the father of a. poisoned six years ago says pete was mistaken when he accused. responsible. party gets the story from. she tries to. angela merkel is also beijing support for.

syria saying weapons will still reach opposition groups from. when we talk to the senior editor of the new statesman magazine maybe his son who tells r.t. that finding a solution to the crisis in syria won't be easy and won't be seen as legitimate without a u.n. resolution interview with the new stories in about fifteen minutes from now. today i'm talking to mehdi has his the senior political editor for the new statesman magazine where to me talking about the violence that's going on in syria at the moment and also the developing situation in iran may have found thank you very much for talking to me today now we've seen observers being sent into syria who seem to have done nothing to stop the violence in fact the death toll has risen from twenty to thirty people that day how good do you think the observers are implementing their mandate i did a very good given to one of the leaders of the mission where originally went in was

a sudanese general who's been accused of carrying out war crimes and ethnic cleansing a doll for which slightly hobbled both the legitimacy of the mission and the trust of a lot of syrian opposition groups in the arab league mission since then the saudi arabians have complained about the mission they've pulled out their observer they're pulling out their a bus and i mean the arab league has really been all over the place on syria on the one hand it's condemned syria it was praised for the first time condemning the father arab nation and putting a resolution in a few months ago since the mission has been criticized for among other things the personalities deployed and its inability to stop the violence i think the real issue is that the syrians need to allow in a much much more neutral a much more wide ranging a much more forceful international observer mission if they've got nothing to hide if it's if they're genuinely not killing innocent people what have they got on it and what about sanctions the u.k. recently proposed tougher sanctions on syria things like travel bans asset freezes what effect if any do you think that have it depends how targeted the sanctions are more on the fence over sanctions given the experience we have with iraq for over

a decade of sanctions which cause more suffering to the people than to the saddam regime i support sanctions targeted against regime members targeted against people who are indicted for human rights violations or war crimes fine if they squeeze the country itself from the people who've done nothing wrong and i think that's a mistake i think we have to think much more creatively about syria i'm not one of those who support military action in syria isn't libya it won't be easy. be legitimate without a u.n. resolution and more and more innocent people will die than have already died but that doesn't mean you just turn a blind eye to the violence that's going on more than five thousand people have died according to the un's own figures and our side is about it clearly is not backing down you look at some of his interviews you know he's not as bonkers as colonel gadhafi but he says some pretty crazy things about how it's nothing to do with me not my orders these are all rebels everyone who's dying and let's talk about the opposition for a little bit ok to be three blocks that the free syrian army has a kind of external opposition those people in the streets do you think they'll be able to form any kind of well that's one of the objections

a lot of people are having against any kind of external military action which is where is the legitimacy in libya you had a opposition movement which despite being consisting of different groups secular religious etc indigenous those outside the country they did for a you noted opposition for the purposes of getting rid of gadhafi and they controlled territory it's what prompted the intervention to begin with in syria they don't control any territory they don't control any cities or towns and there is this division between the external opposition figures like the leader of the syrian national council is based in paris and those who are on the on the streets who have said again and again to western reporters to human rights groups that we don't want military intervention we are opposed to both syrian president were opposed to the assad regime and were opposed to western intervention we saw what happened in iraq and the syrians what's interesting about the syrians is that they saw up close and personal the effects of western intervention or because hundreds of thousands of iraqi refugees fled into syria they know the consequences of a kind of ill ill timed ill thought out heavy handed western intervention which

just exacerbates the violence and the free syrian army as far as you can see what are they fighting for does it look like genuine democracy there's a huge debate about the f.s.a. and how much first of all how many defections there are going on because they claim to be getting dozens and dozens of defective every day every week from syrian armed forces and yet all the independent observers not just the assad regime but it's apologists said well. it's a trickle and there exaggerates there of strength in order to again justify a western intervention if you look at the history of western interventions so-called humanitarian interventions you always see there's an equivalent of the f.s.a. on the ground whether in libya or if you go back to kosovo in the k.l.a. which also said you know give us the guns give us the support and we'll do the fighting and in a in afghanistan you have the northern alliance and actually it turns out that these groups tend not to have as much legitimacy as they claim and be not to have as much military strength as they claim and the free syrian army is accused of killing people itself isn't it do we have any idea of the sort of the number of these casualties will again without wanting to overdo the composer did libya and

