and. the olympic torch starts the final leg of its historic relay as it arrives in the host city of sochi heralding the imminent start of the twenty fourteen winter games . the u.s. warns international firms against doing business with iran saying a partial lifting of sanctions does not mean the uranium market is up for grabs. and began a stand reveals it's been trying to hammer out a hush hush deal with the taliban is america's role in the country past twenty fourteen becomes less clear.

it is four pm and moscow you're watching our national with me maria joshie welcome to the program the olympic flame has arrived in the host city of sochi heralding the final relay stage before the games begin and what a journey it's been more than sixty thousand kilometers across the vastness of russia and all the way into orbit and the international space station among those welcoming is when sochi artie's martin andrus and paul scott who join us live from their well hello to both of you martin and paul let's begin with morton first so martin it's very beautiful where you are especially the bad ground where you stand but do tell us about the entrance that the flame has made into the capital of the olympic games. that's right merino we well what a journey it's made sixty five thousand kilometers around the largest country in the well that is. fourteen thousand torch bearers over one hundred twenty three

cities in russia featuring such feats is going up as you said to the international space station the first time in history it made a space walk event should up to the north pole it's been a summer reading visit the largest freshwater lake in the world lake baikal in siberia and finally after months of anticipation it is here in salter in fact in about thirty minutes time it will rise actually not by land but on a yacht that will make its way across to adler very close to the olympic park where the opening ceremony will take place on friday. outspread left of the earth as you could say i had its way up to the beautiful mountain cluster of crescent. of course everybody is talking about who were the lucky people to carry the torch over the next few days we have russian actors comedians sports men and women and of course the main thing on everybody's lips is who will light the torch at the opening ceremony on friday lots of speculation there but in the meantime lympics flame is

here in such in everybody is certainly very excited that it is finally here at the black sea resort oh absolutely as you just said the excitement is building up and we can feel that definitely for now though let's cross to paul scott who is also in sochi for us and what we see behind scott is behind paul i should say is the sporting arenas and all the buildings there were various i should say where the sporting events will be taking place and also we know that the olympic committee is there as well what have we heard from them so far. well as the final preparations takes day and to the final stages into the home straight i can tell you the international olympic committee and president vladimir putin are in sochi they remain in the region president putin has visited the athletes village which you can probably just make out behind me it's a short walk away from the coastal cluster he's visited the athletes' village where they're going to eat sleep train live and of course socialize over the next few weeks and he met a number of russian athletes who of course have

a lot of pressure on them over the next week or so they're performing in their home olympics in their home games and they are expected as a team to put in a better showing than they did in vancouver four years ago when russia won just three gold medals present putin also witnessed the olympic flag being raised above the olympic village which really does signify that these games are now within touching distance of course gets under way as martin said on friday evening with the opening ceremony but a number of world leaders or political figures have decided they will not attend those games however president of the international olympic committee thomas parks says that the olympic movement in the olympic games should not be used for political point scoring. we are grateful to those who respect the fact that sport can only contribute to development and peace if it's not used as a stage for political dissent or for trying to score points in internal or

external political contests to other political leaders we say have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful direct political dialogue and not on the pics of the athletes. well that's president of the i.o.c. thomas back speaking in sochi just two days now before the start of the games. all right paul thanks very much for this and as the finishing touches are being added security of course is one of the big topics there and martin have you heard of any last minute concerns there and what's being done in terms of security in the city. that's right marina security is obviously at the word the everybody is talking about this much media hype surrounding this situation of the the ring of steel which we're standing at the moment personally all i can say is that i've had no trouble at all you can walk the streets i spoke to various foreigners he said actually being here in sochi is really just like any other olympics if not more

secure we have six thousand athletes arriving this week if they haven't arrived already twenty five thousand volunteers and up to one hundred thousand police members forces army sniffer dogs horses you know i mean it really just feel like such a is one of the safest places to be on this planet at the moment earlier i spoke to president putin and he actually said that really the olympics here in sochi has security issues but it's also important to mention the security concerns all around the world not just here in sochi take a look. he's not looking at it but you will security's rules of concern you know the large bruising events but you also had political ones we can't forget the terrorist attacks that routine venues the boston bombings for example which happened recently there have been similar attacks at libby games and the bombings suring the g. eight summit in london but i'd like to thank our partners from almost every nation who are actively working to ensure the game security together with our own security

