at least al qaeda is betrayed as a deadly minutes what is al qaeda today who supports it and who benefits from it. russia and the united states agree that the syrian conflict cannot be resolved through violent means and pledged to do everything possible to make the upcoming syrian peace talks a success right now you're looking at live pictures from a news conference. also shero for sale the oil fracking lobby get some enthusiasm support from british prime minister david cameron despite desperate protests from those whose regions will be affected. or move out automatic budget cuts force americans out of their homes by the million as low income families foot the bill for washington's overspending.

what you aren't international coming to you live from moscow i'm marina joshie welcome to the program now russia and the united states have laid out a road map for the upcoming syrian peace conference sergey lavrov john kerry and u.n. envoy lakhdar brahimi acknowledged the monumental challenge of making it work but insisted that only negotiations can and the conflict was now crossed live towards a group is can off was following the press conference that's going on right now in paris and we're thinking so much for joining us here to discuss this so what has been the highlight so far and what struck you the most. well one of the first things that so u.s. secretary of state john kerry said is that the only solution to the conflict in syria is a diplomatic one saying that russia and the u.s. right now are completely on the same page when it comes to understanding that u.s. secretary of state also said is that the atrocities committed there in syria are being conducted by both sides said it. probably the most stark way throughout this

entire time now also the other thing that both the russian chief diplomat and the american g. diplomat said is that. while so far the syrian authorities have confirmed that they are going to take part in the geneva two conference right now it's really not clear whether or not the opposition will be taken part and if so what sort of conditions there will be according to john kerry the only precondition on this matter has to be the fulfillment of all for the agreements reached had a. one conference also that frankly there is some progress when it comes to the relations of the authorities there in syria and off the rebels since both kerry and lavrov we're talking about possible exchange of prisoners which is currently being talked about but still of course it's really too early about to talk about any sort of improving of relations between the two sides of the conflict now also see

a lot of media quite clear that the saudi arabia and iran must be present at the conference as well since they are among the key players in that region but even though there is lots of understanding now between moscow and washington on this matter when it comes to other western countries we are still seeing some mixed signals being sent there which could do a fact is the position of the opposition in syria for more on this here's this report that's. with less than ten days left before the geneva two conference is scheduled to take place hopes for proper peace talks just like the stakes are high there is no other solution for the syrian tragedy than a political solution but just when it seemed reports of atrocities carried out by al-qaeda linked rebels had pushed the west away from the m.t.v. she rhetoric. we don't have the assad regime on one side and terrorists on the other it is the regime that is fueling terrorism mixed signals are

once again being sent statements which some experts queen end up contradicting the facts on the ground these are cynical statements the western military alliance has been recruiting right from the outset and it's confirmed by numerous. reliable sources nevertheless it seems any anti assad words are music to the ears of the syrian opposition whose main precondition has been and still is for him to step down. the most important aspect of today's meeting is that we all agree that al assad has no future in syria they're sad family has no future in syria. this is despite even the former head of the cia and the ex us ambassador to syria iraq and afghanistan admitting that as soon as it's gone jihad its will quickly take its place with the clock ticking and geneva two becoming closer it's still unknown whether or not the syrian opposition will be taking part it is clear though with

all these mixed messages now coming out of france perhaps the chances of its success are slipping even further away you go to spin off r.t. bears all respond more pissed off is following all the developments there and the right now we can cross a live to the press conference that's being held in a paris and hear what the leaders have to say as a huge ability to be able to have an impact if they want to have the right impact and the right in fact it has been decided by many nations is to implement the geneva one communique with respect to the potatoes i really want to clarify there's no hidden meaning there's no metaphor there's no symbolic anything we were having a good conversation in the course of. the christmas break over the subject of idaho which is where i was at the time and he recalled the potatoes as being

something that he knew of and so i thought i would surprise him and bring him some good idaho potatoes and that's the full symbol of the whole thing. should i. begin. stick to my position each of the practicalities make. joan talked about required in. your school can. you send an invitation that will say that you're invited to infer the ruins of the girls in the news or communicate well if you use the same criteria that's. a if you're probably going. to do so you share the goals needed that was. if that requirement was said to everyone on not sure

