i. you are with r.t. as we are highlighting the week's top stories and r.t. crew spent thirty two hours in a u.s. jail after filming a peaceful protest near the so called school of assassins in the u.s. state of georgia reporter kalen forward says she and her camera man were brutally hanka put in the same cell with criminals and despite condemnation from human rights watchdog the o.s.c. e the case was ignored by the media. it started off as a rally outside a u.s. training camp for latin american military and police officers followed this nonviolent protest caught everyone by surprise dozens were arrested police targeted journalists along with the activists i'm a member of that right. i'm

a member of the present sorry ok i'm sorry among those arrested were are to correspondent kayleen support and or to cameramen john conway both there on assignment covering the protests that brought together thousands of people. here the only thing i asked the officer to please remove the handcuffs these plastic handcuffs and at least put one on that was a little bit looser he took out a hunting knife to remove my handcuffs and that's actually part of the reason i have the cuts on my wrist for our worst killing had no clue what the charges against her were we asked on the bus what are we being charged with and one of the sheriff said don't worry no charge the ride is free we're taken to the county jail and we ended up spending thirty two hours there student tommy where mirrors who was there as an activist tells a similar story i kept asking them what did i do to tell you my rise tell me why i'm getting a wrist i kept asking them and i never got a nonsense from them every year thousands of people gather at the gates of the

training camp dubbed the school of assassins calling for its closure officially there to train latin american military and police it's called many of latin america's most notorious torturers mass murderers and dictators despite anger at the establishment violence has never been part of the protests so why the mass arrests now we feel like the message was look you know we don't want you to be there we're going to make it dangerous you know to make you think twice to even show up despite the outcry from many at the rally that their rights of freedom of speech and assembly were trampled upon. it's not a story that's caught the eye of the us media we can see the newspapers of this country editorialized in favor of free speech and first amendment and give stirring in passionate defenses of these core american values but when another journalist from another media outlet is arrested without charge without provocation and put

onto a paddy wagon those media outlets are largely silent and i think it's because they feel like these are stories that aren't supposed to be covered well i guess so much for covering stories ignored by the u.s. mainstream media the incident at fort benning left some guessing what would have been the extent of the media coverage in the west had a member of the foreign press been treated in a similar way in some other country say russia the remarkable thing about a good thing you know in moscow here a b.b.c. correspondent or a c.n.n. correspondent had gone to a demonstration where there was a legal permit and was roughed up by the police in the case of our correspondent she was almost sexually assaulted those are her words that would made headlines all around the world it would have been a diplomatic row between countries but you know in the case of the united states the international community is can damage what's happened and called on the u.s.

to respond even the organization for security and cooperation in europe sent a letter to secretary of state hillary clinton calling the journalist arrests disturbing. while it is clear that police pleiku should rule in maintaining or do during public demonstrations the indiscriminate media in bringing charges against them goes well beyond what's necessary to keep the peace but the u.s. state department which is usually quick to condemn freedom of speech violations in other countries has remained surprisingly tight lipped about its own kind of shaken r.t. washington d.c. . so just how much freedom should journalists have while covering events like protests cesar laurean oftenest also known as the president took to the streets of the big apple to find out what people in new york think about that that's coming your way later this hour but for the meantime here's a quick preview. we need to be more thoughtful about how we allow the press to

capture what's happening so we can get a legitimate true view without encouraging people to do do things that they wouldn't otherwise but the fact is if you're going to go someplace to protest to get that really hard story you've got to be repaired for the fact that life is going to sometimes intercede about law enforcement but if it should be a intercede if the people are being a really oh hell yeah what about it the press are being unruly the press is being unruly same things apply you break the rules that's what happens if you're not willing to accept the consequences for your actions don't take the actions. twenty six suspected terrorists with alleged links to al qaeda were arrested in europe this week eleven of them are suspected of being part of a chechen islamics network planning to commit attacks in belgium the group is also thought to be raising money for terrorism in russia's volatile north caucasus region those were detained in connection with

a separate probe targeting an extremist group recruiting jihadi fighters for iraq and afghanistan british security analyst peter power says once it's lost clear that russia and the west are fighting a common enemy the potential for cooperation is vast. let's not fool ourselves that al-qaeda is somehow great regiments of uniformed soldiers marching over the horizon it is in fact much more of a franchise yes there's a strong power base in the foothills between afghanistan and pakistan and it's clearly as a strong kabul now operating in yemen but we're now seeing this creeping out under this broad term of al-qaeda but it doesn't necessarily mean it's got the official stamp on it but we are now seeing of a commonality that we haven't seen before whether it vindicates totally all that russia has been saying for many years that terrorists are terrorists you could be if you killed by the ira or chechen terrorists all al qaeda you're just as dead we

