they leave iraq for its get off these troops are targeting civilians in the rebel held areas cast doubts on the success of allied military operations. i don't seem to want to stick up a fight against the insurgency attempting to recapture the western middle stronghold of mistrust i'm point to see in the capital city of tripoli joining me in a few moments and i'll bring you more. japanese officials predict months of leaks from the fukushima power plant as workers struggle to plug a damaged reactor radiated seawater and ground water surrounding the plant have been irradiated and many thousands of times higher than the legal limit.

and other news this week in a major anxiety terror operation of russian security forces kills seventeen militants in the north caucuses this this comes as moscow marks one year since the metro suicide bombings that left thirty eight dead and more than one hundred injured. two am in moscow i mattress or bring you today's top stories and a look back at the week's news here on r t we start off in libya where rebel forces are engaged in heavy fighting with procreate aafia forces in and around the oil town of breda meanwhile cut off his troops are keeping up pressure on miserables libya's third largest city and the last major rebel stronghold in the western part of the country our correspondent palace leader has the latest from tripoli. the work of bloodshed is increasingly being used to describe the situation in the last

rebel held city in the west of this country the city of misrata now according to doctors on the scene they say that one person was killed and several people were wounded in the early hours of sunday morning when the government forces renewed shelling on a building in the city and we understand from the doctors that and turn a few days ago there were a number of civilians being housed inside that building they have been injured in recent clashes between pro and anti gadhafi forces but fortunately there have been evacuated before the shelling began we are also hearing from doctors that in the last week alone hundred and sixty people have been killed in misrata itself from these battles are being told by doctors that in a month of fighting between six hundred and a thousand civilians have been killed in the city certainly the rebels have been in control of it for more than a month now but what we are seeing increasingly is that the government troops are intensifying michigan and more and more looks likely that the city will forward to the hands of gadhafi as man ever since the united states handed over command of the military operations here in libya to nato the u.s.

has been decreasing the number of combat missions it carries out here we are hearing from top american military officials that they are also going to begin withdrawing the fighter jets this sudden ilene's and they missile ships now this does come across does come against the background of a stalemate in terms of fighting on the ground between those pro and thank you forces around the city of brega in the east of the country it also comes against the backdrop of increasing criticism from within the american president barack obama's own administration over questions in terms of the representation and the capability of those opposition fighters as far as the tripoli government goes that they continue to call this a crusader room they say that these actions are illegal and immoral and they are not boise movie concerns that in the future they will be the supplying of weapons to these rebel fighters this will soon be followed by training and ultimate. and the deployment afflicts soldiers. washington is considering training and arming the

libyan rebels despite claims that al qaida has infiltrated their ranks or he's ever going off has been talking to opposition supporters and bengazi following the recent nato air strike in nearby that left thirteen dead. the general feeling here in the rebel stronghold is confusion lots of confusion around that incident because according to some reports this attack of nato planes on the rebels was caused by troops. on the rebels that opened fire at the planes but other reports suggest that the rebels were celebrating and began shooting into the air that's confusing the pilots and also true. to react back but i can tell you that judging by the pool level of organization and training off the rebel fighters both versions are possible because the rebels have been seen arguing and even fighting among

themselves who are on the run many are teenagers who don't have any experience in combat and there is even speculation and lots of rumors of egypt and the united states and we see we training the rebels there on the front and also rumors of cia secret agents may be operating there as well trying to organize the rebels soon so when it comes to. the forces there are much better trained they're much better equipped and apparently there is much more of them according to some biggers . forces at the moment is around the one to ten meaning one rebel fighter against then the soldiers so the general understanding here in going guys the. only way the rebels could be successful is with this support from nato. and many experts warn the military support of the rebels could mean helping the enemy in the

long run or he's got it she says the potential consequences. the international community permitted intervention in libya to protect civilians from colonel qaddafi but washington lost to go further than that and is considering arming the rebels while officially denying that toppling khadafi is the objective of its involvement in libya or broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake president obama has reportedly signed a secret order authorizing covert american support for rebel forces seeking to oust the league in leader critics of the us taking sides in a civil war war of the consequences we help accelerate the chaos. and in creating more chaos we're to rethink somehow we're going to be able to direct the outcome it's the same hubris that has visited the united states in iraq the same hubris that keeps us penya and in afghanistan causes us to

