rights groups are condemning saudi arabia's handling of the investigation into the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. the guardian newspaper is forced to correct an article from 2018 that falsely claimed russia had been plotting to smuggle out of the ecuadorian embassy in london. and christmas is here but for many the festive spirit is overshadowed by concerns over security and climate change. broadcasting live from our studios most of this is r t international and john thomas really glad that it's. a u.n. officials and the rights groups have denounced saudi arabia's handling of the jamal khashoggi murder case saying it makes

a mockery of justice 5 people have been sentenced to death for killing the journalist and 3 others have been given prison terms but a un appointed rights investigator believes the people actually behind the assassination have been left untouched while a union spokesperson for the un secretary general has also stressed the need for a further probe. the secretary general continues to stress the need for an independent and impartial investigation into the murder to ensure full examination of any accountability for human rights violations committed in the case jamal khashoggi was last seen entering the saudi consulate in istanbul in turkey in october 2018 where he was murdered and the un report said his death was almost certainly a state planned execution but the saudis insist it was the result of a rogue operation artie's kill mop and has more in the case. the assassination of jamal khashoggi shocked the world and drew massive condemnation

a saudi court recently sentenced 5 people to death and 3 more to jail over that killing however if you thought that this ruling would draw a line under the case think again this is what the washington post workers showed you work had to say the complete lack of transparency on the saudi government's refuses cooperate with independent investigate says suggests that this was merely a sham trial now immediately after the killing last october many pointed a finger directly at the saudi monarchy among them are u.s. senators austria the netherlands denmark and finland immediately banned the sales of weapons to the saudi monarchy however donald trump immediately ruled out any such ban in the united states and he made no secret about his reasons but as to whether or not we should stop $110000000000.00 from being spent in this country knowing they have 4 or 5 alternatives 2 very good alternatives that would not be

acceptable to me for the past 2 years democrats and republicans have called for the u.s. flow of arms to saudi arabia to stop those same arms have been used to lay waste to yemen sense 2015. but now it seems the battle to stop those. arms exports is over on friday donald trump was presented with a congressional defense spending bill by the u.s.

congress and that bill contained no anti saudi measures some democrats are furious votes this would be a pool to know that instead of seizing the opportunity to end illegal u.s. participation in the horrific saudi led bombings of yemen congress will continue to fund trump's unconstitutional will the blame game is now in full swing with congressman denying that they capitulated by letting the bill pass i wasn't cavan i was fighting to last conceivable minutes the u.s. can talk all it wants about human rights and condemn the pointless slaughter of civilians abroad however when it comes to the u.s. relationship with saudi arabia the deep financial and military interests are just too important to sidestep and it's almost musing that the saudi regime thinks that it would be a good public relations move to sentence 5 low level participants to death in

a secretive process it just continues to make them look like a very backwards state where justice is not served in the house and senate have now repeatedly voted in multiple votes on amendments to end in bipartisan fashion to end the u.s. involvement in this horrific horrific war in yemen democrats could have very easily negotiated harder and said if this provision was not in that they would have voted it down and they chose not to do that i think trumps covering for the saudi regime is starting to look very peculiar i think even to number of his supporters some of his more very far right wing republican supporters in congress have have armed together with progressive democrats on this issue. the guardian newspaper has been forced to to amend an article it published last year about russia's role in an alleged plot to extract join a songe from the ecuadorian embassy in london not just my financial as more. the

crime and the punishment the guardian newspaper gave a misleading pression to readers and was forced to clarify that its article was well something that you might be tempted to call fake news the piece in question published in september last year claimed that russia had a secret christmas plot to smuggle julian assange out of the ecuadorian embassy in london to moscow a tentative plan was devised that would have seen that we call expounder taken out of london embassy in a diplomatic biko and transported to another country one ultimate destination multiple sources have said was russian the involvement of russian officials in hatching what was described as a basic plan raises new questions about a san just ties to the kremlin but they investigate which was led by a high profile panel of academics and journalists and last 13 months found that the authors got carried away with some of their claims the plan in relation to mr

