the russians head to the polls to choose their next president will govern the country for the next six years. this might well become the most transparent voting in russia's history with so media observers and live web cameras observing every single polling station across the country join me live from outside the kremlin in just a minute for all the latest information. and looking back at the week's other news china calls for an immediate cease fire in syria and warns against the use of humanitarian aid as a pretext to interfere in the country's internal affairs. of any use state sign up to tough budget rules to stop overspending while europeans rally against harsh

cuts imposed to say the single currency. two pm in moscow i mattress or bring you today's top stories and a look back at the week's news here on r t the biggest story of the day russians heading to the polls to choose their next president hundreds of thousands of observers monitoring the vote thousands of newly installed web cameras trained on the ballot boxes across the country. we've got our own argues alexei or she was keeping his eye on the ballot for us how alexei. so how has the know there how's the turnout and so far.

the turnout has been higher than during the previous presidential election four years back in two thousand and eight right now understand according to the central election commission in russia that the voter turnout is closing in on twenty percent some regions especially in the far east from fifty to seventy percent of the voter turnout so the russians are generally politically active and this time it's no exception they are voting in large numbers we already have received pictures of v.i.p. politicians placing their ballots placing their votes we know that president did if the acting president and his wife have already voted just as you know he's a god of justice story the russian prime minister vladimir putin and his main challenger the leader of the communist party tonight he got off they also have already placed their a ballot we are expecting that the polling stations will close at nine o'clock pm moscow time that's exactly the time when the preliminary exit polls will also come

out and certainly we will deliver the latest information to our viewers as soon as we get. course we've seen a lot number of large highly popularised rallies both against and support of the current russian leadership in the run up to those vote how have people been voicing their opinions. certainly since the parliamentary vote in december has been very interesting few months for russia some describe it as the civic society at its best certainly that people took to the streets believing that the parliamentary vote in december was falsified people were protesting both online and offline world. the largest movement that russia has seen since the collapse of the soviet union i definitely this whole situation with so many people directing their anger at the prime minister urging him to resign to change the power in the country could not go unnoticed a certain a democratic dialogue has been established between the authorities and those in the

streets something definitely very interesting because. we haven't seen anything like that for the past two decades since russia became a different state on the soviet union russia is changing as many say and corrals an economist from the principle asset management group is one of the people who believe in that. the fundamental problem is russia needs an opposition even needs serious loyal constructive opposition and for twenty years there hasn't been one i mean i remember the yeltsin years the opposition was fairly prophetic and right now it is it's not much better so it's still going to be putin for the probably the next six years russia needs to modernize but it's going to be a slow process and what mr putin keeps saying this gradually we're going to see gradual change so the question has to move up the value added chain and it has to modernize but it's not going to happen overnight. definitely the country is

changing and the fact that this election takes place in the way it does is a change in itself because many of the people who are protesting in the streets of russia tens of thousands were directing their anger not at prime minister putin but they were demanding fair election and this is what we're hoping will happen this time here this time around in russia now there are many steps that have been taken to make this vote transparent tell us more about that. will certainly just imagine how a billion u.s. dollars alone were invested into building into into live web cameras at every polling station across the country so that any user on the internet can see how the election is going to see that it's transparent. and it's not falsify we have indeed received some some reports of irregularities at the at the polling stations but given the number of observers that is hundreds of thousands of people any russian citizen who had the wish to become to become the observer could do so so we have reports that these irregularities are being dealt with right at the polling stations also apart from the hundreds of thousands of independent observers working

at the polling stations national i we understand that around seven hundred international observers are also there to make sure that the election runs smoothly and just an interesting note as well that the ballot boxes themselves themselves i mean it's made of see through glass which is also a novelty for the russian election process just as and i'm going to say sion which absorbs the observers also very interesting something of a new thing for the russian election hopefully they really become the most transparent voting in the history of russia. now most of the media attention has been going to light in europe putin and he's widely seen as the front runner in this race but there are several candidates running against him tell us more about those. definitely can is still seen as one of the as the leader in this presidential race he is the one who is touted as being the winner it's just a matter of whether there will be a second round runoff or even putin would be able to manage a victory in the first round that's that will happen if he gets fifty percent plus

one vote in the first round if not then there will be a second round run off on march twenty fifth that's in three weeks from now exactly the main challenger to the person who could challenge lead him as we did in this potential second round runoff he's going to use a gun of he is certainly the veteran of presidential campaigns in russia running for every presidential opportunity ever since the collapse of the soviet union the leader of the communist party also somewhat of a dark horse in this presidential race is the russian tycoon. who is a newcomer to both take his. the first time he's been running for president but also there is a possibility there is a chance that he can make it into this second round one of the other two candidates are well seen by many analysts that there's a very little chance of the making to the second round that is the head of the liberal democratic party very eccentric. also running ever since the collapse of the soviet union also trying for the presidential job every single time even today

