russia and germany wrap up what will be known as the octopus so mitt as the country's leaders agree to use food as a diplomatic weapon. america's longest war the length of the u.s. campaign in afghanistan supports this vietnam as the frustration with the growing human and financial costs bill. thirty five years together in russia and the us mark the anniversary of their first joint space flight before in cold war religions that all age.

a very warm welcome this is r.t. live from moscow i'm unless have it a growing closeness between russia and the west was on show was a joint russian german summers in the city of yeah got that in book president to me that had fed of an chancellor angela merkel joked about the world cup first a bug is but it made the smiles they got some business done with dozens of agreements signed our correspondent down a bushel is following the story. in the wind at their own burg it was very much a case of the madrid if and merkel malema sure if you like is the few countries leaders roths more of their personal strong relationship really highlights the country's two excellent relationship at the moment historically until it was

greeted chatted with mr medvedev in fluent russian he with her off to a top local restaurant where they enjoyed all to perth but later promised it was not paul the octopus who predicted that germany would lose in the semifinal over the world cup now there was talk of a trio of world leaders forward looking leaders barack obama reach revert if i glow merkel atros that line take troika if you like moving the world forward on security and defense issues with food as the unifying force let's listen in. let me draw your attention to the fact that germany is number one on the list of russia's partners we have long time relations which have not been spoiled even by difficult chapters in our history. when it comes to russia and germany's relations with other countries it's not like in school where you have just one friend we can have many friends germany and russia have their own issues they're completely different in

nature to translate into problems it's useful for us to be able to discuss them together the room for dialogue doesn't exist in the same degree with president obama as a does between us but the u.s. relationship is still very important and i think president medvedev also would like to read to read that this conference is no way should signalize a better relationship with president obama. well we have two options either the three of us going to need somehow megas we'd rather treat our friend barack obama to some kind of european cuisine. going to say and as i think the burger will taste best for me. so after all john siemens of germany really takes all of russia's modernization boxes today a place to join russia silicon valley a joint new project being built on the outskirts of moscow it will also modernize washes train system it's trains which are outdated and yet crucial to the country really relies on its trains a lot of parts of the country and thirdly wind turbines will build wind turbines an

eco drive in a country which is also trying to become more environmentally friendly the other big issue was iran of great wall concern at the moment as it continues to suggest it's moving towards a nuclear bomb but that of the pressure unless. iran is an active and proven trade partner but it doesn't mean that we are indifferent towards the way these limit republic is developing its nuclear facilities we are also concerned with some military components of its atomic program iran should find courage to begin fully cooperating with the international community to iran should do this even if it doesn't like some issues it's currently facing a friendly relationship between the two wrapping up what has been a very successful summit a very successful meeting between the two leaders and also business leaders and political leaders germany and russia really two of the strongest partnerships on

the world stage today where russia and germany are now in a position where they can get a real. fear there on the killing off editor in chief of the rushing global affairs web signs. it seemed a bit of friendly but it's more important to me to almost every every month and they have a lot to discuss so i would say the most important think about russian generalisations is that we don't need to break truth because every meeting used to be assessed according to breakthrough achieved or not so in russian german relationship it's so intense and so close that we don't need breakthroughs we do what we need just to discuss business. and a former k.g.b. officer says that the developing friendship between moscow and washington which allowed the recent spying scandal to be dealt with so quickly. with a leg and it's a prank i was about to come up with about three hours time here on aussie but

here's a quick preview. we take the broad dames any such small office chances for warming and we and we can see it i believe as a first time travel and rapid development and if you have to solution i feel happy ending for the relations seem even if you're going to compromise for the solution it was wrong to be quickly at these events are the top level of intelligence well during the cold war it used to take years to be fast. attacks and afghanistan we used an all time high in the bloodiest month for foreign troops since the start of the war it's now the longest military campaign in u.s. history surpassing the vietnam war and still there's no end in sight lorna's to reports it strikes. it's the comparison that cannot be avoided by press pundits and now politicians last month afghanistan surpassed.