sanders ability to be able to leave they could door an embassy was not devised to instigated by russia there was nothing illicit about the plan as described in the article the investigation was triggered by a formal complaint from the former consul of ecuador 3 they'll not a virus or described several of the papers assertions as falls and defamatory party talk to him they talk about secret talks of russian diplomats in london and they have put trained me us this past contact me in. the kremlin in order to execute some kind of plot that's why i feel 'd that there article needed to be challenge. and i myself. and there to have an apology from the guardian definitely going to happen but their review panel house. decide. and has ruled that the article

was indeed misleading reaching the heart of conduct of the press in the united kingdom but i'm not completely satisfied with the correction the other thing is that they have not being. amend it does the article still says that russian diplomats. secret talks in london in order to. flee the embassy that's not true finally enough one of the journalists who penned the piece luke harding was behind another controversial article published by their guarding that piece also published last year claimed that donald trump's compay manager paul man of ford had held secret talks with a son to an ecuadorian embassy somehow one of the most surveyed places on earth didn't manage to capture any evidence of that alleged high profile visit the guardian didn't attract the story but detained the headline shift in the

responsibility to its sources mr nigh rise has called the latest corrections his story journalistic fiasco for the guardian for again publishing false information that's not the only article does a pattern and by the same mouth those are the same out there there's a pattern they have accused of buying into the embassy they have. several articles which i mentioning in my complaint us as a pattern from the same journalese which i have disgraced the newspaper and he's complained mr not a virus accuses journalists of hiding behind confidential sources the article indeed cited various sources and it seems by sources they probably meant their imagination. it is now christmas day in most of europe abut with travel

warnings and armed guards policing the 1st of markets some feel part of the christmas spirit has been lost and he's peter all of the reports now from berlin. christmas in europe what a wonderful time of the year christmas markets in full swing perfect for those last minute gifts the smell of sweet treats teasing you know nostrils and on an evening walking in a movie in the lift streets perhaps not cold with a special someone to keep you from the wind to chill not a care in the world but goodwill to all thought in recent times that's also come with increased security travel warnings and with some traditions now deemed woke what could be called the whole whole whole marginalization of the christmas period the terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in germany you should be vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities security is of course power amounts at all major of the send christmas markets on different terror

a time next to the market in strasbourg last year and here in berlin and 2016 are still fresh in the memory. you can run them opus festively as you like but these below the bar is there to try and stop christmas markets becoming a target again. this also beat a number of questions raised over the inclusive or to have some christmas traditions with one person being publicly shamed for saying father christmas instead of sunset . i've just been shamed on a facebook group for using the name father christmas and told that santa is now seen as gender neutral it's a common trope in the press to say christmas is being done away with this year it

does seem quite difficult to do christmas without upsetting someone a good chunk of people polled say they boxed agenda neutral santa christianity is pretty central to the christmas celebration for christ after all it's in the name the one school in the u.k. decided to change the words to the carol away in a manger from little lord jesus to baby boy jesus prompting a pro from parents and national newspapers alike saying this was inclusive it's gone too far in france there's a ban on the tiffany scenes under their religious imagery laws the mayor of bessie is rebels and faced backlash once the go to seasonal salutation only really in north america happy holidays is the right way to wish people well we're told with merry christmas deemed inappropriate by some even if you avoid the causing offense

minefield you can still fall down on the environmental impact of christmas 57 percent of those polled here in germany said they would i the myth that you solved all abundant entirely christmas lights over environmental concerns if you prefer a real christmas tree good luck finding one in some parts of the usa where over the last 5 years christmas tree shortages have been reported with changes in temperature and rainfall cited among the reasons there's even been advice published over how to correctly argue with your climate change denying relatives over the christmas period what do people in europe those think of christmas 29 teens. do and don'ts. the family getting i want to tell you boy and eating each other so often dust the spirit of christmas the question is whether tradition is not the

same as why wouldn't tradition be you inclusive she writes i think santa should just be what he's always been and that's a big man with a big big big. think that would be wonderful just to have a female presence as a father christmas i'm big on tradition so i think santa has always been santa i don't think there's any real issue with it for some population merry christmas means something religious. i will continue with the matter of christmas for me i think happy holidays is fine i think everybody should celebrate his own hold of it but he read it to accept friends relatives some form of was their own and wishing you all a very happy holidays in the hope that gender neutral santa brings you a sense of security control of a building well aside from christmas markets a seasonal ice rinks have become a popular tradition but they come with a high energy price tag as artie's. explains. with the festive season in

