i made it sound all disputes and divisions a serious national coalition for not a agrees to attend geneva peace talks some key rebel find a groups reject the conference. the arabs are proposing today should give the american people greater confidence that their rights are being productive the last president assures americans that the eight and a say's use of wholesale private data will be arraigned to end but critics say the long awaited announcement is seriously lacking in substance. also torture the sayings and even sexual sold which are seen in miniature figures or accused to widespread abuse during the iraq war which we're going to thousand three and could stand trial in a. moscow officials gain access to guns tunnel day in

a bid to win the release of the only russian inmate held in the facility they also drawing the chorus of voices calling for an end to the prison. the latest news and the week's top stories we're watching the weekly on our c international with me your national profile of us thanks for joining us. following months of uncertainty syria's main opposition body nag zeile has finally decided to meet face to face with the assad government at wednesday's geneva two conference this is the first time the science will be in the same room struggling to strike a roadmap for peace some key groups and members of the syrian national coalition have previously rejected talks and try to impose preconditions for the blocs but is the patient in the meeting hearing the internal disarray in the body right before

the decision the country's foreign minister offered a prisoner swap with the rebels. can offer ports now on the latest from serious diplomatic front with time running out before the start of geneva two conference on syria it was a busy week for global diplomacy it's our hope that in the face to face meeting of the regime and the opposition will be the beginning of the beginning of the end to this unspeakable conflict never before have russia and the worst been so united over syria holding damascus and the rebels both responsible for atrocities standing together for a political solution and going further still we wouldn't be going to try to send the signals to all the syrian sides on the need to establish localized ceasefires to consider the lists of prisoners of war including civilians and also used to allow humanitarian aid. it's washington even turned around its stance on iran saying it could also take part in the conference so long as it supported previous

international agreements on syria they keep ours laying the foundation for he would say you are on the same page when it comes to the most important issues the same can be said about some western nations who may be risking and also perhaps right now just one wrong move is enough to bring down this diplomatic house of cards such as the mixed signals sent from france to the rebels who themselves took the whole week to decide whether they'll take part. we don't have the assad regime on one side and terrorists on the other it is the regime that is fueling terrorism. such statements may be music to their ears but these are cynical statements the western military alliance has been recruiting right from the outset and it's confirmed by numerous. reliable sources from pairs the diplomatic bitch move to moscow which was visited by syria and iran's chief diplomats that moscow has confirmed it will be

agreed with and after much debate so has the opposition but still in question is iran's participation by widespread acceptance that it's a key player in the region and vital to peaceful solution for syria he was going to r.t. . and charles sure is a former british counter-terrorism intelligence officer and he brings the mistakes of the forces of the rebels rather force the west to work with us so that the rebels are unable to deliver on their promises in any case perhaps of more immediate concern to the west and this is a particular case in the european capitals it's clear that elements of the syrian opposition comprising fighters jihadist fighters of gone from countries such as britain germany spain etc to syria to fight with al-qaeda linked forces there actually pose a threat to european countries themselves so this recognition has meant that security services have of course been forced if you like to address this in the

best way to their own national interest and of course inevitably that means particularly since it's likely more i think recognize now that assad will be around for some time to actually make those links even if discreetly with back with the regime's intelligence services another potential play in the region has participation isn't there is a run with russia and the u.n. urging terrans presence but washington sending mixed signals and. b. who is a middle east analyst told us that all regional power houses should be invited. we are seeing contradictory signals and obviously the u.s. is undecided on this issue that is very unfortunate because it sends the wrong signal to iran that will even have adverse consequence said with respect to confidence building on the nuclear issue iran has a state it is preparedness to participate and may construct the accounts contributions for

a political settlement in syria and it will be cold when you see tension by supporting the syrian chemical weapon disarmament so i think that the united states should stop this self-contradiction send an invitation through the u.n. to iran so that all the parties that have a stake in this conflict could participate and bring an end to this tragic catastrophic conflict. i. have to retreat. i was just told over one hundred. i am missing and common sense come together with one. war is not the answer. does peace about chance. talk p.k. military officials could face trial in the international criminal court after victims of the iraq war submitted