that all of the countries who have the course. will be able to say the same because some of the countries are concerned that there were no strikes on syria with the coup. and i think pragmatism requires engagement and joint isolation is going to ask for a potential you know the specific but they. join the me. because the shape. makes it possible to insert but they took the carrot and stick expression so it could be used differently. i think you. well we just heard from here with remarks from russian foreign minister sergei lavrov of the news conference and earlier we heard the position ob john kerry there were other leaders in the officials are meeting right now in paris to discuss their

stance on but i. want to bring you more analysis and highlights of this throughout the day so do stay with us. that meanwhile nearly seven hundred syrian rebels have been killed in the past nine days in clashes not with the regime but with other opposition fighters in what's become a savage turf war and with that chaos chances of success ave in switzerland are dimming by the day even if the syrian national coalition does attend the peace conference on january twenty second its influence on armed groups is tenuous at best and journalist john why believes this will have little impact on the conflict . it seems clear the same see very little credibility on the ground they can deliver nothing on the ground all the rebel factions or what associates you. see or most of them and we have the faith to other groups so

the u.s. administration is increasingly desperate to try and coupled together some kind of syrian opposition and they can do business with but the city and opposition itself the city national council no really only exists sate of city and it only exists. u.s. passionate so this is increasingly it seems like a field process that is about to hit the buffers. now the opposition government in exile is now warning that northern syria which is largely held by rebel groups is in a state of anarchy there almost seven hundred rebels have died in just over a week not of the hands of the regime but killed by each other a vicious turf war has erupted there between al qaida linked rebel factions and other islamist such movements have flourished in syria as a war as dragged on it's now estimated that the majority of rebel fighters belong to either islamists or terrorist groups well let's take the example obviously state

of iraq in syria a group so brutal that even al qaida leadership has disavowed it and the faction now controls a swathe of syria and iraq that's larger than portugal john why does the told us that for western governments time is running out. many of those who want to go actually satan with assad because if you look at the situation on the ground is growing increasingly desperate the sunni fundamentalists putting into the country causing me have your unintended turning the country into a killing field so assad for all those people is the west of all evil so at least with the assad government we have a government that's been created in the twenty first century the alternative as it is human is to keep its own weight in the seven said i don't think there's much to discuss when the stakes are high. there to international on britain's prime minister has given a massive lift to the converse of fracking industry and cameron has said local

authorities who allow shale gas extraction will be able to keep one hundred percent of the business rates a form of property tax that they collect from the sites are the sarah firth has more. local authorities that allow drilling to take place will receive one hundred percent of the business rates from the scheme that's double the fifty percent the kids currently receive government estimates say that could be worth one point seven million extra a year each site that a council agrees and there are other estimates as well that say that the industry could attract three point seven billion a year in investment and support an extra seventy four thousand jobs so it all sounds like great news the final. for the local authorities but campaigners and environmental groups of expressed their anger at the plan saying that it amounts to nothing more than a bribe we might have seen the government frack back pushing the benefits of this

procedure but the extraction of shell gas from the ground to schools why spread control this the in the country we've seen large scale protests in the recent months in fact on sunday we saw protesters from across the country marching to soul food to an area where exploratory drilling is taking place and campaigners really concerned about a wide variety of issues with this controversial process including contamination of ground water the potential for the triggering earthquakes we've already seen work on one exploratory site here in the u.k. halted after it was thought that that was linked to earth quakes that had taken place in a nearby area so really huge amounts of anger we've seen from the campaigners and protesters of course see announcement coinciding with this expected announcement from french energy giant. expected to say that they're going to be investing millions in a drilling licenses now that's causing anger because you look to france it's

actually got a ban on the process and campaigners were asking why when there's a ban in that country the energy company can then exploit the u.k.'s opening its tools to shell gas exploration in this way so despite the financial incentives that we've seen on the table i think a lot of people going to remain unconvinced. but also on its way here are to internationalize ereal ferraris put to rest israel's defense force rolls out hundreds of soldiers and an anti-missile defense system just to provide a safe burial for the former prime minister. pensioners and low income americans are being forced to find smaller. and cheaper homes or see their rattle costs soar the second year of automatic budget cuts known as sequestration could hit over two million households i didn't read it or not met one of the victims of washington's overspending my brother and his family inside

