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the for. i'm not sure what nato is in the twenty first century i think and so outdated nato has a role in the modern world deciding on afghan strategy and the closer ties with russia the alliance wrestles with the identity crisis as delegates in the list of. what lies beneath are to investigate the potentially catastrophic danger lurking under the cockney sarcophagus coverage noble sides of the world's worst nuclear accident. ever get out of jail card for russia's minor offenders fine said community service consume no place time behind bars to ease the strain on

presidents. and business the government says it's not foreign to follow the u.s. that are intentionally developing its currency it will make russia uncompetitive more in twenty minutes. you're watching r t coming to you live from the russian capital welcome to the program now to our top story defining nato has relevance today and in the future what to do what of galveston and engaging russia well these are the key issues to be discussed at a crucial summit for the alliance in portugal the meeting comes at a hard time for the group of nations which is facing an identity crisis sixty years after being created to oppose the soviet union artie's laurent lesser has a story. it's the biggest and oldest military alliance in modern times

but when you think about what its place is in the world today. the answer. the answer doesn't come easily and not just for one speechless american official decades after the cold war ended with no common enemy originally supposed to define i defend western europe against the soviet union nato allies have been at a loss for a new one and at a loss for a clear purpose it is one of identity crisis for a while we can severely by the seemingly endless afghan war with nato members growing weary in countries such as canada and the netherlands pulling troops out the power of the block is in question. in many of the places in the world we're seeing because of lack of. ability to transform. the depths and perhaps the consequences of a growing group of now twenty eight nations driven together but still largely led

by the interests of one states who's trying to use need to directly and indirectly or directly tries to use need to. fulfill american missions yet everyone feels the strain and with goals not laid out since before the attacks on nine eleven which drove the alliance into war there's not much that's concrete to guide an organization seemingly in crisis which is just. one reason why now when lisbon this meeting matters here at the nato summit the alliance will try to buy for modern relevance with the promise of new strategic goals but also here in lisbon are another group of international critics who believe that there is no place for nato and the twenty first century reiner brown is planning an anti nato protest you know i think there is no place for nato i think there is no place for move who lives any longer in the world because you conned solve any of the global problems with military not and nato was now looking to an old foe for help solving its problems

with all drop which. emerged as a basically a one of the leading global players it's impossible for nato to do always sort. of like the war i'm going we're going to storm they're looking to russia for help with supply routes in fighting the drug trade and now an organization that famously touted a mission of keeping the russians out and the americans in needs the russians in afghanistan to help americans get out i'm not sure what nato is in the twenty first century and i think it's i would dated and without a major rethinking of its goals policies and missions and alliance looking for a new place in the world may find itself and. the answer. fumbling along without one laura mr r.t. lisbon portugal well some experts think that the differences between the alliance

members make it hard to predict the course ahead. that is a situation of course where big question marks put not only behind me to see if you choose your own but also behind the next coming years one to three years we have a lot of differences for example is concerned the relationship to russia the nuclear weapons not to the nuclear weapons merely the us nuclear weapons in central europe that is a big problem and i don't think we're going to solve the is the major difference ballastic defense system that is also a big problem especially as a for german russian relations and i'm not sure that this summit can solve these problems so i have the problem with this is i do not think the approach is correct there are too many strategic differences and they're not really discussed how scientists fear the site of the chernobyl nuclear disaster still has the

potential to cause an even greater catastrophe the aging concrete bunker covering the area is nearing the end of its life and no one could be sure just how deadly the debris beneath still is artie's alexei irish have ski reports. almost a quarter of a century since the chernobyl fallout a special can fly one structure called the circle for gas is still preventing more radioactive emissions into atmosphere this structure the circus was built in nineteen eighty six just months after the disaster that your noble nuclear power plant back then experts predict it would last for only twenty years until two thousand and six that is but it was strengthened and improved extending its lifetime for five more years the biggest question is how much nuclear fuel remains under the surface some experts believe that there is none as most of it did vaporize into the atmosphere and was spread around the chernobyl exclusion zone but many experts believe that there are ninety five percent of nuclear fuel still

