the. u.n. security council votes to send three hundred observers to syria russia warns nations not undermine the mission after the u.s. says only pressure on the assad regime will work. campaigning ends in france ahead of sunday's presidential poll with voters facing a tough choice at a time of social division and record unemployment. energy hungry china works to secure a slice of the arctic and its untapped minerals sources with the chinese premier on a tour of the nordic states. and of russia close up came troubles beyond the arctic circle to see how herding and fishing communities there survive and thrive our top stories this hour.

on screen on line around the world this is r.t. life here in moscow the u.n. security council has unanimously voted on a resolution to send hundreds of observers to syria and moscow says it will help promote the un back cease fire agreement with multiple reports of the truce being violated at the moment by both sides more important has more from new york. once again the united nations security council has unanimously adopted a resolution on syria the most recent one drafted by russia and co-sponsored by eight other countries the resolution calls for and authorizes up to three hundred unarmed un minute military observers to go to syria and monitor the truce the cease fire that was put in place april twelfth between damascus and the opposition groups this resolution also calls on the syrian government to meet its responsibilities

and pledges calls or is in the six point peace plan laid out by u.n. joint envoy mr kofi annan on russia of course of believes that this most recent development in syria is a step in the right direction but it is a good resolution is a fundamentally newsgroups the system went in syria in showing that consensus. and main goal should be to comply with the resolution any deviation in terms of being so you should have the mandate is unacceptable libyan model should remain in the. in the meantime u.s. ambassador to the united nations susan rice left the meeting on saturday not showing as much optimism as russia and many other countries had susan rice took to her twitter feed to say the deployment of three hundred or three thousand unarmed

observers cannot on its own stop assad's murderous rampage susan rice said that external pressures are additionally needed to solve the problem in syria the us ambassador also said that washington and its allies are preparing for action that will be required if assad persists to quote slaughter clearly this is. is undermining in many ways the effort that is needed me from inside the security council to support the six point peace plan that was laid out by mr kofi annan on vassar churkin said that these efforts that are trying to put pressure on an already stressful situation does not help bring peace and security to syria drabble some to me in the statement which was made by ambassador rice and by some colleagues from the west who have been countries even though they supported this

russian draft on the adoption of this resolution is that they missed an opportunity to send a signal to the opposition they kept criticizing the government saying nothing about what they expect the opposition which is in fact outlined very clearly in the security council resolution which they themselves had just voted for i know those predictions of a boot on blue threats of various plans which are being hatched this hour where those things are not imo productive i think they are distracting from much from the implementation of the kofi annan plan and from the political efforts of the security council and they may give a ground for some extremists to believe that their cause is. still has some prospect for for taking over the political process which we are trying to assess that was they can see this little girl will even though the security council voted unanimously today we know that the some members of the security council some

important members of the international community. still considered to think in going from patient to their arms the words of the syrian government and that's richardson says the syrian government will be primarily responsible for the safety and security of the u.n. observers that will be deployed to syria they will be deployed once the u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon feels that it's safe enough for the. observers to go and there has been enough to say shin of violence this resolution the most recent one adopted also underscores that the syrian government and the opposition group both have to put their weapons out weapons down and begin engaging in dialogue. when a point they're talking to be learned from new york for more in syria i'll talk to our political analyst downplayed joining us now from the u.k. that russia is full of cautious optimism about extending the observer mission into syria while the u.s. still isn't ruling out quote other means how do you interpret that from the u.s.

what is their position. while everyone knows what this language means it is found is absolutely typical of western governments to use this kind of coded veiled threats of basically what amounts to extreme violence if they don't get their way and that's what other means and means they often use phrases like this all options are on the table this means that they pursue negotiations at the minute but they may conduct a massive aerial slaughter if things don't go their way everyone knows that that's that's what it's name which means things happening as they go their way in other words they want regime change simple as that well exactly and the thing is that what we're i mean the issue is do they have the ability to inflict to to to do an invasion now after it's been lito who look at what the original strategy of the original plan was to basically roll out the same strategy as was employed in libya when the syrian people and so to that end they fermented

a civil war they were successful in that using their proxy forces using libyan militants that they shipped in across the turkish border using people trained in lebanon and turkey and successfully managed to foment some kind of insurgency civil war situation but things since two things have really scuppered the original plan number one is the feet of course of the u.n. security council by russia and china and then subsequently to that the battle of baba amr in homs district last month which was decisively won by the government forces and after that i was seen as a key battle that was a real major turning point under the kind of interplay of forces on the ground. but afterwards he became very difficult for anyone to have any faith that these proxy forces alone could actually had any hope of taking power and therefore the kind of idea of regime change most realistic observers now saying is not really feasible if

