there is still much of. this. on our team tonight the u.n. appears powerless to prevent the threat of violence on serbia's border with breakaway kosovo as the self cleared for public sets of customs control despite local says protesting against the move because the latest just ahead fuel much story and also in the wake of the british and french leaders visit to libya in a show of support for the new authority will look at how the u.k. still invites repressive regimes on a shopping spree for military hardware. the much anticipated south street fight but lose a step closer to reality as russia signs landmark agreements with top european energy giant. russia's ghost town on norwegian soil parties closer to take

should so what used to be the western most salvias settled an important month of the communist three and the spitzbergen archipelago. say from moscow it's nine pm here now this friday evening my name's kevin owen and first kosovo's prime minister's announced the breakaway region has introduced customs control on its border with serbia a move strongly opposed by belgrade local serbs have been trying to prevent it by blocking roads leading to the two border posts our correspondent sara first went to . well where one of the border crossings that you're reading and a great leading up to it remains blogs by the protesters we actually can't get much play so when you go up to the front crossing you spoke by the boatload we can

feast undertake a full forces on the ground sitting in a bit i'm not sure how much of it you can see you can also see of course the snake in the background now we could have places we could and it does look like there's some sort of fire happening on the other side of i but we couldn't get any information from the cable forces that with earlier today we saw helicopters coming across and. you like helicopters dropping off some of the police forces crossings so young clear yet whether any of the people being dropped off there are actually the ethnic albanian cause of a police schools is we haven't been able to confirm that this of course going ahead with the battle of the clashes that we saw in july when the cost of a government had tried to take control of the place following prime minister has in fact she's been on imports from serbia now that resulted in the death of the policeman and also very concerned not to see a repeat of that violence so we heard the un security council calling an emergency

meeting yesterday at the request of serbia and russia and the take a few of these control points going ahead despite the warnings from belgrade i'm from russia that this could really to further agitation so for two political analysts and xander published last hour he told me the nato led mission in kosovo assisting kosovo in the move is violating the un mandate. ok for meeting mate absolutely overstepped their mandate their u.n. mandate is clear they're supposed to be neutral ground they're disposed to be keeping the peace they're not supposed to be taking anyone's side they have clearly taken the albini inside the secessionist government increased to the capital of course of all this is brown stirred trouble and he openly sided with them together with the west term countries the western powers that are sitting in the security council so caution party has

a lot to thank for as far as they're concerned we have the security council we have five states veto power we have three western states and two non western states on the security council with veto power so really if the west decides to support any unilateral action. you can't start it and you can't give a mandate to the un to do anything about it because either the united states great britain and france will put a veto veto to it and that's been clear from the start so it's not surprising they've been sponsoring calls for independence for years now and they're actually thinking that the endgame now and they're. doing a hard push for it right now. and you're invited to share your thoughts on this developing story tonight log on to our t.v. or call where the question is what should belgrade do about kosovo what you think about that this is what you are telling you so far thanks if you have taken part so far the majority of you still saying the best way out is to simply take it back

from the albanians but be on the graph there again around ten percent of you still suggesting recognising kosovo and joining the e.u. a little less of you again thinking belgrade should report trade all serbs and just forget about it and the minority say said we should just know the concrete wall the border it was good to hear your thoughts you can let us know it r.t. dot com. in libya fierce fighting is underway for the few remaining strongholds of one look at duffy's loyalists rebel forces claim they've launched offensive on certain bani walid backed by tanks and heavy weapons as well as a nato air shield. is in libya with the latest. we're hearing from the national transitional council here in the capital tripoli that its troops had apparently entered the city of sirte some five hundred kilometers east of tripoli but off his hometown and one of the colonels last strongholds began to see reports that at least four of its fighters eleven and other reports have been killed during these

offensive seven others wounded and also there is information that forty could offer loyalists have been captured and sit very still reports that cut off his information chief dr muesli brigade would have been one of them but this information is very hard to verify fighting a very nervous until gadhafi is supported by some two hundred kilometers south of the capital schieffer he continues and while concerns rose over security safety of civilians trapped in the cities and the areas where the clashes between the rebels and gadhafi is lord still continuing meanwhile the u.n. is expected to ease sanctions against libya visiting the country on thursday british prime minister david cameron a french president nicolas sarkozy has started they would introduce a u.n. security council draft resolution which expects to abolish international arms embargo and freeze leavin asses that. had been frozen as part of sanctions against gadhafi also sublist mission u.n.

