the flu we've got. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. in libya reports head off use troops are targeting civilians in rebel held areas cast doubts on the success of our life military operations. gadhafi loyalists stepped up a fight against the insurgency attempting to recapture the western rebel stronghold of misrata on point to fear in the capital city of tripoli joining me in a few moments i'll bring you will. japanese officials predict months of leaks from the fukushima power plant as workers struggle to seal a damaged reactor radiation levels in seawater and groundwater surrounding the plant have reached many thousand times the legal limit. and in

a major anti terror operation a russian security forces killed seventeen militants in the north caucasus this marks one year since the metro suicide bombings that left dozens dead and more than one hundred injured. four am in moscow treasure bring you today's top stories and a look of back at the week's news here on r t we begin in libya where rebel forces are engaged in heavy fighting with procrit off the forces in and around the key oil town of brega meanwhile get off these troops are stepping up pressure on ms rocks have libya's third largest city and the last major stronghold in the western part of the country our correspondent paula sleeker is in the capital tripoli with the latest. the word 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 to a few days ago there were a number of civilians being housed inside that building they had been injured in recent clashes between pro and anti gadhafi forces but fortunately there had been evacuated before the shelling began we are also hearing from doctors that in the last week alone one 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 this city certainly the rebels have been in control of it for more than a month now what we are seeing increasingly is that the government troops are intensifying the shelling and more and more than likely that the city wolf or to the hands of these men 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're also going to begin withdrawing the fighter jets the submarines and the missile ships now this does come across does come against the background of the stalemate in terms of fighting on the ground between those pro and thank you this is 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 pour there's a quote a crusader war they say that these actions are illegal and immoral and they are not forcing 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 and the deployment of foot soldiers. washington is considering training and arming the

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

among themselves are on the front are teenagers who don't have any experience in combat and there is even speculation and lots of rumors of that egypt and the united states and we see we training the rebels there on the front and also rumors that the 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 figures the a ratio of the forces at the moment is around one to ten meaning one rebel fighter against. the soldiers so the general understanding here in benghazi is that the only way the rebels could be successful is with this air support from nato. but many experts warn the military support of the rebels could mean helping the

enemy in the wrong run or he's got a cheeky assesses 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 but broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake president obama has reportedly signed this secret order authorizing covert american support for rebel forces seeking to oust the lead in leader critics of the u.s. 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 and

iraq the same hubris that keeps us penya and in afghanistan causes us to believe that somehow we are going to wreck events and the outcome in libya we cannot do that nor do we have the right to determine who the leader of libya should be many here radical forces could take advantage of the chaos in libya former jihadists know my bennett men who renounce his old 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 libya'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 village 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 blow 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 with the militants turned their weapons and training against the u.s. among those of them was osama bin ladin whose group eventual evolved into al qaida this chemistry cia and alice is an operations chief in the 1980's says back then the u.s. didn't see the dangers of arming afghan militants you know. and what we've seen with the tribal society. you know that's so. leading to. reconstruction. over two decades after arming the afghan mujahedeen america is now considering giving weapons to another rival band with an unclear identity simply

because of who they're fighting against going to check on our chief washington d.c. . in syria president bashar assad has appointed a new prime minister after dismissing the old cabinet in an attempt to ease on arrest in the country dozens have been killed in two weeks of fighting a government blames outside influences for the turmoil but 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 with 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 mentoring and funding and training and arming and supplying the rebel forces in your country and basically covert attempts to implement regime change and i think that's exactly what an intervention in syria would be a belt ultimately it would be to isolate iran obviously syria being an absolutely

vital strategic partner and a long term partner of rand and providing that land link to hezbollah. and so it's absolutely a geo strategic location and it's very strategic for rand so i would see say that if the if syria is the next country to fall in with its 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 our meeting in judd's routine. stay with us here on our t.v. still ahead a business behind bars look at how a foreign investor owed one hundred million dollars by the georgian government up in jail plus. almost fifty years since mankind's first journey into space we'll bring you all the latest on preparations for a special anniversary flight. before we get to that japan faces the grim prospect of several months of uncontrolled radiation leakage

