i'm stopping there was and still a long pause the fun is up and the scribes and the fine. join me every thursday on the alec simon shore and i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you. in the stories that shape the week here in r.t. china gets its military ready for war amid trade and territorial disputes and worsening relations with washington. meanwhile donald trump announces the renewal of all pre nuclear deal sanctions against iran a decision that angers washington's european allies who buy to protect their business interests in the islamic republic and u.k.

employees groom the country's middle east minister over britain's continued on the saudi air campaign in yemen passes a new poll on the car of those placed in the u.k. are unaware of war even exists there. they welcome the latest developments and look what's been happening over the last seven days to you watching the weekly here in r.t. international. china's president has raised the specter of a potential conflict after instructing the country's military to be ready for war but how much of this is merely posturing but it takes a closer look so here's the thing the chinese government almost never says anything you wouldn't expect that's their thing they gave me their incredibly careful reserved at least. with their tongues so when the chinese president orders his

military to prepare for war serious indeed. the military to concentrate on the bouncy revenues for war the chinese are preparing for war out loud how over how did we get to this well trump for one aside from land blasting the chinese at every opportunity is tariffs is sanctions his trade war he's also being very heavy handed congress has just approved a second arms deal with taiwan in eighteen months. kind of untruthful the sales of weapons by the united states to taiwan damages china's sovereignty and security interests. beijing sees china and taiwan as two parts of a whole two chinese entities same culture ethnicity same languages with two separate governments communist capitalist the end goal is to reunite into one state

there are differences of course currently preventing that and about one hundred kilometers of c. that separate the two and trump always a fan of sticking it to the chinese he's been saluting his warships right between the two chinas i see. we have expressed our concerns to the u.s. side the taiwan issue concerns china sovereignty and territorial integrity and is the most important and sensitive issue in china u.s. relations. for starters how about you express your concerns about these important and sensitive issues to someone who cares a little more because that in trump we worry about. i don't worry about things. let's be great never worrying about anything unfortunately others are there are those in china who believe that america wants

taiwan to declare independence and the chinese are preparing for that eventuality militarily. as your own you know we are resolute to defeat any scheme or act of taiwan independence in any form. thing is the taiwanese don't really see a point to defending themselves taiwan which we simply switched from conscription to a volunteer army is having huge trouble recruiting even reserve troops dodging the juicy after all that's the point there when the government needs to think whether it's necessary to bring conscription back national security matters but taiwan is a minor player in these confrontation if war does break out it likely be the

people's republic of china slugging it out with the united states rather than taiwan and that is a war that trump really really ought to be worried about the world is really across rolled the united states has been pushing china around he really china and imposing unilateral tyrus on the chinese exports china does not want to have a trade war with the united states and china does not want to have the conflict with the united states but if the united states really wants to impose these teens are to china i feel the chinese people will be fully mobilized behind the chinese government and the chinese military meanwhile on friday the trumpet ministration announced that it's reimposing all sanctions against iran that were lifted as part of the twenty fifty nuclear deal the us president took to twitter to taunt around

with the news team in a post resembling the tagline from the hit t.v. series game of thrones or the sanctions slated to come into effect on monday following america's you know rapture withdrawal i'm a from the from the iran nuclear agreement and the sanctions come on top of those already imposed by washington focus on oil painting rising states that refused to hold crude imports from iran the u.s. secretary of state says the main target is the iranian government. these sanctions hit at the core areas of iran the qana me it is aimed at depriving the regime of the revenues that it uses to spread death and destruction around the world well the people on the streets of tehran we spoke to said that it's ordinary civilians who will end up bearing the brunt of the sanctions. time about manson's a hard to come by because of sanctions no doubt if you are caring for a patient your life is affected by these sanctions sanctions decrease the quality of life as people cannot now obtain things they used to obtain easily the floors

for them but it was i'm a merchant in a century cannot trade with businesses outside of iran any more it would take its toll and we have yet to see to what extent can affect ordinary people and merchants . actually every year or every two to three years they say new sanctions will be imposed so people have gotten used to sanctions but that doesn't mean we accept them and it doesn't hurt it means we've had them so long they don't affect us anymore they harm the u.a.e. in the nation they have always been there for the past four decades and they've been arming the you reigning in nation all along their inquisition that's why many other. states that are under sanctions like russia like any of theirs they are all against this move especially because this new round of sanctions by washington it doesn't have the u.n. support it doesn't have the support of even the united states close allies like the

europeans that have stated their opposition in defiance china turkey or russia and many others have defied the u.s. sanctions against iran and many are worried in washington that this could make this sharp tool or weapon blunt and make you know take it off the menu even for future u.s. administrations if it goes ineffective. well despite pressure from the u.s. the european union has confirmed the prox commitment to the iran nuclear dail brussels is also valid saying to protect companies that doing business with tehran but despite all the tough talk washington may be more flexible and is letting all. we ask all nations. to isolate iran's regime. as long as its aggression continues but we do not intend to allow our sanctions to be invaded by your poor any body else. you know we will work to