a dossier accusing forces of numerous assaults and torture the british government rejects all that occasions his point of boycott reports now problems. up until now the international criminal court at the hague had mostly tried to african dictators and tyrants but the i.c.c. has been asked to investigate thousands of allegations of war crimes committed by british forces in iraq a two hundred and fifty page dossier presented by a human rights organization and a british law firm contains allegations of beatings of electrocution smoke executions and sexual assaults committed by u.k. forces and according to the all says of this report the finger of blame extends to the very heart of the british government at the time so the head of the british army the former defense secretary and the former defense minister could face prosecution for what this dossier calls systemic war crimes there are many hundreds

of cases where the people have been interviewed in the provided reports about this abuse and it varies from what people might think are. relatively mundane examples of abuse to really quite appalling physical they're put says that british military commanders knew that their forces were committing war crimes and moreover that their civilian superiors cautiously ignored such information at their disposal but the u.k. foreign secretary william hague has already firmly rejected the suggestion that those at the top here in westminster knew what was taking place on the ground in iraq we reject allegations of systematic abuse but whether all substantiated allegations of things going wrong these things have been or are being investigated that does not require references to the international criminal court the position

of the british government has constantly been or were doing enough the point of this is simply that they still haven't done enough there are right now. at the international criminal court two heads of state one of them the sitting head of state of kenya and the other the former head of state of called the war they're both on trial at the international criminal court not for getting their hands bloody they didn't do anything themselves but people under their authority or people who should have control were committing the crimes so it's good enough for the african countries it should be good enough for the u.k. to the international criminal court has come under increasing pressure to act against war crimes committed by western countries it's now up to the prosecutor at the i.c.c. to go through the claims of abuse and to decide whether to call high ranking british officials into the dock at the hague ali boy k r c london. the contant told the dossier is how do the secrecy although some extracts have been

released and those witness accounts made public are alarming among the abuses reported electrocutions of various kinds of sexual humiliation and even rape the family members of inmates were also allegedly threatened by british troops and in the least one case harmed one of the victims said after being beaten his eight year old son was also injured by an officer reports from another witness a chance that while he was interrogated soldiers threatens to rape his sister and arrest his elderly parents we spoke to a legal adviser to the european center for constitutional and human rights which also had the dossier. evidence shows that it's not only about individual and single cases and incidents it's really a systematic pattern of reparative acts which appeared and finding in our report or communication to the i.c.c. it's mars and single isolated incidents it's now is a time because the u.k.

had ten years to investigate to prosecute the direct perpetrators but also the higher ups. in the u.k. ten years and there are still hardly any prosecutions in the country so now it's simply the time that international courts have to step in ahead of the still try limbic some russia's president vladimir putin has said down for an in-depth interview about the games with american british chinese and russian traveler late ninety's and refinement told my colleague when we say shy more a barbecue points raised starting with the issue of security. mr putin said it was important to remain defiant and he actually told reporters if we allow ourselves to show weakness and fear it means we will help the terrorists the also went on to say that it was important that the international community work together to try to defeat terrorists and now there are something like forty thousand police and troops deployed in and around sochi at the moment in the run up to the sky. but mr putin

did stress that they are necessary but they would do all they could not to be too intrusive or conspicuous obvious taking a walk along the promenade yesterday and you can quite clearly see a warship on the horizon and there are a small number of police patrols the streets and there are also frequent police checks but i wouldn't say it was overbearing and i do feel that some people might actually say it's very reassuring although i would expect the numbers to increase as we near the start of the games in three weeks time. rushes are laura against gay propaganda to minors are certainly raised calls around the world for a boycott of the olympics or certainly there are various news outlets media organizations that are really hammering this issue you doubt it was an issue that was touched down again a lot of may prove who was interviewed by these various networks what did he have to say on that his response again was to stress the fact that homosexuality was not a criminal offense in russia he said that call for

a boycott of the sochi games over this topic was actually a throwback to an old style of thinking that was harmful he went on to say that in the west some people do still try to restrain emerging countries that is seen as global competitors in the east and he said that china actually went through a similar sort of experience in the run up to the people who are calling for a boycott of that one so you want to underline the point he said that look around the world there are seventy countries actually ban homosexuality we don't talk about this and we asked and he asked the question why are we only. concentrating on russia a lot of improving no also talking about russia's chances to win any medals or any predictions on his part i know he did stop short of making any predictions actually roy but he did say that he hoped that all the athletes would be competitive and give their rule my own personal point of view is that i do think they will get more than the three gold medals they got in vancouver that was

a poor performance but they finished eleventh in the medals table but despite having home advantage they will have to try and beat the likes of norway canada and germany he was the main leaders in winter sports at the moment. a new blood for us nations as washington tries to new a president karzai into signing a crucial security deal eight civilians most of them children are killed in a nation a rage all the details are ahead for you. millions around the globe struggle with hunger. what if someone offers a lifetime food supply no charge. they can they're very strong against g.m.o. and we think that's. the genetic anymore the right products are pretty.