remaining under the surface and that could be tons and tons of nuclear material. at the below. we believe that the nuclear fuel under the soko for gross is no longer a solid mass like it was twenty four years ago that now is more like three layers of dispersed dust so should that presents a call for gross collapse we could see a very powerful explosion at the facility think as powerful as a nuclear one. in order to avoid another catastrophe europe invested in the building of a new confinement in two thousand and seven french company was allowed to start the construction of an arch like steel structure to cover the facility three years later the project is underway with more than five hundred engineers building the new circle for gas next to the contaminated plant it won't be just the frain yeah it will be a technological complex as multi-functional crane system will be installed inside

the new structure eight. finals cap the new safe confinement should provide the safety environment for the works in far the project's initial cost was thought to be half a billion euro now sources in chernobyl report that figure has almost doubled but in the fight for the continent's safety knows is too much the new confinement is expected to be completed by the year twenty thirteen and is expected to last for another hundred years the only question is what is the fate of the nuclear power plant in chernobyl some say that it may be dismantled under this new dome but that is only a speculation for now we only heard that this is a process which may take another seventy years and there are no technologies to this date which would allow this to happen. see reporting from the chernobyl exclusion zone in ukraine and still to come in the program

a new hope for russia's first time offenders reforms of the prison system could see fines and community service replacing jail sentences for minor crimes. and making democracy u.s. style american slammed the government over the billions of taxpayer money used to fund regime change or broader first see things reports ahead. now there's been a little sign of improvement to the situation in russia's volatile north caucasus according to president dmitri medvedev he's meeting security forces and local leaders in southern russia to discuss how to bring stability are things you got that aggression over is following a visit to kiss the votes for us. the strategy is that terrorism cannot be counted singlehandedly to successfully applied terrorism is the task of many this was the top message during the talks of the north coke asian leaders with the russian president the talks most of which were held behind closed doors the twenty ton was

a very top tier the number of terrorist attacks group for a forward to compile to two thousand and nine and the national counterterrorism committee reported today over six to terrorist attacks were prevented here and over three hundred terrorists were destroyed but as the russian president said today statistics in russia are something he wouldn't fully trust that used. to stick so often misleading there's no trust in him i want to once again the attention of louis forces to this fact there is no trust in the statistics but often just a week leading into a ministry report. release this in the works now to make it possible to make the statistics exact. all according to the statistics which the president doesn't find trost worth enough it's been relatively stable in this year but violence has been on the rise in the republics of english and traditionally peaceful covered in

a ball carrier there were over one hundred terrorist crimes carried out there six times more than in two thousand and nine the president today called this upsurge in violence as russia's biggest domestic problem a year ago when a similar meeting was called in he ordered a full rasha full of local law enforcement also as part of the measures to improve the situation as separate anti terrorist. group. which now works along with a national counter-terrorism committee also the president formed together these republics all rushed. into a new federal district and maybe sold this mass to the crime is now setting away from military force approach and is now going to focus on social and economic development the region. moscow says it wants a fair trial for russian businessmen a victor boot the president's aide says russia will continue to provide boots with consular assistance but has made no judgment over whether or not he's guilty boot

is accused by the us of arms trafficking and terrorism charges he denies after being extradited from thailand earlier this week he's now in solitary confinement in new york jail boots could face life. found guilty his trial is set for january next year. and russia's petty criminals and first time offenders may soon see jail time swapped for fines and community service it's part of ongoing reforms of the country's criminal code designed to put an end to unfair sentences and relieve overcrowded prisons artie's cut that he explores the alternatives in store for some of the end mates currently serving time. the fourteen hundred women serving time here have one thing in common at some point in their life they all made a bad choice. i went over to my friend's house to get some minor back that he owed me but he refused to pay up so he didn't have any says so his canary bird sitting there and i took it as collateral later the police came and said i stole it after

breaking and entering the price for a stolen canary bird that's instead of that i was sentenced to stray years in prison and i'm currently serving out my first. this extraordinary specter of russia's legislation has been questioned by many including the country's law makers a system of alternative punishment for a lesser crimes in the works with people found guilty of minor law violations facing fines and house arrest rather than jail time used to put it on me you can't put someone in prison because they still too chicken our legal system no deals with these things and effectively there are harsh punishments for small misdemeanors and in some cases punishments which are too late for me ger kramer's we need to balance the system because despite recent statistics crime is on the rise. add that to overflowing prisons abysmal health conditions on the inside tougher integration into society after serving time and the true nature of this problem becomes even

