then. the presidential election gets underway in russia you're looking at live pictures here with voters in the far east the first in the country's nine time zones to go to the polls a record number of observers are also at the polling stations with almost two hundred thousand web cameras set up to monitor the voting process online. seven people are killed in iraq it's southern syria when a suicide bomber targeted government supporters this as the opposition syrian national council valves to escalate the fighting. plus tension over a possible military strike on iran mounts into washington ahead of president obama's meeting with the pro israel lobby and

a visit by israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. and broadcasting all live from our studios in central moscow this is r.t. certainly glad to have you with us now the presidential election has kicked off in russia with voters in the eastern most part of the country already casting their votes it will take twenty one hours for the whole country to complete the poll artie's you've got peace in office more. every hour more polling stations open in russia as the country stretches through nine time zones which means that the voting began in the most eastern parts of the country when it was still midnight in moscow and killing right region in the most western parts of russia will be the last to join the vote it's happening at a very interesting time i mean a spike in social and political activity among the public seen massive rallies for

and against the candidates we've also seen scores of people taking to the street after the parliamentary election in december amid accusations of ballot fraud and a massive social campaign for a transparent presidential poll is underway and indeed a lot has been done in that sense over ninety thousand polling stations have been equipped with cameras to feed videos including close up shots of boxes on the web so that internet users can watch online how the vote is conducted right there at these polling stations see through ballot boxes have been introduced and several hundred thousand observers have been invited now. just to remind you five candidates are taking part in this race the winner will need to secure fifty percent plus one vote if neither candidate manages to achieve a second round it will be introduced into in which the two most popular candidates will compete for

a simple majority of votes very high voter turnout is expected as well over seventy percent according to some polls. there now with a record of number of observers polling stations and almost two hundred thousand cameras monitor the voting process online these elections are billed as russia's most transparent yeah. take a look at the preparations before the vote. is ok. we won't forget and we won't feel good. this is what the opposition promised the kremlin after december's parliamentary elections they claimed the vote had been raped in response the authorities decided web cameras at all ninety eight thousand polling stations would solve that problem it's cost russian taxpayers over three hundred million dollars doubling the nischelle cost of the vote now it's officially the most transparent and the most expensive in the nation's history but not

everyone's convinced. cameras on changing anything there will always be discontent it was honest before even without cameras i don't think it will make the vote more transparent it's only made to please the opposition. that there was no sense installing them too many people are voting and there are too many polling stations it will make things more complicated. one of the main concerns about the c.c.t.v. system is whether it can serve a country as vast as russia hacker attacks on the website in charge of broadcasting shortly before the vote only added to concerns but these young people claim they came up with a strong alternative the phone and tablet application older geale was created mostly for observers it allows them to upload pictures report on the turnout to give the final results and register any violations the data would be processed and

published on the website immediately than we would we realize our website might be attacked on the x. by hackers but we're ready for any attack on our servers are capable of dealing with serious traffic they are based in data centers in europe so we'll cope with processing information from observers and radio users to. ultra geo is independent from the central election committee and its founders promise to come up with reports just as independent need a while and all five candidates had quarters it's been mostly about training observers this election also has set a record number of watchdogs almost a million including seven hundred international observers. i was invited to this election doors open day it was good training for everyone we could see first hand how she she g.v. systems work she transferred ballot boxes it will be the first presidential election in russia which not only will be filmed on hundreds of thousands of web

cameras but which has been rehearsed to a couple of days before the actual vote those who wish to take part were invited to cast their ballots not for candidates today but from history including alexander mcqueen bills into the great winston churchill and this can. be clearly great twenty six year olds is only hours before russia's next peter the great is named but even before the ballots had been counted many warned of a new wave of protests. protesters in december demonstrated not against the results of the vote but the fact an advantage in putin was swapping seats who irritated them was that putin was trying to return to the top job so regardless of how transparent the vote is if putin gets slightly more than fifty percent protesters will claim he added that up in self to avoid a second round figures seventy no one will believe the result but if he has fifty five to sixty percent there will be no rallies or to the figure would look

