washington expresses concern new hypersonic weapon saying there are no effective counter measures the. final test was successfully carried out on wednesday. protests spreading across after the death of a journalist who set himself on fire protesting the difficulties of being a reporter at the country's economic problems. judges drop a two decade long probe into the deadly attack on the former president's plane it's a case that's long been a thorn in the relations. pays a surprise visit to iraq to meet with the country's leadership but that meeting

only getting held over the phone. it is just after ten am on thursday here in moscow of course this is r.t. international a very warm welcome to here. russia has successfully tested a new hypersonic strategic missile cold af on god and president vladimir putin called it a big event for the forces and the country as a whole let's get more details on this now. joining us live in the studio here got any reaction in the western media to this well it certainly did grab the headlines it did become one of the major news stories all over the world and some of the analytical pieces that i've had time to come out they have been along the lines of why the united states and europe and the rest of the world for that instance should fear this missile. that is very much goes in line with the whole scaremongering you

know line of the mainstream media did take up after vladimir putin in world after blood of a putin unveiled those missiles back in march even though the russian president himself has repeatedly stated that the purpose of these missiles is defensive and not offensive have a listen show us the u.s. is now leaving the i.n.f. treaty going to happen it's hard to imagine what is the rockets are located in europe what should we do of course we will have to ensure our security will. let them not say later that we are trying to get an advantage we're not trying to get an advantage with this but merely to seek your pilots to ensure our security but clearly it is an important launch air that the final testing of this flight but i want god it's self what exactly is it well the launch itself it is important mainly because it is the final launch before this missile goes into service with the

russian armed forces this was announced by the ladder putin himself and so just to show you what it looks like we're prepared a short clip for you have a look. this missile is one of the most advanced pieces of weaponry out there in the world really it has a lot of advantages and so here. outlined really really quickly why all the scare mongering in the western headlines of a list. so

it is fast it is deadly uses the newest composition materials to allow all of that to happen but also another key factor is that this missile is also classified as it is a glider because it flies through the atmosphere not above it and this allows it to maneuver unpredictably and that is why i say it is so difficult to intercept it so put it makes the announcement about the last successful test of this of on god missile system was was he involved he watched it himself though yes indeed it did watch it that's why it's called in this final test and this is how he will announce that this missile is going into the russian military next year as soon as next year and now this missile program obviously it sounds pretty intimidating is it a threat to global security well it's a missile it's a weapon so yes it is designed to do pose a threat but there's a big difference between

a threat that is designed to attack and the threat that is designed to deter other people from attacking russia because this has been the line of the russian government. and putin as we've heard. all alone because russia has been feeling intimidated for a long long time now russian diplomats have spent countless hours talking with nato chiefs about the expansion of this military alliance alliance closer to the russian border as the united states dropping out of the kind of treaty is enough is another thing that has russia concerned and so although this doesn't necessarily have something to do with this particular missile or with the full weapons unveiled by vladimir putin earlier this month he does in general the whole military thing has been sort of the flavor of the year one of the flavors of the year in russia and so what that has been outlined it has been outlined very very decisively that it is defensive and not an offensive thing for russia you know ultimately i think is

a form of to terrify suppose. thank you. we discussed other new weapons implications for global security with a number of experts but i think the u.s. is also working on these types of things in the first one to launch one doesn't always get to win the contest as the as we saw in the age and also in the space race but certainly. the u.s. existing u.s. defenses can deal with them but existing u.s. defenses aren't that good against regular missiles so if start just. doing away with the a.b.m. treaty is start a new arms race but i think you know we're just building more and more nuclear weapons when we should be trying to limit the new start treaty is coming which is the arms limitation for the longer range missiles is coming up in two thousand and twenty one so you know that would be