in less outside intervention comes into play so this still keen to promote this idea that they may conduct some kind of aerial bombardment some kind of mass slaughter and to help their proxies on the ground in order to keep the civil war going because a lot of the concerns and regional international backers do go ahead with some form of foreign intervention we're not just talking about civil war in syria means that we're bringing in iran hezbollah or other regional neighbors that this is going to have a much wider implication what why isn't that seen by those who want regime change and an intervention there by foreign forces while some of them do see i think there's a battle within the western strategic kind of planners at the moment about how which way they're going to play this. so obviously you know obama likes to repeat himself as differently to bush cameron wants to be seen as different to blair if they were to go ahead in the face of u.n. opposition with some kind of invasion of syria just at the point when the civil war

started died down then they would be seen as the kind of psychopathic idiots you know bush and blair were seen and they want to be seen as liberators not scientifically and so there's all that to think about as as well as as you see the way a conflagration that would clearly emerge. but don't forget as well this is this is about planning actually for a wider war that they're holding and behind trying to take down syria is to to make it the wall coming or going to the run easier to get decisively the spike that i suspect a little earlier to russia's ambassador to the u.n. and he was cautiously optimistic now there is clearly some genuine will from outside of syria to see this peace plan work do you think that after more than a year of these western efforts to push for regime change which hasn't happened yet that damascus could actually ride out this crisis and indeed a sad survive. absolutely and the elections next month believe as and is widely

predicted to win what we may then see is cries of you know there's been fraud and so on and trying to use that to whip up some kind of momentum for some kind of military onslaught and i don't think i don't think it will work if the syrians and even to be honest the u.n. observer mission was left to its own devices i think there's every chance of peace because the government's shown willingness to negotiate and make serious compromises in the constitutional amendments that were made recently and more and more the opposition are starting to see that way of thinking as well as nos coincidence that immediately after the battle of m a there were three high level defections from the so-called free syrian army back to the government and then there's another kind of defections we're hoping to see in the west but that's the kind of the tide is turning and i think that a lot of the rebels beginning to see they can only come to power by military means and actually that doesn't look like it's going to happen so there's every

possibility for a negotiated settlement except that we've already got up in the intervening forces at work there and i just want to highlight for a moment the role of robert ford the previous u.s. ambassador to syria for the duration of last year just weekly. he worked under john negroponte in iraq negroponte was the man who thought into early eighty's random death squads that contradicts wars that killed fifty thousand people in the regular he ran those tests was out of the u.s. embassy in one jurors it was then placed in iraq in two thousand and five and six with robert ford working under him rather ford was there then placed in syria last year so no doubt the embassy last year u.s. embassy under real force direction would have been implementing this kind of strategy to train equip escorts and no doubt those squads and i'm going to be told now keep fighting keep fighting don't respect as he's fired or. safely action on a military solution thanks a lot for your thoughts great to hear from

a guy like that in the u.k. . the media media blackouts in france his presidential race has given the kind of his just a little breathing space in a tight contest which threatens to oust current leader nicholas sarkozy if none of the ten candidates wins more than fifty percent electorate will vote again a week later to choose between the top two expected to the socialist leader and front runner falls for all or similar reports economic gloom an all time high unemployment government eighteen voters' concerns. one day to go before the french hit the polls but one in four voters still haven't made up their minds yet talk of the french people's concerns are jobs and money in their pockets especially at a time when unemployment is around ten percent hitting an all time high that's about three million people unemployed so who can take the top job and solve the fresh people's problems of the latest polls socialist party of part if i swallow it is to believe that about twenty nine percent out of terminal votes almost want to

target the top income earners of the country but he is criticized for this widely perceived a lot of experience how truly beyond france warlordism congress you can last cycle see these are deeply unpopular president and one recent poll you would declare it would be most unpopular president in fresh history now his presidency is good marred with right economic crisis after another the last weeks of campaigning he's turned to more radical rhetoric of just clamping down on immigration putting got some birds out or talking tough when it comes to security matters especially after the to lose them that incident it was also taken on a more confrontational tone towards the european union proposing that france freeze its budget contribution to the e.u. budget currently a third place according to the polls is most of the national front party as he has been sticking to it i'm sorry immigration platform vowing to cut down the number of legal immigrants to temp hours of a year that's down from about one hundred eighty thousand at the moment and she has . also said that she wants france to the euro and go back to the french currency