believe that somehow we are going to wreck. any outcome in libya we cannot do that nor do we have the right to determine who the leader of libya should be many fear radical forces could take advantage of the chaos in libya former jihadists know my bennett men who renounces all kind affiliation in two thousand says he has two mates one thousand jihadists are among the rebels in libya one libyan rebel commander has openly admitted his fighters have links other reports say terrorists seized libyan surface to air missiles when arsenals were looted nato intelligence reports claim flickers of al qaida and hezbollah have been found among the rebels in libya but maintained there is no reason to believe their presence is significant but a u.s. military study three years ago said lidia's made up the second largest group of jihadists in the war right after saudi arabia all of that seems to be discarded as

the u.s. is trying to prop up the opposition in libya as some analysts say in an attempt to forge a relationship with them that would be favorable for the united states in the future but experts say as of now the opposition in libya hardly has a defined face or power these people. will not be able to take control over the situation as soon as the current regime. goes off and that means that somebody else will be. tempted to take over the country and you know the villain here will organize the world force in the region not in the country but in the region is unfortunately i was. some say arming the rebels could backfire we've been in this situation in afghanistan one day we help people and the next day they shoot at us if we aren't cautious about military intervention

to glow back their charm was johnson johnson wrote famously about is sure to happen in libya in afghanistan back in the eighty's the u.s. had a narrow goal to help the mujahideen fight soviet troops subsequently the same militants turned their weapons and training against the u.s. among those of them was osama bin ladin whose group of eventually evolved into al qaida these cannistraro cia and alice is an operations chief in the 1980's says that then the us didn't see the dangers of arming afghan militants. and what we've seen with the tribal society. through its support. and leading to. the reconstruction. over two decades after arming the afghan mujahedeen america is now considering giving weapons to another rebel band with an unclear identity simply because of who they're fighting against ghana check out r t washington d c.

in syria president bashar al assad has appointed a new prime minister after dismissing the old cabinet tend to ease the unrest in the country dozens have been killed in two weeks of fighting the government blames outside influences for the turmoil independent journalist james corbett believes foreign military intervention could be on the cards. the president is being set right now with the libyan case and if they're able to get away well i suppose if the forces of western imperialism are able to get away with this in libya then it's really just a question of implementing the same scheme in syria and we've seen how it can be done by for maintaining and funding and training and arming and supplying the rebel forces in your country and in and basically covert attempt to implement regime change and i think that's exactly what an intervention in syria would be about ultimately it would be to isolate iran obviously syria being an absolutely vital

strategic partner and a long term partner over and providing that land link to hezbollah. and so it's absolutely a geo strategic location and it's very strategic for iran so i would see say that if the if syria is the next country to fall under this imperialist intervention i think that would definitely be the long term goal would be to isolate iran to hopefully eventually in the imperialist eyes to overthrow are committing a judge thirteen. stay with us as we continue to bring you the week's news here on our t.v. still ahead business behind bars we'll look at how a foreign investor owed a one hundred million dollars why the georgian government plowed up in jail plus. almost fifty years since mankind's first a journey into space we'll bring you all the latest on the preparations for a special anniversary flight. first though japan faces the grim prospect of several months of uncontrolled radiation leakage according to officials radioactive

water continues to escaping into the ocean from a crack in the fukushima plant second reactor despite all efforts to stem the flow the bodies of two workers killed by the devastating tsunami have been recovered from the record syllabi the massive wave that hit the country has now claimed the lives of more than twelve thousand people over two hundred thousand still live in shelters authorities have given assurances they are doing everything they can to help the displaced communities. discovered many people feel our government has failed them. this is the first time many residents of the issue know marcie have seen their houses since the tsunami surged through them look at most a little of value remains but subtle shinji is not trying to salvage material possessions . my house was totally destroyed and my husband died in the tsunami now i'm honoring him by getting his personal things out i just wish everything could go

back to how it was. shinji has been housed at a local school with several hundred others people here who've been taken turns to volunteer and cooks and cleaners. but the crumbs conditions mean that after nearly three weeks the communal spirit is free. we are just satisfied with your thirty's we know there are temporary houses that will be put up who will get them some areas are being favored over others. the government admits that not a single temporary house has been constructed so far but even when they do finally go up they won't solve the far greater problem. the government the excavators are moving the rubble as fast as they can but all the victims of the disaster even those lucky enough to get the temporary housing it will be years before they can come here rebuild their house and call it their home many of the stricken japanese coastal towns will live for generations on doing going fishing and shipping

industries livelihoods which no longer exist and there is little hope of ever getting them back. the government is good at solving big problems not the ones of the small people i do not think this town will ever be rebuilt as it was even if i restore what i have no one will build anything next to my house. or the government providing food and shelter was the relatively straightforward part in helping victims cope with the disaster making sure people have a place and a community to return to will be much more difficult. see. japan. one of the biggest counter-terror operations in years left seventeen millet instead in russia southern republican english day it was thought that russia's most wanted terrorist go could be among those killed authorities are waiting on the results of forensic tests were verify the information during the raid security

