exclusive video from syria's dear of our correspondent takes you to the heart of the decisive battle for the country's future amid claims that some forces are exploiting the gates plus. happening right now in barcelona in spain these are live pictures from the catalonia region's capital another well attended rally against the national governments attempts to quash this sunday's planned independence referendum will have the. capitalizing on the korea crisis the japanese prime minister moves for a snap election as his handling of the situation sees his ratings sore we look at

the stakes in shinzo our base gamble. i live news twenty four seven this is r.t. international with me bray first this hour syria's ambassador to the u.n. has accused the united states of trying to take credit for the operation to retake the city of beer and saw for myself the u.s. coalition and rebel militias they support halted their operation in iraq which was a stronghold of eisel and through their forces behind trying to push the syrian army out of dairies or as if the americans were competing with the syrian government over control of derrius or instead of fighting ice and rock. the remaining terrorists indira saw and now surrounded by both the syrian army and the u.s. backed kurdish forces our correspondent is there. the sieged may have been

lifted but it's not over yet isis holds out in parts of dead as order though not for long. day and night battles rage around the city that you harvests are throwing everything they have into the fight. every day there is combat they'll use heavy weapons from range although trying to infiltrate in the middle of the night fear attack with suicide vests and car bombs the battle goes on every day but the tables have turned it is isis now that is surrounded and slowly being squeezed out. we're it's a syrian artillery position overlooking the industrial city the industrial corridor of their resort for supporting troops that are staging the offensive down there an offensive that began earlier this morning with a barrel of airstrikes but the battle is said to be fierce with isis giving no

quarter from here syrian spotters watch for isis fighters from above this is why height is so important in war better vantage and better. and this range you can't really miss not with hillary. hits a verified and confirmed in real time it was at this exact spot as nest that a russian lieutenant general advised syrian offices fifteen minutes before his death he was killed to several days ago by an isis shell just a few hundred meters from here. isis fired back as we filmed shells began falling all around.

we ran but the syrian batteries kept firing. will be liberated in a week at the most and will free some of the suburbs to. the cost will undoubtedly be high it's a challenging battleground from dense urban areas to lush river banks and even trenches. the euphrates is both a blessing and a curse isis still uses the waterways to move men and alms and even launch surprise attacks. this bunker is manned during the night. it's because the tower across the river belongs to eisele for three long years captain ybor him squad has bled and died in the trenches along the euphrates their sacrifice is not enough to break the long stalemate but now everything's changed now they're winning

more i. see from their resort of syria. and after three years of terrorist siege many people in their heads or in desperate need of medical help right now. this is the only hospital in the city that still working and as you can see it's riddled with bullet holes and shrapnel right now it's only got seven doctors working there and they're overwhelmed by patients medical supplies are also in short supply says mohammed he's one of the patients there he was wounded in terrorist shelling unfortunately his father was killed in the same attack. we've been speaking exclusively to syria's foreign minister on the sidelines of the un general assembly who shared his thoughts on the future relationship between the syrian government and u.s. backed kurdish forces he also thinks that his country is crisis is now in its final chapter. in iraq. over the last three months the syrian army and its

allies have managed to liberate more than fifty five percent of syrian territory that's why i say that the main fighting in syria is coming to an end and that we are writing the last chapter in the history of the crisis when we're done with eisel we can sit down at the negotiating table with our kurdish brothers and agree on the terms of our future relationship i always see every reasonable person must learn from the past in the past the united states always turned its back on itself ice that's why i hope that our kurdish brothers will learn from that. the russian military has released new videos of its anti terror raids in syria it says that throughout the week all air strikes were focused on the terrorists' hardware and meeting places insurgents were reportedly planning to get the surrounded terrorists in hama province out but their operation was foiled by the air strikes. right now to spain and the north of spain in