are now seeing something which i've never seen before i'm president of cooperation . security analyst peter power speaking there well russian president dmitri medvedev has urged the country's political system to be shaken up in his latest video blog he said there are signs that the country's stability is threatening to stagnate. if the opposition has no chance at all of winning a fair fight it degrades and becomes marginal if the ruling party never loses a single election it is just coasting ultimately it to degrades just like any living organism which remains static for these reasons it's become necessary to raise the degree of political competition but our main task the task of any democracy is to improve the quality of popular representation make sure that the political maturity is not just static old rather that it does not become the majority consisting of actors and dummies but doctor of political science and

a united russia party member dmitri pollack can off says the opposition should draw a conclusion from the message as well. i think he was trying to say that actually at the top this should develop with relates both to united russia and to opposition parties so in the united russia we have already started a lot of innovations such as primaries. the development of the interparty of discussion the size of participation the open public debates and so on and so forth i think the same should be done by. then says well and it will be very important because as we all know the quality of decision is taken by the authorities depends on the quality of crete this is maybe so they need to have very good feedback. both united russia and up of three parties that should provide this kind of feedback in order for system to be sustainable that was dmitri pollack on

the fall of the united russia party well you all with you it's good of you to join us today and still to come here in the program as russia pledges more help for nato is campaign in afghanistan many experts down the wall that can actually be one. understand what you're going to use for heating. your nuclear power what are you going to use. energy efficiency advice coming from vladimir putin during a business visit in germany stay with us for the details. in switzerland people are heading to the polls for a referendum on whether foreign criminals should be expelled from the country and nationwide ballot was initiated by a right wing party their proposed measures have raised questions over whether the swiss are discriminating against immigrants. reports from. just a year after the swiss voted in favor of

a controversial law banning the building of new minarets and mosques they're going back to the polls for another yes or no decision now this time it's relation to the mandatory expulsion of foreign criminals who have committed serious offenses such as murder or rape the proposal for this law was put forward by the a swiss people's party people with. heavy criminal courier there is no place for them to treat some or at least the idea they're getting a lot of support actually from the people according to initial surveys because of all these stories of swiss nationals being attacked by foreigners who may file to fight trying to get to. keep other people lose who's didn't see anything and have no respect for them one that switzerland has the highest per capita rate of immigrants that twenty percent of their population are actually foreigners so it's a very sensitive topic here in switzerland so. you can't keep them all out we need

immigrants period now where we have a backlash from the european union and the wider world the government has put forth a counterproposal they amended the list of crimes it's different from a proposed by b.s.p. pete and also they are saying that it has to comply with international and swiss laws humanitarian laws it also states that expulsion must be limited to convictions of a year or more so it's kind of a softer version of the s.v. peace proposal if the s.t.b. is insisting that a hard line is necessary now critics of this proposal are saying that this is very unfair that in the eyes of the law everyone should be treated equal can you make a difference between a drug dealer who was from the judio from russia from india or he's a swiss is a drug dealer a drug dealer a better woman so i don't make a difference between someone who is doing something wrong the law should not look where the he's white bra and black or what the they are also questions of the

separation of families should a prisoner convicted be sent out of switzerland what happens to his family if they've been living here for more than four generations for example but don't have the papers what is going to happen to that to there are a lot of questions coming from the other side the critics of this proposal and so we're going to have to see what the swiss are going to vote whether it's going to be a yes or no. has also. in reporting negotiations between the e.u. finance minister and the irish government on a multi-billion euro rescue deal looting in brussels the country's economy went into meltdown this week under the weight of its banking debt and there's been public outrage of the government's handling of the crisis about fifty thousand people marched through dublin on saturday protesting against harsh austerity measures being introduced to cut the country's huge budget deficit demonstrators say ordinary working people are taking the hit for the rich and the banks meantime elsewhere in the eurozone there are fears portugal and spain may be next in line

for a bailout german economist marcus kerber told r.t. that europe's biggest economies won't be able to pay the debts of others forever. the german taxpayer is no longer willing to lease is very very becoming very reluctant to bail out countries like greece where the example of very bad governments and we are no longer willing is neither to bail out ireland to fuel an ailing banking sector i think this is a general incentive this umbrella which the. heads of government have created in may under the minutes of the president of the european central bank this is so large that everybody wants to be protected and the more it's raining cats and dogs the more they want to be protected and the portuguese. prime minister and the finance minister pushed island to put themselves under the umbrella to be under the umbrella themselves as quickly as possible this is an inflation of claims to be bailout which will ruin of the eurozone sooner or later germany is economically nor

