israel's poised for a full scale invasion of gaza while fresh air strikes killed more civilians and made international efforts to mediate peace. in the latest escalation jerusalem is targeted by militant rockets for the first time with increased activity by both sides all the details just ahead. britain considers lifting. arms embargo to send weapons to syrian rebels and they join france and turkey in recognizing the new opposition group aiming to. police in england and wales raise the alarm as layoffs a growing workload and no support from the government to bring morale in the force to an unprecedented low.

life in the new center here in moscow this is r t with international news and comment twenty four hours a day fresh air strikes have killed more civilians in gaza despite israel's pledge to hold fire during a brief visit by the egyptian prime minister to the strip hamas and other militant groups retaliating air sirens have gone off in jerusalem as rockets were launched at the city from gaza tom barton is in the region with the latest. saying at the moment neither of those rockets towards jerusalem fell in built up areas and no damage reported either but again it's a very shocking development for many israelis to hear the sirens go off over jerusalem and hear those explosions over the city of course earlier in the day as well rocket fired very close to tel aviv the sirens going off there and an

explosion all of this really very shocking for the israeli population they didn't expect the rockets to reach that far from garza was targeted yesterday as well and all of this coming the background of renewed airstrikes today started off with a very intense bombardment by israeli forces in gaza we also had today of the major event of the visit by by egypt's prime minister to the gaza strip and then also these rocket attacks all of this contributing perhaps to the speculations and to the worries of a possible ground offensive by israeli forces towards the gaza strip pictures on israeli television of columns of tanks and armored vehicles seen near the border

with gaza there's also reports thirty thousand reservists are ready to be deployed we've also got reports of. infantry brigade of course it leave finishing their preparations for any assault that may be needed sounding sounding words there and various evidence like that on the ground also statements from various israeli government and defense spokespeople. talking about a lot of talk about. phase two of the operation and whether that means ground offensive after this aerial bombardment it's not exactly sure but it should be noted that in two thousand and eight to nine operation cast lead which involved a major ground offensive took place at night that was thought to have given the israeli attack as an advantage and there's also been

a statement to the effect that this is far from over say the israelis and there's a lot more of these kind of operations to come so there's a lot of worries about that when it egypt's prime minister toward garza early in the day went to a hospital while he was there two civilians were killed in an israeli airstrike were brought into the hospital one of them a child and he said later that he held that child in the blood remained on his shirt so shocked was that he was he that he said he couldn't keep silent and that he wanted israeli israel to stop its aggression israel for its part maintaining that it has the right and it will do everything in its power to defend people in the south of israel all of these escalations with the rockets with the intensified bombardment all of that not pointing the way of a deescalation and possibly pointing towards

a ground war in gaza. well gaza's for the health minister told r.t. that the israeli army operation is breaking international law and those duties are proof that israel is using internationally brigit weapons will be in the community and managed to destroy many buildings and houses using percussion bombs which lead to the collapse of many of the surrounding buildings ruger the bodies of those killed were completely burned and this clearly shows they have used weapons others doing it in hospitals and we weren't able to. diagnosed because of their deaths we're talking here about one hundred sixty injured in these attacks the majority of whom were children women and the elderly the majority of those who died were children who suffered from seventy five percent to ninety percent burns. israel maintains it's conducting a successful operation despite the rising number of civilian casualties in gaza. spoke to a television fishel who denied causing collateral damage i want to say that we have

only one goal israel has to defend its citizens i'm sure that there is no state no state no russia and no state in europe and no united states of america can agree with this kind of situation you know our children our elders are fired by rockets on our schools on our civilians and on the terrorists with one very simple goal to stop this firing of rockets from our civilians and we will target terrorists until they stop would you care to explain why the palestinian interior ministry has also been targeted in fact that building is basically left in a state of rubble and ruin that's hardly a militant stronghold in fact the the interior ministry is where people get passports visas it's where journalists get their permission to go into the strip why go after why level the interior ministry the explanation is very simple

unfortunately a must. while they target our civilians they hide behind their civilians they hide behind schools now the i.d.f. our army that wants only to defend our citizens targets only terrorists garson is an extremely confined area a very small area probably certainly overpopulated why are so many children being killed by israeli airstrikes if you're going after militants there. no children been heard by idea if only terrorists heard only terrorists are targeted while the visit of egyptian of the prime minister of egypt israel didn't and didn't attack any target in gaz but hamas here is the target israeli civilians while the visit of the prime minister of egypt and i suggest you check the information because there it cannot be people hurt while the visit of the prime