forces also destroyed a militant care where terrorists were being trained the operation took place on the eve of the first anniversary of the twin suicide bombings that rocked the last troll flailing thousands of lives. with some of the survivalist over with deadly attacks. it started off as just an ordinary monday morning for me it couldn't he like many others had a certain spring in his step knowing the harshness cool winter was. all but over but little did she realize the nightmare he would be thrown into just a few minutes later suddenly there was a very horrible sound as if something huge had fallen down and i woke up and there was a small haze. people were shouting and rushing out of the car would meet that he had heard was the start of the worst terrorist attack in the russian capital in six years just before eight am the first of two explosions hit

the moscow subway killing twenty four people at the crowded lubanga station which lies beneath they had quarters of the federal security service forty minutes later the terror trail moved south targeting a station at a crucial city intersection killing twelve more. the start of last year with a seal team at the age of thirty eight right in the middle of the rush hour work its truck up the back of the train house commuters try to get on board it was dark there was no life and i just saw the border and whatever remained of them some of them were threats on the floor near the metal frame and the side was horrible it was people what die just before your eyes and there was nothing to save them with eight million commuters after a day moscow subways one of the busiest in the world that's made it

a terrorist target in the past a year ago it was to be a target once again a twenty year old student leader so the horrors for herself the truth uses to live in fear today sometimes i feel something like this i think about this but general i think we have safe safety. a year ago tires brought moscow to a standstill horo to. every day life but if they wanted to destroy people's spirits this goal was certainly know what it shift city live go zone and while the terror threat out to millions both in moscow and across the globe remains it's something people have learned to live with my son the question i'll see moscow. when israeli businessman ronnie fuchs got an invitation from the georgian prime minister to an informal dinner the last thing he was expecting was a prison sentence the meeting was to finalize

a settlement of one hundred million dollars owed to him by the georgian government debt that fuchs had been chasing for almost fifteen years it was artie's catarina as are the reports doing deals with georgia can be a risky business. tik one israeli businessman one former soviet republic and a lot of potential profit from oil and gas transit sounds like a winning combination which is exactly why ronnie folks came to newly independent georgian one nine hundred ninety one and scored a monopoly on the energy transfer market but the subsequent changes of government saw folks down for bigger fish and his investments turned into a loss so he did what any businessman would took the case to court and won at the difficult part was getting the georgian side to cough up the hundred million us dollars it oh there started negotiations with the. primus was and. then they just voted to stay with the payment get nothing.

from me. it was just henri apart from what was he would go over very informal drinks in an unnamed is terrible hotel folks worked out the details with none other than george's deputy finance minister the debtor plainly stated that one hundred million was not the kind of money georgia could afford to pay out and suggested an alternative five million stay in georgia seventy two folks and everybody's happy so and just a week later the businessman received an invitation from the georgian prime minister and was expecting to collect the garbage but instead was collected himself there was in fact a. cooperation a collaboration between four important ministries the government and probably with the approval of the president of the ministry of finance the ministry of justice the ministry of the interior and the prime minister's office all of which came

together with the plan to and for our professionals and trapped in now in prison the businessmen and then apparently got sucked into yet more corrupt games after going straight to jail without. thing is cash folks want to get his a get out of jail free card would cost him one hundred million u.s. dollars his own one hundred million u.s. dollars fewkes was that informed through diplomatic channels that he would not be released until the arbitration award was waived so what signal does this send to anyone else who might be considering putting big money into georgia the odds of his succeeding in georgia are very very slim and point zero one percent so it's a good warning to businessmen who are thinking of investing in georgia but they should think twice and that they should be aware for now georgia may have saved itself a lot of money considering the last years foreign investment scheme just four

hundred thirty three million u.s. dollars avoid including with nearly poor could be turned in no mean feat but the overall cost to cure his economy could be colossal as knew many investors like doing business people who don't settle debts and fill them with human cameras newspapers are already full of the potential political and financial consequences to this kind of action and as long as ronnie folks will see if frank will stay in prison some businesses may well decide that this is the kind of georgian hospitality they did not want to invest into. cashiers however i keep the b. c. ga. if you enjoy our coverage you can find always more on our website r.t. dot com here are some lighter stories on live for you right now. music to my ears russia's president promises to invite barack obama to experience