full swing what could be more typical of a winter wonderland than an ice skating rink across the world to thousands of temporary ones are directed every year and so many skittering across the ice is a magical experience but it seems not everyone is in or in the future of rinks could be on thin ice as the traditional ice rink has become the latest battleground for climate change french city wren has canceled its one citing concerns over the carbon footprint needed to maintain it in a few years it is not certain that there will still be snow at christmas but it is certain that there will no longer be an open air ice rink this is good news for the planet's meanwhile in bordeaux rising costs financially and environmentally mean the outdoor skating rink was cancelled for a 3rd year running the outdoor skating rink is absolutely not in she with the times

keeping an outdoor ice rink cold consumes a lot of electricity open for a little over a month the city hall skating rink cost $70000.00 euros france's 1st indoor ice skating rink opened in paris an 8 $176.00 it was an immediate hit and the idea has remained popular ever since but now with concerns about climate change is it time for us to rethink some of our traditions we asked people here in paris has this popular activity weighs up against the cost to the environment since i just saw it's a tradition to have an open air skating ring like this it's magical it brings christmas spirit and there's not much snow it's good to have the rain that the national depends when it's cold enough and it's possible. but where it's not cold enough it doesn't have to be. you know we've seen. he

changes the climate so i think it's rated very good of some citizen of france to do that but i agree the time strings are not good for global warming but this is only for winter it's not true that a bad. day isn't often said that could keep everyone happy and it's in the most unlikely of places mexico in a bid to keep a winter feel to the holidays an eco friendly artificial ice rink has been installed back and with options like that it seems that there is no longer a reason to skate around the issue charlotte even ski. paris. london reports and has outlined a plan for bolstering russia's military in 2020 that's very much more still to come this hour you're watching our 2 international.

what politicians do something. they put themselves on the line they get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president i'm sure. for something i want to be rich. but you're going to be the person this is what looks like freedom or can't be good. i'm interested always in the water using my house. and there should be more. same hammer i can use to smash someone's head is the same hammer i can use to build them a home but that's a human choosing what to do with that that's me expressing my values for the tool and that's what we need to do with artificial intelligence as well. join me every thursday on the alex i'm unsure when i'll be speaking to a guest of the world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you

then. this is r t international now syrian government forces have recaptured a key battleground in italy province after a week long offensive against terrorists artie's but ghazi of has come into. being a while since asaad made headline news it's been everyone but him america selling out his allies and pilfering syrian oil for bullying claims of bias that the u.p.c. w. but no last until now. thousands of syrians forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives as hundreds of ground and air strikes hit the region of it live overnight something as a part of a new ground offensive by syrian government forces. russian backed government

forces up intensified the bombing campaign while of course i will go to the camps near the turkish border to escape from and rockets the syrian military has been in a bit of a role capturing a slew of villages and towns and media days of course whenever that happens the media his opponents exploded in outrage same thing every time we want a peaceful resolution we want talks we want. we want we want we want with do with al qaida. it is ruled by a high at the sharm an offshoot of al qaida h.g.'s feeds on war and

drinks violence it turned deadly into a cesspool of zealots and fanatics mercenaries and foreign jihad just on a world tour i mean the fact that egypt is where they found the founder of isis it's the safest place you could find kind of gives it away and h.t.s. refuses any negotiation with the syrian government are you seeing the issue here how do you get a peaceful resolution when one of the biliteral is a homicidal maniac that just wants to cut your head off in the name of god or interest lies in killing the terrorist in order to protect the civilians not leaving those civilians you know. under the supervision of the terrorist and being killed by a bit of the issue here is refugees for now civilians have fled from the immediate war zone but they have to do somewhere in the safest place for now is north. look

