transit routes the ripples you'll best way to the heart of most. love on the sochi slopes it's valentine's day and olympians and spectators alike pause to admire the darlings of the two thousand and fourteen games with an interesting selection topping the charts. in other news a u.s. prison accused of turning a blind eye to a critically ill russian inmate as much as moscow launches a diplomatic effort to get him medical aid. three years on tear gas but tons and torture failed to hold back raney reform activists as they stand by and large he looks at what the future holds for the country. midnight in moscow and we have just entered day eight of the twenty second winter

olympic games and we start with our special coverage of the olympics from our studio in the heart of sochi kevin owen standing by. hi all my sissy again welcome back to our. part it's a beautifully as ever you can see that huge torch burning into the night in the dark really doesn't do justice is another breeze has to be said to the view from here we're now just a week into the events and by any measure it's been full of limb pigs periods complete with pride and even heartbreak to pour scott sums up the day's events for us. while russia has added a bronze medal to their tally on day seven elaina nikitin a finished third in the women's skeleton event up in the mountains of krasnaya polyana it was the first time the russian have a secured a medal in the women's skeleton meanwhile alexander tretyakov is the man to catch

at the halfway stage of the men's competition he actually set a new track record in his first run the men's event actually concludes with the final two rounds on saturday when r.t. caught up with him before the start of the games and he admitted that performing on home ice is an advantage. for more than a year and i've gone to know it like the back of my hand i know that everybody likes it including foreign athletes he's considered one of the best in the world his design is very smart and convenient spacious he has a warm up area large changing rooms and very good infrastructure well elsewhere russia's female curlers boosted their chances of progression to the next round they secured a six three victory over switzerland and i think it's fair to say that the team skipped it by former model of course an additional. has really captured the imagination of an adoring russian public however this evening also saw the conclusion of the men's individual figure skating event of course. was meant to be taking to the ice for russia but injury ruled him out now he is of course one of

a number of athletes who it's fair to say have captured the hearts of the sochi public on valentine's day as my colleague andrew farman our ports. deal is the same. seized athletes at these olympics. of course you. can use a best goalkeeper a. russian federation of cookie. pollution. joyce josh white or joe what's his name shaun white tail yes the american athletes i asked snowboarder yes i think his very good looking he was the most attractive athlete at these olympics. it's going to be your entire life i think we know you know i know nancy ok

the russians good. early early yes killing of cost cutting. christa version of team germany curling. i think she was it. was a fast he's very good looking isn't a little note he would be written this last season volunteering one hundred people to go on facebook and my dear lady so just like to everybody be fun and science boxee all mrs. nice is a little be doing anything like this so we all will do it on site say to your wife now to search a site smarty you could like back in the u.k. happy valentine's day i know the games i want to order can order. so there you are romancing me and i'm going to say happy valentine's to my fiance moscow love flying burning bright not just for the sport it seems now while andrew is busy up in the mountain cluster our team is causing a folk down here in the sochi coastal cluster this is what they're to say about their favorite sports person too. so i mean i'll tell you this

the whole team russia all two hundred twenty three of them i saw their great entrance and the opening ceremony they're all smart and beautiful the man and the ladies alike so. we still will be living here for so long now we get up in the morning and come here to watch the games and cheered very hard enough but it's great. you showed up and i said i like the japanese women's hockey team like the girls a really beautiful which is what a shame that helmets hide so much makes a system but. yet you like all the girls don't you. see russia will beat everyone you see everyone. if i was his girlfriend he's in trouble now now what else is both russia for medalist from the figure skating pairs a band they made it clear to us just how important the support of loved ones was to them up to athletes in general but everyone likes to get valentine's cards from

china i wish everyone had was that love is going to save the world could you postulate view a little push by said to have. i wish everyone celebrating this holiday to spend the day in a romantic mood let's just go the weather is great and so actually you could go for a walk to the seafront and have fun. but my mom came a bit early to the opening ceremony the thing is i have two celebrations on that day the start of the games and my birthday so my mother came to support me. or my mother also came to sort she she was very nervous maybe even more than i was she said she couldn't watch our performance she had to turn away or even go out in the bush she could tell how we were doing only by the sound of that by the applause. more force from the athletes there meantime the international olympic committee has also released its thoughts a member statement regarding how the games are going right now paul got more. well despite reports of some empty seats some venue's and melting snow up in the

mountains of krasnaya polyana the international olympic committee have moved today to praise the venue's on the organization of the games with one i.o.c. official even suggesting that many critics are simply seeking negative things seeking problems to criticize the games of sochi twenty four to a more organized have also said that a million tickets have been sold as we approach the halfway stage which is slightly down in vancouver four years ago but the figure is up from the games into reno in two thousand and six lottie has been speaking to some athletes and officials to gauge how they think the games are going as we approach the halfway stage for me was perfect i love this slushy snow when it stopped outside so i'm nothing to complain about the thing to do you know your job so i'm happy to ski and the first snow in the sun we have done it's a question of outdoors for our climate here as you can see it's a rather challenging ride now two weeks ago we have been totally winter even here.