syria one of the things you see when you do support rebel groups sometimes unsavory groups you know my enemy's enemy is my friend you support people who are perhaps not the greatest defenders or advocates of human rights themselves in afghanistan we supported all sorts of unsavory warlords and still do in libya the opposition groups and the national transition council there libya was accused by human rights watch during the conflict of carrying out all sorts of killings and abuses of prisoners which still haven't been resolved or properly accounted for do we then want to lurch into a syrian conflict where again we are ignorant of what's going on on the ground we're not experts on who these people are what these groups started for and the f.s.a. of course if you consist of defecting soldiers from an all me that's carried out human rights abuses then a lot of those defectors will be part of those human rights abuses that's just the horrible reality of the world we live in and in terms of the actual people do you see any link between the libyan islamists and stays on the ground in syria well there's been reports about as well as with all these conflicts you know they're grey and they're murky that libya does live as groups fighting in libya finished

fighting in libya have transferred over to help some of the syrian opposition groups and do you see any external move towards intervention since the new year my position is changing and i can imagine a scenario where we are where nato is asked or the british government of america has asked to enforce a no fly zone to enforce some kind of safety corridor or look which which would be would be ostensible they were protecting the rights all well. good but would push us into all sorts of areas of the middle east we don't want to be involved in because syria for example is a much bigger player in the israel arab conflict it's a much bigger country and tougher to overcome beat militarily if it took us that long to beat libya how long did it take to syria how far do you think syria is already essentially a battlefield between iran and the west the israelis have been clear for many years that if you can pull syria out of orbit you will weaken iran which they consider to be the number one enemy of the number one menace in the neighborhood the number one threat to israel's strategic interests so if you can get syria away from iran

either through a diplomatic deal which they tried for many years all through regime change which seems to be the direction of travel now that it would definitely weaken iran and all roads in the middle east right now or do seem to lead back to tehran and saudi arabia's relationship with iran is increasingly hostile and it is iran it supports and create this protesting shiite minority how do you think that could play out saudi arabia's own position is brazenly one sided brazenly self-serving and hypocritical here you have saudi arabia having pulled its ambassador of damascus having complained about the arab league on the ground of its human rights observations what first of all the saudi arabians have their own human rights abuses to deal with at home their own oppressive regime but even if you take the arab spring the saudis have thrown their weight behind the syrian opposition to assad and yet have done their utmost best to stop the arab spring to stop the revolt and all of the other countries in egypt in bahrain where saudi troops went in to better are still in very suppressing protests in bahrain and yet in syria they're supporting the opposition if that's not one side of this i don't know what

is and that shows you that saudi arabia's own interests are nothing to do with human rights or democracy of course and how could so to really be interested in such issues it's about trying to deal with iran that we know from wiki leaks that the saudi king told the american government cut the head of the snake a deal with the snake that is iran in his view and iran has been threatening recently to block the straits of hormuz which of course we know is the main export gulf oil. do you think the political consequences of that could be deeply and genuinely worried about what will happen if the iranian chop the strait of hormuz as they promised i think you'll have a situation where we start sleepwalking into war on both sides where there are extremists on both sides who want a conflict who would love a conflict because it would serve their purposes in the west there are people who want to take out iran both for america's national interest so-called and of course for the israelis and in iran there are hardliners who see that the islamic revolution is failing to receive the green movement popular who are seeing lots of people protesting in the region and see a foreign war seeing who see the idea of being under attack as

a way of you know into my country so they're hardliners on both sides and i think the people in the middle have to be careful that we don't allow the hardliners to kind of allow us to sleep welcome to war where they shut the straits of hormuz and the americans who i suspect don't want to go toward an election near a force to come in in order to secure the oil and to protect the israelis if israel were to attack iran as well which is the sixty four thousand dollar question you mentioned that this year is of course an election year in the u.s. do you think that the u.s. is likely to wait until the election is over when in doing so it could i'm going to israel by not acting senior without see interesting question i think of their own free will i don't think they do want to go to war think obama is running on a campaign of trying to energize his base saying we're the guys who ended iraq we're the guys we're going to bring troops home from afghanistan with the guys who took a backseat in libya didn't put boots on the ground the idea that you would then kick off a conflict with iran but there's one american general put it you know if you loved iraq if you liked a rock in afghanistan you love iraq i mean it would be a major conflict and i think if you listen to for example defense secretary panetta

