on the good stuff protesters take control of most of libya as the country slides towards collapse. as a levy in crisis triggers oil price hikes and threatens to derail global economic recovery there is concern in the u.s. over how it will affect the situation at home. the u.k. is under fire for the court decision to extradite julius songe to sweden which experts say exposes the hypocrisy of a justice system that provides asylum to the number of suspected war criminals and terrorists and for a sick tradition relating to asylum is that anybody can come here provided you.

provided i got lots of money. and it's the final straight for the first race of the twenty fourteen winter olympics as the winning mascot for the such a games is due to be announced later. and watching r.t. live from moscow with me arena joshie the bloodshed in the arab world continues as a libyan army is once again reported to have fired live rounds of protesters in tripoli forces loyal to long time leader current could offer said to have lost control over most of the country's territory and some fear it could descend into complete chaos here all over our correspondent in the region has the latest. you could se thoughts as i needed a few protesters have of arrested power away from us to control away from. most of

libya they are in control of the majority of the country starting out in the in the east of the nation in benghazi that's where they have a main stronghold they've spread that influence across the country leaving really only tripoli the capital in the hands of the loyalists now there are those paid off a loyalist that have been firing protestors and it's a billion using live rounds also mercenaries in the capital who would be using violence against these people wanting gadhafi out of power now the son of colonel gadhafi saif has said in a television broadcast that he and his father will not leave tripoli my life they will not leave libya and i will i while they were alive so would be his that they have tried to make a final stand as it were against these these protesters who want to see kind of gadhafi step down now tripoli at the moment is ringed by tanks there are there are soldiers on the streets there now these soldiers have been told have been warned by

the united kingdom today that if they go to face from gadhafi they could face war crimes charges also hearing from a former u.s. diplomats but the country is descending into chaos gadhafi has made sure that no there is no other powers or the army is not power all the army is not a force for stability there is a very small bit of class very few were educated people in egypt so we were looking out across regular order chaos in libya that we were going to do and in egypt and that's a very fearful thing if you continue to get worse and worse and the civil war erupts not just a few thousand but tens of thousands of people were killed so. we're looking at the completeness integration of the country well if the country does completely collapse then the big question comes up what next. for libya. is was no weak means a friend of the west in the past few years he had developed relations with

countries united states and countries in the e.u. however he was stable and if he is toppled what comes in his place could it be a radical islamic state could we see something else there could we see another dictator a military dictator take place to get again so really if colonel gadhafi is removed from power a lot of questions arise about the future of libya the united states sanctions on colonel gadhafi and his family and other libyan officials now it's being condemned by the international community however that condemnation is being criticized in some circles is coming far too late and it's only words. political journalist as any while told r.t. the west is advocating the spread of democracy across the region to control the politics of the arab world. western style democracy in its current state is far from what i would consider to be something that we should want it any of these

countries i think i think if there's going to be democracy it should be democracy with a real change and a change that reflects democracy that actually benefits the people today's democracy is nothing more than a mainstream control mechanism through which the vast majority of the public who do not think are emotionally engaged in in situations that they don't even really realize what it is that they're voting for or approving and if you think that democracy which is supposedly what the u.s. is out there pushing and driving home for these people who need so much the philosophy of what they've developed and put together in any in the u.s. for example take a look at look at what they're doing in the building bases in hundreds of the over one hundred different countries and you know basically putting at the end of a gun the word democracy and shoving it down their throats to me this is not democracy this is abuse this is nothing more than a system that is doomed to failure and as long as central banks continue to stand side by side in a democratic system like we have printing endless amounts of money which is devalued by devaluing by the minute we're not going to have anything more here than

chaos that is used to mask that devaluation process and hopefully distract people from the overall fraud that's been perpetrated on western societies and that's democracy and what. tourists and there are a former deputy editor of the british newspaper the to panic things that the armies of libya's neighbors could intervene to oust gadhafi. we don't know if the plot should continue if the days to two weeks but do you think there is a case where it's possible that we might look to some of the readers to see if. there is very little army it's mainly the police or the us and if you use just hold off on this as you said were people think years. of conclusions heard from both egypt be almost seen as people who claim a purposeful role in mubarak and. he would be treated i think if they came in to try and get rid of three there is a possibility that they would be seen as very very firmly coming to such