everything is running ok this is a big event no one wants to organize bad games that's for sure everyone everyone tried to book if forte meanwhile excitement is now building ahead of saturday's big ice hockey showdown between the usa russia the two old rivals go head to head in their second group match now both sides had comfortable victories on the opening day and these u.s. hockey stars are expecting a tough challenge you know how tough that game's going to be against russia. on their home turf and on their own soil so it's going to be. i think all the games will be fun but their game saturday night will be pretty interesting so it's fun playing the russians and probably the one thing. we had the opportunity to play canada in canada and i think that. it's always a special thing regardless of if you have an opportunity to play the host country.

it's always a fun game to be a part of it's just it's one of those there's so much excitement and energy in the building. and we were lucky enough to do it in canada now we get a chance to play russian russia which i think is always special. things before you come over and you're not really sure what to expect and. you know everything's been great so far whether it's you know the food or they commendations or the rooms or you know the village seems to be. unbelievable just looking at it from the outside and going in and practicing on it so. you know i'm sure a lot of it's blown out of proportion but as far as you know in the two days we've been here everything's been great so far. yeah as paul was saying this such a lot of anticipation ahead of that big face off later today with. the studio she seemed very calm for the course of the u.s. victory over the red machine she also told me how her impressions of.

so publicized all the all the negative press in the lead up to this does it all put you off or to just make your own mind up and get on with it you know it was hard not to pay attention to how much negativity it was getting but i was trying to stay optimistic i knew i was coming here regardless and so far i have been so pleasantly surprised good news good news that we heard earlier on from our fleet saying how important is to have support in the crowds etc you know loved ones or just your supporters waving flags how much does it mean to is not sleep with you being waved on like that. it's huge and i was super lucky i had seven of my family members at my event they had big like two feet by three feet signs of my face they had they loved and i was a little embarrassed. it was yeah exactly. just because you're over the studio with me a little bit earlier on about a lovely lady now all the top of your farm are

a camera crews out and about in the city of film this rather extraordinary somewhat through this i'm looking creature has been trying to make friends near let's take a look. twenty forty two point zero lympics are you wanting to. watch that and want to come towards me despite his mean to parents both types and we clearly show you is not remotely interested in world domination in fact he's more of a music in street entertainment this very clever contraption spends its time telling jokes dancing and making friends of the locals but as you can see you know everyone's grown to trust him. and here is the. fact he had. a charge to be keep in touch with titans the guy progress we can assure you but of

course he's just one of the entertainments around the city every day we've been speaking to the leading athletes about their experiences here and here's what some of the been saying today. it's just great to hear. success for race and winning the silver medal it's just finish great. great great. it's just great it's fun to slide here it's not too hard not to be. i think it's a very good. run. right now this is the most advanced of the last week really big giving us your going to say she was top class as well as the sporting facilities are some of the best in the world when you meet people. now and next item not related to lympics atoll but the pictures are great we want to bring them to you anyway it certainly takes the game slogan of. stronger the special these russian dead devils monies to climb the shanghai tower it is the second highest building in

the world it almost six hundred fifty meters with no safety permission so please do not even think of trying this yourself with a picture is a great look at what a puff the to. is that the still of the construction provides a grand vista none the less and less scared of heights because their you tube video is almost seven million hits now though watching it can make you beat this and say the least well. well if you're up for the thrill to head towards new york home for the link to see it again also make sure to drop our facebook page too we can leave questions you'd like us to ask our guests on air and if we judge them to be among the best don't miss them here on r t from sochi talking to which should listen now is hear from nine am local time for the start of day eight of the winter games that's five g.m.t. but for now for me kevin i want to rest the. bye for now. the g. twenty four team promises we call to meet again exhilarating winter sports and.

social media and it's now a make every now and the rest of our lives take news team for sochi twenty four takes. on. and we're picking back up the main news stories from our moscow studio now after this short break stay with us. so i transit arrow to vnukovo report your best way to the heart of moscow.

