buttle carb or the taliban says it targeted a minivan carrying military academy cadets in the west of the city fifteen soldiers were killed hundreds of kurdish protesters gathered outside the united nations office in their iraqi regional capital erbil they were protesting against the military operation by the iraqi army and shia militias earlier this week iraqi troops seize control of all the disputed areas in the north including the city of kirkuk. at least fifty five police officers have been killed and six more wounded in egypt's western desert it happened after a raid on armed fighters at the baria oasis on friday turned into a gun battle the interior ministry says some of the fighters were also killed china is refusing to condemn miramar over its crackdown on the wreckin show which the u.n. has called textbook ethnic cleansing china which is a longtime ally of me and now says it supports its efforts to safeguard peace and says situation can be resolved without outside help. the world health organization

is being heavily criticized for making zimbabwe's president robert mugabe a goodwill ambassador the u.k. and the u.s. are opposing the decision along with dozens of health groups and human rights activists. and those are the latest headlines here on al-jazeera coming next its people in power which takes a look at the surprising relationship between vitamin putin and the russian orthodox church. under communism the russian orthodox church was suppressed its property confiscated its fall it was paralysed and imprisoned now

a resurgent church is central to president putin's idea of russian identity an echo chamber to kremlin policies intent of rule so what lies behind these ever closer ties. the russian orthodox church claims the allegiance of three quarters of the population. so it's no surprise that blood to me of putin acknowledges its importance. or that its spiritual leader patriarch kirill returns the favor calling the president

a miracle of god. but some say the relationship between putin states and the orthodox faith goes far beyond mere recognition and expediency but it's a much made in heaven. that christian activist church has made russian id. others see it as an unholy alliance blaming the author dogs church for everything from the war in ukraine to providing cover for intolerance and repression. with a stolen africa. discouraged or even named because it's so what lies behind these ever closer ties increasingly evocative of russia's pre-code meanest imperial past. president putin's our leader that. given to us by good.

clues to the synchronicity between church and state can be found in most corners of putin's russia take the mike nissen by the ministry situated on an island in the middle of lake led doga europe's largest despite its remoteness thousands of pilgrims come to the sacred monastery which according to legend stands on the site where st andrew planted a cross. but these days the island is also home to a private waterside dutch are you. used by president putin strictly off limits. it's a sign of the times since the collapse of the ceviche union the russian orthodox church the scene a dramatic rise in its food chains. twenty five thousand new build or restore churches eight hundred one of stories millions of them believe us

we are on the way and now the trend you from europe to question is goes down in venice and go down in russia we have moral trends back to christian roots. every week a staggering nineteen new orthodox churches are either built or restored in russian . many welcome this increase including president putin seen here opening a new church with patriarch kirill the primate of moscow and all russia. but not everyone is happy. you have kenny lebedev is part of a group of parents who oppose the churches illegal seizure and why frequent utilization of a mosque a park in order to build a new church. which is. what he says it is not much and it shouldn't surprise you. that he should

michaelmas i said you were easy. but you would need a pretty accurate but it's what you. look for you on your. most sundays he and dozens of other locals gather to share their own position. but to openly questions such developments carries a risk as yevgeny discovered in november two thousand and sixteen. his home along with eleven others was stormed by police often. as in much time raids across the capital. is getting to me and. what is done to the us where you are in the breach of being my nation when you are going to go but what if the police would have you all for whatever money they would give the book were the biggest of. which were easily forgotten that what we

did. they officers were investigating a possible violation of a relatively new russian law that makes it a criminal offense to insult the feelings of religious believers. the raids were broadcast on national t.v. with the patriarch denouncing lebedev and his friends as pagans and cultists yes fashionable with your almost certain of the gospel but not with us from if we put it from you and us like a lot of the lost out of process of effect. we really mean it for the ng is just so nice thanks for the time you took to keep us richard butler peter king and the youth of. so we park when we are not. the new legislation was introduced in the wake of a now infamous anti putin protest by punk band pussy riot in moscow christ the

savior cathedral in two thousand and twelve. when members of the group mounted a older to such a rise the increasingly k.z. relationship between the church and state. following the protest members of the band served two years in penal colonies. this laws are based on fear and actually all this power all. power based on fear to lose this power. that's why they try to vent everything it means that he afraid of that. we wanted to talk to the russian government to get a response to these claims and find out why it feel so strongly that insults against religious sensibilities should be a criminal offense. blasphemy laws are still in place in

some parts of the world europe and the west put more emphasis on protecting freedom of speech. of the officials we contacted were prepared to be interviewed. critics claim the wide scope of this law has given a green light to religious zealots bent on stifling any views they disagree with. the country is now a war with groups who hold back to pre-revolutionary russia and the mana came. by kill the dog by an embarrassed whose motto is also dog see all day.

