russia's figure skating team claims the host nation's first gold as the second day of the winter games wraps up and saudi but aside from the celebration of winter olympic sports. the threat of something happening in such western media dishes out an avalanche of criticism raising questions about whether the concerns and panic are justified plus in the week's other headlines. damage control in washington after a leaked phone conversation made public the depths of the country's meddling in ukraine's political turmoil. and you know. the message reportedly coming from of the u.s. assistant secretary of state the comments were called unacceptable by german chancellor angela merkel. and switzerland votes narrowly in favor of

a controversial plan to put a limit on immigration in a nationwide referendum. and it welcome you're watching r t here on our international channel but let's cross now live to our studios in sochi where kevin owen is there for us he will be bringing you the latest from the twenty second winter olympics kevin. yeah hi sean hi everyone now welcome to our final round of than of the day all day to hear the twenty fourteen winter olympics which brought the first gold to the host in team figure skating russian athletes live an impressive performance is now the disciplines as well winning silver and bronze medals as a result russia has now been tied for fourth place in the medal table with kind of

the breaks down the day's results for us. celebrations beginning with the fireworks behind me russia's first gold came in the figure skating team event they saw and challenges from canada and the united states to take the top spot and they were helped along the way by a foolish display from one of russia's most famous sporting sons if gagne pushed blowing the competition away in the men's free program a magnificent display when you consider in recent days he's been plagued by injury and has undergone surgery twelve times meanwhile a new star has been born fifteen year old beauty a late night sky impressed in the ladies free i'm sure programs with peerless performances and in the process she has become the youngest ever winner of the winter olympics gold medal she is six days younger than the previous record holder american tara lipinski elsewhere on day two there were three other medal successes for russia forty two year old veteran lucia alba competing in

a record breaking seven and final winter olympics he missed out on a limb big gold medal but he did claim silva date olga beluga in the women's biathlon seven and a half k. sprint the more they all know for the first medal for russia in the twenty fourteen winter olympics went to ole graf early on sunday she claimed bronze in the women's three thousand meters speed skating event in the arena so let's take a look at the all important medals table then and you can see that it is norway who still lead the way but the united states in the netherlands and not far behind and russia starting to make their way up the leaderboard. let's focus more now on the russian team's success in the figure skating that left competitors far behind and you want to talk to mr murray she was lucky enough to watch the performances at the iceberg skating palace over my shoulder there. it was huge i think we can say that playing on the home field as they say really benefited

russia tonight there were hundreds of russians in the audience who were quite high up and our whole section was it was full of russians and everyone had a good skate but i think this is where we're going to say that russia's back i think. you are actually better than the soviet days what's the atmosphere in that huge stadium loyd when it when it kicks off its buzzing it's buzzing of course the russians when they came onto the ice and i'm sure anyone who is watching it at home felt the advantage of having the home support in the crowd was going wild and i think that helped them manage a lot of confidence shows with minimal goals to come as well. course he's a veteran only thirty one one of the old. great show just phenomenal of course he's been having horrible back trouble in injuries and then young you did you know it's just phenomenal and i hadn't seen in fifteen years old i hadn't seen her skate and this is her of course olympic debut i think personally she is a great chance at the gold and then the pairs as well they didn't score as high as

some of the russian sitting next to me thought they scored because i thought they were quite phenomenal but as a team the russian skating team is just really really strong even in three zero well back in vancouver and so this olympics of course at home is about taking it back. and more of the news you need to know where the international olympic committee is denied all rumors that the u.s. and russia have quote conspired to rig the figure skating competition and deeded said that it's not planning to investigate the claims first launched by a french magazine we caught up with a two thousand and two new pick of infringement to get his thoughts on the issue. in figure skating there always be a lot of talking you know people are talking and they believe they can. master and manage where he's happening on the ice but the only thing that matters is how the figure skaters are performing on the ice you can make somebody who falls to win you

can change the course everybody has to skate their best to do something at those talking those trying to change the course of the competition is just very bad for a sport and i'm sorry that is it's happening again and people are talking about that again because things have been made to change that sort of things so that the sport would be more fair and that this skaters would just perform. and that the best is the one we should win. russian ice hockey legend but it's love projects also in the olympic cauldron of course along with the iconic figure skater irina rodnina in the opening ceremony he shared his first impressions so far about the games with us. those who ignite the lympics flame go down in history for many years to come because it's a task that is only given to the most popular in the most worthy sportsman it means

