taylor is accused of fuelling the civil war in sierra leone in the 1990's and is charged with 11 counts of war crimes. peter barnes was there to witness how the judge and the court deal with the snub. >> good morning. i take appearances, but before i do so, i note the absence of the accused, but, however, i will ask the principal person to speak. >> there was no sign of charles taylor nor his defense attorney. the presiding judge said she had received a document stating that mr. taylor had waived his right to be in court, thus confirming there was no medical issue involved. today had been set aside for the defense to present their summing up in this trial, but yesterday, the lawyer walked out and began a boycott because of disagreement over the late submission of this final written trial brief. >> this trial has already lasted over three years. the prosecution is trying to prove that the former president of liberia, charles taylor, which the central figure in terror in sierra leone in the 1990's. it is alleged that he profited from the country's diamonds, and the hacking off of limbs wa

closing arguments, they said that taylor bore the most responsibility for the eight problems in sierra leone in the 1990's. taylor denies the charges, which includes inside the murder and . after a brief adjournment, he refused to return to the koran. earlier, his lawyer walked out from the courtroom after they refused to accept me to documents. and one man said he ordered last month's deadly suicide bombing at moscow's international airport that left 36 people dead and dozens wounded korea already declared public enemy no. 1 by russian officials, he has threatened further attacks in a new video message. he says the airport attack was carried out to avenge russian crimes in the caucuses. >> the video was posted on the website that is hosted -- associated with islam gravel's in the caucuses. in it, the chechen leader says he was behind the bombing at moscow's domodedovo airport last month. >> this was carried out on my orders, and, god willing, these will continue in the future. >> the bombing killed 36 people. he said it was revenge for the kremlin's anti-terrorism campaign in the caucasus.

the prosecution said that he was directly responsible for the campaign of terror in sierra leone. he had been the key figure, the godfather. his ultimate objective was to pillage the country's resources. after the first break of the morning, charles taylor failed thrift -- to return to court. >> i do not see him. >> the accused president committee is not in court. >> i will take it there for that he has deliberately violated that order and absented himself voluntarily. >> the prosecution carried on summing up their closing arguments, but without the accused or his lawyer in court, this trial has been thrown into uncertainty. bbc news, in the hague. >> do stay with us, if you can come up on "bbc world news." still to come for you -- portrait of gaza. ed meet the award winning german photographer who has documented the israeli-palestinian conflict for over two decades. first though, indonesia's's president has condemned the burning of two churches in central java. they were attacked not long after a christian man was sale -- was sentenced to five years in jail for deliberately insul

missed a january deadline to submit it to or is accused of arming rebels during the civil war in sierra leone in exchange for blood diamonds is also charged with masterminding atrocities during the war which claimed a quarter of a million lives. that wraps up the main news block here in r.t. up next it's business. on welcome to business is going to straight to our top story russian energy major gas problems reportedly in talks with royal dutch shell to widen their global alliance sources close to the negotiation site of the old blue book say europe's biggest oil company may offer gazprom assets in asia in return shell wants to expand the look of five natural gas plants at the twenty two billion dollars settling to project a winner markets in china and india may also gain access to new offshore fields to supply the plant and its otherness out of from metropole doubts the plans will come to anything at least for the moment. on one hand there are good very good perspectives for. point of view of gas for expansion. but at the same time current situation on the global of the market is not so favor

accept a written summary of his defense case taylor stands accused of arming rebels and neighboring sierra leone in exchange for so-called blood diamonds the trial has lasted more than three and a half years with a verdict expected later this year if convicted terror will serve his sentence in the u.k. . britain's former labor government has come under fire after a report revealed they did all they could to secure the lockerbie bomber release. he was the only person convicted of the aircraft explosion in one nine hundred eighty eight but killed two hundred seventy people he was sentenced to life in prison but return to libya in two thousand and nine on compassionate grounds a report just released by the present government says the u.k.'s personal interests in the country were the driving force behind the deal. military officers from the two koreas have sat down for talks following months of high tensions on the peninsula going gang and soul brokaw intact late last year when the north responded to artillery fire near their territory by shelling a south korean island it's out the talks which took

