guilty just last week and hunted down sentences ranging between eleven years and. self. hearing. to be determined to be a witch hunt against anybody who opposes because saakashvili they say that it was businessmen. politicians. and. journalists should say. trying to use these. two to try and put himself across as a hero in school political points you are. you are. you are.

and they say that anybody runs the risk of having themselves labeled as spite and having their reputation brought drug through the mud like that should they stand up against saakashvili. opposition leader and you know burjanadze told our t.v. evidence the authorities are claiming they've been obtained under pressure. it's not just education one person who always on the right has is giving such kind of explanations they specially we had to take into account that she was arrested not only himself but his wife too and they have a very small child why i have been released after three. weeks with a group mentioned so of course it's like this before me to say one hundred percent what is behind all that bad to creation's i'd enjoy a good time to time we are receiving candles but beach condo had no real legal

outcomes and we never saw any kind of real human patients that government you think right now government decided to read journalist she's terrified to go to court because the government we're trying to control everybody and everything until now we didn't just keep even one and we didn't. know what some of the something to really keep going to have a chronic problem inside when you have problems with social and health care when you have a problem and we. are mentally rule for a lot and the rights of the people when you lost your country twenty percent of thirty thirty because they go and they get caught then but it is responsibility you should find somebody who will be guilty in everything we just don't get the country big very old police school technique and basically just quite easy to explain just russian and me and everything would be wrong to keep the country linked with

russian so saakashvili creating things i cannot say me and trying to delete everybody who is they gave him a lawyer gave he's a regime and who is fighting for real democracy in this country he's trying to link was russian. it's feared yvette around two hundred people may have been killed in a series of explosions that shook the city of amadan in turkmenistan some local reports say the blasts happened at a munitions depot though the government continues to claim it was a fireworks factory state officials have not confirmed any casualties the affected area is closed to the public and police are stopping anyone from filming are taking pictures many people can't contact their families or friends because of a disruption to telephone lines a special government commission has reportedly now been set up to investigate the incident turkmenistan has long been a very secretive state with the internet banned until just recently contacted the editor of human rights website in turkmenistan who gave us this latest information

. to the russian starting from yesterday people began returning to the town fires have been put up to the locals you know helping soldiers to clean up according to reports the number of casualties and those who died because of injuries has reached nine hundred but we have to verify this information i cannot guarantee its reliability but it's certainly more than two hundred people many died in hospital the residents of about done are no longer in the state of panic but some are still looking for their family members and i can't say that the situation is common in some remote regions people aren't aware of what's happened as they have no internet access some of perhaps unhappy as they would like the president to announce a state of mourning or express his condolences it seems that they're thought to stand willing to admit that there are casualties there's no official theory as to the causes of the explosion initially there was an opinion that the fire happened because of very hot weather frankly speaking it's hard for me to tell therefore i won't be drawing any conclusions as four witnesses many servicemen who were

guarding those warehouses died in the fire. and you are with r t coming up later this hour guilty until proven innocent. does the front page coverage of the u.s. criminal cases muddy the waters of the job. to system we report on concerns that many trials are being prejudiced. the owner of the news of the world rupert murdoch is due to fly in to london to confront the crisis at his troubled british tabloid police are now investigating the deletion of millions of e-mails that were potentially valuable evidence in the phone hacking scandal the paper is accused of snooping on the phone messages of politicians celebrities and victims of crime a number of arrests were made on friday including that of andy cole some a former editor of the paper who has also served as the prime minister's a movie a chief the tabloids a former world correspondent was also arrested both men were later released on bail the prime minister has announced two independent public inquiries as

a result of the scandal meanwhile news of the world staff are preparing for its final edition this sunday following the announcement its to close john gaunt who used to work for one of murdoch's newspapers says media and political circles in the u.k. are too close. they've closed down the news the world so up to five hundred people have lost their jobs and most of these people were not only to use the world when these allegations of hacking happened because what's going to happen now is the free press in the united kingdom which is something we really pride ourselves on there's a real danger now we're going to get overregulation by the government as a direct result of this of potent behavior by some journalists on the news of the world and also is a major problem because i think that successive governments in britain both the labor government are in control before and now david cameron the conservatives have been too damn close to rupert murdoch and other newspaper proprietors but all of

