claims of a chemical attack in the syrian city of doom earlier this month are called into question with a number of journalists who visited the site struggling to find any evidence to back the reports. of people there telling you. this whole story from april. to. the syria conflict seems to have forged the new friendship between the presidents of france and america as the. true dislike of the conflict stricken recently. also coming up a local government claims it's really soldiers shot dead and the palestinian teenager on the gal's a border last week he has video evidence to prove. he wasn't carrying

a stone or a slingshot he was acting like everyone else in the market. twenty four hour news live from moscow this is r t international my names you know neal good to have your company dyed certain tin uing to grow over claims of a chemical weapons attack in the syrian city of duma earlier this month a number of western journalists who travel to the city say they are struggling to find eyewitnesses to confirm the reports i discussed the story with our senior correspondent steve. if you were expecting any concrete evidence of assad's culpability or even any set suggestion well you're in for a disappointment because we're just coming back from inturn about five kilometers from here and it has approximately twenty thousand people who have fled from

eastern guta and above all do the people very telling us very persuasively that this whole story from april to seven was steve. there are many people i talked to amid the ruins of the town who said that they never believed in gas stories which they usually put a boat by the arm is the most groups these are serious journalists that we're talking about robert fisk a reporter from the independent he has decades of experience in the middle east he went to east ghouta to duma spoke to locals and witnesses and doctors working at the medical facility all of them told him they didn't know anyone who would suffered in this attack who had been a victim all they know is the someone said something about chemical attacks as a reporter german reporter from d.f. there's this trend of people journalists coming out and say hold on maybe we

got this wrong and invariably they face a backlash if they go against what the media has been saying for weeks and weeks now trumpeting that assad did this suddenly if you say hold on a second they come right up to you there was a retired british general who was in sky news i believe and he said you know it doesn't make sense for asset to have done this well look what happened to him what possible motive might trigger syria launch a chemical attack this time and place. the syrians winning and then suddenly it ok i want i'm very sorry even never have. the waiting for us that we don't need to give it that i'm very sorry thank you very much indeed it just seems like many in western media in western governments already have their minds made up they've decided they know what is what has happened look at the united

states backed by britain and france they launched an attack on syria mere hours before w. specialists would do to arrive on the scene on the point the o.p.c. w. organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons there had been criticism that why weren't there and i write here they arrived on saturday they've collected samples but the jugular how they work their procedures they're all very hush hush so there isn't a lot of information where do the claims originate from where is this story coming from we're all pro-rebel sources the first one was the white helmets which are largely financed by western governments prove rebel actors rescue is for rebel fighters and they released reduce from a hospital showing them downs in people with legibly the victims of a chemical attack then there was the syrian american medical society which is financed again by the united states to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars

and they claim that they treated five hundred people with symptoms of exposure to chemical agents it's these two sources that was cited by almost the entirety of the media and governments it was their reports and their videos that went out nevertheless with growing opinion growing views witnesses testimony that nothing such happened you know you've got to question where they got this from world where this information and why this information appeared in the first place nevertheless the russian position is that we shouldn't jump to conclusions we should wait until there's the hard facts with which we can you know come to a judgment. one of the aspects talked about there where the white house the self styled emergency response group behind the reports of the chemical attack has long been embroiled in controversy they've been frequently accused of links to jihadi

groups in syria including terrorists affiliated with al qaida the activists enjoy wide support from western governments the supposing that they had received twelve million dollars in overseas donations this year the u.s. which is thought to be the white helmets largest contributor is reviewing its funding for rebuilding war ravaged syria but the state department assured that the group will not be affected by any cutbacks. funding any funding that the u.s. was providing to this group. because of. as far as i'm aware all of the work still continues people's bills are still being paid if there's anything that's a change that also unlike you know contributions are still as far as i know that is all still is all still in play is no rational to supporting these groups to work in any treaty and they have a very political agenda one might argue that the way to home and to doing some humanitarian work as well but because of all the political linkages one kid easily

say that they are compromised because as a humanitarian you shouldn't be taking part in the gravel groups and. that defeats the object that's why there are so many question the white house a lot of people who say we should stop supporting these groups that question their motives of western involvement in syria because over the last seven years it's now evident that all these groups had linked with terrorism. syria is expected to be the main focus of an upcoming visit of the french president to the u.s. a mother mccrum ses he wants washington partners and their allies to play a key role in creating a new search area. we were left to build the new syria after what the we were definitely is we're against isis if we leave we will leave the floor to the iranian regime. and these guys and they will prepare as