health. science technology innovation all the list of elements from around russia we've got the future covered. this is obviously more for the ladies because it's pink. women wanted to avoid rate they really need to buy guns and learn how to use them i'm. sure this is the one that i'm going to go with them once again it's the field for women definitely the target of the gun lobby the you don't kill them when you're killing money but if somebody would you would piss with her. i've noticed that 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 too 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. protests erupt in the outskirts of bahrain's capital on friday they've been quashed by police using tear gas at least twenty nine people have been arrested now activists in my mama marking three years of pro-reform dissent that's reportedly seen scores killed in the police crackdown artie's like sara show ski reports.

it's three years since the arab spring gripped the gulf state of bahrain violence still shakes the streets of its capital mamma as protesters against the sunni led government fire molotov cocktails the police respond with tear gas and flash bang grenades it thing is that the government is using it as a violent a lot of being tortured house raids just now of living in cities. and you can hear helicopters armored by shooting at people. throwing it here yes here and they're making people suffocate why not even practice outside this street at least eighty nine people have reportedly been killed in the sheol position strive for reforms hundreds if not thousands have been injured some lost limbs and eyesight protests have been held on almost daily basis and i

witnessed some of those i went to bahrain a little more than a year ago we met with different government officials who told me that despite seeing the protesters as the radicals and hardliners they were still looking for some sort of compromise but the most sensational statement came from the country's information minister so i mean that our job i think the bahraini opposition is a main ally of the us the terrorist members of the opposition and their leader have close ties to foreign embassies in bahrain wiki leaks of the many documents proving it i talk to the americans and clearly ask them to speak to their friends in the opposition who should understand that bahrain cannot be ruled by an ethnic sectarian party or bahrain's opposition say the allegations are laughable if that was true they say then why is there no action from the western states the u.s. navy's fifth fleet stationed in bahrain and washington's close ties with saudi arabia may be among the reasons if what is happening through in terms of human

rights abuses is happening. the hole was it would come up with the whole media would have flared up again because it is dark meaning in that region in closest it would be. really keep quiet about it they give a blind eye i haven't seen for in three years one single dime. has gotten them over you want to buy this year these were the scenes of the second anniversary of bahrain's uprising with thousands protesting peacefully in the streets this time it is already a lot noisier with the opposition planning a three day long protest and the authorities beefing up security then. i'm not we reiterate our main demand secure for rights without any hesitation that we are going to to make new sacrifices in the name of we will demand justice richard beautician all those who killed their sons and those who are not at the killing

last month bahrain's crown prince sell man called for another round of negotiations to end the violence but with two failed attempts already and the world family refusing to budge and protesters demands hardly anyone in this gulf state believes there may be any breakthrough soon alexy russia ski r.t. . the russian consulate in the u.s. is demanding that former pilot konstantin euro shanker who is serving twenty years in the u.s. president be allowed access to medical care you are a shango who was jailed for plotting to smuggle drugs is reportedly suffering from high blood pressure chest pain and dizziness he so far been refused a doctor's visit or he's gotten a chicky on joins us now with more on this guy and what do we know about his condition. well mad to constantine you are shankar according to his lawyer is having symptoms of a heart attack right now as we speak but he might get medical help only on monday the lawyer says the russian pilot to severe chest pain and his blood pressure is

through the roof only received flu medication according to his lawyer the. head of the jail in new jersey told him he is not going to do anything to expedite medical help for you know the russian citizen may not survive until monday the pilot was arrested in two thousand and ten in liberia and then shipped into the u.s. moscow says is the tension sees his detention as a blatant violation of good action because rights are saying during his detention in liberia he had been tortured kept naked. handcuffed and starving suffered beatings and threads to forcing him to confess to drug trafficking get a shrink has complained about this incident has not been examined by any authority to this day he was sentenced to twenty years in prison what's been the official reaction from the kremlin. well met a russian authorities have raised this issue many times with their u.s.