specialists there in juvie twenty two hours a day who are really. i think it's very important to mention that even though the security is tight here in sochi it doesn't feel like a blockade or concentration camp everybody is at ease of course when you enter a typical buildings you have to go through the screening into pickle airport security but there is a very relaxed happy and excited atmosphere here for more information on the security issue here in sochi including the into full of interesting people of course sides and indeed the horses and animals involved in the security situation take a look at my package here on the subject. air defense missiles drones sophisticated settlers capable of detecting some bereans and high speed patrol boats a vast array of high tech gear is being deployed to make such one of the safest

places on earth with any global event security is the number one priority and no expense is being spared to achieve that end at the twenty fourteen winter olympics a ring of steel is in place around the city and no one from residents to workers can enter without an official pass but it's a case of high visibility and minimal fuss was that you didn't know many of the athletes have been saying that back home they saw very negative media coverage about the olympic village some are even afraid to come here but monday arrived this started wondering what all the bad press was about and were very impressed by what's going on here they said it is much less hassle and discomfort is specially when it comes to security checks compared to previous game. but it's not just about tighter controls and manpower place officers are into growing extra training for mounted patrols that have distinct advantages at such events over by the threat of

we're called here ahead of a game mounted police are more effective during mass the bands are as there's a tower over the people and have a better view of the crowds and the beefed up security including assistance from the u.s. government is prime to keep a protective ilocos and this is more than ever before almost five hundred cossacks warriors of russian law will also be on duty at various olympic locations with that traditional black hats and coats with apple lets they will be on standby to assist the police because i have been guarding russian borders for centuries which traditionally based in southern russia we know the region and its people very well . because. bob is to offer assistance spread safety culture and peace to various religions and people from different countries because like normally patrols without any weapons they can only stop a crime in progress they can only call the police and wait for the authorities to arrive so is the population of this black sea resort swells by the thousand whether

it's sniffer dogs or horses patrol boats or cost x. sorties visitors locals are certainly in good hands and with an estimated one hundred thousand police security services and troops here the aim is to ensure that these will be the safest lympics in history today andrews r.t. sochi. our guy continuing a live updates for you from sochi a worthy olympic flame has arrived plus you can go to our website r.t. dot com to revisit the most exciting moments of its journey from ancient greece to the russian black sea resort.

investors are once again flocking to iran and that set off alarm bells in washington with top officials insisting the oil rich nation is still not open for business to iran's prospects have been looking brighter since sanctions were partially lifted under a nuclear deal by calling me to discuss this with r.t. business presenter kate. we've had a huge french delegation making their way to iran in anticipation of this post sanction iran oil majors are all of whom forty not as oil majors but car manufacturers including telecoms are into the vocal mare and we're talking the biggest delegation in two years and they are one business and of course comes after . one they're from turkey so everyone is trying to get out it's how allies and it's it's almost like everyone wants to get in the line now in reaction to this the u.s. is saying whoa hold on

a minute ok hold your horses we've got wendy sherman she was quite still in her was as to what she had to say we're going to have a quick listen iran is not open for business because our sanctions relief is quite temporary quite limited and quite targeted doesn't matter whether the countries are friend or foe if they evade our sanctions we will sanction them but surely they should have expected that international companies which were then as soon as they announced that exactly as much and so wouldn't you because we know the reserves in iran are huge incredibly vast one if not one of the biggest oil and gas reserves in the world are talking about it's not a top in terms of both oil and gas world exactly right so people want to drum into that and also you go to remember europe is still dealing with stagnate grows it's no wonder that they want to drum up business and product to these sanctions a lot of these countries including to tell what active in the region and they want to get in those oil fields and get them liking again i think that stands to reason so you know it's no surprise but the u.s.

too they also want to healthy business relationship with iran because it's going to be a force to be reckoned with when it's back up and running if these six months go well in the way it's kind of twenty two for the u.s. yes doesn't want to agree to run too much at the moment because then they stand to lose. anyway but iran's leader. is trying to drum up some publicity and also some investment. marina you know i was in davos just just the other week he was there he was talking to oil majors. including my brother as well from the u.s. and he basically said iran is a boon for business to go completely different story ahead the reason why he's saying this is because his economy has been crippled by the sanctions we're talking forty percent inflation five percent recession he's undepressed to himself to get relations kickstarted with the oil industry and indeed any other whether it be call pharmaceuticals all materials afghanistan's government has admitted to holding secret talks with the taliban behind america's back as president karzai steps up to make peace with the militant group although the negotiations have been largely