according to officials radioactive water continues escaping into the ocean from a crack in the fukushima plant second reactor despite all efforts to stem the flow bodies of two workers killed by the devastating tsunami have been recovered from the wrecked facility the massive wave that hit the country has now claimed the lives of twelve thousand people over two hundred thousand still live in shelters authorities have given assurances they are doing everything they can to help does but these communities are. found out that many people many of the victims feel their government has failed them. this is the first time many residents should know marcie i've seen the houses since the tsunami has 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 the local school with several hundred others people here have been taking turns to volunteer as cooks and cleaners. but the cramped conditions mean that after nearly three weeks the communal spirit is fraying and. we are dissatisfied with your thirty's we know there are temporary houses that will be put up but you will get them some areas are being faded over others. the government admits that not a single temporary house has been constructed so far but even when they do for a new go up there won't solve the far greater problem. the government excavators are removing the rubble as fast as they can but for 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 of their home many of the stricken

japanese coastal towns relied for generations on dwindling 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 but look the ones of the small people i do not think this town will ever be a rebuild as it was even if i restore what i have and no one will build anything next to my house. for 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. no party to japan. one of the biggest counter-terror operations in years that seventeen militants dead in russia's southern republican monday it was thought that russia's most right. the terrorists could be among those killed authorities are waiting on the results of forensic testing to verify this during the raid security forces also

destroyed a military camp where terrorists were being trained the operation happened on the eve of the first anniversary of the twin suicide bombings that rocked the last hour by trial inflamed thousands of lives are these mean of course you know they're caught up with some of the survivors of those deadly attacks. it started off as just an ordinary monday morning fog neatly put off he like many others had a certain string in his step knowing the harsh moscow winter was all over but little did he 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 formed. and i woke up and there was a small haze. people were shouting and rushing out of the car would meet he had her it 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 a crowded station which lies beneath it 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 mall. the start of last year finally the face it came at eight 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 horse no like you and i just thought he was what is and whatever remained of them some of them were stretched on the floor near the metro train and the site was horrible it was a people who are just before we are. yes there was nothing that would save them eighty million commuters after

a day moscow subways one of the busiest in the world that's made it a terrorist target in the past and a year ago it was to be a target once again and twenty year old student leader. who sounds the truth uses to live in fear. sometimes feel something like this i think about this but in general i think we have safe safety. a year ago tires brought moscow to a standstill bringing horo to our reading life but if they wanted to destroy people's spirits this goal was certainly know what it shifts since they live goldstone and while a terror threat to millions both in moscow on across the globe remains it's something people have learned to live with my question also moscow. turning international you know when israeli businessman irani if you've got an invitation from georgia's prime minister to an informal dinner the last thing here expected

was a prison sentence but meeting was to finalize the settlement over a hundred million dollars owed to him by the georgian government a debt that few so i've been chasing for about fifteen years but archie's carrying as our reports doing deals with georgia can be a risky business. dick moore an israeli businessman one former soviet republic and all lot of potential profit from oil and gas transit sounds like a winning combination which is exactly why ronnie folks came to independent georgia ninety nine one and scored a monopoly on the energy transfer market but the subsequent changes of government saw fixed down for bigger fish and his investments turned into a loss so he did what any businessman would take their place to court and one of the difficult part was getting the georgian side to cough up the hundred million u.s. dollars. there's started negotiations with the. finest most in all these negotiations they just want to do the payment was this that nothing

goes they didn't get money from me he knew. it right he just or in the account that was he would go over very informal drinks and unnamed as temple 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 go folks and everybody's happy so and just a week later the businessman received an invitation from the georgian prime minister he was expecting to collect a dodge 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 a plan to and for our products and trapped in now in prison the business when then apparently got sucked into yet more corrupt games after going straight to jail without parole. king is cash folks just 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 fuchs was the informed through diplomatic channels that he would not be released until the arbitration award was waived sought signal to the center for anyone else who might be considering putting good money into georgia the odds of his succeeding in georgia are very very slim and point zero one percent so it's a good it's a good warning to businessmen who are thinking of investing in georgia that they should think twice in that they should be aware for now georgia may have

saved itself a lot of money considering the fact last year's foreign investment scheme just four hundred thirty three million u.s. dollars avoiding putting with nearly porter could be turned no mean feat but the overall cost to his economy could be colossal as not many investors like doing business with people who don't sell gets and film them with hidden cameras newspapers are already full of the potential political and financial consequences to this convention and as all of us ronnie folks will see if i think you'll stay in prison some businesses may well decide that this is the kind of georgian hospitality they did not want to invest into. cash as our i keep the b.b.c. ga. remember we always like to hear from you you can log on and leave your comments at our t.v. dot com and you can find some of our lighter stories here's what we have in store.

