tonight and these are all top stories tightening the noose around the syrian regime further calls for military invasion and threats of sanctions as seen by many in syria as obstacles on the path to possible political solution to the crisis. the man behind one of the largest leaks of u.s. army data is said to go on trial but critics of the process say it's just a ploy they think to cover up government crimes. and election fever grips russia ahead of the presidential polls mass rallies engulf the capital the largest demonstration seen an estimated one hundred thousand supporters the current prime minister vladimir putin. plus israel dismisses global concerns over a potential military escalation in the dispute with the rand saying it alone will decide whether to launch a strike on the islamic republic. next r.t. heads to damascus to discuss the ongoing political crisis in syria with alexei pushkov he's the head of russia's foreign affairs committee.

mr pushkov could you tell us about the purpose of your visit to syria. the main objective of my visit to syria is to see the situation firsthand he said as you know the russian state duma issued a statement on the situation in syria ten days ago speaking strongly against outside interference in syria's affairs and against the un and its security council siding with one of the parties in this civil conflict i do think that we also believe that the syrian government should not be the only side obliged to lay down their weapons and that the armed groups opposing the government should do the same as my task here is to conduct negotiations with the representatives of the authorities and the opposition you know what i could to get a clearer picture of the situation and to give a report to the chairmen and deputies of the state duma you know as as you know

russians closely follow the situation in syria despite all the heated arguments in view of the upcoming presidential election united russia of the ruling party and the opposition spoke in unison on this matter of those with us mother and you still i don't rule out the possibility that the state duma will revisit the issue perhaps more than once. during your meeting with president assad you pointed out that russia supports going to reform in syria then it was for an intervention in syria's affairs will moscow stance remain a scene how would you comment on the recent statements by the secretary general of the arab league below. moscow and be a natural science that their position might. you know the most. obviously we're going to get off the statement made by the arab league's representative expresses nothing but his own opinion so far i see nothing that could make moscow in beijing

will change the firm stance on the issue expressed in the recent vote on the resolute. on syria in which they called for was urging both sides of the conflict to stop using force rather than only the pro regime forces because i think we currently have every reason to believe the russian delegation will continue its attempts to persuade the outside government to adjust their approach was there with respect to the use of military force when dispersing opposition groups on the other hand those with the ability to influence the armed groups should use it to ensure the violence is not regarded as the only way out of the conflict. scenario we have to avoid is this if driven by some factors the outside government decides to restrict the use of force and the other side should not be able to use it to their

advantage actually this is happened before when the government troops were ordered back to the barracks at the request of the arab league during the work of its mission from the ashes the rebel groups used the opportunity to mount an offensive i think it's impossible to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict to the school on that basis that it's in there was more. muscular rehearsed general george and i were friends of syria in tunisia. what do you expect from that. yeah. there's also the show as to whether some i think moscow refused to take part in that meeting because judging by the statements we've heard in the format of the so-called friends of syria club it will soon be formed with the sole purpose of that conference is not to find a way out of the current situation but to promote the idea that the conflicts can only be resolved if asked sadly it is i have met with mr assad himself the foreign

minister of a parliamentary speaker and with representatives of two opposition organization is i have to say that i did not get the impression that it is the people versus i sat in this conflict alone and the situation is different because there were a faction of the people is indeed opposing the regime while the other support mr assad has some quite actively a while yet another faction does not want syria to fall into chaos or to force a support the regime passively you are clearly not on the side of armed insurgents or the fish like you they do not support the i.j.a. outside interference you know the situation therefore is not simple it's not black and white nor scenario where a whole nation rises up to overthrow governments they don't like the us and i can even quote one of the opposition representatives i met with this survey believe