perhaps the most controversial and belligerent of these groups is soros cough funded by most gay businessman. which was. you. also the group holds this extraordinary event. of muscular brand of orthodox christianity is very evident. is. yes and. they used to. look at that and you. know aren't.

so rocks or a cough or frequently compared to near you know sees they are unashamedly nationalistic and say critics openly intolerant of other faiths. and i see it takes. some time. before mr aslaksen at low level to. address your. sorrow or deploy to the protesters as church construction sites. but they are. here. but they are so close book. about theirs which by the but they are six. david david brooks more liberal

elements within the church feel uneasy about the patriarchs links to such groups. who do nothing go down after new word of god should move more observer system when the bush recently i mean they you know the one crashed into them in their. chest and when comparing. them with the question you're still dealing what chance he shows the other two are some of this worst of. the chemo kind it's around the corner of the school there. who criticize wrong doing from within the church can face chilling consequences. the new kid scheme ministry is russia's oldest. when a former monk mikhail bottlenose explains how his superiors had encouraged her husband to abandon his wife and child in order to join the monasteries choir he was abducted and taken to

a nearby forest hung upside down and beaten. she just said because i knew he was watching videos you look you know you you walk away like you're. for growth he was there are millions of. what you. now provide thought yes the iraq store where the to give a little bit one thing the creature in the creature at least in the top of the statute is not. one of the if you're just now it's the one you know we're all thinking the same. the romanovs ny runs a website exposing the clerical eyes ation of russia and was he say's is the churches involvement with nif fascist paramilitaries. do you see what's happening with the internet. the former monk believes it is essential to raise public awareness before russia reaches the point of no return on.

churchill thank you for a. look. at them and i should say it's. over they don't trust the city. but mikhail is fighting against the time. orthodoxy is becoming mainstream. grudged t.v. a staunchly orthodox channel was launched two years ago and posts russia's fastest growing audience. its proprietor kremlin connected investment banker constant in malaysia says he is on a mission to spread the word about god and to tell president putin as our leader that given to albert court nobody could imagine that we would get a leader as a political. leader who can. make so many steps

for russia to be back on. on its values. the horse topic dominating the show jules is matilda a film which portrays on nicholas the second i can an address in overdog st as an adult for. these pictures can you still that he's going to ask you to take the shooting if you eat you alone cinema has already been torched and last month the lawyer representing the film's director was targeted by olsen ists. and you. think you hold that the soul of. the muscle seventeen. just about the most. hated to kill. the would just love it to kill or would just

rather that they said. yes but that's a lunge at the lights at the rate that they do lots of. it he feel like. there is nothing to ties or grudge t.v. to the incident which it condemns but in general it makes no apologies for its mission to promote all the doxy across a russian life. that's how aim to help our church we believe now in russia in the pyramid of true for christianity look at the west and west becoming to be less and less religious and lose and any values. according to the channel's editor in chief alexander doogan democracy in liberalism is a satanic idea that spells a death sentence for humanity that is the ideal for liberalism and globalization

and political elites just. united states their western europe and that is. conversing putin is viewed as a blessed. is symbol he reflects their russian society and the russian people in my life but you. can't imagine you. and you know me but you the. crucial point is he belongs to the globalist elite. in that sense he is an exception. because. he's not part of this. and it is enough to create. as a kind of saint. grudged t.v.