realistic the first exit polls will do at least one voting in the westernmost city of kaliningrad constant hand the question then will any of the candidates have that much needed fifty percent to avoid a second round exit in a gradual r t will scale. well of course we'll be bringing you special coverage of the election here on r.t. starting at five pm g.m.t. on sunday tune in for the latest results analysis and candidates reaction and already you can find additional information on our web site or to dot com there we've got a special section devoted to the upcoming poll and you can also find contender profiles a retrospective of previous ballots and answers to questions such as what makes an ideal president in the opinion of russians probably so much much more but our truth our car. a suicide car bomber has struck in the southern syrian city of herat killing at least seven people and wounding several others it's

the latest in a series of bombings targeting pro-government neighborhoods that comes amid reports that over a hundred mercenaries many of them french have been caught as they fled the city of homes or if notion has the latest from syria. two days after the rebel fighters pulled out from above all a neighborhood in flames faiza grow you know if rangers had started the rebels the chief of the free syrian army has sat that's those days we draw was a tactical one here position syrian national council who is recognized by the union as legitimate for the presence of the syrian people has warned of massacres claiming they would provide leadership that is a good sized fighters and give them weapons the opposition groups already formed every tree council to coordinate their weapons supplies these reports called the free syrian army claims that it's already received weapons and cross missiles from the u.s. and french sources arming the rebels has been considered as an excellent idea by qatar and saudi arabia earlier with

a twenty two nation arab league also view this as an option if they volunteer doesn't stop here in syria humanitarian organizations have been accused to president bashar assad to agree on a daily hour ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to be brought to the areas where fighting still continues but the rock concerts that the opposition supporters abroad may use. to bring weapons to the rebels meanwhile it seems that the poorer nations involvement in this crisis in syria stretches far beyond weapons supplies local and regional media has been has been reported about more than one hundred foreign offices attains in homes most of them reportedly french paratroopers meanwhile humanitarian situation in the city that suffered from an almost month long siege is deteriorating the international red cross and syrian red crescent are both working on the ground they've brought seven trucks of food water medical supplies and all the emergency aid they're also expected to paper create injured

people and to take away the bodies of those many who were killed during the clashes in homes are too smart for a notion of for us are there and i was talking with a story to wreak ali while thorough filmmaker and middle east expert says the only option for syria is the negotiation table as any alternative would be disastrous the key thing is where intermediaries not aligned with either side are capable of pushing both sides to a conference table or to agree to a solution to this crisis it seems to me birthing support very hard on book for the us a great team carries on as if it doesn't rely on how heated it used by some so comfortable to be very crude and be vocal situation which is now increasingly by the west are turning nasty and this does not help anyone in syria if it goes on like this it's becoming more and more sectarian minorities christians who wear my arrows are

being targeted no by the so-called liberation from forces of the country so i think what it suggests is the negotiated settlement and for people who push both sides to sit around a period. and still to come this hour no more rhythm but plenty of blues as an r. and b. file sharing site hits the rocks u.k. users of the website have been threatened with jail terms normally reserved for murderers just for downloading music as another port of falls victim to the internet crackdown. the debate over a possible military strike on iran's nuclear facilities is intensifying in the united states more so ahead of president obama's meeting with pro israel lobby group and israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu or he's going to church camp has more from washington. president obama's walking on a razor's edge on one hand members of his administration keep saying

a war with iran would be a mistake to u.s. military i think some states believe going to iran on iran not only would be premature but crazy on the other hand president obama keeps saying a war with iran is still an option and that he is not quote unquote bluffing the powerful israeli lobby which president obama will be addressing shortly expects to hear a blunt answer to the question is the u.s. ready for war with iran and will washington back israel should it decide to attack first the only way to stop the. police who. used to send a very clear message that within a week for. the war. and we say president obama's failure to go along with this really plans on iran might hurt him a deal our chance the president carried out with the overwhelming majority of the

jewish vote and starting back in two thousand and if he is perceived as an enemy of. enemy of israel or. the issues. for community here in this country it could have a verse impact on the funding of votes. is really prime minister netanyahu speech in the u.s. congress last year was greeted with innovation many u.s. lawmakers slammed the rhetoric of the obama administration will suggest that there is still room for diplomacy with iran and many in israel believe that if we wait too long we'll be at the point of no return it seems to me to be painfully obvious that this administration's policy is not only the same but that it's failed to achieve the core objective but both those who would back a strike against the random. those seem to be tired of the administration's ambiguity and. very very badly we need to go

