the. you watching our t.v. tonight the apparent witnesses to a cold blooded mass murder near damascus tell us that dozens of people including children were killed by radical jihadists that. uncertainty hangs over ukraine tonight as the e.u. says its frozen trade talks while keeping up the pressure on the president been plaguing moscow for meddling. in the center national condemns the torture of detainees including children in bahrain or rights workers there say the scale of the abuse is even worse than the latest report suggests. and a british energy company finds a massive wind turbine sprawled across the entrance to a drilling site a gift apparently for manti fracking activists caught up in the christmas spirit.

if you just joined us for a good evening for me kevin i mean it's just past eight pm this is artie international live from moscow and our top story nazi like atrocities are being described in war torn syria residents of a small town outside damascus have told r.t. they witnessed anti government islamists burning civilians in other things and using others as human shields well the army struggling to overthrow the extremists and get them out of the area says the horrific scenes did take place artie's arabic channel tried to get a clear picture. r t sources in the military say radical islamist fighters entered the town of address and massacred local civilians according to the latest figures at least eighty people

were killed in the districts which the syrian army has now liberated entire families were killed other families were kidnapped and are being used as human shields in the battle against government forces. militants from chabad only strike and the army with islam seize control of all the streets and cross roads very quickly this iteration became terrible there were killings outrage and fear on of them to find armed men came to the city they carried out the slaughter the worst thing in their crime was when they shot the people in the baker's opens the kid the people and many were beaten. i still can't recover from the shock i went through on black wednesday but praise be to allah i managed to grab my kids and my wife at the very last moment and flee under a hail of bullets that was terrifying or just recently i spoke with a friend whose name i won't disclose he is still hiding in the basement of his house he and my other friends told me about the atrocities committed by the rebel

units what they have done to civilians is simply horrific if tortured innocent unarmed people inflicted a lot of bloodshed some of the kidnapped families have been transferred to areas south of the town they're now being held in strategically important zones which the rebels have been using as a base of operations these places are heavily fortified sources also say the total death toll in an address may in fact increase because the syrian army has not yet liberated the entire town macculloch innocent now i spoke to british journalist john white who believes western powers are starting to acknowledge now the true nature of the war in syria. adding weight to this particular atrocity is the announcement just recently made by the british and us governments that they have ceased the describers known lethal lead to defeat syrian army this is a clear acknowledgement what we are seeing is not of revolution in any meaningful

sense this is an invasion by islamists and sunni fundamentalists sponsored and funded by saudi arabia and these latest reports were not really picked up by other media outlets they're focusing on are an alleged government assault in aleppo where seventy people including children were killed are these rebel atrocities being deliberately ignored here yes because it would embarrass both the british and american governments and their liberal supporters in the west of trying to support the rebels as much as he can even if he saw the undeniable evidence that these rebels as i see are part of an attempt to turn not only the country but the entire region into a graveyard for minorities muslim unknown muslim on the way to turning the clock back to the seventh century i really do think there needs to be a public inquiry into how we came so course to effectively acting as al qaeda and

syria as if force along with our u.s. counterparts well it is arabic channel news team is trying to get first hand experiences more people an address the city was apparently attacked by jihadist reports a dozens of civilians were massacred if you mr if you want to up to speed on this subject developing story you can get it to get more background. there are mixed signals tonight over ukraine's possible trade deal with the e.u. which has been the source of massive protests for the past month of course a senior official stated that all talks are now on hold while ukraine's authorities say they are progressing in this has it and that was fear the u.s. seems eager to assume the role of decision maker election or jeff skew reports. sure. bremer oh there's a few americans with you right here john mccain's media conference in kiev was rich in loud statements thinly veiled warnings to moscow we need to make it clear.

