the week's top stories here on r.t. moscow is calm as president obama freezes u.s. russia relations and decrying what he sees as a cold war mentality as following the granting of temporary asylum to edward snowden. syria's battlefront is moving to the lands of the kurds villagers are being raised to the ground by radical jihadists who are aiming to set up an al qaida emirate. also the guantanamo bay hunger strike kids say six months milestone is the pentagon continues to splash taxpayers' money on the prison all of it claims the white house has not given up its plan to shut it down. western gay communities demand russia be stripped of the right to hold the next winter olympics in protest against the new law against homosexuality

propaganda to minors some even going as far as comparing putin to hitler. you are just in time for the weekly on our team with me rule research thanks for joining us today as we come to you live from moscow. talk of cold war punishment and a fractured relationship or perhaps made this week the worst in years for u.s. russia relations but both washington and moscow have rather different takes on the situation where obama is talking about reassessing relations the russian side believes it's all being blown out of proportion the story to watch these guys nature can. this week when president obama canceled the bilateral meeting with the russian president in september u.s.

russia relations have a new low on friday the russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and the russian defense minister arrived in washington as planned to meet their u.s. counterparts and we heard two different messages coming from president obama and foreign minister lavrov both held a news conference on the same day at the same time in different venues of course with foreign minister lavrov trying very hard to ease the tension to move it away from the cold war talk with president obama seemingly doing the opposite take a listen remember the rewards you saw when we were saying goodbye you said will i believe that we can make a difference. in the village and let's. get as adults. and that's what we were trying to do when president putin who was prime minister warned that 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 contest between the united states and russia president obama also said in light of all the disagreements with russia it's time for the u.s. to make a pause and he said. the tone of the office at the state department seemed a bit different 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 it seemed there was an agreement on both sides that they should not let disagreements and scandals completely overshadow whatever progress the two countries can actually make and one area where the two countries can make a difference is the crisis in syria both state 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 and the syrian opposition says they're not going to sit down at the at one table with those who have blood on their hands in order to stop the

bloodshed all hands need to come to the negotiating table and foreign minister lavrov said john kerry. that the syrian opposition is going to be there but making progress on those very important issues concerning global security becomes that much harder when glaciers are defined by scandals not going back to president obama's news conference that he was not all about russia president obama has announced proposals to be for him and they say something that's president obama said he intends to work on ways to try one provision of the patriot act known as. the government broader authority to obtain business phone data records he announced the creation of a panel of outsiders former intelligence official civil liberty and privacy advocates and others to assess the program since. it just changes by the end of the year but everybody understand it's all happening because of what snowden's revelations probably that's why the majority of americans say edward snowden is a whistleblower and not a traitor now it's not clear whether the government will actually go through with

those forms promising is one thing delivering on those promises is something else but at the end of the day the american people may actually benefit from what snowden did which can't be said about u.s. marshal relations. and in the meantime it's been revealed that rush hour alongside the e.u. iran and china are designated as high priority for n.s.a. surveillance their relations have been population of fresh documents previously supplied by edward snowden and i geo political analyst and william angle the author of myths lies and oil wars he says surveillance goes far beyond tara and this crisis far beyond snowden washington is determined to encircle russia with its missile defense which isn't often so of strategy not a defensive one by the way it's a nuclear first strike preparation strategy and that's something that russia understandably is not exactly overjoyed about the issue of syria is non-negotiable in terms of what the us is trying to put into power in syria similar to what they

tried in egypt and failed that is a muslim brotherhood controlled regime that would allow qatar to control the pipeline flows in to europe and not iran so among other things so this is there is not a basis of agreement on these fundamental questions lowden is as i say is not the issue the issue is this fundamental disagreement and washington is not prepared to change its agenda and openly and honestly negotiate to resolve these differences therefore obama is using this childish maneuver of capsule in the meeting because of snowden supposedly. and to syria now where the war has opened another bloody chapter with fierce battles now unfolding in the country's north kodesh fighters are being forced to stand their ground against islamist militants who are pushing them out of the territories four hundred and fifty civilians many of them women and children were allegedly slaughtered in one incident alone in fact there would have

a very making specific information very very tough to verify and we turned to kurdish journalists above us on east so to help us put together a timeline of the conflict for you here on our c now according to him radicals launch their attacks on the nineteenth of july by planting a bomb in a kurdish school and kidnapping civilians the next day there was a chain of explosions targeting houses across the kurdish enclaves which leveled one entire village to the ground all the time many locals are being kidnapped and islamist cleric in the meantime has declared from a local mosque that those killing members of the minority would be rewarded in heaven and encouraged militants to loot and destroy kurdish homes and the violence has spread into early august with seventy kurds murdered and three hundred fifty abducted by al qaeda linked fighters let's hear more on this now we get details from the region and artie's arena. horrifying images of slow turn