maintain the framework of the twenty fifteen deal in spite of the american decision by ensuring that our companies can stay in iran looking at the latest official so for the extra shuttle to see the official with friends we need to show that he's going to want to be muscles that would have been blind to what americans do want us europeans to say the top economic interests of one time economic relations with iran. would never threaten anyone but we do not tolerate threats from anyone. we want to we want to achieve maximum pressure but we don't want to harm friends

and allies we. want a mean for zero. they are now giving two countries the exemptions for you in for that indicates that they have maximum pressure on the wrong. and now they are changing that maximum pressure enough pressure. that these strategy will succeed that's also on the question because they cannot. be needed they think against iran because now there is defense in american cabinet minister ation on this connecting iran. that. system may be so messaging that can be. hard for. you right there in the mix but that's the area inside the door knobs are

. officials in the cabin. now in the past two years the war in yemen has claimed five times more lives than previously thought that's according to new research which now says that fifty six thousand people have been killed and now some british m.p.'s too are losing patience with their country's role in arming the saudi coalition which heads the military incursion there parliamentary committee this week grilled britain's top middle east diplomat over relations with . do you have a problem with condemning murder and international violations of into international law or incomplete mistakes are made the only thing that we don't do is actually press the button to drop the bomb arm supplies are there for those who need to defend themselves the amount of raids targeting civilians is going up north if these are all there are is there seem to be able lot of them i do not agree that

the united kingdom was simply to. deny its support for a party which is under threat and so engaged in support of the legitimity government i mean if we did. it it would go but is it your well meanwhile a survey by british charity has found that almost half of those questioned in the u.k. were actually unaware there is a war going on in yemen even though their country is the second biggest weapon supplier to the saudi military boyko has more on those findings but first here is a look at just how much of a toll free years of war has taken on the yemeni people. why

do you know what's happening in yemen you told me. i'm afraid i suppose. no no sorry what's happening in yemen. now there's a war saudi arabia. or some middle east politics i have no idea really do you know what's happening in yemen sorry do you know what's happening in yemen. is taking the lives of thousands of civilians and caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and yet according to a new poll almost a conference the people in the u.k. have no i did that there is a war taking place in yemen a war in which

a saudi led coalition is conducting a deadly campaign event strikes in an attempt to drive out who the rebels hope you carry don't know about most things happening in russia but if i can imagine china's terrible why do you think that is no enough has been said about it it depends what the media synthesizing at a particular point in time we can through and says public knowledge and opinion so you think it's under-reported good the war in yemen isn't just another humanitarian crisis in a far flung parts of the world the saudi led campaign is being waged partly thanks to a hefty supply of british made weapons the. u.k. government happens to be the second biggest supplier of arms to the saudi kingdom after the u.s. according to the latest figures u.k. military sales to riyadh increased by two thirds in twenty seventeen from the previous year the mother of jamal khashoggi has brought the u.k.'s close strategic

partnership with the riyadh into the spotlight now an increasing number of politicians here in the u.k. are calling on the government to explain its unceasing support for the saudi led war in yemen perhaps if more of the public knew about it the government would be under more pressure to act pretty boyko they're still to come for you on the weekly there are concerns about fear mongering in the run up to the us midterm elections we'll have the details on that plus of the stories too just after the break. in terms of blasphemy i mean blasphemy has never actually been used nobody has been prosecuted but you are right it was only renewed ten years ago by a previous government and it really shows how out of step the political

establishment has been there's been a huge movement of women and young people and dave been pushing the political establishment you know relentlessly on the issue of of the abortion rights because ten women a day leave the country and five others were taking abortion pills online illegally . the united states under many pros has a long in warning out of breakin its treaty and other promise. the united states is going to leave a treaty again. welcome

back to the weekly now after almost two decades in national politics angela merkel has announced on monday that she was going to step down as party leader of the christian democratic union adding that she won't run the chance for a fifth time decision does come on the heels of her party's latest disappointing performance regional elections in the state of her. the figures that came in overnight from her selection a wholly disappointing and bitter boys did this politically it can no longer be business as usual for us after this result has after the result of the area after the conflicts between the c.d.u. c.s.u. in the summer and after all the difficulties in forming a government coalition as the previous attempts to form one between the c.d.u. c.s.u. f.t.p. and the green party fell through. angela merkel began her political career after the fall of the bird in war joining the c.d.u.

in one nine hundred eighty nine ten years later she became the party secretary general and then its leader in two thousand and five merkel made history by becoming germany's first female chancellor and since then she's been reelected a further three times but over the last few years her popularity has taken a hit. in the old days he misread oppression political oppression we have a responsibility to help from the convention for refugees based on our sign points and article one of our constitutional whether we want to.

