hello and welcome to our see twenty four hour news live from moscow. with the latest news and a review of the week's events but also opened in france as millions choose between the two candidates in their one of the defending president nicolas sarkozy has already claimed the election is on a nice edge close to rival francois hollande in the final polls. visited the headquarters of both candidates. as the french prepare to choose the future of their country word on the street here in paris is that they're likely to get a socialist president the first in seventeen years in the form of now here in front of the socialist party's headquarters there's certainly high hopes for that but of course nothing is certain until the french cast their ballots fully agencies are the closest gauge of the public's polls incumbent nicolas sarkozy is still trailing behind along by between four and seven points now in the last final pitch he presented himself as a president who will unite the country blaming cycle for having been

a divisive president alluding to his anti immigration rhetoric for instance poland also says he will be the want to bring back equality to the country to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor essentially by heavily taxing big companies and rich individuals a lot has also been one of the loudest voices calling for more growth in the euro zone criticizing be a sturdy driven measures imposed so far by the e.u. now some say that a vote for a launch is essentially a vote for change but others would point out that only in the sense that they've had enough. now on sarkozy side there's a sense of cautious optimism the president's re-election bid has been an uphill battle but the fight is not over for him yet he has appealed to what he has called the silent majority of people who he says would not want to see france go the direction that greece went on criticizing the socialist plan saku's he said he does not want to see more spending deficits higher debt and risk and indeed the markets have been jittery at the prospect of a no longer victory especially since there is a potential for a frankly german deadlock on the fiscal pact that was agreed upon and what sarkozy

is hoping for now is to get the voters of the national pen as well as a centrist fossil bayrou finished fifth in the race now at a time when unemployment is a top priority of french people it's not surprising that foreign policy is taking a back seat however it will be soon enough that the next president will have to deal with these matters so as the french go out and vote and choose the france that they want the rest of the world is watching and waiting to see what kind of france they will have to deal with. tesser cilia r.t. paris. stay with r.t. for constant updates from france as true as the next president. the syrian government has granted amnesty to two hundred and sixty five rebels ahead of monday's multi-party parliamentary vote the first such election in decades meanwhile a series of blasts rocked syria's capital damascus and the northern city of aleppo saturday killing at least three civilians and soft earth reports as blood has continued to base played by the regime's forces on the opposition hopes rest on the

growing u.n. observer mission. in the heart of damascus thousands come out to. the funerals of people killed during clashes in the capital once again drew into focus the very precarious situation the country now finds itself in before the bodies said that they carried through the streets of damascus as the heroes the people who were killed under the station they here's the story you've got the military the security watching that this is at the same time as the u.n. observers are supposed to be here overseeing the peace plan and not only in the day we've joined the u.n. observers one of the daily to is to flash point areas. this have been traveling to some of the areas where the this is by things being breaking out and you can see on the ground small slow steps are being taken and the observers are really going to be wanting over the coming period to be building on the. observers are also based

full time in some cities like homs and it led many have felt that their presence there has bought some car or we have little time between stops to speak to the people who live here those we do talk to tell us that the last few days have been quiet they don't know how long that will last long in a situation is much calmer there's not much happening here now while i'm about to show people. that i'm sure people shooting and i ran away i don't exist. it was happening we're here at the checkpoints on the device of the u.n. have just done a tour through the area it's been a very very fast trip they've literally driven through stopping some of the military checkpoints around to speak to some of the people but no more than five ten minutes at a time to give you barely enough time to speak to some of the people in the area and get a feel for exactly what's been happening here was the observers presence here does

seem to have made some small in the situation in the country is far from stable tension in the capital of damascus is palpable explosions here a regular occurrence now and security everywhere is tight firefighters rushed to the scene after a demonstration service themselves admitted a resolution won't happen even night and it will have to come in large parts from the syrian people themselves but with parliamentary elections next week and with the observer mission under close scrutiny scenes like this would do anything to raise hopes that this mission will be a success but they will say show the very real and urgent need for it to be. served . damascus. the syrian opposition is reportedly sending its militants to kosovo to be trained to the assad regime to be going to the same guerrilla comes built for the kosovo liberation army a group that was seen as terrorised by the u.s. the u.k.

