the french decide their future with voting in the presidential election on the way in the country hit by social the vision and record unemployment. the u.n. resolves to expand its monitoring mission in syria but despite a unanimous vote in the security council some members are accused of undermining the peace and. range controversial forty one grand prix goes ahead despite widespread protests against the regime and a brutal crackdown by police that's left one day. in thirty minutes the grip to global attention premiere of his own interview show on r.t. this week sparking a range of reaction from praise to history are our top stories this hour.

with a look back at the past seven days top stories and the latest developments this is the weekly. french voters are choosing their next president and their ten candidates in the running including incumbent nicolas sarkozy and his main rival socialist francois hollande that seventy percent turnout has been high in an election driven by discontent over a struggling economy record unemployment and immigration is in paris with more people are watching it closely because the numbers could sway the results of round one of this presidential race but we have to wait for the total because the projection is that up to a third of voters won't actually cast their ballots and that's because many of the french feel that there really isn't much of a choice there's no one out there is giving a real solution to the problems are facing especially with regard to the economy and jobs and this very disillusionment has given rise to more extreme views feelings act a global ization were empty. immigration it which has also propped up candidates on

the far right such as many in the pan and on the left who have gone to the middle shall let's get a bit more insight on exactly what is happening here in france for a very last time he's a journalist and author of this a lot of thanks very much for joining us today a thought out for you the issue of the far right and the hard left not the stealing about globalization is this a kneejerk reaction to the problem or is it here to stay oh i think it's i think it's here to stay for from a several years and i think it's been here for quite a few years also i think you're funny get all over europe and it's a puzzlement among the french they can't quite figure out what's happened they've been hard hit like many other countries in europe have been and are looking for a solution of the sort of desperately and unfortunate decisions are not going to be easy so the parties on the on the right on the left the extreme parties are offering but short easy solutions much more easy targets that people would like to believe and the the sentiment of add to immigration it has been a line for

a long time but nicolas sarkozy who's on the center right has been jumping on this bandwagon what is this electioneering or is it a problem that should be given a bit more significance in the country it's a problem that should have been given a much more importance for the last ten or fifteen years it's not at all new psycho's he's been hit very very hot and heavy on that issue and in fact the socialist though there on the left have been very very leery about defending immigration too much they're making they're saying the right things but they don't want to get involved in this dispute too much themselves to be obliged to take the side of the immigrants ok let's talk about the promises that they've been making but there's a lot of it especially with regard to europe a lot of we want to renegotiate this you want to renegotiate that but whoever takes the position can't be really do anything with regard to europe especially with germany and germany says no but it's a it's most likely you know. yeah but if i think the situation. and europe is very

fluid once again and you can bet at all on the euro even being here in one or two years time not issue the situation has become bad you see again in greece how things are worsening spain and in france as well italy so it's very hard to say what one will or will not be able to do in the next couple of years as far as renegotiating it's not even sure what there will be to negotiate thanks very much scheffer your thoughts mr lando well there you have it voting will continue today and we'll have a clearer idea of where the the french will want to take their country about eight pm local time of the first authorized results will be and now so we're going to be waiting i forgot and giving you the latest to sensitive there who have a becomes france's president faces a whole list of issues on our website. what you think will be the biggest challenge well so far less than the hoff believe it will be bearing the euro zone's that a quarter think kickstarting the economy will be the hottest just griffith's we can

see there on screen see a challenge in defusing tension of immigrants and finally fourteen percent think its involvement in foreign conflicts will be the biggest problem during the debate but costing a pipeline out on t.v. . and media currency crisis talks costs. tragedy integration. who will be left standing with the people speech. the french election on r t. the un's top party has agreed on a resolution to send three hundred observers to syria to monitor the fragile truce that moscow's welcomed the move but washington warned it may take action against a mask if it fails to comply with the peace plan the report has more now 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 u.n. 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 of cold war in the six point peace plan laid out by u.n. joint envoy mr kofi annan on russia of course believes that this most recent development in syria is a step in the right direction 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 how had susan rice took to her twitter feed to save 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 additional we 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 hold water ambassador 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 the most inopportune of the signal to the opposition they get criticizing the government saying that. they expect the throne the opposition which is in fact. very clearly in in this. the council resolution which they themselves had just voted for i know those but it sounds of a boom and gloom and threats of various plans which are being patched the side

