the trio of us. more than 170 people.

with the top stories from the past 7 days right up to the moment developments as well this is the weekly international welcome. tensions soared between the united states this week after washington accused iran of attacking to oil tankers in the gulf of oman on thursday now the u.s. claims no one else in the region how they can't possibly carry out the act u.s. central command released the greeny video which it claims shows a reunion special forces removing and on exploded mine from the vessel the owner of the tanker though saved the crew reported being hit by flying projectiles iran for its part has accused the us of attempting to undermine peace and stability in the region. its rival is engaging in quote sabotage diplomacy well the 2 vessels caught fire in one of the world's key oil routes close to the strait of hormuz it's the only way in the persian gulf the incident immediately listed

worldwide reaction triggering a surge in oil prices with russia saying the situation could pose a threat to the global economy with more on the story here i think. so there were 2 oil tankers that were. probably. back. from tokyo you. don't. know if i went oh i am sure but i don't want. to go into. the boat but it will do

the civil. service men that it will. not supposed to live and they can the. let's go over the facts now the 1st one belongs to john fredrickson 2 he's a long time norwegian trading partner of iran his relationship with iran goes back to the 1980 s. one biography even refers to him as the ayatollah as lifeline so at a time when washington is using all kinds of pressure to try and stop or running an oil exports it really doesn't make sense for iran to then lash out and attack one of its oldest friends now the 2nd oil tanker to be hit is even more interesting this is a japanese owned chemical tanker and it was hit at the same time that japan's prime minister shinzo abbay was in tehran meeting with iran's supreme leader is that. iran from the ancient times of the persian empire into the present day has been the great country of the middle east and will remain sorry in the future so we're to

believe that at the time that iran was making nice with japan while japan was helping them to find ways to help their oil busy exports keep flowing despite u.s. sanctions that iran then turns around and decides to bomb a japanese vessel in fact iran has been rather nice to the united states in the last few days a us resident who is charged with espionage was just released as a gesture of goodwill so why would they then choose this moment to fire tar paedos in the gulf of oman the iranian foreign minister job zarif is describing these events as suspicious reports of the tanks on japan related to tank use of could well pm was meeting with ayatollah for extensive and friendly to suspicious doesn't begin to describe what likely transpired this morning while iran is struggling to keep its nuclear deal intact and keep its economy afloat by selling its most prized resources on the international market like bomb peo would have us believe they then flipped out and torpedoed their 2 key business partners now why exactly would iran

do that well because they're the bad guys of course don't ask too many questions caleb mopp and r.t. new york well with regional tensions threatening to spill over into conflict we asked a number of guests for their assessment of the situation. washington with mr palm piro and mr bolton are really trying to. escalate the situation so that they have an opportunity and an excuse to attack iran when a crime is committed you have to know to whom this crime is beneficial so as all we can discuss and we can see the geopolitical situation of iran and the united states in the persian gulf we can say that the iranians are not going to torpedo is ship which will lead to the americans who attack them and it's going to give the american an excuse to attack that. they ran their country of iraq there are other

interested parties who could very easily been walled in this particular act which took place in the last 24 hours could be saudi arabia could be washington itself with this fleet in the gulf region the americans not because the americans despite what donald trump always says he doesn't want to go to war he doesn't want to put boots on the ground he doesn't want to to send his troops to iran to get killed the american people are not ready for that he just want to score a political win and get the uranium to come and discuss on the table with him in the usa wants to remove the current government in tehran mr bolton has clearly been rubbing his hands with glee over the last decade when he wasn't security advisor that he wants removal of the regime in tehran so it's only john bolton who wants to go to war but even the president

recently said that he's ready to go to the to discuss with the iranians and even my computer the secretary of state with the hotkeys and who was go to war all the time he said recently that the united states is ready to negotiate with iran without any precondition. alison's of people took part in a silent march in london on saturday to mark the 2 year anniversary of the grenfell tower tragedy it comes after 3 u.s. firms which produced materials used that the block of flats face a lawsuit from hundreds of survivors and relatives of the victims it's claimed they facilitated the spread of the devastating fire which saw 72 people lose their lives some of the products are banned from use on u.s. skyscrapers prompting accusations of double standards are comics and the message that foreign lives are worth less than american lives and that it is acceptable to expose people outside the united states to dangers to which people in the united

states would not be exposed the lawsuit names that clubbing producer are comic product is by the company's own admission flammable it also means whirlpool the maker of the refrigerator that's believed to have caused the fire and insulation made by cielo texas is said to release cyanide gas leading to further avoidable fatalities.

