tonight caught in the crossfire kurds living in the northern syria area face a deadly onslaught from al qaeda extremists ready to wipe them out to make way for a breakaway islamic state. backed bomber accuses russian reverting to a cold war mentality while moscow declares old hostilities dead and buried we report on the latest chill in relations triggered by the snowden to speak. in canada's for the post of moscow med take this skirmish to the media rena as we report on the campaign promises of the main rivals.

nine pm here in moscow you're watching r t with me kevin i mean good to have you company our top story the leader of iraq kurdistan as said that his forces could intervene to protect fellow kurds in neighboring syria who are facing daily attacks from jihadist militants the al qaeda linked factions which initially flooded into syria to fight against the government there are now seeking to set up an islamic state in the country's northeast these posts here is the latest on the plight of the kurds. we've been speaking to eyewitnesses relatives and also kurdish journalists and from the sequence of events that we've been able to piece together that commie nineteenth of july you had an assault by islamist extremists at that stage they placed a bomb in a local kurdish school they also rounded up and abducted a number of civilians the very next day a number of kurdish houses in various kurdish enclaves were blown up it was also an entire kurdish village that was destroyed and some five hundred people were

kidnapped that violence continued into early august when you had the reported killing of at least some seventy kurds and the abduction of another three hundred and fifty now this week we saw a massacre in which some four hundred and fifty kurds were killed from the figures we've been receiving some one hundred twenty of them were children some three hundred and thirty of them were woman that massacre happening in a syrian town on the turkish border not neither damascus nor the opposition has actually confirmed that massacre but we have been speaking to eyewitnesses and this is what they told us back in recently that they came into villages and started to blame the locals would be faithless it was during ramadan they opened fire on villagers people came onto the streets men women and children they fired at everyone who came in the way they captured many young men and began to cut them with nine times we told them that we were muslims too but they said that they would

continue to kill us so they also said that our grant to them all or money or property or women then they begin tomorrow everyone around my nephew was killed. when civilians escaped their shot militias raided their house and blew up some of them and robbed others the conditions are very bad people are in fear and terrorized the all nusra fighters are out of control there raiding the streets there's no media coverage and anyone who tries to reach out. it's being kidnapped by the militants and one of the problems we face is that some reports are difficult to verify as you heard there from kurds we've been speaking to they say that if they come forward and they report on any other directions kidnappings and killings they themselves run the risk of being murdered so what you have is there's a cd out of the language that is being carried out by the islamist fighters this is resulting in the sprayed of this information you have the scarcity of sources this too is leading to discrepancies in the reports that are making it into the

international media and then of course you have videos that are being posted online that are sometimes difficult to independently verify there was one video that was posted that the porter to show the killing of kurds it said that they were burned to death later this turned out to be false now we could some solves the say that the attacks are being carried out by islamised fighters that are linked to al qaida you have as one of these groups the all nusra front and this is an organization that has pledged to establish an islamic state in northern syria this is precisely the area where these kurds are living so this is why or both for some time you've had the kurds on the periphery of the conflict increasingly we're seeing them in the line of fire a middle east correspondent there a photojournalist david morgan he believes the latest massacre of kurds should be a signal for the backers of regime change in syria to stop. the rebels are looking for a faction and all the other groups have been trying been trying to provoke you know

the kurds into into conflict since it will be quite profound going to be incursions there quite some time. and it looks like there was a massacre of some kind of the numbers are not certain and it does say that children or children with him or those of. civilians light rail have been been killed is a war crime if it's true for it should be investigated and i would say that the international powers the e.u. and america are in the u.n. let's listen to a block we're going to be willing to solve the suit the syrian conflict is the route that's being pursued at the moment is not going to lead to any democratic syria the things will get worse next tonight is the cold war truly dead and buried it seems that suddenly moscow and washington can't quite agree on these days russia says recent tensions are just a temporary glitch but senior u.s.

figures including president obama a calling for relations to be paused and reassessed it's widely believed that the catalyst for all this was russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to whistleblower edward snowden is going to teach you can scale the latest remember the meeting between russian and u.s. officials at the state department comes beads after president obama canceled the bilateral summit with the russian president in september more and more often we hear about a new cold war between moscow and washington so everyone was listening very closely to what officials on both sides were saying and we heard tools different messages coming from president obama and for minister lavrov remember the rewards you saw when we were saying goodbye he said will i believe that we can make a difference in the russian they're going to listens let's. and that's what we're trying to do because if. small incidents. become an impediment to every single.

