main protests tens of thousands are gathered in the capital in a show of support for president bashar assad his eleven year rule has been challenged by demonstrations are demanding long awaited reforms the government has promised greater freedoms including the lifting of a controversial emergency in the well used to detain dissidents without trial all the one hundred fifty people being killed in eleven days of fighting the government blames foreign sources it's on the locals claim the government troops are responsible for the situation in syria has raised fears another foreign intervention could be possible james. he's a writer rather on middle east politics and security issues says that although the west is not in the mood to intervene in syria's affairs right now it might change its mind. it's bad to predict what's going to happen the middle east of the moment but i would say that certainly what from what we're hearing from washington and from the europeans there is no appetite for expanding the current intervention that we're seeing in libya i think even in libya the americans have been

breast that shaken the regime of president bashar assad while the government blames of foreign sources locals claim government to. interests football but the situation in syria has raised fears and now the foreign intervention possible change that is now is a light on middle east politics and security issues that the west is not an immunity to be in serious affairs right now ignite changes minds. it's bad to predict what's going to happen in the middle east in a moment but i would say that certainly what from what we're hearing from washington and from the europeans there is no appetite for expanding the current intervention that we're seeing in libya i think even in libya the americans have been very quick to hand over to nato. for sort of wash their hands of total responsibility for what will happen next that hillary clinton was quoted as saying that she still believes that bashar assad is a reformer someone who can potentially deliver a better syria rather than heading down into civil war which would have huge repercussions for the rest of the middle east bearing in mind syria's geo

of democracy and freedoms but it is quite interesting actually said americans almost offending bashar assad as a reformer today i think which is a reflection of how incredibly dynamic and fluid the situation is in the middle east at present and i was james that our rice on middle east politics and security issues we've got the latest from libya around the clock on air and online check our regular updates from our correspondents on the spot on our twenty three now and our facebook page also find all the latest videos on our huge huge challenge. muscovites traveling. to the devastation of. that's when dozens of commuters were killed or many. stations in the morning rush hour. one of the discussed effects of. a cavity in the morning the second blast happened around this time where you are now all people. remember. well there are certainly a lot of commemorative events scheduled for today of course to remember all of those who died loved ones or were injured in the two terrible suicide attacks that walked to the capitol early in the morning exactly one year ago partly due to where we're standin

of democracy and freedoms but it is quite interesting that she said americans almost defending bashar assad as a reformer today i think which is a reflection of how incredibly dynamic and fluid the situation is in the middle east at present. but that was not james jones like a writer on middle east politics on for security features. for many muscovites traveling on the metro today likely to think back to the devastating events of exactly one year ago when dozens of commuters were killed and many others injured by a pair of a female suicide bombers targeting two stations in the morning rush hour i got to know i was out of it i was outside one of the blast sites there's certainly a lot of commemorative events scheduled for today of course to remember all those who died lost loved ones or were injured in the two terrible suicide attacks that rocked the capital early in the morning exactly one year ago partly through where we're standing is of course one of those metro stations also in the very hard all the russian capital and dozens were killed and injured here in this very station so througho

of democracy and freedoms but it is quite interesting that she said americans almost defending bashar assad as a reformer today i think which is a reflection of how incredibly dynamic and fluid the situation is in the middle east at present. change. from middle east policy and security issues we've got the latest from libya around the clock and online check out regular dates from our correspondents on the. twitter stream and our facebook page and all the latest videos on our you tube channel. is it. that many mosques traveling on the match of stay are likely to think back to the devastating events of exactly a year ago thousand where dozens of commuters were killed and many others injured by two female suicide bombers saw getting to stations in the morning rush hour covering us out of it is outside one of the stations discuss the effects of a terror attack sac catechize state you have a second blast happened around this time where you people are starting to return to the interim member those hinge on. some possible it will. start i think there are pitfalls that brought the day people will b

for what will happen next that hillary clinton was quoted as saying that she still believes that bashar assad is a reformer someone who can potentially deliver a better syria rather than heading down into civil war which would have huge repercussions for the rest of the middle east bearing in mind syria's here's a change of position so i don't see any kind of appetite at present for western intervention in syria that said syria has a legacy in the rain in the eighty's of heavy handed clampdowns on its own sort of civil protests and i think if we saw anything like what happened in say nicely to. their west would be forced to intervene simply because the level of bloodshed but i think once again we're a long way away from that right now so libya has a more natural resources in terms of oil and is of course located right in the southern flank of us and pretty powerful european states syria on the other hand is deeply intertwined in the middle east peace process relations with israel of course it has a longstanding and very complicated relationship with lebanon a country which still has yet to fo

