the flame for the twenty four tina sochi winter olympics is live before setting off on a marathon journey from the birthplace of the games in greece to the host city in southern russia. and the week's other top stories here on our t.v. the diplomatic standoff over syria's chemical weapons and as the u.n. security council finally agrees a disarmament for instance adopting in a storage resolution. also at the u.n. an apparent thaw in iran u.s. relations now a landmark phone conversation between the nation's leaders offered hope for progress in stole the talks over to iran's nuclear program. and greenpeace activists still in custody after attempting to scale an article oil drilling platform could face charges of piracy with russian authorities accusing them of

endangering the crew and the environment. three pm in moscow watching r.t.r. marina josh welcome to the program of the twenty fourteen sochi winter olympics flame has been lit in greece is a link via the birthplace of the games it's from here that the torch will travel thousands of kilometers to next year's host city in russia are designer farmer has been watching the ceremony in greece and shared his impressions with me as well as to bond would say he was in such. lympics flame for so she twenty fourteen has been late will probably be able to see it just behind my left shoulder there and it also we will see here at olympia the birthplace of the games the longest toffs torch relay in elim pick history just a few moments ago the lighting of the flame ceremony took place it was basically

a step back in time winding back the clock perhaps two and a half thousand jews is saw an actress stressed as a high priest test light the flame using the powers of the sun and a parabolic mirror which is basically what happened in seven hundred b.c. that flame is then brought here to the ancient stadium which is where i am standing and it is now being used or just was used to light the torch the very first torchbearer he runs off to my right by tradition he's always a great god on this occasion he was an eighteen year old ski called janice antonio who hopes to compete for his country in sochi next year and he will hand this torch the first russian torch bearer alexander ovechkin the ice hockey star he himself has only been released by his club the washington capitals for forty eight hours to carry out this honor he flies back to the states this evening but he says that this event today was one of the highlights of his career while the torch will go on

a tour of greece for the next seven days and that will end in athens next weekend before it flies to moscow for the russian leg that's the longest in torch relay history but it also has started here as we've been on the air in the limpia the birthplace of the olympics now let's cross it to bang with say is in sochi the host city for the twenty eight fourteen olympics so tomorrow power the storage will get to sochi while it's definitely going to be an olympic torch relay that's going to break in many records and here's why it's going to take around one hundred days full of that torch to go through russia it's going to take sixty five all the kilometers. and forty thousand to go to paris to bring it over one year to the hell you city at the fish to venue right behind me here on my left hand side in sochi now it's going to be a true nine times are you in russia eighty three regions up to nine hundred

and cities and settlements up plus a russia could also visit the old poll also it'll go to the top of all the europe's a highest mountain in the russia the north caucasus it all then make a trip outside of earth a to be honest that's the way cosmonauts they will take it on a space walk now this is never happened before in the history of the olympics not in terms of robbing the tours around russia it's going to have a conventional ways such as you know the trade line as well as on fujitsu personalities but it's also going to go to unconventional ways or through radio it's later than a hot air balloon when it comes to the related stuff and the most all of the really opposed to russia wanted to highlight some of it's a cultural it's a history and of course this emerging new young russia that we're seeing being developed yet the whole city into sochi. sandra farmer there talked to earlier well

we'll of course be covering all the spectacular stops along the way for the olympic torch relay over the next few months here on our t.v. on air and online on our website. deliberate torch is on it's a big journey to such. one hundred and twenty three days. through two thousand nine hundred towns and cities of russia. relate fourteen thousand people or sixty five thousand killing. in a record setting trip by land air sea and others face. a living torch relay special coverage on our. well here's an update on our breaking news story a massacre at a college campus in nigeria around fifty students have been shot dead in their sleep by suspect islamic militants in the northwest of the country security forces

are still recovering bodies so the exact number of that is not yet clear the assault is believed to have been carried out by boko haram fighters who have already killed twenty seven people this week in total the group is being blamed for nearly two hundred deaths in nigeria this month alone all as part of a quest to form their own islamic state. well we'll bring you in deafen alice as an expert opinion on this wave of killings throughout the day here on r.t. . now this week's u.n. general assembly gathering was marked by some major diplomatic breakthrough is key foreign players reach their first agreement on syria since the start of the conflict there and of the story phone call open the prospect for real progress over international concern about iran's nuclear ambitions are just me so now we reports and changes in tone and policies hope for diplomacy progress on two fronts at the united nations a new tone in policy towards iraq and

