i don't position stronghold in the rest of syrian city of homs is back on a government control and humanitarian aid is on the way as a resident reveals to r.t. atrocities she blames on rivals. russia's prime minister putin says the rise in opposition activities has energized the government's response to changing public mood but refuses to back new parliamentary elections if he wins sunday's presidential poll. and leaders see what the fiscal path aimed at keeping member states deficit within limits which critics say will cost nations the earth sovereignty when it comes to budgetary policies.

in the russian capital you're watching r.c.m. or even joshing now syrian government forces have again control of the baba amr district in holmes which has been the main center of armed resistance for almost a month rebels say they have retreated for tactical purposes but authorities seem confident they have broken the backbone of what they call terrorist operations spoke to residents of the besieged city who gave an eyewitness account of what she said were these the rebels committed while in control. clashes continue in homes but we're hearing that one of the opposition's main strongholds here in syria is now under the governmental forces control also the rebels withdrew from the city after the army is offensive to cleanse the rebel held baba amr area humanitarian situation on the ground is really very dramatic infrastructure is badly damaged no water no electricity in the city garbage is everywhere no mobile coverage and lead

line is also broken after many attempts we've finally been able to talk by phone with homes residents a woman who's identified herself as galina in the south. are real bandits they can shoot in the back they kill people rob house and one can be shot dead for no reason we're afraid to go into the country and our car can be sparked and we can do sean the kill both young and on the people from their homes and jump them into pieces and put them in plant and then throw them out she's also a world retreating from. the area known as baba amr the rebels have moved to another area in the city have media and they've killed many many people there especially christians. i mean civilians are tired of syrians and want peace but the syrian soldiers who protect us are being killed every day we've heard the mercenaries from france tunisia lebanon. we don't go anywhere and just see israel

freed of snipers people are. shortly after the rebels withdraw from the city the syrian main opposition group formed a military council to organize the armed resistance and to provide the rebels with more weapons a fact that shows just how deeply militarized the conflict has become recently here in the country while syria is very very close to a civil war. refn reporting there i mean while the syrian authorities have given the international red cross a green light to enter the embattled city of homs on friday this follows a call from the u.n. security council to allow immediate humanitarian access to the worst affected areas also supported by russia and china are just more important i as the details from new york. it's been nearly seven months since we've seen any type of consensus coming out of the security council with respect to syria but that consensus is coming through the form of a press statement issued by the security council with respect to humanitarian aid

in syria we are seeing some consensus coming from the security council on humanitarian fronts but how to end this conflict is where u.n. security council's remain divided the security council members are mean divided russia has said and continues to say that there needs to be a cease fire in syria were both sides put their weapons down and begin to engage in dialogue at that point was really underscored by kofi annan on the un's envoy to syria a newly appointed envoy by the u.n. and the arab league so he of course saying the same thing russia has been saying for months now that both parties participating in the conflict in syria need to now begin engaging in some type of negotiation we do see that the u.s. and western allies have been pushing for more of a regime change that is a push they made through two separate resolutions that were presented to the

security council and of course vetoed by russia and china because russia and china hold the position that the international community cannot just push out the governments that with respect to syria the syrians need to decide what will take place in their own sovereign country. washington. efforts to convince russia and china to put pressure on president assad and impose tougher sanctions against the syrian regime james editor of the japan based in a news and information website the report says it's not developments within syria but international politics that will shape the country's future. as we see there is still a lot of wrangling going on at the international level in the u.n. security council and other united nations organizations and the friends of syria and all of these other international organizations that are putting various types of pressure on the syrian government and or the syrian opposition groups and so it's absolutely up in the air at this point and it really depends on the extent to which the international community really wants to continue pressing ahead with the

ongoing and needed support for these supposedly opposition rebels that have supposedly spontaneously arisen in syria but as we now know have been being funded and armed and trained and equipped by the international community for some time now certainly last month there were a number of multiple confirmed reports from various different news agencies confirming that iraqi officials were admitting that certain world long established smuggling routes were being used to go through iraq to funnel arms money and even jihadi in syria to take part in this uprising so once again whether or not the the opposition is able to regroup and to which once again take on is there are some others that you think it's really dependent on the extent of the that they're going to have to receive if the international community loses stomach for attempting to institute regime change in syria i think will see beyond the end of the opposition as still to come here an r.t.s. servia moves a step closer to joining the south are not so excited for you to have belgrade will