all 3 companies have expressed their sympathies with the victims whirlpool also noted that 2 separate probes fail to find fault with its refrigerator see low tech said its insulation was just one element of the clotting system used on the tower last hour comics said it would respond in court well we spoke to peter herbert co-founder of b.m.a. lawyers for grenfell he ses these multinational companies must face up to the law. the united states does have a very good friendly culture whereby if a multinational national company hires guilty often selling a negative product or a rich tail product without sufficient safeguards then they will perish because previously been cases in the united states where a building collapse has resulted in damages of around about $230000000.00 being distributed to the victims and residents and that tragedy i believe there's a 2 year limitation period in the united states that action must be commence the floor 2 years expires otherwise the limitation act would rule any action outside of

their limited jurisdiction of the u.s. so it is a necessity to safeguard their legal position and at the end of the day the question is are the individuals who grants loans started so much going to get to know you but serial benefits for those of their families who have been bereaved people who are often the breadwinners and therefore if that is right then that must be part of need just subtle not. the death of a syrian rebel i can drew widespread media attention this week abdel baset answering died of wounds he sustained in a battle against government forces according to the opposition faction he was fighting with a former goalkeeper for syria's youth team the 27 year old shot to prominence in the early years of the uprising singing at street protests against the country's president bashar al assad widely referred to as the nightingale of the revolution he was even the subject of an award winning 2013 documentary but in the years that

followed as the country said deeper into brewing sectarian conflicts some of the songs and statements became increasingly extreme artie's adonal quarter takes a closer look now at the controversy and warning his report contains images of an execution. he became the poster boy of the syrian uprising or shall we say the voice. oh yes. it is. and his death in battle against government forces apparently made him a fallen hero in the eyes of the media syrian football and singer of revolution killed in conflict syrian soccer goalie who became a rebel i can dies in battle. syrian soccer star symbol of free vault dies after battle. that also roots was

a former syrian footballer who turned rebel fighter and not just any rebel fighter oh no he became an icon of the fight against bashar al assad so he wasn't shying away from speaking the truth here's one of the so-called singer of the revolutions greatest hits judge for yourself. and. perhaps the lyrics don't exactly communicate the artist's intended message that's all right though also it was much more articulate about his political beliefs in this 2014 interview about the vision of what we do blame islamic state. but that blame comes with love because we know that these 2 groups and not politicized and have the same goals as us they are working for god and they care about islam and muslims no you didn't hear that wrong

the same goals as islamic state and apparently 911 was a great accomplishment to. was good you. know. there are those in the media who acknowledge it's problematic characteristics but for them a little elbow rubbing with terrorist groups shouldn't stand between him and his rightful page in the history books. some individuals celebrated as heroes make you doubt all stories of heroes in history books others like abdul basset also root not inspire of but despite his flaws make those stories highly plausible he's a true legend and his story is well documented may his soul rest in peace so if these guys got an oscar.

abdul deserves a grammy no less as in other. covert western operations it becomes important to to maintain this sense of plausible deniability it's clearly being useful for for the us and the us media to maintain. this whole idea of there being moderate democratic forces among the rebels in syria but clearly most of the groups fighting the government were really extreme islamist groups that's the reality and these were the groups that the cia and and its allies its british and french and saudi and qatari and turkish allies were supporting and arming from the very early

stages of this conflict a german boat captain humanitarian but illegal efforts in the mediterranean have left her facing time in prison and led to a swell of public support we'll have a story right after the break. in a world in which there are the americans that the chinese the indians the russians etc europeans can only be a player at that global top table by standing united and we are already united on the economic front and we increasingly understand that we have to do so also in the defense from. starting really in the 1980s under reagan at that turn deregulation you had the fed takeover and their

