from heads to polls in a runoff wealth which will define whether we collapse like crazy will be the latest year leaders swept from his party by the crippling debt crisis. they drew from a presidential campaign is managed by escalating violence as protests against the military rulers turn from being peaceful and and and deadly clashes. in other news that shape this week russia's north caucasus is wrong by twin towers talks in the republic of dagestan that led to thirteen people dead and more than a hundred injured. and an anti-government rally is expected in moscow a day before president returns to the breadwinners dmitri medvedev believes will take a look at the legacy of the outgoing president. hello

and welcome to r.t. twenty following news live from moscow on you leadership of all up with the latest news and a review of the week's events first polls have opened in france as millions choose between the two candidates in the runoff vote the defending president nicolas sarkozy has a radical a and the election is on a knife edge as he closed in on arrival from so all around and the final polls. visit at the headquarters of both counts. as the french prepare to choose a 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 are certainly high hopes for that but of course nothing is certain until the french cast their ballots of polling agencies are the closest gauge of the public's pulse incumbent nicolas sarkozy is still trailing behind along by between four and seven points in the last final

pitch he presented himself as a president who will unite the country blaming sarkozy 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 it's 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 of nicolas sarkozy 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 sarkozy 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 franco 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 for the pen as well as a centrist a roof finish fifth in the race now at a time when unemployment is a top priority of french people it's not surprising that foreign policy has taken 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. paris. and do stay with r.t. for constant updates from france's millions that choose their next president. the syrian government has granted amnesty to two hundred sixty five rebels ahead of monday's multi-pass upon entry of the fast such election in decades meanwhile a series of blasts rocked syria's capital damascus and the northern city of aleppo on saturday killing at least three civilians and us our first reports now as blood

is continuing to bits played by both the regime forces and the opposition hopes to 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 before the bodies of the that they carried through the streets of damascus a few rolls the people who were killed under the station they just the story you've got the military the security watching this is at the same time as the u.n. observers are supposed to be here overseeing the peace plan not only in the day we have joined the u.n. observers one of the daily too is to flash point areas. this have been traveling to some of the areas where the fiercest buy things been breaking out and you can see

on the ground small slow steps are being taken in the observers are really going to be wanting over the coming period to be building on some observers are also based full time in some cities like homs and many have felt that their presence there has bought some car in december we have little time between stops to speak to the people who live here we do talk to tell us that the last few days have been quiet and they don't know how long that will last in a situation that much there's not much happening to. them about special people. people shooting a little breath away. exactly what was happening we're here at the checkpoints on the device you know 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 at some of the military checkpoints around here 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 school in rights 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 heights firefighters rushed to a demonstration service themselves admitted a resolution won't happen even night and it will have to come in large parts of the syrian people themselves but with parliamentary elections next week and with the it's the mission under close scrutiny the scenes like this will do anything to raise tapes that this mission will be a success but they will say show the very real and urgent need for it to be safe so . and later this hour we'll speak to 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. i don't think anyone in the muslim world thinks that we care much about human rights or democracy we have since the first gulf war planted military base 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. a resolution that calls for a removal or resolution. that 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 has seen a sharp surge in van as this week as mass rallies against the military and did 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 targeted by unknown assailants while staging a sit in against that kind of being barred from the race most rush to blame the military for their time but some locals and accident said the protesters were provoked the situation on side a weekly rally that this time was predominantly islamist also resulted in deadly clashes and hundreds of arrests police used water cannon tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the protesters to try to break through the bob why of the defense ministry and while the military keep reiterating there are hundreds of possibly like sure that it actually gets down and decides. 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. this transfer of power we should believe government. that won't change anything because in the end of the day i believe that. wants to hand power the day 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 the 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 scout. to another country that has been seeing anti-government protests for more than a year a prominent bahrain human rights activist has been arrested in the capital's airport in an incident many say could start that could further escalate on the rest the head of bahrain's human rights center job was detained upon returning to the

