on russia the people vote for the next president who will take the reins for up to six years. with one more hour remaining until the end of the election and will this become the most transparent building in russia's history as it had been promised live all the details from the red square in meet with me in just a minute. and in the week's top stories here on ars he calls for a syria ceasefire growth but reports of more smuggling and the arrest of more than one hundred foreign mercenaries spiked fears of international meddling. i'm told

but true e.u. leaders signed a new pact on tough budget controls people across europe unite against cuts to their wages and pensions. it is election day in russia and he is coming to you live from moscow city center with me rory sushi a very exciting program we have for you today as tens of millions of russians are choosing the man who will be president for president had six year we're now into the final hour of voting on bringing you a comprehensive live coverage from the very heart of moscow.

well turnout is said to be high with russians having showed a huge level of political activity leading up to the vote i thought he made every effort to make the poll as transparent as possible hundreds of thousands of independent observers are spread nationwide and every box is under the watchful eye of live webcams which anyone can shoot into to watch but it's not when our teams are standing by for us on a red square to mike good to see you so as i was saying the clock is ticking very little time left now for western russia to finish the votes you know what is the latest we're hearing right now as to how it's all going. certainly the polling stations have closed already in moscow and only one hour remaining until the voting stops everywhere across russia it's only the western region of russia the route which is yet to vote for another hour or so we know that the voter turnout has been somewhat a little less than during the previous presidential election back in two thousand

and eight but still the turnout has been very high we understand that at least fifty six percent of that will just have turned out that the polling stations to cast their ballots now we heard of some irregularities in the course in the course of the voting though it is really unclear whether those were serious serious irregularities and whether they can be confirmed by the officials as all the information that has been received came from the independent observers now we also understand that all the presidential candidates cast their ballots throughout the day prime minister vladimir putin his main rival his main political rival the leader of the communist party did not use a gun i also was at the polling station casting his ballot it's certainly a very interesting race and. in one hour we are expecting the first exit poll results to be published by the authorities and then we'll certainly bring the exit poll results to all of us as we get. we're covering this live all throughout the

night here in moscow and but if i may ask you we have seen a number of rallies for and against the current russian leadership certainly in the run up to this poll what impact do you think that's had on the presidential election itself. it certainly has been a tremendous impact because for the last three or four months we've seen a totally different country ever since the december as parliamentary vote which was . with allegations that it was rigged with thousands and thousands taking to the streets and also protesting own lines certainly dialogue of. a democratic dialogue started between those of power and those in the streets and the election which we see now is completely different to what we've seen before ever since the collapse of the soviet union everyone now with knowledge is that russia is changing that it is becoming a different country and earlier i spoke to one of the very one of the very well known experts in the crowds who shares exactly the same belief. 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 pathetic 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 mr putin keeps saying this push through pain you graduate we're going to see gradual change so russia has to move up the value added chain and it has to modernize but it's not going to happen over night. some of the anger of the protestors was directed straight at the country's prime minister but a large chunk of this protesting crowd was also it was look protest in particular against someone they were demanding fair and free election to be held in this country with the words you said trying to do everything they promised that this

would become the most transparent election that russia has seen since becoming a sovereign state in one thousand nine hundred one whether that is so we'll know in the very rich or well let's say you talk about officials are struggling to make this the most transparent election in history i do understand i think some of the numbers are that web cameras have been installed at ninety six thousand polling stations all across the country here can you take us through some of the additional measures to prove that this is a transparent election. well the ones you've already mentioned the installation of the web cameras is something unprecedented for russia to stand at every single polling station in russia has a web camera with any user able to see how the voting process was going through throughout the whole day and believe the installation of. these webcams stations cost almost half a billion u.s. dollars to the state budget so this is not only a different election in terms of how it's been conducted how it's being run it's also the most expensive election that russia has seen since the collapse of the

soviet union not to mention certainly hundreds of thousands of independent observers working at every polling station across the country those are really russian citizens just those willing to be willing to play their role in the selection process as well as certainly almost seven hundred international observers from all across the globe also monitoring this election where the as i said this would become the most transparent election we are yet to see but so far there have been no reports of major votes of patients nor irregularities throughout the day of this election. let's talk about some of the candidates and understandably a lot of eyes if not most eyes are on the front runner vladimir putin of course but what about the the other four candidates how are they faring in the vote so far any idea. nobody has any illusions that they will eventually win this presidential race even despite the support has diminished compared to let's say five six years ago

but still he is the clear front runner of this race the only big question and the only intrigue remaining here in this in this presidential race is whether there would be a second round runoff that would happen only if we can does not manage to go on a fifty percent plus one vote in today in this first round of voting then the voting will automatically go to the second round and of course everyone is speculating right now who could potentially become the challenge what even if we can in. this potential second round run off of the most clear favorite to be that is the ground of the leader of the communist party definitely a political heavyweight the most experienced presidential campaign runner in russia but it was only once in fact that he had skipped a presidential campaign in russia it is his first campaign so definitely given the fact that he's always been placed second in every presidential race of the party and he is the most likely candidate but we mustn't forget about the russian tycoon mikhail darkhorse definitely in this election he's