a good time to cool you know cool off the arms race and you know lock in some limits on these types of weapons as well i think. that is a motive i think it's in the interests of the russian people the american people in the whole world to not see an increase in a new arms race the danger here is that the u.s. military establishment is going to react to this by saying well we need to poorer ever more money into developing our own hypersonic missile systems and we have a new new escalated arms race of course right now the united states is spending seven hundred billion dollars a year on its military which is more than the next nine countries combined so we know who's leading the way in the in the military arms race but i think russia i would assume they're hoping that this can be a reality check and bring and promote more negotiations and less military

development. violent clashes have gripped tunis here after the death of a reporter who set himself on fire he was protesting growing economic problems on the difficulties of earning a living as a journalist the incident is drawing comparisons to the events that led to to his years revolution and twenty eleven which also started with a man burning himself but eventually led to that of the arab spring. for our people who have no means of some assistance a day i sense a revolution i shouted i'm going to set myself on fire eight years after the arab

spring and tunisia is still in turmoil with protests over the economic situation and the high. unemployment rate in january of two thousand and eleven the old school dictator ben ali was forced to step down the democratic transition gave way to a new constitution and for free elections that paved the way for pro western secular forces to dominate the new government back then u.s. president barack obama hailed the progress toward democracy and called it an amazing transformation museo was the first country to undergo the transformation we know is the arab spring and given it is now the first to have elections we thought it was appropriate that tunisia would be the first to visit the white house excellent progress that's been very good to be this transformation. and for. there were very high hopes as well but the recent round of protests sparked by the

journalist suicide show that many feel that things haven't really improved and that stability is fragile but who should the reasons for this young man suicide pull that sea isolation and the difficult circumstances june this face in tunisia and been a fan as this tragedy sums up the status of journalists in tunisia he was driven to do it because of possible living costs journalists work with new contracts and poverty. in fact some large number of journalists live in a fragile situation both financially and legally and i see that with a large number of journalists and she needs you know since the arab spring to me she has followed the path of liberal reforms advocated by western leaders and average is still widespread the overall living situation has improved teachers among other public employees have been pretty badly affected there have been calls for mass protests and when it comes to the european union back then the e.u.

demonstrated its support for the transition to democracy by implementing the three m's money mobility and markets however the high hopes have been widely. pointed and now it seems that the clout of the european union has declined in the countries that had revolutions many people have lost hope. probably some of them have high expectations for the uprising in two thousand and eleven but their government has not been able to deliver on. sunday for nomic situation has deteriorated. and unemployment is really. sky high and in some areas that have been some improvements we've had elections in tunisia you know. more freedoms enjoyed by the population whole freedom of expression and freedom but i thought the protest but at the same

time social and economic problems the basic infrastructure problems that existed at that time are still there that whether we will see similar . results this time i think it's truly have. many similarities but also many differences at the same time we're seeing as tunisia streets once again fill up with protesters in response to another public suicide it seems that western style free markets and free elections haven't solved the country's woes the amazing transformation seems to have left many on satisfied cable mopp and r.t. new york. french judges have called off a two decade long probe into the deadly attack on the former rwandan president's plane which ultimately led to the genocide in one thousand nine hundred ninety four

the investigation was a stumbling block between the two countries it was looking into several rwandan officials close to the current president in connection with the death of the country's former the. after reports that france also rejected a bid by human rights groups to reopen a separate probe into the whether the french military shed any of the blame for the deaths of hundreds of people they had actually promised to rescue. but. today we're being asked to leave with the people who killed our families were told they're sorry they will do it again some people believe that i'm not one of.

the fighting was triggered by the downing of a plane carrying the french backed president in one thousand nine hundred ninety four hutu extremists blamed the rebels and the rebels denied involvement for the past twenty years paris has pursued those responsible for the assassination but not anymore the inquiry has reportedly been dropped over insufficient evidence. we have to interpret this decision by friend judges as a form of resignation faced with a political context which prosecutors did not know how to fight over the years france suggested the tutsi rebels headed by the current president paul kagame who were behind the attack they've been charged seven people close to the leader pulled the physical elimination of rwanda's then president was seen as the only means to achieve his political ends a total victory and this at the price of the massacre of the. so-called interior the rwandan government flatly denied the allegations and cut diplomatic ties with

