the. heavy fighting in libya as colonel gadhafi urgently searches for a way out. casualties rise in the battle misra said the last rebel stronghold in the west of this country was not on the side able to break the deadlock on points here in the capital city of tripoli joining in a few moments and often you know. meanwhile the opposition is counting on any foreign help of their own lack of experience discipline and manpower mean they have little chance of winning on their own. i did other news a russian pilot brought to the u.s.

to face trial on drug trafficking charges claims that he was kidnapped by washington. did not a verse three space launch the crew was set to fly up to the international space station of fifty years after amanda first reached out beyond just. it is just off to six pm here in moscow you without seen welcome to the program. well colonel gadhafi desperately seeking ways out of the libyan recourses italy has become. the country's opposition government meanwhile humanitarian ship is triggered hundreds of injured libyans from the fighting in the west to the rebels stronghold policy reports the fighting here on the ground seems to be educated in

chu prime research he's in the east of the country it's around the city of brega but that frontline keeps shifting and at the moment it's actually not clear who is in control in the last six weeks that city has changed control six times in the west of the country most of the fighting is happening in and around the town of misrata and there we are hearing that the government has stepped up if it's eliminate and he could have his supporters now we do know that a turkish military and ship has taken she hundred and fifty patients civilian casualties to the city of benghazi took some doctors on board that ship are saying that the injuries are incredibly severe and that the civilian death count is likely to climb we certainly have witnessed an increase in diplomatic activity on behalf of the gadhafi regime to try and seek a way out of this crisis what we are hearing is that gadhafi might be open to some kind of settlement plan but that plan would see someone from his inner circle taking over power we are also hearing move forces from the international stage though that if the plan is to be reached it has to include could defeat sitting

down they have been talks between key opposition members and members of the petitioner ministration their main question at the moment is the whole question of whether or not to supply the rebels with weapons and also the british have been trying to find out information about exactly who these opposition fighters are we continuously hear these reports that there are suspicions that there are al qaida and hizbollah members among the ranks there is also a long in concerns about the fact that the rebel fighters themselves are disorganized as my colleague if schools further in this package a war on the sun. and overrode. that he's armed forces are just a few miles ahead for the rebels this is the time to cool their guns and regroup with everyone man facing ten on the other side discipline is vital what do these men have any. every day in the rebel stronghold of benghazi more pictures of

those killed or missing or put up on the walls and for the first time at least a dozen rebels are reported to have been killed in a call is in strike still many locals say they realize they have no choice but to accept the losses. with. more than two weeks of classes the no fly zone was put into effect over libya and nato planes have been trying to rein in gadhafi is heavy artillery clearing the way for the rebel fighters on the ground and there is even speculation egypt and the u.s. may be secretly train them but the front line is still shifting back and forth but the rebels achieving only brief advances and west this. anyway. the opposition says they are ready to take

weapons from any willing steed in order to get their feet but it's way we more weapons will help improve the discipline and many teenagers with no training or combat experience. it seems that they are think they are not you know very much representative of what's going on on the ground we are seeing very articulate people talking to various governments in europe but also to the americans whereas on the ground we are seeing rebels on drug goals completely disorganized who do not have much they do not seem to have any political points to make aside from of course getting rid of gadhafi according to some estimates only twenty percent of the gaddafi is military might have been destroyed by the cauldrons efforts instead his forces are reported to have changed

tactic come of watching themselves as rebels to confuse nato pilots above so let's face it would return to pool level of organization and training the rebels alone are your match for a guy he's superior forces and it's only with the help of the alliance that something could be achieved but the question is health for is nino itself planning to go you've got this one off forty eastern libya so you can get all the latest developments about libya online just check out our regular updates from our correspondents who are in the country if you saw via our twitter and facebook page just now don't forget to watch all the videos which are constantly being uploaded to parties you chuck.

as a starting swedish fighter jets are preparing to take to the support nato forces and the operation of libya station about italian bases they'll be used to enforce the no fly zone but the sweden is not a member of the alliance itself but that's not stop the government from also committing troops to afghanistan destroying that public anger for what since the authorities dancing to the tune of washington are seen since and now it has. sweden widely known as a voice of neutrality and peace and swedish people believe still believe that we are nonaligned and the trouble. why then does we didn't need and you

want groups like oh fuck sweden is very integrated and those activities both in their administration and also with over five hundred soldiers in afghanistan right now that are under nato command whatever it is government there thing but but the fact the government says this about swedish combat troops in afghanistan we see our participation in international crisis management missions are not popular mandate as an expression of solidarity and responsibility of sweden in the world. the question is who's a popular mandate and when you go native city concept it's wasn't supposed to change so they don't have they don't have an own. most we aren't aware of how aligned sweden is with nato leader you have ignored it you have the military and some politicians cross-breeding intensively with the united states the nato and the

