russians go to the polls to choose their next president to govern the country for six years. and has all the makings of the most transparent voting in russia's history both international and independent domestic observers as well as cameras and more it's henri every single polling station across the country in just a minute i'll be live with all the latest details from the place the white presidential candidates are fighting for the kremlin states you. and in other news this week more than one hundred suspected mercenaries are caught fleeing war torn homes as fears of foreign interference in syria escalate. and

e states sign up to tough budget rules to stop overspending by europeans value against cuts imposed to save the single currency. forecasting live from moscow this is our tease we can use it here but first russians are going to the polls to choose their next president thousands of observers are monitoring the vote and thousands of newly installed web cameras are trained on the ballot boxes across the country. yes polling stations across all of russia's nine times and so open toilets no totalities. lexy yeah how has the turnout been so. well it's

a relatively high turnout compared even to the previous presidential election in two thousand and eight in fact some regions in the far east are registered more than fifty percent of the voter turnout one region even registered as seventy percent turnout which is certainly higher than four years ago when we did it was like russia's president in fact for now as we understand from russia central election commission more than twelve percent of russia's voters have cast their ballots already some of the v.i.p.'s have already also cast their ballots we know that president the acting president dmitry medvedev and his wife have already been to the polling stations and placed their ballot also some of the presidential candidates have also voted by this hour but imagery last you the head of the liberal democratic party was eccentric as he's usually been criticizing the ballot boxes the booths where people make their choice for the others being able to

see what's happening inside so she lost he couldn't use it couldn't spoil his chance for some more eccentricity from him certainly we are expecting the polling stations to close at nine pm also time everywhere across the country that's when the first results of the exit polls will come out and certainly we'll be updating our viewers with all the latest information in that regard. now we've seen a number of rallies both against and in support of the current russian leadership in the run up to election next year how people been voicing their opinions on that front. it has certainly been very interesting several months for russia since the parliamentary vote in december on december the fourth when thousands took to the streets claiming the vote was falsified was rigged and certainly this was the rise of the civil society in russia as it could possibly be seen by everyone and people both online and offline were protesting against

a falsified election and against the prime minister directly people at the protest people on line have been saying that you should step down should chair the power should be changed in the country of course the authorities took notice of such strong protest action something of a diplomat over democracy democratic dialogue has started between people in the streets and those in the kremlin certainly the election process which we have been witnessing now and to contain itself has been very much different to what we used to see in russia for the past twenty years certainly people are using it i mean ordinary people are taking more and more role in the political life of the country not only they're protesting in the streets and online but also the head hundreds of thousands have signed up to be observers independent observers at the at this election so it is interesting to see whether whether the vote will be deemed fair and transparent as it has all the makings to become the most transparent voting in

modern day history of russia. and a lot has been done to make the vote the most transparent today doesn't it. well just imagine investing into a web cameras to every single polling station across the country which would be which which would get access to regular users online to have a look at how the election process is going cost how a billion u.s. dollars this was the initiative put forward directly by prime minister putin also we know that the ballot boxes themselves are made of see through gloss so there's absolutely no chance of anything happening with these ballot boxes as anybody as any observer and there are hundreds of thousands of them can see what's happening inside the ballot box also as i've mentioned hundreds of thousands independent observers any regular russian citizen could become one are monitoring the situation at the polling stations across the country as well as seven hundred international observers who are also there we can see pictures live pictures of from the polling stations now as i speak and definitely this is something unprecedented something

russia hasn't seen ever since the collapse of the soviet union so definitely this election is something special we'll just have to see how it unfolds let's see it's widely seen that he will win the election but tell us more about the candidates challenging him. indeed you said it right many see that it will eventually win this election despite his support has diminished almost two fold as some suggest still it is the matter it is the biggest intrigue whether there will be a second round runoff because in order to avoid second run up to gain victory in the first round just has led to it which ended in two thousand and two thousand and four he has to garner fifty percent plus one vote. this will go you know directly make him the president of russia once again if this doesn't happen then there will be a second round runoff to be held on march twenty fifth in three weeks from now and there are four challengers who could make it into the second round in fact only two