and france and. the foreign affairs for the u.s. based chronicles magazine good can come from this. the charolais was singularly unsuccessful in its rebellion against the serbian security forces until the nato bombing and even then they were not engaging in combat they were acting as mere orders complete cleansing not obey any now this should be a huge wake up call for those syrians who are not supportive of the opposition especially in the minorities the syrian rebels are on the k.l.a. that means there will be a bloodbath product at the end of the fall of assad and there will be no room for any one about the majority group which subscribes to its extremist creed or whether it is there to a greater albania in kosovo or. muslim brotherhood not shooting syria.

and later this hour we'll speak with also on the war correspondent chris hedges who things there's no point in pushing for the ouster of syria's president when there's no organized opposition in the country. anyone in the muslim world thinks that we care much about human rights or democracy we have since the first gulf war planted military bases some the size of small cities i think there is at this point absolutely no credibility i'm talking about within the middle east when the united states claims that it would like to bring liberty or democracy to syria my feeling is that everything should be pushed through to create some kind of a ceasefire rather than pass a resolution that calls for assad's removal or resolution. calls for intervention or anything else there's no real formal opposition you know it's a sort of a mess and they just went through this in libya.

egypt saw a shot sergeant violence this week run is against the military rulers ended and deadly clashes tension between the interim authorities and protesters has intensified less than three weeks before the country's first post revolution presidential election on wednesday at least nine people were killed when a group of ultra conservative islamists were at times by unknown assailants while staging a sit in against that kind of it was fun to raise most rush to blame the military for the time but some locals and acts of it said the protestors were all and provides the situation inside a weekly rally that this time was predominantly islamist also resulted in deadly clashes and hundreds of our red police used water cannon tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the protest and to try to break through the barbed wire defense ministry and while the military keep reiterating that they will hand that power off lightly actually they actually doubt that will bring the. the

military wants to crush this revolution every way possible and they're using every tool they have including the government which is not adhering to any of the demands that have been put forth since the first day of the revolution many believe that even if. the scouts transfer to power we should billion government. that won't change anything because in the end of the day i believe that gaff wants to him power today before the thing is that they want to hand over power without being prosecuted for any of the crimes that they have been committed for that they have that they have committed in the past year and a half any outcome that will come out of this presidential process that even the any election process will only be favored scouts until another country that's been seen antigovernment protests for more than a gear problem and bar res human rights activist has been arrested in the capitals and that incident many say could further escalate unrest the head of bahrain's

human rights. was detained upon returning to the country that had come back for sunday court hearing where he faces charges of participating in the protests police have not given a reason for their arrest but speculation it could be linked to a recent interview had given to the world's most famous whistleblower julian assange and you have a chance to see this latest edition of the we can link found his own show on sunday is it rather here on r.c. . to speak to two leading revolutionaries one from bahrain where the revolution was in egypt where the revolution is now in turmoil what makes a revolution and where is the arab spring going to go. two entire taxa rocked russia's republic of dagestan on thursday night killing thirteen people and injuring more than one hundred two car bombs went off in the capital

within twenty minutes of each other maria talks to the relatives of some of the victims as they mourn their loved ones a. national mourning. under muslim tradition three days after the funerals family and friends come to the symmetry twice a day to pray and to paris packed to their loved ones over. two massive car bombs hit the capital on thursday claiming more than a dozen lives these freshly dug grave is the final resting place of twenty nine year old police officer. back of his name is hendrik and here. says he feels lost without his brother who'd acted as the head of the family since their dad passed away years ago. when the first blast happened i tried to call him but it vague but he called me back saying he was around to go into the sea to help he said all was fine with him but the scene is a mess and he has to stay out to help i could hear cries and sobbing through his

