i. think. campaigning on a promise to stop the civil war in the east of the country and reopen dialogue with moscow t.v. star and political newcomer to mr lynskey secures a landslide victory in ukraine's presidential election also to come this hour the death toll soars in almost three hundred people after a series of bombs rocked the country's easter celebration more than twenty people have now been arrested and the king of bahrain reinstate the citizenship of more than five hundred people after an outcry from human rights defenders however the

problematic situation in the country receives little attention from the u.s. a long term ally of washington. over the welcome just day here in moscow watching r.t. international now a total political outsider famous for playing a president in a t.v. drama acting for the real thing after winning ukraine's presidential election with most votes now counted lenski has secured a landslide win over the incumbent petro poroshenko so let's get more details now and talk to r.t. is political talk show host parks on the boy hello oxana looks to talk about clearly the people of ukraine a voted for change how much change can make spec do you think this new president well i think political technologists and political analysts will be. trying to decipher this victory of for months if not years to

come you said that people voted for change yes i would agree with that but i think it's also difficult to understand what exactly led them to make such a decision i mean the one clear indication would be the polls prior to devoted which show that almost half of the ukraine in the electorate sat under no circumstances they would vote for the incumbent. that shows you that he had very very very strong negative speech i suppose we benefited from because while you listed some of his campaign promises he's usually criticized for being very very light on substance he didn't actually make many complain promises and he's in there with you to deliver and while it's still very much on the up and do you think his personality contributed here because people were familiar with the movement on the television sets as an actor playing the role of a president you think and he played

a very. complimentary role to himself i mean he's playing a role of history teacher who accidentally becomes president fights corruption the fans of ukraine on the international stage stands up to not only its neighbors but also to western partners for example so he has a very attractive role to play but he's ability to translate that role into real progress and real change in the lives of the people it's really really big deal and it's one thing to get elected and to get married but to leave alive and deliver on the on the promises you made it's something else entirely trying to decide to use you know use new as you used to earlier why people voted the way they did to push campaign to project an image of a strong walked on lead in the standing up to russia's president vladimir putin given the last would you don't question how much of a factor that played in the election i think it's it's an interest. point to

consider and i would just add that it's not only he complained that focused on that his entire policies for the last three or four years focused on standing up to do russian aggression given that these elections produced the highest margin of victory in the ukraine's. recent history i mean. he got almost three times as many votes as percent i think the ukrainian is getting a little bit tired of that kind of message and that's not nothing surprising because people in every country first and foremost want bread and butter issues economy living standards education health care etc i mean at the end of the day every country has a different politics but people in all countries want the same things and i think one of the biggest mistakes both technologically from the point of view of political technologists and politically for poroshenko was to stress so much his wartime strong wartime image at the expanse of the promises that he made five years

ago fighting corruption increasing living standards delivering dignity to the ukrainian people. and all things that people. shortcomings and he actually apologized in his. departing speech he apologized for not being able to deliver on all of that i mean i think it's also going to be quite a bit of a challenge for the lansky as well because the ukrainian electorate has a very short political fuse they like president one day they totally dislike him two years later i mean in thirty years that ukraine has been independent they only elect is one president for the second term and i think one of the reasons why selenski is already saying that he's only going to stay for one term because securing the second one would be increasingly difficult and i think maybe he will fill spain if years. and i don't know a lot of place to be

a president ok look we're going to bring in political analyst mark almond now he's director of the crisis research institute and joins us so good afternoon mark thanks for coming on talking about the domestic issues there i just wondered on the international stage how do you think this new president will be received. well he'll be warmly received but also in a sense warmly in the hope that he's going to turn to be more portion called foreign policy than perhaps many of his voters thought he would be so that the west is a little bit worried now. a president there used to a president who cooperate very closely with nato and with european union with the international monetary fund and so on has been humiliated and mr selenski is an unknown quantity so there's a great deal of effort going on now to warm up to him by western diplomats but also time it also reflects the fact they're not really sure what his policy is going to be as indeed nobody's entirely certain even possibly just as lenski himself is not