a place that both ambassador holbrooke and i are all too familiar with. as the longest military campaign in american history committee chairman senator john kerry brought up the failed u.s. war of decades ago at a crucial time in america's current one. difficult. conflict a moment when questions about strategy and progress abound at a hearing on governance and the u.s. civilian strategy in the region the man in charge of it all a vietnam veteran himself tries to make the lesson of that history a fundamental difference between those two wars since you mentioned it mr chairman and this war our national secure. interests are at stake with the safety of the us at stake as richard holbrooke claims you might think congress would have crossed their t.'s and dotted their i's by now and fighting their longest battle as they're supposed to be united states constitution requires that before the united states

goes to war that there be an act of congress but just as in the vietnam war we've never followed that procedure with respect to the war in afghanistan and we centrally drifted into a war in a long term commitment a long term commitment that appears to be wearing on lawmakers who want to know this wouldn't be helpful for the president to at least lay out a flexible time for when the u.s. is getting out beyond the july two thousand and eleven date to start withdrawal u.s. president obama set it's given no assurance that this should be an open ended occupation holbrooke emphasizes the u.s. is committed to no calendar. leery of setting a date certain and aid here for the salute withdrawal but still the end game is unclear civilian and military operations in afghanistan are proceeding without a clear definition of success the ambassador is banking on the success of

reintegrating the taliban starting next week but little about afghanistan appears to be in u.s. favor it's not where you choose to fight to defend the american homeland it's the most remote logistical place in ited states has ever fought ancestry just who can put an end to this fight in the absence of withdrawal dates if military and political missions fail the congress has the ability to stop the war by not funding it as u.s. lawmakers and officials talk strategy and tout successes in afghanistan this comes amid as the waiting beilenson the region deal with the bloodiest month in the nine year conflict with one hundred international troops killed forty five have been killed so far. july with twelve of those deaths coming in the last day or so for r t m or leicester washington d.c. . where u.s. strategy needs afghan troops to take control would to win far from easy. to get to

the best has experience in. the overall strategy is to pass over leadership from the americans and the coalition forces to the afghans but as i experience when i was just in afghanistan a few months ago in the afghan national army training center again national army is going to be ineffective and unable to take over the leadership from the americans while you're going to hear a lot of talk about the iraq surge working because we've passed a rocky leadership over the iraqi army but the iraqi army is light years ahead of where the afghan army use the afghan army is is in effect given in every possible way so to tell we're going to gain momentum and unfortunately unless there's peace talks and peace negotiations the situation will always be a quagmire. still to come on the program a blog from. the season's apollo became so popular that alongside the memorabilia

a special brand of cigarettes was created just to mark the occasion. to be historic. and the significance of the event that's a merchandise it's. a rides to remember find out how an amusement park turned from fun to fear the visitors in st petersburg who were left helpless and dangling in midair. these suspected killer a prominent hugh russian human rights activist natalya estimate of has been identified and placed on a wanted list that's according to president to me that made a bet if you outlined the course of the investigation after a meeting with the german chancellor angela merkel it's a year ago today since estimate a vote was kidnapped and murdered in the north this is region she worked for the human rights organization memorial in russia's chechen republic she was well known

for her investigative work in the cases of kidnap torture and abuse of authority. well for more on all of the stories we're covering as well as videos blogs and interviews you can always log onto our website dot com here's a taste of what's on my mind. the psychic and took this is outdone by ukrainian animated in a special world cup edition of the karting don well in advance of the tournament they correctly predicted the teams in the fine old of school or even the red cards . class and find out what's in store for russian farmers who are struggling against the country's worst heat wave in forty years.