i think it would be that would be very wrong with its bogus president obama in the meantime did the opposite he has basically hyped up the cold war talk when president putin who was prime minister one of the better it was president came back into power i think we saw more rhetoric on the russian side that was anti-american that. played into some of the old stereotypes about the cold war contests between the united states and russia and i've encouraged mr putin to. think forward as opposed to back on those issues with mixed success president obama also said in light of all the disagreements with russia mentioning syria and snowden it's time to make appalls and to recalibrate the tone of the talks at the state department at least the opening part that we have seen that was different there was

an agreement on both sides that they should not lead disagreements and scandals completely overshadow whatever progress the two countries can actually make one area where the two countries can make a difference is the crisis in syria both state the objective the same objective that they want to political solution that they want to bring all sides of the syrian conflict together in geneva to try and map out such a political solution the syrian opposition says they are not going to sit down a one paper with those who have blood on their hands moscow says in order to stop the bloodshed all hands need to come to the negotiating table and foreign minister lavrov this friday he said that secretary kerry assured him that the opposition will be there at that negotiating table so there were some very serious issues on the agenda like syria like missile defense in europe where russia and the u.s. obviously don't see eye to eye but making progress on any of those topics becomes that much harder when the relations are defined by scandals and today we heard foreign minister lavrov trying very hard to ease the tension to move it away from

the cold war talk but president obama's remarks seem to have exacerbated the tension. our correspondent in washington international relations expert shooter in the sudeikis spoke to r.t. about the latest bout she thinks the united states is letting on get close his judgment. the u.s. administration simply cannot afford to exclude russia from important talks on very important issues. before snowden happens a couple months ago those issues that were very much to do with syria and some foreign policy issues as well as some economic issues that the u.s. and russia have in common it just seemed that this particular snowden affair has unleashed a level of anger in the u.s. government that has that is preventing them from actually doing what they do very well which is to manage foreign policy manage crises and use the press to do

that i think it's actually. a very unique and rarely seen a sign of weakness. one of the same news conference where president obama mentioned strained relations with moscow he talked with some of the stuff as well he promised to fight the reform of the much maligned n.s.a. surveillance program more transparency and supervision on the cards that he said but he gave no indication that mass monotremes going to be scaled back should have been a music to the ears of colored mopin ascript more perspective on these proposed changes with him is from the international action center hi callup greeting i would have to say with open arms that yeah. well i think the fact that obama gave this speech shows how much public sentiment and outrage there is about the programs that were revealed by edward snowden but if you listen to the speech not much is really proposed that's actually concrete there's talk of something you know a privacy advocate being appointed to a board and you really see that not much is really going to change if you actually

actually listen closely and you know as much as when obama was campaigning for president he made a lot of promises about protecting whistleblowers and all of that you see not much of this is changing and the reason for that is that the global capital societies are moving rapidly toward fascism and war in this time of economic crisis and it's really there's not much that any elected official is able to do in the face of that the economic crisis is what is behind the rising police state around the world so halting as far as you're concerned. anyway from obama last night because washington says this kind of thing all the surveillance has stopped terror to come i'll give you that can you you can. well whenever i hear any u.s. government official talking about terrorism i just have to laugh because nelson mandela nelson mandela was once called a terrorist by the u.s. government as he was leading the you know the african national congress he was declared a terrorist and they were dubbed a terrorist organization you know the u.s. was very key and said in training the forces that are now al qaeda you know they

worked with the u.s. in in afghanistan to destabilize a revolutionary democratic government afghanistan in the one nine hundred eighty s. in syria right now the free syrian army is committing all kinds of terrorist attacks and murdering civilians and all of that and they're being supported by the united states so i really whenever i hear anything from the u.s. government about terrorism i just kind of roll my eyes because we know that they are the biggest terrorist in the world the greatest mass murderers and terrorists in the world are in washington d.c. and on wall street so any any word from them about terrorism should be ignored let's talk for a second about edward snowden wiki leaks and the very fact the surveillance was so high on obama's agenda last night a big speech he gave indicates him to actually see a good pet trade off to rule. well you know edward snowden is certainly a hero for what he did revealing revealing the violations of people's rights that are continuing and it really really put put the government on notice that there are

millions of people around the world who oppose their policies and the fact that obama came out and gave this address and is proposing these reforms which aren't that sweeping but sound sound really great the reason he did that is a response to the public opinion people all over the united states are outraged you know that their rights are not being protected and all of this this patriotic stuff we hear about freedom and the u.s. is the greatest country in the world because the freedom how it's really it's really not true it's a lot of propaganda that's used to push us to war and to push us to blindly support government policies briefly final thought no matter how you look at what is said there are a lot of people there saying all they want is a complete ban on surveillance britain this digital day and age that we live in that's impossible surely isn't it well of course that's impossible but but the question is we need to realize that the government of the united states is not really interested in keeping the people of the the usa you know the government of the us from the time it was founded by the the slave owning founding fathers in their house of burgesses to to now when it's run by the wall street bankers it has