of them are seen as potential candidates this is the veteran of the election movement in russia the man who's been running for every single presidential campaign ever since the collapse of the us a saturday night he's gone of the leader of the communist party also a russian tycoon mikhail prokhorov and you convert to politics some someone many people describe him as somewhat of a dark horse in this presidency of the presidential campaign he's also seen as one of the potential candidates to make it into the second round runoff and challenge but which in that there are also other two candidates the one i've already mentioned the head of the liberal democratic party very eccentric man eccentric in both his stances somewhat nationalist stances of times and in his view the manner of his behavior also a for a veteran of all the election campaigns in russia and also we have seen again that all of the head of the player russia party and former chairman of the upper house of the russian parliament also running for this election but. basically experts and

analysts say that the latter two have little chance of making it through to the second round so if the second round happens the certainly will be a very big intrigue on who will be russia's next president. ok do keep us updated our correspondent thank you for that. five candidates are in the running for russia's top job. at r.t. dot com where you'll find their election promises their political backgrounds analysis of their career is all that's on our special election page. saying web cameras a monitoring every polling station dot com is sharing you the votes actually can cost website streams life feeds from the. rover went to look at the installation of the web cameras and other preparations and making the vote as transparent as possible. for us do

you. think. we won't forget and we won't forgive this is what the opposition promised the kremlin after december's parliamentary elections they claimed the boat had been raked in response the authorities decided web cameras and all ninety eight thousand polling stations would solve that problem it's cost russian taxpayers over three hundred million dollars doubling the initial cost of the boat now it's officially the most transparent and the most expensive in the nation's history but not everyone's convinced. cameras one change anything there will always be discontent it was on as the for it without cameras. i don't think it would make the vote more transparent it's only made to please the opposition. there was no sense installing them too many people are voting and there are too many polling stations who 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 had a tax on the website and target broadcasting shortly before the vote only added to concerns but these young people claimed they came up with a strong alternative the phone and tablet application she'll was created mostly for observers it allows them to upload pictures report on the turnout to give the guy no results and register any violations the data would be recessed and published on the website immediately than when we realize their website might be attacked on the ass by hackers but we're ready for any attack on our reserves are capable of dealing with serious traffic they're based in their service and europe so we'll cope with processing information from observers and regular users to. ultra geo is independent from the central election committee and its founders promise to come up with reports just as independent meanwhile that all five candidates have 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 that i was invited to this election doors open day it was good training for everyone we could see firsthand how c.c.t.v. systems work you'll see transparent ballot boxes it will be the first presidential election in russia which not only will be filmed on hundreds of thousands of 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 of today but from history including alexander mccall bill's a piece of the great winston churchill and. you will be a truly great twenty six year olds it's only hours before russia's next peter the

great is named but even before the ballots have 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 when putin was swapping seats 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 and so to avoid a second round to get seventy no one will believe the result the first exit polls will be released one voting in the westernmost city of kaliningrad comes to an end the question then will any of the candidates have that much needed fifty percent to avoid a second round if they didn't actually r t more skill. well you can watch our special election coverage throughout sunday and monday as we bring you the latest figures of a variety of opinions across the political spectrum here in r.t. .

now to our top stories of the week fears of outside interference in the syrian conflict have resurfaced more than one hundred suspected most nerys many of them french have been caught trying to flee the city of homs a senior rebel leader also claimed his militia group had been supplied with french and american weapons and even anti aircraft in the start and that's reformation reports more arms could mean bloodshed. the borders the walls and just hate despite international isolation syria's borders have remained opened and easy to pass through and that may have played a crucial role in libya the drays ation of the country's conflict almost immediately after the crisis began here last march they were reports of preference been smuggled through to arm president al assad's opponents one thousand dollars

for a truck full of weapons capable of delivering wholesale destruction and that's how marshall kind of paid to smugglers usually iraqi our liberties drivers according to ziad ismail chief of the customs service on the border with lebanon. these people bring we are here to destroy our nation introduce syrian people on the syrian territory to enemies. syria has more than two thousand kilometers of front year with five states israel iraq jordan turkey and lebanon the syrian cities where the most violent clashes have taken place homes and there are all over the in our of the border is a fact that some believe has determine their fate or destiny is this is one of three checkpoints on the three hundred fifty kilometer syrian lebanese border in the last year as we've been told here there were only three attempts to smuggle

