o back outside the spirits of the beasts taking control of the way. i'm a genuinely bully, addressed by that ah. then the whole crowd seemed to search ford with a song eventually orders restored and the abbot leads the crowd and prayer. monk spray the disciples with holy water rejuvenate the powers of their inc, and keep the spirits that possess them at bay, at least for another 12 months. tony cheng l to 0. now competent central thailand. ah,

this is al jazeera, these are the top stories. hundreds of iranian school girls are in the hospital after the latest wave of suspect to poisoning the tax. the tax began in november of dawson about his get more from to hon. according to semi official news agencies, the attacks have taken place in at least 12 provinces, across iran, on saturday alone. and that means hundreds of girls have been taken to hospital as a result of these attacks at the one of the main ones that we've heard of is in pock dash, which is in southern terran worth 3 schools were simultaneously attack. and that it saw at least 250 girls being taken to hospital or earlier on saturday. there is a lot of a confusion and a lot of anger at the moment across iran, about what is taking place, staying in around the head of the u. a nuclear watchdog has met president abraham roy easy over to ryan's nuclear program. rafael groceries visit comes days after i

. e. a inspectors reportedly found an iranian nuclear site had particles of enriched uranium at near weapons grade level. a cholera break in northwest. so he is getting worse following last month's earthquakes. at least 3 people have died from the illness, the quakes damaged, health facilities, water sources and sanitation. french president emmanuel back home says all sides involved and the conflict and eastern democratic republic of congo have agreed to support a cease fire. my home made the announcement during a visit to conscious sir during the last leg of his tour of central africa. the head of russia, wagner, mercy ruby says, the ukrainian city of bark mood is almost completely surrounded by russia and his allied forces. russian troops have intensified shirley. the area victory and backward would give moscow its 1st military victory in about 6 months at the navy and coast guard and the philippines are working to contain a leak from

a sunken tanker that's creating a major oil spill. it's threatening protected marine areas. the empty princess, empress sank and rough seas on tuesday. those are the headlines. news is going to continue here on al jazeera, after people and power. good by i was wrong to keep children away from their parents and hurt them into a school against their will. there was no money or no father figures. they put us in a big playroom and we sort of look after ourselves. i don't remember the children's names, but i'll never forget that. canada's dark secret on al jazeera, the georgia has a long trouble relationship. it's john, russia,

which the war ukraine hasn't made any easier with russian troops into the surfaces regions. a recent influx of russians being mobilization and routing elite with ambiguous links to moscow. it's not surprising many in georgia see the conflict as a parameter future. we went to find out why i ah, when russia invaded ukraine on the 24th of february 2022, few could have imagined how long the war would continue or how significant the

wider geo political earthquake would be. especially for ne, by country that of long lived in russia's shadow georgia at the eastern end of the black sea is one of those still reeling from the seismic shock. we had him at broedell, forsaken situation. here, we had bought that in russia. ah, we didn't know what to expect. it has a complex relationship with its giant neighbor, not least because of the ambiguous connections between its current government and the kremlin. almost every day rochester came there pink our cities, us. but it is being one of the few destinations open for russians, opposed to the war. tens of thousands of crossed the border since february, an inflow that dramatically increased in september when russia's vladimir putin announced a mobilization of extra troops. the exodus hasn't been universally welcomed.

every day, hundreds and thousands of russian states is that of course, our board there, you can do georgian government, which are very clearly on the whole pan leighton collaborate on appraisal with the russian government. and the russian and b has nothing to respond to the threats in george's bustling capital tbilisi. you are now just as likely to hear russian being spoken as georgian and some here. a worried that 2 tin supporters could have been deliberately concealed. among the most recent arrivals, russians whose ethnicity the kremlin could exploit if it ever wanted to repeat a ukraine style invasion here. i think there is a lot of shall hear because they think that people who are running from russia just bringing garza problems here. it's night time in the capital and the graffiti artists have come out in force. it's 6 time were i think the same message

against the russians in raj. i'm in georgia because our government did not sing rushes. patton here. now 0 proposal put in my town. it's taken an hour to finish the graffiti, but it may not be there for long. the authorities diligently paint over any anti russian slogans. sure enough, the following dates, comb with there's plenty of other graffiti in tbilisi. first annexed by russia in the 19th century. and then subjected to 70 years of rule by the soviet union. georgia shares a troubled past with its powerful neighbor. our independence was crushed and our leads were decimated, or corrupted by soviet stalinist. ah, a brutal and cynical rule. and we are paying a price for that until now. to blazys occupation museum catalogues, phase 7,