minister of egypt because we didn't also we are certainly going to show you the information. you are absolutely right according to the i.d.f. no airstrikes were carried out on the gaza strip during the during the visit of the egyptian prime minister although somehow two palestinians did manage to die the israeli army and the israeli government will do everything needed targeting terrorists only. to stop the firing of rockets from israel or cities don't because really schools israeli children and if we will need some ground. with certainly will consider so. for more on what's going on in gaza i'm joined by harry theer he's a documentary filmmaker and activist he's right there in gaza itself. what do you see happening there at the moment and what have you experienced since this crisis started. last few hours straight and

various parts of the strip from again. mosques being struck cars being struck in the last few hours we've got reports of injuries coming in and we're seeing a serious situation we've got hot running out of electricity and fuel fortunately looks for the guards and would be. and what about the hospitals themselves are they coping with the amount of casualties give us an idea of what sort of casualties we're talking about of the stage. we're talking about over three hundred injuries in one of the most. densely populated places on earth in a time coastlines through the science of washington d.c. or the british on a white with three hundred injuries in the last two and this is our real our massacre according to got some stats that aren't bridge and they're comparing things to get wires in other words are they fearful of

a ground invasion or is that perhaps just a threat to instill fear amongst the palestinians when in the last few hours palestinian resistance groups are being applauded by the majority of gazans for their strong resistance in our battling israeli forces and so it's looking more positive balance to narrative point of view that actually gazans are hoping that that force is heard of what seemed to be very likely an imminent ground by these very defense forces well of course many of gods as one of the half million people live in dreadful conditions give us an idea of just tell bad it is right now. well on a standard day two weeks ago for example we're talking about gazan population most of the gazan population are under the age of eighteen seventy five percent youth unemployment over sixty percent unemployment massive underemployment most people in gaza refugee status and most people over sixty percent rely on aid agencies for

food handouts just i do not started that so that is what the situation is like normally today in these days during the war gaza is big bond with drones with f. sixteen s with helicopters with naval air bombardment and so you can just imagine it's not going any better what about you then where you are you not in danger. i know what i was saying god said tonight and i will say that gaza last night we are in danger only in the last twenty fire and starts in minutes we've had an explosion extremely close to our there and then we do three or far as safety but we are doing all we can to continue to document everything we know see and hear to try and prevent israel from targeting our position just how long can the people of gaza really sustain this prolonged attack and the conditions they're having to endure. well the gazan people have

a nice ideological support from religious. problems and for example egypt you know they gonna be egyptian population is massive and the overwhelming majority of egyptians population support we've got some people on the. manifest the outrage that israel is doing so saying some political atmosphere is coming from egypt saying that population would actually just like to storm into gaza and act as human shields to prevent. violence so there is a regional support which is increasing because people as well as instances of some resistance are fighters actually hitting israeli targets israeli forces so things are different to how they were two days ago when it looked just like a terrible. magical massacre. very fear frank you for joining us live from gaza here on r.t. well stay with us for the latest there we've also got live coverage on our web site and twitter stream. britain makes

a push to support the rebels in syria london hosts the new opposition alliance and joins from the scene calls to lift an evil weapons embargo to allow for direct all those deliveries to fighters on the ground. plus two former croatian generals are acquitted of war crimes in the hague the game needing to cries of bias over the bloody division of yugoslavia in one thousand nine hundred five we bring you the details in just a couple of minutes. things are just getting too expensive in london many families just can't afford to live in the city anymore so because of upcoming welfare cuts the government is buying or rented property to relocate people outside of the city the maximum housing allowance for welfare will go down to four hundred pounds. month which is peanuts compared to the one thousand two hundred fifty pounds the had to pay for the