when he was. casting his ballot at the polling station it couldn't do without the eccentricity he had basically lashed out at the way the voting was organized at the polling station saying that it's impossible when people see what you're doing inside the polling booths so he is also always been known for eccentricities and very wild rhetoric and we have to get on a leader of the fair russia party the former head of the upper house of the russian parliament also running for presidency for the third time in a row but who will be here in the kremlin come let's say april in any case we will see said me with this very interesting election the building right in front of my eyes salute lee and thank you very much for that update we'll be checking back with you throughout the day archy's alexei or chesky live in red square. so five candidates running for russia's top i don't know about them. ariel find the election promises their political backgrounds and analysis of their careers so far

all this on our special election page. as we've been saying web cameras monitoring every polling station r.t. dot com showing you the votes as they are cast as our web site streams live feeds from the web cams. are he's encountered a graduate of visit went to look at the installation of the web cameras another cup preparations aimed at making the boat as transparent as possible. yes. yes. 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 vote had been raked 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 doubly the initial 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. the cameras won't change 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. 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 reports on the turnout to give the final results and register any violations the data would be precise asked

and published on the website immediately when we realise our website might be attacked on the x. by hackers but we're ready for any attack on our reserves are capable of dealing with serious traffic they're based in their centers in europe so we'll cope with processing information from observers and regular users to. true 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 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 firsthand how she's t.g.v. systems work she transparent 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 both those who wish to take part were invited to cross their ballots not for candidates today but from history including alexander mcqueen don't ski peter the great winston churchill and. he will be too great twenty six molds is only hours before russia's next piece of the great is named but even before the ballots have been counted many warn all the new wave of protests. protesters in december demonstrated not against the results of the vote but the family didn't putin was swapping seats or 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 moved fifty percent protesters will claim he added that if to avoid a second round to get seventy no one will believe the result the first exit polls

will do at least one boat saying in the westernmost city of kaliningrad konstanz the question them will any of the candidates have that much needed fifty percent to avoid a second round if the democrats are t. more scale you can watch our special election coverage throughout sunday and monday as we bring you the latest figures on a variety of opinions across the political spectrum here on r.t. . turning out of the week's other top stories china has called for an immediate cease fire in syria and urged all parties in the conflict when gaging talks beijing also calling for unity at the u.n. security council which is now considering a new resolution after two previous motions were table by china and russia the chinese are also warning against the use of humanitarian aid as a create text for

a foreign interference in syrian affairs this as the red cross says it's being prevented from helping the worst hit areas of the city of homs orrible stronghold that had come under intense syrian army bombardment the capture of one hundred suspected mercenaries trying to flee the city many of them french has stepped up speculation over outside interference in the conflict a senior rebel leader has also claimed his militia group had been supplied with french and u.s. weapons were if you know she reports more arms could spell more bloodshed. the borders doors and windows to a state in spite of international isolation syria's borders have remained opened and easy to pass through and that may have played a crucial role in the militarization of the country's conflict almost immediately after the crisis began here last march there were reports of weapons being 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 oil live and use drivers according to the yacht ismail chief of the customs series on the border with eleven on. these people we're here to destroy our nation to try to get syrian people on the syrian territory 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 borders 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 your business confiscated thousands of dollars dozens of guns and hundreds of clothes i have little metal pieces like this one used to

a well horses main concern i'm a little close like this one but part of the border where there isn't any security at all but here look at this and 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 in lebanon. and further south she remains extremely vulnerable the city of cairo the cradle of the. syrian uprising it all started here and it continues to play a role in the country's crisis with what was jordan just several kilometers away from here and numerous reports suggesting that foreign weapons and troops going is only flow through it that are has become one of the weakest points in the country's security the city has become the scene of fierce and bloody clashes at least twice in the conflicts twelve month history the authorities have claimed that many of the so-called free syrian army have in fact come from across the border you know. they

shoot and kill and then they disappear immediately they arrive from abroad but they're not from jordan they use this country's border many of them are from africa . we're 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 el assad 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 investors involved it's clear that the crisis threshers far beyond these borders reach an ocean r.t. reporting from syria. meanwhile troops loyal to the regime are thought to be

continuing to advance through the city of homs seen as the main stronghold of the opposition against the assad regime the government claims it's aiming to tackle terrorists and armed gangs one eyewitness told r.t. people in homes have been hiding indoors fearing violence from armed insurgents as well as troops with people of all ages being killed on the streets more of a firsthand account of the horrors of homes ally and archie doctor. on the diplomatic front u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton has compared syrian president bashar al assad to a war criminal the latest rhetoric comes despite recent reforms adopted by syria and iraq for and about a new draft constitution a week ago after civil unrest in which the u.n. says more than seven thousand people have been killed by government forces journalist and contributor to the u.k.'s guardian newspaper neil clark says clinton statements confirm the u.s. and europe aren't interested in democratic reforms in syria that's a great day for democracy in syria and yet what's the reaction been of the western leaders well hillary clinton's denounced isn't cynical. the german