it's thirty five years ago today that the first ever international space mission was launched two spacecraft one soviets and one american blast the dolphin later doxie in orbit in the soyuz mission with the event was not only the beginning of space cooperation between the two countries but also a warming in cold war relations as out of our reports it was a turning point the launch that keenly fought called war species into new heights two rockets blasting off half a world away from each other would bring the soviet union and the united states into the same orbit. when so use nineteen and the apollo craft docked it ushered a whole new chapter in space exploration the first ever joint project between two better rivals it was a giant leap for the men on board two likely he was the second pilot in a say you screw. up all over it was one of the most significant moments in history

of russia and the u.s. before everything was secret all the details of our space programs every detail was a pool a project we could finally passed a barrier. you lady still remembers all the details of that flight from the technical to the happy banter between them and the american astronauts. who were showing the guys different cities and places in russia and when we were flying over the us brand was showing us florida i remember he said this is where all the tension has go to live thirty five years on most of these men once again get the chance to meet and share memories of their historic link up with my brother alex of the series commander is in the united states for the big day or. the launch was during the height of the cold war so this project wasn't of just technical and scientific importance it was also

a great step towards cooperation between russia and the u.s. there were no losers. there are plans for alex and his apollo counterpart thomas stafford to meet president obama but not until the friends have had a chance to catch up with each other but it was over a meaningful symbol to the people of the world when we opened the hatch. and showed to the world. the space race said in a way the joint space project had a huge impact on both sides of the atlantic a time when rocket launches captured millions of imaginations worldwide media conceived watch the c.u.z. reach into the sky and vividly remembers every emotion it stirred. up i was in the fourth grade and it was a huge celebration not just for the school but the entire city we got handed balloons flags and went to meet the cosmonauts and then later on we were all outside again to watch the actual launch i remember my dad who worked at the launch

pad he told me that this was the most important event of the century. thirty five years on and this a usable a project still fires people's feelings some are even banking on it the scenes apollo became so popular that alongside the original memorabilia a special brand of cigarettes was created just to mark the occasion back in the day these were incredibly popular and were almost impossible to find on the thirty fifth anniversary of the docking they are once again missing from the city stories cast readers are artsy moscow. while some rockets a blast of success from the office have a less happy ending attend the long lines that were left hanging by a thread literally when i mix train through a lawyer rocket like attraction almost ended in tragedy visitors to one of st petersburg's mismo honks were in for another song because a cable snapped. leaving them suspended in mid-air seventy metres up off the ground

. luckily rescue teams went to the sport just in time to free those stranded this is the first safety scare of the paulk two years ago a twelve year old girl suffered serious injuries after a trampoline accident also involving a snout. but the news in brief from around the world this hour. nuclear scientist who claims he was kidnapped by the cia a year ago has returned home shall merely says he was severely tortured to give up information about iran's nuclear program he also claims he was offered fifty million dollars to stay in the u.s. on monday he went to the pakistani embassy in washington and also to be said of the u.s. insisted lady had traveled to america on his own free will and if they're free. the vatican has issued a revised set of measures in response to

a series of child abuse scandals it extends the time in which action may can be taken against suspects from ten to twenty years after a victim's eighteenth birthday the vatican will say says those who abuse it mentally in adults will be punished the same way as those who abuse minors it's the first major vatican documents in the scandal erupted earlier this year with hundreds of new paedophilia cases coming to light. b.p. has replaced in leaking pipe it is planning to resume a key pressure test aimed at stopping the massive oil spill in the gulf of mexico it's hoped a new cap could finally help stop the disaster work was suspended a little early age of faulty equipment the needle a follows a string of failed attempts to contain the ongoing damage nearly three months after an explosion destroyed the deepwater horizon rig. well ponded chis is