to the russian government that i'm here putin that interference in the affairs of ukraine is not acceptable to the united states of america or to any other free country in the world followed by explicit threats to kiev if the movement and membership in the e.u. is not achieved that cause is going to have very serious effects here in ukraine and in us cray cray malaysians he accused russia of interfering but many question why he was there in the first place it's not the first time john mccain has been seen paying a visit to the united states is currently lending its support to he had a photo op with some syrian rebel kidnappers now it's a world boxing champion turned politician and mccain is not the only american politician in ukraine his appearance that gets independence square was preceded by u.s. assistant secretary of state victoria nuland handing out cakes to the protesters the reason they are that is bluntly because i think these people want to detach the

ukraine from russia as they see it and they think that by supporting the protesters in kiev they might actually achieve that the problem with that strategy is that it's simply not working the balance between the ukraine and russia economically and culturally ethnically and simply too strong and i think for american politicians and indeed european politicians to go to the ukraine and to try to do that is actually very unwise and very dangerous and he simply exacerbating making worse the differences the divisions in the ukraine which are already very great but as u.s. officials seem keen on pushing the u.s. deal through. brussels all but shut the door and signing it through tweets from the man in charge of e.u. expansion it's unclear whether it's a matter of the e.u. not budging on ukraine's pleas for more financial help upon signing the agreement the previous offer of six hundred million euro was branded as humiliating by unocal

which or brussels rumored willingness to seize any talks with this government this latest statement by the european office also puts huge brazillian of coverage because he has been saying all along seriously during press corps is that meetings with european officials and the opposition that the train would not step down from your integration. he was all expecting to sign. in the new year is the future and with the news that this prospect is as remote as ever the broadcasters resolve is now also being hardened by a rallying cry from the new was the rivals from america let's hear a sense of the artsy reporting from kiev in ukraine and indeed it's not the first protest aimed at regime change or senator mccain's popped up a this area is embracing ukraine's orange revolution almost a decade ago he was also a frequent flyer to georgia another former soviet republic of course saw a color revolution mccain is no friends indeed with the former president mikhail saakashvili who after coming to power move swiftly then to crackdown on the

protests against his own administration and the arab spring didn't escape his attention either john mccain supported protestors on egypt's tahrir square and also in libya way pushed for more active u.s. involvement in its civil war as for syria or world mccain was among the most vocal advocates for america to start bombing the regime there and it's rebels as the pro e.u. and antigovernment protests in ukraine's capital rumble on than the becoming a source of conflicting media reports to today earlier we spoke to graham phillips he's a british journalist living in ukraine who wrote an article on what he calls the mythical mantras of the protest movement. ukraine's our most popular band o'kane ltd a good performance there it's become very convenient to conflate the numbers in attendance in that crowd with protesters i think it's become quite fashionable to it's almost become a festival what we're looking at is a very pleasant to use or by a definition have you seen the pictures as we only have

a protest as we all know where things are changed to tear gas attacking police seen as they themselves see them injuring they switch over from effectively terrorists to becoming innocent protesters what we're really looking at is a picture of quite an ambiguous country because certainly in the east that isn't the case however ukraine is as it stands a country it is east and it is west and it is in a moment all of that here in the center where you've got bussed loads of people coming from the west to protest e.u. is affecting me offering prestige but it isn't offering hard cash and furthermore i would say to the protesters in my dan are you really there for the future of ukraine to make your country better or are you there because you believe in a visa free system it will be easy if you to leave ukraine with putin involved you always effectively reduce to the role of answered my daddy basically what was the e.u. these shining nights of the day on the even that interested or soon become can be

the polarized russia as the pantomime villain of the piece which is to take any comment out of the equation of what is happening in europe my dad. coming up here what are to international the crushed hopes of those who are coming of age in egypt is disillusionment and we think younger generation without the arab spring has turned out their main goal now to get out we live abroad you talk about that shortly also coming up to the fortress mentality in western europe as leaders look to ringfence jobs for their own nationals i mean fears of a new tired of even the greats. from the east to stay with us. technology innovation the list of elements from around russia. the future

covered. the media leave us so we leave the people. of the same motion secure the other party visible. shoes that no one is at school with the guests that deserve answers from. politics. are. dramas that can't be ignored to. stories others refuse to see. faces change the world. so picture. from around the globe. look to. see.