mayhem from a region already in throes of conflict this week some reports emerged that hundreds of kurds had been slaughtered by extremist groups in northeastern syria they're still in very fight because insurgents keep the media from getting close this is just syrian kurds find themselves in a green gruesome situation. that the militants started shooting everyone who came out onto the streets become should young men and started cussing them with knives the rebel shouted granted them all their money homes and their women then they started looting houses the kurds who are one of the largest nations in the world without a state have tried to stay neutral for as long as possible in the syrian conflict and it's for that they believe islamic fighters from al-qaeda affiliated groups turned up their killing pressure on the kurds. kurds do not want to be part of the war and they have achieved that by not siding with the the saudis they're showing their ability to administrate themselves and that all the some international players such as it has been hoping those facing again. for example there are

several al qaeda affiliated organizations in turkey going in fighting against the kurds in syria kurds however want to have a democratic syria not just for the kurds but for everyone on top of that jihad is themselves have made statements alluding to their hopes of creating an al qaida state right here on what they hope to be vestiges of syria but they're fighting a deadline came and went the situation is getting worse and the number of people who have been kidnapped and killed and beheaded is rising every day they know what's going on there especially into a lot it's a loss a free army and they are united against this video just as they are killing people on i didn't take they call their people you can kill them kidnap capture their woman and it's all how long that means it's or allowed for you once you fight for for god's. russian foreign minister sergei lavrov was among the first to sound the

alarm over reports from syria urging the security council to step in we believe that in this action we were shocked by the reports of around four hundred fifty kurds massacred in the north of syria including children just because the men were fighting against. the first report of the un security council will condemn all these terrorist attacks we've seen some of its members refusing to condemn terrorist attacks in syria justifying it with the fact that the people behind them are fighting against the outdated regime and this stance is totally unacceptable terrorism should be treated with out double standards kurt seem to be facing a double threats on this side of the syrian state border they're up against extremists on the other lies terry it's been a bitter long running battle with the kurdish workers party and only recently seem to be making amends at the same time on karrar backs the syrian opposition which is known to include al qaeda sympathizers and allows for arms shipments into syria which the kurds say end up in the hands of extremists but when it comes to helping

kurds western powers who wasted no time in trying to force out president assad seem to do little in curbing extremists an approach that looks ominously familiar through the overthrow gadhafi in libya to syria we've been supporting al qaeda the very people who attacked united states of america. is a cause that spreads from north africa all the way to the gulf that could bring us to a new world war if we don't stop obama and the british policy but for now syrian kurds plea for international help to seems to have been met with indifference but in the go to school r.t. istanbul. now the kurds say what's happening in syria is nothing but genocide and they're asking foreign powers to throw them a lifeline for the kurdish democratic union party here sent a letter to the european union. with an appeal to step in and do something about

the growing islamist danger also the peace in kurdistan activists are also asking the united nations as well as the u.s. and e.u. to act now to halt the ethnic cleansing in fact they're demanding that western powers stop sending weapons to the groups in syria which then use them to attack civilians and commit war atrocities and the statement also calls for a probe into turkey's role in fuel in the conflict in those two kurdish areas and the kurdish politician son mohammed ali you think the support for the syrian rebels to receiving it from abroad is the main cause of his people's plight. all of this is happening because the rebels have known from abroad by countries that do not want democracy and peace and syria turkey in the gulf monarchies are arming these terrorists meanwhile western countries are turning a blind eye to all these the rig nor in the atrocities being committed against the kurds we're calling on the west to stop supporting the rebels and to assist us

otherwise these extremist forces could eventually turn against their backers. and this week has also see an unusual assessment of america's strategy towards the syrian war from one of the top defense figures in the united states the cia's second in command has warned that the spread of extremism in the country is posing an ever greater threat to u.s. national security now the deputy director michael morrell says if indeed the assad government collapses with its massive chemical arsenal the country could become a haven for al qaeda terrorists is also claim that given the constant inflow of weapons syria could turn into the next libya with the potential for conflict to spill over into jordan lebanon and iraq but the u.s. is an outspoken supporter of the rebels in syria and is currently mulling over the option of funneling arms supplies to the opposition ranks and middle east and un issues expert phyllis bennis says that this clearly shows divisions deep within