a new one. ahead of the visit gushed over a special blend he shares with the u.s. president. is expected to reciprocate with a dozen private dinner at mount vernon the virginia mansion was the home of america's first president george washington under is considered to be the cradle of american french relations the presidents are also expected to exchange memorable gifts and he looks at why money will visit to the u.s. promises to be so special. donald trump is the finest u.s. president in nearly a century and his face chair without holding a state dinner but he's wasting little time in his second his first in a date at the white house french president emanuel but the tyranny this initial encounters have been slightly shaky. micron even went as far as trolling trump on his favorite platform off the

washington pulled out of the power of the climate deal but paris this child seems to have done the trick i remounted dinner atop the eiffel tower with famous ladies last july may have been enough to fit gave think at the bilateral tensions since then we've seen the best of the newest political bromance. i. the friendship between our two nations. and ourselves and my dad is on break that. nothing will ever separate i was. deep rooted in that blossoming relationship that lies the miter foundation president micron was the fist to back donald trump in his decision to strike syria even boasting that he convinced trump said to be a notoriously bad listener not to withdraw troops the additional ten days ago president trump was saying the united states of america had

a juicy to disengage from syria i assure you we have convinced them that it is necessary to stay for the long term the relationship between the two leaders has drawn comparisons with former playschool best george w. bush and tony blair once dubbed the couple their friendship was noted will be full invasion of iraq and the british government inquiry called the bad bush relationship its attending factor in shaping it that relationship went from clean and healthy on toothpaste to a mutual hatred of saddam hussein. some familiar syrian dictator bashar al assad the best shot at us said bashar al assad is at war against his own people micron and trumps common grounds can be found in good old fashioned ego a self-proclaimed stable genius and the strong as the roman gods jupiter all good leaders make another as we can assess strength and the money thief this chance for front his own special relationship with the u.s.

at a time when the u.k.'s was beginning to flounder not to mention ties with other european leaders as well but it can always be smiles and handshakes take the iran nuclear deal currently trying a wedge between their new found friendship and the worst deals i've ever seen disasters deal one of the dumbest deals one of the worst deals ever her it was the around deal i'm all for agreements but that was a bad one we cannot and will not make this certification. a solid robust verifiable agreement that guarantees that iran will not acquire nuclear weapons to denounce it without proposing anything else would be a serious mistake not respecting it would be irresponsible as the deadline approaches to fix or nick the iran agreement is thoughts maicon might be the only your opinion to try to talk trump out of breaking the deal but with the white house back on the diplomatic dating scene for the first time in two years there's plenty

of things that the media and world leaders. the iran nuclear deal and honey sure there mention was back in twenty fifteen just to go through some of it obliged to run to stop its nuclear program if the us drops sanctions against iran but president trump has cast doubts on the agreement and set a may the twelfth deadline for participants to improve its terms otherwise washington will withdraw from the accord iran's foreign minister warned that his country would resume nuclear enrichment if the u.s. walks away from the deal a professor of politics in tehran told us that tearing up the iran nuclear agreement will hurt the u.s. the united states is in a weaker position today than they were six seven years ago the iranians are the iranians are used to sanctions i don't think that the united states will be able to put the sort of pressure on iran that it was able to do so before so personally i think that if the americans go down the road. tearing up the greenman they would.

face more harm then the iranians the americans would be isolated and they will be seen as violating the agreement and unreliable whereas the iranians will be seen as the victim micron he claims to have this sort of influence so he could use this influence that in a constructive way that is possible so but with we'll still have to see trump is from looking at him from tehran is very unpredictable. to another story we're closely following today the shooting of a palestinian teenager during ongoing clashes on the girls' a border has been caught on camera the boy was allegedly shot by israeli defense forces a warning you may find the following video disturbing. mohammad

was shot in the head and died instantly he was fifteen years old spread following the shoot r.t. spoke to the cameraman who filmed the incident he sees mohammed's wasn't threatening the soldiers i was alarmed. he was participating in the march like everyone else lots of people were participating and he was among them he was not a threat to the israeli army and he was not acting in a manner that could have been considered threatening he was a fifteen year old child no matter what he was doing he couldn't have been posing a threat to the soldiers given the distance between him and the friend as well as the fact that the soldiers who stood one hundred to two hundred meters back from the fence on the other side when i filmed him he wasn't carrying a stone or a sling shot or a knife he was acting like everyone else in the march. the latest on rest flirted with the start of this so-called great march of return almost a month ago palestinians have been demonstrating at the gals in israel border demanding the return of territory they believe israel has occupied r.t.