more evident even financially that reform makes sense according to official data over a million people are currently imprisoned in russia with twenty percent serving up to three years for misdemeanors substituting their jail time with house arrest will free up the prisons lessen the burden of taxpayers and most importantly not give people that stumbled a reason to fall. if a person goes to jail following some silly act of his or other certain circumstances because he comes out as a lifelong criminal but we have relevance to the backslide amounts to thirty to forty percent at the very least i mean almost half of them later become criminals. but there is much to do before these amendments get implemented into the legal system the electronic surveillance bracelets for example will rely on russia's glowing ass positioning system and it's not yet ready neither is the legal system with law enforcement not yet capable of the required fishable surveillance the

proposition to stop throwing those found guilty of minor crimes behind bars is something that the women in this penitentiary can definitely get behind but even if the law is implemented the people serving time now may have to face the fact that they will have to serve and pay their debt to society in full without enjoying the benefits of an alternative punishment catherine as our r.t. moscow region and now to some other world news this hour an explosion has rocked a coal mine in new zealand south island twenty seven people are missing five others managed to return to the surface with minor injuries now rescue workers are at the scene trying to make contact with the miners the country's emergencies minister says the cause of a blast is not yet clear. in haiti protesters have clashed with u.n. peacekeepers in the streets are told to pass in anger at the cholera outbreak in

the country crowds threw molotov cocktails of rocks while soldiers responded by using tear gas peacekeepers from nepal have been blamed for bringing the deadly epidemic into haiti something be us strongly denies more than a thousand people have been confirmed dead from the outbreak so far. unusually heavy smaug has hit the chinese capital beijing reducing visibility and provoking disruption it's been caused by air pollution from a growing number of factories and villages built on the outskirts of the city two major highways linking beijing with northern cities have been closed health officials have asked people with respiratory problems to stay at home until the smog is this first by a court front expected on saturday. and while the u.s. is stretching its finances to fund too costly overseas wars huge amounts of cash are also go into wars extending its global influence in more subtle ways now it's left many americans wondering whether it's a justifiable use of their tax money in the first of

a series of reports artie's half is explains what's at stake. this is what u.s. backed regime change used to look like back in the days in a bid to ensure u.s. political and economic interests were safeguarded cia backed coup d'etat the democratically elected leaders from hama knows a dock in iran to salvador allende in chile. in their place all too often brutal dictatorships and governments that committed heinous crimes against their people. to replace the overt support for dictatorships a new concept for regime change was born one that sounds and looks better democracy promotion we do this through surrogates and we do. non-governmental organizations and we do it through people who're. less suspecting the evil that may lurk behind their actions perhaps they were before. have we learned some lessons of our guard

you bet do we do it better you bet is it still just as highness as it always was you bet the concept of democracy promotion is simple finance train and politically back local opposition forces around the world that support washington's agenda but in america in eastern europe with the velvet revolutions in africa the middle east or really all over all over the world and so the us set up these different mechanisms now for penetrating the civil societies and the political systems that didn't have countries that are going to be intervened and to assure that the outcomes would be pleasing to two washington's foreign policy objectives so while the goals remain the same it's no longer the cia but the u.s. agency for international development usa id and its partners spearheading this effort millions and millions of u.s. taxpayer dollars go every year into funding for political organizations from campaigns in different countries around the world that promote u.s.

agenda and most us citizens are unaware of the fact that that's how their money is being spent to meddle and influence and interfere in other nations affairs the concept of facilitating regime change to democracy promotion has garnered widespread criticism congressman ron paul once wrote it is particularly orwellian to call u.s. manipulation of foreign elections promoting democracy how would we americans feel if for example the chinese arrived with millions of dollars to support certain candidates deemed friendly to china why is terrible we use our taxpayers' money to go over and use our military and our cia and these programs to say this is what you ought to do and influence and there's no authority for that it doesn't work it teaches a lot of people to despise us and tomorrow segment we'll introduce you to the political figures who became national and international stars of. help of u.s. democracy promotion funding and explain exactly how the system works. r t

washington d.c. remember you can check out more stories on our website r g dot com helps keep you up to date and here's what you'll find online right now feeling down about lighting up a new survey reveals a russia has more smokers per capita than anywhere else in the world find out about the calls to stop the problem. plus customized process for hitting the town hundreds of american men enroll in a pick up cab to learn all the tricks for meeting women all for more head to our team dot com. now imagine a yoga curry and bollywood right in the heart of russia a little later martin andrews explores moscow with an indian flavor.