fruitless so far the u.s. says it supports the push for reconciliation but as our board now reports washington appears to be losing its influence on kabul. one of america's longest and most expensive foreign investments is turning into one of its greatest obstacles the u.s. intervention in afghanistan has essentially created a new taliban movement far more powerful you know no comparison really with the taliban that existed before nine eleven or before the u.s. intervention in afghanistan matter of fact as the taliban and afghan president reportedly remain in secret talks about reaching a peace deal washington's future in the country after twenty fourteen remains in limbo president hamid karzai still refuses to sign a long term bilateral agreement with washington and last week that the afghan leader cited poet percy shelley when describing the scene police strained relations

with america i believe the best way to summarize this is to put it in the words of shelley the great british port i met murder on the way the whole twelve years was one of constant pleading with america please treat our civilians respectfully and treat their lives as the lives of people. the u.s. has reportedly spent more than ninety billion dollars on reconstruction and relief in afghanistan i just did for inflation that's more than any european country are seeing right after the second world war however journalist gareth porter says in this case no amount of money can buy love what the united states has accomplished in its escalation of war in afghanistan is a exacerbation a tremendous increase in anti-american sentiment and a large part of that of course was the use of night raids of on people's homes knocking down doors in the middle of the night and antagonizing hundreds of

thousands of people who was channel a friends neighbors were affected by this tactic and it's tremendously antagonized . the afghan population and that is going to be a problem that will affect us national security for many decades to come in the year to come victory for the us may turn out to mean leaving afghanistan in the same circumstance it was when it was invaded marina porton i am r.t. new york. i will be bringing you a live analysis on again to stand in just a few minutes here in our to international also had for you on the program the days of sprawling u.s. surveillance sides dotting the british countryside could be numbered coming up find out how senior politicians in the u.k. are trying to put the all seeing american spy genie back in its bottle.

of the flame. the olympic spirit travels with the flame from its place in greece. join james brown for an elemental and epic journey around russia and beyond. where of art to. play. the media leave us so we leave the people. of the sea oceans should

surely follow your party years ago. for shoes that no one is that stood with the guests that you deserve answers from it's all politics. are today. welcome back to watching our t.v. international now let's go back to one of our top stories the latest revelations about afghanistan secret talk talks with the taliban and we can discuss this with frank large would a former officer was a british military who served in afghanistan thank you so much for joining us here on our kids talk about this was or no washington has been an support for years for stan to talk with the taliban and to hold direct talks but what do you see to the situation does it mean that the years of war have been futile in afghanistan all

this is testament to the total strategic illiteracy of the whole campaign from the start we've had a military campaign really quite some bridged brutality over the last twelve years completely eliminated and i'm connected to any political process now the taliban or the group groups various that they are called we call the time of their very very conversant with the need to make out to mesh and to marry politics with military action and they played this game an extremely well you know what's happened is we're right at the end of the company because i. stream a corrupt government to be pushed to the why i'm the pressure is on the pressure is all coming from the other side while ganesan is hopeful that the talks will bear fruit but at what cost what's your thought. but across really to the

credibility of primarily the main course this is going to center before it's the thousands of afghans who've been killed in these misconceived military operations but the political cost now is it's really the balance of. it is to bury much against the u.s. now there's no way that the americans are going to pull out of afghanistan they kind of believe they can leave the country with no military cover that would. leave the situation openness i think one of the reporters said before the kind of situation we had to do about someone actually more more i think more more appropriate comparisons when the soviets left and once again tonight americans don't want that and they won't know that well at this point nobody knows what's going to happen. in afghanistan after u.s. troops withdraw i mean if they leave no military presence there at all that is but let's go back to cars actions and his intentions in fact i mean what is he trying

to do in a situation like this i mean could he be trying to secure the situation in afghanistan . yes well he's considered concerned of course to leave a legacy let's not forget the elections are going to happen in a few months time he will be. but in a way he's going to and he could end up in dubai or so i really believe in the scene pretty soon and he's going to want to leave some kind of legacy but with some kind of political settlement in place as a as a something to undock to the new government because he wants to be. from his own political class so this is all part of a process leading up to the elections and. you know the real pressure as i said before they put on the u.s. they have the bilateral security agreement ready to be signed karzai is going to sign it he wants to extract more concessions from the u.s. and of course the taliban are pushing because i'm from the other from the other side and is this the only reason why is so reluctant to sign this deal with americans. but i'm not sure this reluctance there's

a lot of pretend. ignorance about what's going on over the last decade this is a lot of this political posturing the afghan government of course cut also can't afford to have. the u.s. leave the city because their security forces will collapse in very short order if not happens. all right frank for the british military officer who has served ghana stan thank you so much for talking to us here r.t. international pressure. now they want us as military installations dotted across the british isles and senior u.k. politicians are calling for a complete overhaul of the rules governing the shading network it's thought some of the sites may have relayed secret information to control drone strikes in yemen and to carry out a dragnet spying on our ports. well they arrived during world war two and they stayed throughout the cold war and now there are some ten thousand u.s.