that the situation cannot be resolved without the regime being involved and they believe he has to be part of the solution the arab league believes the current regime should be torn down because even at the same time they make no suggestions about how events should develop after that will replace the current regime believe me the armed insurgents who have been stepping up their efforts to topple the regime fester and he the efforts are supported by foreign states or both arms shipments and i believe financially. thank you so there will be a third party as we have learned from the example of egypt revolutions are not accomplished by the same people that start the. peaceful protests in syria again there was quite a large scale demonstration in damascus on saturday have their goals but it happens quite often that the people's protest is taken over by others who would have very little interest in democracy or the protestors initial goals and it's just the cost

of a very strange outside pressure on syria's ruling regime is spearheaded by countries that are in fact undemocratic at the moment when representatives of the gulf monarchies which as far as i know do not have a single democratic institution start complaining about our son's regime being undemocratic and if there is i believe that undermines the political and moral legitimacy and i would say of the friends of syria is it a club of syria's friends or a club of people who want bashar assad gone that is the question we have to ask if we should i don't flee answer which to me is quite obvious must have been the reason that moscow chose not to take part in the conference monarchy pursued schools and health. but the what do you think military intervention realistic option and what countries that support the syrian opposition.

as there is there's been a little flare up of all the muscular from the meetings i attended into mascot's i got the impression that there is no such thing as a united syrian opposition there is the syrian national council with its seat in istanbul which opposes the very idea of negotiating with the regime a show newsroom it seems this council was created specifically to promote the idea of military intervention as a sort of however according to other syrian opposition organizations it has very little influence in syria and is very weakly represented on syria's political scene as. it is only one of the opposition groups comprised of syrians now have no influence or presence in the country there are other groups each one viewing itself as the most significant but again according to a representative of the opposition these organizations have no control over the

whole insurgency for instance syria has so called and protest committees and some of these aren't connected to any opposition groups with a have their own agenda so they demand that the regime change its policies they demand democracy and free elections are they do not necessarily identify themselves with specific opposition movements in other words the opposition is very fragmented new york their goals are different some groups believe in talks with the regime others think it pointless some believe a constitution would offer some grounds for political evolution and syria to business and others i think the constitution will be worth less than the paper it's printed on some believe the elections are going to go hard organize could take place u.s. government others say lections without sat in power would be pointless. that was

a would inevitably be rigged by the regime in conditions such as these when there was no single force that the regime could negotiate with any of the it is quite hard to open a national dialogue i have not met with members of the armed groups so i cannot convey their position to u.b.c. but as i see it the opposition groups active in syria those represented into mask is are against the idea of military intervention of the libyan scenario is not popular here even those groups that want to side go on but you do not support the idea of foreign military intervention and they believe the libyan scenario would result in chaos and loss of control. they insist that syria is different from libya in that the foundation for democracy has been laid there that the authorities have a concept of democratically c.j. but i think that these groups want to deal with syria's internal affairs on their

own as to deal with it at the same time they are desperate to a point because the situation feels like a dead end i mean the authorities are pursuing their own goals. the armed opposition force use its own goals and it's very hard to upset this negative stability as it is i would call it a license in order to begin a political process that would change the regime and at the same time reconcile the regime with syrian society. which was that it was. designed to keep you close our world as

a prison. no you leave somebody in there for a couple hours like that and. you have this fear of the unknown and this stress sort of building and. seen interrogations go on ten twelve hours they chose songs i remember from marilyn manson. those are more coming up here into iraq. charlie poole of the body which is the rock n roll band it was fitting for the job we were doing.

was wrong going.