a welcome to the mystic garden we'll be taking a look at indian culture here in the us and council. will join martin andrews in ten minutes time here on r t but first it's a business news with yulia and that's after a short break. for the feel we've got. the biggest issues get voice face to face with the news makers.

which write a few songs from silence to. keep don't come. along here to brief you on what's going on in the world of business trade between former soviet states has accelerated shop with us here at a meeting of c.i.s. prime ministers and st petersburg. thirty two percent increase was evidence of improved corporation of the customs union of russia better or sent to kazakhstan forms the new core regional trade and as a fellow who reports there are hopes this round of talks will resolve some of the t.v. troubles. russia belarus kazakhstan are gearing towards for scale integration and speeding up the next phase of the customs union the single economic space where the free trade area and

a common external trade policy the meeting of the prime ministers of the three countries is taking place within the framework of the e.u. region economic community which also includes kyrgyzstan because to moldova armenia and ukraine some of these countries are also showing interest in joining the customs union and now the key document which is expected to be signed today is a final agreement on the single economic space of russia belarus and kazakhstan. which is due to start functioning next year and to provide more mutually beneficial opportunities for its members in a free trade area now i'd like to remind you that the customs union the trilateral union of russia belarus and council which came into effect this year has been designed to simplify the movement of capital between the member countries under a unified tariff and customs territory now the creation of the customs union has stirred up the long lasting negotiations on russia's accession to the world trade

organization after russia said it would see the accession in a joint. account of stone now according to russia's president with beads of few questions remaining in the negotiations with the european union on the matter and they should be solved quickly at the same time the first year of the customs union has revealed some serious discrepancies currently existing export duties on russian oil for almost brought the countries to an oil war well it was annually wise about twenty million tons of russian oil at domestic prices for two years as only a fraction of it at home most of it is being refined. to europe at much higher prices feeding the belorussian budget now today's meeting may finally put an end to the conflict as the russian prime minister vladimir putin has promised to lift all the duties for valorous on russian soil once all the documents on the single economic space are signed business r.t. is not that while reporting there the customs union doesn't come without costs

finance minister. russian companies may have to pay an extra fifteen billion dollars in duties to tax harmonization home whether national companies will be compensated for these costs by either subsidies or it decrease in extraction taxes . let's take a quick look at the equity markets what stops a private mourning going in another. and of tightening from china that raised investors concerns all the potential impact on demand for commodities. if it sees down more than a percent let my mind it let lower by mining shares such as fond of stocks and the best is also keeping an eye on developments out of ireland and mining stocks are losing ground up to china left that it's been so gracious the banks retain talent well it's another post down about two and a half percent. and here in russia the markets are trading higher in an afternoon

session the r.t.s. is up point four percent the myself so the first to negative and is trading at a quarter of a percent most of the blue chips are losing on them isaacs is the biggest loser shedding until one and a half percent bucking the trend all the coral and gas. there is no point in privatizing russian technology is for the time being that's according to the head of the state corporation which controls several hundred enterprises in russia. is a show but in a bit of it is that the it's not reasonable probably to his russian technologies for the time being i would even say it could be harmful privatization would hinder the development of the enterprise under our control we first have to transform the enterprise into joint stock companies create holdings and distribute companies between them and help them develop financially. the us federal reserve chairman ben bernanke a has defended the decision to print six hundred billion dollars

saying it will boost the world economy critics say the u.s. wants to intentionally devalues the dollar in order to still a competitive edge in international trade but a developing countries have raised concerns that a weaker dollar would threaten their economies but presidential aide a car did not quote which believes russia has little to fear. what is important is that the rate of appreciation of the national currency is not. the rate of increase in efficiency of labor productivity and energy efficiency and other efficiency indicators. we believe that at least at this point in terms of medium term perspective. there would potential to increase efficiency even faster. rate of increase in the deal where you are or will be and this will keep us on the safe side it will not do expedient thing you negative consequence so for. a dollar

it's all business update for that so we'll be back with more news in less than fifteen minutes meanwhile you can always log onto website r.t. dot com slash. though so many years of. silence on the prisoners. still a long.