a security council resolution on chemical weapons in syria the opening union we've been hearing increasingly off to the argument that the threat or use of force which is directly precipitated by the un charter might be the most efficient way to solve international problems the united states of america is prepared to use all elements or apollo including military force to secure. our core interests of the rich but rare consensus at the u.n. emerged after years of deadlock over how to deal with the syrian crisis the un security council unanimously passed a resolution to secure and eliminate syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons according to the geneva agreement put forward by russia and the u.s. the mandate outlines a legally binding compliance but no threat of automatic sanctions or military action i think it shows there were turning towards a diplomatic solution least on the issue of chemical weapons but the other issue

that still remains outstanding is what will happen outside of the issue of chemical weapons will the policy be pursued by the united states or will they continue to find as they have the opposition or in the opposition of the still a day that happening and trying to deepen the conflict over there was out in another way it's a u.s. policy that iran's new president says has no place in the region his debut at the u.n. this week star hassan rouhani reach out but also defend tehran from political attacks iran is an anchor of stability in unstable region the iranian threat is imaginary and is used as an excuse for the misdeeds of others iran poses absolutely no threat to the world or the region ronnie made it clear that iran does not want nuclear weapons and that it wants peace but also to be treated as an equal rainy and u.s. officials praised high level meetings that took place on the sidelines of the general assembly and the country's president spoke over the phone for the first time in over three decades what would it take for a would be photo op to become

a new u.s. approach towards iran but as has our very tied there his hands are tied that there are people and lobby groups in the united states that do not want to see the united states and iran after thirty four years of demonizing the country to have relations the u.s. is in a tough spot it has to keep from north. the relation of the middle east and now the alienation of the arab muslims in general against the us is mostly due to the commitment of the double standard the us shows its relations with israel obama said to meet with israeli prime minister netanyahu on monday in washington now is the real test will the u.s. be able to move forward with diplomacy in the middle east both with iran and syria the first week at the u.n. general assembly has opened the door to rethink a failed policy the question is will the obama administration shut it the first

chance they get reporting from new york nice anally r.t. now the u.n. resolution on syria stresses that all parties in the conflict need to comply with the disarmament and nonproliferation requirements author and historian gerald horan says ensuring the rebels cooperate will be the most challenging task that's the weakness of this peace process recall that just a few days ago the so-called rebels split officially with the more extremist faction basically saying that the less extremist factions to somehow be purged and expelled the extremist faction of course is spearheaded by the al nusra front close to al qaida keep in mind as well that some of the so-called chemical facilities in syria or under the jurisdiction of rebel forces if the rebel forces are not part of this process it's unclear to me how it can be resolved that is to say how can

chemical weapons be destroyed not the least how can these chemical weapons be found if the rebels are not part of the process. well hearings have started for aid greenpeace campaigners just days after a court ordered that twenty two other activists should be held in custody for two months all are accused by the authorities of being part of an attempt to scale an oil platform and endangering the environment and the lives of workers are going off look so why they were protesting and what the future holds for the polar region. the pictures that stormed international media greenpeace activists trying to climb onto a floating platform in russia's north arrested by coast guards was. shocked shocked all thirty activists from eighteen countries were detained and are now awaiting whether they will be officially charged greenpeace claims their actions were peaceful but the authorities say they could have endangered not only the lives of the rig's workers but the environment itself. it's obvious they are not pirates but

they tried to storm the platform and these people violated international law by coming dangerously close to going to the president's common scheme and an international arctic conference organized by russia we're here in city huts the only city in the world located exactly on the arctic circle line where the presidents of russia finland iceland other officials along with around four hundred experts have gathered and the arctic environment is what this forum is all about as average temperatures warm up and the arctic is opening up new opportunities for trade routes and energy projects moscow says only companies with experience working in a tough region and enough funds to do it properly and without harming nature must be allowed access and cleaning up the heritage of the cold war era is another issue abandoned military bases equipment and piles of barrels with fuel i know a map of the arctic binary assessment program has been involved in that that russia

has really been working on its own to try to claim we have a ways to go and they're not alone there are places around the planet or similar things that happen when people didn't recognize it as something they did had long term negative consequences for the environment the arctic nations seem to be on the same beach looking after the north wall is a responsibility they must carry together so that the mistakes of the past aren't repeated especially when their every move is under such intense scrutiny you've got this going off in the arctic. circle well going to have a short break now but do stay with r.t. for a look at the remote island of the south atlantic whose inhabitants say the british government is squeezing a wife out of their community and forcing them from their homes. the island is so small the burmese it's the center see the center of the universe.