sole purpose of that point was to try to squeeze workers' completely out of the global economy so wages never went up real terms sensed that but stock markets keep going up and the reason to justify this is that the fed will say we need to try to take care of deflation even that they are causing to flourish in an environment where their money printing is increasing the debt. alone again more than 170000 people have signed a petition demanding that italy drop criminal proceedings against a german boat captain charged with assisting illegal immigration 35 year old paul

klemp could face up to 20 years in prison for her involvement in rescuing over a 1000 asylum seekers they were at risk of drowning now as they attempt to cross the mediterranean in all unsafe things hoping to make it to europe the reports. this is the case of peer clem a german boat captain and hero to some criminal to others she was at the helm of the event of boat in august 2017 when it entered the port of lumpy do was it located on an island between malta and the coast of tunisia the rescue vessel was detained and appears a lawyer now says she may face up to 20 years in prison and horrendous fines but no matter what appears status is unwavering get out food have witness to what women and children have to face if they are denied state travel ignore you disappearing boats of european warships and expelling libyan militias people who shelter refugees from unsuitable overcrowded scraps and beat them up sometimes too late

italian investigators have accused her crew of colluding with smugglers with photos leaked to the media alleged in the bodes returning to libya's coast on purpose to be used again by smugglers a date hasn't been set yet for with klemp has dubbed her show trial and many agree tens of thousands of people are back in her in a petition calling for italy to drop the charges this however falls under matteo salvini is cracked down they tell interior minister and deputy prime minister is known for his open and strong until migrant to stop rescue ships that are carrying migrants from docking on italian shores and allowing refugees to disembark it's what he's been after since his appointment last year and he has supporters too it's not as though the italians are to do with our probable cause there is much truth reporting that every year of investigation preceded the arrest including videos

witness statements don't develop the picture mrs rescuing people from drowning is b.s. propaganda rescue them and take them to germany it is quite convenient to rescue people and leave them initially greece cetera we have enough migrants. we do not want any more sheen able the trafficking of people that's illegal she is responsible for the so-called refugee crisis there is a clear split within the e.u. over how to tackle the migrant crisis and while they see it undecided on whether to assist or hinder the flow of migrants into europe captain pierre clem could be losing her battle at sea and on for me for nationality reporting from germany. britain's national broadcaster the b.b.c. is facing a backlash from u.k. pensioners there i agree and after it was announced it was scrapping free t.v. licenses for the over 70 five's right because the of a story respecting and all elders looking out for them is one

thing but money's money if a 75 year old couldn't watch t.v. they sure as heck couldn't pay for it says the b.b.c. currently all households with people over $75.00 are entitled to a free t.v. license that government funded scheme which is expected to cost $745000000.00 pounds by 2021 slash $22.00 comes to an end in 2023 tele's over the grandpas and grandmas time to cough up insured millions of pensioners many of the disabled and living on very modest incomes are going to have to sponsor the b.b. she because the corporation doesn't feel like shutting some of it's hugely expensive projects the b.b.c. did the math right what they got wrong was the public reaction outrage

boycott the b.b.c. they are in disgrace moneygrubbing all sound a 5 year old should be exempt from paine's license fee. so over 70 five's have served their country and worked for decades to make our country a better place will now be church $154.00 pounds for a t.v. license a week after d.-day commemorations shima new b.b.c. petitions popping up left and right anger frustration a feeling of injustice why of those who worked serve the nation for decades being put in the same level as everyone outs where are your manners even government ministers party leaders are upset pensioners have spent their lives contributing to our society providing over 74 hours with free t.v. licenses is not too much to ask here is the kicker the b.b.c. plans to make an additional 500000000 pounds by making the seniors pay for

comparison that's roughly the cost of $5.00 f. $35.00 fighter jets which the u.k. is buying $140.00 of talk about priorities some are angry about the t.v. license cost say the b.b.c. of today the quality of their programmes don't justify the billions that go into it with the latest public hits show hosted by a cartoon vladimir putin who has what appears to be a middle eastern accent. you see now why the b.b.c. needs more money the poor fellows can't even afford a russian voice actor public patience is wearing thin there are those that are getting tired of the scandals of the scandal coming out of the b.b.c. be it ridiculous salaries for the top guys or lack of objectivity so many british