terrible decades under the communists to this day to rushing back separatist regions of georgia up causing and safer. sacha a still occupied by russian troops in the process known as border zation. the russians are frequently accused of seeking to extend the influence ever deeper by illicitly moving the ball defense. further, south. georgia activists are outraged or we are monitoring the occupational line almost every day. ah, so we decided, ah, not to to ross tower government because our government unfortunately is very much pro russian. david cast a rover and his colleagues regularly fly drains to gather evidence of russian incursions. it's dangerous work. they tell us that every week georgians are

abducted by russian soldiers and taken back into the occupied territories. roman beg. lucy says he's been captured and beaten on more than one occasion. that cherries herself, sluggard, basil wireless, where there calla, sold to help you. she again, it's called. i mean it's fleshy marriage advert. coaching similar are lucas boldenow, thoughtful activists claim. the authorities do little to stop these kidnappings because the current government favors the kremlin. that view was given substance less february when after russia attacked ukraine, george's prime minister iraq the gutter brush, billy refused to condemn the invasion, and instead said, you train was being punished at best. their position has been ambiguous, and at worst, they have been likened with silent ally of potent and they have capitalized on the

tragedy of war in a most outside treacherous weight. many georgians alleged the true architect of their governments apparent prey. russian position is the country's richest mind, the oligarchy. but xena e vanished billy. he controls everything. all the shows and prime minister saw his errand boys by his own admission. so this is a, really, he is the prime minister of georgia. he worked 40 bunch really. then he, we have the minister of the patio junior, he was previously the personnel board, d clack, of miss teddy lunch, really. and then we have bob, the head of david us pay security said it was still georgia. he also worked for me . steven trini is kwoana cadell be denied when it was called about a vanished b. these for june is believe to not be equivalent to

a 3rd of george's gdp. not just number one. very, very big gap, big, big twin. he meant boy, by his number to his home, the sleep class cancelled with a priceless old collection. and a massive short pool is perched on a mountain overlooking the capitol like something from a james bond movie. from this vantage point, his critics say the billionaire wheels almost unlimited influence, he controls all leather feel power. a clue because also that the political party should not control like court for a thought local government. georgia dream, the party vanish really formed to asked form of pray. western president mchale psychos. billy swept to power in 2012. the oligarch himself held the post of prime minister until 2013. when he stepped down, but remained

a force behind the scenes and briefly held the position of party chairman. in a rare interview after leaving office, he made this revealing admission. that's more than we got in macon about it because of that making a bow. let us flip us, a shooter was navy soon we'll collect his medical committee. his critics alleged this influence even encompasses the jailing of rivals foam. a president, macau soccer sh billy, after being forced into exile overseas, was tried in absentia, arrested on his return to georgia in 2021, and is now in prison on charges of abuse of power during his term in office. but support to say they attempted and amnesty international calls his incarceration, an act of political revenge. his imprisonment is a fundamental problem too, because as our own prime minister, mister herbert, should he said, if he wouldn't be put to the black, that wouldn't have arrested him. that said,

the oligarch who asked him also has his supporters of varnish. beauty, they say is no really just a philanthropist who exercises little real authority. their perception is because so on and off, he has been prime minister and leader of the party. at some point he announced about his retirement, but then came back on. but as member of the party, i have not seen much of his interference. we wanted to ask it vanish really directly about claims of his far reaching hold on george and politics at his stance on russia. but all our efforts to contact him were unsuccessful. nevertheless, the perception of undue influence remains and years of protests have done little to stop the policy, he found it tightening its grip of public life and political debate. george in dreams opponents nigh reaching the accusative purging senior figures in the fields

of culture and science who show any signs of independence. the figure that the one is really considered the dangerous. they have a very good the can. so getting call prison. last may a judge sentenced, niko, but ami the owner of the main opposition tv channel to 3 and a half years in prison. he's very outspoken and personally attacked. he one is really and probably one who li had enough of that. i amnesty international and go to the on human rights organization, said bogus. but even apparently modest scrutiny of the vanish really appears to run into problems. that at least was the experience of filmmaker salome jesse when she tried to show her film taming the garden in georgia. so the phones about to have a off their chest. and then oswell said person here in this country and his hobbies to collect south century all to large trace. so he has, sorry,