country had come back for sunday court hearing way of faces charges of participating in the protests police have not given a reason for their arrest but that speculation it could be links to a recent interview has given to the world's most famous whistleblower to lead a song i would have thought you had can have a chance to see this latest edition of the week oleksandr own show on tuesday right here on r.t. . i speak to two leading revolutionaries one from bahrain where the revolution failed was leadership where the revolution is now in turmoil what makes a revolution and where is the arab spring going to go. president dmitri medvedev has just one more day to enjoy in the kremlin before handing over to vladimir putin as russia zinaida also credited for his liberal views and push for reforms as well as steering a reset in relations with the u.s. but various presidents he also saw some of the largest protests in modern russia

history actually is a nice and now it takes a look back at his time at the top. regime. one term in the kremlin was it too little time to make a dent in 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 those in this case that only but he did the actions on the georgian side led to deficit among them a russian peacekeepers children women the elderly a dying in south sets most of them are citizens of the russian federation so those

responsible for the deaths of our citizens will be punished mr. right if the misconception that russia attacked georgia put serious strain on international ties into an independent council of europe report up held that georgia launched the attack for months medvedev spahn 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 the russian president at the time 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. as a result of hard work we've created

a treaty that fully complies with the interests of both russia and the u.s. back home medvedev wants reforms focusing on the justice system and rule of law you wanted less people behind bars. less persecution. businesspeople. and just special justified persecution. less corruption and i think that he has managed to start some cases jump start the process. but little change from high profile cases like me skip press is 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. we can be sure that without modernization the russian economy has no future it may be based on vast natural

there's also 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 but the secrecy and surprise of the smart added to the negative sentiment prior to the biggest protest russia has seen hears. heard. in december after claims of vote fraud in the parliamentary election medvedev came back on line and laid out changes that 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. be outlined a series of measures including the easy registration for political parties and direct polls for regional leaders maybe it is administration continues to stress

how much work is left as he prepares to step aside as president and take over as prime minister i have. all initiatives. discussed. hume here you prof told us. the government was a vehicle to implement all the initiatives put forth by the by prison to be different the critics aren't convinced debates are buzzing over what made it it's like it would be and how his policies might be implemented with him back in the family but made with it if moved as president would have only seen real results during or even after a second term in office leaving the question of how do you problem i mean what i did or did as president what you might do i mean he's now a r t. and the day before he returns to the kremlin antigovernment

protesters will take to moscow streets opposition activists initially promised a march of millions but now say they expect only around five thousand people to turn up and the norm this let's talk to martin not only russia specialist at the university of london mr mccauley welcome to the program sent tens of thousands of people filling the square from december to march but says don't support for that protest movement has somewhat evaporated so how do you see its future taking into account today's rally. i would see that as a natural progression because. there was tremendous anger at the results to the duba and then the election of the dealer put it but that has dissipated and people now realize it's a fait accompli but ima put in is going to become president dmitri medvedev will be prime minister and you have to accept the challenge now. is to arrange a better equitable distribution of wealth because if you ask the protesters what to

read off to after a better standard of living a greater say in how the country is run which means that you have a greater chance to live better and to live a better life that's corruption and live like people in the outside world so therefore if the economic situation improves if trickles down to this new middle class then the be less protest so you say the protest movement had just to accept that. to our side. as they really seemed like a unified must not just fractious minorities is that a fair assessment. yes they broke it up there's no charismatic leader of the opposition me here poor of if you like speaks for the urban middle class the urban with the very very small group in russia. that middle class needs to grow because a middle class the middle classes are the bedrock of democracy and

a stable country they are the people who make the country work there they're the engineers the scientists doctors and so on teachers and they're absolutely vital that class has to grow and they have to feel they have a stake in the country this living standards are rising and if that can be achieved then there'd be less protest and people work together to do important challenge is to win them over and to say i'm listening to you and i'm going to agree to work with you to be big russia stronger because russia economically are present in the very strong position because currency reserves are over five hundred billion dollars all is over one hundred dollars a barrel there's a balance of payments surplus there's a budget surplus and so on from a good economic point of view there's a lot of money there which could be which could trickle down and this new middle class would like some of that money they would like to participate in the building of the country and they themselves become richer as part of it.