also managed to speak to the family of the boy who was killed they say he was on a peaceful protest the last standing far from the border fence. usually. the low i said mohammed was three hundred meters away from the fence and even if he was right next to it he was a peaceful demonstration he was just a child was he carrying a missile launcher was he shooting at the soldier who killed him why did they kill him i'll tell you what mohammed did wrong mohammed's fault was that he was demanding his rights. just he asked to go to the demonstration and i said i didn't want him to because these railways threaten and target people each friday threats from the israelis increased then he asked to go and play outside but he escaped and ran off to the demonstration so as soon as he got there they targeted and killed him it happened in less than an hour mohammed knew that his uncle was going to the

demonstration and said i want to go with you he said no he was afraid that something might happen to the boy i thought i'd convinced my hamad to stay at home but he left asking his aunt to tell me and my wife he was just going to the fence for an hour he was returned to us as a martyr of the israeli defense forces has reacted to the incident posting a picture on twitter showing palestinians close to the border fence claiming the hamas is using youngsters for terror acts israel's defense minister also a stud by the idea of the search and calling for people not to approach the border the only culprits in the death of the fifteen year old boy in gaza are the leaders of hamas those cowards hide behind women and children and use them as human shields so that they can continue to dig attack tunnels and carry out terrorist actions against the state of israel i say to the residents of gaza for a long life do not approach the fence. it is outrageous to shoot at children how

does the killing of a child in gaza today help peace this tragic incident must be investigated a full investigation is needed the e.u. calls on the israel defense forces to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters or israel has launched an investigation into the case following worldwide criticism of the shooting the demonstrations have left dozens of palestinians dead injured in the past three weeks. ok after the break the latest from the u.k. on the poisoning of a former double agent spying on to his daughter. when

lawmakers manufacture consent to step into public wealth. when the ruling classes protect themselves. in the final merry go round me the one percent. we can all middle of the room six. million real news. clip are most definitely wasn't a victim. of any kind of authorization or i think from the russian side because it was both really destroyed russian kind of the beauty as far as exchanges sort of concerned and they are dependent on it because they certainly have to get their

people back if they get into trouble. hello again the u.k. is expected on monday to field questions from. rochelle on the case of a former spy poisoned last month that's according to the british envoy to the international chemical watchdog the o.p.c. w surrogate script his daughter yulia were poisoned in salzburg on march the fourth the u.k. immediately stated the school is highly likely to have been behind the incident but the o.p.c. w. and the u.k. military law were unable to determine the origin of the poison used in the seoul spree at r.t.

sophie shevardnadze spoke to a former eastern bloc spy who successfully penetrated the cia during the cold war he give his perspective on the script case you can watch the interview enfold in around ten minutes time here on the program. i. skip are most definitely wasn't a victim of any kind of operation or at that from the russian side because that would totally destroy the russian credibility as far as exchanges are concerned and they they are dependent on it because they certainly have to get their people back if they get into trouble to me i. there is certainly some kind of scenario all of. russian operations and. they just became a good opportunity. to do. i believe that if you

really want to get out. you know how to do it till you move to a different continent you change identity if you really are very mean had access to very sensitive information that's what i would advise. such an agent to do but otherwise i don't think it's really all that. the dangerous or if you want to leave you leave it in most cases they will if you go you know why because it doesn't make sense for somebody to do something that he doesn't want to do. but our intelligence agency is vengeful. yes the cia will certainly vengeful they did try to compromise me and they certainly spread false rumors they tried to.