elegance exactly thirty minutes past eight here in moscow now torture in bahrain has once again been revealed by human rights groups amnesty international claims that children as young as thirteen have been subjected to brutal mistreatment while in detention not a judge from the bahrain rehabilitation and antiviolence organization claims the reality is even worse. as a person who's chairing an in geo that deals with torture victims and survivors as documented mindset cases of children who are at the used and tortured and as young as eleven years old these children are not only tortured beaten electric. beaten with hoses and they were threatened with rape to the extent that the children we're certain that a member of their family a mother or a sister will be a date in order for them to give false confessions or to give names to death or it

is and in some shocking cases that they wanted these children to work as an informants to the security forces along tonight russia might consider a decade long ban on genetically modified foods on our web site scientists are urging the government to give them ten years now to study the effect that they might have will might not have on humans is a controversial product the story goes on and keep your drones out yemen's parliament votes the phantom man strikes a bit see the rage over deadly u.s. attacks again if you want to read up more about it a lot about it. fresh clashes have erupted in cairo where police have used tear gas to prevent student protesters from reaching the defense ministry the anti-government movement seen a surge in recent months with youngsters staging regular demonstrations now this comes time for the military led authorities to they're trying to drum up support

for a new draft constitution the campaign hasn't been going to smoothly the official banner promotes the document as representing all egyptians but the image actually shows stock pictures of people who are most likely foreigners and are found elsewhere on the web well true reports on how the nation's hopes for a better life after the revolution have been fading. omaha meet a young egyptian design student sits in his favorite downtown cairo cafe talking about a better life abroad three years on from participating in two thousand and eleven revolution almer is frustrated by the state of the country he says once he finishes his studies he'll have to leave. here your story for four years and then you don't find a job at the end of it there are better chances outside egypt there i can find the freedom to work with the skills that i have that is one of the most important reasons forcing people to leave egypt there are eight million egyptians already abroad and others are looking to join them as the economy flatlines in the

political instability even if the economy of the country will grow in the future the double digits there will never be able to accommodate every new job seekers there is going to be always a percentage of the population that would seek job elsewhere job outside of the country youth unemployment rates are at a staggering seventy seven percent and that may well rise after years of turmoil for young men like almost seeking work abroad is often the only option but it's not just the economy driving egyptians to leave some fleeing a growing crackdown on political freedoms. growing numbers of activists are now facing jail sentences after the military installed government enforced the law banning protests without official commission daily battles between student protesters and security forces rock egypt's campuses police and the army continue to patrol the streets. we need democracy freedom better health care and social justice to fulfill the main demands of our revolution the police need to change the

whole regime needs to have a better ideological way of dealing with egypt or more people will go the government hopes and new constitution and upcoming elections will help stabilize egypt's until egyptians can find work and enjoy basic freedoms more will be forced to leave belcher for r.t. . now the sadoway tis the season to be jolly and in true christmas spirit activists have left this they've gifted a british gas shell gas drilling company especially from usual present if you're scratching your head wondering what it is that is cause look closely a part of a seventeen meter one of the afternoon wind turbine propeller as another bit of course that would be with it normally but i've placed it conveniently across the entrance to a fracking site the local campaign leader for friends of the earth says that eventually the government's got to listen. we've only had a handful of exploratory drilling sites across the u.k. but already we've seen huge local opposition whether it's been in the southeast of

ireland or the northwest where we're seeing it now and i think with the government's new licensing round which is going to open up another two thirds of the country to potentially to fracking we're going to see even more position and i think the government is going to have to put a moratorium in place like it had done previously and actually listen to the concerns of communities because there's a very loud and clear message that people do not want this in their local community and they don't want to anywhere else we've seen a lot of support from the energy in a recent survey seven times as many people wanted a wind turbine in their community than a shale gas well so we think about actually as more and more community opposition in arises across the u.k. where we will see the government having to listen to rap world news in brief a passenger bus in the philippines is very often elevated highway and it's plunged into a van below its killed at least twenty one people it's not clear what caused that accident the road was thought to be in slippery because of rain at the time this or his have suspended the entire fleet no the bus company involved. a series of

