so. the key reason for all this of course is the record breaking heat we had in central russia along the volga river which caused forest fires on quite a significant scale those fires could have been prevented to a certain extent but only to an extent through timely fire alerts under such climatic conditions the key goal is to extinguish fires within one hour from them starting or at least on the same day. because if the fire is not contained in six hours squall winds occur that make the situation critical the fire becomes either a running crown fire or a high acreage ground fire with winds of up to twenty to twenty five meters per second even thirty meters per second in some regions forest fires turn into fire storms and no fire service in the world has been able to deal with things like that so far the situation now on the contrary to the second part of your question about fires is far better now than at the same time last year and the previous years

perhaps this is due to the fact all of these are mobilized and alert in the wake of the great events of late july and august speaking of lessons we can learn from all this we sure are reviewing many postulates and dogmas we used to have before we are considering changes upon the president's orders to russia's forest legislation how exactly did that forest legislation prevent the authorities from fighting fires. well to begin with this function has been delegated to the level of municipalities federal entities and forest department along with fire safety and fire control and forests federal entities were supposed to handle all that work tenders and choose businesses and organizations to protect forests from fires but unfortunately that work was not done well enough in some regions authorities gave contracts to businesses that had neither the equipment nor the staff nor the experience to prevent forest fires around there so. can you say that your ministry did everything it. to fight forest fires or easter something here displeased with yes. i

think we on our part used as much effort and equipment as possible i can say thank god that through all those years against all odds we kept developing new equipment new aircraft and firefighting systems that helped us a great deal in putting out the forest fires it is perhaps the first time that the entire system of the federal firefighting service has been fully engaged in combating forest fires our zone of responsibility was in residential areas we usually work in towns and villages but this time we had to quickly learn previously unfamiliar ways to talk to high acreage fires especially crown fires when i previously unfamiliar. that's what i began with it's not our function it's the function of the federal forestry agency but when the first fires broke out was in the president informed of that wasn't he told that perhaps your ministry should be involved in fighting the fires. when the situation became critical the president signed a decree that declared

a state of emergency that means all federal forces on the ministry of emergency first of all are engaged this is why it took us just two days to establish a task force of nearly one hundred sixty thousand people and almost twenty six thousand units of equipment we also created a large aerial task force with up to fifty aircraft operating simultaneously after all on the third or the fourth day we had begun putting out more fires than there were new ones up to four hundred or five hundred new fires would break out every day and in addition to fighting new fires we have to keep fighting the existing ones so i think the fact that we managed to save some four thousand six hundred residential areas with a total population of more than half a million is a great achievement for our firefighters volunteers local residents and the military who are also someone to help all the people who stood up against the elements in this emergency of course we analyze all our work we exchange experience and advice with our western colleagues i would like everyone to realize that such disasters are not nation specific catastrophe is no. no borders customs

nationalities or religion this is perhaps the most important lesson we should learn from the situation or should we should learn to consolidate our efforts to join forces to give a helping hand to each other and to do our job efficiently but let's have the power with so few right more and more disasters touch not only one country or region but sometimes whole continents is there any close warning system how often do you want your foreign counterparts interact with each other more lead to. well ask for far as here in russia we didn't ask for any help but we didn't reject it when it was offered we are grateful to our foreign colleagues who came from one thousand countries to provide help and support it is essential and i point out that once again that a disaster knows no borders or nationalities our top priority is safety and human lives this is the key to us and we got from the situation. and i have heard it certain most disasters in russia tend to occur in summer what are the emergency services have to be ready for in winter as

a woman. in winter we prepare for the spring we have lots of work in winter as well as the country is very big a huge part of russia is in quake prone areas we have several thousand ice river crossings in winter there are places where thousands of trucks across rivers carrying loads of supplies for the north and remote areas of siberia however the key job we do is to handle serious accidents in the energy sector in heating and generally in sustainment systems if critical situations occur speaking of it work in general there's much effort underway now to health care gets done and we're also providing help to afghanistan and our helicopters and the miners now work in serbia our helicopters are there to help fight forest fires in fact of the last decade we have worked in greece serbia montenegro macedonia italy portugal and many other countries in serbia for example we are demining the grounds for the future south stream gas pipeline it's a big job we're clearing the fields of shells bombs and mines from world war two and the one thousand nine hundred. nato bombardments of serbia whether it's less at

