Philippine commandos have stormed the bus with 15 Chinese tourists held hostage by a former policeman, ending the 11-hour standoff in Manila. Eight of the hostages have been confirmed dead. The gunman has also been killed in the storming. The operation started with police firing on the bus' tires to immobilize it, then using hammers to smash windows, doors and windscreen. They were forced to withdraw after a series of hunshots rang out from inside the vehicle, but renewed the storming later. [More] [Less]

Firefighters have succeeded in extinguishing almost all of the blazes in the Moscow region, one of the areas worst hit by the fatal flames this summer. The damage caused to Russia's budget by the record-breaking heatwave is approaching four hundred million dollars.

Philippine commandos have stormed the bus with 15 Chinese tourists held hostage by a former policeman, ending the 11-hour standoff in Manila. Eight of the hostages have been confirmed dead. The gunman has also been killed in the storming. The operation started with police firing on the bus' tires to immobilize it, then using hammers to smash windows, doors and windscreen. They were forced to withdraw after a series of hunshots rang out from inside the vehicle, but renewed the storming later. [More] [Less]

(WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE) Shocking mobile footage showing two teenage brothers brutally beaten to death in public has been posted online. The incident took place in the Pakistani city of Sialkot. Video shows police officers present at the scene, but not taking any measures to prevent the violence. The boys have been allegedly accused of robbing, while other sources claim they were completely innocent. Local authorities have promised to launch an investigation into the matter. [More] [Less]

Iran is starting up its first nuclear power plant, built by Russia, in the southern city of Bushehr. Engineers from both countries have begun loading fuel into the reactor under the control of the UN's atomic watchdog. Scott Horton, the host of Anti-War Radio, told RT that there is nothing to fear from the plant, except the rhetoric coming out of Washington. [More] [Less]

A police cruiser's dashboard camera captured Monday morning's stunning crash on Interstate 675 near Dayton. The video shows a 1985 Pontiac Firebird passing by in the median, striking a culvert on the ground and then being launched into the air. The car slams into the overpass, turning into a shower of parts. The State Highway Patrol says driver Brennan Eden was ejected onto a highway shoulder. Troopers say he was alert and conscious after the crash. Investigators are trying to determine how fast the car was going. [More] [Less]

In the 71st episode, Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, look at death spirals and vanity trades in the global financial markets. In the second half of the show, Max talks to Richard Buchanan about his attempts to form a Facebook union.

Hundreds of anti and pro Ground Zero Mosque protesters have clashed in New York. The controversy of the community center build near the 9/11 terror attack sight has been heating up among the Americans. But as RT's Marina Portnaya reports some say there's much more to worry about in New York city.

Iran's nuclear power plant start-up has received a mixed worldwide reaction after being loaded with fuel in the city of Bushehr on Saturday. While Israel condemned the move, the U.S. said the facility poses no proliferation risk. For more on the consequences of the launch, RT talks to Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian History at the University of St Andrews in the UK. [More] [Less]

President Medvedev is renowned for his love of rock music, so it's no surprise he found time to meet the frontman of the Irish band U2, to talk about music, charity, AIDS and other global issues. Medvedev, in jeans and a shirt, and Bono, in dark glasses and trademark stubble, sipped tea at a table on a verandah. Bono, who has worked to fight poverty, AIDS and other diseases in Africa, told Medvedev that small donations could eliminate the transfer of HIV from mother to child by 2015. Medvedev said Bono was "doing important things". Bono met Dmitry Medvedev ahead of a concert in Moscow on Wednesday. It will be U2's first ever performance in Russia. Their "360-Degrees" show is the world's most expensive to date, and is expected to attract more than 80 thousand people. [More] [Less]

The US constitution is violated daily, and the main perpetrators are the president and top federal government officials. That is the view of Richard Mack, a former Arizona Sheriff who is now advocating state sovereignty as the only way to keep constitution-abiding America intact.

