the week's top stories here on r.t. hunger for justice for one hundred prisoners in guantanamo bay have reportedly been fasting for forty days risking their lives in a protest over their plight. take to the streets outraged at the cop killing of a black teenager with peaceful rallies descending into arrests and violence. syrian spiral the country marks two years since the start of a conflict which has led to tens of thousands of deaths u.k. and france push to. give weapons to the rebels. power transfer in china as the new leadership takes the reins to boost the economy and its military the u.s. pushes for greater influence in the region.

watching artie's weekly news review with me kerry johnston welcome to. the hunger strike in guantanamo prison has ended its fortieth day now more than one hundred inmates reportedly staging the act of defiance it was launched in protest against the confiscation of personal belongings and the desecration of the qur'an while the prisoners lawyers are sounding the alarm over their client's critical condition as a campus officials claim the allegations have been grossly exaggerated. investigates. u.s. president barack obama began his first term announcing his intention to close the guantanamo bay detention center now just two months into his second term the prison enters its twelfth year of operation with one hundred sixty six detainees still languishing behind bars and a reported one hundred thirty on

a life threatening hunger strike and their hunger strikes are the only way they have of even making themselves heard years and years without any hope of a release without any real charges this story has been denied by washington and essentially ignored by mainstream media outlets lawyers for the good no prisoners say the men began the hunger strike on february sixth to protest against the alleged confiscation of personal items such as photographs and mail and the sacrilegious handling of their qur'an during cell searches the center for constitutional rights says they've received reports of detainees coughing up blood i'm losing consciousness dropping more than twenty pounds and being hospitalized by day forty five medical experts say hunger strike participants can experience hearing loss and potential blindness and that's in addition to the psychological suffering they've endured for more than a decade that context where we have individuals incarcerated

isolated from each other and they don't know if they're going to get out tomorrow or never and that sets up a circumstance for extreme psychological stress it's really an abominable you know humanitarian situation where you're depriving these people of life liberty and for no really valid basis the director of public affairs for joint task force guantanamo captain robert duran released a statement to our teeth in it he denies all claims of a mass hunger strike or any mishandling of the koran duran says only fourteen detainees at the detention center are refusing all food. our understanding is that based on previous standards the determination of who is a hunger striker is a discretionary determination that one chinaman makes what those standards are what

the criteria are are questions that they need to be at you know how are they defining her striker and when are they just terminating that someone needs to be to that and if it is if the definition of hunger striker is entirely in their control and it is a matter of their discretion then i that explains how they are able to say that there are no more than a handful of men on hunger strike lawyers representing get no prisoners have sent a letter to us defense secretary chuck hagel urging him to help and the protest in the meantime organizations like the red cross have made attempts to check on the inmates welfare here's what a representative told r.t. the current tensions in guantanamo bay as far as we can see and as far as we understand are really the result of the uncertainty is made to detainees in guantanamo the uncertainty linked to defeat what's going to happen to them you know there is a lack of clear legal framework for detention many of them don't know most of them

don't know what's going to open and so has been our position and there needs to be a clear legal framework and a transparent process into the procedural safeguards for those detainees and it's to be transparent and fair to alleviate the strains of the emotional mental strain that dessen certainty triggers for the detainees of the one hundred sixty sixty teenie zakk one ton i'm obey eighty six have been cleared for release now this week the u.n. said that the us is a violating international human rights law by indefinitely holding prisoners at guantanamo without charge the human rights council is urging washington to quote bring an end to these illegal practices by either process. getting prisoners in civilian court or releasing them reporting from new york marina point nine r.t. . human rights groups around the world have been campaigning to close guantanamo urging president obama to keep the promise he made more than four years ago

activist us incorrectly says the clock is ticking fast inside america basically there's there is no real. public resentment of what is taking place there most of the pressure that's coming is internationally yes you have some groups or what is very hard to highlight the issue and to make sure that it stays on the agenda but unfortunately for the vast majority of americans they're quite happy for these detainees to continue you know detained without charge or trial basically at one time numbers ever going to close it's going to be within these next four years. obama has to do that this is the second time he cannot have. you know and where hoping. it might be misplaced hope but basically he will try in use these last years all his presidency in order