the french frank but what's being called the big surprise of this french presidential campaign is the movement of the left and right now his numbers have doubled since january from about six to seven percent to fourteen percent now he is mincing no words and is talking about a civic insurrection a revolution he did now also as the financial sector and he also was shines the e.u. a fiscal pact that have been side he wants to withdraw from nato he's taking on a very strong hard line approach these are the top four contenders wife for the top job in france are based on the rhetoric they've been using in their campaign france's european neighbors as well as other partners understand that no matter who takes on the presidency there will be disruptions to where the former contiguity they may be expected it's just a matter of to what extent these changes will impact the relationships as far as french people are concerned they have a few more hours left to make that choice to leave aaron french leave in a cluster cozies then fighting for his political life and france's presidential

elections tomorrow with opinion polls saying he could be toppled by his socialist rival and defeat for he has been a close ally of washington will massively change france's foreign policy so says the show he's from the research center and globalization in montreal. succors see it is all succors maybe he is the american pedant and he is supportive especially paul. exists rather than the interest of the french republic he very much they perceive us foreign policy prevents us foreign policy i suspect that if if some cosby show was let's say egypt also offered a low becomes president of the republic we may see. shifts in. french foreign policy but i should also mention the other.

aspects of this question which is the role of wall street public european economic landscape cozy was to open an instrument full of washington and perhaps a new president as social this president will give us a little bit more of its republican you know traditions of being and pendants voice of the world scale as well as within the european union. and move to a currency crisis tough cuts. tragic integration failures. who will be left standing with the people's speech. the french election on party. this is our to live here in moscow sort of company that's our chance to live. suffers in india put the hope in a new law to allow western lifesaving medicine to be made locally and cheaper

helping thousands who otherwise couldn't afford treatment plus we'll be going to extremes here. the rivers and tundra of russia's far north provide two things that are vital for the people that live here and fish come and see how life here revolves around them just a few minutes on r.t. . or bahrain protester has been found shot dead after overnight clashes with security forces it's reported some other demonstrators were also beaten by riot police ahead of the controversial bahrain formula one grand prix on friday tens of thousands took part in an anti regime protest to coincide with the race patrick henningsen he's a journalist and editor of the twenty first century russia explained to me earlier why he thinks there has been no condemnation from western countries. well rain good is one of the petrel not work he's in the middle east and we've got to change or change of leadership recently but as you can see it hasn't changed we've seen

reports of violence coming out of bahrain want out of the other for the last year or two years the it's not uncommon to the police will have drive by shootings of people in bahrain you can watch these videos on you tube if you want it's one of the worst police states the region reform i don't think so if we were going to see reform in bahrain it would have come after the recent change of leadership bahrain is under the umbrella of the western nations in terms of influence in the region bahrain is a satellite state of the kingdom of saudi arabia and also in turn is a satellite state in the region of washington and london we have incredible vested interests there in terms of petroleum contracts etc and also it's just it's a strategic defense position as well. up to two thousand people have joined an anti nato rally in central russia to protest against a planned transit hub for the alliance in the city of he protested chanted slogans

like no to nato on russian soil some of the financing transit routes for afghanistan go through russia and any deal would see nato using point to move moment minute chicago the opposition claims that would threaten russia's security despite the government's assurances that no nato personnel will be stationed there one prominent opposition activists a leader of the left front movement said it without self is now under investigation after claims he attacked a female journalist jury in the ronni. world news for you this hour making headlines in our world update in iraq a twin blasts rocked northern baghdad killing four people and injuring a dozen the first bomb exploded inside a minibus in the shia neighborhood seconds later a roadside bomb blew up a few meters away hitting another car two days ago al qaeda linked militants carried up a series of assaults across the capital leaving thirty people dead and one hundred wounded. let's get is try to find out why a passenger plane crashed in pakistan on friday killing all one hundred twenty

seven on board have recovered the aircraft flight recorders from the charred wreckage boeing seven three seven burst into flames in fields near islamabad international airport during a landing attempt in a thunderstorm but then has been imposed on the head of the budget airline from leaving the country company and only recently restarted business after shutting down due to financial problems over ten years ago. over a million people in india diagnosed with cancer every year most of the drugs they need a currently imported and don't come cheap well that could be about to change though with a new law that means lifesaving medicine can be manufactured locally that is british we have reports. she one of the one of the two point five million people in india dying from cancer while she spent three thousand dollars of her money and traveled for three hundred fifty miles from her home to get proper treatment she believes there is no hope for her address back at the majesty of the