the truth but if we look at it in more global terms there is an impression that national disasters have become more frequent in russia and elsewhere around the world wildfires are followed by floods and floods are followed by tsunamis what she will prepare for this is just going to get worse and worse. as you may know the number of natural disasters has indeed increased over the past twenty years and this increase is significant it's not just my outside impression and indeed this is research carried out by analysts the number of natural disasters is not just up by turkey or fifty percent it's several times more than that everybody knows that here i'd like to warn you against two things first there's always a great desire to use the situation for political purposes this should be avoided the environmental serious politicized so much in russia that it's impossible to see when it's true or when the truth is exploited for political purposes so where citrus do you thing that global warming really exists is really an agreement you

know the climate has changed we can see that just think snow has become common in places where we've never seen it before we see that the permafrost zone keeps melting further we can see the plants that used to bloom once a year are now blossoming two or even three times soon it's going to be more than six months that we've been working on the northern sea route previously the coast ice used to receive for a period from seventy to ninety days today the northern sea route is free from ice for one hundred two hundred fifty days and ships can sail freely in clearwater is this also tells us something firstly i think that the country's leadership and our president have made the correct and well wait a decision to carry out a serious detailed analysis and secondly our president called for the creation of a global response system to man made an emergency disasters after the gulf of mexico oil disaster and after critical situations in pakistan and in russia french president nicolas sarkozy made similar proposals and that's something we've been talking about for over ten years that there is a need for a european. agency responses that would use europe's most advanced technologies

boston has done the one in particular and what you would be doing a noun phrase ample last year or so a number of men they disasters it all because of the infrastructure built in soviet days set is war now to our way to expect more manmade disasters. of course we're working on that too i wouldn't so an ambiguous free claim that we inherited all the equipment from soviet days and that it's all obsolete and is about to start falling apart piece by piece naturally things become old and need to be modernized but we're doing a lot if we're speaking about manmade accidents our country has adopted a major program for the development of power engineering it provides for the creation of new energy generating capacities and renovating the old ones created in the former u.s.s.r. this is a big and serious project which we are implementing is a large atomic energy program is underway it's designed to replace soviet nuclear power units in the period between two thousand and two and two thousand and three

was quite difficult and dangerous a doctor and equipment that was already beyond repair was reaching the end of its service life and we have to closely watch all these processes but we're moving forward the countries developing and getting modernized russian legislation is being upgraded a new state of the our technologies are being introduced and safety technologies should develop either simultaneously with the new technologies or even slightly ahead of them to maintain safety and transport and in industries safety matters should be a priority there's all the rest comes after that but when we noted as you've mentioned it all spill in the gulf of mexico it grew up the global headlines rochelle so it strikes each amounts of oil not only on the surface but also on the sea shelf do we have a system in place at the moment to deal with such accidents. you know we've been closely watching developments in the gulf of mexico naturally our oil extracting companies have also been watching of course they can learn from such an experience and try to apply it here as for our oil. i would say that these questions are not

the last for them because they actively learn from foreign experience no wonder that they win contests and biddings for oil extraction no wonder they win contests and biddings for oil extraction and the construction of refineries and other facilities necessary for the production of oil and gas that's why i think that this experience is certainly tragic on the one hand but absolutely unique on the other hand i hope that such accidents will never be repeated and if they are then we can be ready for them because of his kind of warning to opinion polls you've been the most popular minister for the past few years why do you think that is because. i don't think it's right when an emergency minister is the most popular minister in the country to me is that i believe that artists writers culture and foreign ministers should be the most popular figures whereas in emergencies minister should largely stay unemployed thank you for this interview.

nineteen thirty eight england and france try to reason with hitler's germany demands or not to land and gets its way they all thought they had created a safety net for themselves nineteen thirty nine the whole of europe is involved in war efforts to establish a system of collective security nine hundred thirty eight fail and it's still on the agenda. the lessons to be learned from the munich agreement on our key. piece silage brighton. moon of the sun from cuts to the pressure inside. these flames totty dot com. wealthy british. it's time to.

market. what's really happening to the global economy with mike stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines. afghanistan's

opium harvest falls by about what the value soars with drugs ending up in the hands of prisoners and even police officers are you one report says the decline in supplies due disease affecting the country's poppy fields. pakistan hits back at nato and shuts down a major supply route and what's being seen as retaliation for the killing of its soldiers by u.s. helicopters on cross border raids the alliance denies that place has started that investigation. and lots of talk but nobody's listening smaller nations addressing the close of the un general assembly in new york by media indifference and chairs the majority of journalists left along with those considered to be the most important speakers fueling criticism of the media's role in helping to. countries.