where those things are not productive i think they have distracting from the implementation of the coffin on plan and from the political efforts of the security council and they may give a ground for some extremists to believe. their course is a still has some prospect for for taking over the political process where nobody even though the security council voted unanimously some members of the security council some important members of the international community. still computing to think in confrontational terms stores or the syrian government ambassador churkin says the syrian government will be primarily responsible for the safety and security of the u.n. observers that will be deployed in 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 should of violence this resolution the most recent one it's up to also underscores that the syrian government and the opposition group

both have to put their weapons out weapons count and begin engaging in dialogue going to. form a syrian ambassador to turkey says despite calls from the opposition for military intervention could mask this will not a now a repeat of libya. what we are seeing is that the security council has been moving more and more towards russia's point of view toward the syrian principle in adopting a more balanced resolution and that's why there is a consensus so observers on the ground are doing their job the syrian government is fascinating their work but what guarantees peace on the ground is not the mere presence of three hundred u.n. soldiers and officers what guarantees a peaceful end to the crisis is a goodwill gesture by the so-called opposition and their regional and international backers the so-called national council is seeking

a repetition of the libyan scenario the catastrophic libyan scenario it was an international world that has been waged against syria for the last fourteen months but syria is not going to be another libya if they ever take any foolish step to at plaxo and militarily they're going to regret it for a very very very long time to come. this is the weekly on our t.v. could have you with us this hour still to come extremism on the show norway's confessed mass murder and as brave it uses a portman to promote his ideas and his views are far from unique in europe as we hear a little later. on the scandal from nato forces in afghanistan as new photos show american soldiers posing with the corpses of afghans that story in a few minutes from now here on r.t. . bahrain's controversial for the long run pre-merger race has gone ahead with out incident but there have been furious rallies against the country's regime outside

the racetrack demonstrators have clashed with security forces over the past week because police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets protests intensified on saturday after the body of a man shot dead was discovered on a rooftop security forces have set up checkpoints and brought armored vehicles to control any possible protest reports that ten female activists demanding freedom for political prisoners have been arrested. author a middle east expert joins me now live from not discuss the situation in bahrain so protesters have promised days of rage i'm sorry about that i was speaking to mr ali just a few seconds ago and it appears that we've lost him we'll see if we can get back to him shortly here on r.t. sorry about that. foyle's relating to the trial of norwegian mass killer and his prey vick will be classified for sixty years the judges say the documents could be harmful to the public and will be kept secret until twenty eight seventy two the decision came with

a brave it's televised trial viewed across the world he's admitted to killing seventy seven people in a bomb and last year by his criminal claiming he was protecting norway from being taken over by muslims it was a give a step by step account of exactly how it is victims have to these human eyes himself to become a mass killer and found guilty of rape it could face a maximum twenty one year prison sentence but if the judges decide he is insane to be sent for indefinite psychiatric treatment from a number of the european parliament going forward to leave the extensive coverage of the trial could turn into a showcase play because extremist ideas. the way through all the justice system works in it in the european union in norway he he will clearly how is opportunity to express his own views on just hopes that the overwhelming majority of people will reject them for what they are signs of if you want to a man who who is deluded. and a racist was on

a focus is something that we've seen across the european union. in germany in france in the united kingdom as well as in norway he said he was particularly successful but i think he see he's one of. many maybe too strong but he is certainly not unique in here in amy's whatsoever at least groups are actually working together to promote these kind of low wall the su in the only sense is follow the same pattern loosely some of the muslim fundamentalists. now let's return to our story concerning bahrain where the controversial formula one grand prix has gone ahead with our incident but there have been furious rallies against the country's regime over the cost a few days particularly outside the race track we can now join tariq ali he is in london protesters of promise days of rage but the event was held without any major incidents as i've just said there's actually prove the bahraini government was right to go ahead with the race. i don't think so i mean we've had

demonstrations and anger displayed on the eve of this so and clearly security will say don't agree with all. police and security officials have been called in to help and former senior scotland police chief john yates warned apply brands of ammunition would be used interesting way to defend democracy by scotland and of course someone was killed yesterday and i think that that has had a deterrent effect but i wouldn't. be although the people who. are now being angry are still an extremely angry with ethical system and this global so that he takes everywhere that it is showing such. contempt for the vehicles and the lives of ordinary by reading this global circus as you describe it certainly brought attention to the political problems there in bahrain by holding

