the syrian rebels threaten to kill forty eight iranian hostages they kidnapped on saturday if the assad regime doesn't stop it shelling. the gulf states seek closer ties as crackdowns on protesters gather force with dozens injured and detained in bahrain. and also reported the deadly terror strikes in russia republic of chechnya with suicide bombers attacking an army checkpoint while a car bombing claims of more lives our top stories this hour.

online on screen international news and comment live from our new center here in moscow syrian rebels have threatened to kill iranian pilgrims they kidnapped over the weekend unless government forces stop the shelling the opposition fighters claim three of the forty eight captured have already died in continued shooting the free syrian army claimed the captives were members of the elite iranian revolutionary guard video recently aired by the news channel reportedly showed the prisoner surrounded by government on monday several people were injured by a bomb blast inside the headquarters of the state t.v. and radio channel in the capital this despite the government saying it's push rebels from the last stronghold in damascus meanwhile the syrian prime minister has reportedly fled to jordan has been sacked army troops continue to mass near the country city of aleppo as opposition fighters are readying for a major battle with casualties reported on both sides each racing to plug the gaps with new recruits and while some conscripts say they are ready to die for the cause

others are trying to dodge. the drafters report. on the outskirts of damascus pro-government paramilitary also known as should be camped out in what used to be a tree most a local man who say they quit their regular jobs to defend their homeland. twenty nine prior to the uprising he worked as a t.v. technician and his passion for the small screen is still there while watching this i five blockbuster armageddon scenes of bruce willis saving the planet got him talking these movies always show americans defending ones that don't belong to them even their own land was the property of indians now they are fighting all around the world so how come you deny our right to defend our own land the opposition accuses the shabby her of conducting massacres but this man say they've themselves are often targeted by the rebels some even adopted newcomer flush to avoid being identified the armistice reliance on the prior military has

a tactical advantage they know the area but it's also out of necessity as the death toll among troops rises more syrians are dodging the draft military service in syria is a year and a half but those for over eighteen and i not only stands university students can delay or shorten their terms while don't speak out they should be exempted on medical grounds and the past draft dodgers could also attempt to bribe officials to get the names of the list but the controls got much tighter the base going abroad is the only legal option to avoid getting called out that's what it is now considering six young men from his town recently returned home in coffins and he says for the sake of his family he can't risk being going before the courses. to court all me to go more. home. but after the crisis. not. me.

so. the army. the extent of draft dodging is hard to gauge since the syrian government does not comment on its military but in the country's hospitals the reasons for avoiding active duty is all too graphic sammy who is also twenty six was conscripted from hama happy year ago while his one will take at least three months to heal he says he doesn't regret joining the army. it's normal that parents would be worried about sending their sons to the army will especially in good times like this some of my friends advised me not to go on the contrary wanted me to join the army at the end my parents said i should do it to have these cleared so they could go on. the syrian army sometimes for trade as a killing machine with many of its members are just an early twenties and if

anything they're to honor the victims a whole war their country has been dragged into the boycott artsy reporting from syria. the gulf arab nations are seeking closer ties as the foreign ministers of the six states set to talk integration next month saudi arabia and bahrain which have seen popular uprisings for the past year and a half have been at the forefront of pushing for gulf cooperation shiite protesters are calling for an end to what they say is discrimination by these sunni molecules which have been stepping up their crackdowns in bahrain dozens of demonstrators were injured and arrested last week after security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at the activists also demanding the release of political prisoners well in my colleague kevin talked to a human rights activist. who asked us not to reveal her location she explains the hardships of a fight in the face of the hypocrisy of the international community. my father still recovering from has long hung. strike that he staged a few months ago and he has this ongoing appeal in

a sham trial and behind because of course i'm behind we don't have an independent or a just my sister's there are still two nights ago during the self-determination protests she was staging a one person protest inside a roundabout is talking about you and your sister how much danger is there now for activists in your country is that a fair representation the place for activists and behind today seems to be prison we have a whole agenda village of war both very prominent human rights defender not just them for them but in the region and then also is in of the whole region now all in prison and so it does seem like it doesn't know how to deal with human rights defenders and does you as a threat to the regime in the country to julian assange when his interview shows. this channel criticize the u.s. for backing the rules in the gulf state i've got a quote twelve years if you let me he said it's very clear that the united states democracy and human rights are only applied in countries which they have problems