side the obama administration. well i think that his statement is very much tied to the debate that's underway within the administration on whether or not to send weapons to some factions within the rebel armies in syria there are many people people like myself and others who have no access to any of the classified information that michael morrell presumably has access to but where it's been clear that sending more weapons on both sides or on either side is going to make the situation worse and not better so i think there's been rumors that mirelle actually is that you're posed to the emerging position of the administration which seems to be leaning more towards sending some kind of weapons and this probably was a was designed deliberately to undercut that position within the administration and shore up those who are saying no sending weapons is a really bad idea. are still to come here on r.t. u.k. universities becoming increasingly out of reach after a short break here on the program report on how soaring she wished nephi's scare

off bright brits from poor families who choose to give up on further education fearing a hefty debt but. well . science technology innovation all the least developed from around russia we've got the future covered. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything is i don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture.

please speak to language. programs and documentaries in arabic it's all here on. reporting from the world talks about six of v.o.i.p. interviews intriguing stories for you. in troy arabic to find out more visit our big. dog called. good to have you with us here on r.t. today from a foster back to a hunger strike the muslim holy month of ramadan has come to an end and the inmates at guantanamo bay prison have continued now to refuse food this means their protest against indefinite detention and injury main trip. it has entered its seventh month james yee is a former u.s. army chaplain who worked to get most he was charged with aiding the enemy but then

cleared he so thinks though that the u.s. persecuted him for simply objecting to issues of prisoner abuse certain one time was the muslim chaplain assigned to the detention camp. and basically after objecting to the horrible conditions the enormous amount of abuse that was going on there then i was real roaded and accused of being a terrorist myself and that landed me in prison by the u.s. military there were reports. stories from prisoners how they were maybe subjected to being put in you know what you might call this a tannic circle where interrogators attempted to force them to you know make prostration like in the form of the muslim prayer in the center of the circle and then of course there was sexual humiliation being carried out on the part of female interrogators down in guantanamo and the white house has reiterated that it is standing by obama's pledge to close the camp but it seems that the flow of money to

the prison certainly isn't drawing up anytime soon for example the total cost of keeping the facility up and running while they basically exceeds five billion that will be by the end of twenty fourteen this year alone in the pentagon plans to spend almost five hundred million just for maintenance that means every day the u.s. government is splashing out a million dollars of taxpayers' money on the controversial prison and right here that's a pretty down for you you can see how the tab works out of the major chunk being spent on security while legal in the court issues coming in second only fourteen million dollars right there actually allocated to fund a prisoner review boards. ice quite a mess right there for the meantime here on r.t. hundreds of gay rights activists across europe and the u.s. have been calling for a boycott of the winter olympics or to move them from sochi in protest against what they see as russia's new anti-gay law that's despite assurances from moscow that

the bill only bans the promotion of homosexuality to minors and doesn't actually harm human rights now in the u.k. the prime minister has rejected the demands to stay away from the games but that didn't stop the protests and renowned actor and gay activist stephen fry who joined a rally in london he accused the committee of not trying to fight what he dubbed as russia's barbaric laws even went as far as to compare president putin's attitude towards minorities to that of out of hitler's now the olympic committee responded saying sports should be available to all and the new law will not affect those attending the games rights activists nicholai alexei or for he believes although it's necessary to protest the law of boycotting the games will get its opponents nowhere it's absolutely technically not possible to realize this boy court because it's not possible to transfer it somewhere else because the only people who will suffer because of this because it is the sportsman one participating in these in these competitions that's why i'm against it but i am also it gives all the common

for beer and the cue ball preserve the russian state and that's what i'm doing we are fighting forty years since two thousand and five and we think that the most the best solution in this in this case is to go and protest during the olympic games to go to the games bright during the olympic games in sochi so that all the sportsman can aware there are involved beans rainbow attributes whatever they can talk again during the press conferences that they're the journalists and media reports about what's going on in russia during the olympic games i think it will have a much bigger effect then just to go into a book called early beginnings i think this is more practical. and despite all the protests preparations continue for the games with a race against time to get everything in sochi complete the countdown has now passed the six month mark record funds have been put into the winter olympics some critics still doubt all the venues might be ready. travel there to look if the

concerns have any foundation. ok i'm not too bad but i think it's best to leave it to the professionals when they arrive next year in tsotsi for the winter olympics twenty forty and account down is getting lower the olympic park with its brand new arenas is almost ready and in february next year many of the world's top athletes will compete against each other right here i was skating palace. it's the first time since one nine hundred eighty that russia has hosted such an event and with an estimated three billion viewers russia will be in the spotlight once again when all the construction is finished such will boast some of the best and technologically advanced sporting facilities in the world although with many cynics tells of corruption local opposition and concerns with overspending is ready well the proof as they say is in the putting. the finishing touches are being added now and the amount of work that has been done

