you. see. the headlines on r.t. vladimir putin moans that russia is ready to respond to threats with its new hypersonic missile system stressing though it is purely a defensive weapon and his statement certainly prompted a reaction. by targeting western capitals with. quite a confrontational confrontational speech. also to come a democratic controlled committee is questioning the nature of u.s.

saudi ties after a new report reveals washington is poised to transfer sensitive nuclear technology to riyadh that is the white house. nuclear ambitions as a global threat plus a statue in florida based on a famous photograph of a sailor kissing a stranger on times square at the end of world war two is vandalized. tag we debate the issues. whether she was swept up in the moment or not we do not feel this is getting activity to celebrate we're taking this we're looking at this from a land. perspective that we just don't understand it because we live now in such a divisive time. hello there welcome you watching r.t. international. has warned that moscow is ready to target perceived threats with its latest hypersonic missile though the russian president did stress to you that the

new weapon is meant solely for defensive purposes. threatened to retaliate by targeting western capitals with his own new weapons lattimer putin threatening to target the united states with its new generation of hypersonic missiles if the us bases intermediate range missiles in europe for quite a confrontational step quite a confrontational speech by the russian president some of the media reaction there what he said were during his annual state of the nation address president putin did announce that on a new hypersonic cruise missile that can be deployed from both land and sea he will undergo testing beta this year with more his hugo she done. another day another excuse to panic for the mainstream media for them for the second year in a row of the flavor of lattimer putin's state of the nation address is faster to work on which is on when you'll certainly be completed on schedule namely i would like to talk about the comm hypersonic missile good i'm going to do and that's

a big enough trigger to get everything from the tabloids to serious outlets hitting repeat the concerns are not entirely unreasonable though the zircon mess is set to become a force to reckon with it's a silent assassin covering three kilometers in one second means zircon travels nine times faster than the speed of sound the target literally won't hear it coming there's no hiding from it either it can hit both the ground and see targets within a range of a thousand kilometers it can be launched from either submarines or from military ships it is out of the books ready to use with the launch pads already in service yet the intimidating tech specs and to a bigger extent even the clip big headlines are obscuring the fundamental thing about the new weapon russia hopes it will rust away and fall apart and not

a single shot will be for. hugeness the word you. use the sure they call russia the biggest threat to the us are over there but i can tell you that russia wants to have an equal and friendly relationship with the united states russia is not threatening anyone at all our actions in the security syria done solely as a response and so they're of a defensive nature but i need to look at it moscow says it won't throw the first punch it only ever wants the missiles to be used as blanks during military drills the global security with experts. i think it's a reasonable massy you know i have to tend to agree with the sentiments that putin has expressed because i saw no purpose that i think the. you know of acceleration of the animosity between the two countries came by us is cancer not of i and half out of the treaty and that opened up the door for this so i think it's

reasonable for defensive purposes to do this i think we're a lot safer then the people in washington and the people who build our weapons claim we are because even if it's not for the fact of aggression and starting a war i think people when they make profits building weapons there are likely to promote problems actually in hong says the states the bullets you have to turn systems and the reason i say that is because deterrence currently relies upon missile systems or aircraft or different systems which are inherently detectable if america was to launch for example missile strikes which destroyed russia's ability to respond by for example talk to combine to control systems the submersible weapon systems would still be available to actually mounts are a target for a strike on the united states which means hopefully the other side would be deterred from using its weapons. now the u.s.

house of representatives has released a report indicating that the white house may be planning to transfer sensitive nuclear power technology to saudi arabia made concerns in washington over iran's nuclear program a democrat led committee is now launched an investigation into the matter it expects. if there is one thing that congress gets touchy about it's when the president tries to swerve around them this point we've got the house oversight committee looking into whether donald trump was trying to rush nuclear technology to saudi arabia within the united states strong private commercial interests have been pressing aggressively for the transfer of highly sensitive nuclear technology to saudi arabia a potential risk to u.s. national security absent adequate safeguards these commercial entities stand to reap billions of dollars through contracts associated with constructively and

operating nuclear facilities in saudi arabia the concern is that this could lead to saudi arabia developing nuclear weapons now for what we understand the saudis were refusing to agree to prohibitions on processing good talent and enriching uranium that other countries in the region have agreed to prop was apparently directly engaged in the efforts now the report cites a few whistleblowers who were in on the negotiations the whistleblowers who came forward have expressed significant concerns about the potential procedural and legal violations connected with rushing through a plan to transfer a nuclear technology to saudi arabia ip three nuclear energy corporation that was part of the negotiation or it is a strategic imperative that the united states compete and win against russia and china in the nuclear power arena tom barrett who is on trial as inaugural committee also thought that possibly arming might be a good idea mr barracks in gauge meant an investment in business development