there is no. evidence that there is any problem with genetic engineering would you make a deal. or is free cheese always in a mouse trap i don't. destroy for and that free. enterprise is profit. for social justice golden rice are cheap. this is that we can all see international welcome by the drip drip of secret

information fed into the media by whistleblower edward snowden seems to have forced the hand of u.s. president barack obama this week he said he wants to rein in the exodus has all the far reaching and they say obama announced they would be no more spying on foreign leaders friendly to the u.s. and limits will be placed on how tros of collecting data are used authorities will also need a court order if they will to run a check on a phone number using the n.s.a.'s extensive data critics however say the measures to be introduced will change that. i wouldn't call it a reform i would call it the ongoing normalization of the outrageous policy of violating the fourth amendment on an enormous scale we're learning more as every week goes by about what they're collecting in terms of text messages and e-mails and and admitted data and it's it's voluminous and the president is is not

can admitting that anything has been done wrong is not proposing to stop doing it is not suggesting we restore the fourth amendment to the constitution he's suggesting that this will continue and it will be reformed perhaps in part someday but he claims it's been a great step forward i don't see it. the global spread of america's all seeing eyes have cost taxpayers a pretty penny as well the actual figures are as you'd expect top secret but here's some leaks information that lifts the lid on spy spending there so the so-called blind bunch it reportedly amounts to fifty two point six billion dollars for twenty thirteen out of that over ten billion went to the n.s.a. its funding has grown by hoffman a decade yet its surveillance methods are only used in terrorise the texan seven point five percent of the time so the n.s.a. is by no means the first spy agency to have seriously overreached its mandate and

as peter all of the found out with advances in technology it must buy and can easily get out of hand. on finding out that the united states attempt to private mobile phone call concern to president obama this claim. former offices in the east german secret police which was known as the stars of a warning for the n.s.a. if they think must surveillance is the solution to a nation's problems who quote if it's good even the best qualified and most advanced secret service cannot save the state we showed you that away from the professed shock of the politicians at the n.s.a. spying ability how does it compare with the actions of the east german secret services cheering the cold war disk and now it's really this is exactly as illegal as some of the tactics that the stasi used to employ it is

a breach of human rights but the government machine is so powerful that you can't stop it edward snowden's leaks about the shape and scope of n.s.a. surveillance show in germany as one of the top targets for u.s. snooping again high up on top of the ominously named devil's mountain life the remnants of the last major n.s.a. spying program to look into the private lives of the people of berlin with a bond and now back in the day this post with ears to listen in on the private phone calls of thousands of citizens in both the east on the west of the city. then it was thousands of calls now it's millions sometimes tens of millions of data connections that are tracked and logged with them in the movie the way they do it now is much more intensive your web browsing history credit cards they can build a profile on you way easier than was ever possible in my day. didn't have access to

this type of technology they rely on developing personal contacts in the sense version even those who are working in counterintelligence in the west were ours even they said it we were pretty good even then the fear of being listened into is taken seriously as one former officer charged with looking into nato told us human those fires my superior officer is there any technology we have that i can use to stop eavesdropping on my calls yeah answer yes just don't pick it up these veterans of the spy game might be impressed by the capabilities of the n.s.a. but they're cautious about the quality of the information collected for dozens yet they relied too much on technology that technology might let you locate a person or listen to their cause it doesn't let you know what they think with the usa doing all it can to justify its intelligence gathering the operation dubbed two point zero by critics looks set to continue for some time yet peter all over r.t.