Recovering from the devastating floods still battering Pakistan will take at least 3 years, president Asif Ali Zardari has said. The floods that began nearly a month ago with hammering monsoon rains in the northwest have affected more than 17 million people, the UN estimates. Most of the 1,500 deaths occurred early in the flooding, but the crisis still is growing. [More] [Less]

An alleged Russian arms dealer, dubbed by the West, the 'Merchant of death', may be extradited to the U.S. within hours. Viktor Boot's lawyer says a special plane has arrived in Bangkok, where he's currently being held. It comes after Washington asked Thailand to discard fresh charges brought against him. Daniel Estulin - author and investigative journalist - says the whole process has been orchestrated to disguise American involvement... [More] [Less]

The mission is complete, and victory is in sight. That was the message from U.S. vice-president Joe Biden, as he addressed American troops withdrawing from Iraq. His words raised eyebrows however among those who believe the whole campaign was a failure. Many veterans say the U.S. administration is simply trying to put on a brave face to cover up a lost cause. They feel that although they're praised as the country's heroes - they've been abandoned and forgotten. [More] [Less]

More than 40 people have been killed in a string of bombings that have rocked Iraq. In Baghdad alone, over 20 bombs exploded in at least 12 separate incidents. Today's bombings are raising questions the Iraqi government's ability to deal with an ongoing insurgency. Sabah Al-Mukhtar from the Arab Lawyers Association says the bombings may actually be the Iraqi government's way to get US troops to stay... [More] [Less]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has taken part in a wildlife experiment, helping biologists get skin samples from an endangered gray whale. Putin, who is currently visiting the Far Eastern region of Kamchatka, joined the team of marine biologists at the Kronotsky Nature Preserve, where the nearly-extinct mammals have recently been observed. Despite the poor weather conditions and the rough water, a motor boat carrying the wetsuit-clad team went to sea in search of gray whales. After a group of whales was detected, the Prime Minister shot a sample-taking dart at one of the animals with a crossbow. "We tried to work with three or four whales, but we only got one," Putin told the press after setting foot on the shore. "I had a rush: three times I missed, but the fourth time I hit it." [More] [Less]

Since the birth of the idea in Ancient Greece, democracy has undergone many changes in definition but is still essential for politics and peace. That's according to historian and theorist John Dunn, who spoke with RT's Laura Emmett in London.

Thailand authorities say a Russian businessman wanted for arms dealing in the U.S. will not be extradited immediately. Reports had suggested a special plane and fifty U.S. commandos had arrived in Bangkok, where Viktor Boot is being held.

The whistle-blowing website that angered the Pentagon by publishing 90 thousand secret U.S. files, is now set to reveal a CIA paper. Wikileaks made the announcement as its founder Julian Assange is under investigation in Sweden on suspicion of molestation.

A rare fire tornado has been seen in the Brazilian state of Sao Paolo. A whirlwind of flame, spiralling several metres high, danced across burning fields, bringing traffic to a halt on a nearby highway. This unusual phenomenon has been caused by a combination of wildfires and strong dry winds following weeks of drought in the country. Authorities in Brazil are struggling to contain the fires and have banned farmers from burning waste from the sugar cane harvest. [More] [Less]

The European Union is a disaster and the UK should quit, says Gerard Batten, a European Parliament Member. RT met him in London.

In the southern Philippines, gunmen dressed as police have killed four people on a bus they flagged down. Two of the dead were police marshals. The bus was travelling through a city where Muslim rebels operate when it was stopped. After opening fire, the attackers set the vehicle on fire and fled. The violence comes just days after an ex-policeman in Manila took a coach load of Hong Kong tourists hostage, killing eight. [More] [Less]

A tropical virus that's rapidally spreading in the south of Russia has already claimed six lives, while millions could be at risk of infection. Nearly two hundred people have so far caught the West Nile virus, which is carried by mosquitos. RT reports from the Volgograd region, which has been the worst affected by the virus. [More] [Less]

Not content with provoking an international incident between Russia and the U.S., femme-fatale Anna Chapman is back in the news. Now the 'face' of the recent spy scandal is being sued by a glossy magazine. It claims she broke a contract by posting pictures of a recent photoshoot on her Facebook page. RT's Tom Barton has the details. [More] [Less]

This time Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, look at the scandals of security firms by day, terrorists by night and whether or not Erik Prince 'needs a break from America,' or broke America. In the second half of the show, Max talks to Paul McLeary, a journalist specializing in defense, intelligence and military, about the arms race in the Arctic. [More] [Less]

In Mexico, police discovered 72 bodies at a remote ranch close to the U.S. border. A wounded man told marines that a drug gang had kidnapped and was killing America-bound migrants. One marine and three suspected gang members died when soldiers became involved in a shoot-out at the ranch. Corpses of the migrant workers were later found piled up inside the building. This is the biggest discovery of its kind during Mexico's bloody drug gang wars. [More] [Less]