weapons across the offices confiscated thousands of all those dozens of guns and hundreds of court rooms i have little metal pieces like this one used to may well put your source's main concern and make little clothes like this one but the part of the border where there isn't any security at all but here look at this in the middle of nowhere there is nothing only one road across the road right now and at the same time are crossing the border and i'm already eleven on. and further south see remains extremely vulnerable the city of tire of the cradle of the syrian uprising it's all. all started here and it continues to play a role in the country's crisis with what it was to wonder several kilometers away from here and numerous reports suggesting that foreign weapons and troops busily flow through its that are has become one of the witness points in the country's security the city has become the scene of fierce and bloody clashes at least twice

in the conflicts twelve months history the authorities have claimed that many of the so-called free syrian army have in fact come from across the border. they appear shoot and kill and then they disappear immediately they arrive from abroad but they are not from jordan they use this country's border many of them are from africa. we are showing their weapons allegedly seized in military operations now. in the army we don't have weapons from israel and america sniper guns and night vision binoculars advanced developed weapons we don't have it in syria this what we confiscated was killing innocent people and kill even more. while the international community condemns the regime and supports its opponents many believe all sides in the conflict should be held responsible for violence across syria and with so many foreign weapons involved it's clear that the crisis threshers far beyond these

borders raef an ocean r.t. reporting from syria. but meanwhile troops loyal to the regime are thought we continue to advance in the city of homs seen as the main stronghold of the opposition against the president said the government claims it's aiming to tackle armed gangs and terrorists the red cross says humanitarian aid is prevented from reaching the worst areas of the city have been left without water tricity the fierce fighting by rebels and bombardment by government forces and eye witness told r.t. that people have been hiding indoors fearing violence from armed insurgents as well as troops with people of all ages being killed on the streets. first hand account of the horrors of homs was online. still ahead for this hour to strike or not to strike president obama is caught between those what i'm against a military attack on iran saying it's it's really ok it's a gunning for action. but after months of talks and

confrontation i guess the united european union has signed a deal to prevent the block from overspending the so-called fiscal pact is supposed to enforce tough new rules but britain and czech republic probably are there too much to take these tests are silly reports. it's been talked about for months claimed as a solution to europe's crisis fiscal compact. talked a new free school after another two day summit this fiscal stability compact is signed sealed and delivered. and most e.u. leaders have agreed to give it the go ahead it's expected to be ratified by at least twelve years of nations this pact comes with tight budgetary rules that must be strictly adhere to. face automatic sanctions member states must maintain a balanced budget or have a surplus keep a budget deficit of three percent or less. and shrive the balanced budget rule into

national legislation with it one year firmly within the constitution it budgetary targets are not met the guilty nation could be brought to the european court of justice and the 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 stock and he's going to police all the budget is all the member states and these member states will lose sovereignty in the field of budgetary policy. is the population going to accept this. a population that's already been forced to accept want tough story measure after another or good could in the sniffles that if you were doing was thirteen if you were to go towards crisis if everybody is no tackling people because if we're cutting expenses everywhere then you crush it where nobody's consuming nobody's investing growth is the point of this truth is

a continuation of liberal orthodoxy so we are exactly going back to what we have done in the last fifteen years. in the us e.u. leaders see the budgetary discipline the school civility pact is expected to bring as a step closer to solving the eurozone structural imbalances and help crisis that countries ease their way out of their predicament but it's a one size fits all approach that has some worried about the impact it could have on healthier economies and could lead to huge fiscal consolidation gaius so even those countries that have a healthier fiscal situation did go through the counts which can depress comic activity at a time when banks face problems and they going to do want to lend not a desirable scenario where the new buzzwords are growth and employment thus are cilia archie brussels. but ahead of the e.u.