attacks across iraq schools at least fifty four people the deadliest happened two hundred kilometers north of baghdad when a suicide bomber blew up a car at the gates of a police station and then three more attack is made made their way inside before blowing themselves up but killed eight officers as well on top elsewhere government pulled twelve shia muslims from a bus heading to the capital before executing. four buildings have been evacuated at harvard university because of reports of maybe bombs on the campus there the ivy league institution located just outside boston says there's been no explosions and police did conduct a search final examinations are currently underway at the university. and you all rush is brewing in the americas and this time the world's energy corporations have got their sights on mexico protests have been erupting across the country after lawmakers voted to do way was seventy five years of oil nationalization and open up the country's reserves to the highest bidder while the

plan has already been approved by more than a third of mexico's states but while all tycoons have cause to celebrate hundreds of thousands of protestors it's announcing it as an act of betrayal by the government the latest in a series of disappointments in fact nicholas donovan witnessed one such demonstration. protests against the energy reform have been held in all major cities across mexico it's a new demonstration of power of those who oppose what their government has approved without de consent we can't forget that there are three points of the mexican constitution that will be modified under the new measure for many mexicans this new era in the energy sector just means the beginning of the end of the country's independence many also believe that the whole process has been just a farce and that the decision was really already made even before the debate began the rapid approval that the reform is gettin in the local delegations only

strengthens the position of those who think the politicians of mexico aren't on the side of the people on the side of commercial interests losing that is not interested in asking the people they don't care about what we think at all this states will have to reform the truth in ten minutes they now know what they are doing there betraying us the streets are the only thing we have now and will do all it takes to defend them symbolically protesters in mexico city the nation's capital chose the square of independence to kick off their massive march pressure tension and frustration been building up here it's not only about energy reform they talk about education reform about transit wallaces indeed it's just the mexican people coming together really demonstrating they just are not happy with their policies well under the new proposal the state's all company pemex will be reduced to a shadow of its former self work as representatives will be removed from the board of directors cut them open as

a socialist campaigner for international actions action center he told me thinks is bad news for the mexican people this. the oil in mexico this is something that the mexican people you know have all claims for themselves they say it's their property they say belongs to them but now just like so much of the wealth of the world's being privatized being handed over to private corporations and being utilized to make profits for some capitalist and that's that's an outrage and that's why the people are are rising up against it that's why we see all these massive outcry because the people of mexico well have really made clear that the government of mexico doesn't represent them it represents interests in the united states and they would like sovereignty and independence britain's mulling over protecting his job and welfare system by putting a cap public number of new arrivals from within the e.u. the plans were leaked as concerns grow that a wave of immigrants from romania and bulgaria lies ahead when freedom of movement rules change in the new year police boy has got the story it's supposed to be an

ever close a year it but the european commission the body responsible for keeping the twenty eight country club together is facing a growing number of complaints from its members. in january as the newest members remain ians and ball gary ns will be able to travel to work and live anywhere within the zone but the u.k. prime minister david cameron's not exactly offering open arms you need to change the rules about every move with people we bring to countries for a job is one thing but i'm not favor of people being to be able to claim benefits that's why we set up a series of tough measures this week to put beyond doubt that there isn't the freedom to go and play the same sentiments have been shared by germany and france so it's no surprise that views not going down well with the european commission it argues migrants boost these countries economies rather than sponge off that governments but immigrations by no means the only issue that you can't agree on god