this is donte from moscow in the top stories tightening the noose around the syrian regime further calls for military invasion and threats of sanctions being seen by many in syria as obstacles on the path to a possible political solution to the crisis and. the man by one of the largest

leaks of u.s. army data is set to go on trial but critics of the process say it's just a ploy to cover up government crimes. and election fever grips russia ahead of the presidential poll is mass rallies engulf the capital the largest demonstration saying an estimated one hundred thousand supporting the current prime minister. bus israel dismissing global concerns over a potential military escalation in the dispute with a rather saying it's a load will decide whether the mortar strike slightly from. thirty forty five moscow time with a sport or another big night a european football it is too. hello welcome to the thursday night sports roundup and you know the top stories. full steam ahead this hour i want to look

a much excitement in search of goals. as they target and last sixteen spots in the euro can be. a give and forgets manager about summer is ready to bring back carlos tevez as his manchester city side targets a double trash you're right a league holders for tight. all the court is also trash olympiacos to reach the last eight. but first a footballing sorrow wants his side to go out and score goals as lokomotiv moscow are inspired in this those day night to take on athletic bilbao for a spot in the last sixteen of the europa league there oh i made it take a two won the first leg lead into the tie but you sara doesn't want his side to just settle for a draw while the russian side moving because i don't need to overturn a one zero first leg deficit a greek side of n.p.r. cost well those games are among the fifteen second legs taking place this thursday elsewhere athletico madrid has the lot already three one up and i guess while

manchester united have a two no advantage it's time to act united will be without an ill wayne rooney and sir alex ferguson is taking nothing for granted. obviously as you is a goal. we do we're going to try and avoid so we have to try and maintain a ruin. them to make sure that we're really all motivated to win the game. well meanwhile rivals manchester city are the first team straight to the last sixteen after beating defending champions porto four nil at the end he had stadium to go through six one and i guess and afterwards manager roberto mancini said carlos tevez could be playing for the side again within three weeks after the strike apologised for his three months exam from the club a time a very strong mancini has set his eyes on a europa league and english premier league double. your lawyers not the easy days we want to get i want to try to go in there finally. it would be difficult because

we are a body. like your magic. is there like jump your leg for this reason would be difficult but we want to try that. because premier we on the top if we win the next thirteen games we win the league well meanwhile in the champions league on wednesday a vase will stand four time winners buy in munich one nil and switzerland substitute valentino netted the wind out four minutes from time to give the swiss side the same advantage for the return leg in the last sixteen while elsewhere masai him more pressure on third cloudy around harry grabbing an injury time winner to beat internet one zero and meanwhile back here in russia league leaders need to have made an offer to take russia striker and captain and they are shoving on loan from alston all the thirty year old has failed to secure a starting place with the gunners this season and scored twice for the reserves against norwich this week spent eleven years with the need for his move to england however any deal would have to be settled by friday when the russian transfer

window closes. and in the meantime the russian national beach football team have won the european cup adding to the world championship grand they won last year it's been a rapid rise to the top for a nation hardly known for its beaches so richard one portly went to find out the secret. despite being under a blanket of snow for around six months of the year russia has a beach soccer team which is the envy of the world what countries like brazil portugal and spain have all year round access to the beach it's the russians who are leading the world culminating in their world cup win in italy last year i knew brazil were an incredibly strong side five or so years ago but over the last couple of years in russia a lot of indoor beach soccer stadiums have been built and we have caught up with the rest of the world and surpass them before two thousand and seven russia had only qualified for beach soccer world cup in one occasion however since then the countries developed into the world's top sides and the owner of this also russia's

captain says before the governing body should take a lot of credit for rapid roys which is here on the ballot each soccer has developed in russia at a phenomenal speed the russian football union are right behind us and they've been absolutely fantastic in supporting us and all the support helped us to be crain world champions which is the highest honor we could have the russian team has also been helped by having a very stable school board which is also incredibly talented but the last five years or so this so-called golden generation has grown in strength and confidence over the last few years and it's now one of the world's very big speech soccer teams the fact that russia had won the beach soccer world cup was hardly reported in russia however the goalkeeper i'm able to reach he say is the team is now getting more coverage in the press. every year every month and every turn around the passes more people are starting to write about it but if i'm going to be

brutally honest beach soccer is a show. another reason for russia's rapid rise is a fact but the vast majority of the squad and i am professional gone are the days when players would have to work as taxi drivers or managers in order to supplement their income also russian clubs are able to come. heat with europe is very balanced but these teams are also importing top players from countries like brazil and portugal which helps raise the level of sport in the country. i would see eighty percent of the russians water professionals the majority of squad play for the locomotive side which is form two years ago and also play for the national side of the russian big shocker scientists going from strength to strength and is now by far the most successful team from a country competing in any world wide fee for tournament they may not be as famous as it counterparts for the launch of underage champagne and roman publishing co i don't want to wall coverage on russia's beach soccer players will be now aiming to retain their world crime jahi team next year which accompanied fleet r.t.