all those stories and more coming your way in less than a quarter hour but first we go with kate partridge for the sports update so there is more russian interest in tonight's european football action that's right not after rubin held barcelona's who draw in the champions league last night. and since in petersburg are about to kick off in the europa league all the build up plus golf and slightly that's next. thank you for joining me for the sports news and here are the headlines european battles taste cans in it fly the flag for russia among thursday night's europa league times. while shock result another drug scandal rocks cycling as three time tour de france champion alberto contador tested positive. and the tension man europe and america get in their final practice rounds as they prepare to take off

in the thirty eighth ryder cup. is focal and to complete this week of european action there are twenty four matches taking place on thursday night in the group stage of the europa league russian premier league leaders in it looking for the best second win and take on a athens in st petersburg while in moscow face a spot of prague at the hume cyrena with both sides aiming to keep their one hundred percent records contain but awful has more. in their first match tesco triumph three kneel at suisse eight laws him with goals from signal in the breeze from wagner alone since then the must do outside continue their winning streak in the russian premier league claiming six points out of six scoring for girls in conceding none as first poor they called out three two victory at home to palermo in their first group match the team from the czech republic is currently second in their domestic league however tears come in a journal and is well known in russia for breaking down his opponent's tactics and

it seems like that thirty nine year old coach is already well prepared for thursday's clash. but which i mean spartan as a disciplined team without any obvious weaknesses that czech team is a mixture of youth and experience with established key players as well as talented youngsters so the teams are very balanced in terms of age sparta play quality compact football they have a proper defense and good wing players there are consistent challenge for any team . with just one lead a different sport in my twenty's cut off their biggest cross city rivals spartak who completed dominated in tuesday's three nil home we know with julianna in the champions league that victory could also motivate the red and blues who are a desperate to perform better than their red and white pose angeleno won the battle for the place in the champions league up to coming out to be two years in a two legged struggle with sparta sold a rivalry continues even if the teams are playing in different tournament but still

to keep play this down i don't think the match against julian a significant asp arthur had many injured and disqualified players elect seven players out of the starting eleven so it's hard to compare these teams if julie no one that means they were the stronger at the time. in thursday's match a lot will depend on loans are good and the russian infielder has already planned how to break the deadlock at the moment it will be hard to score because the visitors will choose a defensive style of play from the very start i refer sleeze to play carefully and not reset counter-attack and secondly just to play our game and everything will be ok with zero were two thirds of the russian premier league season gun and with the senate looking on course to be crowned champions third place tesco might be concentrating their efforts more and european rather than domestic success and they may be in a position to repeat the trend of two thousand and five when they won what was then

that we fuck up constantin but out of our team. and there's also a heavy weight clashing group a between manch to city and eventers later on thursday evening city just missed out on champions league football this season but still aim to prove their worth in europe having won their first group game against salzburg while you venters are still looking for their first win following a draw against poznan and despite the rebuilding that's going on at uva city manager roberto mancini thinks it will be a tough match. vendors. just aren't being right in that there. is a change of manager they change a. lot of players but there is always you going to use. the war because you need it to be a team but it is the most difficult. moving on to the champions league andrew being managed to hold barcelona to a one one draw on a wednesday night and almost

a last minute winner. both goals pale from the penalty spot christian about i gave rubin the lead after thirty minutes after danny alberts i found a bit of a collection but levelled after an out falling i found interesting and stuff and later on over femi martins so he's had a balance of boxes post so one want to finish leaving the russian side third in group d. behind and surprise leaders f.c. copenhagen we want to nail the panel tonight was. elsewhere a santa hat trick saw into milan from the brain for nil and that victory puts the defending champions on top of proof a just behind them on goal difference you kind of all want to win over the dutch side if the twenty roman pavlyuchenko scored two second half penalties for spurs who had rothera van de vocht sent off after he netted top and also missed a penalty. struck home the fourth call. to the first.

