these surveillance control spirals in the u.k. amid new revelations naming three telecom giants but not a british intelligence agency to look through private data of millions of clients. and in the u.s. debate over mass surveillance is swept under the carpet while whistleblower edward snowden dominates the headlines there. and america calls on its citizens to stay away from the middle east in light of a major al qaeda terror threat some experts saying washington's policies in the region can to fuel resentment.

international news and comment this is r.t. really twenty four hours a day live from moscow where it's now just turned one am on a sunday morning while they're being further revelations in the ongoing spy scandal in the u.k. the world's major telecom companies have been working alongside a british intelligence agency and it was swathes of private data documents leaked by he was whistleblower edward snowden suggest that the rise in business vodafone cable and british telecom were among those who gave. limited access to their network of cables their collaboration allowed the agency to harvest millions of phone calls e-mails and facebook conversations and this comes in the wake of reports that america's national security agency is generously funding british surveillance details now from. in the. those companies operate a huge share of the high capacity undersea fiber optic cables and that carries data for millions of uses now back in june the guardian newspaper has revealed details

of an operation named tempera that head it was alleged to have been looking at the data hoovering programs from the british spy agency g c h q and that had said that they were able to access these companies fiber optic cables and access that huge chunk of information that was being carried in and store it for thirty days data that's been released by whistleblower edward snowden prior to his gaining asylum in russia not some of the companies have actually come back in the wake of these claims and have said that the questions relating to national security are for governments to answer not for the telecommunications companies but bt spokesman reported as having said they can reassure customers they are complying with the law and not disclosing customer data in any jurisdiction and less legally required to d. so now under the one nine hundred eighty four telecommunications act these companies

can be compelled to cooperate with government and pass along that information if legally required to do so the question for privacy advocates right now is going to be whether or not these big companies are actually challenging and nothing when asked to parse over this big chunk of information and of course this is just the latest in a sense of revelations that look into the level and scope of snooping by u.s. and u.k. intelligence agencies and indeed the degree of cooperation between the two countries now some of the recent revelations say the g c h t had actually been funded by washington to the tune of one hundred million pounds now that was for a period of over three years and these payments made to secure access to british intelligence gathering programs and in return is a list the g c h q were required to quote pull its weight another whale environment a real headache for downing street and its un at those communications companies obviously going to be fearing

a backlash from their customers over those alleged breach of privacy. well earlier i spoke to british intelligence analyst glenmore turney harvey he says that the u.k. us take for tat spy affair is nothing new back in the one nine hundred fifty s. there was an arrangement between the united kingdom the united states canada australia and new zealand. where they all shared information n.g.c. h.q. like the n.s.a. and here say very very pleased in their operations in fact there are three main locations in the united kingdom menwith hill arrogant. as they call it it shows them and when so these have all been funded in the main by the national security agency and at the moment. there are seven hundred national security agency american employees working now so they meld together they might

as well be known as the n.s.a. g.h.q. there are so close and one of the scope of american led surveillance is raising eyebrows across the world and nothing has been done on capitol hill to curb the practices on he kind of check out explains what the government is doing to plug the voices discontent with at home and abroad. while edward snowden as the messenger remains the focus of everybody's attention the u.s. government is trying to kill his message or at least contain it senior intelligence officials have testified in congress so everything is done in accordance with the law congress has already killed the bill that would make the n.s.a. walk back some of its powers so as of now no concrete steps have been taken to rein in n.s.a. surveillance but call for reform keep coming lawmakers are putting forward new initiatives earlier this week the president met with members of congress specifically to discuss slash and discount of course attacking snowden is much

easier for the white house to be spending this at their own state and here's what president obama said about that just in the wake of snowden's revelations and if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust congress and don't trust. federal judges to make sure that we're biding by the constitution due process and rule of law then we're going to have some problems on that trust issue a gallup poll shows fifty three percent of americans now disapprove of the government surveillance programs thirty seven percent approve and now the poll by the quinnipiac university conducted just in the wake of snowden's revelations shows forty five percent of americans say the government's anti-terrorism efforts have gone too far restricting civil liberties three years ago that percentage was twenty five so it's a massive shift in attitudes but is longer snowden's own destiny remains the top