large mass of the population being totally unaware. the public is told its peacekeeping under the program partnership for peace for heaven's sake partnership or peace is just turned the chair before late due nato is also active in doing military exercises we didn't is home to meet or the north european aerospace test range twenty four thousand kilometers of restricted airspace ground room a testing playground for nato and the u. mass and as activist arguing that this is where war starts right here at home. neutrality or nato some say the ground time sweden makes the troika critics claim there's so much have gone through port for the alliance that the nordic nation might as well during the quad officially give up its unaligned status. and use them now i r t gothenburg sweden. and still ahead for you this hour here on artsy

burning of books and bridges some military contributor assesses the impact the u.s. faces in afghanistan after an american christian pastor torched the cobra. plus come down to blast off we're on standby on the launch pad three cosmonauts prepare for an historic space journey. a russian pilot accused by the u.s. of international drug trafficking is now facing trial in a new york court constantino your strength was arrested last year in liberia and brought to the states illegally according to his lawyers and as honest as you're going to reports some see a tendency of america snatching people and trying them on its own soil. a legit tons of cocaine a pilot snatched up and brought to a foreign prison and a wrong fax number this is the case of constantine your shango

a russian pilot in his forty's scooped up by u.s. officials in liberia last year brought to a manhattan jail and along with four other suspects charged with international drug trafficking. for a long time he did not even know where he was when he was brought to the u.s. he was put in solitary confinement and he didn't even know she was in the united states constantine's wife victoria just to write to new york she says her husband was kidnapped by american agents while america says your show was smuggling drugs to south america africa and europe mostly from that is why a lot liberia a pilot has complained he was beaten and tortured following his arrest. they tried to pick fights with him provoking him constantly close to try to stay away from all that he asked them why are you treating me like this i didn't do anything to you and i had not been found guilty tori believes the case against her husband was fabricated by the u.s. not also why the u.s.

is involved in this is unclear he has never been to the u.s. in his entire life he never had a u.s. visa and wasn't third country upon his arrest. when constantine you're schenkel was arrested russian officials were not duly notified and moscow cited a breach of international law we have. apologized to russia and the state department's excuse we pressed the wrong button on the facts missing. to be brutally honest notifying romania instead of russia to observers this seemed a joke and a series of questionable details in this case the idea that there's a bank of buttons they push it i guess if they push the next one they would have gone to rule rwanda which is next and what alphabetical list so that sounds like. strange story and i don't think anyone would buy that your sham clothes case is often compared to that of victor boot similarly snatched up by the u.s.

in thailand and currently on trial in america for arms trafficking some see a tendency here and they can use interpol they can use. picking up the phone to russia and trying to talk about this just going out and kidnapping people i think this is part of the carry over from the bush cheney administration the defense team has long labeled the case a provocation and unsuccessfully called for its dismissal a prosecution meanwhile has been fighting to limit the scope of issues that can be addressed during the hearings they want to exclude questions regarding the legality of trying your show in a u.s. court alleged while lesions in the investigations leading up to his arrest and official conduct during and after the pilot's arrest and essentially all remaining arguments of the defense after almost ten months constantini or shown cause trial is finally here a jury is deciding his destiny if guilty he will spend from ten years to life

sentence behind bars. r.t. new york. now in afghanistan protests over the burning of the koran by a pastor in the u.s. last month has already left over twenty people dead and clipping un staff barack obama and that both the killings and the desecration of the holy book of islam military contributor says the actions of pastor terry jones threatened to further worsen the relationship between the u.s. and the muslim world. if the united states have yet had any resemblance modicum of the good will in the muslim world it was terry jones who seem to go handedly and irrevocably destroyed whatever big wheel the united states of america had enjoyed in the muslim world and especially where it has cold dirt poor overt military and intelligence and as a general patrols didn't have enough trouble smarting from the shooters for support

from the stryker brigade in southern afghanistan and after a numerable collateral damage from the us air force now comes this as a stab in the back kerry jones and reckless actions demonstrate to what extent the united states elects their cultural sensitivity regarding the muslim world especially with its heavy military footprint in ghana's stand pakistan and levy i believe the united states should offer a pakistani government to prosecute kerry jones and other perpetrators to hold it in florida in st accordance wealth they could stay in the us from the world death will be probably the best way to stave off their growing anti american anti christian sentiments in afghanistan pakistan