military servicemen working here in britain in dozens of facilities but what are they still doing here well it's alleged that one of the u.s. military bases here in the u.k. was relaying data back from a network of spy posts alleged to have been monitoring the phone calls of german chancellor angela merkel so now three senior pay is from all three major political parties here in the u.k. say they want to see greater transparency in relation to u.s. military bases and they want to know exactly what the u.s. military servicemen are getting up to on british soil well to talk about this i'm joined by one of the authors of the proposed amendments to defense legislation. baron s. miller barnett miller thank you very much for joining us the u.s. and the u.k. have a special relationship they're both part of nato what does it matter what they're getting up to on these bases. where you are quite right we do have a special relationship but the global surveillance program that the american

national security agency has been up to has gone well beyond what we think is acceptable in terms of security are you saying that these bases have basically become a lure on to themselves within the u.k. well we're really talking particularly about menwith hill anyone living in new york should be familiar with it huge goals balls dozens of people working at the scale of it should have told us that something was going on beyond simply missile defense perelman terence like myself have been asking questions over the last couple of decades but we've received a brushoff a not very good on you know either our ministers didn't know what was going on which would be pretty appalling or they did know what was going on and were quite comfortable with it but either way i think we need. no to see these bases become far more accountable to the british parliament it really does need to be something

that we do knowingly and not just wandering into what we've got now which is a big state run from the states proposed amendments to defense legislation currently being revised but certainly here in the british government there are those that say while they are on british soil u.s. bases should be added herring to british laws. artsy london. and some more of the national news making headlines around the globe now at least twenty five people have been killed and over forty injured in a series of bomb attacks in the iraqi capital targeting the heavily fortified green zone where government offices are located the deadliest it took place near the foreign ministry were two bomb rigged cars were detonated the other blast went off in a restaurant and several commercial buildings no groups have admitted to the strikes which come at a time of rising sunni militant activity. but

as well as lately this has been fondly remembered in caracas were thousands gathered to mark twenty two years since the attempted coup that brought him to prominence back then the socialist revolutionary along with military officers rose up against an unpopular regime it took another seventy years for charges to take the presidency but the event is seen as a key breakthrough in the country's so-called bolivarian revolution. libya says it's now destroyed all of its usable chemical weapons this comes ten years after the country signed up to the chemical arms treaty the disarmament process began under khadafi but was interrupted by the uprising that was really him global chemical watchdog says it still has low grade toxic stockpiles which are to be destroyed by twenty six. abby martin is here shortly looking at how human rights are taking a backseat to big politics in america's ongoing war on terror in afghanistan stay

with us. the united states. significant technological over the rest of the wild and it is now using that spy on the rest of the world then there was the deal between the

u.s. and england where u.s. spy agencies couldn't spy on people in the u.s. but british a spy agencies could spy on people in the u.s. so the government said all right each of us will spy on the other citizens and then we'll trade and that way it will be surveilling our own people so this is what i think of as the scandal.

the the the sleepy look. how do you know i'm not a martin and this is breaking the set so yesterday marked the start of the jury selection in the case of jonathan jordan excuse me davis seventeen year old black teenager who was shot and killed by michael dunn a forty seven year old white man in jacksonville florida so according to authorities davis and dunn got into an argument over the loud hip hop music coming from the teen's car dunn study felt threatened by davis pulled a concealed handgun from his glove compartment and shot in a teenager's s.u.v. multiple times davis was unarmed i got to be seen it is likely that dunn's attorney will employ a stand your ground defense because we all know how much it helped in jurors consideration when it came to trayvon martin and george zimmerman so if you don't

want to see dunn go free for claiming that an unarmed teenager is music's threaten his life and nothing to take the young teenagers then join me and that's right side . of the peaceably particularly they are looking very hard to take a. look. at you ever had sex with the terror threat their little. league. the to sleep. little. sleep little. please please. please.