democracy and freedoms but it is quite interesting that she said the americans almost defending bashar assad as a reformer today i think which is a reflection of how incredibly dynamic and fluid the situation is in the middle east at present. and that was james denselow talking to me a little earlier right on middle east politics and security issues. two suspects thought to be behind the tora bombing at moscow's domodedovo airport have been detained in russia's southern republic of english the anti terror committee says the pair were arrested during a special operation. brings us the details. according to sources within the local security offices we know that the operation was being planned for a long time that the number of people who knew about it was minimal so that the operation could be successful we know that seventeen other militants were actually killed as a result of that operation and two men were detained those two men the brothers are believed by security forces to be involved in the terrorist attack on the moscow domodedovo airport which took place a few months ago those two men

. >> reporter: god, syria, bashar, they chanted, as president al assad arrived at parliament. for days the syrian government had crushed protests with brute force. dozens are believed dead. today they expected him to bend but he took a very hard line and blamed the unrest on outside conspirators. the conspiracy is big and we are not looking for a fight, he said. but we will not hesitate to defend our causes, interests and principles. hopes for reform and an end to 48 years of repressive laws turned out to be wishful thinking. al assad got a well-orchestrated show of support. the only visible dissent, this extraordinary scene. a woman rushing the president's car, quickly subdued. disappointed protesters are reportedly back out, with more expected. earlier this week, near syria's border with jordan, we met an eyewitness who dared speak. >> were you there when the security forces came to town? >> reporter: they invaded our mosque and started killing people, he said. tonight analysts say the syrian president seems convinced he can crush any protests. there are reports the military

main port city of latakia the latest city to be swept by protest against the rule of president bashar assad. the government says at least 12 people have been killed, reportedly by ungown-- unknown gunmen firing from roof 207s. for more on the policy challenges facing the president we are joined by john dickerson. good evening. >> good evening, jim. >> a quick question to start with, what does the president have to get done tomorrow night? >> well, he has to outline the exact shape of u.s. policy in libya, most important is the military role. how involved will the military be? how long will it be involved? and also what are the objectives, what does success look like. the president also has to kind of explain again the two halves of his libya policy. the humanitarian piece that required military intervention, and the second half, which is pressuring qaddafi to leave but that does not have a military component. he will declare victory of a sort by saying the military piece has been largely completed and hope that by saying he delivered on that promise, people will believe him about the promis

witnesses say president bashar assad's security forces opened fire. more than 50 people killed, according to human rights activists, in the town of daraa, epicenter of the uprising. video posted on the internet the only images of the carnage. >> the only way that assad can stay in power is by being brutal. he has lost his legitimacy. >> reporter: just yesterday a presidential adviser had promised a laundry list of reforms, higher pay, corruption investigations, a possible end to 48 years of emergency law. but clearly, many syrians are not buying it. in yemen, the crowds were even larger. hundreds of thousands demanding president ali abdullah saleh step down. saleh has lost key support in recent days. top military commanders and tribal leaders have joined the opposition, disgusted by a massacre last friday that killed nearly 50. today saleh was defiant, vowing not to hand over power. the u.s. counts on him to keep pressure on al qaeda in yemen and is reportedly trying to broker a deal. by phone a newspaper editor there said the president and the nation

. >> sreenivasan: syrian president bashar assad accepted the resignation of his entire cabinet today. it was a gesture to calm pro- democracy protests that began more than a week ago. up to 60 people have been killed since then, as police fired on crowds. earlier today, pro-government demonstrators massed in the central square in damascus under a 45-foot poster of assad. they waved flags and carried pictures of the president. assad has ruled for 11 years. he holds the majority of power in the authoritarian regime. in iraq, gunmen killed as many as 56 people in a siege in saddam hussein's hometown. at least eight attackers seized the provincial headquarters in tikrit. they took hostages before iraqi troops surrounded the site. footage showed smoke rising from the building as the battle raged. officials said the guen executed the hostages, then blew themselves up. in addition to the dead, nearly 100 people were wounded. the war of words over spending heated up today in the u.s. congress. it came as talks have largely broken down on funding the government for the rest of the current fisc

today, president bashar assad seemed to try to placate the demonstrators. he pulled back his security forces in dahra and ordered the release of all protestors who had been arrested. it's been nearly two weeks since the earthquake and tsunami in japan. the recovery is only beginning and the crisis at that damaged nuclear plant is far from over. today, two plant workers were take on the the hospital after suffering from radioactive burns, and rescue workers say the evacuation zone around the plant has kept them from searching for the missing. the number of missing is now above 17,000 and the death toll has reached more than 8,800. meanwhile, in tokyo bill whitaker reports tap water has been declared safe again for infants. >> reporter: 24 hours after it was deemed unfit for infants, the regional governor declared tokyo's tap water delicious and safe for all. "let's all calm down," he said. nevertheless, shoppers, emptied store shelves, even waited in line for water with some storms limiting what people can by, the city began distributing 12 bottles of water