and other muslim countries. and you can find out all cultures logged on our website of course that is our team to come right here a few of the other items we've got lined up for you on line right now under the rock obama's up for another four years in america's top job she announces he will run for president in two thousand and twelve. but it's risky doing business with georgia find out how a dinner invitation with the country's prime minister landed an israeli businessman behind bars all that and much more i don't see dot com. the russian security forces say four would be suicide bombers were among those killed in a recent anti terror raid in the southern republic of english as the republican leader told the president medvedev that those people were all set to carry out attacks become destroyed during the operation is said to be whether suicide bomber who targeted moscow's busiest airport in january was trained the attack claimed dozens

of lives the russian president said he's prepared to talk to any militants willing to lay down arms down to destroy those he said were irreconcilable and total seventeen militants were killed during the raid in which was one of the biggest security operations in years. but now let's get to some other international headlines around the world this hour at least fifteen people are reported to have been killed in anti-government protests in the yemeni city of tire as there are also reports hundreds of ringwood in the studio. after crowds tried to march on the presidential palace protestors and thousands have been calling for the resignation of president ali abdullah saleh since february the leader is refusing to step down without what he calls a quote negotiated settlement. japan is dumping more than ten thousand tons of radioactive water from the fukushima plant into the pacific officials say

this is a necessary step to free up storage space for more highly contaminated water the government says it will not harm human health all the environment meanwhile workers at the facility are continuing their battle to seal off the leaking cracks in a damaged reactor. because it's. not a bias one the country's presidential election collimator results show he took over ninety five percent of the vote he's been in power for two decades and does have the constitutional right to be reelected indefinitely some international observers say there were serious irregularities during the vote but many including u.s. monitors described it as democratic. but a mission ordering the fiftieth anniversary of mankind's first journey to the stars is set to depart with the international space station the russian american crew will blast off from the same launching site the yuri gagarin into space as our

syria is at the baikonur cosmodrome in kazakhstan and has this report. it's a big so celebration it's a significant date at least in this space history the crew that will be going to space consists of two russian cosmonauts we have an exciting. day about a single and nasa astronaut ron garan preparations of course are still continuing in just the last a few hours you know they follow a lot of traditions here because astronauts themselves and they'll be leaving at their signatures in their rooms at the confinement facility it's very interesting because their feet assessors have done the same and therefore they're going to do the same as well and also a russian orthodox priest will be giving his blessing to the crews of a preparations continue but not just for the crew i'm joined now by dimitri he's actually a ten time world record holder in swimming and he's here for his own reasons in relation to space let's find out what he's doing here exactly what is a sportsman to hear what they have to do with space you know. i mean

i met you for the. for the for the youngest moments during the last list of friends who used to be our children us through the kitchen of the crew do you have the truck destruction which you will do if you will meet some claim. in this piece. in which he was here and we're just going to what i would say this here. ok well thank you very much for that insight well again the preparations that are happening it's not just for the crew and i've managed to speak to the families a very important part of the the a celebration for the families who've come to say their farewells to the three men going on the mission. before every blast off comes the fanfare so you see i'm a twenty one crew member stand in the spotlight their families close by it's only a matter of hours before they shoot into orbit in a spacecraft bury the image of utica god in the first man in space to celebrate the

achieved. this fiftieth anniversary what's more the crew's captain was once called the guardian when i was in kindergarten they gave us a play rocket i spent all my time inside and i would let all the kids get in there since then they started calling me god preparations have been intense both for the crew and their so use rocket any astronaut can attest to the arduous process. working in training was so hard sometimes we fell asleep behind our desks we had to take many exams and sometimes we had to repeat those exams after a long meticulous process of assembling the spacecraft the so used to be it's what you want is finally in position waiting to take its crew to be international space station well that's a t.v. is this a gift to russia's will make their first a flight to space and an american who will be flying to so use for the first time but far from the frenzy and the glare of camera lights a better halves of the astronauts have been going through preparations of their own

albeit more personal ones it's really hard to explain the wave of emotions i've been feeling anxiety and pride here on the other hand held his own he showed no emotions i was more worried and excited he took our photographs with him those that show us and our daughter nasty ever since the official confirmation that their husbands are going to space every little thing becomes a memento i'm wearing my husband's jumper it's moving me close knit and unity with my husband you know all the whys where there has been clouds among the women a close vote on this for carmel gerund wife of nasa astronaut ron garan it gave oksana and zoya a bracelet as a symbol of unity. we're going to be as united as our husbands have become. because for six months these women and their husbands are literally going to be