that is too cozy and too comfortable if you don't have a real democracy you have to have a separation between the press surely and indeed the political establishment and the government of the day you also need to have separation between the judiciary and the. two areas in britain and the united kingdom they've become too close over the last thirteen or fourteen years and i believe the last men no ordinary people in britain their views have nor really been represented other in the newspapers or in the political arena that's bad for democracy so david cameron should start investigating himself as far as i'm concerned it's extremely embarrassing for him because the former editor of the news of the world and the ecosystem of course became his press secretary and warren would your employer a man who's already had to resign over the phone hacking why would you take him to the heart of government where he could have access to top secret dossier as an information it's a sorry sorry day let me tell you not just for the british press but for british

democracy. and of course now you can have your say on that story at our website. latest poll today we're asking is shutting down the news of the world the right decision more than half of you agree that rupert murdoch's media dominance should be finished sixteen percent. such tabloids are an embarrassment to the british media fourteen percent of viewers think it's the wrong decision. that the paper's. the least popular. of the world has been made a scapegoat. you can also check out some other stories we're covering including. america's copyright clamp down with tough new restrictions for downloading and sharing films and music plus. from earth to space and about as russia prepares for the two thousand and fourteen

winter games. defectors from syria's security forces were deployed to quell demonstrations against president assad say they were ordered to shoot to kill in interviews released by human rights watch they claim their superior officers gave the command to fire on the protesters meanwhile unrest continues to grow hundreds of thousands took to the streets in the city of home on friday say at least fifteen people were killed and more than two hundred arrested government demonstrations across the country. damascus accused a u.s. envoy of inciting violence in hama something that washington strongly denies more than fourteen hundred people have been killed since anti-government protests began in march syria's deputy foreign minister told r.t.

his country. ference in here it's a fair. series position has been clearly articulated and the global community is aware of the military forces syria has so even if the west is thinking about it meaning we would advise them not to syria is the key to the balance of the middle east any meddling with the sentencing phase here would drive this region to destroy western countries or one of their of this but nevertheless they keep hating arabs and syria in particular because of the political standoff with a arab israeli conflict because of our chief wants of success progress on the reform struggle through under the leadership of president bashar al assad what happened in syria today expected to spread like an epidemic across other our countries in order to weaken israel in the west to impose their civilization a supremacy of values that we mindset on us i very carefully and all of the signals west wants from us especially view of the recent events and i must say that in

truth they do not wish us well. and you can watch that full interview with syria's deputy foreign minister on our teeth throughout today the us media has come under fire for its reporting of a number of high profile criminal trials the case of a single mother casey anthony acquitted of murdering her two year old child earlier this week has been at the center of heated debate for years and as artie's a trick in a report there are concerns that public opinion is unduly swayed by the headlines rather than evidence. innocent until proven guilty it's a whole mark principle of the american justice system illegally often shoved aside from the vigor of some of the arrests young african black and brown subjects being sat down in the street in an obsessive kind of way fifty shots sixty shots laying on our stomach in our back as we ride or as we want to beating suspects into

offenses in cases of entrapment entrapment is not legal entrapment is getting someone to do something that they would normally do to perp walks that parade suspects in handcuffs for the world to see. to a media frenzy devouring some cases and not others i find immediately before that i see it as guilty until proven guilty and these cases government is changing the laws so are you presumed guilty from the get go and how much of a role does the media play if you're accused of a penis crime it's going to be in huge headlines on page one when you exonerated it's on page twenty seven below the fold to column inches and your neighbors somehow didn't manage to catch it that day so everyone still thinks you're a child molester not guilty take the not guilty verdict in the casey anthony murder case involving her two year old daughter the court of public opinion remains split

from a court of justice all thanks to nonstop media coverage of the case for the past three years. it's crazy and i think it's great maybe they did it with from the media assume she was going to be able to in the case of former i.m.f. head dominique strauss kahn the media satisfied their gluttonous taste with extreme passion only for the case to crumble i think there should be a. media outlets are required to play your exoneration as big and as long as your accusation this is rarely the case as dubious practices in the criminal justice system spread so does the finger pointing and questioning the future of human rights in the us where as we go in as americans i'm fifty one years old and i'm like. this is good. this is really good the principles that the u.s. once prided itself in our prior suspects are having to fight their battles publicly the minute they are arrest and attempts to prove their innocence underlining the