stores are expensive who have come from so far as we don't have money to buy it. but now there might be a chance in a revolutionary move india's patent office has decided that they're a german pharmaceutical powerhouse would lose its exclusive rights to manufacture a life saving cancer pill the rice was a sort of apparently hard. to do manufacture of from abroad and sent here it was an affordable to the indian population and now a compulsory license would be given to a local indian pharmaceutical manufacturer that could make the exact same drug buy cheaper all of the saddam goes would. medicine and would have you know the good the the bosun that it's news but for the price it's all possible because of the revised trade and international property rights agreement passed by

the world trade organization known as trips to trips agreement spoke it's to provide medication to all people in developing countries that means that global pharmaceutical companies are required to sell life altering medication at a reasonably affordable to people in those countries if they don't do that patent offices in those countries can ask these global pharmaceutical companies to provide compulsory licenses so that a local manufacturer can benefit make those drugs the idea is that the global pharmaceutical companies would then be stripped of their monopoly on drugs in developing countries. barry has that in statements that it is quote disappointed in the rule in and is looking for ways to challenge it this is a solid birth of waterloo to the broken hearted us who even their product of. the placing won't give all the better things you know give them a limit

a chance to live and it chance for india to stand out against domination from the west koreas sri there are t. new delhi india. a motorola has been held in moscow in support of russia's orthodox church about seven hundred drivers and bikers tied balloons and flags to their vehicles to take part in the procession participants say the event is to support the orthodox church which is on the public criticism with several protests including punk rock taking over the pulpit in one of moscow's cathedrals and several prayer services in support of the faith and many of its holy sites are planned on sunday. trying to get to know more of russia now in our close up series it's always a venture to a far flung part of the country. today

we're exploring russia's extreme north the region is bigger than france and half of its territory lies within the arctic circle which of them are eight months a year which means only a few species can survive the harsh conditions reindeer and fish mean everything for the vision as people in this welcoming land this time bought and discovered. an icon of the north and yet some of the native northern peoples follow grazing reindeer wherever they go their routines revolving around the animals the life of the reindeer herder is usually hot and isolated but occasionally they gather to share their world and compete in the skills they hone in on the tundra and i'm about to join the celebrations. last seen throwing. stick wrestling. and hurdle jumping all cause for competition but the main event is rapidly approaching. ranging races bring teams from foreign wars for the competition is

tough i feel a bit nervous my rivals get better every year even though i won last year this year the younger ones may compete on a par with me. and perhaps he's right to be a bit jittery it seems getting started is the trickiest moment. sometimes for a cameraman to. look you're. going to. after the festivities to sit down to eat some reindeer of course but also that other russian arctic speciality fish in this nearby factory there preparing thousands of them none of these a c three ish all having been caught quota from local rivers and i'm told amanda is booming c.p.o. to ask if there isn't enough of our product even to cover the domestic market

europeans find our products delicious and into logical if you were but so far with simply haven't enough of them to see where all this comes from we caught up with andre he's been fishing since he was a child on the hope today the river shark pike like his catch and drain. a true russian northerner here from where we can say for fishing in the south of it may have his advantages as for me to love to fish right here in the north when it's frosting the air is fresh and the sun is bright it's great it's ten point later and raise all to prepare his dinner and we have a small insight into the central importance of these animals to the lives of norm while those without the fish and without the deer. and the lives of those who live here would be very empty indeed tom watson.

talking about three minutes from now with a recap of the main story and just out of that will be exploring oriental customs customs i should say right in the middle of russia it's coming up very shortly. something lies beneath.

the thousands of nature is of ice country rock. the lovers. that is a loser for many. but dangerous even to those who keep it as a distance. of that i kill innocent kid i was a base of course and that's never absent. on the songs on the skull still with me i think of it every day. of the flashbacks from the memories. and. assume was

a long time i'm just here trying to tell. i was. i was ashamed that i didn't. i was ashamed that i hadn't a clue. why i got my legs. within the mind of. what i wanted to be out of or to. help out believe what i was going on once or i think. that i was a good fellow. but now most older on the other side and i think i'm just as good. you know sometimes you see a story and. you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture.