more news today violence is once again flared up thing these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada from china corporations are on the day. the big. the official publication. called talk from the. video. an omission st now in the palm of your.

mission on. syria announces a referendum on a new constitution to take place in less than three weeks but as fighting goes on not everyone to gauge the conflict seems willing to go for pizza. rallies some are not averse to a pro-democracy uprising in bahrain are down with tactics and weapons from the u.k. sparking claims of western democracy over different revolts in the region. and sizing up the rivals u.s. leaders stomp on smile for china's visiting vice president and leader and waiting as the two nations find for the upper hand in a turbulent relationship. it's

three pm here in moscow this is r.t. coming to you live with our top story this hour syrian state t.v. house announced that a referendum on a new constitution will take place in eleven days that's as reports of new outbreak of violence continue to pour out of the country with tanks being deployed to the fourth largest city of hama and an oil pipeline blown up in homes. correspondent in syria roof an ocean has more. there is a goal the national referendum on the country's new constitution has been announced in every day that are expected to be held. in government and probably confirms a document that has been drafted to end the monopoly of the ruling party people who govern people according to the. initial levels should yield full marks to random but we can see. if you come to me. about politics

continuing all across the country today we've been receiving reports from hama over the tops or the markets about the tanks being deployed that come home about. pipeline their parent. mayflies and from the capital damascus about the military chain of residential areas looking for a position and these reports are very hard to verify usually they are coming from one source from the syrian opposition we got these about while traveling. not far from the. border. when the news appeared the government also. and the locals intended. use of the goods but again this is very complicated to get the truth that there are a lot of go around on the ground and here is my report. since the beginning of the

uprising in syria last march the regime of bashar al assad has been accused of repression torture and killing but with a budmouth of blame has to focus on assad's forces attacking civilians and shell in residential areas. the beautiful yard calls himself a member of the opposition and intellectual not one his stresses from a social democratic group originally from holmes he blames assad for mistakes which allowed bloodshed at the start but he just defies what the regime is doing in his native city now he is why and he is trying to to to. protect civilians i think that in homs there are many gangs you know there is a title and everyone can claim that he belonged with that this title and no one can ban him the danger posed by the armed forces who are seen in the killing of a french journalist last month and b.

says when he went to homs he put in his mind that the syrian opposition is very peaceful in the trying to frame them so he he was like a pioneer in the call and he was killed by the some gang attacks on government targets have become increasingly bloody themselves with twenty eight people killed and scores injured on an attack on a military base in aleppo last week an f.s.a. free syrian army representative at the mit its responsibility before the organization later denied it blaming the government forces a claim ridiculed by the regime. insurgents and terrorists have committed this attack only an insane person could see that the government is killing its officials and officers and destroying its own administrative buildings these armed terror groups were created to commit these crimes and they have committed them in the past

and will continue to do so if the west and the arab street support them last sunday the arab league vote still for full political and financial support for the opposition to unify its ranks it is similar call from the leader of al qaida muslims to unite efforts to help overthrow bashar. recent reports suggest iraqi weapons qatari troops and libyan rebels are role in syria on the opposition side this makes for a volatile and highly dangerous makes. many western powers interested in fomenting unrest and syria and so they'll turn a blind eye to extreme weapons coming in through borders like lebanon in turkey to create the very militants i won't call them terrorists but very dangerous armed groups but the west has its eyes wide open when it comes to the reported death toll the come only know un figure more than five thousand employees civilians only but

that figure leaves out any mention of pro-government forces killed in the conflict some say the numbers are destroyed to meet political objectives. over a number so for six years and i don't suppose. you would be surprised to know that over two poles of it hundreds of. this is a good commented foreign pressure has focused on the assad regime but the syrian government and its international supporters say there's been a total failure talk not only to violence from opposition forces which has been a key factor in the country's present tomo they warned that finding the solution to the country's crisis isn't possible without recognizing all its causes regional now t damascus syria well for more perspective on these latest developments in syria let's talk to professor mark almond at the international relations department of the universe in turkey thanks for being with us some government has announced

a referendum in a few days as maria from the start was reporting when it was originally planned for march how significant is the rescheduling move. well it makes it a more dramatic development it really bounces people by bringing it forward on the other hand it's also a sign of the assad wants to demonstrate his legitimacy it's obviously very important to him that a large number of people vote and a clear majority of the people who could vote vote in favor well the referendum do you think helped bring peace back to syria i think that's more problematic whereas a year ago the opposition as it began was demanding political reforms now the chief spokesman for the syrian opposition abroad and as far as we can tell the various rebel armed groups say nothing short of the fall of assad even his execution is acceptable so it's a challenge to see how the syrian government will be able to stage a referred to that will have legitimacy in the eyes the opposition on the other

hand for the opposition if there is a large turnout of voters that could well be damaging to the claim to really represent the syrian people obviously in many ways a democratic election is the ideal solution to political conflicts but now. both sides have people who fear the consequences of losing and the opposition itself can't really risk. losing face by now backing down and taking part in an elective process the new friends of syria growth is being set up with some major international players at the forefront to find a solution to this on ras but syrian diplomats accuse the group of financing terrorism and insurgency in the country how fair do you think that accusation is well certainly the group is led by countries saudi arabia qatar and so on who have denounced the regime and say they want it overthrown and support the opposition including the armed groups so the friends of syria are also for in society arabia

and i think the danger here is that we see a sunni shia religious split and really the saudis of their friends in the gulf with a lot of money are pushing to overthrow regimes they don't like secular regimes she . syria's war on iran of course is not that this big power politics play here a lot of the talk is about democracy and human rights and it would be good if those were the key issues but with the violence the key issues have become power and regional domination and i'm afraid part of the struggle for domination is between different religious groups and that's a very nasty type of civil war to have it also seems difficult to try to get a clearer picture of what's happening on the ground so many different ports one of them coming in recently that syrian rebels in some cities are burning tires and doing such things to give an empress sense of being attacked by the army is that really a possibility well there's certainly a propaganda war going on and i've certainly myself been. part of radio discussions where the syrian opposition spokesman have made statements are trying to defy

belief one problem is as you get a more violent conflict people feel they have no restraint they use violence and they also tell lies perhaps on both sides we have seen for instance reports from reporters sympathetic to the opposition admitting that the free syrian army doesn't take prisoners it is executes prisoners outside homes and of course this is all feeding into the cycle of violence and which is why the referendum may be a last chance for people to if they can vote freely in the votes are counted express an opinion but it may well be too late for anything other than violence to decide who would syria and the u.n. general assembly may also vote on a new draft resolution on syria as soon as thursday what would be the point of that since it could actually be legally binding no but i think for instance the french and the british in the united states have constantly been looking for a way to say there's a moral authority for external intervention they hope the u.n.

security council resolution would give them that failed but now hoping that perhaps with the arab league and a possible majority of the u.n. general assembly then one can say that the assad regime has been dealing just miles . in the world at large and some decisive action to end a brutal conflict is required but today and which will actually install the friends of the west we hear about the friends of syria group and i'm afraid it's the friends of saudi arabia and the west group to. just talk a little bit more widely on the arab league and their initiative to deploy peacekeeping mission in syria just briefly tell us what role could the league continue to play in the country well it's very difficult to see at the moment a peacekeeping mission because this conflict and the assad government doesn't want to fears our troops will be sent to topple it like the country's troops who went to libya to help to overthrow gadhafi without a peace to keep we've seen repeatedly peacekeeping troops simply either become ridiculous or they take sides and i think already we can see that several of the

leading arab states have taken sides so where these people come from who could be considered new clip impartial to both sides it's very difficult to see that force really being created right mark almond international relations professor at bill can't university thank you very much for your analysis thank you. well at r.t. dot com we have a whole section devoted to the conflict in syria don't hesitate to log on when you want to learn more about the conflict you can follow the latest developments were traced back to how it all began our correspondents have uploaded plenty of videos and firsthand impressed sense from inside the top of country. well the pictures are familiar regime forces cracking down on protesters but this time they emanate from box right activists trying to mark the one year anniversary of a power pro-democracy uprising were dispersed by heavily armed police as iver bennett reports the weapons as well as the tactics may have been imported from the u k.

tear gas and stun grenades supposedly the work of a reformed police force but one year on since the first anti-government protests will crushed in bahrain it seems not much has changed the only difference now the crackdown has been planned by one of britain's former top cops john the ates used to be assistant commissioner of london's metropolitan police he now works for bahrain's monarchy which says he's there to oversee police reforms the police have borrowed or behaving despicably their latest trick is to throw cancer tear gas into homes of people they don't like shut the doors and people have died choking to death tear gas on the news out of doors and i think for any british police officer or overstimulate retired to be associated in any way with it is its role yes resigned from scotland yard last year an early fix him of the phone hacking scandal

he popped up in bahrain in december as part of the regime's p.r. campaign to clean up its image a campaign pushed hard it seems by yeats himself he recently told the daily telegraph his new charges had a well rehearsed plan for the anniversary of the uprising adding the concept of reasonable reaction to provocation has been reinforced. as for the uprising itself he said this isn't organized protests it's just vandalism rioting on the streets claims hotly disputed by london's bahraini community i mean when you get thousands and thousands of people protesting demanding their rights and you call that vandalism. you seem to forget that there are sixty five or sixty five people actually died in britain from police brutality activists in bahrain insist their protest was peaceful their aim to reach the iconic pole roundabout in the capital manama they say they were met by tanks toxic gas and rubber bullets what we

witnessed on the ground as not. the front or from. this previously but it's been extended through the toxic gases and use of poisoning. mr john is contributing we should see a positive things at the ground what we are seeing today is nothing acceptable it may not just be british tactics bahrain's easing but weapons to government figures show the u.k. sold over one million pounds worth of rifles and artillery equipment to bahrain from july to september last year long after blood was spilled that despite insisting all licenses had been revoked as for yates his contract runs until april by which time he hopes to put in place concrete reforms on this evidence that seems a long way off either bennett r.t. london. but mideast expert tariq ali says the different attitudes world powers are

taking to bahrain's uprising are easily explained by how useful the regime is to that. those countries which are regarded as as though we're still stooges of the west basically not criticize regularly it's not just the gulf states and bahrain in particular it is also countries like yemen who was brutal dictatorial present to prison former president is currently in the united states receiving medical treatment there were demonstrations in saudi arabia a few days ago which got very little coverage of course the saudis have no democracy at all it is probably the most undemocratic country in the entire arab world and no one talks about this because it's a useful country it has always and it does with the west starts their intervention in bahrain was greenlighted by the united states which is very strong in their

principle and they crush the uprising but erica has also provided us with some insight on the current crisis in syria a special interview with him is on air for you next hour but before that here's what else is coming up in the program turkey one keep our economic war on iran choosing to protect its national interests by continuing to import to bring you know oil. the relations between greece and brussels are on course for a new low after euro zone council a ministerial meeting planned to discuss a second ballot out they you is today openly skeptical of athens political will on many greeks say they've been betrayed by those who saddled them with crippling austerity our correspondent in athens jacob graves has more. we're pretty hard to for this is anything else than a slap in the face for the greek government had passed a very unpopular austerity measures and hope to return their begetting guarantees

today that another much needed bailed out that required to repay their march debt they have been sticking their neck out of the line on this issue because this one is very unpopular the greek population is alienation which resulted in a little clash with police parlance and injuries also disruption to the capital for the protest itself wasn't just restricted to the public we saw in parliament politicians well forty three the ruling coalition choosing to vote no to further the measure is this something now that really isn't that popular politicians all those. who do get the impression we speak to greeks here in the capsule a growing sense of resentment of how they're being treated what the be made to do by the euro zone by the e.u. and i.m.f. we've heard the head of public order here coming out today. and saying that what europe is doing them over they're not really acting very responsibly to do word at the moment which is default greek default and exit from the euro zone what's being

talked about increasingly by greek politicians the public also boy those eurozone leaders not really not instilling any sense of confidence here. when america it's been a tough first day for talks for china's vice president and leader and waiting sieging ping's american colleagues began by voicing disappointment with beijing's economic policies and ended with its stance on syria criticism was also level that china over its copyright in force when a human rights record which the visiting vice president though very apart from the brief exchange of the day was largely ceremonial as american leaders sign stuff changing thing the man why the trip to be to lead us it's a patient over the next decade parties christine for is our reports now on the rocky relationship between the two economic giants. he loves me loves me that age old question is one china at least has every right to ask

regarding its relationship with the united states just in the last three years china has been winding down i. praised and envied for its ability to do whatever it wants but right now china the government can disconnect parts of its internet in the case of war we need to have here to the chinese p.z. row capital gains tax folks in congress are also going to get a chance to decide later. in the month whether our construction workers should sit around doing nothing while china builds the best railroads the best schools the best airports. in the world but it turns out those chocolate covered compliments seem to come just as frequently as those cold hearted criticisms and it's not just the president himself those hoping to take his job also tend to flip flop these guys around for us and in and out of it but instead look for ways to. to work to harness china doesn't want to various they want to see has succeeded thrive so we