so that's why this is race in russia has changed since person was a big helm last time and so has apparently the move the mood among many people in russia's biggest city is all we're likely to see a new fashion of him as a leader a he's set now. well putin challenge is to define himself as a new leader to provide a vision for the future because he's coming in as a third term president and many young people would say why a third term why not somebody new we need somebody new the new challenges and so on and we'd like to see a new vision and a new face so his challenge is really to say to people i've got a new vision and this is the way we're going to go forward and the key to it of course is the economy the distribution. reduction of corruption and he has to look at the established elites the very powerful economic elites which don't want anything to change they want to keep their wealth and so on but the the new rising

middle class the professionals and so on would like to participate and his challenge is really to reach out to the people outside the elites and say right i have a vision for the country and we're going to go forward. because renovate we're going to change because we conquer law and order and gas for the future because if the price of oil and gas goes down the road in trouble you have less diversified the infrastructure has to be rebuilt china is racing ahead russia has to compete with china so let's have a new vision let's dip dynamism that's a real challenge for him he's got to be if you like a very dominating but also charismatic leader you mentioned other world powers a person has been prime minister for the past four years which means officially he wasn't in charge of russia's foreign policy how well he's returned to power i think most close relations with other world powers that. well russia at present is

economically very strong and i would expect it would put an end to say russia has to be respected it must have a bigger voice in world affairs in the g eight g twenty if you didn't exist on you i would expect him to project russian power and to say to you know you states your economy is in tatters you're going you we're going forward and so on to live we want a more equal relationship we would like the united states to interfere less in the outside world would feel less in the middle east for instance but the real challenge for russia is china because china is racing ahead economically and the future of the russian far east. would almost certainly be in relation to china how is the far east going to develop because if you look at japan south korea and china those are the three more economic superpowers and so the russian far east has

to click in to get involved in that region so therefore the challenge for russia will be to establish better relations with china and perhaps much more chinese investment in russia this is a very sensitive subject but the chinese are prepared to invest in russia they've got the technology they've got the new how russia is also going to do a deal on gas because they can't agree on the price of russian gas to china china needs a gas but at present they just kind of agree on a price russia wants to export it existed to china and china needs an electricity the chinese are talking about building electricity stations in the far east for the export of electric power to china and so on so there are tremendous problems there's also tremendous opportunities and if you like the asian part of russia look towards china and the and japan and korea those are the countries of the future. and not in russia specialist at the university of london mr mahoney thank you very

much indeed. thank you and there will be bringing you live reports from the anti-government rally in the central moscow as it's set to begin at noon g.m.t. and on monday join us for our special coverage of the democrates inauguration from seven thirty g.m.t. in the morning. to interest to 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 and she's more of a notion to talk to the relatives of some of the victims as they mourn their loved ones. national mourning dagestan 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 europe. to massive car bombs hit the capital much collateral thursday claiming more than a dozen lives this freshly dug grave is the final resting place of twenty nine year old police officer. back of his name is hendrick know here. says he feels lost without his brother who'd acted as the head of the family since their dad passed away years ago. last happened i tried to call him but it vate recalls

that he called me back saying he was around to go into the sea to help he said all those fine with him but the scene is a mess and he has to stay out to help that 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 show me would see his brother would be in a morgue. piece of metal that have been places around the body and to his children it came through. to. 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 darkest town a merely the latest incident in a long running history of violence in russia's volatile caucasus 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 stopped the car for

documents checked 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 in ten take it all and i don't claim to the most victims the double attack one more most or 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 their right you hardly networks around the region is hosting this training 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 and the mother along with the wife

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 tried to calm me but. i don't know how long i'm gonna love but i'll live for the. leaves behind two little girls. i'll tell them to be google's their father is watching us and will tell them to 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. grief in action r t in russia's biggest on. the up to date and out of whack with a recap of this week's top stories shortly. join

me on a journey to the heart of the kremlin to a place is hidden from the tourists you're going to meet some real kremlin insiders although they may not be the usual newsmakers you see on t.v. .

that is to defeat it. wealthy british style is not. the time to write. hype that. market.