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 is not mean the iranian market is up for grabs. and afghanistan reveals it's been trying to hammer out a harsh harsh deal with the taliban as america's role in the country perhaps twenty four thousand becomes less clear.

here national coming to you live from moscow i'm marina josh. one quick flame has arrived in the host city of sochi heralding the file really 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 it ends or cheney argues more and pull scott. what a journey it's made sixty five thousand kilometers around the largest country in the world that is russia fourteen thousand torchbearers over one hundred twenty three cities in russia featuring such features 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 summary visit of the largest freshwater lake in the world by cal in siberia i'm finally after months of anticipation it is here in sochi in fact it will rise not by land or air but on a yacht that will make its way across to adelaide very close to the olympic park

where the opening ceremony will take place on friday. outspread left at the airport as you could say i had its way up to the peaceful mountain cluster of cross pollyanna 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 who will light the torch at the opening ceremony on friday lots of speculation there but in the meantime flame is here in such an everybody is certainly very excited 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 tall it 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 take stay. to the

final stages into the home straight i can tell you the international olympic committee and president vladimir putin are there 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 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. over the next week or so they're performing in the 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 bush and also witness the olympic flag being raised above the olympic village which really does signify that these games are now within touching distance of course it all gets underway as martin said on friday evening with the opening ceremony but a number of world leaders are 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 sports 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 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 but i can say is that i've had no trouble at all you can walk the streets i spoke to various foreigners who 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 armed 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 of course security concerns are vital and are the number one priority here in sochi but then again i suppose you could say that they are all sporting events the conferences around the world this is what president putin had to say about the subject of security take a look it's not looking good for you with security is always a concern you know the large pushing events but you also had political ones we

can't forget the terrorist attacks in this group in 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 judy twenty four hours a day i think it's very important 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 the airport security but there is a very relaxed happy and excited atmosphere well i've been here in such over the last four or five days and really from my own experience it feels a lot safer than the media hype surrounding it yesterday i met various cossacks and horses who will now that we helping the security measures over the next month.

air defense missiles drones sophists. cade said it was capable of detecting some of the rains and high speed patrol boats a vast array of high tech gear is being deployed to make such a 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 residence to workers can enter without an official pass but it's a case of high visibility and minimal fuss was that you did 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 say there 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 police officers are into growing extra training for mounted patrols that have distinct advantages at such events over the world who are call year ahead of the game mounted police are more effective during massive burns after there's a tower over the people and have a better view of the crowds the beefed up security including assistance from the u.s. government is primed to keep a protective i'll know cause of this is more than ever before almost five hundred cossacks warriors of russian law will also be on duty at various olympic locations with their traditional black hats and coats with apple lets they will be on standby to assist the police have been guarding russian borders for centuries traditionally based in southern russia we know the region and its people very well. because it's job 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 and they can only call the police and wait for the authorities to arrive so as 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 armed troops here the aim is to ensure that these will be the safest lympics in history martin andrius r.t. . while our producer is caught up with one of the members of russia's bobsled team and he told us how surprised he was by the changes in such. this is a good example is it in the midst of it's i'm stunned. ten years ago i couldn't imagine such as would host an event of such magnitude and it's very important for

russia. that have only been positive changes for such it was a few years because now world class resort it's a continuous training facility for winter athletes one that russia never really had before. in the future so if you will host world championships global sporting events it's an amazing p.r. boost the search for a city that no one had heard of just ten years ago or a little of the good will be said there will always god continue a live update for you from sochi where the olympic flame has arrived plus you can go to our website r.t. dot com to visit the most exciting moments of its journey from ancient greece to the russian black sea resort.

well in a vast areas 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 so iran's prospects have been looking brighter sanctions were partially lifted under a nuclear deal my colleague maria costa rica discussed this with r.t. business presenter katie. we've had a huge french delegation making their way to iran in anticipation of this post sanction iran the oil majors are all looking forward to not just oil majors but car manufacturers including brand all with their telecoms already so the i was talking the biggest delegation in two years and the only one that was business of course in this comes after the locations when they're from turkey so everyone is trying to get out it's how i live 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 target it doesn't matter whether the countries are friend or foe if they evade our sanctions we will sanction them but surely they should have expect that that international companies would move in as soon as they announced exactly where it is imagine 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 it's a 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 what active in the region and they want to get in those oil fields and get them lucky again i think that 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 aggravate iran too much at the moment because then they stand to lose. iran's leader. is trying to drum up some publicity and also some investment so you know i was in davos just just the other week he was there he was talking to oil majors included my brother as well from the u.s. and he basically said iran is a boom for business to go completely different story hit 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 asked if he's undepressed to himself to get relations kickstarted with the oil industry and indeed any other whether it be call pharmaceuticals old material. of ghana stands 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 artie's worried over die reports washington appears to be losing its of. 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 last week that the afghan leader cited poet percy shelly when describing the painfully 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 adjusted for inflation that's more than any european country received 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 the war in afghanistan is an 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 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 u.s. national security for many decades to come in the year to come picture a for the u.s. may turn out to mean leaving afghanistan in the same circumstance it was when it was invaded. marina porter niamh r.t. new york frankly i would say former british army officer has served in afghanistan thinks this is a perfect sign of america's decade long war achieved nothing 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 big brutality over the last twelve years

completely on the good stuff and i'm connected to any political process. now the taliban very very conversant with the need to make to match the memory hole it takes with military action and they play this game extremely well know what's hot right to become pay the balance of power is already tipping. tell about particularly in the south where of course most of the combat has taken place we're seeing the taliban already moving to face it by the british and american forces extortions being applied political pressure making deals with the local drug cartels. bounces already to ignore. 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 and its bottle. plus after the break we report from tokyo where passion is no longer in fashion for

singles too busy with their computers to go on a real date. is there a new cold war brewing pitting the west against russia what is being called a reset relations at the start of the obama presidency today is in tatters western media and politicians are determined to between russia and the worst possible light even to the point of undermining the search again what are these new cold warriors hoping to achieve.

