washington expresses concern over russia's new hypersonic weapon saying there are no effective countermeasures of the album dog missiles final test was successfully carried out on wednesday. the way the protests are spreading across to new after the death of a journalist who set himself on fire protesting the difficulties of being a reporter and that of the country's economic problems. french judges drop a two decade long probe into the deadly attack on the form over one didn't president's plane it's a case that's long been a goal in

a village. the top stories for this hour live on r.t. international from the entire news team here welcome to the program russia has successfully tested a new hypersonic strategic missile named got president vladimir putin called it a big event for the armed forces and the country as a whole a bit earlier in the program i spoke with our correspondent down off to find out more tell us about the media reaction to this well this launch did certainly become a top news story all over the world those analytical pieces that have had a chance to come out there were more along the lines of why the united states should fear this missile and i should say it kind of does carry the same message that we've been well we've been seeing for months. really because this evan god

missile was one out of five vance two weapons unveiled by vladimir putin back this march and that's when everybody went bonkers and everybody should feel scared even though it has been since the message of the russian government that it is purely defensive that these weapons they are meant to defend russia not to attack any other country obviously a very important launch certainly for the security of russia or and as i said by the russian president vladimir putin he was talking about this system back in march the first of this year but what exactly is well first i would like to stop as to why exactly this new inch is important it is important because it is the final test be food this missile goes into service and now let's just have a look let's enjoy how it unveiled.

well as for what exactly happened god is well it's just one of the most advanced weapons and missiles in the world is a quick preview of what it's capable of really. so it's incredibly incredibly precise and also it is classified as sort of a glider missile what it means is that it doesn't go beyond the earth's atmosphere it travels through it and this is what allows it to go really low like a prone sort of thing and to maneuver very unpredictably that's why everybody is so concerned that's why even the united states. saying that it apparently doesn't have

any means of intercepting it because of its and predictability and maneuverability but as putin has been saying since day one with the other god system this is to act as a deterrent this is a defensive system was what he in volved in any way with the outs will final tests of all he is the commander in chief so he watched this final launch and also it was a bladder putin who announced that. the russian military will get the first units of this missile as soon as next year to keep world to keep the country safe of course that's why russia kind of made an emphasis this year to world roll out as many new and advanced weapons as possible keeping the country safe you know you go to talk to me about the balance of power here how does this new guard missile system affect global security well sure it's a missile so by definition it is designed to destroy things to obliterate them to do damage but so does pose

a threat but there are two different sorts of how you can pose a threat one thing is saying look we have this new fancy missiles so we're just going to attack you all now and destroy your countries and then another thing is saying look we have this new advanced weapon so we are ready to defend ourselves but only if we're faced with any aggression and this has really been the case with this and as put by the russian president vladimir putin have a listen to shows the u.s. is now leaving the iron if 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 with concrete steps but let's 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 and this really applies not just to this particular miss or as a matter of fact to any other for weapons unveiled by the russian president in march this is about the russian military. as

a whole because the country has been pushing forward its military capability hul yeah it has been sort of the flavor of the twenty teens so to speak but it hasn't been in the offensive sort of way russia has been maintaining that it is a measure of deterrence and not of aggression we discussed the new weapons implications for global security with a number of experts but i think the u.s. is also working on these types of thanks and 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. they exist in us as defenses can't deal with them by existing us and defenses aren't that good against regular missiles so it is so far this. 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 them and the new start treaty is coming

which is the arms limitation for the longer range missiles is coming up in twenty twenty one so you know that would be a good time to cool or to you know cool off the arms race and you know loggins and 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 the in. terry 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. in clashes have gripped after the death of a reporter who set himself on fire he was protesting growing economic problems and the difficulties of earning a living as a journalist the incident is drawing comparisons to the events that led to to his years revolution in twenty eleven which also started with the man burning himself and that whole revolution that eventually led to that of the well known arab spring .

there are people who have no means of some assistance and also tell you i said i was one of the group 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 musial was the first country to undergo the transformation we know as 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 so stressed for beijing to be

inclusive 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. the reasons for this young man soon so i have folded see isolation and the difficult circumstances joining this piece in tunisia and been in essence tragedies sums up the status of journalists in tunisia he was driven to do that because of the impossible living costs journalists work with no contract. and poverty. and laying on the facts and large number of journalists in a fragile situation both financially and legally and i see that with a large number of journalists and chinese you know in the sense the arab spring to nisha has followed the path of liberal reforms advocated by western leaders and poverty is still widespread the overall living situation hasn't 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 disappointed 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. high expectations for the uprisings in two thousand and eleven but their government has not been able to deliver on the high hopes on the economic situation has deteriorated. and unemployment is really. sky high and in some areas that have been some improvements for elections and.

more freedoms enjoyed by the population whole freedom of expression freedom but i to protest but at the same time social and economic problems the basic infrastructure of 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 unsatisfied caleb 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 four 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 leader the decision comes after reports that france also rejected a bid by human rights groups to reopen a separate probe into whether the french military shed any of the blame for the deaths of hundreds of people they had promised to rescue.