a different agenda than keeping us safe and we need we need to keep in mind that if we want to keep us to keep ourselves safe we need to build up our own institutions and our own our own you know our own power centers and popular power people's power that is the answer you know we can't count on a government run by walls think people say that certainly isn't going to do it kind of open from international action center. just head few the concept of pick your own food goes a step further as the fast food culture takes a bite out of quality meals we'll report from one farm where you can check on your own chops of all the animals to the life. of one of the world's biggest stuff letting events kicks off here of moscow for the first time almost two thousand athletes are set to compete to be the course the ongoing gay propaganda law controversy overshadowing the upcoming winter olympics good bad. and wasted all the days british tourists uncontrollable drinking habits are causing

headaches for u.k. embassies around the world we talk about that too this is our take. this is the media leave us so we leave the media. by the same motions to cure. all your party visible. issues that no one is asking with the guests that you deserve answers from it's all on politics only on our t.v. . least the two language. programs and documentaries in arabic it's all here on. reporting from the world talks about six of the ip interviews

intriguing story for you to. try. to find out more visit our big don't eat dog called. rice to become moscow's new man is in full throttle with the main adverse series now officially exchanging political blows in the media battlefield with less the months to go now the full polling day campaigning has already seen its share of scandals and his message now it takes a close look at the front runners. and they're on the last leg of the campaign has

officially begun in the first election for moscow's mayor in ten years there are six candidates over seven million registered voters and a lot of promises being made it's not easy to please a city of an estimated fourteen million people there are major problems huge projects and the seemingly never ending fight against corruption incumbent serviceably on and his team in office for two years are confident the city's streets speak for themselves. so ben and completely change this city is priorities have been public space fighting traffic development of public transportation and to take medicine and education to new levels of development and his plan is to continue that work if he's elected also running is anti corruption blogger and opposition leader alexei nonviolently recently wrapped up in a fraud scandal arrested and then released his campaign volunteers are promising a new moscow have you ever been to paris that's what we want boulevards green

everywhere look here for two months they've been putting down tiles bike paths our plans for traffic will be like the rest of the world not like some banyan. although a staunch critic of the government now barney's platform so far sounds a lot like substance it's a liberal program you know it's a program geared for the reach for the reach young and active you know so that they will be able to survive when they see so what about those who are old poor and need support but a state media is focused on some value and opposition media with some help from the west and pro mangold's is promoting wildly so. the socialists are sidelined but i think they are kind of. you are mean you know a scientist. also i think that is a man a scientist of the socialist kind of i think the. more humane either way the vote

is expected to draw tremendous turnout that's media coverage and possibly even controversy and he's now a r.t. moscow. it's one of the biggest sporting calendar only beaten indeed by the football world cup and the olympics talk about the championship this you know for most of the first time of his wins you from stones a small side said venue good evening whether for two well it is august i guess those but more about it. that's right beautiful day for this event to kick off here in moscow just time it's been held in russia and it's the first time it's been held in an open air venue. the stadium right behind me so we've got beautiful weather all day today sunny and leeward skies and tomorrow as well you've got some very excited revelers out here. having fun with that now two events women's

marathon kenya took that one that was a beautiful run right along the moscow river and then the men's ten thousand meter a bedside table and this event runs until august eighth and hopefully the weather will stay with us as people come. celebrates here in russia people coming into the city stadium to see this for themselves and also of course people tuning in all over the world but these athletes are not those that are often you know large commercial campaigns in argentina often in the media but they work extremely hard at their sporting that's a very nice to see them out and really showing their stuff opening ceremonies are coming off right now president putin has made his appearance as president of the international olympic committee that's next does look picks being held in such a time that coming up here very shortly with michael. vick sporting of of should russia this week true storm clouds hanging around. yeah that's right it's the you know it's the is the issue that that no one can get away from

when we talk about the olympics side with this new piece of legislation that came out of the government and i don't. say that any propaganda or promotion to have a homosexual lifestyle that is separate trade is positive to minors juveniles is illegal and it is really kicked off a controversy of sorts as sort of a perfect storm between. western countries and their newer philosophy on where the place is about with society and russia and so it's really caused a huge conversation it's definitely going to be at the heart of this conversation until such you start when you were probably through the olympics but at least today here at the outlets are being celebrated and it's just as many people are star saying i should have been now healing takes one of these are athletes have spent a large portion of their lives are preparing for these events and they should get participate in the in the olympics even though people have talked about boycotting