catalonia let's show you what's happening in barcelona once again we showed you those crowds at the top of the program they've been gathering yet again it's just days before the planned catalan independence referendum they've been protesting across the weekend of course i mean recent weeks against attempts by the spanish government to block their vote of course that non-binding vote a few years ago swayed very much towards the yes camp things aren't quite so clear cut this time but what is happening is we've heard from both sides of the referendum debate that they at least want the option to be able to have the vote at all and to settle the matter so that we are barcelona yet again another rally in the center of the capital of the catalonian region another independence referendum now in the run up to the vote madrid arrested campaigning materials and banned newspapers from publishing anything regarding the voting but it's not been stopping activists from putting up posters and banners in support of the referendum here's what one of the activists have to say this is a fight for both the right of two to vote on

a referendum of self-determination but also it's a fight over. being able to say that he would like the. spanish authorities have already arrested fourteen regional officials and seized up to ten million ballot papers as well as banners advertising the referendum the official campaign website also being blocked and madrid's increasing its presence in catalonia by sending extra police as well as planning to take over polling stations come sunday . but not all catalans are in favor of breaking away from spain some of course think madrid's in the right. biggest thing it will do to people you will see if you study people so you can see it was believe it that they didn't feel the cold your face is see and feel it just by continually see it through a spike in the chemical you that if. you never get the elderly or you know your stuff in the blue it could have been a little bit responsible how much they might be a little short little. latest poll suggests that forty one percent of

catalans are in favor of breaking away from spain but forty nine percent are against despite the club down and the mixed opinions catalan to determine that the vote will go ahead on sunday. you know the olympics the day i see new people be ready for action and i don't see that and when i see people wearing outlandish things will happen or not so what will happen is i haven't met anyone who would say they're going to stand pain because they're scared to go outside i see now how the movement has been evolving for the last four years right here i've never seen anything like this before. we know that there are disparities of police. bad day the downside the. different kinds of people that are in the to do them. in the street and be ready to move through the years here and. be led. by. the region's minister for foreign

affairs is calling on europe to intervene in the situation he says that by trying to block the vote madrid is violating the democratic principles of the e.u. it's a call that echoes the catalan president's earlier statements accusing the european commission of turning its back on his region's right to vote. i was going to i think we will have earned the right to be heard this is something that has not happened up to now this is something the european commission has been deaf to they will not be able to continue ignoring this issue. well catalans voice their anger at madrid journalists been trying to pin down the e.u. to get interview at a media briefing this week artie's been speaking to one of the reporters who was there. now all you have a double stand out in freedom of expression whilst found that four thousand key gaddy and in other strand out for that one yet you condemn it when they shut down cambodia daily but you stay silent when

a member states starts playing with freedom of expression. private websites if they start arresting jewelries how can you say this is cause additional that we don't have anything to say i mean this is freedom of expression anything else that we're going to help you with today it's an internal constitutional problem according to the e.u. and the house to be sold into frame or called internal orders or for legal order of spain the problem is that this is true until until when certain issues arise like this in the last few days the issue of freedom of expression which is not only an internal constitution of ancient spain it's clearly a value which is if you want. constitutional order what all the spying was called situation or that it's. nato has admitted that an

airstrike in afghanistan has resulted in civilian casualties the u.s. strike was called to suppress a terrorist attack on kabul airport on wednesday but the taliban and i so claimed the attack just hours after the arrival of the pentagon and nato chief to the country. the insurgent said that they were targeting the defense secretary's aircraft but his plane however was not hit in a statement he made to lead a resolute support mission and said that the u.s. conducted the air strike to suppress the attack but one of the missiles had a tragic we've not function causing several casualties and not explaining any further the afghan crisis response unit to responded quickly to confront the attackers and the assault u.s. forces acting in support conducted an airstrike tragically one of the michel's malfunctioned causing several casualties officials express regrets for the civilian casualties and said that to investigation into the now function was underway but

this isn't the first time that nato has had to admit civilian casualties in afghanistan their actions seemed justified when nato led forces were just trying to foil an attack on the pentagon and u.s. defense chiefs but the irony is that these same military officials are now accusing the militants of putting civilians at risk blaming the islamist group for operating in supplying populated areas to attack. a civilian airport is a criminal act is the targets are designed to go after generally innocent people to make some sort of statement and it's just a classic definition of what the taliban are up to right now it is what it is but it's all show the region why we band together and we don't we don't question what we're doing here robin i mean from the american campaign group just foreign policy told us that washington should not shift the blame when it strikes home civilians. i think the first key thing here is that under international law the responsibility