average three room apartment expelling the poor from london seems a bit fishy to me so instead of say regulating prices are god forbid using the money from the welfare cuts to create jobs so people can earn a living for themselves rather than rely on handouts london has decided to make itself some official get toe what else do you call a place where everyone from a certain economic classes forcibly shove to although this may sound like some sort of help from the government it seems to me like a means to get rid of the poor rather than trying to make the poor less poor but that's just my opinion. here is that so much given to you to be sitting on the market again dancing in military and so would you be israelis help you achieve this time four years ago an invasion pulled over a thousand palestinians. do we speak your language i mean some of the will or not

of them. will use programs and documentaries and spanish what matters to you breaking news a little turn a tip angles stories. so you hear. the spanish find out more visit. tito is calm. the lot here moscow the german chancellor angela merkel says the friendship between moscow and berlin is made stronger by disagreements mrs merkel meeting president putin in the russian capital said important issues should be brought into the open

the two sides also signed a number of important agreements details now from his health. of course this is. a strategic partnership with both leaders of refer to it of knowledge and that there are many questions in it lots of issues were talked about that if we look at international. stories then of course the escalating crisis in the middle east wasn't discussed why more serious and angela merkel has put the responsibility on the circulation of violence again on hamas and also in talking about syria where the question said that the last thing russia and germany want is care hasta in syria believe the two leaders have also discussed the human rights situation in russia and america actually came here to moscow for you already with a list of questions here by the members of the german parliament she said that she does have some concerns around this several laws which have been passed recently in

russia but at the same time she said that this meeting gave a good opportunity for the russian president to explain westmeath find a visa was and also the controversial pussy riot case was it discussed this well just to remind you the band performed this falls on prayer last till winter here in christ the savior stuff usually in central moscow he said that it was an anti government kind of political activity what were found guilty of hooliganism based on religious hatred there are several members of the band are currently in jail and to all the russian president has said once again that this one career is not the only controversial of vent about the girls who are involved in over the past few years and stressed that it's very difficult to support people who often have elements of religious or racial hatred in their activities. western nations have begun a crusade of support for the syrian rebels britain says it will discuss the lifting

of an arms embargo to start sending weapons to the opposition france the first country to recognize the newly formed and raise. the national coalition is also pushing for supplies of defensive arms the syrian opposition went to london today to mobi for more support to overthrow the government. wants to see a clear plan of political transition from the alliance and could be next in line to officially recognize the new group turkey gave the rebels a major boost by recognize them as the legitimate representative for the country's people german journalist manual says that turkey's move to help the opposition could eventually fact far. within the last turkey was supporting the rebels and i don't see the syrian rebels we know that the rebels are fighting against syrian government are coming from all over the region they are coming from because it's reaching there are coming from of yemen we know that they are rebels coming from movie and even from sudan but that turkey is providing structure for these mercenaries are jihadists who are coming into the syrian country this politics

towards syria very short term politics it's a few short terms and if so what this is here and if syria. among the warlords in this country which i know supported by the west by turkey and by. countries such jerky would witness these warlords sooner or later of taking also turkey and i think the turkish people knows that this politics is drawing against the interests that we have now. against really against that formal politics the word syria because you know that this is. the u.n. yugoslavia war crimes court in the hague has freed two former croatian generals acquitting them of all charges including crimes against humanity and i think a lot of cuts were jailed last year for twenty four and eighteen years respectively the charge of killing scores of serbs during the breakup of yugoslavia in one

thousand nine hundred five they appealed their sentences i'm a disputing that they never targeted civilians it is. analysts alexander public believes that this verdict reveals a double standard. really. very nice. where there. are really. are. there are rather guys in the world. and all the others were really are and they're not really. i don't get a lot of that. really already. oh i'm not. going to.

the lower house of the u.s. congress has voted to lift a law which is choke trade with russia for decades jackson vatican then was introduced in one hundred seventy four and aimed at countries of the former soviet communist bloc but since the fall of the soviet union in one thousand nine hundred one moscow has labeled the amendment a relic of the past insisting it only hampers bilateral cooperation along with the suspension the congressmen have also adopted the so-called magnitsky bill that imposes sanctions and some russian political figures the blushing claims of being involved in human rights violations moscow has firmly criticised the bill was the first of a public vote in england and wales for local police and crime commission as comes with morale among the nation's law enforcers that rock bottom a recent poll of offices suggested almost every single one of them felt abandoned by the government laura smith looks at why the thin blue line has the blues. another day and not their dad and the police with old hands to keep control but