on a tiny island the size of a football field in the middle of a lake stands a ruined monastery forty years ago two lovers decided to spend their honeymoon here . they have no idea that the island would change their lives forever and that they would change the fate of the island. never seen anything like this before you begin to cover the house. in the fortress of isis grown in just one hour and it's only the beginning. there's the media leave us so we leave that maybe. by the same motions to the other the party there's a goal. for sure is that no one is asking with the guests that you deserve answers from it's all politics only on our team.

welcome back you're watching r.t. and let's go to greece where authorities have made a move against the far right golden dawn party its leader along with a number of senior officials and other members have been arrested in connection with the murder of a prominent anti-fascist rapper two weeks ago allegedly by golden dawn activists the killings saw thousands join protests across the country well since of failing to win any seats in the twenty nine two thousand and nine election golden dawn has made a breakthrough in the twenty twelve parliamentary vote it won eighteen seats out of three hundred and after gathering its board among the countries use in particular are confident has more. fury on the streets of athens clashes erupted following a protest against the murder of pablo's physis the anti-fascist rapper was stabbed

to death last week by an alleged supporter of the far right golden dawn party allegations the group firmly denies. godzilla p. as a young man was known may not have been the first to die at the hands of greek neo nazi groups but he was the first non migrant golden dawn has also been said to be targeting anarchists and communists renewing political tensions between the extreme left right and the greek government they have acquired the fear of big races they have collaborated with the nazis maybe. they have blood on their hands this is why we say go with this government with the golden dome the group is trying to keep a low profile in the wake of the killing and wouldn't speak to us on camera this man however was keen to talk george says he's one of the group's oldest members and he blames journalists for giving golden dawn a bad rep is the only party that has spent poor people and desperate greeks who are

suffering the crisis we're not extremists and we aren't against anyone yet georges also wanted to make sure i noticed people in the neighborhood he claimed this man was an egyptian immigrant who lived on handouts at the expense of greeks like himself as for the nazi symbolism the fascist salutes that the group has been known for all a misunderstanding he says it's once wrong with this there's nothing wrong with a salute just a way of saying hello i do it myself it's a greeting that still terrifies this greek resident he believes that golden dawn was to blame for his recent assault but he also points to another factor behind the growing divisions and the violence economy that this i didn't used to be afraid but greece has changed everyone is suffering financially and some are looking to blame others immigrants and. despite the public shows of anger against it golden dawn it is greece's third largest party and at least until now its fastest growing

political force it gained ground against a backdrop of unrest linked to the economic crisis and a country burdened by debt soaring unemployment and deep cuts to social spending. it's the vein that it's when your life changes totally like ours has in the past few years and when you lose your job and can't provide for your family you grew up with a helping hand you can get it and gold has helped is still fight to the end. spiros a shop owner who's had to shut down one of his stores because of the recession blames the influx of immigrants for straining scarce resources and he says golden dawn keeps order in his neighborhood when the government fails. we don't want to use violence but when golden dawn kicks out immigrants who are squatting illegally or. peace and of course who support them as a government does nothing. the financial crisis has done more than simply cripple greece's economy it's changing society too when asked to describe how local say

that the writing is on the wall in this neighborhood it literally is in the red it says out with foreigners signed golden dawn in the black fashion arcus logo it's evidence of a growing ideological divide and with the greek economy still in trouble that divide is unlikely to heal anytime soon lucie county r.t. athens. greece is not the only country where far right parties are gaining support poll suggests that all across european union right wing support is growing rapidly artist peter all over reports from austria were right leading parties are expected to do well in today's parliamentary elections. the political right is on the right seat in europe and it's drawing some surprising support a lot of people from the working class blue collar workers lower educated people are voting for the extreme right of the radical right because of the policies staying put forward like immigration and european integration corruption i guess

a politicized in a such so these are the topics that are now days important for those people voting for the radical right across europe there's a time that's turning right ukip is being talked about as the legitimate third party in britain while alternative for germany just missed out on a place in the bundestag norway's conservative government came to power with tough immigration promises and in sweden and finland there's also been gains here in australia euro skeptic right wing parties are gaining support from people who feel that the main issues important to them ons being addressed it they might care less and we should all feel the need to slow down immigration i have nothing against foreign us but enough is enough. yeah e.u. is saying where the money should go general i can pull kind poor countries on which of their own country and they're used to wouldn't be like john dictate

everything. else it used to be their own party's interest spruced and the e.u. second now it's only a few. want and i'm not the freedom party of austria have made significant gains in the polls heading into sunday's election. its critics call it xenophobia its leader thanks to differ being. i don't think foreigners. even so the party adopted a different campaign tactic that it had done in previous elections their issue hidden message about religious values descends. talking about love your neighbors which is a very catholic way of talking about the issues but the course the hidden message behind was that this is against islam or against muslims also flying the anti you roofline is all straight canadian billionaire frank straw you come dems the single currency is the road to rack and ruin. we need to stop creating every housewife

