is a distant yet prominent memory people enjoy a relaxed simple life here and now even since the fall of the soviet union unlike moscow to get doesn't seem to have changed much. but that doesn't mean there aren't some new and exciting if not strange places to visit. the museum of myths and superstitions already looks out spooky to me. with its many orthodox cathedrals and churches which is known for its history surrounding religion and alongside that very supernatural fairy tales and folklores have existed in russian villages. want to be inside here

later tonight. for those myths and legends that are represented in our museum and very well kept in full in many villages across russia many people still live very close to nature in rituals and superstitions part of their everyday lives but. this museum opened ten years ago it has a large display of items and models of characters that have lived in lakes forests and houses both good and evil this one here is a domovoi house elf people believe that each wooden house had such a protector said to have come from the sole of the tree is used in the construction to see it represents a black magic in russia many young girls believing such forces and tradition fortune telling was very popular to some people it still is today against evil spirits have been called so the girl can see the future has been i think she looks extremely shocked maybe she saw me.

out and if you have a ride by cruise line to get you must take a trip on a boat while you're here it's the best way to see the volga river and the towns sites from denise to run boats there's plenty of choice. unless you're an actual organized boat to a high end by the hour as for me the local police have invited me to tag along for a ride. just to make sure there are no. river pirates pools. if you profess to stay dry this plenty of other activities you can enjoy while side saying and you can experience life as it was a century ago. opened in two thousand and four there are two halls here at the museum of nineteenth century life one represents a local shop another is

a living room of a middle class english family from the past. allies in which traditions museum is interactive with various costume and don'ts performances and dining experiences being organized at the venue. is also an unusual exhibition in town a museum of prison art the features various objects have made by comics says items created from wood plastic newspapers bread and even paintings drawn on bed sheets one of the museum's rooms represents a cell with wax figures of prisoners in stride robes different to say the least. as for where to stay there's a choice of accommodation in which the several hotels located right in the cultural and historical heart of the town one of the newest hotels is the full stall wolski

riviera with its eighty rooms with views both of the city's architectural monuments and the volga river ok today in the mansion recreates in the style of the nineteenth century the hotel provides all modern facilities the price for double rooms varies from around one hundred to five hundred dollars a night. time for both now my trip to is getting really exciting. this welcoming opening. years ago. in the. village not far from the eighteenth. trading house in eight hundred sixty and ever since his label has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. there were hundreds of bottles from factories from all over russia and from soviet russia production you'll be surprised how diverse such

a simple thing as of. now. my favorite part of the tasting. was. three. and yes of course thomas just wants to have before. moving on from the book a museum take on that is from where indeed russian countryside. was a refreshing change from museums a good teacher and here at this location they have a popular school cool. as a russian peasant some of the. curious part of something and a somewhat different day.

course come here for various activities that amounts to classes on how to cook life eyes in the study of how to look after various family all my journals would be proud. just so provided with these farmhouses jackets a little hot for the weather in some of the helps to keep your clothes from getting dirty. time to feed a fairy friend and that we have a happy rabbit. developed a special program for our guests called a museum of progress in course the cello this race about farm courses how they can help people and share what it is so it is an access to great the farm animals and care about campbell. was created by the horse is well known throughout the entire region i'm not surprised.

on whether it's a painting finding out the truth beauty of rural russia wanting for such a trip to riches goldwing destinations will i may she. you. might find it in a place to change the face of russia just a few hundred years ago the townspeople appeal as well as a chance to pass. one of the most beloved towns in the country well i actually think i found my through taste in life a russian boy well that would have about four probably a good i'll see you get of the same time next week from another place in golden ring. and tell them from me and the rest the same.