measure it along political or russian ality this move by going to merkel is not surprising at all because her party was losing. confidence among the electorate and the reason and so to speak the burden of this party was on herself so it was quite rational for her to leave office as party chairman but they were the less whenever something important happened you usually are surprised by it happening right now and this is why there was really surprising that anger merkel is so quickly stronger consequences out of the disaster still a electoral defeat during her last state elections in bavaria and in history and

some people think that merkel's fall from grace is a warning for mainstream parties across europe as don't quarter expects. europe's political establishment is set up for a meeting in may during the e.u. parliamentary elections and with support to win doing for both the center right and the center left the big winners euro skeptic an anti migrant parties the feeding is that there's a kind of the extortion among voters because they feel that the traditional grantees have nothing new to say they feel contempt from those voters that it's not exactly always making them vote for populist that is making making voters go to anybody who looks you french president emanuel macron took it upon himself to warn europe of a nationalistic menace comparing it to leprosy europe faces a risk that of being broken up by nationalist leprosy and of being pushed around by foreign powers and thereby losing its sovereignty but it seems like the french

don't see eye to eye with micron right now a majority of people in france apparently would prefer an unelected technocratic government while over forty percent even say they would rather support and off for a tarion political power so this could be a wake up call for micron as his approval ratings hit record lows to move away from traditions and embrace public opinion voters voted for emanuel mccoll he did come from those sponsors but he had created his attitude and he was a change of face a new shade of generation but now that he's become president he's got a slightly different style but in terms of what policies you think it sounds more and more like the policies that everyone is as you age and they do not know how to express their discontent except have against those sponsors again with mainstream parties and leaders who champion modern liberal values losing popularity we could have an electoral power vacuum but that won't stay empty for

a long. now with just a couple of days to go before the u.s. midterms some politicians have been accused of playing on people's fears but is now explains what voters fear most might surprise you. efforts to influence the twenty to midterm elections the big news and divisive stories and posts caravan of impoverished migrants white nationalists prepared to take to the streets trump administration plan could a race definition of transgender but according to a new poll conducted by chapman university in california americans actual fears don't really line up when given a list of one hundred things to be afraid of including nuclear war zombies ghosts and other terrors americans listed their primary phobia for the fourth consecutive year as being corrupt politicians. and perhaps this fear isn't exactly baseless we do have a president whose tax returns are still under wraps and he seems to be pretty

blatantly doing favors for his next of kin i've heard evolved i've heard how good would it be. the fifo that know there's nothing to do with that but does that but i want to tell you the people that know though that he wagner would be done but. then be accused of nepotism if you could believe it right and trump got a lactaid by tearing into his opponent hillary clinton he called her crooked hillary because her reputation for shady deals has been around for years the f.b.i. even looked into her clinton foundation the former secretary of state never shied away from taking big sums from financial heavyweights to do have to be paid six hundred seventy five thousand dollars well i don't know that's what they offered. accusations of corruption are abundant in american politics even though they rarely make the legal field in the united states there's all kinds of politicians being accused of insider trading lavish gifts as they say welcome to american politics

but it seems that the mainstream media is working overtime to direct our phobias elsewhere there's no living with the russian federation to undermine american democracy while you know what we have to work on immigration i have a big there. a district a live agriculture a lot of undocumented workers but these things aren't even in the top ten because we have so many of them. the things that relate to your life or the future of your kids and things like that not trumped up things like you know terrorism is going to get shoe or the bridges are going to fall down or something it's real life things that people are worried about a part of it is the economic ones including the corruption of politicians i was interested in the corrupt politician thing being at the top because for a long time people haven't recognized how corrupt their politicians are they think it's thinking in gradually that the whole system really stinks american politicians

have learned that playing on people's fears is a big seller but it seems that what scares the americans the most is the very scare mongers trying to manipulate their fears kaleb mop and r.t. new york you can watch and we can hear an aussie thank you company to south to name a back again at the top of the.

but survival guide substation just like all the stars at least see should. play a close. repatriations look at the seventy. delegates. for. this. united states under many presidents as a long warring have of breakin its treaty and other promises that the united states says is going to leave a treaty again. even

. in the. new printed all of them all. the truly did have a bone. lead up with to it because it. could go through the fog that there are. one hundred seventeen the bolsheviks led by vladimir lenin seized

power and set out to build the most equitable society on earth before long the other countries followed russia's example but so far the recipe for universal happiness remains of use if people are still searching to this day. simone you could be the least in the boat in a fairly easy a lot of whoosh only by did it got up when we were shown to treat. can we even remember the events of a century ago and if so why is that we went out in search of people who view

russia's nine hundred seventeen revolution as a global event. festival we went to visit a leftwing ideologist and famous french philosopher. so. maybe it's not a surprise you know that your books focused on russia. and. it's difficult for me to address. the what is your but he could feel as if to post. your post. in that imo not required but. did you know you. don't need to. do many. good. eliot i am that. ok for fed it leaf it off

estimate when you get it i thought it was phony display the. lesser dating is but it's a committed communist and a million a piece from the swedish town of barrack where he's a local celebrity. in a state i your book tell him i meekly cookbooks and need to have stone your young to retouch it up the cost another. paying just the studs all the start and i'll go look sauerkraut the element of the ocean so maybe the end i don't necessarily have for me only in paying an awful poor soul moyal the man your left but all man. you mistake to form a lead new it will. be but on us that defeats mostly hits a skull but a like a horrific that all.