with not with dictatorships that they have good relations with how do you do that assessment well i think that's very true i mean we're seeing that in many different examples with the double standards that are being practiced i mean you don't see the same response to the situation in yemen for example the way you do in other countries like for example syria unfortunately it does seem that you know supporting human rights comes in the form of interests they support human rights when it's in their interest to do so and then they will not support human rights when it's not in their interests are going to tell you to go over muslim do you think well i think it's mostly going to be a situation where we need to raise awareness amongst people in those countries you know the difference between the worst in a lot of our countries is that the vote actually does have a known fluence in some situations and so if we can get people in the united kingdom in the united states and other countries to actually tell their government that we're not happy that you support a regime that is committing widespread human rights violations you know and we will

vote for you again if you continue to do so then maybe we will see a change. party life here in moscow still ahead for you this hour the legacy of disorder year after riots and looting on london streets residents in this summer's olympic capital aren't sure the violence still won't make a comeback also. the trial of a female punk group pussy riot enters its second week the trio stand accused of hooliganism and could face up to seven years in prison for an anti putin protests that took place in russia's main cathedral join us for the latest in just a few moments. but first deadly terror attacks have hit russia's volatile republic of chechnya a suicide strike on an army checkpoint killed four soldiers in the capital grozny one a separate car bombing killed three servicemen tom banse here with more now for us tom this is been a continually evolving story today one of the official saying now about it.

investigators say they found the bomb belt of a suicide bomber who attacked a checkpoint in grozny the capital of russia's chechen republic there were two explosions reported at that checkpoint they killed four soldiers though that figure may include the dead bomber in another incident a military vehicle on its way into the city was blown up by a device placed underneath it that killed three soldiers and wounded three others. in russia's north caucasus region there have been numerous gun bomb attacks of this kind in the past months. at a time martin thanks very much indeed for that update there from central moscow. it's the olympics some a spectacle that comes to mind first when london is mentioned this always but a year ago blazing fars and rampant looting were in place of the banners and elin

pick rings on the city streets police were unable to bring the situation under control for almost a week when ati's laura smith looks at what lessons the u.k. has learned. rioting and looting disorder these were the explosive scenes on the streets in towns and cities in england last august shops and warehouses attacked and torched by out of control youth and adults alike a situation the police took days to bring on to control a year on and on the surface all is well damaged buildings have been rebuilt or boarded up and people are going about their business again but take a little deeper and areas like here in tottenham where the riots started are still troubles and the underlying issues which caused the riots remain unresolved tottenham's m.p. says his community pulled together in the aftermath but admits trouble could break

out again unemployment is up and it's also true to say that business is on the highroad all still struggling a many of them had very poor pavements under the riot damages act that was made to assist them in a double dip recession that hits the poorest communities hardest so you know it's one of those situations where yes we must be positive and hopeful but it's a fragile a fragile situation for us here in the last year numerous studies have been conducted into why the unrest became so intense and so widespread what began with anger over the fatal shooting by police of tottenham on mark duggan became a spark that ignited a powder keg of disadvantage boredom and a dysfunctional relationship with the police something social justice campaign elite just says has not been addressed by unemployment is going up generally useful employment is going up in the country we're seeing closure after closure of use

facilities and services school services are being caught and i think all of that with a more aggressive what is called total plea. which we show monstrous zero tolerance policing means that takes only a matter of time and not so much if but when in the aftermath of the violence communities banded together to clear up their streets but many accuse the government not only of ignoring the root causes but of making problems worse but working class families oxfam says the poorest ten percent of society will suffer thirteen times more from by seeing austerity cuts than the richest tenth and fifty six percent of young black men in britain are unemployed people in riots hit hackney like to think it won't happen again but are aware that it could. kill. people. and give something. to keep them busy.

going to get work somehow believe me it will be many interests to work that way and that picking people up for the benefit well. back on the porch. i don't know about it happening again quite the same way i don't think anything's been interesting it's very well for these people the fuse is still a light the fear is when and what will trigger the next explosion in their neighborhoods laura smith r.t. london. spain's right wing government has been accused of silencing any dissent that's after a number of journalists were sacked for reportedly failing to toe the party line over these sweeping cuts being polled on the people in return for an e.u. bank bailout prime minister mariano to hoist critics claim a wave of departures from the country's state channels mean that he cannot take anyone disagreeing with him let's not talk to. him he's professor of political

science at the university of madrid and a debate show host do you believe the journalist criticism of the government was a reason for this wave of recent layoffs. well i think that your knowledge of criticism use if i can do some of them are grossly in many ways this time in a spain probably the business press into the find the style of the spanish government they go to the public television and the public radio hand i mean just of my kind of things very a life in spain over these but anyone who doesn't understand the media as a public right to see this and right of information by the government of public television and public radio has political welcomes for the label of mariama hold of the government it was necessary at least a confidential between the main political parties represented in the parliament and the training. on steel diluting the growth but he didn't seem the administration going to love the public radio and television unfortunately they were men of the