a new converts of politics the first time he's running for the presidency and he represents in many ways represents the middle class which was certainly the driving force of the protest for the last three or four months the other two candidates i think well they sound a little very little very slim chance of making it into this potential second round runoff through this is the head of the liberal democratic party the a very suddenly eccentric man with a very eccentric style about his campaign and very harsh somewhat nationalist rhetoric all throughout his political career and we mustn't forget as well so given all of the kind of the fair russia policy also the former head of the house of the russian parliament also running for the third time but as i said experts practically rule out any chance that they would make it into this potential second round runoff against but even for him well basically it's been a very busy day here and certainly a lot more to come when the voting stops and the vote counting will start it's all

for me now from the red square and i pass over to any set and kevin in our studio for more in-depth coverage of election night. yes thanks alexian our good evening from our vantage point here in central moscow with the curtain about to fall the voting itself will be plenty of action here in moscow and across russia we can promise you throughout the night you can stay with you for a full coverage of the forthcoming hours live coverage as those results speak in the exit polls and public reaction expected to bring a few surprises along the way and the main intrigue of course kevin whether or not front runner let's hear putin will clinch make three tonight and avoid a potentially tricky runoff election in a second round all here from our correspondents from the latest candidate's

campaign headquarters and the vote count itself as well as get opinion and exclusive access analysis of the election on the future of its next president so as you can see it's kind of a no no i mean this is that we need to bring you all the latest starting at five pm g.m.t. only here on out. or to stay with us here in our to you for live coverage of this presidential election now all trouble has been checking all the web installations all about the idea of having a transparent election as well as looking the other preparations to make the vote as open as possible. and you. do just that. 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 doubling the michelle 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 will in changing a thing there will always be discontent it was almost before it without cameras i don't think it will make a 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 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 recessed and published on the website immediately than when we realise our website might be attacked on day 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 senators and europe so we'll cope with processing information from observers and regular users to. geo is independent from the central election committee and its founders promise to come up with reports. says independent need a while and 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. i was invited to this election doors open day was good training for everyone we could see firsthand how c.c.t.v. systems work to 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 today but from history including peter the great winston churchill and in this con he 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 of and 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 in self to avoid a second round seventy no one will believe the result the present ads of polls will be released one voting in the westernmost city of kaliningrad konstanz the question then will any of the candidates have bet much needed fifty percent to avoid a second round exit in a gradual r t more scale. to stand by for us all evening here and all day with r.t. up to the minute coverage of the russian election right from the heart of the capital as the votes are cast and counted. it's not a quarter past the hour here in the russian capital let's go to some of the other

week's top stories for you here on our fears of foreign role in the syrian violence escalated this week government forces say they've arrested more than one hundred mercenaries mostly arabs but also some europeans that attempts to smuggle weapons into the country are reportedly being stepped up. as the latest on this. but the borders doors and windows do est despite 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 graphic has been smuggled through to arm president other side's opponents one thousand dollars for a truck full of reference capable of delivering wholesale destruction and that's how marshall kind of will pay to smugglers usually iraqi oil lebanese drivers according to ziad ismail chief of the customs series on the border with lebanon.

these people we're here to destroy our nation to try to kill syrian people on the syrian territory enemies. syria has more than two thousand kilometers of frontier 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 an hour of the border is a fact that some believe has determined their fate or destiny is this is one of three tech points 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 u.s. was confiscated thousands of bullets dozens of clowns and hundreds of cauldrons i have little metal pieces like this one used to make their sauces main concern and their political pros like this one good part of the border where there isn't any

security at all like here look at this and the middle of nowhere there is nothing only one road across the road right now at the same time across the border and i'm already in lebanon. and further south see remains extremely vulnerable the city of tire on the cradle of the syrian up. risin it all started here and it continues to play a role in the country's crisis where the water was jordan just several kilometers away from here and numerous reports suggesting that foreign weapons and troops going to is only flow through it that are has become one of the weakest points in the country's security the city has become for 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. 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're showing the weapons allegedly seized a military a free sions now you are. 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 al assad regime and supports its opponents and many believe all sides in the conflict should be held responsible for violence across syria and with so many foreign rifles involved it's clear that the crisis threshers far beyond these borders raef notion r.t. reporting from syria. i don't rebel forces pulled back from a key district in the perceived city of homs this week with government troops moving in to tackle the remaining resistance to mask it says it's gradually purging the city of terrorists but i could say it's