absolutely certain what he's going to do. market sex advice here let me chime in with my question i'm sure you would agree with me that ukraine has been the main sort of five in ground for russia and the west in terms of the geopolitics of the region there the events of two thousand and fourteen is the main reason for why the relations between russia and the west are still poor at the moment and my sense is that some politicians in the west were growing increasingly fatigue to be shipped not only because of he's very poor record on corruption and economy and what have you but also him using and abusing the conflict in dong boss for his own political purposes do you think that would be sort of a new start not only for ukraine but for russia the west and by the west i mean first and foremost europe. whereas i think it's possible to say that the maybe a widening. between ballin and paris for instance on the one hand and washington on

the other. the still a sort of strong hawkish group dominating inside washington whatever donald trump's particular views might be whereas. the germans and the french and other europeans would like this crisis to come to an end simmering conflict i think is a bit too much to call it a war but it's certainly not peace either and the germans and the french would like to find some solution and it's also first were saying that in terms of the voting more people voted in the southeast of ukraine than people had expected there was a bigger participation that helped zelinsky and in a sense that was a rebuke to portion caus nationalist rhetoric which all too often actually in ukraine house has been divisive splitting west against east and so on and it's striking in the electoral map that it was only in the very far west of ukraine that partial incur managed to come ahead of the lewinsky in any district. mark what sort of moves them would you expect them to make what would be its first need them

international stage with regard to perhaps foreign policy. where he may follow the route that previous ukrainian presidents of all that which is to go to brussels and to emphasize that he would like to have good relations with the european union and we certainly many of craning still have hopes that somehow or other links with the e.u. can perhaps begin to turn around the very dire economic situation situations also seem mass emigration it to the european union to poland and the czech republic and so on so he probably will be cozier if you like with europe than with nato some of his advisors have said he's also committed to approaching and joining nato at some point in the future but he has raised the question of whether the should be after referendum and as we can see with portion coast defeat when you have a referendum election as we had primary on foreign policy issues a lot of ukrainians tend to shy away from what the answer would be. given in

washington all the question general and so i think the west will be a bit worried that the nato alliance mint of ukraine may become much weaker and pushed into the distant future even if. one does the linsky will be looking for better relations with brussels hoping that the can find some way of hoping to spark economic revival which is a big if of course. and just ask you about. first possible moves on the international stage let me ask you about the domestic because he already said that he's first one of the first issues he is going to consider do you. put effort into would be the war and corruption and this is something that five years ago also promised them hasn't been able to achieve what do you think it will take for zelinsky not to disappoint his electorate on these two very very difficult issues. you know well there are two problems corruption is a big problem and the great majority of ukrainians voters clearly regard it almost

as the key problem that messes everything else up the economy society and even national defense and saw that on the other hand a president who becomes an anti-corruption fighter do not risk also that he begins to select people to be targeted because they're his opponents and also therefore do you have the rule of law being strengthened irby we can have one of the big problems in ukraine is the sense that the courts and the police are fundamentally at the beck and call of the rich and powerful and so the president has to on the one hand reassert the authority of the state create a sense of respect for the law by the people in force it but on the other hand it mustn't be seen to use it as an instrument because otherwise it simply becomes tainted. down the line there were questions to say then is that is the south east of ukraine the conflict how far can it be resolved that might be if you could separate the two. problems of crimea and the donbass it might be possible that the

dog could be found some status that would now be acceptable inside ukraine but acceptable to the people running on the us the people living there and so on. and except also then to the rest of ukrainians the bigger problem it seems to me is the question of the future of crimea it seems to me inconceivable that russian opinion will change over the crimea but equally it seems to me very difficult for a ukrainian president even with a large personal majority to give up formal claims to crimea not least because the nationalist element which does very badly in elections in ukraine but has can turn out tens of thousands of people on the street in paramilitary parades they're already muttering darkly that zelinsky is really some kind of puppet of putin and so he faces the problem that once the elections of over what happens if powerful interests but also these mobilize will groups. begin to try and cause trouble not least because remember he won't have a majority in the parliament at least until october allowing that he's able to do

what to do in france and turn his personal victory into a political party your he faces some very tough challenges are going to have to leave it there good to have you on as mark arm and political analyst nor to our thanks to oksana boy k. thank you. thank you thank you so following victory there ukraine joins a rapidly growing list of countries with leaders who started their careers far away from polity. since.