today we're being asked to leave with the people who killed her family we're 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 french judges as a. nation 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 even charged seven people close to the leader for pul could be 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 tutsis from the so-called interior the rwandan government flatly denied the allegations and cut diplomatic ties with france fast forward and roh want to has some nice words for the french i think the president. has. put it takes. different people. but is 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's pick for the head of francophonie a group of french speaking countries. if there were to be an african candidate to head the francophonie that would make a lot of sense i think that the rwandan foreign minister has all the expertise for

that role but sure france and rwanda have had their differences and 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. coming up in just a moment here on r.t. international the times newspaper interviews a member of an ice chechen battalion fighting alongside ukraine's military he tells on that. well i think it certainly makes sense for for moscow to think. in its context with the united states i just fear that the dominant view in this city is that it is

merely impossible until the united states kind of settle this domestic divide of the environment and in d.c. he's you know i hate to see these laws 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 it you're damned if you don't. so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy. let it be an arms race. spearing dramatic development only. exist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical. to sit down and.

thank you joining us here for your stories on r.t. u.s. president and his wife have paid a surprise christmas visit to u.s. troops in iraq and after what looked like a bit of a rock star entrance of soldiers took selfies while trying to sign autographs. the visit didn't roll go to plan though also on the agenda was a meeting with the iraqi leadership however the two sides couldn't agree on the basic format of the meeting which then ended up being replaced by just a mere phone call and the head of one of the two main blocks in iraq's parliament

was not at all amused by trump's surprise visit even branding get a violation of sovereignty. britain's the times newspaper has printed a highly controversial interview with a chechen fighting against anti-government forces in eastern ukraine but the head of his battalion admitted that is fight his way to a holy jihad in syria and that the leader was even part of a terror group committing atrocities in russia. has details. 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 and iraq we've been taught to kill by jihad it's there here's an extract from the times some of the potential ians 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 biography 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 in donbass now here's what it says in the times report the been 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 peace 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. 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 the real 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 complete through long military conflicts especially supported by arms and money from outside have always attracted people different feeds you seem happening in syria reveal who support allegiance fundamentalisms coming from far away and who ows will they find 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 surely 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 qaida and it led 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 the ukrainian government and military to comment on the times report about them working with terror chechen fighters we'll let you know of any response. here on the program believe it or not. to offer about prince harry a newly published waste report by senator rand paul has revealed some of the oddest things the u.s.

government's been spending tax dollars on his look. i want to know. that.

that's the program for this hour here on r.t. international though many more of your day worldwide news headlines still to come at the top of the hour hope you can join us. i had a great education a good job and a family that loved me. i never had to worry about how i would eat somewhere i would speak. i'm facing christmas alone out on the streets of london. for a life. you know to slowly still give up for the homeless. you

don't really feel like that. and then. the guy just came over smithsonian gave me this book. welcome to max kaiser financial survival guide. looking forward to your pension account. yanks this is what happens to pensions in britain delegates. watch kaiser report.

that comes to call russia no one's ever no one has ever heard of and never even heard about most school.

welcome to worlds apart announcement of the impending pullout of syria has been mad in moscow with a tinge of excitement and a bucket of disbelief. gave way to the anxious guessing game on how it may shift the regional balance is that yet another reminder of having to be careful what it wishes for well to discuss that i'm now joined by my. associate professor at the most state institute of international relations and the editor of russian media coverage max it's good to finally see here in our studio thanks for coming over thanks for having me it's a pleasure now back in september you wrote the damn erik and are unlikely to withdraw from syria until the end of trump's term. despite all the recent developments do you think you can still be proven right well you know i think i

think i was coming from from from the belief that the u.s. military presence was a factor that enabled the united states to convert its military presence into political leverage over some of the you know syria russia and iran in particular and to a certain degree i think i was accurate and back then it. as a reflection and i think it still is the reflection of this perspective and washington you know the announcements of super loud forces came came as a surprise to many in in washington and in this kind. intention can still be realized in a way it's been communicated dot is that democrats would actually leave. part of syria that day they will not be let's say substituted by let's say the british forces or that they won't increase that special forces capacity on the ground to

compensate for the military well i think in a way we still are uncertain about the very most delegates of the military pullout but i believe the two thousand two hundred troops that the pentagon claims that there are there will be pull out sometime within the next one hundred days at the same time you know there are forces that are not on the official records but all the special forces operatives military trainers i believe that these. personnel will stay and you know we're not sure yet because we're getting some conflicting reports on whether the united states will be applying an air force so that's a big factor in the third one i think third uncertainty is the degree of support for the kurdish groups on the ground that the u.s. may be willing or may not be willing to render and i think even during the obama administration washington. around two parallel programs one was called for it and

another was a very i think there is also a chance of the american military establishment.