to do the right thing in a situation where the only thing that has ever happened is the wrong thing and while the prisoners in guantanamo are struggling to draw attention to plight there's been a reaction from one of the world's most powerful human rights movements just international which has more than three million supporters around that they remain silent the groups you're saying. why. not having access to detainees is a problem for a human rights organization is something we raise with your priorities we have access you know when when there is a true so-called military commission trial we're allowed to go and observe. those trials but we have no access to the detainees themselves and yes of course it's a problem so we have to wait until it is released and so we can speak to this of course leads to yes some of the reporting of. on individual detainee cases and it leads to a time lag because like i say the lawyers themselves are not spent you know they're

not there the whole time it requires declassification of information when they do get so it's a really it's a really problematic situation but it's been problematic the whole time that the guantanamo detention have been in operation. but it is so weak group of attorneys defending the guantanamo hunger strike has expressed their concern in a letter to the u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel the pentagon said it was aware of it but is refusing to discuss it nor through the content of our files and the worthington says president obama has made no change to the previous bush administration's policy of keeping inmates behind bars without trial. you know these are still men who aren't held either as prisoners of war according to the geneva conventions always criminal suspects who are going to face a trial nearly all of america went out and more effectively still was enemy combatants the bush administration's plan was to hold people forever without ever having to justify objectively why they were being held clearly the situation that

we've had for some time. is that president obama can't really be bothered to overcome opposition in congress can't really be bothered to try and secure a decent legacy for him so by revisiting his failed promise to close the prison everyone stricken about. well despite all the condemnation in the tourist attention on town a day has been operation more than eleven years now on our web site r.t. dot com we're asking you who you think is to blame on our so far the overwhelming majority you can see here eighty percent on our charter are blaming the u.s. for not sticking to its promise to shut the facility just eight percent saying it's the fault of the terrorists who attacked america and a little less think cuba could be to blame for leasing out the base in the first place a minority just five percent there are say other countries refusing to take the guantanamo inmates back but if you haven't done so yet you can head to r.t.

dot com and have your say. well still ahead few this fueling anger the killing of a sixteen year old boy by police in new york sparks clashes protesters accusing police of racism and brutality. and pope francis says he wants a paul church for poor people while he also hopes to cleanse the catholic church's honest reputation following a string of sex abuse scandals and more after the break. well with. science technology innovation all the developments from around russia we've got the future covered. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so for you think you understand it and then you glimpse

something else you hear sees some other part of it and realize everything you thought you know. i'm tom hartman welcome to the big picture. more news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. the giant corporations rule the day. welcome back. the killing of

a black teenager by new york police has prompted the week of protests in brooklyn resulting in clashes and arrests people vented their anger at the n.y.p.d. accusing them of systematic racism and brutality autism society has the details now . that. sixteen year old kimani gray was killed by police shot four times in the front and three in the back. the n.y.p.d. claimed the teen had pointed a gun at them however this remains uncertain that there was a weapon that no one saw and not his friends his family didn't know he had a weapon and there were a lot of witnesses outside who were able to see it that this individual have a weapon on him as these candles burn in memory of yet another killed youth an entire community rises up night after night to demand justice and an end to police brutality for three nights in a row a few vigils turned chaotic clashes broke out. leaving one officer hospitalized

after reportedly being injured with a brick a total of forty six arrests were made wednesday. but no violence erupted thursday night tensions however still ran high. i mean this is no different. you know so it's like it's like another country a lot of people are just tired of the period with solutions to stop the violence nowhere in sight deeply seated issues between the police and the community remain unaddressed leaving many worried children parents are not supposed. to land and party new york. well in the us chinese leader xi jinping has pledged to fight for great when they saw his nation in his first speech after assuming the presidency meanwhile the new premier league chairing announced a commitment to strong relations with the united states just after china completed reassigning its top jobs this week with changes come amid some promising forecasts . report from pricewaterhouse coopers well proves the task to boost g.d.p.

growth is within the country's reach it predicts china now the world's second biggest economy will match the u.s. the current leader by twenty seventeen as we can see here before even overtaking it one of the top or spending priorities announced by the new leadership is defense comes amid america's intense flexing of its military muscles in china's backyard u.s. efforts to gain a stronger foothold in asia and the struggle for regional influence has put beijing on edge in recent months one of its latest moves the pentagon decided to put more missile interceptors along the u.s. west coast and also deploy a radar tracking station in japan well this is said to be a response to the north korean nuclear threat many experts believe the chinese are in a sense is a big concern for the u.s. let's talk more about this now steve professor of contemporary chinese studies at