yet unlike egypt's hosni mubarak or libya's moammar qaddafi, syria's bashar al assad has faced minorcattered demonstrations. but the situation is fluid and possibly escalating. scenes from youtube claimed to show protests across the country, including deraa, where there were deadly clashes. assad, who took power 11 years ago after the death of his father, has taken recent steps to put more money into people's pockets, and pledged to loosen some of the tight restrictions that have marked his government's rule. subsidies on several food staples were increased, something well received by this shopper in a damascus market >> ( translated ): everything is cheap-- cooking oil, rice, sugar. they're all cheap this time of year. >> reporter: she praises the government of the 45-year-old assad. an ophthalmologist trained in britain, he promised to modernize a centralized, soviet- style economy. consumer and luxury goods were allowed in, and syrians living abroad were invited to return. dr. haina shaaban is a key presidential adviser. >> president bashar did do many important steps internally,

the rooftops deployed troops dozens of died in a week of demonstrations are going to president bashar assad to who's facing the deepest crisis of his eleven years in power he's expected to address the nation in the coming days. german chancellor angela merkel's ruling party looks set for a humiliating defeat in a key regional election exit polls indicate the christian democrats are about to lose in version. six decades of conservatives being in power that it follows a widespread opposition to merkel's utahans on a nuclear power decisions on libya and the euro. italian prime minister is due to appear in court over corruption charges silvio berlusconi is facing a trial linked to one of his media companies he's accused of inflating the price paid to buy television rights and then using the difference to fund political activities the pm is facing a total of four trials including one for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute and abusing his power he denies all of the charges. and that more than a dozen homes were evacuated when a freight train carrying potentially hazardous materi

from a rooftop deploy the troops dozens have died in a week of demonstrations against president bashar assad who's facing the deepest crisis that was eleven years in power he's expected to address the nation in the coming days. germany's anti nuclear green party who scored a historic victory over chancellor angela merkel's conservatives in regional election exit polls suggest the greens double their share in the bargain with the christian democrats likely to lose power after almost six decades is being seen as an anti nuclear power vote after recent events in japan meanwhile in front of the opposition socialist party took a decisive local election when putting pressure on president nicolas sarkozy a year before he faces an election. and italian prime minister is due to appear in court over corruption charges silvio berlusconi is facing a trial going to one of his media companies he's accused of in fighting the price paid to buy television rights and then using the difference to fund political activities the pm is facing a total of four trials including one for allegedly paying for sex. with

it was unclear whether shots were fired at protesters or into the head on a speech by president bashar assad in which he did not refer to the state of emergency widely dicta one of the human rights groups or more than sixty people have been killed in a government crackdown on protests since washington. oh heard today the russia close up taking texas to the doorstep of siberia youngins commission we now know for its nuclear research in arms about it went region was shut off to all foreigners until recently as the early ninety's but now it's wide open. yes and i've been sky hosts the welcoming party for returning cosmonauts and astronauts as one of the designated space capsule nanjing cern's social recovery teams are always ready to track and train and just minutes after the event but it's artie's really political report so it's not quite as easy as it sounds. months spent in space and stars and constellations orbiting the earth in zero gravity being a cosmonaut or an astronaut is no easy task. but after their mission is complete and a return to earth mission for other men and women begins. ob

in syria the pressure is increasing on president bashar assad at least twenty three protesters were killed on friday during a violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in the southern city of daraa . was also used against angry crowds in the capital damascus last week twenty five people died of state troops down on protests tens of thousands turned out for the subsequent funeral march. i. am in yemen the country's a foreign minister says he hopes for a deal on a transfer of power on saturday it comes after president saleh announced he is ready to pass his role into trustworthy hands the leader to step down by the years and after elections the country has seen two months of anti-government protests where fifty demonstrators shot last week. and in jordan two people have been beaten to death after pro-government loyalists attacked a vigil in the capital one hundred protestors almost all of them students were wounded in the clashes forces used to disperse over two thousand demonstrators reforms and more efforts to fight corruption. and the number of people killed by a strong earthqua