the world to me because i'm representing the team of my youth the hockey team that is an eight time elim peak champion i feel honored out of all the players they chose me it's unbelievably beautiful here to see palm trees and snow i think these are going to be one of the best games that have ever been held in my opinion a very good infrastructure was put together for the athletes here in sochi and everything is very compact the facilities are located conveniently close to each other no public transport is needed it's very aggravating when bus is a late whereas here everything's very well put together and the athletes are satisfied we were commentated in prisons in the united states staying in not the most favorable conditions. here to tell you a bit more about that they're actually referring to the one thousand eight hundred winter olympics in lake placid usa when a number of athletes were indeed accommodated in the barracks of a future prison and today even though some of the western media here are calling of

the sochi olympics quote a war zone overflowing with my own a mishaps end quote there appeared to be no the competition itself or point of it i think and this does it looks at why so many news outlets across the atlantic still seem to be casting such a cloud over the event. hundreds of world class competitions involving thousands of top notch athletes sports fans all over the world rejoice it's time for a live big game fun again and some of them are pretty distressed but why feed the excitement word of a possible new terror threat character a terrorist threat terrorist threat and her world champion and multiple gold medalist for buzz kill the western mainstream media and the olympics is a wonderful time for a contrast to get together in order to despise each other and in order to treat each other like crap it's only happens once every two or four years you know there's not a lot of time you've got to come together and hate each other and not

a second has gone to waste from picking any little thing that might be off to face to toilets but not one that could be flushed to toilet side by that i guess you toilets right next to each other just spells party that doesn't spell bad conditions three million years to be exact trapped one very tiny room left if that paint there trashing things the problems that that come up in every olympic games as them these were unique to sochi olympic stadium has always been accused of being an overpriced boondoggle that was constructed shoddily not ready until the very last second every single one that i can remember a media war against the saatchi olympics taken to a ridiculous extreme but my impression of fox news is that they're just sitting around the office and they go hey it looks like no one's russian to get to sochi and i write i'm going to go eat lunch. there that was fine there's definitely who

are spinning tiny flaws into viral sensations facts or actual sports reporting be damned. it's really kind of unpleasant to watch more to the point it's pretty counterfactual as well going so far as to say that the games are being held in a war zone. as opposed to what's really a black sea resort. even though plenty of work went into security hysteria remains the airwaves threat of something happening in sochi well it's increasing by the day taking the fear of yes toothpaste to an extreme toothpaste containing explosive material it is terrifying all right did you hear all the tooth paste is going to explode it was even staging tests on hiding explosives and tubes were c.n.n. commissioned this chanced i stopped rushing mighty stop flossing i think that might help solve the problem no matter how much the media act as the doomsayers of the

games toothpaste will be toothpaste and nonsense will be nonsense in the end the olympics will celebrate joy excitement and victory there will be winners and there will be losers hopefully able to move on with at least some snippets of dignity you're not concerned at all now you're really not really truly can we piece about why and especially if you're going to r.t. new york. city's paul scholes spoke to my response before persuading american tourists to come here to salt she says his job has been made much more difficult by the negative coverage in the media. and some people back out because of what they've heard on the news do you think the i mean why do you think there is such negativity in some parts of american media around so even if a year and a half is unjustified i think because of what they call the ring of steel i think this is a very secure place i think i would be more on secure an american classroom that i

would be in sochi itself just because of the security here when when some of those great time some of those tourists decided to back out did you try to convince them how did you sell stocks into them which will say well we told them that the place where we we would be staying would be in a very secure location. and one of the major parts here of the sochi have lurked on us like a lot and so i think those are about as secure as you're going to get let's talk about the infrastructure that has sprung up around this such a region is sochi set to become a tourist hot spot off to the games you think is going to be a legacy of tourism hey well they're in a better position certainly because they build new highways they've got a great train transportation now. in there they're more up to date with their electricity grid and stuff like that so i think they're prepared but as with any city that's going to give birth to a modern resort you're going to have labor pains and you were up in the mountains i believe last night watching this right of course is the name because it is about

the sport what about the venues how they look how they holding up to the beautiful of the ski jump we we saw men's short short jump last night and i was incredible when you're going up the gondola and overworking the ski jump there is just it's quite magnificent it was awesome i got a great time. sure is a spectacular place we go all the latest looping scores interviews and comment here each and every day throughout the whole event on r.t. for night for tonight the lesson for me kevin owen and this is here in the morning from nine am local time that's five am g.m.t. so as the olympic torch continues to burn into the night i wonder about the very capable hands of virtual thomas in moscow now i feel. all right thanks kevin we have our team in sochi following the competition at all times and it to get even a closer look at the winter olympics you can head to our instagram page there you can find an assortment of footage from the very onset of the games that is at instagram dot com slash r t.