phone he said i'm going to call you in five to ten minutes ok. but he never called back the next time she would see his brother would be in a morgue. a piece of metal that the big places around the edge of his chair came out through. the symmetries keeper says at least this family had a body many others received only body parts in plastic bags it's a sad fact that the recent attacks on the police and authorities in dagestan a merely the latest incident in a long running history of violence in russia's volatile put this is region but thursday's tragedy has already become the most devastating in months the first explosion took off here. when officers from this police post stop the car for documents check apparently the driver was a suicide bomber minutes later as many police cars and i'm real and stains and

emergency crews and fire brigades reach the area the second last occurred it was much more powerful you can see the crater is huge one some reports say the second last had a force of one hundred kilos into intake coolant and it claimed the most victims of the double attack one more mortar another is a tactic commonly used by international terrorist organizations such as and qaeda in places like iraq and afghanistan is designed to kill as many people as possible if the right jihadi networks around the region is hosting dreaming is even funding some of the activities of you know terrorist in russia in an instant lives were snuffed out families left devastated. women again under the rules of islam don't go to cemeteries they grieve at home in the modern along with the wife or the t.p.o. say he never liked cameras and they have to console themselves with the few

pictures they have. been left in the morning and then came back you forgot something i told him this is a bad luck will be fine mom if you try to calm me but. i don't know how long i'm gonna live but i'll live for value it. leaves behind two little girls still where you will i'll tell them to be google's has a father who's watching us and will tell them to be proud of him because he was a brave man he ran to help and died he was the best father in the world i'll tell than. in russia's dagestan. you know with all c. and still ahead for you this hour on his thursday in office u.s. president barack obama made america promises a trial on the hopes to keep away from you as saul is set to highlight of banners and. that as u.s.

secretary of state hillary clinton praises recent talks with china relations between the two sides that still clouded him down. but before that frozen dmitri medvedev has just one more day to join the kremlin before handing over to vladimir putin as russia's leader all the credit for his liberal views and push for reforms as well as steering ever sat in relations with the u.s. to develop his presidency also saw some of the largest protests in modern russian history she's a nice and now it takes a look back at his time at the top. but he didn't but i c's gave you get out see did meet the guy that told me that should be the video of one term in the kremlin was it too little time to make a dent mr medvedev is going to be remembered as someone who had genuine reform intentions and who was impeded on achieving all of those reforms through the political process through the structure of the political system.

at the dawn of his presidency georgia attacked south is said here by the media and much of the world community blamed russia destroy. that only but even the actions on the georgian side led to deaths among them a russian peacekeepers children women the elderly a dying in south setting most of them are citizens of the russian federation those responsible for the deaths of our citizens will be punished mr. wright the misconception that russia attacked georgia put serious strain on international ties into an independent council of europe report up out that georgia launched the attack for months madrid of foreign policy was overshadowed by the war but it wasn't long before a warming in u.s. relations something many argue is his foreign policy legacy the words of the

russian president at the time of the reset button press and u.s. and russian relations dramatically improved over the next few years by twenty ten medvedev and obama signed a new start and cut both country's nuclear arsenals by a third. year as a result of hard work we've created a treaty that fully complies with the interests of both russia and the us back home medvedev wants reforms focusing on the justice. system and rule of law. one the people behind bars. this persecute. business people for justice special justified persecution. corruption and i think that he has managed to start some cases jump start the process. but little changed on high profile cases like me ski precious former richest man still

serving his sentence for economic crimes madrid has pushed for modernization and diversification could have been a highlight of his presidency and he still has a chance to if he presses on as prime minister and with a chest we can be sure that without modernization the russian economy has no future it may be based on vast natural resources but we cannot rely only on them the job swap with putin was the last straw for medvedev supporters who hoped he would run for a second term the secrecy and surprise of the swan added to the negative sentiment prior to the biggest protest russia had seen in years. in december after claims of vote fraud in the parliamentary election medvedev came back on line and laid out changes but his response was too little too late yet but