spread. the do. over. i would say more dia of the. well european union officials are reportedly working behind the scenes to persuade washington to ease sanctions on russia imposed after the poisoning of the script it comes amid concerns of blowback to european businesses hitting in particular the blocs biggest economies france and germany some of the sanctions target the metal trade and europe are many a market is already seeing disruptions while under the latest sanctions european companies are effectively barred from doing business with their targeted russian counterparts which means that automobile or space and telecommunications powerhouses are now facing a shortage in crucial resources metal industry executives have warned of layoffs

and production disruptions germany is seeking to ease concert the german government and all working levels would point out where the interests of german companies have been affected and make it clear where the raw concerns and where we see undesirable consequences. of previous sions of also taken a toll some estimates point to a nearly eighteen billion euro loss for european markets around four hundred thousand workers are also thought to have lost their jobs as a result of the punitive measures. well the sanctions are also likely to be addressed at the annual meeting of the world's major industrial democracies in june ahead of the summit there have been calls for russia to have a seat at the negotiating table a german opposition lawmaker has urged the g. seven bloc to enter into constructive dialogue with moscow former british diplomats william mallinson sees europe should be more pragmatic in its dealings with america and russia the actual businesses the companies themselves in france and germany in

particular must be putting enormous pressure on the currently allegedly empty empty russian governments with such as she. product is aluminum and all its by products we have a very large economic multiplier effect going into a lot of other industries not just aircraft and motor cars but fridges furniture and let's not forget other countries let's remember that austria in particular is very much against any sanctions because of the russia keeping europe separate from russia and germany especially away from russia is a traditional anglo american plan anywhere between better if europe learned to ignore ignore the more excesses of the american instructions and be get closer to it to russia i mean business is business after all. it's been said when the going gets tough the tough get going now russia's defense industry

has unleashed some brand new hardware to do just that and the following all terrain vehicles focus on getting through sun emergency services to remote inaccessible areas with out in mind let's take a closer look. ok that's where we leave our stories for a no on back in just

a one off and our is time with more but as promised next the cold war spy talks modern espionage in sophie and co this is international. twenty eighteen coverage we've signed one of the greatest kill people. but there was one little question and by the way it's going to be our coach. guys i know you on the us he's a huge star and the huge amount of pressure you have to the center of the football we're with you and all the great great if you are the rock at the back nobody gets to you we need you to get in the way let's go. alone. and i'm really happy to join for the two thousand and three in the world cup

in russia meet the special one it was also appreciate me to just say to redo the aussie team's latest edition to make up a bigger. we all willingly accepted the risk of being shot wounded taken prisoner but noone signed up to be friggin poisoned by our own people seeing stuff that was leaked or biological and chemical products the said do not truck tires all types of styrofoam all polystyrene batteries trucks there was a complete denial i think at all levels of government that there was any connection between burn pits and what these brave soldiers were suffering from to compensate every soldier marine airman and sailor that was on the ground that are complaining about illnesses from their exposure from the burn pits would really literally send

a v.a. broke and they don't want to pay it so the waiting decades a lot of those soldiers will die in time and they will have to pay and. call for help and get the middle finger to the movies tomorrow or the. delayed to be done. to sophie shevardnadze and those days we always see spy games on the big screen but is it any more quieter now on the secret front than cheering the cold war well today i talked to the former czechoslovak spy the mogul who has successfully penetrated the cia itself. infiltrating the most powerful spy

agency in the world living a double life or hears knowing that her own stamp could cost you everything but risking it all to get the job done what is it like constantly walking on the edge. as a double agent we're still fine line between patriotism and betrayal of those who trust you and it's all fair in the war of spies. kalka hey welcome to the show it's really great to have you with us so in what sense was the cia different from the soviet bloc intelligence while it latter and what was worse it was very different. would say. first of all my experience with the soviet intelligence is that they were better educated better qualified they spoke languages much better because. the k.g.b. . intelligence service hired the university graduates i mean people who is

a must of some of the lower or higher while the cia hired people who is a bachelor's degree and then they trained them and. gave them courses and so forms in the comparison. really in favor of the soviet intelligence so how did you feel about other agents who were like you double agents pretending to be one side working for another do you use is a mess traders or do you view them as simply professionals who are doing their job well also you know there are different kinds of people the there are people who really betray their country for money and. really double agents in the ever sense of the bird i don't consider my sort of the really a double agent. so. how do i feel about them i do.