o g twenty four promises we told them that in the exhilarating winter sports and. social media and use an hour to make seven zero and the rest of our lives take us to the sochi twenty four take. on. this week a major gaffe by one of america's top officials has left washington red faced a scandal erupted after elite recording apparently involving the u.s. assistant secretary of state comments caught on tape revealed of the depth of america's meddling in ukraine's anti-government unrest artes in important reports in ukraine we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely in peaceful way. and they have a say in their country's future as it turns out the washington isn't just cheering from the sidelines. in this video posted anonymously on you tube my understanding

from that u.s. assistant secretary of state victoria nuland and the u.s. ambassador in the kieve are heard orchestrating ukraine's political future playing a game of verbal chess with ukraine's opposition leaders i think you know the guy who's got the economic experience the governing experience he's the he's the guy you know what he needs his cleats into a book on the outside he needs to be talking to them four times a week the embarrassingly conversation goes from bad to worse when washington senior diplomat drops the f. bomb dismissing the european union's role in ukraine so that would be great i think to help glue this thing and have the u.n. help glue it and you know the e.u. the state department has shifted into damage control refusing to confirm the authenticity of the audio while admitting that victoria nuland has apologized to her european allies for the profanity she's apologized for a comment to she's not admitting she made which is itself

a confirmation that the comment wasn't indeed made but will she hasn't apologized for the plans to midwifery new government in ukraine you know the words she's she's apologizing for you but she's not apologizing for trying to overthrow a government in kiev and calling it popular democracy the diplomatic scandal here as nuland arrived in ukraine for her second visit in less than two months back in december she was walking around independence square handing out snacks to protesters this time around the assistant secretary of state promised to feed the country with financial support if necessary political reforms are implemented at a press conference nuland refused to comment on what she called a private diplomatic conversation this is a devastating revelation and a very important revelation because it shows. that washington is not only manipulating the washington is dictating who shall be in the government and they have taken the power away from the people. r.t.

. victoria nuland use of strong language was sharply criticized by germany's chancellor angela merkel who called the comment on acceptable. former deputy speaker of the belgian parliament says the conversation is a clear demonstration of how america really regards other states oakum to do real good diplomacy behind closed doors this confirms the long stance of the united states and the you by the way towards a new conscious dana to show for democracy. going to countries this once more undermines the whole cleam of transparency and democracy building incapacity building of political institutions these are all ideological afterwards into ones politics in other countries and also by the way shows how casual these people can talk about the politics of another country. switzerland has voted

a narrow yes to cap with the influx of immigrants. with e.u. citizens among those denied access but critics warn the move could hurt the economy and relations within the block the story much more after a short break watching r t international. with creating a sustainable operation focused on making him what you are advocating self-interest and so that is what you're talking about and has always been the case and will have. businesses for hundreds of years using the label. i think what got capitalism. was this notion that economists brought to it which was the idea of the.

wealthy british. time to. market. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike stronger or a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines kaiser reports. and welcome back you're watching our team switzerland by a narrow margin has voted in favor of putting a ceiling on foreign migrants including e.u. citizens the result of

a nationwide referendum could adverse affect the nation's ties with of the bloc burnett now has to renegotiate treaties on the free movement of workers adopted over a decade ago the decision is also likely to hurt the country's economy as artie's reports. what you and voted to shut the door to european union workers setting up a showdown with brussels as well as a potential exit from the single european market now the so-called stop mass immigration initiative was the brainchild of the right wing swiss peoples party which wants strict quotas on foreigners for switzerland to essentially abandon its free movement of people treaty with the e.u. and supporters the we've talked to say that they're worried immigration is driving up rents that it's undercutting local workers and that is burdening public services no opponents had argued that immigration caps would in fact cripple economic growth and experts do say that this was in column e. is. not despite foreign labor especially when it comes to folks who have skills to

work in fields like health care and where there's a big need for skilled workers but despite the very real economic concerns despite the fact that unemployment here is just three percent many voters were ultimately swayed by the argument that switzerland simply cannot take in any more people now in order to understand why you really do have to look at the numbers about a quarter of the country's eight million residents aren't swiss there's been a huge uptick in immigration in fact about eighty thousand new immigrants came just what you learned last year alone the vote will likely mean severe repercussions with brussels you have to remember that switzerland isn't a member of the e.u. but it has signed on to a lot of the blocks policies in order to gain access to the european markets for switzerland sells more than half of everything that it produces and with five hundred million customers there's a lot of money at stake here a historic vote that is likely to have a significant impact on the swiss economy as well as on relations with the country's european neighbors reporting in burn for r t m d c catherine. shooting