saying recently that actually an attack on iran would have unintended consequences would be a backlash against american troops in the region clearly he's not keen on it and yet if the israelis were to strike iran and iran were to strike back then the americans would be drawn in whether they like it or not because they can't abandon israel because of what is often strategic purposes they certainly can about israel or election in we're in very shaky economic times globally at the main. but what no one seems to be talking about is what's the economic consequences of a war with iran would be in an age where we are facing a double dip recession possibly another great depression where oil prices are already so high we could see an attack on iran pushing oil prices above one hundred fifty dollars a barrel some of the states even a record high of about two hundred dollars a barrel which really would tip the entire world economy not just ours but the asians the chinese back into a major major recession major. and i think people are kind of turned a blind eye to this and only recently with the radiance threatening to block the strait of hormuz which i think the third of the we'll see board oil passes through

people start to go away to the what the hell is going to happen to all prices and i think that's a factor the american government's raising as well perhaps less i mean these are any governments reasons that he has been very much thank you. i am. four times i'm told. the board. should be allowed to the polls. are now.

you know the public comes out here and this makes you go back and if what you hear is going to. that's all the training. regime and. hopefully we will never use the weapons for self defense we should be put. they are the soul classics licitra assemblers. seventeen students and am one of seventy four stole a lot of. fees. on . just simply is.

just. can't. see. the phone. if the influence of the central sun its technology innovation all the latest developments from around russia we've dumped the future coverage. brighter if you move the song from friends to pray.

for stocks on t.v. dot com. top stories this hour on r t spies saga you turn the father of a former f.s.b. officer poisoned in london six years ago says he was mistaken when he accused of being responsible for his son's death gets a story firsthand from alexander litvinenko father. the german leader takes her. as she tries to convince china not to write off the e.u. angela merkel is also urging beijing support for an oil embargo against iran. moscow promises to all the past deals on not stop sending arms to syria saying weapons will still reach opposition groups from abroad despite any embargoes. mourn those developers for in less than fifteen minutes from now in the meantime unions here with all the latest from the world of sports.

this is sports a plenty ahead over the next ten minutes including these stories and great. progeny on the field more than seventy killed following a football match invasion in egypt. end of an era trainer angelo dundee known for his work in the corner of muhammad ali and other boxing icons possibly age ninety. dreams are teammates one of russia's big medal hopes for the source she will surely make it. three days of national mourning have been announced in egypt after scores of people lost their lives to the top five football match on wednesday violence flaring up in the game between. when supporters some partly armed with knives ran onto the pitch

the visiting team were chased into the changing room with players kicked and punched as they fled officials say the death toll of seventy plus could rise even further with more than two hundred injured violence at football matches in egypt has been on the increase ever since political unrest swept the country you're buying egypt's deputy health minister has described it as the biggest disaster in the country's history. the boxing world is meanwhile mourning the loss of one of its all time legends renowned trainer. dying at the age of ninety following a storied career overseeing the greats all of the sport done d. perhaps most well known for his association with muhammad ali none was in his corner for all but two of his fights the pair were reunited one last time during allie seventieth birthday last month sugar ray leonard and george foreman the other icons who benefited from the presence the philadelphia if it was treated for

a blood clot in hospital shortly before his death simply a massive loss to boxing and indeed sport in general. what would have been the richest plush in boxing is off the table for now the money piccy owen floyd mayweather jr clash on the ropes after w b a light's middleweight champion miguel cotto has announced a weathers next opponent on may the fifth pretty boy floyd is true to serve in the seven days in jail for domestic violence starting today first wanted his arch rival before the state american mean whether who turns thirty five in favor recalling the filipino miss pocked on for not scheduling a buy time while puerto rican aims to end mayweather john beaton run a forty two wins pocky zero is staying active as well w b o lights welterweight title holder timothy bradley jr most likely his next. let's move to basketball be your only top sixteen stage extend their lead at the top of group g. thanks to a home victory over italian side

a seven the hosts taking the bull by the horns right from the all finishing the open border twenty twelve in front unix continuing to press in the second doubling their advantage to sixteen points by the time and return mccown top scoring for the us is sixteen putting this two pointer to make it forty two twenty two midway through the third period because on team relaxing a little late on but e.a. seven would never come close fifty nine forty four the final score. meanwhile in saskia moscow's grippy alone cost registered their first at the top sixteen the greeks seeing off on a dual f.a. is of turkey at home eighty three sixty five. top scoring for the host he had eighteen points perfect c.s.k. meanwhile took on trips. to. the n.b.a. basketball or indiana were sharp and shooting in the pick of wednesday night's action the pacers scoring more than one hundred points for the second time this