summit people in europe opposed to fiscal union the deep austerity cuts imposed on them held rallies in belgium france and greece greek union stopped work for three hours in the last in athens protesting at the government cutting pensions and if it's wages scuffles broke out as early as one union member try to force his way inside a severe austerity measures were ordered by brussels and the international monetary fund to secure a second bailout worth one hundred thirty billion euros but financial writer the bill says the cash injection is unlikely to save greece. people out of course talking about the probable need for of out and call herself a transfer she is not guarantee anything as a result of the bailout you saying i can't guarantee we hope it's going to work with the opposition and saying you know it's her own policy her own lack of drive or lack of leadership that has left europe in this position people don't deny here

that of course greece shouldn't have been invited to join to adopt the euro when it did because it didn't meet the criteria and nobody denies that probably greece would be better out of the euro zone in it that is not the issue the issue is how do you get from within to outside. about a look at some of unease making headlines around the world this hour. head on collision between two express trains in southern poland has left fifteen people dead and more than fifty injured some three hundred fifty passengers were on board the trains which are traveling on the same truck route each other emergency workers and helicopters were deployed to help those trapped in the wreckage a collision has already been described as one of the country's worst ever train crashes. the muslim brotherhood in libya has created its own political party for its mystical mystery man who spent eight years in jail under the gadhafi regime

the movement harshly suppressed for decades and heat of extremism by opponents expected to be the leading political force in elections june is the mists of one ballots in the wake of the arab spring revolts in tunisia egypt morocco. north korea's leader has troops on the heavily on border with the south to stay on high alert during a frontline visit. comes as the country threats against south korea and its ongoing military exercises with us. since the incidents from invasion north koreans also gathered on a sunday for a massive rally in the city. the debate over a possible military strike on iran is bouncing us ahead of president obama's meeting with the pro israel lobby and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu sort of in washington suspect around of developing nuclear weapons but the islamic republic says its program is purely peaceful meanwhile after the latest visit by

the un's nuclear inspectors to iran the international atomic energy agency says it can't tell whether iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb iran spent a corporator on the country's envoy to that i. never told our team exclusively he believes the agency is not impartial. you're warning that couple of courses include the united states is trying to run the d.n.c. so that they can dictate from washington what d.n.r. should do and that is why we do not permit such a thing to occur and that is the whole issue that the agency as a professional organization should do its work and that is why you see they make me so many noses here and there they do not let the agency to do its work and that is why we want all counties including russia and others and i'm very pleased that last meeting in fact russia and china ambassadors along with

a hundred countries of nonaligned movement all together questioned what happened the impact namely the least of confidential information that that we need the mobilization of member states to prevent something happening in vienna. way this agency from this is that you. know you can read this interview with iran's envoy to the u.n. nuclear watchdog in full on our website but he just called. israel is now threatening to attack iran's nuclear sites. much closer israeli government is building a security barrier. that it says is to keep it out. that's just one thereby concern. love their neighbors as the biblical thing goes but in the case of israel there is not much love lost between the jewish state and the countries closest to it but authorities in jerusalem in fierce and feyerick is ations in iran some wonder if in their n.p.t.

iran frenzy they may have overlooked other troubles brewing much closer to home. euphoria. the result. there is no. other than the hamas. around the gaza strip. in fact the conflict has long been a source of problems for the israeli government which recently seems the issue has all but forgotten some believe his blinkered approach may end up having dire and explosive consequences for israel with the rise of islamic tendencies in the wake of the arab spring states which until now have been nothing but level of what israel radio turning around in fact such changes already evident in egypt the muslim brotherhood which holds the majority of seats in the parliament has already threatened to break peace accord with israel as a response to pressure from the us. and believe me when he says with the use of

make gets even worse egypt will undergo tremendous changes egypt will stand behind hamas one day hamas may attack israel as it did in december of two thousand and eight the question is how would egypt react to such a conflict that i think is an imminent threat iran is not an imminent threat. but could also be an imminent threat some believe is the situation in syria which seems to go from bad to worse with every passing day the. loss of control by decentralization in damascus means. the presence of terrorist groups that operate for good studies really meanwhile israel's most placid neighbor jordan may seem to be a graduate of stability but experts say that isn't so it's a media neighbor to be used it's a country that israel has a peace with it also has the longest border with and i think it is most vulnerable

to. these stabilizing influences from almost everywhere else from syria's over from iraq there are very serious problems and one look at the map is enough to show that israel's position in the real. could be described as potentially problematic at best however israeli authorities seem to be less concerned with mean forcing good relations with neighbors or preparing for those relations to worsen instead the opposite they continue to confront iran with the worst words for knol in tel aviv it is a ghost go party. but a recap our the latest on the ongoing presidential votes in russia and the brics other main yes and if a man's. mission

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