crackdown in bahrain where security forces attack government demonstrations with. tear gas long on arrest rages on in the country. protesters are standing trial accused of inciting an attempt to overthrow the government. a government under siege in toulouse has been confirmed thirty hours after french police surrounded his house he's believed to have killed seven people last week claimed to have al qaeda links.

washington's latest terror on other countries as the u.s. compiles a list of nations to be punished for continuing to him for iranian oil. live from the heart of moscow this is artsy with me recently showing welcome to the program amid the ongoing unrest in bahrain the regimes are cracking down on people who have been helping violent protesters a group of doctors are on trial for trying to save lives for the latest now let's cross over to all these up. what's the bahraini government reasoning for prosecuting these people if indeed they were doctors helping. well the rain as you say is going ahead with the prosecution of twenty doctors and i would

medical staff who were involved in treating wounded protesters during a demonstration last year now back in september the doctors were sentenced to fifteen years for incitement to overthrow the government and are complying hospital now the government and the majority public opinion among many sunni's in of the raid is that the doctors in fact worsen the conditions of the patients and in many cases they're actually caused the wounded protesters to die to try and bring some kind of discredit to the security forces but human rights groups say that this is nonsense they say that the doctors are being punished for merely trying to hope that people. are available we are going to hear about much of the rest of bahrain for the mainstream western media what do you think others. well the violent crackdown in bahrain is continuing and by and large reporting from there is

going largely unnoticed in the mainstream media it does seem to be justified by the fact that the brain is a key u.s. ally in the region and as such it's not in the interest of much of the mainstream western media to report about the atrocities that are happening there we have been hearing increasingly from human rights groups trying to bring attention to the situation at the same time we look at the stock this trial is a case in point by and large it's being ignored and not my comparison there is so much media attention particularly on countries like iran and syria where almost the smallest wrongdoing creates some kind of media frenzy so what i'm really talking about here is based of self interest in terrain itself the rallies against the government continue with demonstrators calling for an end to the monarch's violent crackdown we have heard recently from the regime that they have been implementing reforms since last year but human rights groups and activists on the ground say

that these reforms are a far cry from what is really needed or it argues the political reporting for us from television thank you for as well let's look at some more inside reaction on this earth from global research correspondent. joining us live odds are you from east africa thank you for coming on the program today you've covered events in bahrain from inside the country that you've seen how the doctors who are on trial how they were treating protesters what are the medics being accused by the authorities. we're going to use on this there are three million period over in the soviet invasion and the crowd. approves this is a peaceful cruises and they do which is being in the hospital. the doctors the nurses the scales and they were doing and mind. the experience. with hundreds of thousands of people coming in with internal injuries from. own

rules to ask. this incident involving the regime isn't particularly want you to them that it is because they or the final witness is really who it is are issues of human rights then who. says go to war burn any regime or so there's an. instant peaceful civilian difference religion in the way we did in the middle east must be and must be continued and i think that's what what's behind this is. going to say it isn't just wishful should be true i don't see children ok such as your say these doctors are being prosecuted eyes as they were eyewitnesses to the atrocities as you call them a committed by the regime you know when it comes to the arab spring and our cost over the past year or so you know the western media has been absolutely all over it but when it comes to the ongoing uprisings in bahrain it's received actually no

criticism or barely any attention from the west for its handling of protests so what do you think is the reason for this. well it is very simple it's just. watching if you know london which you selectively. didn't know grass into and that's. the ridge and assume it will reduce internal winners during the libya and then the mission for you lot to the awful new route in the east to styria to be visited in the middle of the region the regime in the new year it was not in the mind of the of the regime is it now not in all of the west as in mario with his fleet years between spears didn't seem to listen to killers not interested enough to sing all the and you call it leads in the lead. in the not for the world to see where you have a critical and still serving agenda by the way is

a very selected focus all in all branches of the country and the food is all new clues were made since the way suggested to be sure to treat genes and we're seeing this in syria the only reason is certainly no one bridge in washington or london and the the west doing kerry is doing everything in its power to try to wind up protests against the on the syrian regime workers in bahrain and incidence to the region to the west very much behind in the order to be firmly ensconced third and mentee and ties you say as you say the west pays attention to certain areas or whether it's the arab spring or an uprising that suits its own agenda but when it comes to little or no attention being paid to the ongoing uprising in bahrain how would the opposition there actually have any chance of achieving anything if indeed the west or the international support it's not even there is nonexistent. well it is very very difficult and very frustrating working. through just