welcome back you're watching our team international live from moscow and the u.s. has military installations dotted across the british isles and senior u.k. politicians are calling for a complete overhaul of the rules governing the shady network it's thought some of the sides may have relayed secret information to control drone strikes in yemen and to carry out a dragnet spying playboy go reports. 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 peers 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 baroness 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 law on to themselves within the u.k. what 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 so perelman terence like myself have been asking questions over the last couple of decades but we've received a brushoff a not very good answer now either our ministers didn't know what was going on which that 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. artsy london and to japan now where a lot is definitely not in the air more and more people they are shouting personal contact in favor of a solitary life online and for a country with one of the world's lowest birth rates a demographic disaster could be looming explains. thanks but no sachs says this japanese woman in her mid thirty's she's no on her second marriage but intimacy with her husband is off the marital menu. after i had a child with my first husband i lost interest in sex we divorced i remarried but my

second husband lost interest in having sex with me so i have actually got used to having no sense at home this is becoming a trend which now has its own name in japan sexless according to recent polls more than sixty percent of a married man and near half of women aged eighteen to thirty four are not in relationships more over forty five percent of women and a quarter of men aged sixteen to twenty four were not interested in having sex at all for the country with one of the world's lowest birth rates this spells huge demographic trouble we used to have a very large population but now we're rapidly shrinking if things carry on as they are japan's population will be half of what it is now by the year twenty fifty that would be seventy point eight million we have indeed struggled to find many couples openly showing their affection in the multi-million capital of tokyo and what makes this. even more bizarre is that japan has always been a world heavyweight when it comes to the matters of sex but your show our area in

tokyo is one of the oldest red light districts in the world for centuries it has been thriving now its streets are practically empty for almost four hundred years it has been restricted to the locals and now with japanese people having less sex the businesses here had to open their doors to foreigners. she used to be called queen love and worked in one of those brothels now runs a special course called sex counseling she helps people resuscitate their basic instinct sometimes through hypnosis she even urges men to dress as women to make them understand what the opposite sex feels like she says the government is partly to blame for the situation taking on. the government's put stricter regulations on sexual. even sixty commercials disappeared from t.v. these forced young people to go there show in their sex lives that now they have more interest in social media and dating becomes annoying to them.

not only social networking but also high unemployment among the youth generates this widespread celibacy and sexual reclusion say researchers many simply have no money to date and get married oh yeah i'm out of just to help up to one hundred people every month but with growing numbers of those are interested in intimacy in population of one hundred and sixty million this is just a drop in the ocean. reporting from tokyo japan. all next in our state or national it's crossed out peter lvalues guess debate whether we're at the precipice of a new cold war while our u.k. viewers will go on the ground with. its technology innovation all the developments around russia we've got the future

covered. this is obviously more for the latest because it's pink. women wanted to avoid rape they really needed to buy guns and. this is the one that i want to go with them once again it's the fear factor for all women are definitely the target of the gun lobby and you don't kill them when the killing money but if so many would you would just prefer. noticing more and more and that's really scary marketing tactics which implies that women have some sort of moral obligation to protect their family and young girls shoot out here. so we do have a pink or. more kids young kids choke on food than are killed by firearms if being armed made us safer in america we should be the safest nation on earth were clearly not the safest.

new york london. the whole world is. the feature of the original one the one on the end. of the courts building at the end of the street another one the more transparent society gets the money or the puppet tears become we see military and state and police forces mobilized against people who blend into the city who inhabit the city the more people trust electronic devices the more defenseless the. fear that it is a thousand on. hierarchy. and one going or the. drug goes well. and the other corners the evil no good dick who refused to long

term capital management always dick. move. here to mediate this fight is hank paulson will he rescue this stage rumble in the wall street jungle with a seven or billion times out the audience shrinks yes the game is rigged. hello and welcome to cross talk we're all things are considered i'm peter lobo is

there a new cold war brewing pitting the west against russia what is being called a reset and relations at the start of the obama presidency today is in tatters western media and politicians are determined to betray russia and the worst possible light even to the point of undermining the sochi games what are these new cold warriors hoping to achieve. to cross whether there is a new cold war i'm joined by my guest stephen cohen in new york he is a professor emeritus of russian studies at new york university and author of soviet fates in last alternatives that currently is out in paperback from columbia university press also in new york we have eric draitser he is a geo political analyst and founder of stop imperialism dot org and in london we cross to mark and he is a modern history lecturer at the university of oxford right gentlemen cross-talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want stephen cohen if i go

to you first in new york when you hear the term new cold war because it's part of your title of your most recent book what does it mean to you and what should it mean to our viewers. well to me though i don't know whether we're in a new cold war or a continuation of the old cold war and it doesn't really matter whether we call it a cold war or not but the conflicts the dangers the issues the confrontations that characterize the forty year cold war between the united states and russia and russia in the west are back and in some ways it's different and in some ways it's even more dangerous just to bring this right into this week's new this new cold war may now be drawing the dividing line which was in berlin right on russia's borders in ukraine but this is a process that's been going on since the end of the soviet union nearly twenty two years now eric in new york how do you reflect upon that because i want to talk about ukraine.