pacific resort and spa. in israel look she's available in cinnamon hotel to a beer is sort of in hotels a result of. conflicting reports and confusion coming from libya with the public i'm sure of what is happening meanwhile dozens of people have been killed in face fighting and hundreds more injured join me for an update in a few moments from the libyan border. egypt adjust to life after revolution officials say the shadow cast by the unrest is costing the country millions every month in lost tourist dollars. dictator or revered leader fifty eight years after his death josef stalin still divides opinion

markie takes a look at one of history's most controversial figures. bringing you the top news and stories from around the world this is r.t. we're glad to have you with us in libya opposition forces are locked in a battle with government forces in zawiya a strategic city close to the capital tripoli reports say at least seventy people have been killed and around three hundred wounded in colonel gadhafi attempts to regain control of the rebel stronghold but he's powerless leader filed this report . on saturday the libyan leader moammar gadhafi launched a fresh military offensive he's trying to retake some of the chance he's lost in the past eighteen days of fighting there were some seventy people killed those are the latest reports we're receiving and more than three hundred people injured with

reports of its strikes and live ammunition and growing fears that libya is descending into civil war most of the fighting is in the key towns of libya's we're which is some thirty kilometers from the capital tripoli and the oil rich port of rust in the north now in ras none of the latest reports there suggest that rebel leaders are in control slowly making their way towards the capital city of tripoli in zawiya itself at drawn the gadhafi forces launched an attack they fired mortar shells they used machine guns and throughout most of saturday heavy fighting happened there the latest word we have from the rebel leaders themselves there they remain in control inside of the town and we're hearing from government forces are bearing control around the perimeter now this is an important town because it is so close to the capital and if the rebels are able to maintain a presence there they will have a better chance of attacking tripoli it is interesting though that some of the pictures we're showing you here on our t.v. have actually been distributed by the gadhafi regime it's really trying hard to

present its version of events it's using these pictures as proof that its forces are in control in most of these towns in the east it's very difficult to tell from these pictures inside who is in control on the ground but it certainly is indicative that in addition to the fighting on the ground it certainly is a fight in the media and information war in terms of who is in control of what now many of the media in europe and in the united states has been supporting the rebels there have been editorials in major american and european newspapers actually calling on the waist to support the rebels and attack gadhafi the latest word we hearing is that the western media is trying to portray gadhafi is. forces as losing and the opposition forces as winning but as you can see from these pictures it certainly is not clear who has the upper hand there are also analysts who are pushing forward the opinion that the western media is so anti gadhafi because he has taken such a strong stand in the past against western interference in developing countries

relations word from the british government is that it is confirming that it is considering and is on standby to deploy its forces within twenty four hours or so as of these forces will be used for humanitarian and evacuation purposes and not for any kind of military intervention the latest word we have from the u.s. is that it's two warships have lift creased and according to a statement they issued they are part of the military buildup around libya and we also know that two american planes have landed in tunis here they are reportedly here for humanitarian efforts we also know that france and the united kingdom are putting pressure on the united nations security council to make a decision on a no fly zone that certainly is something that the libyans here do not support as i found out when i spoke to people around the border this is the road out of libya but it's also the road that lines the pockets of hundreds of libyans who make me living selling fuel for tin times the price they paid their. libyan graph

your work. on libya long. let him stay in power for life. and as much as some may support gadhafi other libyans despise the united states for the moment. the us will not enter libya what rights they have they don't have a good day after that is libyan for days even trying to get to the gym is inside the border to check up on his family who are on the other side he knows some of them have been injured the answer he says is not with foreign intervention. people libyan people they don't the world. another. reply to me like so much in libya but foreign nations seem to be giving little concern to what libyans themselves actually want a debate for a no fly zone is continuing and u.s. warships are sailing not far from the libyan coast they're ready to come help libya

not sort of really be a base for libyan. throat so does the world this is a problem. if the u.s. russia and other countries case involved in the first time that scenes like this are used i mean shit for people here are against foreign involvement they know well the price that is often paid for so-called humanitarian assistance history has shown that many children aid in any war zone is more often than not family disguised military aid killing the war in bosnia it was discovered at u.n. trucks delivering aid where in fact transporting military equipment in afghanistan the very weapons america gave to the taliban in the early eighty's came back to haunt the u.s. army following its two thousand and one afghan invasion so it's no wonder libyans whether they support it or feel not are united on one issue they want the world and america in particular to stay out of the with his policy r.t.