a third of their suffering most of or a prison mission teargassed smothering their homes and villages every night on the west is is just turning a blind eye to his the people in meridian or are very disappointed frustrated and disillusioned with the the complete a lot of very little attention from the west on the invite and have gone and. all of the new all of the injuries are causes in the arab world and this is the group has been very largely peaceful. in the plate of the bully under the sunni regime in the on khalifa regime sue can see the interior if you think educated one of them start interrupt you but do you think anyone in bahrain is in any way calling for more western attention perhaps calling for some some type of intervention you look at what's happening in syria what happened in libya but might

imagine that those in bahrain might be well a bit cautious about going after. one of the other methods. of the western intervening you know. you know the way that the. very self-serving and provably unwilling view that they do more than the whole world they would like is something fairly constant of for immediately to cover the grievances and hunt for a few politicians in governments like in washington in the loop to start supporting this region in bahrain and washington recently soules of them in fifty three million dollars worth of weapons to the bahraini regime and we can send a signal to. washington is really behind the square behind them. you can just continue repressing the people below the green we would like is for the west to stop supplying the regime and under so we confront all the bahraini

regime to the west so hocking these regimes are on the other was given to prove his movement some speech to. make sure it's a gentle change. global research correspondent finian a cutting of a life raft from east africa thanks for coming on r.t. it's about. a letter of the program here same with same again our report from the lebanese city of tripoli our asks if it's at risk of facing a similar scenario to its namesake in libya venice and neighboring syria. ten minutes past the hour here in moscow where the convent suspected of killing seven people in the french city of toulouse has been found dead over thirty hours off the police surrounded his flat the reports say he died with a weapon still in his hand the man claimed to have links to al qaeda and is believed to be a french citizen of algerian descent who suspected of killing

a rabbi and three children in a jewish school as well as three soldiers in a separate incident police surrounded his apartment for over thirty hours before storming it he was said to be armed with multiple weapons possibly including hand grenades paris based political writer diana johnston claims the french government is now reaping what it is sorry i improvise. because i desired to kept alive but it didn't work so this is not free and the whole operation is. really i mean the court thank you want to read some share this event let happened eight years ago in madrid remember. the train bombings where. ninety one people were killed and it was also just before an election and right is very interesting his different reactions of these people

was. in fact the right wing government and bring in socialist government because and media the stock. prices the patient in the war in afghanistan and i think that meant this janet this is me recognize this this was actually going to coming home to roost operation. you're watching are still plenty more to come in the program in clued in. the creation of the job to take people off the dole but they seem to be ignoring this and concentrating on things like fifty p. top rate of income tax for the rich people britain reveals its budget to eat into its massive deficit cutting taxes for corporations getting pensioners with a new granny. beijing has slammed the latest u.s. move to restrict iran's oil trade which could result in unilateral sanctions applied to other countries washington issued

a list of nations that could be blocked from accessing america's financial system if they continue to trade with tehran china the biggest lie of iranian crude tops that list along with india and north korea they've been given six months to reduce oil imports from iran or face u.s. sanctions however japan and ten e.u. countries have been made exempt because they have significantly cut purchases of iranian oil the new embargo is designed to put more pressure on tyrone over its nuclear program financial analyst francis says that washington is showing bias toward its allies while punishing others. i have faith the u.s. has. a foreign policy there for its allies like japan and they need you is that one set of rules for other countries like china which is there not on such friendly terms with the us on. the syrian question and he said another set of rules so even though china reduced its purchase of

a rainy zero zero zero zero by almost half so he still bring the sanctions on china . create a huge improvement express between china and the us this is a us think taking the foreign policy before grover agenda for everybody else either you're with me or against me this is this is really what u.s. diplomat its policies are with every him you apply pressure to surely and if you're not undecided you suffer. and a few minutes is the author but for now we turn our attention to syria where violence rages on despite wednesday's u.n. security council statement appealing for a cease fire government forces are reportedly stepping up their assault on opposition strongholds while insurgents are vowing to bring the fight to the capital damascus the opposition so-called free syrian army has set up a military council to coordinate attacks in and around the city fighters are turned

