the russian embassy in the us. on the program. now the stories of the week one of the city's worst hit by the. reconstruction.

another twist in the latest alleged russian spy scandal in the united states the russian embassy in the u.s. says that. is being subjected to conditions that are to talk she was jailed on charges of being a. foreign agent and was recently transferred to another prison. has launched a crowd funding campaign to pay for her legal defense. and gave us an update on her condition. i was unaware that she was transferred until last night at around midnight i received a collect call from her at home and the phone was disconnected before we could get through but i knew it was from alexandria jail so i drove down and tried to get in last night and could not but i was able to get in this morning and visit her so she is in alexandria detention facility at least for now for this weekend it's a smaller facility than the d.c. jail as respected facility but it's hard to know why the move was made where there

was made for medical or other reasons or in response to complaints about the conditions in d.c. she does have arthritis in one of her legs kind of a history of problems with that leg so she sought treatment for that and so far has just received tylenol and nothing else and i think she has also been a little bit frustrated by policy when people are in protective custody they do bad checks every fifteen minutes at night to check on detainee safety and i think sometimes depending on who the guard is you know the lights are turned on every time there's a check and so it's very hard to get proper sleep when you're being woken up every fifteen minutes she's segregated from the general population of the prison facility you know no contact really with outside people besides her lawyers and occasional phone calls and when you're being held. in some isolation like that it's difficult because every everything she wanted to do was kind of a one off request there is a very set schedule and so it was very difficult to make sure she was getting a proper exercise and. trips to the library and things like that because everything

she did she had to do by yourself or anyone would have an easy time in prison but in this is an accomplished student you know someone who i don't think ever envision spending a day in jail or a life to be in you know it's a pretty tough facility the alleged russian agent was arrested over a month ago she was refused bail off the pleading not guilty two weeks ago he's also accused of offering sex in an attempt to get a job in an unnamed special interest group and was convicted boudinot could face up to fifteen years in prison i understand no date has yet been set for trial however a lawyer remains optimistic. she's in very good shape she's helping actively with us to prepare the defense she's confident in her innocence there's no allegation of espionage there's no allegation of classified information childish and she was paying anyone off there's no allegation she was recruiting spies none of the things you would typically see in an espionage case the allegations are fairly vanilla

that she attended meetings of various groups that were public that she had dinners with various people and she took a lot of selfies as i think a lot of people are twenty's do with with people she met and posted them on facebook so this is not a kind of a typical this is no comparison to what the allegations were against for example at a chapman or others where there was actual whether they were true or not their actual allegations about use of sophisticated equipment and payoffs and spy ring and things like that there's none of that here with some point maybe try to get her released pretrial again we're just looking through documents trying to find the proper evidence to do that i think we may be able to do that hopeful in the next couple of weeks. the syrian army reestablishing control across the country efforts are underway to rebuild that shocked the nation and the latest in a series of reports on seize even as donald travels to the city of aleppo to now see how locals lost lonely picking up the pieces.

much of the city of aleppo is still in ruins reviving it to its former glory is a task of gargantuan proportions and of immense political and economic importance the citadel of aleppo has become the symbol of the city's resistance. but aleppo is much more than just a maze of antique streets and attractions from history books. the militants have stolen computer units with chips for the machines they destroyed

the factory and purpose they wanted to damage syrian industry as a whole and specifically industry in aleppo reviving this that. was. one prevalent goal of this area a feat and basically very dysfunctional hunker. down. but now that the former industrial hub is slowly getting back on track things are finally looking up for the people of aleppo. two years ago during the war we couldn't even open our shops the shelling snipers were everywhere you couldn't live under such circumstances we covered the roof of the building back then so that we could take cover it was unbearable we took shelter for about half an hour whenever the shelling started we just locked ourselves in here thank god now we can work peacefully day and night we just hang around smoking just like they. good old days

the under joe a little the atmosphere is really good around here the weather is nice everybody is feeling safe and it's only getting better you can see getting better day by day. i was lucky enough not to leave my home the wind this is the district the rebels couldn't get to at the time there was a blockade once but it was firmly lifted now saying god things about or despite all those things we've been through we're no better than one of them when you know it's safe you can return home if your house lies in ruins you can still fix it the main thing is it's safe now. just a couple of years ago these turned used to protect people in the street from falling shows and debris well now they're sheltering them from the sun historically the city of aleppo has been the economic capital of syria and now with the war gone finally some traders are coming back to the streets. of reporting from aleppo