season against minnesota tied a fur during the opening two quarters of the helpless although the visitors were. start pulling away late in the third danny granger taking the heights with thirty six points including this long range effort to make it six the fifty in favor of the pacers ranger then got himself involved in an altercation kevin love with the officials managed to calm things down and avoid what could have been a messy work alter cation granger later having several crucial points it's going beyond a run a one night a ninety nine dollars takes it all the way it's the biggest game in the american sporting calendar is just around the corner the forty sixth edition of the n.f.l. super bowl kicks off on sunday i remain off the two thousand and seven title game between the new england patriots on the new york giants and was underdog new york he came away victorious and not one ruining the season process the team's look more

evenly matched this year with the giants also able to boast of a high part off in snow days to your call shooting a few players from the championship winning defense they can't wait to get stuck in again. we are excited about. the staunch off with the big we were ready to get back to. to win the game on sunday and you know a lot of us we should have played today but you know we're going to wait till sunday you know to be a first you know the next step to do you're ready for the big game. new england's tom brady still refuses to watch the tape about seventeen fourteen loss to the giants four years ago he's raring to go but one of the punts main offensive weapons is a dud rob gronkowski has had the best ever season for a tight end to date is nursing an uncle sprain but this fitness being tested on a daily basis from cause he's never won at all before but brady has three times in fact but the california he's hungry for more. well you know playing in this game it

sucks to turn on the t.v. these days because you know there's so much every channel you turn on is talking about this game of the players in this game and as a as a competitor you want to be here you need to be here and this is this is why we work so hard you know over the years high school and college and and even the pros who prepare for games like this. now a somewhat surprising fact is that russia had never want to live big gold in women's figure skating male athletes from the country have tasted success on numerous occasions and with two years to go until the sultry winter games hope is high the double can finally be achieved artie's robert downey meets the reason why . ladies singles this is the only discipline in which an olympic gold medal has eluded such a big figure skating nation like russia added insult nicholas is one of the few overing major hope for the moment anticipated ladies graeme in the sport first of

all in sochi twenty four teams at the age of fifteen slip because early claimed the russian domestic title three times having easily won the world junior championships in twenty eleven. release she has already proved destroy all to win she's a fighter and this is something you cannot teach that's given by god she's one of those who can compete and can achieve top results and that's a fact that will be doing it for the bradley wish i was for it when my mom took me to skating school nearby just to test my capability for skating with professional coaches all the kids around started crying when they fell down but as soon and kept moving forward step by step and the coaches knew that my mother and said it was strongly recommend that you make her continue and that's how i started figure skating was. according to the international skating union is rankings so the goal

is currently the world's number seventeen but has plenty of time to fine tune her skills with her coach wife danielle search him down million of a there is a. heavy scene that's come on you should have completed that element every single tillage is destined to play stuff a petition off sundowns at the first every use winter olympics in israel but in general are a sort nicole was edged away for teaming another russian hopeful it is a bit of domitia to get on the line and be at the russian championships in innsbruck the outcome is opposite they always get compared to each other they can. pete against each other and that's ok it's just like they've been inclusion. in rivalry which only gave a boost to russian men's figure skating as for the girls only time will tell who's better they're both still growing because it was we had a good relationship i would say we're friends at these olympics an ins broke lived

together in the same apartment but when it comes to the ice rink it gets tough which is do battle for survival. there is still a lot to be done for a billion or so to go to fulfill her huge potential like one thing has always been there in her mind the chicken bones mentality you know i can see chances and i always take the risks of doing things which are difficult for me sometimes i mean i don't do well during warm up and my coach tells me to leave some complicated elements out of my program but i always dare to do them i think to myself i'm strong and true that i can do. this what nobody can teach them so they go ahead and. they're going to be. less and with football where that one hundred twenty seven days left until the start of euro twenty twelve an excitement to tell you what is building steadily across those

countries take a look at this the ukrainian city after casey which isn't in fact hosting any games but it's dedicated its annual ice festival to the tournament which takes place in ukraine and poland this summer the gala it features several sculptures including famous footballing trophies and players football fever most certainly in the earth . beneath this is a gathering vego zone every yeah they stand it's related to euro twenty twelve the theme is for the cups heroes and everything related to the upcoming twenty meant for stuff and that is all your sport for the world weather is coming up in just a tech.

news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. trying to corporations to rule the day.