mission here in the country leaders of the two nato countries. played a prominent a key role in the libyan revolution and also that nato mission here on the ground will continue for as long as it is necessary to protect civilians here in libya meanwhile some are skeptical about the real aims of this mission as it's more loops right now like backing the rabble and helping them take control over the rest of the country rather than protection civilians so it's now a little bit far from its initial go. rif and national correspondent there and as the british prime minister departs libya after celebrating the end of gadhafi forty two year rule anger is growing in the u.k. over the arms fair that once hosted the colonel and he was stocking up with new military hardware critics say is one of the world's biggest weapon resales flaws and that it provided libya's ousted leader with a means to launch his deadly crackdown on the opposition as are his other bell it's been investigating some prominent the tate as have been shopping around for arms in

london. selling weapons could be a moral minefield but not here this is the world's biggest arms fair and a massive earner for the british economy the government's putting its conscience aside as international delegates shop for tanks rocket launchers and the missiles so long as business is being done here it doesn't seem to matter who's buying this is the u.s. list includes countries like saudi arabia and bahrain both regimes that violently suppressed demonstrations earlier this year bahrain was accused of opening fire on its own armed citizens in february saudi arabia sent its national guard into help driving arment vehicles made by be a systems the u.k.'s largest defense company its products on display here would be at home in any bond film this time can alter its temperature to change its infrared appearance but like the british government

a company can't change its spots it says there are countries that were still too but that doesn't include any here if a country has been invited by the british government here it's it's probably going to be on the list of countries who are of the celtics it. makes sense. he is right to sell to say rich regimes like bahrain that have rigorous democratic process. that will travel because. these protesters from the start the arms fair coalition they're. it's going ahead despite the recent crackdowns in libya and egypt both former customers of britain using their purchases against their own people we're paying the price there in the mediterranean because we sold weapons deny all the countries that out spiriting arab spring i think is short sighted it's bad for this country it doesn't make money it makes walls. to get this year's shoppers include fourteen countries branded all thora tarion by human rights

groups in fact the government came clean on just one day before trade began but i'm sure they're very a barest because of the one child did february. david cameron was going to be walking around terriers square precluding his belief in human rights and freedom and democracy and the next stop was kuwait i get turned out he was travelling with eight hours topically executives but the whole purpose of the trip was trade one of the big traits or tried to make was weapons straight to the middle east the government says it's tightening restrictions on who can buy weapons that could be used for oppression and he claims an invite here doesn't guarantee an export license but a fence is big business for britain it generated twenty two billion pounds for the economy last year and the case now the second biggest weapons exporter in the world

. with money like that up for grabs turning customers away empty handed may prove difficult either bennett artsy london. syria's regular demonstrations after friday prayers have turned into violent clashes with police local activists say that around twenty protestors have been killed the bloodshed has to stop thousands from pouring out of the streets across the country though taking the uprising against president sad ruling from its seventh month the real story behind the syrian rage is the subject of a debate show cross-talk it's only aired a couple of this is a taste of what you can see. the syrian government has pointed out that the opposition certain elements within the opposition have been armed by outside forces particularly the united states as well as israel they claim that they have a confession from a former general from syria who defected and he's going to be featured on syrian television are very soon i don't know anyone who believes the syrian government now is the syrians likely the syrian government i don't know any nation in the world

who takes over that serious word to syria the syrian government said if they are telling the truth then all of the media to syria allow the media into the square is a lot of myriad media to see the troops moving down innocent people like pacifists people and our role is to soldiers if they don't allow the media because they know they can massacre and torture and brutalize a lot more people if they don't allow the media in nobody believes the syrian government not even in fact the people the syrian government. european energy giants of signed up to bring the long planned sunstreak gas pipeline a step closer to reality apart line would run into the black sea and be another means of pumping russian gas to directly into europe just like the north stream network which was opened earlier this month that is to be have to thank you as the

latest on this story from sochi. the fact that gazprom has signed the shareholder agreement with european partners companies from france italy and germany means that russia is indeed one step closer to realizing the transportation of gas from russia underneath the black sea to bulgaria and then eventually to austria and italy so directly to european consumers and this one step gives it an extreme advantage over a rival of project in a bucco pipeline which is outlined to deliver gas from central asia to europe and this has spurred concerns from europe for european and of dorothy's about the security of energy in europe and we have heard a comment from. the year european energy commissioner saying that this makes europe more reliant on russian gas and therefore this is jeopardizing energy security in europe on the other hand actually the fact that russia will be

