this golden rice monarchy. ten days before the peace talks on syria but the opposition is still silent on taking part in the spied russia and the u.s. and the u.n. warning the summit cannot be delayed anger longer also iran may take part in the upcoming geneva two conference on syria amid a slight shift of washington stance to. russia and the un's invite makes tehran's presence a real prospect with the u.s. saying it will welcome the stab but under certain conditions. britain's prime minister is accused of bribing local authorities and homeowners to accept controversial fracking in their areas with a cash incentive to sweeten the deal. and as muslim riots take a leap forward in germany we hear people's concerns about spreading islamization at a cost to other faiths.

coming to live from the russian capital on marina joshie welcome to the program now the peace conference on syria can be delayed any longer and must happen at the end of the month that's the joint message from russia the us and the un after talks in paris but the main challenge is convincing the syrian opposition to take part as a group still hasn't given a definitive answer your piskun off has been following the discussions and friends but one of the first things that we've heard from u.s. secretary of state is that russia the u.s. and the un are completely on the same page that the only solution of the conflict in syria is a diplomatic one mr kerry also said that both the soon enough and to the opposition are equally responsible for the atrocities commit. i know we've also seen

a slight shift on iran since a lot of barbara he meet you on special envoy on syria and syria level off they both of you are saying that they want to see iran taken part in the geneva two conference this is a keep where in the region this was something that the u.s. has previously against but now according to u.s. secretary of state washington wouldn't mind seeing terror and there at the geneva two if it supports the agreements reached earlier. now mr labral also said that the authorities in syria have now confirmed that they are going to take part in the conference although one of the sticking points right now is that it's really unknown whether or not the opposition is planning to do the same although we are possibly witnessing now a positive tendencies somewhat of a positive tendency when it comes to the relationship between the opportunities there and the rebels since we've heard today about possible exchanges of prisoners and allowing humanitarian aid to get in but according to sergey lavrov right now

regarding humanitarian aid but the rebels are the key obstacles that's why moscow doesn't want to see the terror threats of all the key issues to be discussed to be on the table there at geneva two now today we've heard nothing about calls for president assad having to step down which is different from sunday since yesterday the french prime minister when he met with the syrian opposition he did make these calls for the syrian president to step down which shows that right now even though the key players now working on organizing this conference they are completely on the same page when it comes to lots of key issues some countries in the west are sending mixed signals which could theoretically undermine the success of the conference and spite a glimmer of progress in paris in fighting between the once united syrian rebels has worsened al qaida lang groves have executed dozens of rival islamists in the last couple days bringing the total number of victims between the rebels to over

seven hundred thousand seven hundred this month alone well it's now estimated that the majority of rebel fighters belong to either islamist or terrorist groups one of the most notorious of those cold as lawmakers state of iraq and the law and began a complaint called expunging filth which targets the u.s. backed rebels from the free syrian army among the methods used by the jihadist or executions bomb. ings imposing sharia law and capturing those not sharing their beliefs it's a group so brutal that even though cairo's leadership has distanced itself from it yet it now largely controlled areas of syria and iraq which total an area larger than portugal shown here in the black. well al qaida gaining ground in syria and iraq is also the focus of today's crossed our next hour here in our senior national but here's what. some long ago 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 tells a very different story i'll quote it is very much alive and fighting indeed across many countries of the middle east it is portrayed as a deadly minutes in this edition of crossfire we ask what is al qaeda today who supports it and who benefits from it. it is prime minister is being accused of bribery by the activists after he announced a lucrative incentive to areas which allow fracking for gas despite widespread concerns about its safety david cameron is letting local councils keep all the money raised from the business tax levied on energy firms who drill in their patch and he also backed cash payouts to affected homeowners as well sir first as the details 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 they kids currently would see no government estimates say that 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 seventeen thousand jobs so it all sounds like great needs the financial incentives that have been laid on the table for the lake worth ortiz but campaigners and environmental groups of expressed their anger at the plan saying that amounts to nothing more than a boy we might have seen the government crack pot pushing the benefits of this procedure but. the extraction of shell gas from the ground to schools why spread control to see here 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 in campaigners really concerned about a wide variety of issues with this controversial process including contamination of groundwater the potential for the triggering earthquakes we've already seen work on one exploratory site here. after it was thought that that was linked to a quake that had taken place in a nearby area this is a really huge amounts of anger we've seen for on the campaign isn't protesters of course the announcement coinciding with the expected announcement from french energy giant who are expected to say that they're going to be investing millions in u.k. drilling licenses now that's causing anger because you look to france it's actually got a ban on the process and campaigners are asking why when there's a ban in that country the energy company can then exploits the u.k.