you're fired breadfruit. see there's all the busy. shots for me to sleep. you're watching international good to have you company today we're back with more news in team.

led. what politicians do something. put themselves on the line to get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president. or somehow want to be. right to be close this is what it looks like three in the morning can't be good. i'm interested always in the waters of my. last question.

again you with the death toll from a series of eighty explosions and sure lanka has jumped to two hundred ninety without suffice hundred others injured churches and hotels across the island were targeted on easter sunday. i. was thinking we heard a loud bang and we fainted that's all i remember we heard a loud explosion and everything collapsed we managed to protect the children but

when i came here i found out that my son in law and my son. i wish to express my heartfelt solidarity with the christian community affected one that was a prayer and with all the victims of such cruel violence. or sri lanka is a mainly put this country with substantial muslim and christian minorities the country's defense minister said the culprits were religious extremists while the country's prime minister has promised the people behind the attack will face a stern response as a mark of commemoration with the hundreds killed the lights of the eiffel tower in paris were switched off while leaders around the world have been united in the

condemnation a strategic analyst javed around this says there had been disquiet between religious communities in the lead up to sunday's atrocities. i think there was a level of uncomfortable or to be. committed to use of them to get only off there was a social life. during some of the national groups and we should not forget that the phenomenon of terrorism and violence is not. all the new to the ceiling it was heat from one thousand you could three. thousand mine when there was an insurgency particularly in the lot east of sri lanka. in government that it's all over in two thousand and nine when they got rid of that insurgency and then they they all to use. the suicide bombing not that is this something again has happened now after nine nine nine years but at this particular point point of time there are new dynamics to be used to situation inside olenka there are other factors like dash

because dash has been operating everywhere in the war well i think the message is quite clear to the community which make up around seven percent of the civilian confabulation. the messages to terrify them to give them obvious from places and also the messages to the foreigners who have been doing this to lanka i think it is going to come down hard on this link in economy it is going to be negative really disturbing when it comes to. the situation in the past changing. the king of bahrain has reinstated the citizenship of more than five hundred people follows the wave of condemnation from international human rights groups almost one thousand national is of how this is the ship revoked since an uprising in the country back in twenty eleven many opposition figures were imprisoned at the time or fled abroad but it can stay with as much. this really is

evolution look here if someone's being a nuisance like activists or the opposition a normal dictator would get rid of them but it's messy and everyone complains in bahrain they've come up with a novel way of getting around that it's simple and genius new citizenship new voice the un high commissioner for human rights is deeply concerned that one hundred thirty nine people in bahrain were convicted of terrorism after a mosque trial which reportedly did not meet with international fair trial standards one hundred thirty eight of these people so all but one had their nationalities revoked standards mandates it works since two thousand and twelve according to the americans for democracy and human rights and bahrain authorities have revoked the citizenships of nine hundred and ninety nationals the

third of them just last year among them the move the undesirables the human rights defenders the political activists journalists and so on everyone who can't seem to shut up this verdict demonstrates no through source of weaponized the rb drew the case of citizenship to punish normal average bahrainis. and guess what happens if you complain about it yeah he lose your citizenship or get jailed or exiled this is win win for the king anyway. so much for everyone out. they need the glamour of the formula one there is the former senator side to brain revealing the country is a deeply repressive state where anyone critical of the government can be jailed merely for posting a tweet yes but the king is also merciful he takes with one hand but

gives with the other his highness's issued orders to reinstate the citizenships of more than five hundred people citizenships so if you were sentenced to life in jail you still and die in prison but as a citizen how much more mercy do you want understand also this is been a stressful time for the king he and his family really didn't like the arab spring all that commotion and protesting and cools for democracy in common is they really didn't like it go violent clampdown.