moscow. on sebastopol now and says sky have become the first team to reach their league quarter finals after thrashing olympiacos ninety six points to sixty four here in moscow to secure their berth in the next state with a gang to spare welters gunyou a win would see them finish top of group a and never looks like squandering their chance going twenty eight points up why half time all of the argos did respond to produce and even said periods rounded off and they were them and they didn't say which top scoring with fifteen points and saying he wants to march on. you think it's going to look about the future ok so maybe you are here with a very big game thinking values are thinking oh players in just you or me wanting to practice maybe in the way i want to be scarcer a nation that approaches. well across the atlantic n.b.a.

sensation jeremy lin is unruffled ahead of his meeting with twice season's most valuable player le bron james the new york knicks travelled to the mediating miami heat tonight on the floor the club is on a seven game winning streak but lin is happy to have to make comment on things that were going jury and the n.b.a.'s first american of taiwanese descent when to go against king james. obviously bron is a great player and a great great defender so you know you just got to be aggressive continued not change anything on my and they're really good defensive team in our you need melo to be you know a playmaker in the end and the score. now it's switched to ice hockey where it says go must go have grabbed the last spot in the playoffs despite sucking you you should just hours before losing one illicitly rivals the number well you strain of yet to say it was swifty promoted to take over the top excited to make instant impact on a popped up through the winter and fall prey to the final period that's about the start of the party. storming into the. spring for things to

others out there way and then right. now in winter sports snowboarder you're cutting out to the guy is on course to retain her overall world cup title after the russian trying to first win of the season at the parallel slalom event in canada while you couldn't see much on the stone and slopes due to heavy fog but slow visibility didn't stop to question that in her tracks twenty four year old almost half a second ahead of austria's media at the ritz in the big final at gold making it four podium finishes this season it was also enough to rebel to get it to the top of the overall standings however her question is slim but this year come up switzerland three more slalom events left on the circuit for the next up jew in moscow on march the. now olympic figure skating champion yevgeny plushenko has undergone successful knee surgery but still won't be going to next month's while championships in nice the twenty nine year old tweeted he is

speeding fine after the operation but had already said he wouldn't be competing for his fourth world title in funds pushing her was crowned european champion for the seventh time event just last month and is targeting the sochi olympics in twenty fourteen last year's bronze medalist and european runner up after a good chance he will be russia's biggest hope at next month's tournament. golf now and the race for the world number one spot has been thrown wide open after top ranked look donald went crashing out of the w.d.c. match play championship in arizona leaving fellow englishman lee westwood and northern ireland. rory mcilroy in the chance of going to top however both would need to win the event to do so donal struggled for most of the day though this effort on the force was a rare moment of brilliance as he became only the sir top seed to exit the first round in the event's history he was soundly beaten by ernie els five and for the south african working the greens abusively. we want westwood east pass belgian the

kalac all set three and one and us open champion mcelroy defeated george can't seem to luck i am proud to be events don't follow fed on their best than yourself tiger woods was beautiful country and how it's fine you've had his nose in front with four holes to go plus the american former world number one to come back to when i found that home. now and open champion darren clarke they post when tapped. and that's all the sports news we're saving bison.

i have.

tonight tightening the noose around the syrian regime further calls for military invasion and threats of sanctions being seen by many in syria as all circles now on the path to a possible political solution to the crisis.