that race do you think in fact that's worse than the government situation well i think it shows that. the west affectedly is not the least bit interested to get rid of this ruler because he's one of theirs i mean you know just compare what is going on in bahrain to other parts of the arab world where the west sees governments as their opponents and that we have the word the way the west reacts and this trial shows blatant hypocrisy in relation to human rights and be use of human rights for human rights mass to get their own way i mean you have been syria we have massive pressure being poured in in my opinion rightly so to get us to see sense but the holy fire in bahrain is ignored he's being backed by the saudis quite openly and it's very clear that a bulk of his popular doesn't want him so we have here in the arab world grotesque

display. double standards here to get a journalist i talked to last night here in r.t. told me that bahrain's proximity to iran makes it a strategic difference and occasion there in the persian gulf. could there be a link to iran here but i think they're obviously years and not just to iran affectively and legally thanks to the holy father is a u.s. naval base this is where the american fifth fleet has its home and the fact that all this is going on in their backyard doesn't bother them in the slightest simply really increased so we're right everything else but we're seeing this anti-government uprising seemingly getting stronger now it's been going on what for the last fourteen months where do you think it could be going could it perhaps be another libya or syria in the making i don't think so because i don't think the west is interested in. six months of nato bombing and god knows

how many thousands of casualties to get rid of gadhafi there's no we're going to do about this is their place and what is happening is happening against a rule of the of bakra long time and more to the point their best friends in the middle east the so these are opposed to the removal of khalifa because they see it was the beginning of the end for themselves that saudis see it whether they are right or wrong is another thing so i think strategically bahrain is of importance for the united states and its allies and just briefly saudi arabia here how strong is their influence because obviously we know that troops from saudi arabia have been deployed to help quell the unrest. i think some of these are key player it's not just here they were in libya as well behind the scenes that's what book operates and am now agitating for a minute clean to mention in syria and b. have intervened militarily to keep this fortune far in bahrain and it's ironic of

course that it's the so please who are saying that we're doing this and b. include some democracy e-mails from democratic regime in the world the oldest ally of the west in the middle east is now supposedly intervening on behalf of the more . you know trying to pass the sick bag just briefly religious interests there sonny and cher tensions well partially and i think a great all still ahead by the sort of these two iran see that the american intervention in iraq strengthened iran in the region by giving the iraqis a centrally a clerical shiite regime and they are determined to turn the clock back on this one because don't do anything in iraq so they also agitating in fact destabilize even this government in iraq by attacking an independent court and they're doing a very similar thing so no in charge it can business region is iran in here

saudi and it's really in christiane's side completely technicality author a middle east expert thank you so much for your time and for your views here in r.t. thank you. well if you want more stories in addition to what you see here on screen head online go to walking dot com now you'll find still in the fight u.s. presidential hopeful congressman ron paul shows no signs of slowing down and is relying on his hope the bank wants to keep him in the republican race. and a massive explosion at a chemical plant in japan kills one worker and then just over a dozen witnesses say the windows of one hundred houses near the plant was shouted video on our you tube channel at the moment for you. when you're in a soldier's show premiered here on our t.v. this week the media reaction was quote from praise to hysteria the response was anything but indifferent what is going to each car has been gauging opinions across the atlantic for most american media julianna songes guilty without charge reckless

traitor and a threat to our national security interests sleazeball me and julian assange are who is bent on damaging america how did this guy just land his own t.v. show the implication is a sergeant is a russian agent whose anti-american mission is now out in the open for all to see and accusations kept flying as the whistle blower's very own show premiered on tuesday but i saw it coming those two really. early combatants. getting into. the criminal and. interviewing. terrible radicals. but i think that's the sort of it's a pretty awful current public. look at how the stories where. we had complete control of the guests over his first show was their head of hezbollah are designated by the us as

a terrorist organization it was not starlost first interview with international channel in six years the reason lie him could be found in the interview itself. states is. costing us has a lot of women they want to be able to tell people what to say and terrorism terrorist organizations this. is what they want that people listen to us high from ohio for example if there wasn't just a trial and yet very different should have an opportunity to the find themselves some say in the court of public opinion as presented by the us mainstream media there is a tendency to simplify issues often at the expense of the full picture or somebody agrees or doesn't agree with hezbollah's ideas or all of their ideas ideology or their theology american people hear the voice of hezbollah rather than simply have them demonized targeted as a quote terrorist by the purpose of being somebody like nasr our nelson mandela who