50000 people are once again coming from egypt to our lands we already have 4000000 people and now another 50000 are coming and this main crease even further russian and turkish diplomats are in overdrive trying to manage what's happening and prepare for what's to come it is absolutely clear that the status quo is over america selling out its allies and camping out in oil fields turkey diluting kurdish territories with arab refugees and now the last islamist stronghold if it falls it will mean the end of the syrian civil war it will mean asaad wins it is their right to clear and to extend the. sovereign a few of. territory is what they're doing at present sooner or later i believe that the syrian army will expose these

people from from being flippant from ben syrian territory and i don't think that it is this from mali it may be difficult it may take some time but sooner or later they are going to be expelled from from the syrian territory understandably those who spent billions fled in syria with weapons and ammo with fighters and propaganda they don't want that to happen so certainly logical for them to insist on impossible talks so long as he's wasting his time waiting for the other side to pick up the phone the turks can continue colonizing northern syria the americans can continue pumping out its oil we're now at the last domino and it's already for. russia's president gave an address to the ministry of defense on tuesday outlining the key challenges faced by the country's military as it heads into 2020

vadim airport and stressed the importance of strengthening the armed forces given the precarious state of the global arms control system or he's made in a question of has more. well addressing the defense ministry the president said that russia is getting on to a new level of international military cooperation he added that $2900.00 so a lot of a factor of changes and particularly the sheer morton weapons and russia's nuclear triad has increased to 82 percent in 2019 and all that despite some traumatic challenges and the world including the volatile situation in the middle east and also the us decision to pull out of the i asked treaty which is the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty now that treaty banned a land based ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 5500 kilometers and now the russian president believes that it is necessary to monny tour possible

deployment of the american missile also of this particular class in various parts of the world including europe and asia pacific. was a worry because this is we're seriously concerned about the degradation of the control system i'm not talking about the united states use of the fabricated pretext to cuba agreement to medium and long range missiles in november washington also created uncertainty over the open skies treaty it's also unclear what the prospects for the strategic offensive production straight to this comes as the potential the united states missile defense systems grow given all of this we should continue making. the president also said that it's time to technically improve the industry he's sad that it's not a game of chance and a more where we can all be simply a satisfied by calling it a draw it's a military organization of the state and it should be brought to the highest

standards now apart from speaking about the challenges facing the russian military the president also. touched upon the international perception of the union and its role in the 2nd world war. in some countries in europe and across the ocean they often try to pervert history and how the world was before the beginning of the 2nd world war and this is a logical continuation of that process recently the european parliament adopted the resolution which basically draws an equivalence between hitler's germany and the soviet union tacitly suggesting directly saying that the soviet union was responsible for the beginning of the war that's of course complete nonsense so was the architecture of the global arms control crumbling this was the russian president stating the challenges for the russian military and the year to come and there are military concerns of a very different kind over in the u.s.

the pentagon has warned personnel against using home testing d.n.a. suggesting the collection of their personal data by private companies could create security risks these genetic tests are largely unregulated and could expose personal and genetic information and potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission the kids are used to provide buyers with information about their ethnic roots and susceptibility to certain diseases typically consumers will send a saliva sample or cheek swab and receive their results back through e-mail however the u.s. military fears that sensitive information about its personnel could potentially be sold on to 3rd parties and be used for tracking and surveillance former pentagon official michael maloof told us the department of defense is right to caution against the use of such kit. we're living in a different era now and it's all digitized and we have no way to control where it

goes once it once it's out and there's been a breach of someone's database and that's. because the defense department and the telescreen of the have no control over that then it makes makes everybody everybody vulnerable i don't care how many firewalls you might put up you're going to find someone who's going to who's going to try to. meet up to the challenge and try to and borin look at far if our own intelligence. databases can be hacked from time to time even in the classified. that's. anything can be hacked and i think that given the warning that the defense department's just put out. people need to take note and be careful as particularly if they want to hold on to any semblance of a personal data and and privacy but for the most part privacy is out the window today and. that does it for me i'll be back with more news of top the hour and if

you celebrate christmas. anyone else seems wrong. well just don't hold. me. to see. just the answer. and in detroit equals betray. themselves well it's a. week just to look for common ground. you know world big partisan movies a 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 bathroom 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 we're watching closely watching the hawks. god definitely once the innocent to be set free now the question is what happens when that doesn't occur like in the case of this gentleman where he was.