while the boys and girls do their jobs sometimes it impossible conditions the government to switch you seeing. their budget by a massive twenty percent the net result morrall in the forced hits an all time low with just fifteen out of fourteen thousand officers saying they feel the government gives them a great deal of support rachel baines is surprised but not in a good way. to say those fifteen offices are certainly in the force i work in lancashire and i don't have any offices to fill up being supported by the government at rock bottom baines has lost five hundred fifty officers from her force meaning more work for those left behind and a genuine fear that when people call nine nine nine there won't be anyone left to deal with the emergency and she's not alone simon pain is chair of the warrick ship police federation and says morale hasn't been this low in his twenty six year

career we have a plethora of issues over the last two years where the start or conditions of service with pension reforms or with forms in the police service person twenty percent cuts and if i give an example here in work prior to this government coming to power we had a thousand and fifty offices we're now down into the seven hundreds we have one of the biggest nights were networks in the country and we have no traffic department. so it's coming from all sides times are so hard in warwickshire that the force is even selling off its stations including its h.q. there's no for sale boards up here but the iconic scotland yard headquarters of the metropolitan police is also on the markets it's a real turnaround just a year ago the met with trumpeting a three billion pound refurbish its bay was revolving starting now it's downsizing

to a new size of the thames nearby and replacing smaller stations with. counters in supermarkets and communities that. the thoughts feels it's being disproportionately targeted but home secretary to reason may is unrepentant let's stop pretending the police are being picked on they do feel picked on and critically powerless to protect themselves as legally the police aren't allowed to strike but that could change in february we are saying everyone can fall off the rank of chief inspector in england and wales and the very question is do they want full industry rights and and the reason that is important is because our members need protecting from what they perceive is an unfair treatment by this government a police force on strike it's the last thing the government needs particularly as

it stares another winter discontent in the face laura smith r.t. london. on the website right now more trouble for the u.k. as a parliamentary report says tens of billions of taxpayers' money used to bail out two of the country's banking giant may be lost for good fodder more plus. the renowned metropolitan museum gets slapped with a lawsuit for ripping off visitors who were pushed into thinking admission fees are mandatory the fraud is unveiled on r.t. dot com. other world news now here the former head of the cia david petraeus says the assault on the american consulate in the libyan city of benghazi was a terrorist attack he gave evidence at the u.s. capitol about september's assault which left the u.s. ambassador and three other diplomats dead. his appearance before the panel a week after he stepped down as cia director committing to an extramarital affair

with his biographer paula broadwell american investigators are also looking into claims that she gained access to secret data on his computer over the former. general maintains he did not post any classified information to broadwell. at least seventeen people were killed in western afghanistan when a passenger ran over a roadside bomb the vehicle carrying mostly women and children was part of a wedding procession local authorities believe the taliban is behind the blast it's claimed the militants main goal is to terrify the locals by staging such attacks. party larger in moscow more news in thirty five minutes from now on the meantime just a couple minutes from now cutting through the economic spin it's couple to come from washington lauren mr.

rich's slow often enough and knows that to ride a horse you've got to catch it first. for him it's a daily routine that you're soft as a force breeder on the island of a horn at the heart of. his life on an isolated farm is about blue sky green grass and his horse's voice sometimes it gets lonely here because of horses have become part of me now i've fallen off so many times sometimes they'd bite as well it's part of my everyday life. i holmes been home to ignore the rats local just laugh for centuries most still live off the land breeze cattle and fish. if my call is often called the pearl of siberia

a horn is said to be the pearl of by. it's all end of the forests. and vast stops. virtually undiscovered by tourists until some twenty years ago i was horny as quickly becoming a magnet for nature lovers and few real seekers you're quite some way from civilization here accommodation on the island is very basic so you can forget about a t.v. or even run in water for most people a tent is there on the ropes. but for those who come here it's exactly what they're looking for. in journey to buy coal can be unique trip of a lifetime and the locals say once you've seen it we'll be coming back again and again.

good afternoon welcome to capital account i'm more in the store here in washington d.c. these are more complex picture of supply and demand to pay that is marin catoosa energy investment strategist casey research at a house panel has released a long awaited ninety seven page report reportedly blaming placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of john corps for m.f. global's collapse it also places blame on regulators that.