whole you change the law and now the government happened to control the absolute control of television without any going off i remain with all of their. children explain just explain that this is unprecedented that before this prime minister arrived on the scene journalists were able to be critical of the government is that right in fact never in the spanish history of public to look after the franco to day to shape the government control of the television or radio washout is strong nowadays in my opinion the. democracy probably the best question to challenge to raise the political situation in this pain is a lack of democracy the government in the hands of banks and markets and the palatal of the scene is going to be there through the whole novel. the popular morning news presenter and a pastor is known for asking politicians tough questions i understand and she says she was sacked for acting as a journalist so do you really think the government will be able to take on the

journalists and intimidate them or are the journalists pretty strong there in spain and perhaps could fight back. that even if the journalists have to do that maybe not to do all the work or we'll do our work in. the problem is who has the control of the media and destitution of the farmers journalists asked. all the people and they knew this nation of action team. ideological motivation they have not been the new team and they have not been designated because of their professionalism but because of their ideological feel to the government party. any still say yesterday they knew they knew. the public television are not are not street journal if they are new. who had been sacked presumably they were popular among the spanish public. won't the view and thoughts

about this have some sort of impact on the government's ratings. sure you see again chris what about the popularity of these presenters who have been sacked short of the viewers. then they won't be happy about this but absolutely absolutely the level of our audience in the in the public television was great so i see that and now we are we are probably the reason because you are in delhi with me only to go question that was tonight everybody is asking you to open your world what is going on on. the screen in spanish television and in my opinion. not at all understand all of us is that we are already in crisis were the main political institutions of a spain. or i just very very briefly before you finish you're a journalist you host a show yourself do you feel intimidated do you feel you can really speak out now just very briefly what are your thoughts about your own position briefly yes i can

no i feel very free but the problem is if i you will have. you know i channel like a looser channeling order to them to show at a sample the concern about the pressure not my business but also you know organize the digital television in my. own space even great conditionals broadcasting to a stream right channels like a good economy at the. drive in. the channel way work in there but all of my question. great the members of. usually don't want to come they don't like free discussion and you can relate to the global shower our channel and our program so i feel myself very free that you use that all the channels of the newspaper be all that are under control or. about the fifth power she's very difficult due to the well what we're capable of thank you very much and if your thoughts public let's just turn in professor political science at university madrid and also journalists in the break of a t.v.

and a radio show thanks very much indeed for joining us live there in madrid and then lie the way just to remind. gee you can also follow up on the top stories on our website of the moment here on r.t. dot com we've got plenty more for you there including reports are surfacing of a top secret u.s. israeli treaty to track iran can find out online whether there are any grounds to the rumors. plus rainbow flags have been streaming through the streets of vietnam's capital for the first time in the country's history as it hosts its inaugural gay parade. but first the trial of the female punk band pussy riot has resumed after a weekend recess the defendants are currently being cross-examined three members of the group face prison on hooliganism charges for their anti putin stunt to moscow's main cathedral in february greece reports now from outside the court will second week of this trial has now begun and has proven quite lengthy in proceeding so far nasa because of only just heard from the defense they've only just had the opportunity on friday to cooperstown their eye witnesses as the trial is to be

somewhat dominate his so far by the prosecution from their eye witnesses testimony speak very heartfelt emotional times no less the defense has been very active throughout proceedings throughout the course of last week's trial held up some of the proceedings as well they have all six occasions now called for the judge residing of this trial to be replaced that's for a number of reasons ranging from not being able to fully cross-examine the prosecution's eyewitnesses down to the treatment the detention conditions of these three defendants they're being kept in custody those on both sides of the fence have been very vocal when it comes this way before them dating back to when these three defense were initially taken into custody about five months ago and why this is caused such outrage reference and where it took place now that had been demonstrations taking place involving the pussy riot group before this one was

located in the russian russia's main the docks cathedral savior feature. why outraged many offenders we heard from testimony for the course of last week but equally our a should be in those who have called what's transpired politically motivated trial based think that these people shouldn't be facing time in prison that is just and a ministry of crime if anything that should be replaced by a fine or something else now when it comes to those we've got here rights organizations international musicians who've been increasingly outspoken on this issue most lately though someone who's spoken out has been pushing russia's president and he called for some degree of leniency when it comes to this trial that's indeed in reference past when the most controversial points of this trial so far because what we're trying to find out at the moment is whether or not what they did back in february the so-called punk prayer was a criminal offense more than that whether or not it deserves the charge of