in syria. meanwhile donald trump has tweeted that the u.s. has cut its development funding for syria asking other nations to pick up the tab and the u.s. state department says it will redirect it stabilization budget plan for syria to other foreign policy efforts washington insists though this will not affect its humanitarian assistance program it comes as a saudi arabia pledges one hundred million dollars to syrian reconstruction projects however the money will only go up there to the northeast of the country or region under the control of u.s. backed codice forces and while some programs are being cut others or remain in place with the u.s. saying it will stay in syria for some time yet to fight against the last pockets of terrorists. we're remaining in syria the focus is the ensuring defeat of isis we still have not launched the final phase to defeat the physical caliphate this is

actually being prepared now and that will come at a time for choosing but it is coming the united states does not want assad to become too strong they are hoping to keep leverage in order to try to push iran out of the country to get a better deal for the kurds and and of course they're also worried about what's going to happen if their province where there is very complex negotiation sense and russia is at the heart of that so there are many competing agendas in washington and as long as president trump is not spending a lot of money there i think he's happy to keep a few thousand troops if that increases america's leverage. with the economic standoff between the u.s. and turkey gaining momentum after both sides impose further tariffs on each other but if no one now says that ankara is ready to challenge washington there's some believe they can threaten us with the economy sanctions exchange rates interest

rates inflation here's what we tell them we've uncovered your schemes and we challenge you what the hour was aggravated by an anchor a detained american pastor of a possible links to terrorism among other measures washington slapped additional tariffs on turkish aluminum and steel sending the turkish lira plummeting to record lows against the u.s. dollar so in turn has hiked rates on key american products like cars and alcohol the u.s. though now says that all sanctions will remain in place even if the pastor is released. one fortan this disc one american to put global financial stability at risk. put u.s. base presence in turkey at risk put a nato ally alliance with a nato partner at risk for one american who's being put through the search is just so you're saying this is our fault turkey is our financial situation has been in

the works for quite some time and it dates prior to the imposition of sanctions on august i believe was august the first so this has been in train for quite some time and you cannot blame the us government for that and all of a sudden stepping in on turkey's side is qatar which has approved fifteen billion dollars in aid to help prop up the turkish economy used on court and now takes a look at how the decades old alliance between the u.s. and turkey spiraled to this point. country was built the entire entire roof so no leading goes to great tree deals as opposed to the horrible food trade deals the drawing heritage as your president of the country should not be allowed to come in and steal the wealth of all great you and me. what countries could he mean our stealing could be turkey the country's lira shed a quarter of its value against the dollar in just one week after trump's tweet about doubling existing tariffs investors are running away screaming inflation

surging and turkey's leadership is bracing for an all out trade war the reason for such a calamity against an old nato friend was ankara's refusal to release an american pastor accused of both terrorism and espionage it's punishment time for a rebellious ally that tariffs that are in place on steel would not be removed with the release of castor brunson and president her to want lashed out in defiance calling the u.s. move and attempt to force turkey to surrender and make them a slave to the greenback come through of doing things. to come more. and they want to. but turkey is just one example of how the trumpet ministration treats longtime allies in fact many of america's friends have already been forced into the fray in

a war of tariffs and sanctions canada had heavy steel and aluminum tariffs imposed earlier this year and trump perhaps thought the stars and stripes needed some protection from its northern neighbor who didn't take too kindly to it that it's kind of insult you move forward with retaliatory measures on july first applying equivalent tariffs as if that wasn't bad enough the us president went and slapped tariffs on europe today i'm defending america's national security. by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminum brussels tried to hit back with restrictions of its own tried to appeal to the transatlantic solidarity special relations bonds of friendship but to no avail and it begs the question with such a long list of enemies the us is currently fighting from iran to north korea russia

china why can't your allies i think this has become a real tit for tat thing and i do not for a new york minute think that the pastor is really what is going on here of course are washington with that group been strained for some time ever since the coup attempt against terror go on i suspect there's something going on with regional politics maybe with regard to syria that is really the reason behind its competitors like beijing and moscow attempting to pack as much heat as the u.s. these days sanctioning and scaring everyone in view may be the only way for the u.s. to impose its will on friend and foe alike donald quarter r.t. meanwhile though some have chosen a rather unusual way to show their protest against washington's so-called economic war. no no no no no no no.