people are asking openly why are they still paying to. these in the age of the internet almost certainly this idea of a t.v. being a separate box that stiffer into your computer will completely disappear. from many many households and then the question do you have a t.v. will become a weird question to ask by the way the b.b.c. is still 250000000 pounds short of keeping the all of its stuff on there so if you have any ideas of who alst to squeeze for a few more quid immigrants ginger's centenarians don't hesitate get in touch i'll appreciate it as the year for all the channels decision comes after the u.k. government passed the cost of funding the licenses over to the broadcaster itself the b.b.c. says maintaining free licenses would affect the quality of its programming adding

that those least able to pay would still be entitled to a free fee waiver author and journalist michael yardley says people are losing patience with the institution. there is a tremendous amount of anger in the country about the b.b.c. there is this feeling that the b.b.c. no longer represents the voice of ordinary british people and it is extraordinary the 10 percent of the people who go to court in britain are going to court about t.v. licensing issues and that most of those people are little old ladies and some of them may even end up in prison for not paying a t.v. license i think there is an argument that people are deeply concerned about the elitist liberal direction of the b.b.c. it's very positive on global warming this is a major issue for the b.b.c. it doesn't like mr trump it doesn't like bracks it and a lot of people feel there's been a huge political bias all right examiner said star next for a fascinating chant with the author of why nations fail the origins of power

prosperity and poverty it's a good watch as they close. you know world is a big part of the lot and conspiracy it's time to wake up to dig deeper to hit the stories that mainstream media refuses to tell more than ever we need to be smarter we need to stop slamming the door on the back and shouting past each other it's time for critical thinking it's time to fight for the middle for the truth the time is now for watching closely watching the hawks.

we had one man 3540 years old. it off the styles in the water. some 30 fisherman well this judge later in his left. understood. that he done all of them to move ahead. another man a most of us was stubborn and what the machine. believes that this is none of the therapy is. tama. absurd it's really harsh things that happen in life. what politicians do. they put themselves on the line to get accepted or rejected.

so when you want to be president or injury. or somehow want to. have to go right to be cross with what the before scream the more can't be good that i'm interested always in the waters of my college. first city. hall. or. bar. none of welcome to all the parties. it's hard to believe now but there was

a time when the western economists genuinely believed that the soviet union would almost inevitably overtake the united states as the world's leading economy and it wasn't just fear speaking they had graphs and calculations to prove it decades later it is now china that's projected onto the kids benefit and has learned a lot from the soviet failure is that enough though to win and hold onto it cannot make primacy will to discuss that i'm now joined by james robinson prominent political scientist and also rolf why in nations fail mr robinson good to talk to you thank you very much for your time pleasure now you published the book back in 2012 when the world felt like a totally different place it was before the economy became political again before this wave of populism rolled over a number of western societies if you were writing you today do you think it would have changed anything it. well not really i mean our focus is very much on the long

run you could say. you know we're trying to figure out you know why does the world look the way it does you know in terms of these big patterns of economic prosperity and poverty and that's a sort of deeply historical process so you don't change your views over a few years and i would also say that you know in terms of populism i mean you're right that in a sense the world looks a lot different but but but not the different i mean there's lots of populism historically for somebody like me who studies latin america a lot you know very used to populism you know that's all part of the package in some sense well the reason i'm asking is that question is because i have a sense that in many western societies people are now starting to question whether indeed they have a winning economic and political systems and you define failure or success as 1st and foremost economic growth but the problem with economic growth in the west

is that it's quite imbalanced a lot of it goes into a very small portion of society the majority. either benefits very little on doesn't benefit at all so whether you have that growth but only for selected few is that really a success or failure and qualify the system as inclusive or the other charmi use extractive i mean that's a good question and i think you know in the book we you know we make this argument about how inclusive economic institutions are create broad based patterns of incentives and opportunities are what you need for sustained economic growth and innovation in the long to ship and i think you still do have in the united states i think if you look at these enormously well.