throughout the middle east for the purpose of better aligned middle east and u.s. objectives and well known as are his more than four decades of respected relationships throughout the region the issue of nuclear power for saudi arabia has been discussed before but that refusal to agree to not enrich or reprocess has been a big stumbling block. they wouldn't commit and it was a sticking point you might be noticing a little bit of a double standard here not only does the united states oppose the peaceful nuclear energy program of the islamic republic of iran it's actually imposed sanctions on the country for decades and this isn't the first time that the twenty treatment of the two countries has left us officials red faced in twenty seventeen a reporter asked about the usa criticizing iran's elections when saudi arabia is completely devoid of democracy here's how it went to a saudi arabia's commitment to democracy and does the administration believe that democracy is

a barrier against extremism. we see is that. at this meeting. we were able to make significant progress at weapons sales make lots of money for american military corporations so america first told me it's all about america first we're not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders and let russia china and everybody else have a drawl about for me very simple it's america first when it comes to the middle east u.s. officials have long been known for a kind of double speak and contradictory policy but you can understand why some people might get a little on nerves when nukes are involved. r.t.

new york. the construction of russia's nord stream to gas pipeline to europe is in the spotlight again foreign minister sergei lavrov has called on european business partners to resist u.s. pressure to block the project last month washington's envoy to burden one that companies should stop building the pipeline. new was more than a torturous it is impossible to specify restrictive measures it will always hit ordinary people like in syria iran and north korea and therefore it's necessary to stop imposing sanctions altogether the european union has been infected by the virus of u.s. impunity while the subject of the north stream pipeline was also raised when austria chancellor met president trump at the white house it is the first such state visit by an often leader in thirteen years but the pair weren't exactly thing ita i was peter oliver now explains. the austrian chancellor has given his continued backing for the nord stream to gas pipeline project despite clear

objections from the united states sebastian kurtz was speaking after meeting with donald trump at the white house president trump has clearly said that the united states is against this project buying gas from the united states would not be a problem for us but as long as russia is prices beth of matter of united states russia is more attractive for us as upon on this issue i believe that as a former businessman trump can understand that we have different interests here the united states pretty much hates the north stream to gas line project and doesn't care who knows it in fact they've got as far as to put pressure on e.u. nations and on companies belonging to european countries saying that there could be potential sanctions put on them if they continue to associate with the pipeline the u.s. argument is that north stream two leaves the e.u. energy infrastructure overly reliant on russian gas and that could potentially be used as a political tool by moscow well that prompted the u.s.

ambassador here in germany richard grinnell to send out letters at the beginning of the year to german companies involved in the project saying that there was a significant risk of sanctions should they continue their involvement a month later the ambassador was again talking about nord stream to this time he said that germany should use the project to leverage against moscow a sentiment that was well picked upon and repeated by the u.s. vice president mike pence in munich just last weekend and the united states commands all our european partners who have taken a strong stand against north stream to. and we commend others to do the same for the austrian chancellor went on to say that from his meeting with trump it was clear to him that the united states is particularly unhappy with germany over this issue however but has shown absolutely no sign of being willing to test. i think you know one of wanted to be unilateral independence and russia did not receive russian gas not only leading our where i lived but i soon west germany during the

cold is russia really a partner whatever the feelings of the united states that gas is set to start flowing later this year when north stream too is fully operational it will be sending an extra fifty five billion cubic meters of russian gas every single year under the baltic sea directly into germany. all of the reporting there now the media freedom representative from the european security organization the us he says he's following the situation regarding facebook suspension of several r.t. linked news pages a few days ago facebook did block a number of matic media's pages a german based company which produces online shows one of which is in the now isn't that my feet was deliberately trying to hide its ties to the russian government facebook also claimed there are rules under which any community should tell you we spoke over suspension of those r.t.