all right your weekly continues in just a moment. just

. to. join us for the weekly here on a young girl of maryland who was reportedly reprimanded for the pledge of allegiance has won the support of hillary clinton the former presidential candidate tweeted that it takes courage to express disagreement with injustice. hopes that

more people will join. maria says that she was inspired by an american football quarterback who knelt during the national anthem before a game and twenty sixteen he said it was against racial inequality and police brutality his silent protest soon spread among other athletes and that provoked a fiery political debate that ultimately went all the way up to the white house but you love to see one of these. when somebody disrespects. to say get that son of the field right now out of the sky that was not against our anthem or our flag that was actually kneeling is a reference position responding to the girl's move to the american civil rights union old maryland schools to teach students the freedom of speech without

punishment meanwhile the girl's school has used a statement saying it's not aware of any students being disciplined for such behavior the earlier we discussed the issue with. the republican and richard goodstein former adviser to the hillary clinton presidential campaign. football is about football schools about school and if you have a protest protest in a constructive way this girl can write letters to the editor she can arrange a little march put protesting in your classroom to irritate your classmate mates and virtue signal and that's what she's being taught mom's teaching her mom is so proud you're taking to the streets is that bothersome to people is that annoying to people when you get when you get arrested just reportedly when you get shot disproportionately when you get put in jail just proportionally that's not just annoying that's totally ruining your life so the fact you're taking to the streets is not merely disruptive you're trying to make a point in less you have

a goal and something that you actually have a path to accomplish then you're just disrupting you're just being an antagonist to your fellow athletes or the fans or in this case to her classmates what does she want what's going to make her stand peace on earth and you know will we ever get to the point where there's no discrimination no there are bigoted people let's stipulate that there are people who are bigoted they will be bigoted forever donald trump is giving them a voice but the fact of the matter is it's not to say it's wrong for them to basically stand up for what they believe in that's what this little girl was doing that's all the democratic party the united states gets her power on dividing people and separating us versus them there's class warfare gender warfare they want to show that everybody's got a reason for injustice and they need to vote democrat to war in order to fix it and that's all this is it's just it's pure politics and hillary hillary clinton got millions more votes than donald trump did and her campaign theme was being

together not dividing people she wasn't mocking handicapped people she wasn't telling punch him in the jaw and i'll pay your legal bills that's not what her theme was thirteen was about bringing people together. afghanistan has been hit by a string of attacks this week as taliban forces launch an offensive against government soldiers hundreds of people including civilians with. i saw my friend who was among thirteen people including children and women who were killed during an airstrike last night and there's no attention from the government no facilities for the residents of the dead bodies are still on the road signs that

i've also been injured. in the city of gaza and where the offensive by taliban forces started has long been considered a strategic area due to its close facility to the capital fighting escalated on friday when the taliban attempted to storm gas and take control. looks at how almost two decades of the american led war in afghanistan's seems to have somehow led to or surgeons in violence. this is what's happening just a little more than one hundred kilometers from the capital kabul there's barely a camera in gaza any available to film this dreadful battle locals say there are stronger descriptions than simply the taliban is back in action and if it wasn't for u.s. airstrikes the afghan army could have been in far worse trouble so it makes you

wonder do american diplomats and their military keep in touch there is nothing that precludes us from in gauging with the taliban we're doing everything we can to ensure that our actions help the taliban and the afghan government does the same table. everything they can only a few weeks ago the state department said talking with the taliban was a good idea and regardless of how hostile their actions the extremists say their forward to this is what we wanted and were waiting for to sit with the us directly and discuss the withdrawal of foreign troops from afghanistan the rumor is there's already been some direct contact at least we know for sure alice wells went to qatar last month where the taliban's got a political office i'm confused the armed group has all but regained its might which not so long ago are in them a reputation of outright islamist barbarians in america and pretty much all over