opening its doors 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 or reaction now from british anti fracking campaigner adana even to thank you so much for joining us here or on r.t. so let's talk about pros and cons of this as we know are one of the things that's dominated britain's headlines of the moment is how expensive fuel has become so on the one hand shouldn't be the u.k. the public in the u.k. be more accepting of cameron's initiatives and avarice to keep the cheap in the fuel for the public there. well i think i think the the first myth that we have to bust is that is it's going to bring cheaper energy. it's not going to bring cheaper energy the way the markets work is that the energy the gas if it goes into production in this country will be sold to the highest bidder on the market as simple as that so there's a very high likelihood that even if we did go into fracking production in this

country we wouldn't see any of the benefits. let's talk now about the business side of things here i mean as we know the local authorities are to be allowed to keep the business levies and they've been cutting back services because of being strapped for cash so how can they refuse this position. well this this this recent development. that david cameron's announced today quite frankly adds insult to injury. they have central government have already attempted to to block. and encourage encourage any sort of investment in participation in this industry by offering local councils one hundred thousand pounds if they took fracking into their constituencies now even with that incentive there there was still widespread widespread opposition to the industry so now they've tried to throw some more money i and our message to today be cameron and to

central government would be when are they going to realize that democracy is not for sale and you simply can't throw money at this problem because there's no social license for this industry well oh we've seen protests in the u.k. especially the locals i mean who are facing the possibility of seeing the fracking sites on the doorstep and you were one of them who was protesting there but what about other people i mean do they really care as much. i think the the the whole concept of fracking is very very new the technologies new even though even though they keep on telling us it's an old technology it's a very new process we haven't attempted hydraulic fracturing at such volumes and such pressure today so it's very new and not a lot of people know about it so the really getting the message out there and informing people about. how much this stands against our

land against our water how much risk we're taking with this industry and i think slowly but surely people are waking up to the fact we had a massive solidarity day. at the camp outside of eyeglasses proposed on bottom us and yesterday we had a thousand people just over a thousand people and that was young people old people family. everyone such a massive cross-section of society turned out to oppose the industry. as the message gets out there i think more and more people will begin to take action and there are people up and down the country that ready to protect their communities well you know they say one man's meat is another man's poison and some see the fracking as a volution reception getting cheaper an energy to want to stand do you agree or disagree with this. what i said before i mean i completely disagree with the myth that the fracking will will be able to provide us a here in the u.k.

with we've we've cheaper energy it's simply not the case most of what the industry say and they can retrieve is simply not retrievable the figures they're presented into the to their investors are simply to prove this industry has a history of manipulating data and twisting the facts to suit to suit them and to suit their investment so for us as the people of the communities we say we don't want this industry we're not interested in the incentives you have to offer and you cannot bribe communities into accepting this dangerous industry on their doorstep. danny evans and the fracking campaigner thank you so much for sharing your views with us here on r.t. international now some brits may be i up a bumper fracking payday but across the atlantic there's a squeeze on those in need. putting somebody in prison didn't commit a crime what did we do because this deficit. automatic budget cuts forced some of

the most vulnerable americans out of their homes find out how later this hour here on our national and hundreds of soldiers and anti-missile defense system are deployed to secure a safe burial for the man who was once israel's most powerful figure valerie moore has just had three here on our team or national. millions around the globe struggle with hunger each good. what if someone offers a lifetime food supply no charge. they can the very strong push against g.m.o. and we think that's. the genetic anymore the right products are pretty cool. there is no. evidence to this any problem with genetic engineering

when you make a deal. or is free cheese always in the most crap i don't. destroy for and that free. enterprise is profit. for these golden rice. imagine watching r t international trying to be accommodating to religious sensitivities is proving to be divisive in germany regional governments are

increasingly incorporating muslims feelings into local legislation a couple of districts even went with christmas lights the season for fear of causing a fans to non christians a recent survey suggests more than half of germans know their country has been all over and now reports. daily prayer in bremen. this region was one of the first in germany to make islam an official's religion nearby lower saxony is the next in line with at least three other states expected to follow in the near future 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 they combined critics of the move claim this is being done to score political points here by hundreds of you can interpret this as a slam of the cation of germany but i see it as more politically motivated politicians telling muslims along 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 the. 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 ground germany's almost four million muslims the same rights as the christian and jewish communities are all of a. now among the stories that we have energy dot com right now their rent and guns behind a spade. and american firearms firm is now banning hiring out of weapons after customers were turning the guns on themselves while cyber security in russia the government goes online to ask people what they think about the country strategy to stay safe.