a general. i can also have your say about the situation in libya and the fact that will have for the region i doubt i've said r.t. dot com well in our online poll we're asking who could benefit from the riots in the arab world there these have been the results of the voting so far thirty three percent of our viewers believe that arab people themselves stand to gain moles as they could be rewarded with democracy twenty five percent think that exporters will be the main beneficiaries sixteen percent say islamic radicals will profit from the chaos an equal number of thirteen percent believe arms producers will be benefiting the online voting is ongoing i can have your say on the issue at any time by logging on to our website r.t. dot com. turmoil in libya has sparked fears of oil prices jumping to new highs affecting the global cost of everything from transport to food with prices per barrel reaching

a peak of one hundred nineteen dollars in the past few days battle us are warning of the threats to the economy if revolts spread further in the region as you know this ask explains how the problem is playing out in the u.s. . while three little letters. could have dire consequences on any economy and here in the united states it will is sometimes also accompanied by a rebuke works. and with those three words you got yourself a politically entrenched powerhouse will drill new wells sure and will drill them drill baby drill a dream. and the crisis in the middle east has only inflamed it so what we have now are storing gas prices and fears of a relapse in the already weak economic recovery and on the heels of the unrest crude is heading for the biggest weekly increase in two years and when oil prices

soar the price of food also skyrocket and so a vicious cycle begins for many americans a reality that is once again rally the base and it's spokespeople for perhaps for the wrong reasons and whenever there's a crisis either here at home or abroad it's usually exploited politically by the government or the media it loves to hate gadhafi is now threatening to burn up the oil fields experts are predicting a worst case scenario of two hundred twenty dollars a barrel if that happens i don't believe that this this particular interruption of oil supplies will last very long so if you're trying to tie drilling off shore with what's happening in libya i think it's a bit of a stretch a stretch that some are all too willing to make the oil fields are on fire and we have no backup plan. well he has lifted the moratorium in the gulf for drilling oil thanks to cast sunstein know all new permits have been issued permits and backup

plans aside what's really going to happen in an already ravaged economy are we see this in the middle east. and this in our very own midwest. so the last thing you need is the people who are. in the worst economic shape are the first ones to get hit by a gas prices and this will cause a lot of discomfort to a lot of people who don't need this bad news bad news recently echoed by vladimir putin russia's prime minister said that the unrest in libya has driven crude prices beyond fair market levels endangering the global economy but here concerns of violence spreading to other oil producing nations in the region have been overshadowed and instead of asking how americans will cope with this are asking the question that never gets answered but at the same time seems to never get old who are our friends and who are our enemies for archie dina kosofsky

editor of foreign policy magazine steve levin believes that oil prices will reach their peak if the arrest in libya spreads to other countries in the region. markets have calmed down over the last twenty four hours saudi arabia has gone around and quietly assured everyone we not only can add more volumes to the market but we have out the difference that will create a situation in which prices would really skyrocket and another country run our line so you lost a million barrels a day is our line from libya yes i'll cheerio which is also having trouble getting it or was offline that would bring saudi arabia right. to to substitute for volume's then you would see i'm not sure two hundred twenty i think that's probably and trying to get headlines but but maybe

a hundred if that which is still pretty high. the situation in the middle east has prompted others around the world to speak out against their government's policies and the u.s. is no exception with thousands in the one northern state protesting against benefits cuts later this hour of the resident asks people on the streets of the big apple how they feel about those on ordinary incomes poll for the mistakes of others . were it not for the that type of coverage. we it would not be either of these things either of the middle east things or the things going on with the states would be quite a sight to see or do you think that people in the middle class are responsible it off for where the economy is that right now now it's it's wall street and bush. is preparing to appeal on the court's ruling that he can be extradited to sweden

over rape allegations that we have these found are says the charges are baseless and if handed over he believes he won't face a fair trial or any reports now on why britain's agree to extradite assange granting safe haven to those wanted on song more serious charges. wiki leaks founder julian assange learns the court has ordered his extradition to sweden to face questions over rape allegations and he's got some interesting questions of his own why is it. that i am subject. to nonprofit free speech activists who are three hundred and sixty thousand dollars. why is it that i am kept. under electronic health or red. when i have not even been charged in any country he's not me only one asking that particularly as the british government has a history of granting asylum system fairly controversial characters recently the