unclear whether shots were fired at the testers or into the air before the speech by president bashar assad let's hope they can also offer to lift the state of emergency as had been widely predicted according to human rights groups say over sixty people have been killed in a government crackdown on protests since march. over the take a short break now but how that got away katrina will be here with all the business news here on out. there is not enough stories for them on the ground. down to. get things nonexistent under the sun. fill the gap of adrenaline. just deeply hidden secrets. they are seeking to. find. and even. talking to god. from the. underground. world for. bringing you the latest inside strength and courage from israel's russia. we've got the future coverage. thanks for staying with us here at r.t. and welcome to the business news for this hour new rules for russian state companies have been spelled out by president medvedev he says regulation needs to be significantly improved order in order to help the countries that investment climate. you're pretty much dealing in order to

protests against the hard-line president bashar assad have been growing. today assad's cabinet quit and he hinted more changes may be coming. foreign journalists have been barred from syria. allen pizzey is reporting tonight from the syria/jordan border. >> reporter: tens of thousands turned out for what were termed loyalty to the nation rallies. the government said it gave people time off to attend, opponents claim workers were told they'd be fired and students would fail exams if they didn't show up. at the same time, state t.v. announced that the entire cabinet had resigned. the response to protests in which more than 60 people have been killed and hundreds injured trying to end 50 years of repressive rule. >> this would be a sea change, i think, and this is where the egyptian revolution did not do. i think this is where i see it's more important to watch changes in syria than any other place. >> reporter: the reason is simple: iran is syria's closest ally, which makes it a major problem for u.s. policy. syria is accused of providing money and weapons t

unclear where the shots were fired at protestors or into the air it followed a speech by president bashar assad in which he did not offer to rest a state of emergency as happened why do you predicted according to human rights groups over sixty people have been killed in a government crackdown on protests in march. today the close up it takes us to the doorstep of siberia the chilly alban sky region renowned for its nuclear research and all of the developments the region was shut off to war foreigners into this recently as the early ninety's but now it's why day prince everyone. generale been. welcoming policy for returning calls little's answer of course is one of the designated space capsule landing zones special recovery teams are always razor trying to retrieve them just minutes after they land but as you know going to school reports it's not quite as easy as it sounds. months spent in space i mean stars and constellations orbiting the earth in zero gravity. or an astronaut is no easy task. but after their mission is complete and a return to earth mission for other men and women begins. obvi

dignity on friday to expand the demonstrations across the country the plans come despite president bashar assad to pledging to grown people greater political freedoms and raise public pay roll in the southern city of daraa thousands of people continue to rally against the forty eight year rule of the bath party activists claim dozens of green shot dead and many arrested in security forces as they clamp down over the last few days. and a wildfire in colorado has engulfed about sixteen hundred acres of land in a denver suburb that's forcing over eight thousand residents to flee their homes this is the second major wildfire to erupt this week because of which is on the blaze which started on thursday is being driven by winds of more than fifty kilometers per hour thought fighters have now managed to contain about seventy percent of the fire so far and no injuries have been reported at this point. it's hard not to turn over if you can be a tree he's got the latest from the world business. welcome to business are saying if you arctic exploration assets talk to your between oil majors p.p. and russia

thousands marching across the country in the restive city on durand crowds called for president bashar assad to go he faces the deepest crisis of his eleven years in power after security forces fired on protesters on friday killing at least twenty three activists the government blames gangs for the bloodshed and the civilian deaths. yemen's embattled president is in talks with the opposition for a handover of power after weeks of protest ali abdullah so they are venturing off or to quit later this year but protesters insist they want him to go now they're resolved hearted after around fifty people were shot dead anti-government protests last week senior military and political figures have also about their. well a recap of our top stories that's coming up after this break. well. here's a tremendous first flight the flames of species race are again alike brand new rockets need a new launch site private companies now enter the flight to explore the cosmos to their own right space and place one technology on. the contrary covered. download the official implication on the phone the i pod touch fr

school for president bashar assad to step down faces the crisis over his eleven years in power off the security forces fired on protesters on friday killing at least twenty three the government blames gangs for the bloodshed and civilian deaths. yemen's embattled president is in talks with the opposition for a handover of power after weeks of protests. to quit later this year but protesters insist they want to go right now their result around fifty people were shot dead in antigovernment protests last week senior political figures of also abandoned the leader. well do stay with us for a look at the latest and greatest from the world all high tech technology updated always a lot of fun is coming away just a few minutes that will be right after a recap of our top stories. man. would be so much brighter if you knew about someone from funds to impressions. for instance on t.v. dot com. wealthy british style but it's a testament to the books by the front. yard.