the able to. bailout. the german taxpayer who has a word to say in all that is no longer willing to do saying something like that. currency union between russia and the european union is a possibility russian prime minister vladimir putin and german chancellor angela merkel have now admitted the statement was made during putin's visit to germany on friday the russian premier said the euro is much more reliable than the dollar despite current difficulties in the region putin also said he no longer sees any obstacles to russia's accession to the world trade organization russia and germany agreed now to clear the path to increase business links to develop science and technology together and in a meeting with a german businessman the russian prime minister managed to lighten the serious mood over energy supply. so the german community

doesn't the nuclear power i don't want to make any comments. you don't understand what you're going to use for heating. he don't develop new nuclear power what are you going to use he would. have to get them to thank. for you here on. the basin of life to the hot bed of death. metal monsters like this fishing vessel said here abandon waiting for the sea water to return to the deserts of kazakstan international rehabilitation after taking a back to the arrow through it may once again return when the friend joined me in central asia to explore what used to be one of the world largest landlocked body of water. this week russia decided to give more help to nato struggling campaign in afghanistan and agreed to allow the airlines to transport

armored vehicles through its territory the transit deal was confirmed by russia's foreign minister during talks with his afghan counterpart here in moscow to allow nato to reduce. it's reliance on volatile pakistan sort of a level off also pledged russia will continue to provide the tools to battle the drug flow from afghanistan last month russia and the us destroyed one ton of heroin in a combined anti drug operation in the country or despite successes like that many experts still believe the americans are yet to learn that this cannot be won. my basic view is that the war is completely unwinnable russia may be making friendly noises towards nato now because of that as we know there's a rapprochement between the alliance and russia but in my view it's basically formal in other words these are gestures but they're. meant well i don't think russia is playing

a double game i'm not trying to say that i'm simply saying that the war cannot be won the soviet union learned that lesson in the one nine hundred eighty s. the british learnt it in the nineteenth century and the americans are in the process of learning it although it seems that they haven't learned yet so i don't believe that a military solution could in other words the shipment of arms could pacify afghanistan no meanwhile the latest pentagon report shows that the violence in afghanistan has increased and the insurgency is strong and expanding u.s. military chiefs are also admit that progress is uneven with just modest gains against the taliban. has been watching troops in iraq gearing up for the move to afghanistan to boost the american led forces there but many worry that more troops means more violence. i will try what she's trying to do is coming to an end he's part of the american forces who stayed behind to train assist and he quit iraqi

security forces definitely sure there was a bomb that's for sure no one knows whether once they hear the genesis not just movement of troops and equipment since world war two the u.s. army is moving its supplies from iraq to afghanistan certain equipment such as are en route. mine resistant vehicles our humvees are those types of equipment a lot of our rolling vehicles rolling stock of course and some generation that equipment yes will be dedicated towards the mission in afghanistan but critics warn that moving troops won't help much that. when i've gone people see u.s. forces inside their country it brings antagonism and makes them turn to terrorism and al qaeda so is more american troops come here from iraq it will just make things worse i don't believe the americans will leave for another fifty years they

have two of the main military bases here and then building the americans leaving iraq also sends the wrong message to insurgents the afghans seeing the americans withdrawing from iraq and they think themselves ok they're going to withdraw in a year or two we got a hold on things will take control in a year or two it doesn't matter i will quote she's already been told he'll be going from iraq back to afghanistan it'll be his second time there and he's not looking forward to it i would definitely say that afghanistan is a lot more difficult and so the terrain is a lot more heavy the mountainous region is we have to do a lot more walking there and whether the beefed up presence in afghanistan will help troops meet mixtures deadline to pull out or make it more difficult it's still unclear the guys didn't just come back from a patrol everything went to cover next one. will be discussing the american effort in afghanistan with the country's foreign

minister that interview is coming your way in just around ten minutes. house almost shore is a dream for some but for those who live at the coast of the hour all see it's a nightmare once the world's fourth largest lake it has been nearly drained by a serviette irrigation projects over the years but people who live here believe that one day the sea will return and there are signs their wish may soon come true . there are people living at this harbor who have never seen the water which once lapped at its walls the former port city of a raskin kazakstan was once a bustling hub of business and human activity but beginning in the one nine hundred sixty s. rivers feeding massive cotton fields for the soviet union diverted water away from the rivers that fed the erroll sea they have to hope real killers and i came here to see was close to the city my husband and i have baits and we would swim to the