in the city is huge for the whole area is being improved and made more comfortable and beautiful with new pedestrian zones and underground passes being constructed the city has got a completely new look now it's newly built and very beautiful and there cannot be any doubt that everything will be on time to host the olympics. slowly and surely each piece of the jigsaw is coming together another example is this next stadium. the ball sure i stone says it's twelve thousand people and as you can see well it's an impressive stadium it's unusual ready various competitions have been staged here over the past few months and during the olympics will be used for ice hockey and after that it can be transformed to more accommodate a plethora of other sporting activities ranging from basketball to boxing. the mountain cluster of course napoleon and the rosa who to resorts will host the biathlon and ski center and there will be a freestyle ski and snowboarding park. the two parks are to be connected by

a forty eight kilometer highway as well as a high speed train that will run every five minutes and transport into thousands a day once they reach the mountains placed by train passengers will take one of several new cable cars up to the ski resorts and olympic competition values. the winter olympics is only the beginning for the whole area after the main event early next year sort she will set about hosting twenty two international sports events ranging from the grand prix of figure skating to the formula one next november. the olympic sign here i've been newly built airports represents what the entire occasion is for us to gether and brings out the best in people and sporting events and politics aside as the whole world focuses its attention on saatchi and the surrounding area the final preparations we put into place and what promises to be or the greatest sporting events held ever and after my trip here i can

confidently say that the winter olympics twenty fourteen will be one to remember martha danbury's party. and i will come to you live from moscow as british students are feeling the burn from tuition fees that have skyrocketed and huge loans which are scaring off increasing numbers from ever going to university. and it's many of those are from the poor families who are missing out on his test for australia in first. london twenty ten young people furious at the government's plans to triple the tuition fees cap to nine thousand pounds a year for the new batch of incoming students the impact could be even more palpable but because the numbers of students from the backgrounds coming to university are increasing slowly. sort of the government sort of denies that this is a problem it's pretty dire situation in the u.k. and particularly around the issue of choice. you have to choose to take on that so you choose to be unemployed but really there isn't there isn't really

a positive solution either way for james walkley the choice was to drop out he'd been in university for a year but decided to stop and try to find work instead of folks honestly working for a living for a change them rather than just getting by day to day on one of the syrians or monies or whatever what is available to students because i do come from what i would consider i deprived background i also feel that it's doesn't take a genius to work out just by looking at the fees that the universe as it is now is verging on a debt trap for most james dreams were put on hold at the splice is by no means unique we quarters of colleges and universities in england it could be charging at the top level of nine thousand pounds a year for at least one course in twenty fourteen and around twenty seven percent could be charging at that level for all that's courses and all this despite claims by ministers in the past the levels will only be seen for exceptional circumstances with the fees it now hard so that could very well be the norm. students.

being forces take on this huge debt that the government says doesn't affect sort of the rest of their income but that's not true if you're trying to say for a mortgage things you need to live it will have an effect on what happen effect on the use of the government keeps threatening to change the terms and conditions of those loans in risp. on store t. the government said there will be no change to the terms of interest rates charged to graduates with existing student loans taken out before two thousand and twelve which is cold comfort for someone like naomi with twenty five thousand pounds of debt hanging over her head says sounds like a full time job that's when i started coming out of my. monthly salary my fees for three thousand two hundred and pay here and now office has gone up to nine thousand spencer melman from not going to uni says all this financial insecurity is making young people more open to considering other options than going to university

printers shit is a really valuable way forward you're learning a sector you're getting paid you're getting a qualification and hopefully a full time job at the end of it we're not into uni atoll it's just about understanding the options that are available and having a real choice is really all the james is asking for feel a lot of negativity toward the government for a fact that education is being massively strictly for people who from last financially well off backgrounds does or sylvia r.t.e. london. and i just a moment coming up next we explore a billion dollar water business it's what's fascinating to say the least just moment on that we're not seeing. 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 what is 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 destroy information on the internet then you are only going to get burnt yourself but that's just my opinion.

the population of pakistan totals one hundred eighty million and it's still growing in. the horror there are ten million people clean drinking water is in short supply . for nestle introduced pure lies bottled water was a rare sight in pakistan now nestle dominates a vast market that it created itself i grew up in a city where you could go just like anyone else for gaza water and you would get a glass of water for free without any fear of its quality or its standards.