story it will be much easier for the government to sweep the debate under the rug in washington i'm going to take it. from reporters without borders thinks washington's tough stance on aimed at dissuading any potential whistle blows from coming forward but just would like to remind you there. the last fare of war of war against we saw glowers. was abducted in one thousand nine hundred seventeen. prosecution have been launched against whistleblowers have been under the obama administration it's clear that the obama administration hopes that the war will discourage any potential we saw grower to reveal any information that you also have to understand that here and us any information related to national security is considered a secret it's considered classified so everything is classified so it's really easy

to become a creamy now in the eyes of the obama administration if you're revealing any information which are related to national security well it would snowden is not only made headlines has also become the hero in a new video game a new smartphone app called snowden run three d. puts a digital version of the whistleblower in a never ending chase from what looks like a cia agent in the game the man on the run is collecting u.s.b. sticks and laptops containing secret information if course the digital snowden gets a one way ticket to guantanamo bay there's also a cool cool perch an option which drops a hard ball on the chaser allowing the player to escape. in central istanbul turkey police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse

small groups of anti-government activists this comes as the authorities have intensified their crackdown on the protests that have been rocking the country since may if i go in istanbul based journalist was in central istanbul today when police intervened the rally so tell us you were there today what did you see what happened. well actually people came to texas care today with a social media and then of course there was an analyst call on the post media and they said one million people second today and that was a not very balmy are people actually there were like hundreds of people were in texas today and the. while they were. gathering what wait a minute one thousand nine hundred. depletes as fact again but that was no official statement true today the protests are illegal or put this are not a load except for the government or the government governor never made it makes the

nation or never no we think about that. one that was a please or thank you know it's exciting. whole thing was in a sequestered into very cold astri's because especially on fridays and the sets were several days there are a lot of people who are because some bars and shopping malls exits and while police actually closed the whole street also to get a park to give the park is a park that still hold a class just try to sort of first of may after that actually there were some small groups who are trying to go to the section where were attacked by the police and it's called it's still going on and also it's a very sad thing because there wasn't. nobody knows who is the organizers of this today's protest so they are saying all the social media they are saying that promoting with the police and the police is right now actually affecting whole

people please on the city political journalist and. local and the trainer who is also we should ghastly what the water is and also the bullets in a plastic. you saying that these were provoked attacks that the police just attacked completely unchallenged by the protesters and when you say the police attacked them just what sort of injuries did you see people sustained how badly have people been hurt. well. the most potent coming this most pain is coming from the bullets also. because actually is the people of some of the people who are you sick is right gets use of tear gas but no. they are not using the tear gas at. this as the starting from the clutch but. when they use it to get people get angry because it's very different kinds that we are actually

specialized right now the problem is sometimes say how can i. approach people with their. thinking to rest rest is just the same posture as it gets is clearly clearly a very tough crackdown this is a tough crackdown by the police is this going to stop any future protest you say now in the city. but actually. we don't know yet because usually that street is a pretty place that the whole process are going on so the sort of like before may the first american to do labor say there was no police at tech today adam appraisals or the process all the success so no escorting to our little says it's legal that the people are going for such films and it's free as a way to any way they want including. as long as it's peaceful so actually we don't know because there is no such statement this is like two months ago our

prime minister said that maybe in the next two years to such a forensic audit kerry is going to be off limits for force but it's just a statement but feel that the police doesn't. a low anyone except some respects very little one supports us or the plate or walk on the sequester so we count that as for example some of these there's going to be another. demonstration and where. now in effect you very much indeed for that live update there from istanbul elif agel istanbul based journalist live on r.t. thanks very much. a suicide attack on the indian consulate in afghanistan has left at least nine people dead and around twenty injured in the latest case of violence against civilians a recent u.n. report shows a staggering rising casualties among nonmilitary in the country with the media tolls are passing one thousand three hundred people but a bit a day from the university of north korea says that the taliban only one sympathy