hooliganism which could mean they face up to seven years in prison. well still to come here on r t fourteen the path to life on the red planet the most high tech rover ever built touches down the begin sending back images from its mission to explore the martian surface support life and become a new place to live report in a few moments. before that let's check out some other news making headlines around the world in this world update authorities have identified the man who shot dead six worshippers at a sikh temple in the u.s. state of wisconsin as wade michael page was also revealed the forty year old who was killed in a shootout with police was an army veteran page who was said to have held radical white supremacist views entered the temple on sunday morning and began firing into the court outrage with sikhs in india demanding the u.s. do more to protect their people. israel has found the bodies of eight gunmen who attacked a security checkpoint on the border with egypt the heavily armed assault had left

at least sixteen egyptian guards killed and eight injured when the government tried to cross the border israel responded with artillery from both sides blame the attack on islam as militants have been increasing their activity in recent months. the. iranian state television has broadcast the alleged confessions of fourteen suspects in the killing of five nuclear scientists in recent years the broadcast showed some of the suspects supposedly reenacting etc nations in the capital tehran pictures from a military garrison in israel were also shown it's claimed the suspects were trained there to run believes the killings were part of a campaign by israel and the west against its atomic program. what if life on the red planet exists it could well be found soon as the most sophisticated mars rover starts sending its first pictures after successfully landing on the surface it will spend two years there and could determine if it's possible to one day colonize the planet from the russian academy of cosmonauts thinks the achievement is

a breakthrough but there is still a lot of work to be done. the curiosity is there or the mission which will seek answers for the whole range of questions from whether there are conditions which could support life do. whether there is enough water. under the surface of mars and of course one of the major questions is whether the conditions on mars are adequate to hold some day a human mission to the red planet your city is a very complex machines it can see so four hundred different systems including curd doesn't settle for highly sophisticated instruments sound and feel. of a program manager and are hundred percent certain of that all this system so act the way to have a will more or their curiosity to move an inch from the place where it is now

and the overall testings of systems and instruments big from weeks to several months for do not expect to get anything from can your city anytime soon then we know the next door three weeks. just turned twenty five in its path in the russian capital has joined the business tax for all the latest market action they ok if you know it's so far seems like a reasonably good start to the week then i'm all right it is that she fell yeah and surprisingly so because as far as investors are concerned no one can wait quite understand while that must be said the volumes all typically at this time of year and all say investors probably want to me a lympics is well off on holiday and things i just want to buy that i mind the volumes are indeed low but we have got stocks gaining on a load a lot of that in the us is because of better corporate earnings one of the big ones was retail up best buy up nearly fifteen percent and that's after the founder

offered to take the company private also news coming from the german chancellor. angela merkel having its impact as well apparently back in the european central bank's board buying plan that is good news for investors it's cabled to european markets now they're coming to the end of their session and they had rises they had gains across the board as well extended a four month high now greece and its creditors they agreed on the need to strengthen policy efforts to support growth that had an impact as well as investors also considering the likelihood of spain formulate requesting financial aid so let's see the common currency now and it has resumed is upward traction if we can see is one twenty four sixteen investors they still remain cautious though so it's not how much of a gain is modest at the moment as for the ruble that finished up gaining against the u.s. dollar and the euro and it's currently trading at the highest levels of the summer so far so how did russia get on today it too had some gains actually markets finish up imposed to territory in firmly so as you can see the r.t.s.

or two to help set up the mines it's around one and a quarter to the oil prices because a different game in that was all the russian markets closed and hedge funds reduced their bullish bets for the first time in three weeks before reports showing u.s. economic growth crude to its biggest gain since june is a bit premature for that and that's how the markets back about fifty minutes more figures more updates in the world of business. as you see a bit later than here or to you know a very shortly one. u.s. congressman says it's his country that's created a new economic monster china that will be off the headlines in just a moment. emissions

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a great place to find my belle the home and retire. there she and. we call it our new neighbor neighbor seven. we have seventy acres here and i can convince them that they need to drill somewhere besides two hundred feet from. the needs of our growing economy also means expanding our domestic production of oil and natural gas which are vital fuel for transportation electricity and manufacture. this is one of the problems with the whole wave of the radical. change. you know our flaws are not toxic and we get a lot of there's a lot of mis understanding of what exit actually in the fluids. time they said you can load here in labs.