delivering gas starting from zero twenty fifteen directly to european consumers means that actually energy security will be fortified as energy deliveries will be secured and russia won't have to deal with transit countries like ukraine which have created problems with the liveries to europe in the past also we have heard a lot of kiev victory in the college the president has said that suggested having the south stream go not underneath the black sea what drew you cranes territory making it cheat but gazprom i said there's no point in doing that because the whole goal of the pipeline is to bypass transit countries. and you could find more about that story in our business bulletin it's coming up in about five minutes tonight here on r.t. . next imagine a community where you want for nothing life is easy and work is a plenty well one such place did exist at least in

a remote russian post. although not anymore it's not even a place of russia's borders it's actually is really serve up here norwegian archipelago called spitsbergen it was embodied the soviet dream a system where everyone's needs were provided for soon as a special report for our to examine boy who visited what was meant to be communism as example of a bright future. it's one of the daisies seagull colonies in the arctic. restless as the northern sun the birds scoured the island in search of food for their young noisy and disorderly like all big families the sequels of the last reminder of the war in family atmosphere that once permeated his arctic island his apartment block was built specifically to house families and while adults were out working he is reluctant out own devices running down hallways and banging doors local residents usually referred to his building as the crazy house across the

street was a dormitory for single female workers between paris given russian women's undying infatuation with everything french a bit further away he was a male dormitory also known as longdon supposedly for the gentle manners of its inhabitants during its best years the settlement housed in more than a thousand people today it's a ghost town with a spirit of communism lurks in their band and buildings. this settlement was called pyramid because of the cone like mountains around the new fifty years ago it had the highest living standards soviet people who dream of salaries two to three times higher than in the mainland free food free around vibrant social life in many ways it was a task for the brighter future that so we have people were trying to build. the french northernmost statue of the man in steel piers into the near breakaway sure most of the pyramids residents were critical mind it was never really profitable

here contained for the sake of keeping the soviet presence and be strategically placed archipelago cut way between north america and western europe. only announced post this westernmost settlement was also in an ideological showcase for capitalist rivals a new resources for spirit to cut a dash a concert hall a library a rug band and even this the olympic pool people here are living the true salvia dream you have the best hopes tanked almost overnight when the soviet union fell apart all of a sudden people of pyramids realized that their perfect life was just bad and too political caramel based on faulty economy and shaky ideology in a few years the former arctic area there is into an island nightmare people who are used to eating caviar for breakfast to turn to hunting to put food on the table one

of the families packed up and left at dandenong pyramid in all its grandstanding glory this pillar was erected here with march palm on the settlements thirty if their fortieth anniversary only to become a grave stone they paid plato when the last batch of coal was extracted from the local mine workers just laughed and here it was their way of breaking over the coals for the lives that's always been too good to be true. are it see here in the streets bergen archipelago just to let you know we continue our special coverage from spitzbergen tomorrow saturday when we discover an old soviet dream provided of means of survival today also more about a whole series of course online on our website r.t. dot com. america's missile defense plans in europe accelerated over the last few days on thursday was sort of washington announced parts of the shield will be deployed on polish saw was earliest twenty eight team earlier this week the u.s.

agreed to deal with romania and which land based interceptor missiles and over one hundred military personnel will be placed in the country this is followed by another deal with turkey on the deployment of american radar station in the east. sure the said design can the possible attacks move around for north korea but discuss these developments let's note. from the polish stop the war initiative philip very good evening to you thanks for being on r.t. international most appreciated now the czech republic pull there this whole project some time ago why is it that your country is still so keen on having elements of the shield on its soil is it really just to defend europe from an unsubstantiated radian a north korean threat or is there more to it do you think. in fact toward the program of defense it's about it's about keeping. power using military technology to do its military technology that is still mainly in the. defense of united states and is by far the leading military power in the word so it has always said to stop

the war movement in poland has nothing to do with space in europe or in the words just the opposite is the geopolitical game that united states place so of course we completely oppose deployment of united states basis connected to a missile defense program in poland and other countries as well. i guess is one of the proponents of it say that whatever they try to sell it must be difficult for them to argue against the cost of it it's hugely costly given the economic troubles in both europe and the us how justified is it spending that much money how they're selling it. of course is very difficult you know the united position of the united states is quite difficult in this times and you know meet of economic crisis really . because generally often i could states around the world the economic terence's

the training very rapidly especially during the current crisis so. the ministration are ones of course to cut costs because a disparity needs money and it's money for economic problems but on the other hand it's kind of just cut all the military programs because you know you have to say doesn't want to retreat completely because it doesn't it would mean. losing imperio capabilities that is even in this situation is very weak but finish so that's why mr missile defense program is of course is. that's comparing to administration but still exists and. limitations i've been to show that is there something untrue something you know showing that we are still in a game this would pick up on i mean where barack obama took office he shelled bush's missile defense plans in europe now we see this turnaround ok biggest scale