points among locals because of the u.s. military operation there but we're still causes her to need. good and actually. gone into the. illegal communities and never try to understand their lives and instead of trying to implement their defined. ways of. running. it was not. created. in the first you have to actually in our. tradition the local or you have to be in the country didn't it isn't the only one stage to. the developing countries are incapable only to juggle problems. when afghanistan is among twenty one countries where the us has

decided to close its embassies on sunday and it fears of an al qaeda terror threat most of the nations are in the middle east and it's not yet clear when the facilities will reopen washington has also issued a worldwide travel alert author and historian gerald horne says america's regional policies of backfired. i think that what this alert basically reflects is the fact that the united states' policy in that part of the world has backfired for example in syria united states has basically encouraged if not supported a war against the damascus based regime of all assad this is involved a number of u.s. nationals and european nationals going into syria to fight with the so-called jihad or this is given to shut me arm to. back forces was such as they were from and syria which is tied to al qaida in iraq which in the last month has been engaged in a spate of car bombings in baghdad in the surrounding region so it seems to me the

state department alert basically reflects a failure of u.s. policy. a new president has taken the reins of power in iran his son rouhani has been officially endorsed by the country's religious leader amid questions about whether the west is really trying to make the most of a fresh start. also still to come rock band the bloodhound gang might want to restart their relations with russia after one band member shoved the country's flag into his underpants during a gig that and other stories coming your way after the break. over themselves if after saakashvili steps down georgia's new political leaders find a way to develop relations with a south a say to an apostle. would it be possible at least in theory if these nations to

unite. and would rush of recognize the territorial integrity of georgia in this case. we want them to live in peace. but it's up to signs we want relations they will have one of the plea deal we won't interfere with the procedures. we speak your language. school music programs and documentaries in spanish what matters to you breaking news a little turn it into angles stories. so you hear. the altie spanish find out more visit.

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i would question the people in positions of power instead of speak. and that's why you can find my show larry king now right here on r.t. question more. has just been endorsed by iran's supreme leader to become the country's next president in officially take the oath of office in parliament on sunday rouhani promised reform and an end to the country's international isolation as part of his election platform this comes as more than seventy u.s.

senators signed a letter calling on president obama to further tighten already draconian sanctions against iran this professor marandi says the importance of the presidential post in iran should not be underestimated. what's interesting is often where in the western media when it's convenient they say he's powerless but when it's not they say he's a threat like the former president ahmadinejad but he is a very powerful figure he is the second most important person in iran then he has the vote over half of iranians and then there are elections that have a very high turnout over seventy two percent almost seventy three percent if the united states is a willing to take this opportunity to reevaluate its policies towards iran and take a serious step toward the iranians and president rowhani will definitely be willing to make a positive move themselves and to move towards. where you can read more about the iranian election and check out the latest footage on our web site www dot com also

there for you at the moment more than two weeks of war games as russian and chinese armies assemble for massive joint drills check out photos and videos altie dot com . and anger boils over in the moroccan capital after a convicted paedophile is pardoned in photos and video online of the moments at all to dot com. now to a stunt that appears to literally want to band off stage american rock group the bloodhound gang have been scattered with eggs and tomatoes beaten and banned from the forming in russia after their bass player shot the country's flag down his

trellises during a gig in ukraine when i discuss a story with. ski. now the famous american punk band the blood hound gang had a concert in the city of odessa in ukraine several days ago and during that concert will be able to see that in the video now the bass player jared hasselhoff took out a russian flag all of a sudden and put it into his trousers before taking it out and throwing it into the crowd the front man of the band jimi properly later intervened said that he did not support of this action which is hard to believe because several days before that concert they had a gig in key of and during that concert jimmy properly was shouting the f. word rush from the stage now this story gets even more crazier because this band was supposed to perform this weekend in russia in south and part of the country during the combine a festival they came over there they were told that they will not perform because the ministry of culture deemed this act is very offensive and that and they