to war i don't have to make very clear. we're not going to go to war they're not going to go to war by flying over our airspace over iraq. if they do it on their own the consequences will be theirs because the price we pay if they start a massive war. interprete. be disastrous for. iraq into terms of. this post that was paid for by the merge and see committee for its will you. see in washington the campaign very obviously pushes for a more affirmative response from president obama on his readiness to go to war with iraq in the run up to this year's elections he might want to. make that statement but for many it would make

a mockery of diplomacy in their words and president obama's nobel peace prize as well for that matter. coming up we'll be looking out the debate raging in the u.s. over whether government or media should support certain ideologies. people that believe something very one else follows like sheep. out there. to look at the new details make their own opinion do. our residential reporter has been on the streets of new york asking people what they think about the state taking a position on. the child. from laws of the situation. and if you want to stay up to date on everything that is happening around the world go to our website at. here is that some of what is waiting for you there right now . tracking of the trackers mozilla's anti big brother add on allows users to

monitor how their online activity is of tracked and shared by various websites plus . as an asteroid hurdles towards earth experts agree on a way to alter its trajectory in twenty thirteen find out more about this celestial body at our t.v. dot com. file sharing website r. and b. exclusive dot com has been shut down by britain's organized crime police for alleged copyright violations anyone who downloaded music from there has been threatened with jail terms equivalent to the punishment for rapists or murderers or his or smith reports on what this could mean for the world like well.

if you downloaded this song through the website or and be exclusive it's not just the prisoner of love you got to be afraid of instead of finding the usual blog commentary and links to r. and b. and hip hop music recent users of the site was shocked to find their online activity was under police scrutiny and they could be jailed for ten years more than the usual penalty for many violent crimes and a ten year prison sentence you would expect to be handed own for very serious offenses serious sexual assault rape manslaughter very violent offenses. and you would normally expect it to be handed down in respective downloading music illegally the u.k. government serious organized crime agency or soka confirmed it arrested this site but wouldn't talk to us about why it's threatening users with

a decade behind bars instead they sent this statement. it's organized criminal enterprises profiting from the exploitation of the u.k. public in legitimate businesses much of the music offered for download by the r. and b. exclusive dot com website was illegally obtained from artists leading industry judge reviewed losses of approximately fifteen million pounds a year to the site activity that's raised questions about how the police became the personal in for three of the recording industry standing gods to protect corporate profits and it's also given those concerned with internet freedoms and unpleasant glimpse into a more regulated each a treaty to protect against online copyright infringement and piracy goes ahead to claim your ip address was being monitored so you could monitor track again this was. a move which seems quite unprecedented in the united kingdom i'm

afraid that we're going to see this kind of abuse on an industrial scale if actor comes to pass after a short response from internet campaigners the government agency has now taken down the harsh message and replaced it with this simpler one which just taking control of the main but it's already caused much worry and distress on twitter many users the pair not even to have known they were visiting a dodgy site and certainly didn't think they'd be liable to time for it internet campaigners say the notice was meant to frighten and in reality severe penalties couldn't be applied to casual download as they also say there's nothing to link be exclusive with criminal gangs so why is soccer even involved if this is what they're really putting serious organized crime traditional serious organized crime as as most people understand them or. drug dealing as far as i think the public

concern still happening on our streets opposition to act out in force around europe this month centers on fears that cyberspace will fall under strict government control and while the serious organized crime agency focuses its efforts on r. and b. and hip hop fans many worry that serious organized criminals are getting away with it. r.t. london. on our website we're asking you what you think about activists of fighting for internet freedom are members of hacker groups like anonymous heroes or villains have your say at r.t. dot com. the results of our poll so far are overwhelming the majority support anonymous as they have found another way to show people that displeasure with their governments from twenty percent down their ability to change much at around seven percent think hackers are nothing but criminals and their place is in jail in

technology and cast your vote right now. now look at some other news making headlines around the world. two suicide bombers have struck an army base in southern yemen killing two soldiers they drove a truck packed with explosives into the camp reportedly getting past guards by saying they had a present for the commander it's the latest in a string of blasts targeting government forces and al-qaeda has claimed responsibility. protesters have taken to the streets in hong kong calling for the right to vote in the city's upcoming elections and at the moment only and i'd like to the committee of around one thousand people will be given the chance to choose a new leader demonstrators also criticized the city's current chief executive john and sang after allegations he accepted perks from local tycoons. b.p. says it has reached a seven point eight billion dollars deal to settle claims from thousands of