the world we acted and the taliban no longer is in power in afghanistan which is not only good for the security of the free world it is incredibly good for the people who suffered in afghanistan on the barbaric rule time flies us administrations come and go fair enough but the things the people in charge say about insurgents today could be totally different tomorrow taliban this taliban that the taliban are fighting isis and we encourage that because isis needs to be destroyed. oh so they're good for something at least if it's about knocking out islamic state yet just a few months earlier general nicholson said the taliban's fight against dyess was a piece of russian propaganda we see oh and they're rid of this being used that grossly exaggerates the number of isis fighters here this narrative then is used as

a justification for the russians to legitimize the actions of the taliban and provide some degree of support complicated hollow of ghana stan business as usual and the american strategy for afghanistan see above it could be time for the pentagon and the state department to hunt for ideas together and to be more precise that is the weekly for this hour here on the international though plenty more to come your way at the top of the al a with my colleague niki aaron hope you can join us then.

join me every thursday on the alec simon chill and i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics or business i'm showbusiness i'll see if. you mean. that's a very rough terrain you sort of claimants and you have to the front to be able to respond. it was gunshots on top of them and so many friends they would have been going in the end of them and you them up. with me telling me you know i don't when you see it but it will be in the true image of the two budgets read in the good. old to me the good wouldn't. you don't think about this leave these soldiers or know you just greet you like and you know do you know their patients.

are. going to welcome to all the parts remain leaving the global village but every corner office villages guarded by different polls on what one may or may not same public one man's truthteller has long become another man's bigot while public debate often comes down to have done alex rachel hurling insults rather than discussing policy is it still possible to have a substantive conversation of those who disagree with a new team in front of to discuss that i'm now joined by katie hopkins a british journalist and media personality katie good to talk to you thank you very

much for your time thank you for saying me now you're a pretty controversial person in your own country and many people consider you a purposefully offense if any yet over the past few days that you've been here in russia and so. it is work of only sad nice things that have this century we did it honestly is not very used to hearing nice things about itself being purposefully spiteful i saying all those things as a contrarian. people have been surprised by my reporting from st petersburg because i love this place i love the openness of it and it's been a real surprise to me we are i think in the west in my personal view you know putin is painted as a monster and this is very much the monsters lair and people almost fifty actually of coming to russia because there's this idea that somehow a frightening place and all i've been trying to present to people and show people i think is that it's only ever what i see or my truth and my truth from this place is

that i love it i feel very safe here much safer than in london for example and i also find people here to be really russian first so they identify as russian to me and that's a real different from the country that i well let me pick up on that point because you had want specifically about seemed to rile a lot of people you describe the city as a place untouched by the myth of multiculturalism and deranged diversity and i'm sure you've seen all those dozens of replies of people pointing out. most multicultural city in. a role that of course one hundred sixty nationalities are built by. the french and the buildings and the dutch name of what i mean we also have a very vibrant muslim community who petitioned this are a small task. for you know i heard it all i see that i get what people are saying i

get them but when you come to some petersburg as an outsider and i'm an outsider it feels russian people if you speak to people in the street or with help but i speak to people in the street they identify as russian first you go to the u.k. you go. i find any of that russian mean then ethnic affiliation or it may mean national affiliation so most of the different nationalities whom we all love to have in this city would also identify as russian i wonder if you given the few who get so much maybe multiculturalism is not such a bad thing after all no because i don't buy your definition of multiculturalism at all and just because you have one most with five thousand people able to fit into it that does not in any way replicate the europe that are you know i've just come from belgium mozambique in fact the jihadi capital of europe where they have twenty two mosques in a six kilometer square do you have most of kilometers here kilometer yeah six coloma to square the area twenty two mobs so it's very different for me where i

live in terms of multiculturalism which is much more about monaco choose to live in ghettos and it's a very different definition to the one that you might understand i actually want to discuss that but before we do that many of the three of you have posted have these hash tag putin brock's to be yes which i find very ironic because here in russia you wouldn't be allowed by law to say or publish many things that you say about the muslims in particular because in this society we do prioritize social cohesion over the freedom of speech and that has been like that over many years i would even argue centuries and i think it only intensified under putin do you still think your rocks. and rocks in many ways most he found contrary to most of your ideas i mean he he would be absolutely appalled by many of the things you're saying about spine as well i think you started out by saying you know do we live in a society where.