canceled their performance still they received their money and were on their way back to the airport when they were thrown eggs at their bus to majors and there was even a small demonstration in front of the front of the bus so they arrive to the airport went to the v.a.p. section when several men stormed into the base of the section and attacked the band reportedly one of the members of the band was strangled with this american flag so we can definitely say that this time lot on gang would not need any water to let things burn because their bridges with russia are totally torched so after getting clearly a very angry reaction after arriving here in russia earlier you said you weren't too sure what the motivation was did they try and explain then what did happen because obviously there are also a lot of questions when the reality in russia why did it happen while they try to apologize and said they did this simply to their fans in a day or so of course they are punk band they're no strangers to different sorts of controversies and during concerts in moscow and they've had lots of concerts in

russia i've been to several of them personally they've been chanting something anti-american so this is like maybe their definition of controversy another time but definitely the antics with the flag putting it into the trousers this is something and seen before just as the attack on the musicians in russia something unseen before as well. more news from around the world now tens of thousands of people staged a rally in taiwan demanding investigation into a young soldier's death was punished for possessing a camera phone and was forced to do tough exercises while being denied drinking water he died of heat stroke only days before completing his military service is death has triggered outrage across the people over the military investigation the defense minister has already resigned and twenty army officers have been indicted on charges related to the case. in the south of england a protest against oil drilling and ten day oil exploration operations and finally

begun after a delay caused by nonstop protests by local residents those who live closest to the drilling start a concern that if oil or gas is found fracking will be used to extract it destroying the environment in the area. a series of shootings and bomb attacks across iraq have left at least nineteen dead many of them civilians the deadliest attack took place about one hundred kilometers north of baghdad when a convoy carrying a top military commander was ambushed by gunmen the commander escaped but six of his bodyguards were killed is the worst violence in five years with the death toll now exceeding four thousand people since january alone. the news continues instead a half an hour from now in the meantime after the break of the militant movement he america's deadly drone program in pakistan that's in breaking the set from a washington studio with about to be can that's coming your way after the break.

remember we talked about clothing for regular folks like you and me that can make you invisible to drones well freedom fashions as i like to call them are continuing to expand although the fact that our drones infrared eyes are very scary the more common street cameras are way more likely to want to average day violate your privacy and thus they invented the justice cap this hat blocks your face with the lights from face recognition software all the camera will see is an anonymous glowing ghost i personally haven't tested this thing out nor have i seen it with my own eyes and wearing three aaa batteries on your head at all times does seem like a bit of a bother but hey if you really want to be left alone and you're willing to throw down a few dollars this looks like a pretty good fashion statement to me the sad thing is that this sort of invention shouldn't need to exist people shouldn't have to live with the constant fear of

unlawful consent less observation but sadly they do so inventors keep the freedom fashions coming but that's just my opinion. to live on one hundred thirty three bucks a month for food i should try it because you know how fabulous. i mean. i guess i'm still really messed up. very closely with the. white house soup of the. grid. well we're about to give you never seen anything like.

what's going on guys i'm abby martin welcome to breaking that this is that so an effort to extend a personal introduction to pakistan's new prime minister secretary of state john kerry made a special visit to the country this week the trip was supposed to focus on strengthen the relationship with pakistani leadership but instead it kept getting overshadowed by just one little issue drones is a topic heavy on the minds of pakistani citizens who've been subjected to the terror almost daily drone bombings for years a practice that has only grown exponentially under obama's leadership in fact according to government officials the u.s. just launched another drone strike in the country this week killing at least six people don't worry though they were all suspected militants which we already know means absolutely nothing so understandably kerry was hounded repeatedly by pakistanis wanting to know when the u.s. would end its drone war there and it's not just the locals and kerry's pakistani counterpart. stressed that the answer isn't a slow draw down but instead an end to the strikes altogether and finally unable to

avoid deal with it in the room any longer kerry responded to question on pakistani television. the timeline that you undecideds for ending this. strike whether the president has a very real to them we hope it's going to be very very soon. oh my god very very soon that's amazing it was almost a legitimate answer almost but even that vaguely positive affirmation was too good to be true say only hours later the very agency carrie overseas backpedaled issued a statement assuring that there would be no change in drone policy it reads quote i would make very clear that even as we use one tactic less or more in a different place or we move around and no way would we ever deprive ourselves of a tool that would help us fight a threat if it arises in other words we will drone on and on and on so this empty rhetoric pisses you off as much as it does me.