immigration minister admitted one hundred thirty nine suspected war criminals have been given the right to settle in britain permanently that thought to include former henchmen of saddam hussein an afghan official who tortured prisoners and rwandan genocide perpetrators are basic tradition relating to asylum is that anybody can come here provided they are loaded provided i've got lots of money we will let them in because we want them in with their money and therefore it's not particularly the russian not minutes and all the dogs are welcome here i would shakes whom i have a jew be a criminal record as it were of torture yet they were allowed just want to round london and knightsbridge but it's water where ever since the second world war the u.k. seen only two successful convictions for war crimes and despite recent retrospective

laws that allow suspects to be brought to justice in this country according to anti torture campaigners redress so far nothing's been done people like that should be investigated by the u.k. police authorities. and if this fish and evidence found for prosecution. it should be prosecuted in the u. you always are bringing these people to account these suspects but it seems very little is being on the list of the rich and powerful on interpol's wanted list resident in the u.k. is long and around forty people wanted by russia alone or living here in two thousand and three alleged chechen terrorists akhmed zakayev was granted political refuge the same year asylum was granted to russian tycoon parties but is not ski convicted of embezzlement in russia but it shows here the hypocrisy of the british courts. he is quite clearly been involved in the mafia over the years all sorts

of very serious offenses which he may actually quite literally equate with terrorism and yet he is not being extradited and yet we see here what appears to be anyway a trumped up charge of right which hasn't actually even come to charges in sweden this certainly does appear to show political interference in the court system here in britain and total hypocrisy from the british justice system while julian our sons' looks to be cost from the safe harbor of the u.k. into choppy waters it's unlikely he'll think from trace just yet he may not have billions in the bank to buy himself out of trouble so he'll just have to hate his friends in high places have influence start his defense team has doubts and now take his case to the highest courts in the land in the hague preventing his extradition meanwhile some of the world's nastiest people suspected torture is terrorists and war criminals remain at large in the u.k. under the protection of the state's your and it's our duty. so i have for you later

this hour mind over america u.s. army that's meeting with words that one of its units needs to psychological for its on its own partitions fall from war funding. plus a future phase of the next winter olympics find out what the mascot. for the twenty fourth and gangs hosted by the southern russian city of sorts it might look like in a few minutes top. of. the ocean would be soon which bryson if you move beyond song from phones to christian movies. means for instance on t.v. don't succumb. to.

the news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. change hope for asians are on today. wealthy british style. time to. market. why not what's really happening to the global economy with my stronger no holds barred look at the global financial headlines cons a report.

in the u.s. there is a growing anger over the size of a task burden the middle class is being forced to shoulder it's quick quick coming to a haddest hands of thousands have been protesting in a one northern state over plans to cut worker benefits this week the resident asks new yorkers how they feel when they're asked to make sacrifices that the super rich don't have to. people across the u.s. are protesting proposed legislation intended to slash benefits for the middle class i do really protesting the fact that every day people are being asked to make sacrifices while wall streeters continue to profit even more this week let's talk about bad i'm from a member of the suisse middle class and we say. we work for the obvious and first same friday we work for ourselves let's think. do you think that

people in the middle class are responsible at all for where the economy is that right now you know it's it's wall street and bush. so why isn't wall street paying more why aren't they being asked to contribute more to health plans because the government would prefer to buy their pay a muffin and bail them out the upper class probably pays ninety percent of the taxes or more in new york city and new york state it's probably the same thing in wisconsin i don't know the numbers but i think everybody's paying for it paying to keep the government moving so why are there isn't one riles up there and if it if it seems like so clear cut to you why is everyone so in a fit right now where people don't want to give up what they've got were not for the news coverage and or the social media and i'm not saying it's bad but we're not for the that type of coverage. we it would not be neither of these things either of the middle east things or the things going on with the states would be quite as

hard as they are no matter who you think should be paying for the distressed economy the bottom line is that if you ask the middle class to relinquish benefits it's only fair to ask the same of the upper class as well. the top u.s. commander in afghanistan is ordering an investigation into claims that of army units on the. ground was using psychological manipulation by the visiting saboteurs to get more money and troops for the war the report was published in rolling stone magazine which says the practice is illegal as psyops can only be used against hostile foreign groups americans parties military contributors says this shows that the truth about the campaign has long been hidden from the public. inadvertently the salute history of relations. scandal again a state regarding american leadership back in washington d.c.