suffer if it comes a member of the. russia's prime minister what he reported as sad a rising opposition activity in the country has helped energizing authorities the premier and presidential candidate who was speaking at a meeting with foreign media just three days ahead at the presidential vote for his relations with his opponents and russia's ties with other countries also came under scrutiny i despair oliver has the details. with just a few days to go before that presidential vote the questions coming thick and fast for vladimir putin on the subject of opposition protests and political activism in russia were that we've seen a real spike in following the pollen entry elections at the end of last year to be a putin said quote the authorities must listen to the legitimate some of the legitimate grievances of these protesters and it's up to the authorities to act on . those that are legitimate grievances and and put them right saying that it was a good experience for russia however mr putin did say that if he becomes president

that he won't call an early parliamentary election enough had been something that the opposition protestors in russia had asked for well foreign policy a major issue going into the presidential election and let me put in addressing the relationship between russia and the united states specifically focusing on the reset as it was called in relations between the two countries now with regards to the united states proposed anti-missile defense shield in eastern europe but really saying that recess had failed however he did go on to say that in other realms such as the economy it leaps and bounds had been made as regards to the relationship between washington and moscow when a country is on the impression that it's invincible to any television strike from another country it leads to a lot of conflicts on aggressive behavior and it's not just because america is an aggressive country by definition but because this is the way life is and we can't

do anything about six weeks very dangerous. when it comes to foreign policy and foreign issues at the moment all eyes are really focused on syria to me of putin's using this opportunity to say that he opposed any decision by the west that would see he would oppose any decision by the west that would see arms. into the hands of the syrian opposition saying putting guns into their hands would really make it far more difficult to get the opposition on the assad government to a table to try to see a diplomatic and political solution to the situation in syria. and all reporting there so i have for you this hour here on our team if you're on the russian presidential campaign from a different angle. let's move. on from satirical rap and fake hoard videos to comic strips and children's

cartoons we'll look at who's got the upper hand in the battle for creativity to. keep the elections. on in just over fifteen minutes with al his guests will bring the polarizing attitudes towards body were put into closer focus in our debate show crossed here's a preview the average russian version has such a person is relatively weak partly because they think there's much of a real choice and secondly because they think that he's going to win. organized if he wins whatever the voters do so i think there's going to be probably more even if he wins and even if he knew even if he wins it's rate i mean it seems to me that kind of argument caves in on itself erick if i can go to you i mean it's just hard for the outside world to understand the drive i mean food is popular. well there's something very embarrassing for the journalist we've heard a lot in the western press about how putin was losing his popularity how all the

facebook protests in moscow in the demonstrations meant that the regime was on its way out and of course when the polls which i can't get any numbers on but the polls have certainly shown a very substantial rise and that mr putin is really to sweep to victory in the first round so i understand that he is unpopular with some of the foreign powers. and. if you look at. the leaders of almost all states have signed a so-called fiscal pact intended to keep national budget under brussels control with strict punishment for countries breaching debt limits the u.k. and the czech republic refused to come aboard while island awaits a referendum artist tests are still your report on what's to come from the new pact which critics say surrender is national sovereignty of member states to the e.u.

it's been talked about for months claimed as a solution to europe's crisis. for this kind of talk to new through school after another two day summit this fiscal stability compact is signed sealed and delivered . most e.u. leaders have agreed to give it the go ahead it's expected to be ratified by at least twelve euro zone nations this pact comes with tight budgetary rules that must be strictly adhere to or else face automatic sanctions. member states must maintain a balanced budget or have a surplus keep a budget deficit of three percent or less enshrined the balanced budget rule into national legislation within one year but firmly within the constitution if budgetary targets are not met the guilty nation could be brought to the european court of justice and be obliged to make penalty payments the reins of strict budgetary oversight will be in brussels hands now we've endured in brussels we've

got our first saw and there's a budget start and he's going to police all the bridges all the member states and these member states will lose sovereignty in the field of budgetary policy now is the population going to accept this. a population that's already been forced to accept one tough austerity measure after another good economist in the rules that if you were doing was thirteen if you were to go towards crises everybody is no tackling people because if we're cutting expenses everywhere then you crush it with nobody's consuming nobody's investing their growth is the point of this truth is a continuation. of that city. so exactly. what we have done in the us. in the us leaders see the budgetary discipline this the school civility pact is expected to bring as a step closer to solving the eurozone structural imbalances and help crisis hit

countries ease their way out of their predicament but it's a one size fits all approach worried about the impact it could have on healthier economies and could lead to huge fiscal course in addition gaius so you can do some things the situation. calms. the press coming. at a time when banks peace problems and they go in that's what you want to and not a desirable scenario when the new buzzwords are growth and employment plus are still your archie brussels. now eurozone finance ministers have also gathered in brussels to discuss the one hundred thirty billion euro greek bailout but greece must wait another week before the money starts to flow the final say will be given on the first tranche after athens reaches agreement with its private creditors next thursday as another nervous week lies ahead for greece nigel ferrars m.p.