round sure you could give them so you go. into the floor in the second one. you know care of peter fellow like you don't know nor of what we've got to play in penalty deferred one the bullet traveled a long way but i think it was a soft penalty but you see him given. there is nothing wrong with the very end of our school leaver and it was a great goal of. main interest to finish meanwhile rangers and manchester united share the leading group c. rangers recorded a one zero win against. while united to call three points that i don't see a. breakaway goal from. days united had executed a game plan according to manager sir alex ferguson. well i think that. was ingalls. very clear was defending today we had to

ensure that we defended probably because it's been a concern and therefore we did so in the position. of the ball and voyages by four positions and finally to group would be french side li all who are eighteen months out of twenty and their domestically are top of the table after they had a morale boosting three one victory and how well to live in a second playing material when i have a bench. meanwhile legend a footballer diego maradona has been in moscow to promote a child comes a charity and while he was here he also took the chance to say he wants his old job back as argentina coach he led argentina to the quarterfinals of the world cup it was then released as coach by the argentina football association after he refused to remove some of his backroom staff he was in the russian capital on wednesday to promote the race a goal which over institut he was using his football skills to good effect and he took the opportunity to tell reporters why he wanted to coach his national side

once or. you know i want to go back because i want revenge that's for sure but i'm very thankful to the players because we've reached a very good fifth place at the world cup we failed when germany crossed our way but no matter what we've done a great job at the world cup hopefully the great work will continue and even if i don't get to continue with the side i will remain the number one fan of the urgent time a national team. moving on and cycling has been rocked by another drug scandal after three time tour de france champion alberto contador has tested positive for a banned stimulant and been suspended from the sport contador has admitted a tiny amount of claim detroit was found in his system after one of the stages of this year's tour de france when the spanish went on to win the yellow jersey for a third time a stimulant boost the flow of oxygen in the bloodstream he's now been suspended by the sport's governing body the u.c.i. although contador says he's been the victim of food contamination and facing two

year ban exclusive club usual is concerned but it's hard to help here. everyone can chill out hospital his way to unprecedented success of the road cycling world championships that are underway in australia the swiss once again left everyone else for dust in his sponsored time trial sealing a record fourth title concha lara who is also the reigning olympic champion events for just over a minute faster than britain's paving miller chairman tony martin front ten seconds for the back to complete the podium in melbourne however it wasn't the race but the shocking news about contador that dominated everybody's thoughts the cyclists back to their fellow rider. moments i think there's a lot of a lot of questions that need to be on said. i one hundred percent give up fully benefits of the doubt because i mean you have to understand these things can be quite complicated and it's a shame that it is out there when it could be something completely innocent so

let's wait and see finally to goals and the tension is growing ahead of the thirty eight ryder cup that tees off on friday as the players involved tell their final practice rounds for the usually intense jaw between europe and america as ever tiger woods was the center of attention of the american world number one once again played with steve stricker the jewel had a one hundred percent record in last year's presidents cup and seems set to be part as again as wildcard selection words extra repair his ryder cup record while the european answer to what's going mcelroy is likely to be paired with u.s. open champion quinn mcdowell but whatever the pairings players are on tenterhooks waiting for the battle to commence. i'm going to be nervous i think everybody is going to be going to be nervous getting up there. it's hard as a rookie because you don't really know exactly what to expect when you play and. about whether when you're done by you especially when you hear the cup you know that we feel like and not that you should go back and it was getting less than that

but it's getting. you know. and that's all the sports i'll be back in a couple of hours see that. for the full story we've got it for. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers on our team.

from. stunts

on t.v. don't come. up poppy crop disease cuts afghanistan's opium harvest by half but sends the value soaring r t takes a look at how the drugs are ending up in the hands of prisoners and even police officers. pakistan hits back at nato and shuts down a major supply what's being seen as a retaliation for the deaths of its soldiers by u.s. helicopters on cross border raids. and lots of talk but nobody's listening smaller nations addressing the close of the u.n. general assembly in new york met by media indifference and an empty other tory.

nine pm in the russian capital treasure good to be with you here on r t our top story a un panel says the price of afghan opium shot up three fold this year as a consequence of a poppy eating virus slashing the size of the harvest by half but demand for drugs is remaining strong as ever the survey also suggests the area of opium fields remains the same and fewer than ever are being destroyed the heroin producing harvest is the main source of income for taliban militants there. retain a stronghold in the drug rich southern provinces of afghanistan despite a massive nato effort and the drug issue is affecting the fight against crime and corruption that's because as paul asli reports many afghan police are among the addicts. you know used to put people behind bars for doing drugs now he's been put there himself as a former army commander denies the charges he insists he never swayed from the right side of the rule.