commissioned his mental opera. they strays and to bring them to his private guidance through the throne. lexi, her multi award winning film has been screened in cinemas throughout europe, north america and asia scores of countries, but strangely, not in georgia. after half a year or far consideration to cinemas, i refused to to release the film here under the protest that they dont have practice of releasing documentary at a cost of millions. the ancient trees were replanted here and it vanished philly's massive black sea estate. a corner of which is sometimes open to the public. 48 species of exotic birds have also been brought here, many caps under a fast net to stop them flying off. he has for basically some kind of private law. he has penguins and sharks and the year off when we flew our camera jonae the his estate, it's gps was targeted. and within minutes,

security guards found us and deleted the files. with the few pitches we were able to gather, show a reg glimpse of the danish for these lavish black sea darcia. like any one he is entitled to privacy. but frequently in georgia, we heard complaints that the secretive oligarch and his party or out of touch and routine, the misjudged the public mood, particularly when it comes to the country's relations with russia. we had a lot for you. that was 3. her almost everybody who opposes through any really think that he's pro ration and kind of does the book, his biddy protests against the only god and the government turned critical in june 2019. when crowds gathered in front of the parliament building after such a gap or love, a communist party member of the russian duma, sat in

a chair reserved by protocol of the speaker of the house. they were sensibly in georgia to attend an international gathering of orthodox religions. his appearance in parliament seemed unduly provocative. the symbolism of that was very important that gabriella, who is a kind of very imperialistic li minded rashanda, was sitting in the chair of her speaker of your parliament that he was seated there by georgia government. so it was some kind of graphic confirmation that they want some rational seat in the driver's seat. and that caused this very emotional reaction. thousands gathered outside parliament to show their disapproval. but in the evening, despite the protest being peaceful,

tear gas and rubber bullets were deployed. dozens were badly injured and hundreds arrested. gabrielle loves apparent interest in the orthodox church is something that bade vladimir putin and bid xena vanish. billy share the oligarchy scene here with the patriarch of georgia, has formed a close relationship with the orthodox church, even paying for the construction of the country's biggest cathedral. but critics say it's a symbiotic relationship. he has taken on board the worst part of church, which unfortunately is a majority of it. ah, as its ideological ally, to demonize west demonize opponents, the demonized idea of liberty as such and to use their, their hostile mob crowds as his foot soldiers. that all i looked up like that would be hot i with

in recent years, both the government and the church of intensified attacks on what they call, decadent liberalism. as personified by former president psych ashby, the he remains confined in a prison hospital, supposedly being treated for a heart condition. those now deemed moral enemies of the vanish 50 and the church say they feel increasingly threatened, especially the countries l g b, t q i community. ah, they been mobilizing their most violent an anti l g b t q. i protests, the biggest problem offer the current church is they are very much linked to a russian orthodox church. last year's schedule, the pride march and the capital tbilisi was thus bound to be a tense affair. the patriarch school for a counter demonstration was echoed by the prime minister, iraq the gutter,

brush philly, who described the event as unacceptable to georgia society. the government actually few old the whole thing and they gave the green lights to their prize when groups the pride march was eventually cancelled. but the counter demonstration still went ahead and quickly turned violent, leaving hundreds injured camera. marlexia alaska rover was just one of 60 journalists attacks that day beat and so violently he died at home 2 days later. this is the last plus it's less gay film. ah. lives to him says of the ticket down there on ah dates which will be ah, twins or better doors are busy called i to sort them when and, and received any guy he shot 30 telephone of the out of inaudible has that. oh,

in alabaster, hooked up in the days following the event, homophobic post is appeared across to pleasing with pictures of george and dreams opponents. they bore the slogan, say no to evil cycle. billy was already behind bars liberal t v own at neck, but army was soon to join him. another face featured was that of gorky type agari. in my case, when people recognized me, and because of that recognition, i ended up in trouble. lex's fellow cameraman, came out and forced to pay tribute to their colleague. however, the government claimed lex's death with and related to his injuries and part of a liberal plot. according to the prime minister, this is another failed conspiracy against the state that was masterminded by anti