france fast forward and rolonda has some nice words for the french. president. some fresh and put it ticks. bidding with different people. i think. has an open mind to things how times have changed the world bank considers rwanda to be more business friendly than much of the developed world and france seems to have an interest macron even back to rwanda as pick for the head of francophonie group of french speaking countries. he said if there were to be an african candidate to head the francophonie that would make a lot of senates i think that the rwandan foreign minister has all the experts use for that role sure france and rwanda have had their differences in twenty five years since the genocide justice has never been fully served but for the present it

looks like that doesn't have to stand in the way of a little moneymaking donald quarter r t. y coming up next year r.t. international the times newspaper interviews a member of an ice soul linked chechen battalion that happens to be fighting alongside ukraine's minute train details on that interest. join me every thursday on the alex salmond show and i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics sports business i'm showbusiness i'll see you then. when our mind when the calm tempo or mind ease changed there are fees.

of the level of the physiology that he's at the level of the brain the brain as a formal plasticity can rewire itself and not just the brain but also the rest of the body responds to. what politicians to do something to. put themselves on the line to get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president and you. want to be. to going to be press this is like them before using the how. things should. say stories welcome to them of the u.s. president donald trump and his wife of paid a surprise christmas visit to u.s. troops in iraq what looked like a bit of a rock star entrance so soldiers taking selfies on signing autographs. i.

i i i. think. the visit though didn't all go to plan also on the agenda was a meeting with the iraqi leadership however the two sides couldn't agree basically on the format of the meeting which then just being well it was replaced by a simple phone call the head of one of the two main blocs in iraq's parliament was not at all amused by trump's surprise visit actually branding it a blatant violation of sovereignty.

britons at the times newspaper has printed a highly controversial interview with a chechen fighting against antigovernment forces in eastern ukraine the head of his battalion that his fighters had wage jihad in syria and that the leader was even part of a terror group committing atrocities in russia details not without easily a patrol. so a big piece in the times on chechens on east ukraine front lines from a few dozens to more than one hundred there shoulder to shoulder with kiev's army but technically aren't part of it they're absolutely frank and open about their background saying we've been to syria in iraq we've been taught to kill by jihad it's there here's an extract from the times some of the battalion gunman admit to having home their combat skills and islamic state training camps in iraq and syria this horrific background does get a mention what the times journalists don't mention is other elements of the

commander's biog. fim like being part of an underground movement behind past terrorist attacks in russia which took hundreds of lives. earlier another british newspaper reported that the very same commander was against murdering civilians however he said those bloodbaths were understandable and were the only way to make moscow hear something as to why he and his fighters are and on bass now here's what it says in the times report the bid to church and had a simple explanation for fighting for ukraine against kremlin backed separatists putin is our enemy he said he brings a really evil we did hear about ethnic chechen groups fighting on both sides of the

front line a long time ago so why would the times bring it up now the piece follows plenty of articles on ukraine vs russia that came out lately here are some of the headlines moscow's always been described as an aggressor think the current straight naval classes first of all yet when it comes to this report on chechen militias ukraine's deputy minister of information policy is thinking putin's propaganda on purpose or maybe not literal people who home the ukrainian media space and play along to putin's propaganda recruitment agents some are just useful idiots when i asked russian diplomats about ice a linked fighters siding with kiev's forces i was told after years of various external attempts to radicalize ukraine there isn't really much of a surprise that theek prolonged military conflict especially supported by arms and

money from outside have always a. active people different feeds the same happened in syria people who support their leaders fundamentalisms coming from far away and who ows will do fine in ukraine these jihadi fighters how pure crain realize its agenda of suppressing dissent think it's intentional try to whitewash the connection of the ukrainian government to these groups while knowing that they are their core cooperating with the ukrainian government supposedly the jihad as are the biggest threat to the western world for the last how many a couple decades now but the government of britain and for that matter the deep state in the united states they certainly don't look at it that way they look at these groups as useful i don't know how many readers when they see a story like this really know what the background is for example let's take in the look at the relationship that m i six the british intelligence agency has with the white helmets who are essentially a public relations group for al qaeda and it live province and elsewhere in syria