to protect civilians from the use of u.s. military force belongs to the u.s. military and the u.s. government and no one else it's not the responsibility of the taliban to protect civilians from the u.s. use of military force that's the responsibility united states so i think it changed then the u.s. military is trying to deflect responsibility for some of the quality for the u.s. military action and sadly this is a pattern for the u.s. and its allies at the same thing we're seeing with saudi arabia and yemen and saudi arabia blames everybody else for civilian casualties caused by saudi arabia. in a surprise move the japanese prime minister's dissolved parliament paving the way for a snap election next month she wants to capitalize on his high approval ratings to get a mandate for tougher defense policies towards north korea don't know holkins next looks at the power play and whether gamble will pay off. a rise in popularity and

opposition in disarray and a sinister forward threat looming on the horizon a perfect recipe for calling an early election which is exactly what prime minister shinzo has announced. you are going up on your debt by calling an election i am seeking a public mandate for the government's handling of north korean issues. the korean crisis could be a blessing in disguise for accusations of corruption and cronyism as well as unpopular policies knocked his ratings over the summer falling to lows of around thirty percent according to some polls but with rising regional tensions his popularity is already back at fifty percent now if he's reelected are we would become japan's longest serving prime minister and this could allow him to make a historic change the country's pacifist constitution discarding article nine which completely without says all military action supporters say this would simply

legitimize japan's army and right to self-defense but critics would open the floodgates to participating in full blown foreign conflicts but i'm a diplomatic strains with china military tensions with pyongyang japan has already stepped up shows of military force holding joint drills with the united states and south korea as well as the prying new was shipped the most significant deployments in seventy years. or so is even more cooperation with the united states. and america because it's very willing to take risks in confronting korea and japan. doing that would be a move just to. the interest to reach but public resistance to the increased militarization has been strong. was. the protesters are the only opposition

faces to go. judical has already formed a new party of hope to challenge the government in of personal standoff with. that just enjoy it while we are facing a crisis with north korea is it ok to create a vacuum in politics of course not however prime minister abbott has already decided to use the premier's exclusive right to dissolve the lower house and call elections. she says right wing of his right wing so the two of the dream to cooperate on paper. they have to propose to each other no we can think of these majority for no obvious seems certain he will win the election and strengthen his mind that so confident in fact he's promised to resign if he doesn't the last time a leader took such a gamble just to strengthen their majority well we all know how that ended the big gamble. as election results show a hung parliament parliamentary majority is hong parliament that is no majority at

all bold move could be a historic moment for japan or a spectacular fail for the prime minister. got some advice for all of the. candidates themselves. got a lesson for all prospective politicians after the break.

we'll. tell you the. south but actually his election promise is that one favor among voters in elections in the southern state of alabama trumps last while the one who adopted the trump slogan make america great again one takes

a look at how the vote reflects on both. the republican primary in alabama might seem like a local issue but here's why it should have been bigger than the candidates so first you've got luther strange she is the establishment republican a former lobbyist for big business on capitol hill he's got the support of his party including funding but he lost to fringe candidate more more echo donald trump's stance on immigration as well as his montra america first and he believes that u.s. president barack obama was not a legal u.s. citizen sounds an awful lot like trump did during the two thousand and sixteen presidential campaign well twenty seventeen trump sitting in the oval office put his backing behind the establishment candidate instead of luther strange knows the true source of america's strength its god its family and its country. and trump's decision didn't sit well with some of his more outspoken supporters

support judge roy moore judge moore is going to defend our interests with the same still spied that he defended those ten commandments so now that ray moore has one donald trump is backtracking and getting rid of his tweets in support of luther strange and he's doing something that's even more rare for the commander in chief it missing that he might have been wrong and i'll be honest i might have made a mistake the people who supported trump are still looking for these things to be carried out and i think when they are marketed roy moore they just rode away dramatically reduce. the establishment candidate even though he was endorsed by by donald trump's court where that roy moore he's a kind of guy who will stand will stand up to this corrupt stablish in the u.s. senate and. hopefully bring about some good training from took office ready to put