only what we're facing right now is actually has been lost and i'm not talking about u.k. or rhythm equates always being outside and inside europe i'm talking about their. european banking union has long been on the cards designed to offer the same confidence to a depositor in a greek or spanish bank as enjoyed by someone in a german one but richer member states a worried it'll only end in bailouts for banks and other countries last time ministers met to discuss the union they wrapped up early because of a lack of progress and speaking of money brussels has strived for tax harmonize ation but cost your mind back to recent scandals about google and apple housing their headquarters in ireland with a corporate tax rate of just twelve and a half percent compared to thirty four percent in belgium and you'll see that

harmonized nation is a long way off you're seeing economic effects of the show from greece across the eastern europe germany but without political control over those things happening it's a very on turnabout situation to have. our london. thanks the company will be watching around the world after the break coming up soon paid lavelle's here as late as guests tonight balancing surveillance again security in the discussing the actual purpose of america's national security agency is our next program. there calling obama's happy smiling sophie photo with the danish and british prime

ministers at the mandela funeral an international incident but before we rail on obama for doing something stupid a funeral we need to clear one thing up the washington post says that this action occurred at the memorial service after the funeral was over and trust me after about three hours of serious lectures at a conference or some sort of super long wedding most of us would just be banging our heads against the wall out of boredom and i'd probably check my email about seven times obama's place know i said most of us but the president isn't supposed to be like most of us because he represents all of us it's one thing when you're fourteen and too stupid to realize that sophie photos at the wake after grampa's funeral is a bad idea but it's another thing entirely when one of the most photographed and powerful people on the planet takes a selfie at the memorial service of someone he claims to respect although i might sound annoyed this sophie is pretty much irrelevant this is just a big error of etiquette there are plenty of real concrete things with real consequences to be bad at obama over like our being religious wacko rebels in syria or signing into law the n.b.a.

i wish with all my heart that we only had to be angry with obama over some minor etiquette errors but sadly they're just a drop in the obama bucket but that's just my opinion. hello and welcome to cross talk where all things are considered on people of all the scandal that keeps on giving the steady stream of snowden related leaks no longer surprises but the all encompassing scope of spying still does even online

gamers have not been spared all the while the powers that be are hesitant to rein in the n.s.a. in fact they are only want to make legal what is now illegal is it time for an international bill of digital rights. to cross the surveillance state i'm joined by my guest suzanne also in new york she is the executive director of the pan-american center and in washington we cross to eugene per year he is a national organizer with the answer coalition all right cross talk rules in fact that means both of you can jump in anytime you want you to go to you first in washington ever since this scandal with the n.s.a. broke with me as a result of mr snowden we've gotten one leak after another and we've been told today that it's only about one percent of what he's willing to through other people obviously now to expose and i watch all of these leaks coming out and at first i

had to be like most everyone just really quite shocked and amazed and now i'm not shocked or amazed anymore the only thing that really concerns me because i'm in media is this how encompassing it is it seems like it's people are kind of gold by it i mean they just know this is we're calling this program digital octopus and even when we see that symbol i don't see the outrage in the grassroots why is that . well i think that we've seen some outrage i think here and over twenty six in washington d.c. there are many thousands of people protesting it but i think in some ways it's such an all encompassing program it's very difficult for people to wrap their mind around it needless to say the government is doing everything possible to sow misinformation about this program in the populace that i'm not even one hundred percent sure people know what they can do and what is going on because it's so all pervasive and the government is so consistently lying and i think that certainly having all this revealed has a chilling effect on protests in this country whereby people are now very concerned

about if they speak out how will that be seen how will that be held against them their actions their movements their writings who they're talking to how will that all of fact their ability to be effective in the public arena and i think we're seeing not only a conversation but a really internal conversation amongst people in terms of how they challenge these sorts of policies and i think in this new terrain it's very difficult so then how do you react to that because. kind of jump to my next point or actually my most my last point here is it does have a chilling effect on dissents and you know people are going to being far more careful in what they say and we still don't know to what extent it is all encompassing because one leak out there that i mean gamers now they're all they're watching gamers i mean my goodness what a a wonderful way to spend taxpayers' money what are they trying to get by studying gamers when my point is here is that everyone is aware of it is it sinking in to just how maybe dangerous this can be.