a holding back with his views on what's happening in the gulf of mexico he claims the u.s. administration is not showing any signs of being able to prevent disasters like this in the future that's coming up in around ten minutes time in the latest edition of the kaiser. this is tony hayward he just committed an act of eco terrorism the gulf of mexico is the us pursuing him no the obama administration is now trying to pave the way to allow exxon mobil to possibly take over b.p. . yes they're going to let this eco holocaust just go by but then again in america back in the thirty's was an i.b.m. coca-cola and j.p. morgan they were complicit in the last major holocaust of the last century so the us has a bit of a track record here i wouldn't sell short the possibility of exxon mobil going after b.p. . time now for the

nation's business sees we have a million many can say with us. however welcome to our program thanks for joining me this hour the russian government will spend five i have billion dollars on the skolkovo innovation center which is intended to become russia's version of silicon valley during the meeting with chinese america when you go to board president medvedev said he hoped the modernization process would be quick counting all support from german partners the countries have always agreed the german engineering giant siemens would join skolkovo and create a new research center there it would have said he was encouraged by the strengthening of trade relations just spike the difficult economic conditions. in january to may two thousand and ten to return a bit between russia and germany grew by almost fifty percent the economies are recovering the main trade sicked is it was a recovery according to our data german investments russia's economy accounted for

around twenty billion dollars that makes this very happy. let's look at the markets now u.s. stocks have opened down for the first time in eight days that's after reports in jobless claims manufacturing and inflation provided a mixed picture of the economy on the flip side banking giant j.p. morgan became the latest company to report strong quarter results. a.o.p. in markets have also gone into first london and frankfurt are now down about half a percent. when you raise your natural resources are top losers on the pussy nearly four percent down and financial shares are weighing on the desks here in russia equity markets finished in the red cross nafta was the biggest loser on the r.t.s. falling two percent and it was high though shed over three percent although my six . the winning streak for the equity markets which is it lasted more than a week was broken on thursday and david view from beachy c b g c partners in london

explained that investors couldn't continue to hide from economic reality. equity markets have been heading off in their own merry little way tending and trying to ignore the quality of the economic data which actually hasn't been very good really from the last friday well the first friday of this month when the employment data was again disappointing yesterday we had a very modest rise in retail sales point five percent which again we expected much stronger figures and if the economy was really about to select another and today of course manufacturing output and industrial production figures the empire state was desperately disappointing and is a pointing towards some kind of a return to recession or if you prefer. not to standing all that is you so rightly said it's now seems to be a war of attrition or a battle between the second quarter earnings which at present turning out to be substantially better than people thought six weeks ago today of course we are

looking at j.p. morgan chase who sold disappointing results from their investment banking but people were thrilled that their write downs or impairment charges were less than four billion dollars and that they posted revenues of twenty five point one billion dollars on a profit of around four point eight billion dollars which was. more than acceptable shares a fairly flat and i think we're going to be more interested in what happens tomorrow with bank of america merrill and also to a lesser degree with citi group we had of course yesterday. wonderful figures. from intel which is set the time for people to say well i'm prepared to hang in with the equity markets but i think because they were over some six weeks ago there is perhaps a little bit of them unless of course the quality of the economic data continues to be very disappointing. as metal companies and l m k says it expects to

post a profit of over two billion dollars for the second quarter of this year the company said their results would be impacted by the risk. slight softening of steel prices and i love k. predicts that sales of the third quarter will be the same as of the second quarter of zero prices would show further declines. and yet ross another major russian metals company had been hours of twenty six percent increase in steel production in the second quarter in comparison to the first quarter the rise in profit is more modest at around seven percent. and of the precious metals sector russia's largest gold producer paul is gold says net income rose by two percent to fifty seven million dollars in the first half of two thousand and ten the company said the headline figure was given a significant boost by the receipt of dividends from us extracting subsidies. russian aircraft maker socorro plans to decide its biggest foreign contract worth almost one billion dollars next next year the company expects to confirm the sale

of thirty super jets at a price of thirty one point seven million dollars each company from southeast asia next week at farnborough airshow in the united kingdom earlier c.e.o. said the company would supply the first three super jets this year. and that will keep you update this hour i'll be back with more in fifty minutes from.

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