net is there he said it was a sham but in fact what is a sham is the west because it could because their reaction to this referendum shows no not really keen on real democracy in syria it's the last and actually want people we've had opinion point. five percent of syrians i want present a sad state of huge demonstrations in favor of president assad because we can see the reports in the western media the reality is. that for the west because along they have used. so we have this ludicrous musician where we have the west which claims to be supporting democracy is these counties the views of syrians so ahead this hour to strike or not to strike president obama with those for and against a military attack on iran as he needs israeli lobbyist for action. after months of talks and confrontation a less than united european union has signed a deal to prevent the block from overspending so-called fiscal pact is supposed to

enforce tough new budget rules but the u.k. and the czech republic found the idea too much to take. your reports. it's been talked about for months claimed as a solution to europe's crisis fiscal compact for sky talk to new fiscal rules 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 and it's expected to be ratified by at least twelve years old nations this pact comes with tight budgetary rules that must be strictly adhere to or else face automatic sanctions and member states must maintain a balanced budget or have a surplus keep a budget deficit of three percent or less enshrined a balanced budget rule international legislation with it one year preferred we 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 in europe in brussels we've got our first saw and there's a budget star 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 economy struggles and if you are doing austerity everywhere you go towards crisis. is no tackling probably because if we're creating havoc expenses everywhere then you crush it we're in the bodies consuming reason but the growth is the point of this truth is a continuation of true liberal orthodoxy. so we are exactly going back to what we have been in that i think is. in the mess even readers see the budgetary

discipline of the school supposedly practice 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 that has some worried about the impact it could have on healthier economies and could lead to huge piece school costs to the u.s. so even those countries that see a fiscal situation go through the cons and the press coming. at a time when banks face problems and they do not to be one to land not a desirable scenario when the new buzzwords are growth and employment just are cilia r t brussels head of the e.u. summit people in europe are opposed to the fiscal union so the deep austerity cuts imposed on them held rallies in belgium france and greece greek union start work for three hours and marched in athens protesting of their government cutting

pensions benefits and we just broke out of sight in the e.u. building as one union member tried to force his way inside so severe austerity measures were ordered by brussels any international monetary fund to secure a second bailout worth one hundred thirty billion euros and your m.p. nigel farage says greece is better off leaving the currency union. no one doubts that tough decisions need to be how you can even greece that's obvious but you've got to have some stimulus as well the only way that will happen is by leaving the just remember three weeks ago there were eighty thousand people storming the barricades of the greek parliament trying to get in we sold five thousand police keeping them out we're seeing evidence of this in spain in portugal i mean come on we saw an arab spring last year there's no absolutely no reason why similar things callup happen in southern europe it is difficult enough to stomach tough austerity measures tough government your road elected government but to be dictated to by

angela merkel herman back room boy mr brace for millions of people just totally unacceptable turned out some other stories making headlines across the globe a head on collision between two express trains in southern poland has left fifteen dead and more than fifty injured some three hundred three hundred fifty passengers were aboard the trains that were traveling on the same track or to each other merchant see workers and helicopters were deployed to help those trapped in the wreckage of the collision already described as one of the country's worst ever train crashes. the muslim brotherhood in libya has created its own political party islamised group is to be led by a man who spent eight years in jail addicted aki regime the movement harshly suppressed for decades and accused of extremism by opponents expects to be a leading political force in elections set for june islamize have won ballots in the wake of the arab spring revolts in tunisia egypt and morocco. north

korea's leader has urged troops on the heavily armed border with the south to stay on high alert during a frontline visit kim jong un's trip comes as the inquest the country increased threats against south korea over its ongoing military exercises with the u.s. pyongyang says they were personal for an invasion north koreans also gathered on sunday for a massive rally in the city. the debate over a possible military strike on iran mounting in the u.s. ahead of president obama's meeting with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu tel aviv and washington suspect iran 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 or not because tehran has failed to cooperate with them the country's envoy to the i.a.e.a. tells r.t. exclusively he thinks the agency is not impartial. we are warning that

a couple of countries including the united states is trying to run day agency so that they can dictate from washington what d.n.r. should do and that is why we don't need such a thing to occur and that is the whole issue that said the agency as a professional technical organization should do its work and that is why you see they make meet so many noses here and there they do not let the agency to do its work and that is why we we want expect all countries including russia and others and i'm very proud please that last meeting in fact russia and china ambassadors along with a hundred countries of nonaligned movement all together questioned what had happened in fact named media release of confidential information that that we need the mobilization of member ses to prevent something happening in vienna wish to give away the saliency from the society or latest developments on the ongoing presidential vote here in russia and

a recap of the week's main news coming your way in a few moments stay with us. the . well for the future science technology innovation all the list of elements from around russia we've got the future coverage.

as russia votes for president r.t. looks at the five running for the kremlin top jobs the candidates. to be abusive to time president actually try minister and face of the united russia party. the record putin points to stability he secured after the chaos a g.l.c. nears praised for overseeing a booming economy the establishing of russia's presence of the world stage play the presidency modernization fighting corruption maximizing russia's impacts in international affairs controversy criticized for centralizing power in russia and

staying at the helm too long. movable. for personifying the problems positions and aspirations of modern russia. presidential election two thousand and twelve on r.t. . the same.