an authentic throat singing session was. planted probe find out what nasa is messenger is doing your mercury all that out. more. it has banned top government officials from running or even helping to run companies which in which the state has a stake in the movie's aim to create a better climate for investors in russia president medvedev has ordered ministers to leave any corporate posts they hold by july this year to be replaced by non-government figures officials say the move only applies to competitive corporations such as the country's major energy and defense companies and the. exit polls suggest cause it stands incumbent president nursultan nazarbayev will secure another term in office he said to have won more than ninety percent of the ballots cast in the early presidential vote has been in power since one thousand nine hundred one enjoys the exclusive right to be elected for a limitless number of ties some of the constitution will no longer allow any other

president let's not vote was called after the leader rejected the idea of a referendum about prolonging his term in office until one hundred twenty three candidates are challenging him to vote but none have publicly opposed his policies more than a thousand international observers are overseeing the election which has already come under criticism for a perceived lack of fairness first official results are expected. to carry now to some other stories making headlines this hour french hundreds of french troops are being sent to ivory coast as the power struggle in the country eats up are reported to have taken over the airport in the main city abidjan around a thousand people have been killed in violent clashes in the war in the west of the country over the last few days forces loyal to the u.s. recognized leader oleson a what are battling supporters of incumbent president lago who uses to cede power.

at least forty two people have been killed and dozens injured in twin explosions at a soup in pakistan believers were gathering for a three day festival i've been building in the punjab. when the blast went to. come under attack in the country people who are many muslim hardliners consider this a mystical branch of islam. but hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets about afghanistan in a renewed protest over the burning of a koran by a pastor in the u.s. last month demonstrators in khandahar attacked cars and shops in a riot that left at least two policemen dead protests have also spread to other cities this comes after people after more than twenty people including u.n. staff members were killed in similar demonstrations in recent days. shifting gears now it's the fiftieth anniversary year of the first manned flight into space and russia is preparing to honor that epic achievement crew as said to blast off aboard

the soyuz spacecraft monday night on their mission to the stars artie's tests are still you know has more from by cop. well it's just a day before the launch of the so used to twenty one and to the international space station of course the crew they're going through the final preparations the spacecraft itself it's already in its vertical position but they're putting the final touches but what's most interesting is the process the traditions that the crew have to go through following the footsteps of the men and women that came before them the most interesting thing happening today is the blessing of the russian orthodox priest he's giving his blessing to the crew before they go off on their mission of course this was a practice during. the. cosmonauts. requested for this before he went on his mission to the mir space station this was the t m a twenty this so you see him twenty another interesting tidbit we found out is that the russian orthodox priest himself he actually wanted to be a cosmonaut but he did manage to achieve the closest he could get to that dream is

to be working with the hospital cell so he's there giving his blessing so that's what we've been watching for today and another tradition to be had to go through. before. launching into space. aside from the journalists who are here. the people. side. we also have a lot of people coming here just to witness what's going on as tourists. i'm joined now by actually here at baikonur thank you very much for joining us just tell us briefly why are you here i know you're a tourist but what is it that drew you to this place well i'm actually a fulbright scholar in moscow this year and i'm interested in the russian space program and the history of the russian space program as well as the cooperation between the u.s. and american space program but what was the most interesting things so far that you've seen that you can share with people who can make it here. it's almost seems

like it's in the middle of you know it's in the middle of nowhere it seems like a. launching speed. ships every six months actually much more frequently than that but it's just it's a it's in the middle of nowhere and it's really a small town atmosphere and at the same time but a big space port thank you very much. so there you have it we have a lot of tourists here going to the different monuments so maybe i'll be going to the launch pad as well to have a closer look at the rocket which of course there's the symbol the face actually if you got it for the a fiftieth anniversary of his first space flight another interesting thing is that we've been talking to the wives of the a cosmonauts especially the two russian cosmonauts there some of which i have and everybody said call me this is their first time in space city where you're going to talk to their wives they're actually the ones who are very very nervous about that making their husbands making business trips to get a very interesting atmosphere here what you don't see. maybe in front of

a camera is all the conversations that go on between bastard miles of people visiting just a very good formative a very exciting atmosphere that we are experiencing here at baikonur of course everybody looking forward to the launch marking be a fiftieth anniversary of you got its first space flight. coming up in fifteen minutes around up at these busy sporting action you're watching our t.v. it's early monday morning way before thanks for being with us i'll be back with an update of our headlines and if you want. to. be.

it's the secret incursion into the country. it's the invasion by means of. tradition the language these are you. the best d o p could be totally. culture. the thing is that the had the germans are still unaware of what's going on in the land still asking too much but that's like nothing i don't know anything about the alaska the great. and are cheap.