on the new. face. pleasure to have you with us here on t.v. today i'm roller solution. israel has been a final farewell to former prime minister ariel sharon but the atmosphere around the ceremony wasn't exactly peaceful two rockets were reportedly fired from gaza shortly after the funeral but did not cause any damage the israeli army and police have been on high alert with anti-missile batteries dispatched around the burial site our middle east correspondent policy or reports. dome anti-missile defense

system was deployed over the south of the country with extra drones also being deployed over southern israel for the funeral process now this is because the raunch where sharon was buried is in rock of range from gaza and in recent weeks there has been rockets fired from gaza into israel of course israeli security did not want to take any chances of there being any kind of disruptions during the funeral itself in addition to this there were kilometers of roads around the burial place that was sealed off now the irony is that sharon always justified any kind of military or political action he took by saying that it was in the interests of israel's security and here we seeing him buried in such an atmosphere of insecurity sharon is a very controversial figure for most israelis he is regarded as a military war hero who fortune almost all of israel's wars he's seen as a powerful politician and fearless leader he has the nickname of the bulldozer and

this is because when he set out to do something he allowed nothing to get in his way but among many in the arab world particularly palestinians he is despised and resume to you see him as the monster mind of crushing military action and military offenses against palestinians and for killing thousands of them since the war back in one nine hundred forty eight is this regarded as the butcher of beirut for the world he played in one thousand nine hundred two when palestinians were massacred in the camps of supper and shifted the eleven on by christian militia groups and there's a lot of anger still in the palestinian street. that he was never a boy to book for the role he played in those messy because the muscles also issued a statement saying that death is a historic moment that marked the disappearance of a criminal whose hands are covered with palestinian blood says that the a very clean traversal figure it was buried in israel today and listen to go to some other stories from around the world bangkok is lonely grinding to hold as

thousands of protesters block major intersections during a citywide shutdown it's aimed at bringing down the government of prime minister shinawatra the sister of the former premier who was ousted over corruption claims in two thousand and six some twenty thousand police and soldiers have been deployed for security officials say a state of emergency may be the player if there is fresh on the arrest. having rains have caused floods and landslides in the southeastern philippines forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes at least thirteen people have been killed and more casualties are feared with swathes of the country still living in rough conditions after it was battered by super typhoon last november. and there's little letup in the violence in the central african republic capital despite the interim president declaring the fighting over and claiming that the deserving troops are returning to their barracks the provisional government has

also issued a stern warning to rival muslim and christian militias to and clashes weeks of turmoil in a country has killed more than a thousand people. now low income families in new york are feeling the pinch of the so-called sequester the automatic multi-billion dollar spending cuts which kicked down last year after congress failed to agree a budget people are being told to find smaller and cheaper apartment or see their rent skyrocket i just remembered that one of them. 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 in with me doing this in 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 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 you 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 ann 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 sit on the sidewalk i can afford to stuart so what i'm going to do with my life is in this disappointment 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 playing out nationwide potentially affecting more than two million local 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 while many of 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 porton r.t. new york and action are to international how a stable food for millions to the heart of a global conover's modified braudis. but if you are watching us in the u.k. she returned he was going into ground. because he doubted states is the big dog the only hyper power and the cultural driving force of globalization it takes a lot of flak i mean hey 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.

it's a. very hard to take. that back with the big board now. a little. leg length. of a. this

genetically modified plant is at the center of a controversy a controversy about how we deal with one of the most powerful technologies mankind has ever created. a technology that is polarizing society. the protagonists include a now retired professor at e.t.h. who believes his golden rice will save children throughout the entire world. a swiss agricultural chemical corporation and first wanted to commercialize the miracle rice then changed its mind. and a country where tests are being carried out that would be prohibited in other places. researchers who manipulate crops are demanding more freedom the freedom to conduct

their research free of political constraints they feel the moratorium that has been imposed on genetic technology for years unfairly hinders them in their efforts but public distrust of genetic manipulation has been immense for many years. artificially modifying the genetic structure of plants and animals scares people also because researchers are hesitant to reveal their secrets and explain exactly what it is they are doing. to it. in this tense and polarized atmosphere professor engel put trike of eighty eight zero and engineering science technology mathematics in management university has created in a greenhouse a strain of genetically engineered rice they.