rights groups condemned saudi arabia's handling of the investigation into the murder of the journalist jamal khashoggi. the guardian newspaper is forced to correct an article from 2018 that falsely claimed russia had been plotting to smuggle doing a song out of the back to join the embassy in london. christmas is here but for many of the festive spirit is overshadowed by concerns over security and climate change. are broadcasting live direct from our studios in moscow this is our team international thomas really glad to have you with us. universals and 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 by the un appointed by its investigator believes the people actually behind the assassination have been left untouched while the person for a 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 u.n. reports said his death was almost certainly a state planned execution but the saudis insist it was the result of a rogue operation or his cable boppin 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 break 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 us congress and that bill contained no anti saudi measures some democrats are furious votes this would be a pool tonight that instead of seizing the opportunity to and 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 the last conceivable minute 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 send inspired low level participants to death in a secretive process that 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 in amendments to end in bipartisan fashion to end the u.s. involvement in this horrific horrific war in yemen democrats could have a very. he 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 trump's 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 and 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 julian assange from the ecuadorian embassy in london artie's me if notion has the story. 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 kill expounder taken out of ecuador's 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 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 of what describes several of the papers assertions as falls and defamatory r.t. talked to him they talk about secret talks of russian diplomats in london and they have 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 polity there happen but

their review panel has. decided. right and has ruled that the article was indeed misleading breach in 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 but as the article still says that russian diplomats. secret talks in london in order to. flee the embassy that's not true and 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 the old transcom pain manager paul mann a forward 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 deep change the headline shift in the responsibility to its sources mr no rise has called the latest corrections he story journalistic fiasco for the guardian for again publishing false information that's not the only article there's a part owned by the same mouth those that the same author there's a pattern they have accused you know of buying into the embassy they have. several articles which i mentioning in my complaint. as a pattern from the same journalese which have disgraced the newspaper and his complaint 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. is not christmas day in most of europe but with

travel warnings and armed guards policing the 1st of markets some feel part of the christmas spirit has been lost artie's peter overby 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 list streets perhaps not gold with a special someone to keep you from the winter 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 at times the market in strands 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 bollards the bar is there to try and stop christmas markets becoming a target again. this also should be to 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 santa. i've just been shamed on a facebook group for using the name father christmas and told that fantasia 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 a gender neutral santa christianity is pretty central to the christmas celebration christ after all is 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 limit that you solve 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 inclusive she writes and i think santa should just be what he's always been and that's a big man with a 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 sunset brings you a sense of security. building. will side from christmas market seasonal ice rinks

have become a popular tradition but they come with a high energy price tag as. 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 for 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 the 3rd year running the outdoor skating rink is absolutely not in sheen 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 at 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. it changes the climate so i think it's rated very good of some citizen of france to do that but i agree the tie strings are not good for global warming but this is only for winter it's not true that is bad. not so they 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 wind to feel to the holidays an eco friendly artificial ice rink has been installed and with options like that it seems that there is no longer a reason to skate around the issue shoulder stephen ski. paris. was a mere person who has outlined a plan for bolstering russia's military in 2020 that story much more still to come this hour this is our 2 international.

twas the night before christmas and all over the world people are mining back on taking individual sovereignty so they probably just wrote anything. else should seem wrong why don't we all just don't call. any new world yet to shape out these days become active. and engaged because betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart we choose to look for common ground. join me every thursday on the alex salmond show and i'll be speaking to us from the world of politics. i'm showbusiness i'll see you then.

and welcome back this is our to international now the syrian government forces have recaptured a key battleground in province after a week long offensive against terrorist artie's but god has more. it's been a while since asaad made headline news it's been everyone but to him america selling out its allies and pilfering syrian oil 3rd bullying claims of bias at the u.p.c. w. but no last up 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 some thursday part of a new ground offensive by syrian government forces. russian backed government forces of intensified the bombing campaign as well of course i will go to the camps near the turkish border to escape from and rockets the syrian military has been a bit of a role capturing a slew of villages and towns and media days of course whenever that happens the media and 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 live is ruled by a high at the shah 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 ists on a world tour i mean the fact that it was where they found the founder of isis it's the safest place you could find qana gives it away and h.g.'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 it's 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 3000000000 innocence under the supervision of the target and being killed by. 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 the fear of the state. is what they're doing at present sooner or later i believe that the syrian army will expose these people from from be flip and from ben syrian territory and i don't think that it is this stoppable 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 fall. russia's president gave an address ad to the ministry of

defense on tuesday outlining the key challenges faced by the country's military as it heads into 2025 important stressed the importance of strengthening the armed forces given the precarious state of the global arms control system artie's medina question of a 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 deployments 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 great 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 growth given all of this we should continue making the strongest on the president also said that it's time to i technically improve the industry he's sad that it's not

a game of chance and the 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. the international perception of the savvy if you win and its role in the 2nd world war when you get to the external wheel in some countries in europe and across the ocean they often try to pervert history and falsely put trade 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 a resolution which basically draws an equivalence between hitler's germany and the soviet union tacitly suggesting or even directly saying that the soviet union was responsible for the beginning of the war that's of course complete nonsense sell where 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 where there's a from we'll be back with more news of the top there this is r.t. international and if you celebrate evarist. israel media a reflection of reality. in a world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation full community. are you going the right way or are you being led so. direct. what is true what is faith.

in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us in the depths. aura maybe in the shallowness. of my name is sucking on the world social media as jack see what i don't see it's a. good order. and you know we've got to get it out. too cause these kooks need to move to the. nice east pizza box and i use that down sixties to make it any day easier and all foods meet school on fridays to people. who. he knows. who people who comes because who comes during his trial said if the life of

a music. suit dies because leaks mean copy i'd love to see dies because he makes me unhappy plane flew to. and when you go to. be on dialysis if the cost is popped off my ass who loves. you know world is a big part of new things. and conspiracies 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 smart we need to stop slamming the door. 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. follow in welcome the crosstalk we're all paying to consider time peter lavelle what explains the bipartisan commitment to an ending wars in foreign military interventions recent polls show the majority of veterans in this century's foreign wars say it wasn't worth it in 2016 trying to gain traction for doubting foreign adventures today told see gabbert is doing the same.