was on the chin asean libyan border. alarm author and a blogger says it would be a serious mistake if the u.s. and its allies choose a military path in libya. intervention in libya would really i think rob the moral force and dignity of the sort of indigenous arab revolt that we've been seeing i think it would be a serious mistake that really would put the u.s. and yet another difficult quagmire if the crisis truly gets on her hand then it's up to the arab league and the african union who have discussed their willingness to perhaps intervene if things did truly get out of hand any military adventure can end disastrously regardless of the initial motives even if they are noble and benign which in itself is an heroic assumption really no one really knows how these sorts of things can fold there are many factions many tribes in libya many external

and internal factors and taken account which is precisely why these kinds of military adventurism. attacks and visions are are ill advised the united states really does not need to get it and should not get involved in yet another another war in an oil rich arab country however it is true that certain bush era officials certain certain neo conservatives have been pushing for war and or at least what they like to call on the pretext of intervention. for more on the crisis gripping libya and the entire region stay tuned for some opinions from the streets of the big apple coming your way and that's in just a few minutes. is going to come remove market off beat this guy it was just a matter of time before these dictators were. things change people wanted change people were hurt people hurt we moved to action the people were avery they moved to

action i believe it's more about power and the unfair distribution of power than it is about real democracy. meanwhile in egypt crowds are calling for the death penalty to be handed to to their former interior minister as he stands trial for corruption in cairo the country one of the first to erupt in popular protest is still reeling from the uprising after president hosni mubarak was forced to step down in february and is out he's a town of boy reports night for many egyptians maybe even hotter than before. loading on freedom after decades of protest abstinence egyptians are tasting their newly found liberties still unable to get enough of it. given the resignation of hosni mubarak's close associate as prime minister one of the key demands of the opposition didn't take the steam out of the three squares

rally in fact been number of tense each resident seems to be getting even higher now he has been camping on the square for three weeks formerly a special needs educator she quit her job to be here and so far has no intention of looking for a new one we're going to stay here until all the demands are going met the demands are being met one by one but it's still the process is taking longer than expected the revolution is not to get over but it's already becoming a brand street vendors who paddle mubarak's portraits just two months ago have now switched to the revolution in more a billionaire. a lot of people love revolution everyone wants to be a part of the largest selling world to liberation in arabic a fitting the four square has become a focal point in anding mubarak's autocratic rule yet a few profiteering renders notwithstanding the egyptian revolution comes at a high cost to clear squares back with protesters again only now instead of

resignation demands they're chanting celebrator slogans the peace of revolutionary intoxication about chortling natural is costing injured millions of dollars every day branded as a symbol of free egypt squares towns in a stark contrast to another egyptian attraction to slave built pyramids the growing crowds have scared their way visitors the lost revenues already exceeding one billion dollars usually as beach or military game before is a problem. is. after is a problem. many people here don't believe that cairo protests will significantly alter their life prospects for down freedom comes with their village to feed their families but for now it remains far from certain the business is growing very slow at the moment we haven't missed like five forty seven percent of the clients and

most of them are coming from middle east none coming from europe it's not that they don't support their revolution they're just the first to discover it's bittersweet taste and to realize that revolutionary intoxication is almost always followed by a headache. artsy cairo as the wave of anti-government revolts rocks the arab world it's unclear how and when the uprisings will end across the ocean our own resident in new york got a snapshot of opinion on the ongoing protests. did all the insurrections revolutions and uprisings in the middle east catch you off guard this week let's talk about that are you surprised i'm not surprised i am . on camera i was seven weeks ago and by that. i reported to the war the political situation in the middle east was very very

unstable. one week after the whole thing collapsed. in egypt you know change was coming we all knew change was going to come. off. it was just a matter of time before these dictators were you know the things she's people want change and people were hurt people hurt moved to action people were avery they moved to action do you think that the world leaders are caught off guard by those. i think they're caught off guard in knowing what how to react because they i believe they know the world is going to be more unstable but they have to support the idea of freedom so it's a mix a mixed blessing for you think all these are going to lead to more and raster more instability yes i believe it's more about power and the unfair distribution of power than it is about real democracy well i think it's you know does the time make

