under the term to storm the u.s. embassy in baghdad after last week's deadly american airstrikes on iraq diplomatic staff including the ambassador of reportedly been evacuated from the compound. julian assange claims that he is dying in the u.k. prison plied with sedatives and subjected to 23 hours of solitary confinement per day we hear from a son's his friend who was told the chilling details in a phone conversation with the wiki leaks co-founder on christmas eve. rang me because he spent christmas with me and my family in 2010 while i'm on bail what time it sounded he said to me but i'm slowly dying. and

the review of the key events that shaped 2019 continues we shed some light on the really. good evening and welcome to you this is r.t. international. first this hour hundreds of iraqis have attempted to storm the u.s. embassy in baghdad with some of the protesters starting a fire reportedly demanding the closure that u.s. forces exit the country iraq's popular mobilisation forces say around 2 dozen people have been injured at rallies in and around the compound nations prime minister is a crowd to leave the embassy warning of a tough response if they don't arrest comes after american bombing raids in iraq and syria killed 25 at the weekend. i. it was.

the the. discussed situation will middle east correspondent michele greenstein from r.t. america. let's go to you 1st the protests there they show little sign of relenting what do we know but days of a full circle at that stage they show no sign of dissipating we know and we've received reports that the american embassy staff including the ambassador have been evacuated from the compound but these reports come as we continue to hear that iraqi security forces off firing tear gas on the crowds to try and get them to disperse now many of the people there were earlier attending one of several funerals that was organized on choose day for some of the victims of sunday's american airstrikes and do as you mentioned the situation at the moment is far from being under control earlier the american ambassador was summoned for an explanation

of the american strikes that targeted some 5 sites belonging to the cutter hizbullah armed group now this is a group that emerged after the american invasion of iraq in recent times it has repeatedly been involved in attacks against american forces it is also one of the main shia groups that has been fighting islamic state in syria and in iraq now according to the americans the sunday air strike was carried out in the television for bomb for bomb attack on its base in quetta cook during which one american contractor was killed as of yet there's been no confirmation for that attack but the pentagon insists that the hizbollah group was behind it now the iraqi prime minister has slammed these strikes i salute you what happened yesterday was a clear aggression it was not right and we tried to stop it but the u.s. insisted and very unfortunately this thing happened. i said this was

a very dangerous matter and asked to discuss it in face to face with the responsible parties not only by phone he said the decision has been made and i am informing you of this now the protests began on sunday night after the american strikes when hundreds of people took to the streets of baghdad condemning the americans and at the same time expressing support for the militia they burnt american and israeli flags and the chanting slogans such as down with america and no 2 america ok well let's cross to michelle greenstein who is in washington d.c. for some of the reaction from the u.s. michelle what have we been hearing there well for one thing we have u.s. president donald trump insisting that iran is orchestrating this attack on the on the embassy in baghdad we also have senator marco rubio who doubted the theory that the u.s. in any way brought this attack on the embassy upon themselves take a listen room killed an american contractor wounding many we strongly responded in

ways we'll know iran is orchestrating an attack on the u.s. embassy in iraq they will be held fully responsible in addition we expect iraq to use its forces to protect the embassy and so. iran is directly responsible for orchestrating the storming of the u.s. embassy in iraq and must be held accountable for it and the safety of every american serving there now we also have the state department special representative for iran brian hoke emphasizing that sunday's air strike was just a defensive action take a listen one of the things that we want to emphasize is that this was a defensive action that was designed to protect american forces and american citizens in iraq we're also working on the mission set off restoring to terence against iranian aggression now in terms of a response from the u.s. press we have the washington post bureau chief for iraq to syria and lebanon explained to her readers that the embassy had been stormed not by the iraqi people but by cut to eat. hezbollah supporters and we also had c.n.n.

anchor jake tapper retreat an analysis by former national security advisor to the top administration john bolton in which he declared the demonstrations as a sign of iranian control over militia groups not a sign of a rocky anti americanism and this is all of course despite the crowd outside the embassy shouting down down usa. we discussed the situation with a libyan a member of the baghdad security committee and he says that the u.s. is creating a war on iraq soil which will affect the country's relations i don't know what iran got to do with this iraqi soldiers iraqi personnel were killed the iraqi people. to be. with anger. for the loss of their brothers loss of their soldiers so i don't know why the americans assisting to move the battlefield from iraq into iraq. creating

a proxy war in iraq. which has no. need for it if there is a problem between the united states of america between iran they might as well take between themselves why involving iraq why attack iraq soldiers in retaliation to 2 iranian policy this is something. for it it will definitely lead to deterioration of diplomatic relationship between iraq and iran to states and would definitely effect the presence of american soldiers american fighting forces here in iraq. we can expand that julian assange claims he's slowly dying in the u.k. jail and is often tranquilized and kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day he made disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend vaughan smith on christmas eve. all 4 and it was very upsetting to hear him the idea of him being sedated has come from several

people who visited him who clearly being told and the british government have been asked about it and they refuse to address that matter what they say is they're not mistreating him but clearly he's being kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day he sounded awful and he said to me that i'm slowly dying here please remember he's served that time all the bail charge and he served his time too and he's now on remand it's highly unusual to put a remand prisoner in belmarsh when not a threat of physical violence threat to society i think we need some are answers from from the british government why are they treating him like this why can't we have some independent assessment 100 international got to those and asked to arrange a visit at least to send some representatives to check on him but that hasn't been allowed nils meltzer the un rocketeer on torture has been very clear about asylum