has also revealed their hypocrisy regarding their public coverage of the american occupation in afghanistan just by the fact that have three year ago this psychological operations has been rebranded into the military information support operations in essence the whole american global information or to be precise and this information campaign remains the see that is the most important and under reported charge all of these are growing and unfolding drama regarding the american general unauthorized psychological operations against its political and military leadership back in washington d.c. . and they could be one of the biggest stars of sorties twenty four in the winter olympics russians will be voting later to choose one of ten candidates to become

the tournament mascot and during ike starts his day his block there reports the competition is intense. an olympic race but no medals up for grabs it's the search for a mascot and these children want the snow leopard to be the symbol which sums up to the world they were allowed to decorate the statue in one of the city's parks to show their support for a species under threat but he is a strong as animal miserable they want this animal. this is because it's a very special animal the only for slowly of course living in forty's wildlife preserve but drawings of these animals have appeared in dozens of entries in the national contest to find the mascot for the two thousand and fourteen winter games in southern russia the election of the olympic mascot started with hundreds of ideas and you can see some of these drawings here in sochi olympic information center essentially the games out of the star turn rate here these are the mascots

that made it into the finals and one of the entries are two brewers slowly acquired for the frost and the mayor of sochi his personal favorite of the elfin all ski special hotline was set up and for to you to answer all kinds of questions about the two thousand and fourteen winter games and right now markets are one of the hottest topics. our colors are people from all walks of life and many of them are locals who would like to support their citizen rules and one of the mass consumer instance represents the black sea the snow and the mountains. can be the issue the real borders and another couple of candidates reflect a famous russian stereotype with beers from color making the point all shortlist it brings back fond memories of michel the beer the mascot for the nine hundred eighty north korea lympics remains an icon russia but its creator who took two years ago says it wasn't easy for misha to become a legend you know so i had

a call from the organizing committee and they said your parents just been approved by the central committee of the communist party so imagine how scared the poor creature was passing that test. you know from this time is up to the public to decide on the must get over the top will select the place special jury consisting of celebrities i'm sure for you were supposed to show the winner of the be chosen by the e.p. of russia during a trial of voice. i'll ring you live coverage of how the vote goes dad said six pm g.m.t. on saturday evening and also remember when i was visit our website i'd seen a copy for the latest on the twenty four team so she went over. to bring you special interviews for the nascar candidates and watch the bowling pins practice they are team downs and find out what father frost does in his spare time. plus those a didn't quite make it needs only the satirical furry frog his mascot as

abrasions didn't quite meet the standards. now for a look at some other major headlines from around the world four people have been killed after militants stormed the iraq's largest oil refinery claiming blobs and setting it on fire the governor of the province says that the plant has now been shut down the refinery is credited with producing almost half of iraq's petroleum exports in the past it was controlled by regional al qaida cells were used to finance attacks. the confirmed death toll from the earthquake in new zealand has risen to one hundred forty five with as many as two hundred still missing rescuers warns out the chances of finding any more survivors under the rubble are slim

emergency services of christ church are working to restore power and clean water to the city police are also on high alert amid reports of looting and sue hundred australian officers have been stand tells me order the earthquake was new zealand's deadliest natural disaster. at least forty two people have been killed in girl as a passenger bus plunged into a one hundred eighty meter deep ravine he was travelling from a city in the andes sort of capital live on police say the bus was overtaking at a band that the driver lost control more than thirty people were injured in the accident. today here in r.t. coming out at about five minutes samarra new show on the money you know a veil and his gas for discussing the prospects of the russian capital becoming a global financial center for that though the headlines are just.

well let's look a little glimmer see. live. today violence is once again flared up look these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada live . today live.