state and anti church forces. not surprisingly, the demonstrations continued then public sentiment so much further on the 24th of february. this year, when 2 tins forces invaded ukraine to the outrage of many georgians, the government refused to join much of the rest of the world in imposing sanctions on russia. and then attempted to block the departure of georgia volunteers to ukraine, used of being cultivating the serial war as an asset and leverage of their keeping the subtle score, saying, if we lose, if we are gone, meaning the oligarchy has there been trillion his team, the russians will attack us just like himself and 8, and now they are using you can war as an example. look, that's what's happening. if you, if you challenge us such a score here, we are lying low, and that's the way of survival. but laying low is something many georgians. find

hard to do. we caught up with david cut sir arthur and his colleagues in the hills outside tbilisi. many of them had already seen action in ukraine. some of the estimated $3000.00 georgian volunteers who have gone around the black sea to fight against the russians. one of the biggest foreign contingents in ukraine's on and in fact, david was amongst the 1st to liberate boucher i ever denied or to rush as the there the way how they were killing of them and how they were tortured, torturing them. sorry i it's unimaginable. so what lies behind a wide spread believe here that but xena it vanish really is keeping georgia too closely tied to russia. i will say, when truly has so many business interest in russia, he might pay particular decisions in the interest of russia and not urgent public

people are very much concerned. and, or maybe not all of them know all about the particular connection sophie language. really, how we've the russian oligarchs, one of these russian oligarchs, is sanctioned billionaire vladimir yet you shank, off. in april 2022, a recording of a telephone conversation between the 2 men emerged during which yet you shank off, asked vanish, billy to join him in a business venture that to close friends. you said nicknames followed them barrenca company. yes. yes, yes, you get cut. somebody. tv while you are not other in a follow up call. it vanish when he told the russian he had asked the prime minister to help his business associates. i think what have you had

a doctor with? no margot, you on some so you have a nice with your associate. yes. what you never enjoy it politically. absolutely. and if the council says no, i have a theory has been that. so i want to talk to you, not to thump i minister, what i heard there was nothing incriminating. it was a friendly conversation between 2 acquaintances. yes, to shank off seen he with putin is an alms manufacturer. his company ronstadt supplies orion drains to the russian forces, which are used to bomb ukrainian cities. ukraine's president followed me as a landscape, had already recalled his ambassador to julia. by the time these fang, conversations came to light. but since then, relation to further deteriorated,

of course it's, it's a shameful behavior. the got rather the shame for the whole country and for a long time to come back to the volta russians, continue to arrive to some accruals. the concern to others, proof that the kremlin is losing the hearts and minds of russians at home. either way, with putin bogged down in a war, he seems less and less likely to win. some believe this is an opportunity for georgia to finally shake off rushes, a the bearing interest least window for porcine p, o punk, because of the ukraine. and of course, ukraine, ah, fight our fight as well. and if you train should win the wool, what would it mean for julia? i think it will weaken the government because through government, not a teeth will still be asleep based on the presumption or who rocco, he knew the war and repeating the rocca and found both thorough, strengthened their position. but they were russian defeats might loosen advantage

for these grip on the country, or even undo george's shackles to russia. it's worth remembering that the country has had such chances before. back in 1991. after the fall of the u. s. i saw it went back its independence, but still couldn't fully break free. the most painful thing is the fear of losing in our historic momentum and then generations paying price for that. just like it happening nineties, in a country where the skulls of the soviet union a yet to heal the fear of history, repeating itself is palpable. the country is still listed with communist symbols and former soviet shapes, buildings, many and iron ruins like this grand hotel, in the small resort of scowl to bo. now it's home to refugees from george's 2 territories, up kazi and south aesthetic still occupied by russian troops. some people have been

here for almost 30 years and living proof that the criminal imperial ambitions should never be underestimated with the sudden influx of so many russians. there is understandable theory in georgia of what putin might do next. what ever happens in you trained? ah, a legacy of southern africa, colonial history family, a blend of traditional music with western instrument. i born in the villages of the suitable now echoes in apartheid disused mines where

a new illegal gold rush has taken hold of organized crime, gangs battle for control of this lucrative industry feuds that start to been sold too often and in bloodshed. the accordion wars on a jessia ah with blue. ready ready with. ready

wherever you go in the world, one airline goes to make it feel exceptional. katara always going places together. ah a 2nd wave of suspected poisonings in iranian schools. hundreds of girls are in hospital. ah.