nottingham university thanks for joining us here on the r.t. presence she had a bomb and have been talking about mutual respect for premier league who chang pledge strong ties with america always seeing the beginnings of a new chinese american friendship ahead do you think. well. states is. a nation. today. and yet they are also have the tools that relationship change as they get it change in leadership in. washington. so is when china is increasing its military spending isn't it is that very much a priority for that the chinese do you think the chinese. military spending. at least a decade. they have a sure catch up to do. it is very

significant. and the capabilities. if one of the states. that we approach. is that. of the security. if the. president said that he's intending to fight for what he called the great. of his nation what could that mean for the rest of the world. means that we. get china water. wars these which. next to china. we have to see that both ways it is. basically it. actually drives all the. power is

a different question and i don't think it changes. and china is predicted as we've been saying to become the world's leading economy in about well five years or so while the west is struggling with financial troubles so what's so special about the chinese model that. doesn't. well first of all. if i may. read by say that i could see the chinese economy because based on the quality in the wall. all of the lead near projection all its forecasts are being the sea if you. will meet with the front. and. the extent it is a very. it's. like. ok

we'll leave it there thank you very much indeed for your opinions here on r.t. head of the china policy institute at the university of nottingham thank you get killed. this week mark two years since the start of the conflict in syria began as protests calling for reform and change inspired by the arab spring states but it turned into a bloody civil war that's killed tens of thousands syria has been torn apart by violence and while some countries abroad have been trying to settle its future critics say they've only helped fan the flames of war once in a financial reports. this part of syria known as mesopotamia between the tigris and euphrates rivers is considered a cradle of civilization has been home to many asked nic and religious groups living in peace and harmony for ages people here believe this diversity is serious strong point but some warn it could also be used against the country and that's

something to destroy. and the regime slogans in syria have been repeated to the longest arab spring countries but assad didn't step down within weeks like the leaders of to meijer and egypt nor did his regime fall within months like colonel gadhafi is in libya opposing sides have gone beyond demonstrations and clashes killers have become an everyday reality those wanting a son to go both at home and abroad have decided to target what hurt the most serious diversity pitting people against each other after every massacre and every killing rivers of blood have been joined by streams of mutual accusations and hatred. the first blow was dealt to relations between the country's sunni majority and the ruling she had minority some more ignorant position and sometimes.

it was never to make a city and it's not the more me once that one again. we should keep our unity in all of all of. it gabriel a point from commercially livin in series north east bordering sunni dominated turkey and mostly shia iraq says here in about six tarion intolerance is something new for syria and very alarming for your. will feel this pressure for months now especially from gulf countries trying to drag us to this perilous share soon again it's a big threat because a tear society from the inside. and some say it's been feud from the outside it is part of the u.s. strategy and some of the western strategy is to destroy syria by syrians and by arabs and this they are doing successfully another blow followed with an explosion at palestinian refugee camps in syria and the cold blooded murder of palestinian

conscripts these drove a wedge between the two arab peoples previously on friendly terms they wanted to both weaken the regime and spread despair among palestinians. with kurdish villages in syria's north east targeted the kurdish syrian peaceful coexistence has also been endangered but for. its approval cations a pure and very dangerous moment syrian kurds want to be integrated into syrian society you have rights and be respected some turkish kurds maybe do as early ones killing his own people we've never been treated like that of course when violence targets us it can not affect relations. and fears that those who wanted to see the fall of the regime will witness the country's fall instead. refinish from syria. now britain and france have made moves to try to direct the un the rebels to state say they want to lift an e.u.

embargo and one they may still supply the weapons despite the bad well russia has responded by saying any such attempt would be a breach of international law school and mr abbott honey seventies the e.u. would eventually find a way to allow more arms to reach the war torn country i'm quite sure there will be some modification of the fans to lead the league blue polo so that britain and france can actually draw the correctional officers through it and they've already been sending weapons into syria so it's it's childish to pretend that this is a new development but they want to do it more openly and more directly meekly few months ago from said oh they were terribly worried about the poor refugees so they sent a hospital to jordan it just happened to be a military hospital i'm at the time various people say that every day we go this is the quote in the door and now there are several different allied armies in jordan and indeed they are training up rebels there and the idea here is you've got the turkish from to now you're going to have the jordan from to distract the syrian

government attacks it take them on to flanks. oh russia is to create a naval task force to patrol the mediterranean of the six ships mostly frigates and cruisers will ply the waters on a permanent basis this is going to protect national security and russia's interests in the region what is your personal has more. according to the head of the navy moscow wants to have five to six ships in the mediterranean that will be controlled to the command of the black sea fleet base in crimea there's speculation that this group will be put together out of ships taken from the northern and the scene works in fleet the idea to base the navy in the mediterranean was initially voiced by defense minister sergei weak and of course this comes as the whole region is in the global spotlight due to the gulf with russian authorities are not winking basically