if i propose complex reforms to our political system. i don't discuss that i hear the people who are demanding changes and i understand i can with you. he outlined a series of measures including the easy registration for political parties and direct polls for regional leaders maybe it is administration continues to strasse how much work is left as he prepares to step aside as president and take over as prime minister i have loved. so that will be continued on the president bush and all initiatives all the strategy has been discussed with him here you proved all the things the government was key vehicle to implement all the initiatives put forth by the by present need to be different but could exist aren't convinced debates are buzzing over what made it looks like it will be and how his policies might be implemented with blue chip back in the family but made it through this

move this president would have only seen real results during or even after a second term in office even the price should not be a problem by between what might they did as president what he might do. he's now a r t. a day before person returns to the kremlin antigovernment protesters will take to moscow streets opposition activists initially promised a march of millions but have later said they expect around five thousand people to turn up and will bring you live reports from that rally and on monday join us fast actual coverage of the presidential inauguration from seven thirty jantina morning .

has been held at gun tunnel bases to thousand and six yet he stood in front of a military tribunal for the first time in three years only yesterday the confessed mastermind of the nine eleven attacks khalid shaikh mohammad and his four accomplices refused to also question so and to a plea during the seven hour hearing that charged with almost three thousand clouds counts of murder and could be sentenced to death the trial is being held by a military tribunal at guantanamo after an attempt to try the man in the glass bay three years ago because of a public backlash and american lawyer eric montalvo believes the timing and planning of the trial is questionable. one has to wonder why now you know

within twenty four hours of president obama taking office issued an executive order to close guantanamo bay as the most powerful leader in the world and that did not occur for what reason i have no idea how us or three years later on the eve of another election i think what they're trying to do is take that issue off the table and say well we're at least trying to proceed in an orderly fashion but i think it's a fairly thin veil and people will be able to see through it does a tremendous injustice to the memory of those victims are not a little bit and i think it does a tremendous injustice to the thing that we call the justice system in america they have no plan and it's taken three years to get to this particular point and this is going to be another tremendous and sad waste of us resources on a matter that can be resolved in a number of different ways and they just certain not to do so. don't forget all the

stories we're covering are also lined up on our website so you there's always plenty more online for you they face a threatened to boycott the euro two thousand to twelve championship in ukraine over the treatment of the country's x. premier you lead a pope who claims that she has been beaten by prison guards and it's made controversy over a vizio reportedly showing the pm striding a round of cell despite saying she was bedridden all the details as procedural called. in. the world witnesses they dorning over the supermoon at event which sees our celeste hill neighborhood turned much bigger and bright said to discover that he's held on the website.

the relations between china and the u.s. two nations many see as rivals have been described as the most consequential of the century by hillary clinton the remarks came after the u.s. secretary of states today high stakes talks in beijing but despite the praise the visit was overshadowed by a number of disagreements china teased washington of meddling in its internal affairs by shouting at chinese dissident activists though later beijing has agreed to let him about that it's also wary over the u.s. military buildup in the asia pacific and with the most like an apparent effort to contain china's growing regional plant dr kahn hardener from the foreign policy in focus think time believes the u.s. china corporation is being forced upon them. it's very bipolar kind of relationship because in many ways not china is our number one trade partner. and they hold the trillions of dollars in u.s. bonds we are all kind of locked into an international market so on one level the

cooperation is kind of forced on us by the fact that we're so interlinked at the same time you get this growing military tension and chinese are also very uncomfortable about the fact that about eighty percent of their energy suppliers arrive by sea generally through the yellow sea those to the energy supplies are basically controlled those waters are controlled by the u.s. fifth fleet and the u.s. seventh fleet and that makes the chinese nervous. i'll be back of the head life shortly anyway.

they've escaped this insanity to greed. to. make to feel. civilization notice their absence. but is there life outside civilization possible.

welcome back this is our see the headlines. from these heads to polls in a runoff while which will define what the equinox cyclizine over the latest do you need to sweat from his post by the crippling debt crisis. gyptian presidential campaign is marred by escalating violence as a protest against the military with time from being peaceful and a deadly clash it's. also russia's north caucuses as walked by twin terror attacks in the republic of dagestan that left thirteen people dead and one of the hundred injured. plus an anti-government rallies expected in moscow a day before lemma pleated takes over from to me trying to decide if i was russia's president. up next.