discrepancies in the u.s. criminal justice system are alive and kicking the citron out party in new york. and still to come this hour heading east. to take you on a tour of the region in southern siberia a place where an entrepreneur is that single handedly fighting for sobriety and a better lifestyle along. with messing about on the rivers just outside moscow but why am i in a wet suit to find out in just a few minutes. on the news making headlines around the world right now a seven point one earthquake has struck off the coast of japan prompting a tsunami warning the stricken the fukushima nuclear power plant has been evacuated as a precaution in march an earthquake and tsunami left nearly twenty three thousand dead and triggered the ongoing nuclear crisis at the plant. south

sudan has become the world's newest nation following separation from the north thousands of people have taken part in massive celebrations in the city of juba the capital of the new state however the two separated countries have not yet reached an agreement on their borders natural resources or the status of their citizens clashes over disputed territories still continue in some areas least probe palestinian activists have clashed with security forces in two separate incidents in the west bank some of the protestors hold stones at israeli soldiers who responded with several arrests earlier about a hundred a probe palestinian campaigners clash with security forces at a major israeli checkpoint calling for the return of refugees to israel. no matter what position you hold in society if there are some accusations it could ruin your reputation forever even if they might prove to be false mud sticks and the allegations themselves can be enough to destroy careers loyal to our own resident

in new york asks people about the thorny issue of the law on sex crimes. the sexual assault cases of d s k angelina stands are getting a lot of coverage in the news do you think it's right for women or men to report any sexual encounters they feel uncomfortable with this week let's talk about that there are two rules first time travel leave and the second rule is all men a boss at the till proven otherwise if she feels that she's been violated i think reporting is the best idea and how that plays out you know that that's how that plays out the reporting is should be a woman's instinct at what point does it cross over to consider just for television . yeah it's a it's a tough line between those two people we're just two people it's impossible i think women should not get in situations i think there are lots of times that we put ourselves in situations and we have

a messenger inside us that says get out of there and sometimes we don't listen to that message one says no more she says no it's a no is it the same for women as for man one hundred percent. so why do we treat it more as a woman's a show because of happens more often to women. but men have a pride to go sort of a big brother so don't bother. about money richard original programs for. those that's just another way for women to get rich. so do you think it's fair that the law generally tends to side with women. and i think it's impossible to really say what's fair what's not at this point again like ari ari the is what fair change so much i think in general my inclination is to say yes it is because women have for the most part of been the victims for so many years that you almost have to side more with them in order to make it equal it's like affirmative action in

a way like you have to do something to make things better so that they're not always the victims no matter how you feel about the lines of sexual assault the. bottom line is that the rule no means no will always be a good one to follow. and now it's time for our russia closeup team to take you on a journey two thousand kilometers east of moscow. welcome to the quarter gone that region a located at the very tip of southern siberia is home to mountains and untouched landscapes but the natural beauty of coulda gone is not appealing to many of its residents entire villages are becoming ghost towns as young people move to the cities. to find one place though where the residents have a good reason to stay trees taking us there next. year we are in the village of

chast. or gone region and for the past ten or fifteen years its population has been steadily increasing here is the reason why. it's monday morning and alexander a former prison guard is it work testing the incoming employees for alcohol. if they're over the limit there is a choice to be cited for a no show and lose thirty percent of them on salary my job three kilometers and be docked ten percent of that month's wage those that we do the testing every morning regardless of gender or position within the country could be cool but they will see it on their paycheck and that's a strong incentive not to drink working week. enforcement alcohol abstinence is the idea of this man alexander guilty cause he's the director of the bank and likes to extend his influence as far as possible

a man of big ideas very epitome of micromanagement which for the past fifteen years he's been reaching out please how to make good sausages and how to live a good life. is a must it's the quality of the product. first place in its terms whether you keep it after firing dozens of workers for showing up drunk at work or xander started. on the harms of awful hall three times a day during the break you. drank for the first time should be beaten with a stick those called for the second time should be beaten and probably. should be hanged as a former boxer he's not shy about exercising his rule with an r. in face has built his version of the iron curtain around his plan the dozens of video cameras around the facility employees have no chance to circumvent the law of