fishermen and businesses affected by the gulf of mexico oil spill it comes ahead of a much anticipated trial in the us in which the american government is expected to claim billions of dollars in fines the b.p. oil rig deepwater horizon exploded in april two thousand and ten killing eleven workers and a leaking four million barrels of oil. do religion and politics mix that's a major part of the debate raging in america's presidential campaign so our resident reporter hit the streets of new york to ask people if the government or the media should be behind certain ideologies. when is it ok for a government or the media to support an ideology this week let's talk about that i don't think it ever should. i think that the government is that a serve the people of the media is there to report the news. direction on any of

the record i don't think it's right that they can come out and say they support it they can do it in different ways though it used the part more is the first way. that's probably what they do anyway right. probably people are choosy about who is supporting their cause. absolutely or. people are too easily swayed from a proper candor is the people that want you to believe something one else follows like sheep. their own personality and look at the own facts and details make their own opinion that's what they should do not just fall of everybody else there's a pretty great principle in psychology that you start and finish where you are so you like what you like and you don't like the other guy for liking something different but that's just human nature i mean that the principle of democracy it's unusual it's a kind of a crazy idea but you can get wacky people like your crazy sister and you just

a line them up by the millions and you somehow assume that all these crazy people acting together will have a wisdom greater than the kids do you think governments try to impose will propaganda without a doubt so why do some people when they hear their point of view about it think it's justice. but then if they don't agree with it they call it propaganda. well. that's is the nature of this is the nature of rhetoric in general your your opinion is always right and everyone else's opinion is always propaganda and in that circumstance whether or not you believe it's ever ok for a government or the media to support an ideology the bottom line is we should all remember it's all too easy to become hypocritical when it comes to the support of our own beliefs. it is alleged that orphans in nepal are being sold at a huge profit by human traffickers as well it is also said that illegal orphanages

are acting as suppliers to people who want to make a fortune from often abuse children or trees pretty straight reports. today fifteen year old chen mohan childbearing is all smiles but it wasn't that long ago that the teenager with living in an illegal orphanage in nepal capital katmandu you know is the is that the homes would be given rations for the children but the caretakers would take half of food for themselves well giving us only a small portion of it but they would also get drunk beaters. moment is now living in a home run by the umbrella foundation and irish angio working with nepal's government to keep track of katmandu to meet it fifteen thousand children living in orphanages . investigations have uncovered that around eighty percent of the kids actually have parents oftentimes families living in rural parts of nepal will sell their

children to traffickers who they believe will give them a better life and you have a trafficker who goes for village and says very poor people people high illiteracy cases and they're told if you give us your children you will receive a small amount of money from an international family or an individual in return we will bring them to. when do we have an excellent education. traffickers are known to buy in a poly childbirth around fifteen dollars and then sell them to orphanages that are not monitored by the government they are then sold on for up to twenty five thousand dollars to families from abroad while they are living in the orphanage is many of the children are reportedly abused and forced to work some are even sexually assaulted who forced to work in the fields would be woken up early every morning and clean the house and also to look after the cats and because in from trials the nepali government admitted that almost half of the country's orphanages were involved in illegal international adoptions but since then things have changed

. nepal has been an international adoption while child advocates believe that this will help prevent the trafficking of children organizers of orphanages are worried about how they're going to continue to ride without money from abroad remains works for nepal children's organization which runs eleven legal orphanages across the country he says that before the ban on international adoption has orphanage in katmandu made five thousand dollars for every child that got adopted by a foreign family. and it has been difficult for us to run the home after the suspension of international adoption because we still have to provide for the daily necessities of every child in the home and so you can of the medical bills or to today many or images are trying to reunite track of children with their family but many lection mohanned barely remember their real siblings and parents anymore preassure either archie kathmandu nepal. and well that brings you up to date fordo

back with the headlines after just a short break. russia votes for president archie looks at the five running for the kremlin top job the candidate. surging mironov of fair russia on the record the former senate

speaker was a strong supporter of loving your putin for ten years but in two thousand and eleven called putin's united russia the party of crooks and fiends plan for presidency free education and health care progressive tax collections to replace government appointments controversy previously described himself as a pro kremlin candidate ready to run for the presidency moon of rules. for opposing russia's accession to the w t of presidential election two thousand and twelve on party. old means of protection can be used. when global supremacy is at stake. between two thousand and five and two thousand and nine u.s. has spent fifteen trillion dollars in the price to pay for the entire program that we are dealing with right now here in two thousand.