islands for picnics on the weekend we swam and lay in the sun place of the sea started moving away the waters became shallow and then just joined up my children saw it only in the pictures until the waters were so aggressively diverted the air all sea was the size of ireland. disappearing sea took with it fishing jobs commerce and an entire way of life just a few decades ago where i'm standing now as far as the eye could see was bright blue water ships just like this bobbing up and down bringing in the day's catch now when you drive across the former seabed all you see is abandoned villages abandoned ships and camels now people here call it errol coom or errol desert. others who motor soviet planned economy is largely to blame for the dying of the aral sea all decisions are made in moscow which took no account of the ecological balance of that region the consequences of that could be felt as early as in the

one nine hundred sixty s. the r.e.c. region the fines the terms pre-crisis crisis and disaster. it was after the collapse of the soviet union that people were faced with the seriousness of the disaster the sea had split in two in two thousand and five experts harnessed what little water still flowed into the lesser erroll see from this river by building a coke. and eighty seven million dollar project funded in part by the world bank the smaller body of water had become the great hope of the future. we had over two hundred people here from russia and his backers stand the workers very hard and many of us lived here on site for two or three years but now we're happy to say the time has come to pack up the structure is working perfectly. welcome to news after years of failed dam projects and wasted water in just a few short years these small downs have turned parts of the cows like desert back

into a seascape dotting it would be. the hope is that as the project progresses the dams will be built even higher keeping more water in and standing the boundaries and the bounties of the lesser erroll see back to the city. when the sea left my husband did not want to leave this place he used to say children would grow to see with their own eyes even before he died he believed that the sea would come back. now as the excess water flows through the sluices it disappears out into the nearly empty greater peril seen no grand scheme for saving that this not for the one million people living in kazakstan poorest region measurable improvement will only come when the shores once again fill with boats lindsey france r.t. kazakstan. just out in twenty five minutes past the hour here in the russian capital you are with alex he is

a running down the top stories of the week and china is taking action to ease tensions on the korean peninsula by sending a high level envoy to. seoul to speak with the south korean president beijing once an emergency meeting of the six nations involved in north korea disarmament talks diplomatic initiatives come as the u.s. and south korean military are conducting war games in the yellow sea yang has reportedly deployed surface to surface missiles in response just days after a fired artillery on an island belonging to the south but killed for your teeth director of korean studies at the institute of economics at the russian academy of sciences says the drills in the yellow sea can only serve to heat up tensions in the region. carry a cruise in the yellow sea water with south korean ship i think that's not a major would could lead to reduction of tension in korean peninsula rather or

increase over there of course and nobody is really we to have a full scale war conflict but any. but what if the korean ship the american ship what he did under what the mind and the softer we had american side this is a north korean attack and would really really lead to an unpredictable consequences so i think that this. reaction that is now. if us wants to exercise what it's called strategic patience meaning in having no dialogue and gruesome sanctions that you know way hold that north korean regime would collapse it can only lead to more incidents and to more appropriations and more tension. by our top story now the arrest of an r.t. film crew in the u.s. has fueled concerns about the way police in some countries treat journalists covering demonstrations laurie the resident half an ist has asked the new yorkers

if they think the freedom of the press should be limited. how much freedom should the press have should they be treated differently than people on the street when covering events like protests this week let's talk about that well i think the press is how we are informed so personally i like it when i see members of the press that get in can get more information than what i as a regular citizen can get because i would look up to you for my information on many occasions the thing that they should be allowed to get more access absolutely i think the public is wary of the media but at the same time i think they're doing a lot of freedom because with cell phone cameras and all kinds of video went around that the authorities are much more careful than they were in my age when they push people around a lot more so i think that today the press does have that access but i think it's

very important that the press continues to have that access but the fact is if you're going to go someplace to protest to get that really hot story you've got to be repaired for the fact that life is going to sometimes intercede at about. what if it should be a intercede if the people are being unruly oh hell yeah what about if the press are being unruly the pressure is being on really same things apply you break the rules that's what happens if you're not willing to accept the consequences for your actions don't take the actions that gives people a stage or a platform that they wouldn't have if the camera wasn't there so i think that's why we need to be more thoughtful about how we allow the press to capture what's happening so we can get a legitimate true view without encouraging people to do to things that they wouldn't otherwise whether or not you believe the press should be treated differently during a protest the bottom line is that without them the protesters voices would go largely and hard. oh i will take another look at the week's top stories in just

a few moments stay with us. he. says.

there's no hospital here in moscow you all with all the t.v.'s with running down the top stories of today and over this past week the arrest of an artsy news crew covering up peaceful protest in the us is criticized by organizations as a crackdown on media freedom but ignored by the mainstream american news outlets. exit polls or shows switzerland has approved in a referendum a proposal to expel foreign minister charged with serious crimes it's a measure of the spog discussion over whether it has a nationalistic motives. russia's democracy should not stagnate the russian president calling on the opposition in his video blog to act so that those in power stay away.