and leader of the u.k. independence party says the sacrifices being forced are made only drag the country deeper into trouble. but the idea that you take an economy like greece with fifty percent unemployment amongst its young people with an economy that is likely to contract this year by a third seven percent and that what you do is you impose austerity without any stimulus whatsoever frankly is madness what works for germany doesn't work for greece in economic terms and in political terms you know put yourself in the position of greek people the situation is desperate and getting worse by the day. you see their own elected prime minister removed replaced by a puppet who is doing the bidding of brussels and people saying well if we can't vote to change our lives we will have to take to the streets to try and change our lives i think perhaps you know seriously the economics are i suspect that it's the

social side of this that may in the end bring the euro down. and our outcome of the brussels summit is that serbia has become a formal candidate for membership the decision follows three years of talks and concessions from belgrade including a major one improving ties with carso which is recognized by almost all e.u. states canada status is just the first step towards membership with years of negotiations still had that serbian history expert in abortion march says it's only the e.u. that benefits from the accession process. d.e.u. wilson is really going to be anything but to command serbia to fuck everything it's already lost a lot it's lost has pretty much been forced to surrender its claim to problems of kosovo that is currently speak out only on paper it has been forced to it basically subordinate its foreign policy to brussels and to a lesser extent washington and now i've heard that there is talk from brussels about the necessity for serbia truth will come russia's most favored nation status if we treat it remains only the staunchest government supporters actually speak of

the e.u. to sixty i don't think anybody in serbia honestly expects the problems to be resolved by joining the e.u. especially after seeing rights in spain and greece the problem is nobody really cares and none of the people government really care because they don't really care what their people think. all of them started a calling to discover why nicolas sarkozy was late for the e.u. year's meeting in brussels. brian gauntlet of throwing and spitting protesters the french president has a tough day on the presidential campaign trail watch this video in full on our web site. also a smuggled secret now also reveals a computer containing the command code for the international space station has been stolen but he tales are.

well russian presidential campaigns in a final straight ahead of the sunday's vote image makers behind those running for the top job have been finding new creative weapons they've been using everything from extravagant internet clips to less imaginative street banners to woo voters support. takes a look at the wide range of tools be employed and if they work. there is been a lot of singing dancing drawing and even cooking this election season as presidential campaigns go in hot and creative. it. was she was ition is

a fourth hard in the online wars from rapping and slating the put in a bed of tandem. not so ina some video fakes. charges against putin and could embezzle meant financial fraud and abuse of his. compact to the grassy ante crumlin campaigning the group out in videos can seem a little toothless. like. you if you believe. our fears. the topic of ukraine not paying for russian gas proves that this video has been made on the kremlin's orders otherwise i don't understand who would be interested in spending money on this but even for putin is

a useless radio if someone made up their mind to vote for putin this video definitely won't make them any firmer in their decision on the contrary if they're against putin it definitely will make them change their mind this prominent journalist and blogger believes it's not only putin losing the war of creativity other candidates look desperate to. avoid the latter students such as yes we were told where bush to eat or sleep symbol not just on the. stand. no please quote right before it was of me who the candidates videos are annoying it seems that they hired the cheapest directors to film this fast food horrible quality this only proves one thesis about these elections none of the candidates are striving for a victory one is the outspoken leader anyway and the others think of this campaign as a dull ritual they have to go through which they don't really want to spend too much

money on. so with the real candidates they're only putting in an ad for supporters or opponents are taking the lead using the internet as a free media to play politics however when we go offline grittiest at the site giving way to clear images i'd like to just camera angles and easily understood slogans a tried and tested method which has steadily secured votes for several generations of politicians in this country. if there had been five candidates breathing down each other's necks then every creative video could win votes from the other in our case there is a firm core of put in support us thirty thirty five percent which is very hard to shake and i cannot imagine what could in or his office could do in the last few days before the election to lose these votes. won't change anything the other luring a small percentage of undecideds but some are willing to do whatever it takes to