blow after his maid lawyer stormed out of the courtroom taylor is accused of arming rebels in sierra leone for power and profit while the former president refused to return to the court following a break in the trial at the hague that has so far lasted more than three years well the opening was delayed for six months following similar protests now a search is continuing for two swiss girls who are believed to be missing in southern italy their father picked his six year old twin daughters from their mother so me and switzerland more than a week ago then travel to france and then on to italy where he killed himself by jumping under a train at a station an extensive search involves italian french and swiss police. now a new batch of the legendary russian military helicopter the fifty two has been unveiled known as the alligator it is equipped with state of the art weapons are. checked out the military might of the flying russian machine. or be so sensitive that these common things to. your superior force. people to take a glimpse at one of those malls to. receive this thirty three carat. arm

missed in january deadline to submit it taylor was accused of arming rebels during the civil war in sierra leone in exchange for blood diamonds he's also charged with masterminding atrocities during the war which claimed a quarter of a million lives but. now testing on animals is an emotive issue for many people it's a debate that continues to evolve but the scientific consensus is that few medical breakthroughs would be possible without it and in russia groundbreaking research is helping in the quest to find new treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes archie saraf earth has the story. just how de ravin more importantly why would you want the newest you can spew sickly genetically modified rivets produce a very valuable drug in the milk which is used in treating cancer. here's a scientific research center on the outskirts musky these animals are aging scientists cutting edge research welcome to the pioneering new wells of farming from the sea to coons. this is where the animals keps now these ones ordinary rabbits but if we gaze through into the next three and you've got the chance geni

out following the court's refusal to accept a key document taylor is accused of arming rebels in sierra leone for power and profits the former president is refusing to return to the court in a trial that has so far lasted more than three years the opening was delayed for six months following similar protests. now a new batch of the legendary russian a military helicopter the k a fifty two has been unveiled known as the alligator it is equipped with state of the art weapons well arty's checked out the military might of the flying russian machine. around a military air base in central russia and that is the common fifty two also known as the alligator of the russian air force receiving the latest batch we ourselves were able to take. back to one of those monsters. basing this thirty reeling in a cannon can pierce through armor but obviously it's not the only weapon this aircraft can be equipped with antitank missiles early air missiles bombs all of them installed on the wings here and make this aircraft a real predator in the skies now the cockpit is the grade office and that's what she can see

out following the court's refusal to accept a key document taylor is accused of arming rebels in sierra leone for power and profit well the former president is refusing to return to the court in a trial that has so far lasted more than three years the opening was delayed for six. months following similar protests. a search is continuing for two swiss girls who are believed to be missing in southern italy their father picked his six year old twin daughters from their mother so when switzerland more than a week ago he traveled to france and then on to italy where he killed himself by jumping under a train at a station and extensive search involves italian french and swiss police. now a new batch of the legendary russian military helicopter the fifty two has been unveiled known as the alligator it is equipped with a state of the art weapons are. checked out the military might of the flying russian machine. around a military air base in central russia and that is the common fifty two also known as the alligator and like your superior force receiving the latest batch we ourselves were able to take

closing arguments, they said that taylor bore the most responsibility for the eight problems in sierra leone in the 1990's. taylor denies the charges, which includes inside the murder and rape and hiring child soldiers. after a brief adjournment, he refused to return to the koran. earlier, his lawyer walked out from the courtroom after they refused to accept me to documents. and one man said he ordered last month's deadly suicide bombing at moscow's international airport that left 36 people dead and dozens wounded korea already declared public enemy no. 1 by russian officials, he has threatened further attacks in a new video message. he says the airport attack was carried out to avenge russian crimes in the caucuses. >> the video was posted on the website that is hosted -- associated with islam gravel's in the caucuses. in it, the chechen leader says he was behind the bombing at moscow's domodedovo airport last month. >> this was carried out on my orders, and, god willing, these will continue in the future. >> the bombing killed 36 people. he said it was revenge for the kremlin's anti-terror

there are mercenaries, people from neighboring countries like chad, sudan, sierra leone.s of african countries that over the years have had long and bloody civil wars and you have a generation of young men trained in the art of fighting. many of them were financed by gaddafi in the 1980's and 1990's. those countries may no longer have civil wars, but they don't have an of jobs, so you have a large number young men with training in fighting and no jobs. so they are available, as guns for hire. so gaddafi has been able to tap into that. host: these mercenaries are coming struggle for the cash and not necessarily because they support gaddafi's philosophy? guest: that is probably an accurate decision. some of them may come from groups that over the years were financed by gaddafi when he financed civil wars and unrest in many parts of africa. so there may be some that have loyalty or a sense of we need to do for him what he did for us. my suspicion is the majority of these people are coming for the money. host: there's a lead story this morning, "protests in the arab world gro