big brother on the off side thefts and no longer the issue. there is a very rigid people find it hard to comply but those who don't. work here. alexander's drive to set the rules of the game doesn't and within his plan the only corporate tax payer in the village are four thousand people he's taken on a very wide notion of social responsibility using the plants profits he paved roads renovated the school and built the church and while he agrees that modesty is a virtue of his fondness of giving guidance and advice is evident wherever he goes in you are it doesn't matter that you come from a village. to get a good education. teachers and behave well at school is that clear. but this approach has divided villagers the majority believe alexander is a blessing or a minority primarily doe's who he's fired and not as impressed. as the old saying

goes one man's meat is another man's poison not everybody in this. exam to philosophy and he did not succeed in spreading it around some people call him a control freak others to resort to more agricultural language his opponents also include some local officials who believe that alexander has too much power that infringes on their own authority will xander accuses them of not doing enough for the people when i ask him whether he'd like to run for office he's a response was a resounding no. i think the purpose of power is to create to make life around you better and in this regard i have all the power that i need. i think every successful activity requires discipline strict discipline and it starts with me instead of waiting for somebody to come and do something i do it myself a million people but sooner or later they'll understand that i was doing it for

their own good. many historians make the case that russians prefer authoritarian leaders and that tackling the deep problems of alcohol addiction and rural isolation need street discipline and total control good or bad in the xander space it seems to have proved efficient. r t the village of. oregon the region. water sports enthusiasts are flocking to the outskirts of moscow to bag a bargain or two this weekend yachts and speed boats are changing hands at the annual marine fair where one of the sailors can buy or sell used vessels arteries swap his works for a wetsuit to find out more. if you're thinking about russia you're probably thinking about an awful lot of land but there's also an awful lot of water here and is this event today the world on the outskirts of moscow which is trying to show all the fun you could have around the water in russia there are three types of

people who've come to this event today first of all the look surest times they're here to look at to try out and maybe to buy folks like you behind looking at a price tag of about half a million euros i'm done but inside no expense spared we had a look around some of these boats and on the indian side they really are on the look surest sign a second time the people here the leisure the people they've come here to relax on the flanks they've come here to drink cocktails in the sun and to watch the first time people be active people they've come here to take part in a lot of the competitions here the sporting events wakeboarding surfing competitions and they've come to try and show that you can have a lot of fun and be active in the water and i'm here to try to show that to by doing this. was trying to show how much fun you can have in your club in russia i'm going to go on the boat now going to have a good time myself cheerio.

oh tom i hope the person on the boat was making sure he wasn't up to anything lewd or lascivious now moscow's historic red square was a packed with motor fans on saturday to see the teens on the two thousand and eleven. crews from twenty five countries are taking part in the four thousand kilometer challenge that's part of the punishing series the racers on the. do to finish on july sixteenth with the winner picking up a three hundred thousand. of our top stories that's coming up in just a moment right here on r.t. do stay with us.

for the full story we've got. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. wealthy british style. markets why not. find out what's really happening to the global

economy is a report. and broadcasting live from the heart of moscow. to blease he accuses three georgian photojournalists including president saakashvili as personal photographer for russia it's alleged the men possessed secret information and now been charged with after reportedly confessing on video. two hundred people have been killed in a blast in the city of human rights groups say electricity and water supplies have also been disrupted. to the u.k. to take charge of the phone hacking crisis that's threatening to engulf his media empire the scandal has reached the highest levels of government after

a former editor who worked for prime minister david cameron was arrested on friday . we continue our journey around russia. steps out of the capital and takes us on a tour of the country's second city st petersburg. hello and welcome to the program summer is the perfect time to visit russia at a long weekend here in st petersburg is a must the former capital is bursting full of history and culture so join me as we visit major logs and take part in various fun filled activities and we start off here at the spectacular site isaac's cathedral originally the city's main church

and the largest cathedral in russia it was built between eight hundred eighteen and eight hundred fifty eight french born architects months around almost two centuries later the gilded dome mostly isaac still dominates the skyline of st petersburg a trip to the top provides excellent views of the city coming from the russian capital moscow out team travelled by the fast subsume train network the journey takes four hours and costs around three thousand five hundred rubles that's roughly one hundred twenty five dollars one way you can see here the location of the city situated to the northwest of russia in the eighteenth century it was piece of the great stream to create a window to your with a vast canal network press taking architecture and palaces that were built to rival who are paying counterparts this vision was well achieved just come here from moscow. we think this is a very grand place.