and brown's home this is home for me a lifetime of memories are displayed everywhere you look one of my friends went to west virginia this is eighty three year old has lived in her one bedroom new york city apartment for thirty seven years this is the first played out for mercy from h.p.d. but it's a few months ago city officials told her she has to downsize her options move into a studio apartment or see your seven hundred dollar rent triple the only thing i know is they heard the word sequester whatever that means they have this thing is the city agency that subsidizes rent for low income new yorkers is facing a thirty six million dollars reduction due to budget cuts known as sequestration as a result thousands of seniors like anne are being forced to shrink their lives into smaller and cheaper apartments and that physically able. to a will or i'm going to do it my friend if you're just sit on the sidewalk i can't

afford to stuart so what i'm going to do with my life this is and this is the portland civil rights attorney norman siegel who represents many sequestered seniors calls the downsizing campaign inhumane i can't dismiss the possibility that the effect of this will impact disproportionately on seniors and poor people because in the bigger picture the people who are in power and make these decisions . know that seniors might not fight back and it's a problem. potentially affecting more than two million low income american households in the coming year that's according to one washington budget think tank but it's when social cuts drag in the nation's unprotected pension nears that experts say the effects will prove explosive what happens to a family watching the government of the country stick it to grandma when she's eighty years old you're making enemies you wonder why people join the tea party you

wonder why people join occupy wall street well many times the reasons are grandma in the current era of budget cuts the country's elderly most in need of government assistance and stability are being displaced vulnerable citizens forced to spend their golden years suffering the consequences of washington's debt and overspending is like putting somebody in prison that didn't commit a crime that's the way i see it what did we do because this deficit and why are you going to balance it on the fact that the seniors marina port naya new york. germany is bringing islam into the fold in its official status and some provinces have been bruised to make it easier for muslims to access services but critics say it's just an attempt to score political points down. going no punches the u.k. looks to quad back some control over its judiciary as a european court lays down the law denying british judges the right to stand ins

criminals to life without parole that's up ahead here are two international. this immediately though shall we leave that may be. by the sea motions she threw in the play your party there's an. issues that no one is asking with the guests that you deserve answers from. politics. not long ago the western media and politicians told us al qaeda was defeated or at the very least on its last legs the same media and politicians today tell us a very different story indeed across many countries of the middle east al qaeda is betrayed as a dead three minutes we asked what is al qaeda today who supports it and who benefits from it. right to see.

her street. and i think picture. on our reporters. in. the in the. welcome back this international britain is struggling to claim back control over a part of its legal system from the e.u. the u.k. government insists it has the right to sentence the worst criminals to life in prison with no chance of parole but as laura smith reports from london a top european court says that practice runs russia over human rights setting up a legal showdown. if we're talking prison sentences it's already very breath

a naïf to me in life but if the european court of human rights has its way it will become impossible for the courts in this country to hand down the most severe punishment that exceptional criminal but never become eligible for parole condemned to die in jail the a c.-h. all got involved off to convicted killers notes to complaints with the courts saying it was the moralizing no it's to have a child support lead last year the courts the greens ruled that having no rights to review contravene figure a kid. invention on human rights the justice secretary is set to fight the decision in a lengthy legal battle but many say he should go a step further and leave the court altogether the legitimacy is pretty much nonexistent. or not a proper court made up of. often of politicians rather than lawyers many of.

members a tiny countries or countries with. very poor human rights record i mean we're getting a lot of interference in our legal system. from them and i think it's completely completely unreasonable i think we should make our own decisions are in arrangements about the but sentencing there are fewer than fifty prisoners serving whole life terms in england and wales for the severest rights one of them's brigitta he was sent down last year for murdering well schoolgirl april jones he's launched an appeal another killing in maclaughlin has already avoided a whole life because of the c.h.l. he murdered a man while on day release from a murder that said meanwhile the u.k. government is entering into a little expensive flights with the pig course achievement rights to the courts interfering with british justice. the company in the us to stop lending

our guns it found its customers were turning the firearms on themselves increasing in increasing numbers find out what the owner has to say are. also there today the russian government goes online to ask citizens for their ideas and criticism as opposed to gather and new strategy for cyber security details on our website r.t. dot com. and these really army says two rockets have been fired from gaza but did not cause any damage that's ahead of the funeral of the former prime minister ariel sharon the army's taking stream precautions to guard this ceremony moving in hundreds of troops are just posting your reports. before me israeli prime minister ariel sharon is being very good later today at his ranch in the south of israel perhaps more than any other is really figure he is loved and reviled in equal measure the iron dome anti-missile system has been activated over the south of the

country because his house is in the vicinity of rock could range from gaza and of course israeli security establishment are concerned that her mass and other militants might try to fire rockets to disrupt the attention of the funeral and the arrival of world leaders to pay their last respects when it was announced of the weekend that sharon had died there were celebrations in gaza where sweets were handed out and posters of him were burnt sharon always justified his actions saying that they were for security but he leaves behind a very insecure and vulnerable jewish state at the same time he's regarded as the father of the settler movement but his project to forcibly remove eight thousand jewish settlers from gaza ended with him feeling betrayed and extremely angry today there are more than half a million citizens who live in the west bank and they vow that that will not be repeated they say their today in some area which is how they refer to the settlements in the west bank will continue there are still many who are.