for a top forty hit russia's president promises to invite rock obama to experience an authentic the world singing session plus. side of probe find out what nasa as messenger spacecraft is doing near mercury check out all the photos and more at our team. dmitri medvedev has banned top government officials from running or even helping run companies in which the state house at stake the movie's aim to create a better climate for and russian investors have investors in russia president medvedev has ordered ministers to leave any corporate posts they hold by this july they are to be replaced by non-government figures official say they believe that only applies to competitive corporations such as the country's major energy a defense company's prospects. exit polls suggest kazakhstan's incumbent president . was secure and no other term in office he said to have won more than ninety

percent of the ballots cast in the early presidential vote as are by it has been in power since one thousand nine hundred one and enjoys the exclusive right to be the elected to a limitless number of times something the constitution will not allow any other president a snob vote was called after the leader rejected the idea of a referendum about prolonging his term until two thousand and twenty three candidates are challenging him in a vote but none of 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 earnest the first official results are expected early monday. turn now to some other stories making headlines across the globe hundreds of french troops are being sent to ivory coast as the power struggle in the country are reported to have taken over the airport in the main city abidjan route a thousand people have been killed in violent clashes in the west of the country over the last few days forces loyal to the un recognized leader allison

a what are battling supporters of incumbent president laurent gbagbo who refuses to cede power. at least forty two people have been killed dozens injured in twin explosions at a sushi shrine in pakistan leavers were gathering for a three day festival at a building in the punjab province when the blast happened. have come under attack in the country before as many muslim hardliners consider this mystical branch of islam a heresy. and hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in afghanistan in renewed protests over the burning of the qur'an by a u.s. based pastor last month demonstrators in kind of heart attack cars and shops in a riot that left at least two policemen dead protests and also spread to other cities is comes after more than twenty people including u.n. staff members were killed in similar protests in recent days. and the fiftieth anniversary year of the first manned flight to space and russia is preparing to

honor that epic achievement a crew is set to blast off aboard a soyuz spacecraft monday night on their latest mission to the stars. as more from baikonur. well it's just a day before the launch of the so used twenty one and to the international space station of course the crew out there going through the final preparations the spacecraft itself it's already corseted 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. actually began when a cosmonauts excited because i called requested for this before he went on his mission to the mir space station this was the t m a twenty so you see twenty mission 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 that to the closest he could get to dream is to be working with the cosmonauts himself so he's there giving his blessing so that's what we've been watching for today and another tradition that they had to go through. before the actual launch into space. aside from the journalists who are here from nasa the people. side of the space program we also have a lot of people coming here just to witness what's going on as tourists. i'm joined now by she's actually a tourist here at baikonur well 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 you know it's in the middle of nowhere it seems like a. launching. every six months actually much more frequently than that but it's just it's it's in the middle of nowhere and it's really a small town atmosphere and at the same time a big spaceport thank you very much and. so there you have it you have a lot of tourists here going to different monuments so he'll be going to the launch pad as well to have a closer look at the water which of course there's the symbol the face actually if you got it for the 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 do but he said quote this is their first time in space and when you can when you talk to their wives they're actually the ones who are very very nervous about the making of their husbands making this trip to get a very interesting atmosphere here what you don't see. maybe part of

a camera it's all the conversations that go on between bastard also people visiting just a very informative a very exciting atmosphere that we are experiencing here at baikonur and force everybody looking forward to the launch marking be a fiftieth anniversary of its first spaceflight. and you can turn into us here on our team for all the latest details on that coming up in about fifteen minutes a roundup of the day's sporting news stay with us here on our back with our headlines in a few moments. own .

culture is the same much as it is a commercial course you might find it comes of your name as u.s. president barack obama still an honorable recipient of the nobel peace prize to be fair inherited two wars missile main office. twenty years ago the largest country in. the sense of a sense of. what had been. meant to teach began a journey. for where did it take them wealthy british science. sometimes it's classified at target.