in the region to what's happening in the country you said that all we need good. help assist possible future of i.q. asians of russian citizens from the country but actually the idea of moscow basing . in the mediterranean isn't something completely new during the soviet times a huge group of up to thirty vessels was growing we'd be there from the early sixty's. a camera man working for artie's arabic sister channel in egypt has been attacked while filming activists joined graffiti on walls twenty don't come to see footage of the incident which happened next the headquarters of the muslim brotherhood party in the capital khartoum. also there today it's not about the money french turned russian passport holder jordan with your senses who was going up escaping taxes because his homeland had become too sad for him. started on. white smoke billowing up from the

roof of the sistine chapel on wednesday signaled the new head of the catholic church pope francis had been chosen the seventy six year old dodge in time became the first pontiff ever from south america and the first from beyond europe in more than a thousand years in a place to benefit the sixteenth in the vatican the one expected lee resigned late february want to discuss issues the new pope inherited from his predecessor earlier i spoke to us correspondent. spoke to a lot of. especially as a lot of analysts are actually specialists on religion and they said the church is in crisis and they have listed numerous reasons for why that is happening like that who leaks or corruption scandals and they just said basically it needs a major major organization so francis really has a lot of things to work out and to go out. and his position what it does and how an easy going to sort of change this tarnished image it really is a tarnished image yes well you could say that he's kind of making the first step

because he has met with journalists already and that is something that none of the popes have ever done before so he's kind of making a step in that direction but yes you have to understand that the media has actually played an important part in making in sort of perpetuating these scandals especially the tele media they have had a field day with a lot of they have done their research they have actually broken several scandals and that is how that really came around in front of the what was in there we understand compiled by three cardinals even saying that they may be some kind of network of paedophiles within or near to the vatican to the serious stuff and it was the vatileaks that has actually spurned on the report because after finding out about the vatileaks after the scandal broke out pope benedict the sixteenth has actually ordered this investigation to take place and there were three cardinals who did it and reportedly according to the italian media he was presented with this report on december seventeenth which also happened to be the day when he announced that he is going to resign so they're tying it all together and saying that that's

precisely because of the allegation allegations of the so-called gay ring within the vatican itself which are which is kind of ironic considering that homosexuality is. a mortal sin by the catholic church what about the church's finances there because france is now saying he wants a poor church for people that sort of thing but it's quite rich organization absolutely i mean look at the pictures it's absolutely grandiose and beautiful but yes it does have a lot of money and part of the vatileaks scandal. actually surrounded the major corruption scandals the vatileaks focused on the power struggles which were happening inside korea which is the congregation of cardinals and it was also focusing on potential ties with this is still in mafia according to. according to some journalist according to the information which was leaked in the valley leaks these some of the column some of the cardinals were involved in this manual on doing scheme where they have actually wanted money from this in the mafia through

the bank of vatican which is supposed to be you know the same you can say that is the catholic church compete as it were. with the rising islamic world the number of muslims in recent years has grown by an estimated ninety percent whereas the number of catholics we knew were proposed grown just by five percent and they're actually predicting that by twenty thirty the growth of muslim population will surpass the number of hundred fifty percent a large part of criticism actually comes from people saying that. the catholic church isn't. struggling with majority it's not catching up to the times yes atheism is definitely one of the major problems for for catholics right now but there is also issues such as. wars again homosexuality premarital sex all of that is something that a lot of specialists in the area are saying francis now has to look at and take some steps if he wants to keep the catholic church. ridiculous because there now to

some other news making headlines across the globe reports are emerging that two consecutive bomb blasts have gone off in the browser region of iraq ten people are believed to been killed and many more injured after a car bomb exploded near a bus terminal in a shiite area of the country no one was injured in the second blast it comes just days before the tenth anniversary of the iraq invasion according to new reports the conflict has cost the lives of at least one hundred twelve thousand civilians over the last decade. the news here has witnessed its biggest rally since they're just one revolution richard through the dictatorship in the country two years ago thousands of people marched against the islamist government knew they accuse of assassinating trucking thing i need a prominent secular politician this is also the biggest rally organized since but i don't think there's a suspect. nations office matter sparked a public outcry and forced the country's prime minister to resign on friday.