linked pages. closing a facebook account or any internet link from the media without prior warning can be considered as an act of censorship opposed by the idea of jail or facebook later replied to mattick media saying it needed to make clear that they are affiliated with r.t. . then tweeted that they are now waiting to hear if they'll be allowed back on to the site talk show host jimmy door believes though that facebook has no legitimate reason to block news pages. this is a bunch of unelected bureaucrats in silicon valley deciding who gets freedom of speech based on completely random rules that are public and they make oh if you're going to take away someone's rights you have to have a transparent process to do that you can't just do it willy nilly with a bunch of unelected bureaucrats in the middle of the night in silicon valley deciding who gets to have freedom of speech or not and that's what's happening

right here and by the way it's happening in conjunction with the government which makes it doubly horrible but it's not really being reported correctly in the united states because corporate media is in bed with the same people just going seven fifty need in here most of you watching on t.v. about stuff breaking. so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy on sunday should we let it be an arms race in this spirit dramatic development only personally i'm going to resist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time to sit down and talk. but the numbers mean something the matter of us is over one trillion dollars in debt more than ten white collar crime families. e.d.

five percent of global wealth you long to be ultra rich. to pursue the world market thirty percent some with one hundred five hundred three first or second per second and that one rose to twenty thousand dollars. china's building two point one billion dollars a i industrial park but don't let the numbers over. the only number you need to remember one one business show board one and only boom but. again britain's biggest weapons contract to be a b i e systems is warned germany's ban on arm sales to saudi arabia could impact a k one thousand and six contracts the company looks after the gulf kingdoms for you

to fight a jets which are deployed in riyadh bombing campaign in yemen. in this context the position of expert licensing currently ducted by the german government may affect the group's ability to provide the required capability to the kingdom be a nice systems is working closely with the government to minimize the risk of freeney such occurrence and the impact it would have in financial performance the supply chain and relationships will be a systems has several contracts with saudi arabia covering its eurofighter typhoon and tornado fighter jets the aircraft to use parts made in germany and are therefore affected by the ban berlijn has implemented an arms sales to saudi arabia on wednesday the german government reiterated its intention to continue its freeze on arms sales to saudi arabia the export ban was introduced in november after the murder of the saudi journalist arms exporter during a visit seabird when the british foreign secretary jeremy hunt did try to persuade

his german counterpart to lift the ban but failed. when i talk to a hiker mass what i say is that the strategic relationship that the u.k. has with saudi arabia is what allows us to have a huge influence in bringing about peace in yemen in fact i would go as far as to say that without that strategic relationship. wouldn't it be impossible to proceed with the stockholm agreement which is the first ray of hope although others were extremely important to make human happiness well we hope you remember this with your views do you the position of the german government is that we're not currently delivering weapons to saudi arabia and future decisions on this will depend on developments in the yemen conflict front page however the british government continues its efforts to pressure germany to change its mind although perhaps that not all of that is not all that much of a surprise given the close ties between the a systems and westminster companies held more than one hundred or more than a thousand meeting sorry with the government in the last decade or so of the prime

minister's husband works for a company which is the largest shareholder in the yeah east system so let's get more on this now from abdel bari atwan he's the editor in chief of right our human and arab world digital news and opinion website and you're very welcome thanks for coming on abdel you surprised about germany's firm stance on this. no i'm not surprised that i believe the german position as a moral one germany was absolutely right to we you know the international community should put pressure on saudi arabia and all that actually to stop this war and the m. and listen to all of us of peace and that part of the words i believe germany actually is sitting very good example to european community to european states actually to united say the self to follow suit why because saudi arabia is committing a lot of atrocities and their many years of war and the west supplying it with

women with their sorry with their weapons and ammunition and all that to carry on this war which will enter next month its fifth year continuously where about fifteen of fifteen thousand civilians were killed and more than suffering people about twenty million people suffering from famine and actually other other diseases like cholera all that said the you came france continue to put a lot of pressure on germany do you think the germans will cave in at some point or does the you came france actually have no leverage over them. i believe given through germany could lose about two point three billion euro because of this in bar one of the selling arms so there may be there but i believe the german actually . insisting that they are thinking that i desertion and after the death the brutal

death actually of jamal khashoggi and the saudi consulate in istanbul and also after the. war crimes committed against the yemeni by by united by saudi arabia coalition actually in that war i believe the german should this fast and should actually it is this this french and british air pressure. on them i think britain should actually follow suit like germany the same thing france actually should do the same we must put pressure on saudi arabia in order to accept a final settlement of this war and pull out all its troops from from here and it is occupation and the people are suffering and the ventilation community actually could side by yemeni people who are very poor and solving you're actually starving under the sanctions because of this war were you surprised that jeremy hunt the british foreign secretary got involved here i mean what sort of link does the