maybe as before but it is a turnaround isn't it. yeah it is of course it is on the small scale but i think that is the. key point. i mean how to cut costs without losing called you know splendor and its very contradictory situation and of course it's still a situation that few geopolitical conflicts between united states and trash other things that has its own. dreams and so on so. this iteration is very unstable i don't know how serious it is really the point of wasting your money because it would be only a few years and for years because of the fifteen and published its plans to be connected to be so defensive plans will be thousand and eighteen so it's really quite a lot of time and when we see the economy situation a lot can be can be done and. just we don't know if it is really serious of it it's

not that serious or if it is only on the game. to game the game for still absolute game of the it starts but of course shoots definitely holes the crowds at the polls the whole games that are potentially at least potentially dangerous for for people living. in other countries as well just standing back from this trying to understand the other person's point of view on this if you if you could by twenty eighteen when the shield elements are deployed in poland other countries do you see any argument it's all in the argument that they will make the world a safer place. i don't see them really just one so it's a waste of money for a totally unjustified military. spending. money which is really just currently needed for other needs and. we don't want part of the game between.

the state and smaller power like russia and most of the polish preparation is definitely against when we saw the. past problems of polish governments to polish probably the. united states base when it was plans under the bush administration now it's more silent about this because we have like seven years to build its i was not the question. i would poland but definitely differently than most of the polish people ration is very very you know. this stance and so from the projects of being kind of united states place to have its own base for geopolitical reasons we're following this story closely afraid we're out of time we can talk a lot more about it if it will cost you from the polish. on the program. thank you very much it's a rich time report the fraud which led to the financial crisis of two thousand and eight that now those business live from moscow with.

hello and welcome to business here on r.t. our top story today is of course russia's international investment forum and some where the money starting to roll in as deals get struck representatives from thirty five countries are in the black sea resort looking for investment opportunities ludmer putin made a speech at the forum and i teased him as example has the main points for us. well indeed the highlight of the day at the sochi international investment for was of but in a person's view on the macroeconomic situation and what's interesting is that despite the ongoing turmoil on the markets and sovereign debt woes in europe and the united states this year was a pretty upbeat that evolution says that russia's economy will come back to pre-crisis state in the twenty inch well that is next year that russia will see inflation of no more than seven percent this year according to the central bank

inflation will actually gradually decrease by around half a percentage point over the next three years and that russia will see a gross domestic product increase of four percent on average in the next three years when it comes to investments coming into russia limited specified but there's a certain type of investment that russia needs let's listen to what he had to say not only that he must strive not only to grow the economy but to improve economic efficiency and the development of production and innovation we need to change the structure of the economy our common goal is not to be a safe haven for speculative capital russia should create all the conditions for so-called smart investments be creating and producing high tech. and surprisingly enough political person also said that russia will most likely meet its budget to have a balanced budget by the end of the year so we have a zero budget and next year the deficit might be one and a half percent but if the macroeconomic situation changes for example world prices

grow we might see a balanced budget next year too well apart from the most important deal and that is of course the widely discussed shareholder group of three gas home and its european partners it's nice any france's e.d.f. and germany's which is all there's also been a wide range of deals are connected with the cross and our region where sochi is located and so what's widely discussed is an agreement between a french back because they didn't who are causing us young which has. which is basically about to sign a deal with the results of northern caucuses that's a state owned tourism for providing it with ten billion euros to build why ski resorts in the northern caucasus region but also the sochi investment forum is a perfect platform for companies to present themselves as developing and expanding at an earlier business r.t. talked to the head of lukoil but you've only got a few said that lukoil is planning to expand its operations purchasing upstream

businesses in the united states and in asia and will also increase production overseas. in the next ten years we will concentrate on projects like west could not to iraq that will significantly change the structure and volume of our production in twenty fifteen we are implementing a project in the north of the caspian sea which will also increase in production we think that in ten years our company will increase hydrocarbon production by twenty to thirty percent. so indeed the present form has once again proven to be a perfect platform to talk about the macroeconomic situation in russia but also sign major deals and make you contact and share ideas. and here's a look at the markets european stocks closed higher for a fourth day of that speculation coordinated action by policymakers who would be able to ease the region's that crisis banking shares let the gains on the footsie pass for russia the markets ended the trading session in the red analysts say

investors were hesitant to make big moves as the finance minister summit kept off in poland and let's take a look at some of the and that's movers on the y. sites that are two majors were under pressure with gas from just under one percent in the red financial stocks were also down with bits of news and point six percent and bucking the trend was right after reports this product i say should step possible this year. not so business what's the sour five for now.