The whistle-blower Wikileaks is back in the headlines after publishing an internal CIA report on the internet. The document, classified as secret, focuses on the perception of the United States as an exporter of terrorism. Meanwhile, the website founder will be questioned by the Swedish authorities over allegations of molestation. [More] [Less]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has volunteered to personally inspect the new highway connecting the country's East and West, in a sports car made by a domestic manufacturer. Although the newly-built Lada Kalina Sport was included in Putin's train, he was not expected to personally get behind the wheel of the car -- painted in canary yellow. Apparently, the color did not embarass the PM, who said that "yellow is fun". [More] [Less]

Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are set to resume next week in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, Gazans, whose future is to be debated at the meeting, are living with the harsh reality of an Israeli blockade. Growing numbers have even been resorting to drugs.

Filipino policeman Rolando Mendoza, who killed eight Hong Kong tourists he had held hostage for a day while demanding his job back, was buried in Batangas on Saturday. Mendoza was killed by a police sniper on Monday in an assault on the bus with hostages following a breakdown in negotiations. The 55-year-old was a decorated officer who was once cited by the police force as one of the "10 outstanding policemen" in the Philippines, but was dismissed last year on charges of extortion and grave threats. Mendoza's wife was at the funeral, along with his daughter, and his son, who is also a policeman. [More] [Less]

With President Obama set to announce a renewed military focus in Afghanistan, many are asking if the war in Iraq is really over. Around 50,000 troops remain in the country in a supporting role until local forces take complete control. But former CIA officer Jack Rice says the U.S. government and the Pentagon are misleading the American public by glossing over the true situation in Iraq. [More] [Less]

The British coalition government is divided over plans to place a cap on the number of immigrants entering the country. Some politicians say the decision will damage the international image of the UK and harm the country's economy. But while they debate the future of the immigration system, many of those directly affected are struggling to survive on the streets. [More] [Less]

Once home to a secret underground submarine base, the bay of Balaklava in Ukraine's Crimea is now an attraction point for those interested in the history of the Soviet military. But after a recent decision to prolong the stay of Russia's Black Sea fleet in the region, the base may still have a part to play. [More] [Less]

Angry protests have taken place in Tel Aviv against the planned deportation of four hundred children of immigrant workers. Born in Israel and speaking Hebrew, the youngsters were never given citizenship because their parents are not Israeli or Jewish. Many people are questioning the government's drive to preserve what it calls 'the Jewish character of the state'. [More] [Less]

(Part 2 of 2) Concerned about the treatment of Mehdi Ghezali, a Swedish citizen held at the US detention camp at Guantanamo, filmmakers Erik Gandini and Tarik Saleh travel to the pseudo-paradise of Guantanamo Bay to find out what is really going on there. Despite being stonewalled every inch of the way, the pair depict an aspect of American behaviour that many will find unpalatable, even reprehensible, uncovering brutality to rival that of Abu Ghraib. [More] [Less]

(Part 1 of 2) Concerned about the treatment of Mehdi Ghezali, a Swedish citizen held at the US detention camp at Guantanamo, filmmakers Erik Gandini and Tarik Saleh travel to the pseudo-paradise of Guantanamo Bay to find out what is really going on there. Despite being stonewalled every inch of the way, the pair depict an aspect of American behaviour that many will find unpalatable, even reprehensible, uncovering brutality to rival that of Abu Ghraib. [More] [Less]

Russia will launch its spacecraft from its very own cosmodrome by 2018. Prime Minister Putin announced the ambitious project that will help mobilise Russia's intellectual resources and industrial potential. During a trip to Russia's Far East, Putin officially launched the scheme as he paid a visit to the site of the future cosmodrome. Up until now Russia has been using the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. [More] [Less]

Medical officials in the UK say the number of women who've been subjected to genital mutilation is on the rise. Although the practice is illegal in the country, thousands are considered to be at risk annually -- and no one has ever been convicted of the crime.

Authorities in the Philippines are stuggling to provide accommodation for thousands left homeless by a fire, which also killed two people. It's thought the blaze broke out as gasoline which a man was pouring near an open stove caught light. The fire lasted for hours, racing through some 350 shanties in two crowded fishing villages. One of the victims was an 8-year-old girl. [More] [Less]

Economic recovery has slowed down in the United States. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke says he's ready to take action if conditions get worse. His proposals involve cutting interest rates to increase economic growth. But some experts say his ideas are not working, and the problem could lie with those in control of the money. [More] [Less]