could buy more chinese products ivan eland senior fellow at the independent institute says the paradox transcends the rhetoric we borrow a lot of money from china too so it's quite a curious thing that we're really borrowing money to pay for defending other countries from china right i mean that's what really doing in life and love there appears to be a fine line between resentment and respect i want to beat china i want to go to war with china and make america the most attractive place in the world to do business if you look at china they're in a very different such as they say for their own retirement security they don't have the f.t.c. they don't have the modern welfare state and china's growing it's that growth and the sharing is caring relationship that has bound these countries in this holy union this trade an economic interdependence with china is is really a defining factor and perhaps like most relationships there's nothing simple about the one between the u.s.

and china there are disagreements about who gets to lead when how to spend the money and how to raise the children but the fact is this relationship is one that's going to be around for generations to come in washington christine for our team. well paul craig roberts who served in the president reagan's administration says the u.s. desperation to stall china's rapid rise could prove costly. the united states has is responding to china in two ways one it's trying to reduce china's independent access to all while and the united states is responding to china also with increased military presence the united states says that the south china sea is an area of national interest to the united states their course that doesn't make any sense it's like china saying the gulf of mexico is an area of national interest

to china so the united states is asserting that chinese territorial wars aren't a matter of national interest to washington so i think these types of. militaristic statements that encourage china to build up its military and so the americans to sensibly maybe trying to start another arms race. well you can log on to our website anytime you bike for the latest news and videos that's our t.v. dot com here's a look at what's just a click away for you right now bug area is now in the six nations to stall progress of the international copyright protection agreement or act sponsored by washington find out why more and more governments are choosing to take or you turn on restrictions. and the rebirth of a legend russia's iconic kalashnikov rifle may be given an honorable discharge the

veteran weapon makes way for any newer model. turkey has no plans to consider alternative oil suppliers and will continue to import fuel from iran and despite the country's nato membership banker officials have firmly disapproved of calls for a strike against tehran and are reluctant to go along with what iran sees as western economic bullying jihan news agency chief abdulla hommage. bill deci says anti iran hysteria arms harms the entire region. it will be a very important headache for turkey because turkey is part of nato and because of that turkey has certain responsibilities it's very difficult to get a settlement to get a solution by attacking iran which is more than eighty million population really big country but as far as i know the current israeli government are not

helping to find a peaceful solution to the crisis i see that unfortunately it helps and the tension helps and for the world to see the sponsibility to push read the lunatic means as far as possible in order to get rid of the possibility that we have another war in the middle east which would be detrimental for all of us let's get the latest from the business desk now with marina. hello and welcome to business here on r t now the latest short term drops of russian gas supply to europe spurred discussions on how to secure consumers from possible cuts in the future well the head of gas from sexpot brush alexander at the age of says one of the ways is to increase storage capacities in the region. is

a key element for security of supply for extreme situations like to this winter so that's where we are repros a program to double. per person to. experience . between two hundred to three hundred million euros in the next for a few years to secure it opens. and the destiny of russia's second subsidy gasoline to europe will be the side of this autumn the country's gas and ultimately gas from says there will be from a final investment decision on sound stream in the the pipeline will deliver gas to europe bypassing transit countries such as ukraine and that is currently expected to be completed in two thousand and fifteen. but let's take a look at the markets now will start with exchange rates the euro is gaining just a little bit against the dollar after seeing some losses on tuesday and the ruble is higher against both the european and the u.s.

currencies following gains on the russian market. this is a look at the crude prices today are rising after european leaders pushed greece for stronger commitments to an austerity package in return for a second bailout is in concerns over the region's debt crisis which maker of demand for oil sun crude lawyer light sweet is currently trading at over one hundred one dollars per barrel while brant blend is just under one hundred eighteen dollars per barrel let's take a look at what's happened in europe markets there have shaken off news that it's early and another loans are back in recession for the second time in the last three years instead markets are up on strong corporate results and encouraging comments from china's central bank chief the footsies are gaining over one in fact the dax has gained over one percent i must say and the footsies gaining a quarter of a percent let's move on to russia on the markets here also in positive territory both the r.t.s. and of my stocks are adding around one percent let's move on.