trouble in the middle east unrest continues spread across syria challenging the will of president bashar assad of course a state troops opened fire killing at least twenty three people in three separate protests tear gas was also used against demonstrators in the capital damascus dandy government movement began over a week ago after protesters demanded the release of political prisoners. and in jordan two people were beaten to death and hundreds wounded after pro-government loyalists attacked a vigil in the capital the classes were broken up by riot police over two thousand young demonstrators were calling for reforms to the current leadership and more efforts to fight corruption the violence was the first of its kind in jordan during more than two months of protests which have seen the king sacked his cabinet and plots before. and myanmar's local media has put the number killed in thursday's earthquake at seventy four with more than one hundred injured many of the victims died when their homes were buried in a landslide triggered by the tremor it's measured a magnitude of six point eight hund

hundred political prisoners have been released in the country the pressure increases on president bashar assad in the southern city of thousands of protesters are out on the streets the ruling baath party headquarters has now been burned in nearby hundreds have been demanding the president step down on friday at least twenty three protesters were killed in the city during a violent crackdown on demonstrators. in yemen the country's foreign minister says he hopes for a deal on the transfer of power on saturday that comes after president announced he is ready to party as roll into trustworthy hands the legal step down by the years after elections the country has seen two months of antigovernment protests with fifty two demonstrators shot last. number of people killed by a strong earthquake in. seventy five with more than one hundred injured many of the victims died when their homes were buried in a landslide triggered by the tremor hundreds of houses buddhist monasteries and government buildings were damaged strong aftershocks were felt in thailand laos and vietnam. well now for some more on our

[applause] [chanting] [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: the people want bashar assad. [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: you show me so much love when you work so hard for the syrian people. [chanting] [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: the arab world does not think enough for you. you should be a world leader. [applause] [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: dear brothers and sisters, you might hate some things that is good for you, words of god. but we are humans. we cannot love what happens. we cannot like blood, we cannot like attention. but prices are a positive opportunity if we can control it and get out of it victoria street the secret of the success of syria is the many crises that it has pace -- faced in the past particularly after independence which gave it more protection and more power. so we have to face the crisis with great confidence and with great commitment to succeed. fear has to become a positive feeling, not a negative one that pushes us forward. not to flee forward, not to escape forward. when we escape forward, we will end u

atop cars, carrying posters of assad and shouting, "only god, syria and bashar." >> brown: in a bid efuse tensions, assad, who took power 11 years ago after his father's death, has moved to increase wages for state workers. and the government promised yesterday to consider lifting the state of emergency in effect since 1963, with its restrictions on political freedom. but in washington today, white house press secretary jay carney condemned the regime's use of force. >> we urge upon the syrian government that they pursue a non-violent path, that they pursue political dialogue, because the future of this region depends upon... the stability and future of this region depends upon the decision by governments to listen to their people. >> brown: yesterday, defense secretary robert gates said that the syrian army should take a lesson from how the army in egypt refused to attack its own people. meanwhile, a leading syrian opposition figure called today for the international community to intervene to "stop the massacres." more now, from theodore kattouf. he served as u.s. ambassador to he s

the syrian president bashar al- assad has addressed the country since the protest began two weeks ago. he failed to announce widely expected reforms and instead accused syrians enemies of conspiring against national unity. hundreds of people took to the streets chanting "freedom." >> president assad at the lighted his allies in syria's parliament. -- delighted his allies in syria's parliament. he disappointed reformers who had hoped for a big gesture like the end of the emergency law which has powered the police state since 1963. instead, a foreign plot was responsible for the protest. >> yanase king battles or fights. -- we are not seeking battles or fights. we have never stopped from defending ourselves or our causes. those who want to take us on, they are welcome to do so. >> you must guard to release the prisoners. >> we reached a dissident inside of syria who spent more than 8 years in jail. >> he did not say anything new. all his speeches from the past. >> he would like to be a reformer, do you believe him? >> i do not believe the regime. not now, not before. this is a bad resum

bashar assad arrived in parliament for the first speech since protests began nearly two weeks ago.ad was widely expected to lift a decades old emergency law. instead, he blamed the turmoil on conspirators and vowed to defeat those who were behind it. >> ( translated ): i speak to you today at very exceptional times. the events and developments seem to be testing our unity, the test that keeps repeating itself every now and then because of continued conspiracies over the homeland. but our will and unity and god's will continue to succeed in confronting these conspiracies every time successfully, which adds to our immunity and strength. >> sreenivasan: after the televised speech, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the port city of latakia shouting freedom. and there were some reports troops opened fire at one of the protests. huge crowds of protesters gathered across yemen to demand president ali abdullah saleh step down. the anti-government demonstrators packed streets in sanaa, saada and marib. opposition leaders said saleh's insistence at staying in power constitutes a