has occurred on the russian island of suck a gunman burst into a cathedral and opened fire killing two people and wounding six suspect was apprehended on site. dot com for the full. story. plus the u.s. is ready to accept refugees who may have terrorist links or could have given limited support to terrorist groups on a website we've got all of the tier tails on washington relaxing its rules for potential asylum seekers. the turkish government is pushing through a new internet laws that would allow authorities to block websites without a court decision internet providers would also be asked to store data on what people are looking at online the measures sparked clashes between protesters and riot police on saturday crowds of demonstrators hurled firecrackers and rocks at security forces police responded firing water cannons and tear gas at hundreds of

protesters and he stumbles main square a car base a journalist yusuf conley says that in reality the authorities are losing the battle. in turkey's olinda district it thousands a sizable lead to bad. you tube struggled for moves to get close to business you too good not to government is getting mission from an element to clumped i will ensure that the duduk will truly i'll give do this to people throughout says to ted that. they may buy the sites new sites will be open they may it cools them other middle is going to be developed he got woodman it is realized that it's getting more and more isolated the releases last week showed that up to go be a balls out anyhow but i believe that by the government there is all lies in the media devil you have to be to see what the bit to all of this bottle

that the government is closing up for it is so far up. now look at some other news making headlines around the world of this hour eight people have been killed and over a dozen wounded in an attack on pakistan's port city of karachi gunmen threw grenades at a religious gathering and then opened fire on praying a sunni muslims it is not yet known who carried out the assault although the taliban and a rival muslim groups are suspected militants killed six people at the sushi shrine in the same city. hundreds have gathered again in bosnia this time calling for the release of about forty people detained during friday and saturdays riots officials denied protestors claims of police brutality and added that all but ten of those arrested had been released anti-government rallies in bosnia have been fueled by high unemployment corruption and poor living conditions across the country. to owners of

a bangladesh clothing factory have been denied bail after surrendering to authorities a husband and wife are facing homicide charges for a massive fire that killed one hundred twelve workers two years ago a couple could face life imprisonment the blaze is the deadliest in the history of bangladesh which relies on garment exports to the u.s. and europe. in yemen a bomb planted under a car seat has killed a senior intelligence colonel and wounded two people nearby the explosion happened outside the oil ministry in the capital sanaa islamist militants with links to al qaeda are suspected to be behind it. well coming up after the break it's worlds apart with host oksana boyko here on r.t. international.

the head of the sober russia program wants to bring back russia's sobering stations which are like a hybrid hospital and police station and american we call these a good old fashioned drunk tank and in russia their history dates back to the early years of the twentieth century to two thousand and eleven when they were all closed putting the burden of alcohol abusers health and local hospitals despite the amount of alcohol consumed per person in russia steadily declining over the last few years alcoholism remains a big problem but will privatized drug tanks work no no they won't let's think about it what is business motivated by money big government contracts in countries around the world are often abused and if you get paid per alcoholic served then pretty soon companies are going to incentivize the police to round up as many people with a hint of booze in their blood as they can or look at it this way what is more

profitable helping cure an alcoholic or treating him with fat government contract money every week for the rest of his life there are some things the private sector is not suited for and this is one of them but that's just my opinion. the european union likes to think of itself as one of the brighter and fairer parts of the world the european commission report on corruption the first of its kind

betrays a very different picture in every single member country there is corruption in some cases on a massive scale so what can be teach the world a corruption. hello and welcome to worlds apart the collapse of the soviet union seem to agree or for him capitalism as the only viable economic system only to see it down to a major crisis a few decades later and as the whole world still struggles to recover from the downturn brought about by the greed and excesses of a selected few can capitalism be really trusted to reform itself while to discuss that i'm now joined by russia sylvia one of the founders of the conscious capitalism movement has decided thank you very much for your time you know in the

later years of the soviet union when structural deficiencies for already obvious some of the fishes talked a lot about the need to create socialism with a human face and a deal was that it would be based on the same with comic principles but with human experience add the core of its value system and i think many thought it was redundant because social is by its very definition was supposed to be humane and had these human streak about it isn't capital is by its very definition supposed to be conscious and rational well let me go back to your premise which is about socialism being inherently rude to me the way in which it was expressed. to human nature because human beings want to be free. and we are a unique species that actually not only creates value but exchanges value with each other this is something we're almost programmed to do and if you look historically

across civilizations and of human societies any time we have been given the freedom to focus on what we choose to focus on and then to be able to exchange with others we have prospered further wasn't deny then now are the ideology of socialism their idea was that your god was the highest form of freedom when you could contribute to decide and by doing so also improve your own wellbeing that was at least the ideology that was arguably never put into practice i think the underlying premise of socialism is the notion of a fixed by and therefore the onus is on the fair distribution of those limited goods or those outcomes fundamentally what capitalism shows us and what business is all about isn't expanding by that there's almost no limit to the amount of value that can be created when people come together and they cooperate and they elevate the amount of.