germany it's taken moscow officials more than a decade to get permission to visit the only russian citizen kept behind bars or gun time obey the delegation was told his case will be reviewed in the near future russia says the notorious prison while the basic rights of detainees and should be closed down our correspondent rima abu hamed here has more now from washington. visit aims at securing the release of the only russian nationals held at the detention center for over twelve years without charge reveal. the human rights commissioner reiterated russia's position on the detention center in guantanamo bay in his meetings with officials from the defense department and from the department of state he said russia's position is that this detention center be closed down as soon as possible this detention the mere existence he said of this

detention center is in violation of human rights and international law the most important probably. element of a visit was to meet with with those who visit and to convey the message to the american representatives to the miracles. that we insist he's words and legitimate interests. would be taken care of back in two thousand and eight barack obama the u.s. president promised to shut down the detention center multiple times he said that he wasn't able to fulfill his promise because of the congress which. a number of occasions has vast laws to make it harder and harder for the u.s. administration to either transfer. detainees to other countries or to bring them back to the u.s. and try them on u.s. soil which has left the u.s. administration really in political limbo because this detention center has has seen

the image and reputation of the u.s. . despite official reports the hunger strike of gun tunnel day stopped in december human rights advocates claim the number of inmates still protesting stands at thirty three but the military authorities are refusing to release any new day so they say the release of information quote detracts from the more important issues like the welfare of detainees and the safety of troops there and clive stafford smith is a lawyer for several gun tunnel the detainees he shared with us his impression all before feeding techniques that if a prisoner are from camp six which is the least camp goes on hunger strike they automatically get transferred not just count five but can't record which really has been the most abusive place in over one ton of prisoners that held a little steel cell and you know the most basic human rights just as a punishment for going on strike but for stealing techniques very much actually

unfortunately against the very abusive force feeding techniques so for example and the some of the very used to leave but use up the prisoners noses that it's much they're still pulling those tubes out every single time tries to force them back up each time there's still that force to far too much too quickly into the prison american prisons if you're sick rage is carried on doing really is horrendous what's not. again a son has accused the u.s. forces of killing eight civilians seven of them children during an anti taliban night raid on a house it's one of the many incidents to have tested relations between the nations as washington increasingly loses the argument as to why kabul should sign a security deal there grammont as crucial for america as it would see a portion of its troops stay in the country after the main was drawing later this year some analysts think this violence against citizens puts any accord in chappie . this if it is an example of why the afghan government is so adamant about this in

advance like this make it less likely that the u.s. and the afghan government will be able to reach an agreement the u.s. would be happy to keep trying to keep troops there on their terms that their government would be happy to keep. u.s. troops here and kind of you know magical unicorn fantasy terms that they never joined civilians they never do anything the afghan government doesn't like those two things are in contradiction the us forces that magically do what the afghan government wants and doesn't do but then again government people don't want those u.s. forces those magical us forces don't exist lawmakers in the richest spanish region of catalonia house voted to ask one trade to allow a secession referendum cheered on by dozens of demonstrators waving independence once the local parliament approved the move with an overwhelming majority however

spanish prime minister mariano rajoy has vowed to block the referendum on constitutional grounds recent polls show about harmful they cut alone want to break away but at least eighty percent want to have the right to the right to wallet on the latter they're waging has its own language and it represents a fifth of the whole country's economy and the arc from the european partnership for independence says catalans cannot be prevented from having their say. more than eighty percent of catalans wish to express themselves even if they want or not want the death of months of catalonia so we are talking about democracy or usually does no work democratic institutions that can hold to a majority of citizens of european citizens to not express themselves in the ballot box we actually think that the government of catalonia has been a real benefit for catalonia for its fate and for europe because for us it's not a question of mine it is about that we are

a nation we know we are nation we know our rights and we are brought to prove that we know that and the we want to restore the state that we used to be with our constitution and our institutions so we can decide our about our own policies. coming up next how the grain that feeds. in the scent of a genetic modifications condo stand.

the majority of congress are now millionaires for the first time in history according to the center for responsive politics which sounds pretty insulting when the average americans not doing so well financially this seems bad like a bunch of rich guys rule the country which they kind of do but one could argue that congress isn't rich enough first off due to inflation a billion dollars is not as much as it used to be especially the cost of one campaign to get in the congress costs around one million six hundred thousand dollars so yeah a million dollars of net worth may sound pretty rich to you or me but the expensive game of us politics these guys can't even afford the costs related to getting the work electoral campaigns are a big money affair so it is no surprise that people like you or me can't get into the law making business without selling at least a little piece of our souls to someone who has very deep pockets so again the problem isn't that congressmen are wealthy it is that many of them have to get

constant financing in order to maintain their positions and as you average folks know once you're in debt they've got you by the throat well that's just my opinion . 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. by swayze agricultural chemical corporation and first wanted to commercialize the miracle rice then changed its mind. and a country.