a massacre and claim repressions are happening. well the international red cross is boosting its efforts to get aid into the city residents are without electricity and are low on food and water and with a fierce fighting between rebels and government troops one witness has told us here at r.t. that people are hiding indoors afraid of being shot at by market gunman who are thought to be foreign mercenaries first hand account is a valuable online and r.t. dot com. on the diplomatic front if the u.s. and some of its allies say the syrian president can be classified as a war criminal to spy the latest round of democratic reforms by to mask as a new constitution is put in place after gaining public support in last week's referendum but neil clark who writes for britain's guardian newspaper says that western powers don't seem to be interested in the syrian people's opinion that's a great day for democracy in syria and yet what's the reaction of the western

readers well hillary clinton's denounced it as a cynical ploy he go dressed about the german there is that he said it was a sham and you know what is a sham is the west approach because their reaction to this referendum shows that they're not really keen on real democracy in syria it's the last thing they actually want but we've had opinion polls before the. syrians and one president assad to step a huge demonstrations in favor of president assad in damascus we can barely report in the west leading the reality is that the majority of syrian support. for the west these are not their views. and so we have this ludicrous musician where we have the west which claims to be supporting democracy is discounting that use of syrians. what you got here live from moscow still ahead for you this hour to strike or not to strike president obama gets an ultimatum from israel just calling for a military attack on iran over its nuclear ambitions. all

except two e.u. nations have signed up to new tougher budget rules to stop countries running up huge debts of britain and the czech republic are staying out of the deal which must now be ratified by the twelve euro zone members artie's or brussels correspondent has are silly or has details. it's been talked about for months claimed as a solution to europe's crisis fiscal compact this kind of talk the 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 it 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 and trying to balance a budget rule international legislation with it one year preferred within the

constitution it budgetary targets are not met a guilty nation can 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 it's a good 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 a steady measure after another good could in this novels that if you are doing well story everywhere you go towards crisis everybody is no buckling people because if we are cutting expenses everywhere then you crush it where nobody's consuming nobody's investment growth is according to this truth is

a continuation of pure. so we are exactly going back to what we have been in the last fifteen years. in the us e.u. readers see the budgetary discipline dismiss the 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 that has some worried about the impact it could have on healthier economies you could lead to huge fiscal cliff through additional bias so even those countries that have had a serious good situation. don't have school accounts beach can depress income because. that's a. bank space problems and they want to do want to lend not a desirable scenario where the new buzzwords are growth and employment just are cilia r t brussels. and the austerity protests in several european countries just

ahead of friday's e.u. summit but hundreds of demonstrators demanded drastic action from their leaders in front of the european union headquarters of brussels in spain thousands of students health further rallies against education cuts in athens trade unions or went on a three hour stoppage in march against changes to pensions salaries and benefits greece is under immense pressure from brussels and the international monetary fund to impose austerity in order to secure a hundred and thirty billion euro bailout. let's go to some other international news for you in brief time for the r.t. world are played a series of explosions of an arms done in the democratic republic of congo was reportedly killed around two hundred people hundreds more were injured in the blasts in the capital but a lot of people but the cause is unknown but the government believes it to be accidental. libya's a muslim brotherhood has formed an official political party it will be led by mohamed someone who spent eight years as

a political prisoner under the khadafi regime the brotherhood expected to be a leading political force in the upcoming june elections he is realistic groups had a presence in the country for over sixty years but many of its leaders were either jailed or exile. a train crash in southern poland has left sixteen dead and fifty others injured two express trains hit each other head on travelling in opposite directions on the same track it's not yet clear how one of the trains got on the wrong track but the maintenance work was being carried out in the area polish prime minister described it as the most tragic train catastrophe in many years. israel is warning washington that it will press ahead with an attack on iran unless the u.s. pledges to use military force to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb now this ahead of monday's meeting between prime minister netanyahu and president obama who has come out against a preemptive strike. on washington suspected iran of developing atomic weapons

which it denies claiming it's only generating peaceful energy u.n. inspectors visited iran at last month but said they can't confirm the absence of weapons because tehran is still failing to cooperate with iran's envoy to the i.a.e.a. told us here at r.t. in an exclusive interview that he doubts the agency's impartiality. we are warning that a couple of countries including united states is trying to run the agency so that they can dictate from washington what d.n.r. should do and that is why we don't have. such a thing to occur and that is the whole issue that the agency as a professional technical organization should do its work and that is why you see they make me so many noses here and there they do not lead the agency to do its work and that is why we want expect all countries including russia and others and i am very proud please that last meeting in fact russia and china ambassadors are now

and we hundred countries of nonaligned movement all together questioned what has happened in fact namely the least of confidential information that that we need the mobilization of member states to prevent something happening in vienna we still deal way these agency from the society. our full interview with iran's envoy to the un a nuclear watchdog is ready to be washed right now seem so out come. all this is our three laughter must go to stay with us as we bring you more in-depth coverage of today's main news of course the top story years of the russian presidential election. and all the latest developments on the ongoing presidential vote in russia and a recap of the week's and main news in just a moment the. little

.