america first again it and. cost and now he's softening his stance in order to appease the establishment but the real question is are his supporters ready to do the same thing hey look mop and art see new york. now we know that people and corporations have bright so is it time for nature to follow suit environmental groups in the united states is suing the authorities on behalf of the colorado river demanding it be granted personhood so that it can be better protected the colorado river is asking for a judicial recognition of itself as a person with rights of its own to exist and florrie the lawsuit seeks a recognition that the state of colorado can be held liable for violating those rights how by the river the colorado river provides drinking water for thirty million americans that's one in ten it flows through the seven states from the rocky mountains down to the gulf of california it also irrigates more than two

million hectares of farmland so therefore contributing greatly to american agriculture. but the riff is over future water shortages due to the current imbalance of supply and demand plants and wildlife are also believed to be in danger through over development although critics say it's absurd to give a river human rights campaigners argue that's because environmental laws aren't enough. the river itself was given right so you could actually go into court on behalf of the river like we as a guardian of the river fiduciary of the river currently you can't go into court in argue that until it's too late giving rights to nature and to the colorado river would elevate that status and make it possible to go into court and actually do things that would help preserve and restore and allow the river to exist in florida let me think absurd can i go now we've done. i mean it's ridiculous i believe in protecting the environment i'm a huge protector of the environment but but in order to put you know put people and

rivers and mountains on the same moral level to me is so lacking of decency it's unbelievable so i think the whole idea the whole notion is totally absurd corporations have rights in this country and they have more rights than human communities do nature has just as many rights as corporations colorado river you know should have a right to exist florists naturally evolve regenerate and be restored and currently as that is it does not and colorado river is in serious trouble what is a corporation a corporation is basically a bunch of people who come together to form a corporation that protects their interests so the government had to find a way to give them certain protections that those people who hold a corporation would otherwise not have the same cannot be said for a river for a mountain for a tree and it's a misunderstanding of why a corporation is given personhood is because protecting the rights of the people

who own that company. but let's take you back to spell you know i'm going to leave you with these pictures from barcelona yet again another well attended rally in the capital of the consulate in the region ahead of the independence referendum that's planned for this sunday will be the dritte thinks it's a legal protest against attempts by. the spanish government to block the rights of roach police a due to be sent in this sunday to try and block off polling stations the constitutional court of spain it's already says it's a legal account go ahead the spanish authorities have already arrested fourteen regional officials and seized up to ten million ballot papers as well as banners advertising the referendum they've also blocked off the official campaign website thing isn't about which side people are on in catalonia it's the right to be able to say what they want but most people seem to be protesting about extra police have been sent in there will be more as the countdown to that referendum taking place

occurs jew this sunday whether the police move in and try and prevent it who knows we're certainly on it and we'll be able to let you know what's happening. in thirty minutes also jacqueline who will be here keeping watch on what's happening in barcelona and that increasing campaign towards the catalonian independence referendum this is r.t. international thanks for watching. the kurdish language has many proverbs one of them has been cited frequently better a council of one's own than a jointly own account. how close are the iraqi kurds to being their own shepherd.

with full make this manufactured consensus instead of public wealth. when the right wing plus is pretty. themselves. when the final merry go round lifts and we know one person. that's not doing the whole middle of the room signals. the real need for. politicians to. be put themselves on the line to get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president or injury. or some want to. have to go right to be

cross with what before three in the morning can people that i'm interested always in the waters of our. first sit. this with the with me. the most get a little bit with the muslims plus i'm a lawyer but i. know both it was a bit of but i guess sort of kind of the other side of this yes. you dump a lot and just see if you saw the images. where they blew up he won't get sick good area for immigrants it's hit and miss we never really know for sure but this has been

a active area. so i've. had. enough but when i started nobody. in america a call. degree requires a great deal. paying a decades long dead. studying so hard it requires strong. going through humiliation to enter an elite society. and partying to death sometimes quite literally. wants other true colors of universities in the us.