worlds apart tesser cilia r.t.e. baikonur in kazakhstan. and i just a little bit earlier we caught up with the head of russia's space agency who said the orbital tourism may soon be available to all people good news coming or in just a few minutes from now the latest business news with going to try. thanks rory b.p. and russian partners an hour for access renault are once again facing each other in court in london they are wants an arbitration tribunals of throw out b.p.'s proposed sixteen billion dollars share swap deal with russian state's own last night after it claims the deal breaches that shareholder agreements with b.p. says it should be its primary vehicle for all exploration in russia and ukraine last month they are succeeded in getting the stockholm arbitration for a little through against b.p. arctic exploration deal with

a war summit now for more on this joined by christine cisco really go from standard and poor's equity research christine thank you so much for being with us do you expect a share swap between b.p. and ross they have to be actually blocked. i mean i truly do you have a fifty fifty chance of what you have to ask yourself is whether it would be fair i mean companies are allowed to invest in other companies and we please not taking a majority position in rosneft noreaster often it in between a normal investment from any mutual fund or head fund or personally investor of around five percent it's normal so there's no reason why it shouldn't be now it depends on how they interpret the law and whether they believe that maybe the share swap should be. a later time until the whole deal has been either postponed or canceled but from a point of view of an investor i think b.p. east free to invest in any other company that is not an operational deal so

therefore it should go ahead but they've got a fifty fifty chance and we'll find out this week we're very goes through are not all right what do you think are the russian partners and a b.p. the what are they trying to achieve are they actually trying to block this deal between rosneft or they negotiating some kind of you. it's difficult to say because they also have a lot of problems with their other businesses in russia so why are they doing these to distract we don't know are they doing these because they're trying to get money out of b.p. for that they can finance or other deals we don't know are they doing these us a way of telling the russian government you know we can be a big headache if you don't allow us to do this all the deals or are they just simply saying we're going to give dudley a hell of a time it's impossible to say but it's ridiculous for them to expect lead he to work with them on offshore exploration which is incredibly difficult there are only a couple of maybe four or five companies around the world that can do that and b.p.'s one of them so we will have to wait and see what happens it's

a pic taken from someone of investors point of view well the b.p. shares are already down this is a stumbling block even though their production in that of which is substantial seems to be delayed and a big chunk about a third of their production assets are in can pay b.p. maybe the idea of just dropping and selling of their position to somebody else may not be so but they take a big hit they have much lower production but they start fresh without the back drop and the heavy. k.b.p.s. providing so they take a hit but they need to clean slate and they go from there and that's something that is being picked up here in london all right well let's talk for a while about the russian british university and katie you know what could the prospects of that company if the deal is actually fully destroyed. well if the deal is destroyed i don't think it can be fully destroyed because then there are other

alternatives for p.p.d. so we have to wait and see i mean the peace trying to accommodate the russian partners but if the russian partners i say have all turned your motives and it's not really to negotiate with b.p. but either to use these to influence their all the ventures in russia or to try to get some sort of deal with the government then you know whatever a b.p. has to say will be relevant so i think negotiations will carry on the question is if he'd work for b.p. to carry on negotiating why not sell to the n.k.v.d. piece shares and give you know investors a substantial bit in and invest their money somewhere else that doesn't mean they're out of russia or there are other companies apart from here. it's a big company put it's a big company thanks to the allegiance with b.p. there are other companies and b.p. can help them just as they did had. and violent kristina's separately b.p. is reportedly close to resuming drilling in the gulf of mexico followed the disastrous oil spill that we saw last year if that's true does it surprise you.

well first of all since february seventeenth aid permits have been of awarded in the gulf of mexico to exxon chevron b.h.p. billiton. actually on april the first two any they're all just for continuing operations that had already started before and royal dutch shell is the only one but apparently has had drilling for new new drilling now what b.p. wants is to get approval for ten development worlds development world from not exploration wells those are just wells that have to be carry out as part of the normal production process in order to maintain or increase the current production now obama last week said that he wanted more production in the u.s. well b.p. the biggest producer in the gulf of mexico so they need b.p. but it's a bit of a contradiction because at the same time even though it's a very politically sensitive topic you have other people that you know they want to

have accused the party of the environmentalists believe that unless somebody goes to jail nobody's going to take environmental issue seriously which i don't agree with so you know there's a bit of a contradiction between who's going to win politics or reality and rationality i think that they will be allowed to drill for those ten because they are development wells not new exploration well all right christine disagreeing with thank you very much we're running out of time procedures to remove from some of pores some of the research thank you so much for being with us and that's all we have time for headlines and it's not. for the flu we've got it's. the biggest issues get voice face to face with the news makers.