pushes putin's geopolitical agenda it's proprietor has even been accused of fueling the pro russian rebellion in neighboring ukraine. pressure for which with ukraine with what's happening on the last are you happy to talk about that now please it is not a new page and we are almost over and your film about. christianity. squeeze down but we don't want to talk about than hell. my other fear denies involvement in the war in ukraine but is on an e.u. blacklist of those deemed responsible for the conflict. indeed two of my life yes former employees became defense minister and prime minister of

the breakaway tanya people's republic. there is little doubt that all the dogs church members are heavily involved in don't buy. an ark is a priest as well as being a member of the russian imperial legion a paramilitary group who see it is their religious judy to retake ukraine. show when our special coverage just asserted you had the heaviest totals capitals of the sort of play on the borders of just income taxes nationalization i mean kind of mary so when you hear is just. playing in the studio. she has served three tours of duty in done by seeing action on each occasion. but i wanted them cut off so you're forced to wake up but i think of what i want to see said on the way we're open just to. look at tori that's the oldest

sibling gets to do you will. never see for sure which she wasn't just press a button which the character whose name was sort of finishing it was going to do us national knots. when you know what they said or thought you fit into that yes it doesn't just point where it's more than. that. but it's not just in matters military that the russian orthodox church is making its presence felt. a raft of new socially conservative legislation is turning back the clock. among the rules for. ated by patriarchal commission is one which effectively decriminalized domestic violence. lona and her three children are in hiding from an abusive father and husband even starting right out of the storm one but also new york. number you know what you

know i was asked would you. are you more the facts just you would always say yeah but you're also not in your own voice in your ideas i should be on the phone. he's not about such a lady gaga. your genius has asked a lot mom question yet you don't actually know almost a sure mom there are. under the new law a person is allowed to beat his spouse or child until she is bloodied obree used as long as the injuries don't require a hospital stay. the most severe penalty for such an offense is a fine comparable to a parking ticket. the church five hundred to encourage this idea yes. i. believe i believe in god. i don't go to her church because

i just stopped believing in people who work in the church because one of them said to me that i am treated the right way and it is all my fault. that i chose the wrong man and after that i stopped going to the church. and perhaps the most controversial law with strong religious implications introduced by the government of blood to me it is the anti terra rovio law aimed at extremists. it's sunday in moscow and we've been invited to a secret meeting by a group considered so dangerous by the russian government that that activities have been outlawed. at any moment the police could rate this flat. you on. your values and i usually just you might be surprised to learn

that these people are in fact jehovah's witnesses. or you know that. yes every time you think i have to root for bible what it. is that i ask and frost as ago. i believe i thought. you some of what i believe ordered was. but does it mean you were sure you could only put in the good news that says he had to live over. you and i did say you have it not on us but will it. last fifteen omed f.s.b. officers raided a private home arresting dennis christiansen a danish yes he was witness to a russian. asked me

when. i went to. meet. a court ordered his pretrial detention for two months christiansen could face up to ten years in prison. for. his crime attending a premie to. one you just saw so he's a lawyer one more. shots and that's what you've got with him doesn't reduce crime when you national candidate. cruel or even name crazy it's. just off to get a little but. boy you know that you got when you asked me smallpox. but it was obvious that. i thought it was a put cities but if they say it's come so used it in his acts of doing it looks to me. the law imposes strict restrictions on orthodox religious groups that hark back to the dog days of the

savior jeannine. a nine hundred ninety seven government commission concluded that most top clerics including patriarch kirill were informants for the k.g.b. an organization in which putin was a senior officer and was ultimately control in its new guys the f.s.b. . is. the church i mean christianity was banned in the years of people killed repressed. labor camps because they were christians they were oppressed. and now a church is like a forget everything. you're. going. back to the. kind of. the irony is that this is only

been achieved by the use of brutal methods similar to those ones deployed by the communists to suppress the russian orthodox church itself.

she was a society hostess in beirut in the one nine hundred forty s. she was in touch with a lot of people from the live in is the request to make this work a code name was the power and she spied for mossad in lebanon before. what she was doing it was such a big break as it would make out just see a world douses story of shoon ago in. the beirut spy at this time. the sam's in archaeology graduate from iraq he's also a part time going to billings pergamon museum which includes a reconstruction of the famous ishtar gate in babylon most of the people he's showing around came to germany as refugees this is just one of several billion museums taking part in the project called a meeting point and as well as bringing people together one of its aims is to emphasize the contribution of migrants right up to the present day to western

culture values office in language he had been done because i've been here for some time i can help them with lots of things that moves us forward to me the great thing is it's not just about museums to about forming a new life here part of life is culture. and indian mining company is heading to australia to build one of the world's biggest mines will it be an economic bonanza or an ecological disaster. at this time when i visit. al-jazeera. where ever you are. it will be the.