knows that if she spams and normally when she earns. her hours most of europe's recent elections of being nailed by it is for politicians desperate to keep their jobs amid libyan economies all street is different it's doing relatively fine what's happening here is brussels persistence with bailouts and encroachments own sovereignty has given the right to come didn't seem to beat them with peace or all over on t.v. . now quick look at some other stories from around the world here in r.t. pakistan city of peshawar has been the target of yet another devastating blast following a bomb attack on a bus on friday at least thirty three people including children are reported killed in the latest explosion near a police station more than seventy others were taken to hospital security forces say a remote control car bomb was the likely cause this all happened next to the site

of an attack on a church last week that killed over eighty people. at the rain court sentenced fifty shia muslims including a prominent iraqi cleric to up to fifty years in prison for forming an opposition group that authorities claim is involved in terrorism it comes after protests yesterday saw thousands come out in support of another prominent opposition figure arrested for allegedly inciting violence the minority sunni moderate has been severely cracking down on rest for several years now. as one of the last outposts of. the british empire ascension island in the south atlantic is still said to be suffering the effects of colonialism well the u.k. stands accused of victim families that have lived there for over a century well let's now take a look the central island is a tiny spot on the map and it's home to barely a thousand people many of whom may now have to leave reportedly to make way for an

american military base the islanders who are mainly british citizens will not be allowed to stay after retirement or if they're unemployed at eighteen the case bears similarities to the expulsion of inhabitants from diego garcia part of britain's indian ocean territory the island was forcibly depopulation in the nineteen seventies also to make way for a military base while those living on essential island now say that similar to see a london is squeezing the life out of their home for smith has more the tiny island in the mid atlantic made of volcanic rock and covered in pigeon guano but the eight hundred people it's hope but now the story of a fetish an island has all the whole mark the big no the diego garcia the british owned indian ocean islands whose inhabitants were forced to leave to make way for a u.s. base despite having lived death with generation. good memories. it's

not for them. you know when you see them you got this because they are enjoying the island. islanders accuse the british government of emptying ascension and greasing families who have been there for more than a century ten years ago when all that so difference britain was promising democratic institutions for the islands a legal right to live and to own property it wanted a viable community that but today the populations already decreased by a quarter with communities replaced by contract workers retired or unemployed people over eighteen had to leave and the similarities with diego garcia and the dominant feature on the island is you guessed it an american base heavily used

during president obama's recent trip to africa there are also satellites and submarine tracking stations and one of those now infamous listening posts run by g c h q the british government now conveniently insists ascension has no indigenous population and many residents believe they intend to evacuate the island completely and abandon it to the americans far from the dreams of a permanent home they had a decade ago island it's fair they'll be reduced to hole in the special relationship. while it is for me for now i'll be back with more news about thirty minutes time but for now r t tells the story of a lonely monastery on a far away island.

i bet anyone who lives in the united states knows a few people or just dismal geography a certain small percentage of the country just can't get it that canada is above us but how important is knowing geography anyways well one author on the washington post blogs recently wrote that knowing geography really doesn't matter that much he was writing in response to the game where is damascus which challenges people to find serious capital on a blank map he said that whether americans can find here on a map doesn't affect the wisdom of a punitive strike meant to uphold international norms against the use of chemical weapons and often disasters draw our attention to places we'd never heard of before like pearl harbor or columbine or syria but let's look at this way i don't exactly know where persons kidneys are or how exactly they work so by all normal logic that means i'm not qualified to have an opinion about whether we should remove john doe's kidneys my opinion doesn't count because i am kidney ignorant so if you know so little about syria that you can't even find it on a map then you are more likely to believe from a guy in a suit on t.v.

that there must be an intervention to save the people there you have no idea who they are or why they are suffering or how to save them but gosh darn it that intervention sounds nice knowing at least where a country is on the map is the first step in building in informed opinion but that's just my opinion. i want to live here when i grow up anyone else about this place so sacred. they say the church was built here in the twelfth century it was destroyed in the 1930's. people constantly chose this place to pray and by doing so they created an atmosphere of holiness you can't commit a sin here even if you want to. i didn't

want to come here one tyrant what i do there but they came and stayed. until it changes every one little by little bit in the lake and in the sea of life . most of the the island are so small but for me it's the center. the center of the universe. given the summer i go to the island by motor boat that was in winter when the lake freezes over i go by car from the town of all of this nearby also skied there for a month on foot to the island isn't very far from the lakeside about twelve kilometers which i've become so used to this route that is the way home.