and i think the republicans can't move obama that much because obama actually has the backing of the pentagon in terms of this particular approach the pentagon is bogged down in afghanistan they really were pushed out of iraq they have a lot of a lot of military problems a major full scale war right now which could happen even if they don't intend it by people climb the escalation ladder. cultures that some of you are going to try to build up over to the muslim world to take your pick the ones with britain and argentina against sparring over the legal status future these islands is this dispute it.

you know how sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom hardy welcome to the big picture.

twelve thirty am in moscow these are your r.t. headline russia's foreign minister a voice is fears that a repeat of the libyan scenario could come to pass in syria sergey lavrov says a number of alleged incidents could be used as a pretext to justify foreign intervention against the assad regime. a fresh wave of downgrade sweeps the struggling euro zone six nations get their debt ratings cut by moody's all while greece faces further belo hurdles from the e.u. despite the latest harsh austerity plan that caused public outrage and mass riots. russia's military predicts the west might decide on

a wrong strike before summer anti-riot the rhetoric has been stepped up after israel accused me as a lawmaker state of being behind monday's attacks on diplomatic personnel and today's blast in bangkok. coming up a chance to learn more about the incredibly diverse spectrum of culture and religion in a rush hour special report this time from the republic of mariella where a community culture clash has been overcome through shared faith. this is how people of many ethnic groups prayed ancient times. today this is the sort of worship that can only be found in this russian region. we're not allowed to worship in soviet times but people like us who did were put on trial we hope prayers will avert floods quakes and manmade

disasters. services like the use a rooted in ancient history these words were first spoken nearly a thousand years ago but the worship is gathering here now a thought to be europe's lost pagans. and i don't want to.

i. i i i. i. come. these people. to get away from.

history. to the most mysterious. republic. team. we go here and then we will start with you then we have to go off the road here. coming here in such cold weather. now we're going to try to reach the most interesting places to nation is the point where we will look for. caves.

republics highest point is mount. only a few people have succeeded in reaching its peak it's. often leads people astray during this expedition three vehicles lost their way the drivers went missing and the walkie talkies weren't working. people often get lost in this area they just lose their bearings there is something odd going on when we can't establish contact with one another either by phone or walkie talkie. however. eventually reunite according to them. is considered a zone of abnormal activity local people often see unidentified flying objects here at. two hundred meters above sea level is the true

apex of the. war lord. of the. visit. the capital of mary the musicians they sing mary folk songs to entertain and residents with their traditional melodies centuries ago. was a fortress. but large scale development has recently begun. a large swamp has been replaced with an embankment buildings looking like castles complete with towers and ramparts springing up here just a short time ago with us. this is a kind of renai sorts. this place is

incorporated many aspects of venice. and here we see a northern influence with danish and dutch elements. similar buildings went up in the mary ellen republic quite a long time ago one example is a magnificent old castle standing on the banks of the volga two hundred kilometers from. it was built amidst a thick forest by russian eristic rats of the shower much of. the council was built not only by russian masters but also by foreign ones. they too lengthy style to the castle. here you can see baroque is then time and drama. as well as an altar russian style.

in soviet times the cultural was turned into a holiday resort but tourists were apprehensive about the building local people spoke of ghostly inhabitants who they believed to be the casals guardians. today the castle is as imposing as it ever was the message of doors leading into hollow rooms still produce a sinister creak. the road ghosts. we hear the door screw keen as they move from room to room. but they don't bother us we share a common ground and get along with them quite well. in the village of. coffee live everybody is getting ready for the press

office. cleans his body you know both else before facing one of the most important events in his life that's daybreak he will take part in one of the most pain shouldn't of sacred rights for the marri people. to moral take a candle to the sacred grove the best weeks for such candles are made of him candles bought from shops are no good for this purpose they should be homemade. the candle symbolizes the link between me and god it will take my prayer to him. he is your for giving a mother a blessing to her son's life giving god. unlike christians who pray in church these worshipers go to a grove where they seek communion with nature but before setting else they say a brief prayer and.

everybody coming to the grove brings domestic waterfowl with them they serve as food for both the gods and the people you have getting to mention the office decided to sacrifice the fattest gives him his household m.r.e. raghad geese and ducks as symbols of home and between three basic elements these creatures walk on earth swim in water and fly through the air. eight hundred animals were sacrificed here including a blue cough and a ram as well as nice and ducks. one woman from the romas team has a good knowledge of the area and she provides a running commentary for all the that said to have been appraised service is taking place near the five sacred trees each tree is dedicated to particular diety.

everyone carefully follows the guides words as they take in the sights along the way as it was clear road to ground was on the left hand side people praying the sacred place as soon as we get to the village of new sellout order to left. the special day that the committee of couple has been looking forward to as arrived at last. vera and you have jenny had reached the sacred grove situated a hundred kilometers from. they brought was a fellow of the sacrifice. have also been brought by mary from all over the republic also the two off the press to their gods. at first the grove resonates with goose oaks soon after their only the echoes of priestly prayers and