angry because of. the girls troop and because of the threats the imminent. like these would be. in the area and this is something will still remain are as part of his. at the end of last week tel aviv published plans to build one thousand four hundred housing units in jewish settlements in east jerusalem and the west bank the palestinian chief negotiator said that this is a slap in the face of the u.s. secretary of state john kerry's attempts to. go shades a successful middle east peace plan poorness korea r t tel aviv. else take a look at some other stories from around the world then at least eleven police officers have been injured and up to forty people arrested in protest spreading

across northern spain riders attacked police cars smashing windows and bill barricades demanding the release of those detained in previous demonstrations what started on friday as a peaceful rally against a road redesigning plan escalated into violent clashes when rive forces were brought in. and crowds of protesters are descending on central bank cog in an attempt to shut down the thai capital hughes the prime minister of being a proxy for her brother a former leader who now lives in exile and are demanding her resignation officials have sent eighteen thousand police and soldiers into the city to prevent and government demonstrators from blocking off major highways. and hundreds of people are campaigning in berlin to save a historic airfield which the local authorities plan to turn into a housing estate with thousands of apartments the world war two era facility is currently used as a recreational zone demonstrators brought candles glow sticks and even toilet

brushes an item that's become a humorous symbol of anti-government rallies across germany. and staying with germany muslims across the country are looking forward to easier times ahead as islamic communities are given additional rights in several regions this puts their religion on an equal food ng with judaism and christianity want to comes to dealing with the state but it's been all over reports from bremen the move has come in for some strong criticism. the change of status allows worshippers to have their religious holidays officially recognized burial rites carried out and classes taught in schools. but what does it mean to the islamic community in this part of germany to have their religion officially recognized by the state. perhaps in the future it will help the building of a mosque or a school it will also help to bring communities together over the last ten years both sides have made efforts to build bridges and aid integration and

a good mind critics of the move claim this is being done to score political points here by hundreds of you can interpret this as a slam a fixation of germany but i see it as more politically motivated politicians telling muslims islam can belong but the majority of germans don't want this. only nineteen percent of germans believe that islam is compatible with german culture that's the lowest in europe thirty percent had specific concerns such as terrorism and almost half thought there are too many muslims in germany only around five percent of people in the country are muslims giving leave to the idea that the real issue for germans may be immigration not islam and i think it is more a question of getting people in big numbers into germany than having a problem with these. they mix it up and they don't recognize it's a different story islamic leaders recognize that they have work to do to improve

the image of their religion. we have a duty to change perceptions and prejudices unfortunately the media plays a big role they only show negative stories about this makes it harder for us. whatever the public perception of islam in germany more and more federal states are set to follow suit and grant germany's almost four million muslims the same rights as the christian and jewish communities peter all of a germany. coming out parties crosstalk looks at the alarming global expansion of the terrorist network.

because you don't states is the big dog the only hyper power and the cultural driving force of globalization it takes a lot of flak i mean globalization means the whole world gets hollywood and hot dogs and not the other way around so let's take a break from the negativity and talk about something truly amazing about america and as a guy who lives in moscow i could say that the constitution of the united states is something truly amazing in russia there is constant talk about needing a new national idea new ideology or political theory or big changes to the russian constitution and so on and it's hard for people in america understand this but

twice in the twentieth century the system that russians gave their lives for collapsed and the current constitution was written quickly after a period of violence and said collapse not after glorious victory now you see why people here aren't exactly memorizing amendments and founding fathers quotes here in america there are debates between liberals and conservatives but almost everyone believes the constitution and it is america's greatest strength there is a national idea that is a sacred document with a list of rules as almost universally agreed upon. everyone with half a brain on the street but sadly not in congress knows when something is against the constitution or should i see against america near universal belief in the constitution is actually something truly exceptional about america but that's just my opinion.