bahrain was different from the other arab countries oh sure they bashed protests the heads in like everyone else the difference is a new one really cooled for the king to step down france and friends didn't bomb it like they did libya the u.s. didn't fund rebels in the islamists like they did in syria europeans didn't call for regime change like they did in egypt you know why because bahrain is a friend home to the largest u.s. and u.k. naval bases in the region holding the pre stages title of major non nato ally. these gulf partnerships are critical to achieving shared regional objectives defeating isis countering radical islamic terrorism protecting global energy supplies and rolling back iranian aggression with friends like these who needs

human rights bahrain can get away with murder and the west will turn a blind eye and i mean a blind eye they know full well what the king is up to what his henchmen commit what suffering they heap on the people human rights issues included allegations of torture arbitrary detention political prisoners arbitrary or removal interference with privacy restrictions on freedom of expression the press and the internet substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association remarkable well bomb syria over mere rumors tweets sanction iran just out the habit at this point threaten their needs were interfere meddle in its politics trample its sovereignty because well because but bahrain with its torture abuses classical courts are making drunk on

power. that it's where they draw the line apparently that's just going too far in our strategic approach it is important to acknowledge with a degree of humility that there are some things that are beyond change. well the authorities in bahrain claim the country's security has faced an intense threat and all actions have been aimed at achieving stability interior minister blames terrorists coordinated with iran iraq and the hezbollah group in lebanon for undermining pace in the region when we spoke to the former m.p. for use who came under government pressure himself he believes bahrainis won't receive a great amount of international help to restore the human rights. i was part of the first group were their citizenship very well and seventh of november two thousand and twelve and they stuck with our group and that was. an order

from an assessment curio no evidence or no claims is being given to us political and economical rights you will lose it and you don't have any access to the health care nor to they do cation i describe it like add a social death unfortunately there are those thunders and the foreign policy or many western countries mainly u.k. united states it has so much of it pratik policy when they deal with the allies when the international community especially the more rights international we did indicating in all the reports that i was i was last the type of the you more as well if she is in bahrain particularly but meanwhile is being backed on telly by these international allies the united kingdom may not states and not only that even they are supporting them internationally and they mention in many of their speeches

that bombing is going on right track while they are proud to have such allies so we see there is no logic behind it. and that brings you up to date with events around the world so i fought i forget that you can also keep across what's happening on our social media channel and that you kept. after the previous stage of my career was over everyone want to know what i was going to do next that multiple different clubs on one hand it is logical to start an open fields where everything is familiar on the other i want to the new challenge and a fresh perspective i'm used to surprising you. not seriously. i'm going to talk about football not for you or else you know cinco is going to go.

by the way what is it that. facebook and google started with a great idea and great ideals unfortunately it was also a very dark so. they are constructing a profile of you and that profile is real it's detailed and it never goes away turns out that google is manipulating your opinions from the very first character that you type into the search bar it will always favor one dog food over another one comparative shopping service over another and one candidate over another they can suppress certain types of results on what they think you should be seen if they have this kind of power then democracy is an illusion the free and fair election doesn't exist the more growth we give them the sooner we are all.

welcome to sophie and sophie shevardnadze to have securing a close victory in a hotly contested election benyamin netanyahu has become the first is rather prime minister to hold office for five terms well his right wing coalition very all hope for peace was palestine once and for all ask danny ayalon former deputy foreign minister of israel. and the president should fifth's. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is a victory for the israeli conservatives but it leaves the palestinians wondering whether any progress in peace talks will now be achievable will the newly reelected netanyahu be brave enough to make steps toward solving the main middle eastern

problem or will his coalition support depend on him taking a hard line away from peace danny i am former deputy foreign minister of israel welcome to the show it's great to have you with us lots to discuss when i mean that's when the asshole has won a new record term as israeli prime minister now he supports the settlement his backers sabba hardline view on the palestinians and says next term going to be absolutely nothing to advance to peace cause forward i think actually that there is a better chance to move forward because not only because the bees on his fifth there are. a veteran and these very secured himself he's a man of. history scholar his father was a history professor and i believe he is very much. interested to put his mark to leave his mark.