i think some sounds go definitely to want to participate because they have spent some of the time preparing for it so hopefully everything will run smoothly and we can see them show their stuff just like there because we were here at the world championships are usually the stadium yellow for the press to miss. frog's thanks because that update made me think boy you know i can get those. having fun and relaxing is what holidays are all about but it seems some brits just don't know when they find enough good things british tourists are among the most a tourist drinkers around the world and as sarah firth explains next three seem to think nothing can stop them you say you pull the take a and you're finally on your holiday to say the very last thing you want to have happen is to get into trouble boarding at nineteen thousand people so consular assistance last year according to the latest figures by the foreign and commonwealth office into british behavior there has been a rise in some countries of more serious crimes and that's cool thing concerned in

particular the statistics about rape and sexual assaults are up by ten percent now the countries that have been pinpointed as this particular areas of concern spain turkey and boys all countries popular with young holidaymakers all countries renowned for their very busy night life now it has to be said the brits do tend to have a bit of a reputation opposing out the whole continues to be a major factor in many of the problems that i think we are as a nation quiet who live abroad especially begins you often see brits completely drunk. yeah alcohol is the biggest thanks to foreign income most of the nine hundred thousand people so consular assistance thing a lot of that's going to be getting drunk a little bit a little bit different and so the foreign and commonwealth office reminding travelers once again to keep safe. today it's not a problem to make

a quick bite if you've got a lot in your plate you're going to time just for me a big meal in the microwave but for some that approach is simply not good enough they want to know exactly what they're talking into and his people all of a met one german farmer then has found a way to satisfy you the most picky about the. europeans want to know exactly where their food is coming from this year we've seen the scandal of me being passed off as beef and ready meals and the genetically modified crops giant monsanto decide that there isn't a market for them in you. all this is given one pig farmer an idea how to assure customers that his product is the best it can be and. it's important for people to see the environment where that it will take an animal has grown up they get to see them in a field surrounded by grass not in some unhumane pigsty by buying from burned is a little different from going to your local organic butcher customers pick their

pig from photos online and then through a web cam they can watch the animal grow when you get back and then several months later they receive their requested cut. the idea behind this belongs to a student from berlin who denys bookman his philosophy was that people should be better quality products he wanted to increase awareness and make it known how it produced with famous chefs politicians and styles of music in sport queuing up the bones products from the caucus and some with a whole pig going for around four hundred fifty euro for. the transport and their policy on customers like to have transparency in the production process people want to know where their meat comes from we're looking to fill that niche. these days more and more people are concerned where their food has come from but for some just because you like pork chops doesn't mean you want to come face to

face with the pig. that you wouldn't like it would be counter to tell you i'm sorry because it could be making. tastes great but i'm not sure i would have liked to see it when it was a lie many though seem happy enough to watch their dinner. grow from a free range piglets to a juicy. couplet. you get to see where the biggest comes from how to grow up the live ultimately becomes his the problem i've got no problem. with the pigs are grouped in a natural habitat with big states and better ones but you know what you're eating in light of the recent scandal that is important with this because most diners would say they didn't want farm animals read in healthy conditions before they get to the but whether you want a closer relationship with what's to come your sausages or chops is reason a matter of taste he told a german. from cuts to our money show private interest right after this break.

everyone respects a promise written in stone the promise is written on the internet well they're a bit more flexible and a lot easier to erase obama made a lot of promises as a candidate on his site change dot gov including some about protecting whistleblowers and obama said that we need to empower federal employees as watchdogs and that he would strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste fraud and abuse of authority and government but strangely and possibly coincidentally two days after the first revelation of government spying by stoughton these promises of the change dot gov site were taken down if

this is not just some odd coincidence and they consciously chose to hide obama's campaign promises that this is political cowardice at its worst and worst even worse is that they didn't think that this would get exposed almost immediately if you try to conduct some sort of medieval book burning to distort information on the internet then you are only going to. burnt yourself but that's just my opinion. good afternoon and welcome to prime interest i'm harry and boring in above english again since it is headlined. so if you're going to fight the fat do it legislatively today age twenty two year old bangladeshi man was sentenced to thirty years for attempting to blow up the new york federal reserve building his cell phone was infiltrated by the f.b.i. who supplied him with one thousand pounds of fake explosives according to the

justice department the attempted bomber asserted the plan was his own and that his goal was to quote destroy america by targeting its economy no evidence was introduced in court of him scoping out the new york stock exchange he eventually chose or help to choose the new york fed itself and it is the london whale simply john chorus line a slash m.f. global redux two stories are being floated in the media today the first by bloomberg regards j.p. morgan which is negotiating with regulators over the derivatives debacle that cost the farm over six billion dollars according to quote people mr diamond's firm will likely get off with only a fine or a slot and according to sources the london will himself will not face u.s. charges so why the possible john corazon redux the media was repeatedly used as a tool to float the idea that would walk free and now we have this london whale story.