to all out war from the government forces put them under pressure across the country the u.n. security council resolution calling for peace is non-binding and carries no ultimatums but america is threatening to come down hard on the mouse that doesn't comply u.s. based journalist and author. says washington is actually fueling the conflict. one of the reasons the violence has continued is that the united states is covertly financing the opposition to basheer assad's government the united states is providing tactical assistance for training military operations it's being done outside of the country just across the border however as long as as washington continues to feed this conflict it will go on but the message needs to start with washington washington has got to stop interfering in syria i believe the violence

in syria needs to stop this is the people are suffering terribly the point is that it's two sides that are keeping this conflict alive this is what's good for bashar assad is also good for hillary clinton the united states must announce that it will stop supporting the rebels in syria and they will stop feeding this conflict both sides together must reach a cease fire it requires both action from both sides. as collating violence in syria is affecting neighboring countries as well dividing people across the border in lebanon on. a boy reports from the country and how it's been affected by the nearby conflict. it's an air of c.g. on the mediterranean pancham for everything. lebanese tripoli looks a lot like its libya main sake and increasingly it's being drawn into the revolutionary violence it's home to sizeable alawite and sunni communities and with

the syrian border just half an hour drive away tensions are already boiling over the road separating the alawite and sunni communities here in tripoli is up in the serious street and attitudes to what's happening there divides lebanese more than anything else this country stands to lose the most from the disintegration of its neighbor yet another proof of that came just a few weeks ago when one night bullets started to flow across the street the clashes claimed the lives of two people and pushed the rest deeper into their ideological trenches residents of these alawite sarber raised money to put out this impromptu memorial to the leader and the countries they consider their protectors. thank you russia there is also no second guessing on whom they consider their anime america is not a euphemism for american interests we don't see human rights of freedom.

serious ruling baath party has its regional office here its chief says meeting bashar al assad in person was the most memorable event of his life while the prospect of a un sanctioned foreign intervention in syria is now minimal he says behind the scenes syria's still remains a front here for regional powers syria's from. and with the everything. going from. going from lebanon. from jordan from there from everywhere or across the street in a hospital. run by a sunni charity attitudes are strikingly different most of the patients here are young men from the homs province and some like mohammad don't hide their affiliation a bit different syrian army he staked on who is responsible for the bloodshed is not hard to guess. i have

a warning for the russian people if they don't change this will cut all ties with them once the revolution reaches its tree used to have trying to make the right choice on the hospitals administrator shows us some of about five hundred patients they've treated since the uprising began. allegedly committed by assad's regime amount to crimes against humanity but when i ask him what is the revolution is worth all the suffering and destruction his response is not exactly humanitarian we have many destruction and we have more than i can no more than eleven thousand we hear you. and i think that all good evolution has to pay some. something. with. changing.

life to keep the two warring communities apart the lebanese government has dispatched an army contingent to the cd for all its resemblance of the libyan capital lebanese tripoli is still trying hard to avoid believe me and scenario at some point are at sea tripoli lap and on our street we're going to daniel with the markets but for now let's do the r.t. walt update or start with yemen where security forces have killed at least twenty nine al qaeda militants in the southern province of. the navy targeted their positions with rocket and artillery shells over a twenty four hour period militants captured tell. in the area last year against the backdrop of political turmoil in the country yemen has seen an escalation of violence since president hadi took office last month following a year of massive protests against his predecessor ali abdullah saleh.

colombian army says troops have killed at least thirty nine members of the far left just group it's one of the biggest such strike in five years that's according to the country's defense minister rebels are accused by the government of cocaine smuggling arms trafficking and bomb making for all the revolutionary armed forces of colombia group has been at war with the state since one thousand nine hundred sixty four. portugal is being hit by a twenty four hour public sector workers strike against government spending cuts and tax increases transport is severely disrupted with schools post and other state services badly affected the latest protest was organized by unions over government austerity measures triggered by a seventy eight billion euro bailout lisbon is locked into a three year program of cuts ordered by the e.u. and i.m.f. to reduce the country's huge debts. rebels in the west african country of mali claim to have seized power to government in a coup they've imposed