the leader does the leader make the time so that's always like an ongoing question when it comes to stuff like this and i think we have to wait and see this is going to be a good test for everyone in power right now to see how they come out yes what do you think the effect is going to be around the world what i think it's really not going to make much difference what i hope is that when different people come into power that they'll say and. start treating our people right and everybody in this world we will have the united states want to be a police country anymore all the social networking that's going on you can no longer hold their people and even the propaganda that they used to do you think this is something that could happen here or in europe or in other places definitely that's scary you know. so you're prepared for it but i think. it's a little scary to know that pete anyone can have so much influence now i don't want a leader giving me problems and i but it's

a little unnerving to know that anyone with a computer can have that kind of. powerchair you have to respond enough to know what to listen to and what to ignore whether or not you think anyone has any idea of what's to come next the bottom line is that there's no denying that at the time of statements. a little later in the program are his close of team shows you a different side from one of the oldest cities in russia. find out how people spice things up in the winter and house words put jaroslav on the map as one of the top tourist destinations in the country we have all of the details and often they're. now fifty eight years after his death and soviet leader joseph stalin remains one of the most controversial political figures in history adored and idolized by some he was despised and scorned by others stalin led the country to victory in world

war two but through the heroes who helped him do it into labor camps. reports on his legacy and of hitler and the need and was only me joseph stalin some of history's most notorious dictators who for years were adored by the people of their countries the cult of personality phenomenon has intrigued historians and psychologists alike but the simple sounding question of how one person exact situ influence over millions still does not have a simple answer and is something burped remind me stock call syndrome in a way where. after you have been kidnapped processes by some bad person you start loving. the law but cruel but it's a way to save yourself. to keep your balance ok

the so-called people's father ruled the country with an iron fist and despite the terrors persecutions and executions he was almost worshipped. by the time the soviet union entered the second world war stalin's personality cult was at an all time high men and women all across the country were willing to lay down their lives for only believing that bravery and ultimately victory guarantee them stalin's approval. there was twenty three when he returned home from the battlefields having survived dozens of attacks partisan missions and months in captivity he was proud to be coming back alive proud to have accomplished what comrade stalin had asked if . i remember being marched for a small lottery in the local women were all standing on the street throwing things that are spinning and shouting stalin's bandits that's what they called the court isms and i remember feeling them sort of prime because being

a leader has been that somehow we're close to him and we all wanted that i had that feeling for a long time until i set things straight. in one hundred forty if there was accused of being a traitor and sentenced to twenty five years in a labor camp the charge was simple he survived captivity which to stand mind that he had sold out his country for his life no proof was necessary after three months of torture there was ready to sign any documents whatsoever. with their i refused to sign this so-called confessions even after all the torture they put me through but then they said if you don't sign will bring your parents here and i can let them go so i agree a few months later i was on my way to the polar region to the real labor camp. eight years later the effort turned home and the new secretary general of the soviet union denounced stallion's personality called the man who had twice been

named time magazine's person of the year had all his carefully sculpted glory taken away to this day stalin evokes mixed emotions with his actions still being debated ensuring in some respect his personality cult still survives. catherine as our r.t. moscow. some other news making headlines around the. israeli soldiers have used tear gas and smoke grenades against a female palestinian protesters and then returns to disperse them dozens of women along with international activists demonstrated in northern jerusalem calling for an end to the israeli occupation of the west bank the activists say they were inspired by calls for democracy to topple the autocratic leaders of egypt and tunisia. the italian prime minister silvio berlusconi is back on trial facing corruption charges prosecutors

a claim that mr berlusconi's media empire purchased television rights using offshore companies as part of a tax dodge this is one of four trials that the italian leader is currently linked to including allegations he paid an underage girl for sex and abuse of power he denies all of the allegations. and the amateur video has emerged showing the brutality of the continuing political standoff in the ivory coast seven women were shot dead many others were wounded on thursday pro-government forces opened fire at a rally against the incumbent president laurent gbagbo refusing to step down after november's election results the u.n. says that at least three hundred sixty five people have died since november. members of the main and backup crews to the international space station have been cleared for the next orbital mission six space men have excelled in their final exams at russia's cosmonauts tracings training center in star city their next

scheduled it's a blast often from the back and or launch pad in kazakhstan at the end of march the mission will be devoted to the fiftieth anniversary of the first man in space you're a good parent the crew will spend one hundred seventy days on the i.s.a.'s and will meet sue us shuttles and three russian cargo ships a space walk is also planned during their mission. the latest in our special series of travels across russia is heading your way next and this time the focus is the historic city of. r.p.s. close a team journeyed to some three hundred kilometers north east to moscow to the millennium old city of last level it's day three of our exploration that we've already seen it's historic architecture and culture but one thing we didn't talk about is its fascination with sports and difference went to check out how the region's landscapes are not just great to look at but to ride on as well.