british government have with b a. well actually i believe british government is putting money deals and business actually before or we're all ahead of mortality here i'm surprised mr hunt foreign minister of britain putting this pressure in germany i would have when the during the breaks it talks we know that next month britain will leave the united. european union completely and they shouldn't actually put pressure on german counterpart and all that to you know left this embargo against that country as i said you know launching a war against the poorest country on the whole world so i believe it is it is four years of this war should be and they the people from from starvation is here to to to put pressure on saudi arabia and its coalition and stop arms to them and hold on

to actually adhere to the international demands to have to pull out all its troops from yemen ok thank you that we're going to have to leave it there but good to get your analysis that was abdel bari atwan the editor in chief of. an arab world digital news and opinion website thank you. now a start she won the u.s. based on a landmark photograph commemorating the end of world war two seems to have fallen foul of the me too movement against sexual harassment the sculpture inside a soldier in florida is titled unconditional surrender and there's to pick the moment in nine hundred forty five when a soldier kissed a stranger on the day japan capitulated to the u.s. while it was spray painted with the need to hash tag one day after the man depicted in the work war veteran george mendosa died at the age of ninety five humid is considered a symbol of the euphoria that gripped the nation at the end of the war the woman in

the photograph said that the sailor drunkenly grabbed her on times square and then kister and some analysis jesting that that does amount to sexual assault or the iconic kiss was first published in life magazine and cemented a place in popular culture at the moment has been recreated in films and works of art as well as on victory over japan day anniversaries the meta movement has a track record of reappraising historical issues but critics who say the movement sometimes goes too far for example by condemning everything from disney fairytales and popular songs to television shows or women's rights advocate resurface and an international law expert jennifer breeden were divided over the latest meeting target. absolutely support the need to movement in saying this statue does not have right to stand because he was drunk and did no or and so if that's the case then anything that does not reflect who we are trying to become as a country as

a people it can stand even if we have statements from the woman that was in the picture we don't have a lot of the intent we don't have when we don't have the context of the time that it occurred in and so that's that's the point is that we're taking this we're looking at this from a lens of a perspective that we just don't understand today because we live now in such a divisive time whether she was swept up in the moment or not we do not see this as a bidding activity to celebrate in those moments such as the confederate flags or the confederate statues that are being taken down by protesters in those moments it's ok for us to look at history and say this is not who we choose to be i mean there are times even in the one nine hundred sixty s. if you look at martin luther king jr and some of these civil rights protests even the protests for women i mean never never would would vandalism have been ok especially for dr king is criminal acts were peaceful they were meant to vandalize

to harm they were meant to prove a point but i do think it is important that we look at the times now and let's not why not why i was just trying to find out what is not in that let's not do that when you have to stand up and disobey and something that sometimes an up people sometimes violence sometimes things that we don't like will be required and don't want to make sure that everyone's placated and comfortable with what we're doing and that it's also politically correct because change see nothing without a demand if there has to be so discomfort momentarily so that justice can be carried out then by all means that's what must be done and it's true that discomfort is going to happen what i bring up with dr king is that that he talked about his his purpose being to change the laws to change the laws for the better for joe. the laws and because the laws were unjust we have laws in america today that protect against sexual assault that protect against unwanted advances advances that are not consented to so we have laws today for that even if we didn't back in

one thousand nine hundred five and so i do think it's relevant to bring this up in that context when civil disobedience goes against the law because it's an unjust law there is no law here that is unjust it's the behavior of men that we're seeing in society and in this instance it was men from sixty years ago. no more than a year since the catalan independence referendum plunged into crisis in the to madrid imposing direct rule in the region protesters have once again taken to the streets in the region. i i i i. i thousands came out in barcelona and across catalonia to protest the ongoing trial of afghan leaders in madrid by the region's former vice president and the former interior minister are among the key figures facing charges over their involvement in the twenty seventeen independence referendum demonstrators with banners and independence movement flags to show the

show by riot police what has been described as the biggest rally since the controversial but. that brings up today that's why things are looking so far today we're back again in half an hour. joining me every thursday on the alex i'm unsure and i'll be speaking to us of the world of politics sports business i'm sure business i'll see you then. manufacture consent to stick to the public well. when the ruling classes protect themselves. with the prime.

nor middle of the room six. sixty is a bit like figure skating team because it should trouble sign. it's a specific island and it's no less than two hundred kilometers per hour try this rivals this at the same time because most of the circuits mirroring each other is placed in the space at maximum speed to place to get. to it was born in japan france has a school which it's become incredibly popular in.