was considered a terrorist until one nine hundred eighty eight is not really to stop terrorist ideas from infiltrating but for the american people to only hear one side of a debate only hear one side of an argument julian assange is now under house arrest in the u.k. fighting extradition to sweden where he may well be extradited to the united states u.s. prosecutors were pointedly have a secret indictment ready for a sign was made public thousands of leaked documents with embarrassing details relating to the worsening iraq and afghanistan as well as other issues in the u.s. has been under fire from capitol hill the white house and the media and we've got to apprehend mr science the founder of wiki leaks and bring him to justice as a violator of the espionage act because if we don't just keep tapping the dead men can't leaks that this guy is a traitor a treasonous and he has broken every law the united states the guy ought to be so

i'm not for the death penalty so i'm not for the death penalty i want to do it illegally shoot the son of the what about freedom of information cherish this is a core principle of democracy it's almost. pleading and letting a genie out of the bottle mr science has the internet and the governments and everyone else at their own game because he's gone to a place where others have not been before and he's introduced the types of information the range of information that previously were not available if one of the use the need here as the court of public opinion then julian assange which is someone who presents to the jury that is the viewers argument evidence voices which they almost never hear on mainstream media and it's up to the viewers to form an opinion but what many find ironic is that our forces under attack by the us government and the media for practicing poor for extend the freedom of information that america preaches around the globe and banished our reporting from washington

by point this is the weekly here in r.t. still to come this hour. the head of the orthodox church leads a service that's been dubbed in defense of the faith joining us from moscow's main cathedral very shortly. another weekend another scandal for nato forces in afghanistan the latest uproar is over a new photo showing american soldiers smiling and posing the corpses of afghans said to have been suicide bombers the white house maintains is just another isolated incident something antiwar activists strongly disagree with. this is what happens when an occupation last for ten years and is manifestly failing i imagine that the morale of the troops these are at rock bottom they have absolutely no idea what they're doing there they know that the populations in their home countries whether it's this country or the united states are overwhelmingly against the war and this is bound to produce a situation where the occupation becomes more brutal before ten years they they

know that they're on the run they know that the business of training the afghans to take over is actually resulting in a situation where afghan armed forces are increasingly shooting members of the occupying forces so i think that this is a generation of what was already are these are stress occupation and what the situation will be like when they go on is this but whatever that of cookies whatever the problems whatever the military situation is in the country it will at least to be afghans who are settling their own future at the moment we have a colonial system where the major powers are trying to run somebody else's country now we should have left that card of my blood to behind in the nineteenth century. nearly seventy thousand all thoughts believe is of gathered at moscow's main cathedral for a service in defense of the faith it was a number of high profile cases and vandalism of churches and sacred objects over the past few months he's artie's jacob greets. we can see and indeed here thousands

of people who've congregate it here at moscow's main cathedral crisis savior they're being led in perception by patriarch kirill now this perceives here's a number of hours of mass prayer and also a little tea service that was given this summer has been replicated around the country as a whole at some of the key centers of the orthodox church in russia some of its main cathedrals and really sent home to drum up support for the faith has been coming under some criticism of laces be facing some troubling times its leaders among them patriarch kirill say they've become under attack from an anti christian campaign and even have been attacks made on numbers our number of church properties around the country what taking place at a feature and present are where the front doors the entrance was set ablaze also

some of the religious symbols sacred symbols have also been attacked among them annoying two of the virgin mary and a crucifix some of those were held up high by patriarch kirill here today among those crowds that have gathered now respect the ring some of this resentment of the church on has been events that took place in favorite mass when pussy riot a punk for him with a very much protest message to two crisis a big cathedral there they tugged his best song at present elect that amir peretz and also at patriarch kirill and he said support for blood amir peretz in other words outcry among the faithful gatherers that them using such a sacred place for their demonstrations there's also been a lot of condemnation since from human rights groups who don't like how big church handled this saga and how it came down safely when it came to pussy riot.

greaves that. now in a few moments we'll be talking to one of the main contenders for the top job in france that will be after the headlines coming up shortly here not to stay with us tonight. but are killing innocent kids allies if they face

a crisis and that's never answered. mom a song from the school spoke with me i think of it every day. i feel the flashbacks from the memories. of so my son a long time this year trying to. i was assure you. i was ashamed that i didn't. i was ashamed that i had been a hero why i got. no legs. in the modern. world like the vietnam i was a fortunate. that i'll believe what i was growing up once or i think. that i was a good soldier. but namo soldier on the other side and i think i'm just a good.