i everyone's going crazy for sports in the yarrow swaddle region of russia just ask the roster of professional athletes speeding through the international speed federations cross country world cup at german out a century of winter sport and leisure situated on the christine banks of the volga river poland's olympic gold medalist just snuck past the other women the first day of the races i know this is. conditional is very difficult for the classic but i feel squidward next was the men's brains where valentino tannishtha over herself the first female astronaut was blocking me to finish. you can you it's a great event of course i want the women seem to be even better than a tease but they do perform well we have a very glad for russia with over four hundred children enrolled here termino offers the average middle class russian a chance to realize their dreams as

a sportsman and offers the foreigner a chance to see this place for what it really is. locals want it to be the new winter destination one that will fill the surrounding restaurants and hotels just as a few misc would have this is a front desk of the city thousands of people come and spend its hard here every year and we're sure to expand opportunities because this will inevitably affect the number of people who go in for sports in general and in for winter sports in particular. not far away in the historic merchant's city of pledge festivities are just getting underway to celebrate the winter during a season when most cities are pretty quiet these people are making a party of it most divine year of that oh yes i've been i swimming for thirty years i love it there is no need for any of the home how does that are widespread nowadays. massive down on the volga river powered moscow with electricity

throughout world war two a collection of churches greet tourist boats on their first stop from moscow from the church of john the baptist to the church of prince dimitri on blood built in commemoration of young prince dimitris gruesome death in fifty ninety one the place is steeped in tradition but it has a way of breaking out of it shout back at them and now between the skiing and the snowmobiling which they were kind enough to teach me there waiting for a good burn at the end of the world cup races a frightful windstorm the summer of two thousand and ten knocked down ninety percent of the surrounding forest locals retaliated by stacking the fallen wood twenty two meters high then registering it in the guinness book of world records they'll burn it into a massive bonfire after the final race now that is competitive sports and shit in the jaroslava region lindsey france r.t. . and you can always of find out more of our stories online here's

a taste of what's there for you right now. oh yah oh find out what drove one american dissing the russian anthem in russian. and if you want to sing in russian to or want to learn more about the country make sure you visit our research and your page at odyssey dot com. a nato service member has been killed in a bomb attack in afghanistan it brings the job total number of alliance personnel killed since january to seventy bogged down in a grueling war with the taliban the coalition is losing more and more troops each year and as afghanistan's drug production spirals out of control the u.s. is also feeling the impact on home soil the american naval academy has been hit hard by a drug abuse scandal with eight cadets expelled as part of an ongoing investigation okies military if you don't think the u.s.

could be secretly cashing in on the afghan drug trade. it's been almost a year since their high seas has acquired a totally new connotation for the u.s. navy in march two thousand and ten it was the beginning of the corruption of the u.s. naval academy at annapolis via synthetic drugs since then dozens of that maybe midshipman has been separated or expelled from day care to unfortunately it was not an exception neither for the u.s. navy north or other branches of the u.s. armed forces so in a way the latest drug abuse investigation is only the tip of the iceberg of the permeation is and negative influence of the american involvement in afghanistan indeed what could motivate future u.s. navy leaders to buy and to resale their. drugs among their peers there it could be

several reasons for such a reckless and criminal action and most of this is that the us navy are jealous of the us marines who are enjoying their poppy fields in helmand and kandahar and as a result they just fall back on the artificial stuff the jewish and all the organic murray who want to however it did legitimize all kinds of criminal activity he also legitimized the cult of impunity and profiteering and that is probably the hidden agenda of the us open ended commitment to afghanistan. and picking up on one of our main stories al green of tom's two turkeys a special representative on european security to find out how one car of use the ongoing crisis in the arab world but first i'll be back with a look at our headlines.

from our hero. we hear it because our pet shouts that. god promised them the cylinder long stops. will be if they are still going to be thinking. gold shows and people will believe that god is real estate say look at this that is this for you guys and this guy is as for you. going to be this is the one my research my family. up.