counterparts but to no avail and with your now appear apparently in critical condition the russian foreign ministry gave up on official channels which obviously haven't worked in this case and called for help via facebook asking followers to read tweet this urgent message and i'm going to quote here a washington moscow calling. russian citizen who became us prisoner is in terrible condition he is alive today he can be not he may not be tomorrow do something please we post well it's not often that we see this form of messaging from the russian foreign ministry but it is only because they see all their efforts to appeal to their u.s. colleagues. failing and there is a bit of view on this in moscow that they look at it as while the u.s. is talking about inhumane treatment of prisoners most washington fails to look at similar comparable complaints here at home. lots of unanswered questions here hopefully we will get some more information our team is going to live in washington thank you for that update and we managed to contact the irish and goes why if she

spoke with us before here on r t here's what she had to say this time to bring in mark. on some things condition is being completely ignored his temperature went as high as forty degrees but a prison doctor told him not to cover it up at night and everything would be fine mike not well my husband is hoping for is to survive until monday. of course we will continue monitoring the situation as it unfolds bring you all latest updates and reactions as we get them up ahead larry king chris is guess about policy matters in the u.s. politicking with larry king next.

i marinate join me on thirteen get impartial and financial reporting commentary contribute and much much. only on bombast and on. the wimpy games is very name means athletic excellence in extravagant showmanship this has been traditionally the case where were the games in sochi have been treated differently western media has attempted to politicize the games and keep spend some sports and the host country on this edition of crossfire we explore the true spirit of sochi. now in the u.k. welly wearing david cameron is out in the drowning tory heartland throwing sandbags soldiers and cash in totally into the floodwaters but dave all the stick your balls

in sheffield cannot stop the rising tide that is sinking all goods into your black hole of debt economy because it's the triple crutch of environment energy and economy and no junk shop can save us now. not even a one for seven will save us dave we've been stuck or. thirteen twenty fourteen promises we call timid and exhilarated winter sports on our team a team you still need anything now a make of a no and the rest of our lives take news team for sochi twenty four take. on ott. tabloid t.v. host and former democratic mayor jerry springer joins me with his take on the dysfunction in politics today plus former governor of florida charlie crist on

losing faith with the republican party and looking for redemption and running again as a democrat so all next on politicking with larry king. live the politicking with larry king so many people know jerry springer just for his influence and it's really successful to overfill but he's also has a bit of history in politics and he's never been shy about his liberal views thanks to do this terry so may suggest that the current condition in congress is similarly your show a dysfunctional family the only good you draw the comparison the only difference between the people in congress and the people on my show is that people in congress

have more teeth. than that i can tell the difference. you know well i want what's the here's here's what i think is a part of it a structural part of it has nothing to do with the quality of the people but it has more to do with the structure the system we ninety five percent of americans today live in a district which is either overwhelmingly republican or overwhelmingly democrat as such virtually no member of congress has to worry about being reelected in the general election their careers a purely dependent on winning the primary because they know if they win the primary they win the general because the their party controls the district so therefore and the people who vote in primaries tend to be more. bream there are more activists so on the republican side they're more conservative in their democratic primaries they're more liberal the result is that we have

a congress that each member is has to play to the base but wasn't always that way well it gets worse and worse because of jeremy and during every ten years according to the census you have to redraw the lines so it was inevitable that at some point with more and more gerrymandering drawing these lines districts would become a bit it used to not be that everyone lived in a mostly republican or democratic area but because we keep changing the lines that's what is happening so now you if you're the now quit if you're a republican you can't have your picture taken with president obama it'll screw you up in the next primary so therefore they don't even talk to each other anymore they don't socialize with each other there's no one wants to compromise because the lose the next primary which is why the republicans leave in control of the house but the democrats women national action yes most of the way it's right because larry it doesn't matter exactly. so you where obama could be unpopular and win another

election just on the way the system sets up exactly should we change the system well there should be yes there should be a better way to draw congressional lines absolutely and there the problem is in order to change the system you would have to have congress vote for it while congress women aren't going or women aren't going to vote to change a system whereby they're currently getting elected that's the problem with reform the people who have to pass the reform or the people that are in power because really over the long. you recently said that you thought. that president obama was hated i think there are some people who think so ford rosebel i know was hated and yes or no i took his racial. i think for some people it is you know we can't be naive there are there are people that just can't accept the fact that we have an african-american president obama's sure some people here like him were those yeah

and that's yeah i don't think anyone really disagrees i'm not saying overwhelming number of people don't why is he hated it's not rational and i think it is because of that race because they just don't think people ought i mean just think about it when have we ever had a president well he's not one of us he doesn't he's not an american citizen he's not i mean all the birth is all this stuff there's something in the back where you just can't accept the fact that there are people who can't accept the fact that he's our president and it's visceral it's not rational because if you think about it rationally why would you ever have a barack obama you could disagree with this policies but is he a hateful person he's a loving husband a great father he's very very bright he made it on his own under incredible circumstances to become president of united states why is there anyone among us who wouldn't want him as a son to say oh my god look how proud i am of this young man.