win over those floating voters right to the last minute. chance. is planted for the. piper have. good girl. take her away. sure you can roll. sound. good the next morning here you can see the gradual archie. now seek a look at some other stories from around the world elections are being held for the rons two hundred nic parliament it's the first nationwide vote since the presidential poll in june two thousand and nine which sparked protests over alleged vote rigging and the crackdown elections are viewed as a battle between two conservative groups that have turned against each other after a recent dispute between president mahmoud ahmadinejad as supreme leader ayatollah

ali how many. at least thirty three are dead after clashes between militants and security forces in northwest pakistan fighting started after a hilltop security checkpoint was attacked in the volatile compare province of the main supply routes to ghana stand for nato forces runs through the area that's been shut since across the border clash last november between u.s. forces and pakistani troops which left twenty four that. the first to hi there now we've been reporting on the fact the upcoming elections are having on the convoy but now it's time to see what effect having on the business side of things so tell us what basically we know about investors will be closely monitoring the elections on the weekend and some expect that we will see a rally on the markets but to discuss this further we're now joined by sun shine who's the managing director of football investments and i have seen metropole mr

slaughter and thank you very much for joining us now can you tell us your prediction as optimistic as your name do you think we'll see a post-election rally and if so why hike with the numbers get. well i think the red the rally could be quite significant next week but it really depends on the global background we see quite a significant rally in the russian market over the last week or two. the amount of protests against the elections or against common some the elections have been minimal and to be honest with you unless there's some kind of perceived egregious violations we'll see realty of small protests after the elections i'm sure they'll be some but i don't think it will have any kind of significant effect i think there's a good group of foreign investors not those in russia perhaps not those in europe or maybe in other places that are less opposed to russia who perceive there as being a significant risk of significant. unhappiness after these elections i really doubt

that that will happen unless there is some kind of real violations of the ballot box but also we're seeing that russia is trying signs of growth this fight all the problems we're seeing in the euro zone so if you think it's safe to say that russia is a good investment of the moment given the fact of what's happening around the world well you know we don't like to think were very beautiful and have a lot of money but the fact about russia is that will prices be going up and russia is a will whether we like to admit it or not so it will at a very high level that kind of reinforce the government's flexibility to spend money and reinforces the economic stability of russia so i i think it would be a mistake to. say that this rally we've seen of the last couple weeks as because of increasing confidence about elections that could be part of it but a significant increase in the oil prices also played a very material role well do you cannot be significant high oil prices will and often see behind. no not necessarily i think that we should look at

other issues like the commodity other commodity prices like. soft commodities agricultural products or cultural products have not had the same rally that oil prices have obviously if we go back to two thousand and seven two thousand and eight we saw it will prices at a very high level it wasn't because of tension with iran it was a debasement of the dollar dollar was at a low level and on a longer term basis we can see this commodity supercycle slash excess liquidity globally causing a rise in prices this will play a significant role in creasing inflation in russia now what do you think is what's your prediction what kind of oil prices will we see this year. well you know that depends on what happens with iran if the situation of tomorrow there's an announcement made that iran is going to. you know allow inspectors to look at some of the other sites and iran will see the oil price drop two dollars if the . comes out and says that iran is in compliance with monitoring

our regulations we'll see all price five or ten dollars so you know if we see israel unsuccessfully try to intervene in iran with a military strike we'll see oil up as you know twenty dollars or more so it really it's kind of dependent on how the world situation plays out and i don't even think the actors themselves have made a final decision about what's going to. but you mentioned government spending earlier and the government is trying to increase that and some analysts say that this will dampen russia's economy in fact the official target as four point super science paul as he says that the growth will be three and a half percent what's your opinion. well you know i think that partially this does depend on the will price i think that the inflation rate could certainly be higher also you know. agricultural commodities are about sewer food products are about one third of the c.p.i.

so this could have you know if we saw a huge spike in oil prices play significant role in raising the c.p.i. i think that a fool will seize today's levels and the basket stays stable then i think that their inflation targets are are definitely a feasible but we could see you know in a different scenario with high agricultural prices with high wall prices we could see the inflation basket go up to six more than six percent. thank you very much finite and managing director of investment portfolio i have seen much more thank you so much for your outlook thank you and crowd out so we have an exhibition of business around us for another update in fifty five minutes the headlines are next .

wealthy british style. is no time to write the financial. markets why not come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max cons or for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cars reports on r.g.p. .