. these pagan priests. to communicate with the gods people praying in a grove lost amidst pines and birches strong believes in the forces of nature they insist. is the world's oldest. people. and grievances alone to. discuss their problems with the priest. and communicate by means of this tree. their requests and this table. suspended if a bone files that side by side with the old. they're used to make porridge and a ceremonial broth. to take a look at the docs and. break up the breton two chunks and toss the pieces into the

fire the bread and cheese have been brought by wash appears. this is help people in russia worship before the arrival of christianity the maori have prayed the same way to their gods for several millennia. old these people are offering prayers to many gods which is. being set aside for this group for example. they pray to the god. or asking for his grace in childbirth and happiness. scale. in the bond funds it's forbidden to take any leftovers from the sacrificial offerings from the.

more news today for limps is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. china corporations are all day. wealthy british style.

market. can. find out what's really happening to the global economy. for a no holds barred global financial headlines kaiser reports. district in the southwest of motor is full of historic sites. but the shortest road

on the shore of the volga the great russian river. from here affair is needed local pigeons have even memorised the boats. regularly which is a riot from one shores of to the other. i'm people here.

on this. plane has been handed down from generation to generation you know that there are very many. displays that. route. this road formed a link between russia's capital and its siberian part. it connected the country's western and eastern region it's. russian poet alexander pushkin once travelled along it it was used by stage coaches or.

has been at the head of the district for several years during this time he's been able to restore a dozen historical landmarks. we marry from the western bank of the volga are not great in number there are only fifty or sixty thousand of us in the world says is this that is why we seek to stick together in order to safeguard our language culture and of course the land where we live in. the midst of. the burial site is the only one of its kind in the region cattle breeder's of an iranian tribe buried here in the second millennium b.c. the time when the egyptian pyramids were built when excavation work was over scientists restored the burial place to its original appearance. the. twenty eight men between the ages of eighteen and twenty five are buried here there

was also a woman and a man who was forty five to fifty years old when he was buried we think he was a blacksmith those men had died in battle arrowheads have been found and some of the skeletons of the skulls of other men were fractured with an axe. the romas convoy suddenly stops at the edge of a swamp it's too dangerous to drive any further. the travelers spend a good deal of time walking around the frozen silt when they manage to measure the swamps and everybody realizes that attempting to cross the swamp is out of the question. we. will have to look for another routes.

and there is one and a half meters of water underneath is. however another road makes up for their misfortune it leads to what for centuries has been known locally as the fortress mountain. the maori people who lived here a long time ago used it as a hideout against intruders legend has it that the maori people were terrified of being caught by the of forest creatures covered with hair who had chosen to settle in the mountains caves. if they felt their breaths were they were on the. shoulders. they had little contact with.

this happened and long time ago. they were launched forests with tall trees. legends about the region have been handed down over the centuries by mouth to mouth of a tribal knows a great many ancient stories relating to the larry people. one of them tells the story of an old oak tree several generations of mari people have closed in its shade for a. it . used to help.

the giant of a tree is seven meters thick and thirty meters tall some scientists believe the. is russia's oldest. city is found several kilometers away from the ancient oak. in the middle ages protection from invaders by building their settlements in the way places one of them is high on the bank of a river in the district. natural obstacles provided protection for the inhabitants of these fortifications. team people came to this. region to pray for. people in the surrounding villages still tell the story of the maori who sacrificed twenty six to the gods.

now it's time. to join. prayer in appealing to the gods. to the. sacrificial animals. this is followed by taking part in the ritual. to bring the people together. people get closer to the gods by eating in this way. mari people from all over have come here even those living in moscow and st petersburg. everywhere in russia trying to be here for this process of us. before nightfall the romans finally find what they set out for at the start of the expedition the depression. norma's pit in the very center of a field they hold their vehicles at

a safe distance from it the people living in this village used to plough these fields and grow crops on it. but. they were awakened by loud noises. when they came here they were surprised to see a large crazy in the middle of a field with some water in the boat some. scientists have found a sub to raney and stream beneath the depression when it erodes the top layer of the soil the ground sinks. with slope is very slippery and very steep i get scared at times i might be buried by sliding rocks a prospect i don't particularly relish. ok i'm almost there now. well there is no water here local people prefer not to descend into the depression because this kind of cataclysm might happen at any time. but there is much to be learned from such

expeditions people think that such things are only found in faraway lands but they are much closer to home and. was pleasantly surprised just as he and his wife vera where about to head home after the service. you get in a good serve come here for a moment. the priest's white cap was ceremonially placed upon his head as a token of great respect. no i'm not able to keep a low profile or stand on the sidelines i will have to be directly involved in the

prayers of ordinary people cherish hope they will look to me with hope and be my words as i express their sentiments in front of the sacred tree. i wish you good sales and happiness. the committee of couple has taken a plunge into the ancient faces people. by coming here they have truly experienced the joy of communion. i hope it will stay with them for the whole. until the next president that will once again bring the maori people together. thank. you.

any much once lived is bound. to burn for ever more eternal fire discipline thinkable could possible future. do we all wants to see this on forever.