a military curfew and suspect suspended the constitution the whereabouts of the country's president are unknown troops stationed a mutiny on wednesday taking over a state broadcaster in the presidential palace mali has been one of the most stable democracies in western africa since the nineteen items. well the pensioners will pay more while taxes for the rich and big business will be reduced that's what critics are making of the british government's budget for the year ahead saying it boosts the interests of corporations all making the lives of ordinary people even tougher but he's laura smith has details from london. the government's calling this a fiscally neutral budget which basically means giving with one hand and taking away with the other labor the opposition party is calling it a millionaire's budget and people also say that it's ten calling around economic disaster just dealing with the edges of it the top line of this budget is really

this tax cuts for the very richest meekness i see from fifty cents a full five percent hugely controversial the government says that the tax is not making any money anyway but groups like the occupy her campaign say that it's basically a tax cut for the one percent another very controversial thing is this this issuing a one hundred year or even perpetual porn's pouring money it only needs to be paid back in one hundred years' time the government says it's doing that to look in low interest rates but the critics say that it's numbering our children essentially with debt not just children either grandchildren great grandchildren but one of the most controversial parts of this budget is the raising of the tax on fuel again later this year that has a huge impact on the economy and in fact it's a measure that according to some polls seventy seven percent of people in this country are against create tens of thousands of jobs at no cost what government

could say no to you case coalition government apparently as it sticks to another rise in the tax on fuel to take effect in august small business owners are feeling the pinch. over the last few years is really really crippled and crunched on our bottom line but according to the fair fuel campaign cutting the tax on fuel by just four said it would get the economy motoring and could put one hundred seventy five thousand people back in work the creation of a trial to take people off to go off important benefits and. more trucks going out spending more money etc but they seem to be ignoring the concentration of things like fifty pay. income tax for the rich people meanwhile small businesses. found sound untoward chapman run a company which sells an install spence's to keep your pet in your garden it employs seven people full time and runs full vans in which engineers deliver train pets to use the fences the guys can work in hand share one day and then the next

day depends on when the customer wants us first of all we have the increase in the ha which obviously is going on top of fuel as well and then the actual few years well you can't keep being squeezed all angles forever around seventy percent of the economy is small business the government says it's depending on firms like to rebuild it but growth and development is out of the question according to sam he says the price of fuel is. the price at the pump has already hit one pound fifty five a liter in some places that's two dollars forty six and although some of it is due to the geopolitical situation including the oil embargo a staggering sixty percent is tax it's an easy but damaging way to raise money is actually a very convenient tax because it's actually very difficult to avoid i mean one of the impacts is on labor mobility so how easy it is for people to travel to work or

to actually get new jobs that might be some traveling distance from the home so it actually can increase unemployment quite markedly if you do choose to it's a problem that phil says down into the entire economy ninety percent of everything we have in our homes offices and shops is delivered by lorry with fuel do you see so high haulage companies of course to pass those costs on to consumers resulting in higher prices for everything food clothes consumer goods piling yet more pressure on the recession hits british consumers nora smith r.t. london. should be a business. where you've got your eyes on the markets this hour. yes and investors are seeing red and there are several reasons for that let's start with moscow first russia keeps starting positively this week and then swinging self-denial down over a percent contagion from we played set in the u.s. and asia let's check shame moves to sell most energy stocks have been better than

the market despite we could crude prices financials are one of the worst before the sperm bank losing more than one percent europe's now in its longest downward spiral since november randgold some thirteen percent off to the mall the africa has mines and oil is tumbling as industrialized states most releasing strategic troops still calls to counter a recent rise in prices on the exchange rates the bill is gaining against the euro this hour but the group was no losing against both major currencies and america's historic grip on the world bank presidency is being challenged developing countries have put forth two credible contenders of their own there's nigerian finance minister under former finance minister of colombia nominated before friday's deadline to replace robert zoellick who's retiring provides aid to poor countries his head is considered one of the world's top policymakers and in other news russia's been right before its most favorable country to run a business in a rating but by bloomberg hong kong topped the list thanks to its free market

policies and low corporate taxes the survey looks at wages startup costs and how a country controls inflation russia's place in the top fifty is more welcome than last year's doing business rating by the world bank where the country took one hundred twenty eighth place. and that's all the business you can find more stories on our website in the headlines next to an alter it.

the be. more news today violence is once again fled.