does anybody how many people put two and two together and say wait a minute this doesn't smell right why is our government why is the british government which is a close ally of the united states working with these terrorist groups i thought we were against terrorism and it is i think very hard for a lot of people to look at this and say wait a minute maybe we're not as against the terrorists as we pretend to be. we have asked the ukrainian government and military to comment on the times report about them working with terror chechen fighters we'll let you know if any response. to about prince harry the newly published report by senator rand paul has revealed some of the oddest things the u.s. government's been spending tax dollars on believe it or not how to look.

what the day dreaming could make how it was time to. get a chance to see it i want to know who comes up with this crap. that. professional daydreamer.

there are some of the top stories for this hour here on our two international program about twenty five minutes hope you can join us there. my seven years doing drugs my nephews was still in drugs my sister just with doing drugs it was like an epidemic of drug abuse america's public enemy number one in the united states is drug abuse we started going after the users in the prison population sewer we started treating sick people people who are addicted to these drugs like criminals while i was on the hill i increasingly became convinced that

the war on drugs was a mistake there are countless numbers of people who are in prison for inconceivably long sentence in this for being a minor minor offenders in the drug trade it's a lot watching your children grow up and miss you in waves and say by daddy as you're walking out of the business it's just it doesn't get easier. well i think it certainly makes sense for for moscow to think. trump in its contacts with the united states i just fear that the dominant view in this city is that it isn't nearly impossible until the united states kind of settle this domestic divide the environment in d.c. is you know i hate to see this. as work toxic but that's exactly what it is and then i think it's in a way you know you're damned if you do and you're down to film.

sure. welcome to the alec simon show and for best so first of two festive programs we thought we'd ask back a couple of our guests i'm all over the people made quite a stir. but you know it's christmas and a time for wishes so my first wish is to talk to some of the people i haven't managed to interview in the show for now so to make alex's wish come to we've invited a man of many voices start of stage and screen lewis macleod welcome to the alexander

to frank for a very i know how this christmas feeling i think if you spent it well as in scotland. if you like a genie i will make your wish come true oftentimes we'd better believe interviewed a number of people in the us and over the year on the show with the many people who we would like to have interviewed and i wonder if you might suggest some some people for the future that we should get on the set that alex can speak to but i think maybe the president of the united states we've had a lot of differences over the. and i think you know repealing the paris club i would agree with has been really good for scotland i mean think about it blazing sun bigly sunshine and leaf forest fires and then these and those two page he showed shows a proclaimers going to look like julio and then ricky iglesias so as to present a use admitting i was collect and pursuing my off sure wouldn't follow the sage of golf course i think hairdryers or have beach is a bad idea. i haven't been allowed to

interview but i did nicely time look in your you lot of look at this clip that was i say thank yous and i never even got so much as awful but a cup of tea for this present allensworth i say to home i didn't invite him. well. it's a long walk to my front door i don't think he's fit enough. he might have been ok in a golf cart or something but you know they're all for i've got to the secret service now tell me what to get my lot here for christmas. she wanted impeachment but that's another story. no really misspent did you buy the nice gift and what about these red christmas trees in the white house what was facts about you know i just blended into the slight hint of oranges that are brew for where we come from how the well we'll do our best to to get one to your knobs face be a republican. it's

a little bit. just blended in a little polish to begin of present trying to arrange in about how does how does it going to end if you adopted him he changes every day as comes up with something new i get that doing what you do when you're yelling at me just before christmas you know there's no smoking gun i mean is that you know the seems to be you can feel how many of these kind of model of propositions is he going to do before he becomes like ok we've done that or we have to do something else but the smoking gun made me laugh before chris you know you don't think donald trump. what does drives donald trump i'm. part of the secret service of course but is that perhaps he's trying to provide material for for your career well it will be are related he is a macleod let's not forget when.