just mistreatment and describes it in the most of all human terms and yet it's claims very recently in november that the british government of completely ignored his request to see julian probably his health properly assess. science was arrested in april and since then medics and un observers have warned about his declining physical and mental health hearing in february will decide on his extradition to the united states he's accused of publishing classified documents and could face a 175 year jail sentence. commenting on the claims that his son is being mistreated the u.k. government say that they're unfounded claims and even false that hasn't stopped politicians activists and other high profile figures from continuing to door attention to a song just blight. there was no the word. she had been exposed to psychological torture

for a prolonged period of time that's a medical assessment and we asked for in the states to investigate this case. 15 killings rape and. things of. the medical situation is that by urgent there is no time to lose. now to a story that started with tragedy but as ended with hope a year ago a baby was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed house in the russian city of might need to go to school and up to

treatment and care little daniel is now taking his 1st steps. i. suppose i learned this a little for one of the rescue workers heard a child crying because we stopped all our equipment in order to listen and make sure that when we said why it's the baby reacted and went quiet to think when we said where are you he started to react again.

the jets slashed my eldest son and i fell together while vanya was left along with his dad they managed to get out who she was left that. i. was the child was conscious when he arrived and taken to an operating at the moment the child remains in serious condition under artificial ventilation sedated. cool. cool. still to come will be continuing our review of the past year and it was an action

packed into 19 hour recount after the 1st. in the united states presidential candidates debate the future of the us and the world. max kaiser and stacy herbert dig into the burning questions of this election cycle one self big every week. tax student debt trade wars corporate money universal basic income and more catch up with what's front running this sunday exclusively on r.t. . seemed wrong. but all just all. get to shape

out this day because etiquette and engagement equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart. just of the for common ground. welcome back just a few hours to go until we welcome in the new year seems an appropriate moment to look back at some of the key events that shaped the past 12 months. and we have picked out some highlights from 2019 for you we've got don't believe the hype and streets of rage stick at the hype shall we what do we mean by that

well 2019 was characterized by bouts of political hysteria angry debate about climate change the wire the doping scandal and of course emotions run very high over briggs it will it be the final breakthrough that's the big question boris johnson's victory in the recent u.k. germany elections given leavers hope some remain is in despair party saskia taylor looks at the whole saga the festive season is upon us mulled wine christmas the smells and sounds the promise of snow but the time to come together and to tell stories and while do i have a good one of the past. one queued morning over 3 years ago the british people woke up and decided they just had enough of this bureaucrats in brussels and all 16000000 mourned the loss of their redpath courts 17400000 rejoiced off with those european shackles make britain great again

a fuel they promised it would be easy getting out of the e.u. can be quick and easy the u.k. holds most of the cards. the there are 2 votes a lever we hold. can choose the path we want and optimism apart not shared by david cameron because he made a hasty exit but to resume bounded to the rescue on her lap at kitten heels and she meant bricks it means bricks it bricks it wrecks it wrecks it means bricks it and we're going to make a success of it so she cracked and triggered article 50 starting the hold to force process and to have credit she did manage to wrangle a deal from the e.u. so the pressure was the only one thought it was any good but desperate times desperate measures and off to parliament she went and it was a soft the deal was flattened not once not even twice but 3 times

2 years on m.p.'s have been unable to agree on a way to implement the u.k.'s withdrawal. as a result we will now not leave on time with a deal eventually she ran out of that to federal policy son so down to the problem to number times door she wrote i to her i do so with no ill will but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country i love and boris johnson i've been wrong but that won't but maybe he'd be the one to get. most of all what are we going to do to repay. you to get bread dad before you get what you got of can you make a promise today to the british public that you will not go back to brussels and ask for another delay to tax it yet and so young and revealing that. you

find it was just too much effort to get invited by part about so suspended it but that did not go down well so he said ok fine back to brussels more negotiations and he returned to london with a deal even portland police to walk on a saturday but alas knows that his people jump like graves was rejected and he was forced to beg you can get and not that to lay some of them can you even go to the gym you truly own the ship yards to the right 328 the notion that 301. be. not a good start forests so suspending parliament having watched an awesome new deal also was. done well one can always go to the opposition into a general election by putting jeremy cooper in a big house is desperate absolutely desperate to avoid scrutiny.

on the eve of the election the polls close to boris turned on the charm and when moving people door to door. nothing like that movie reference to win you an election because on december 12th boris was popping champagne and dining on his new parliamentary majority he got his wish of a korban free christmas and now he might well get his wish for january brett set the question is will we finally get our wish for just a bit of 6.

the sun in order on the streets of rage in 2019 given some of the year being street protests the great cities all over the world chief among them paris in fact the whole frenzy seems affected by a kind of yellow fever namely the yellow vests protesters charlotte reports on the protest movement that really did shake up things in france every weekend of the year. as 29000 winds up in front since that time move reflection was a good g.a.a. what gifts did it bring well there were plenty from the government but many seemed to go down like a lead balloon and people took to the streets time and time again. yes

we all know the french all famous for striking protesting but in 2019 it felt like that there was something picking at old wounds its theme of a year with home going protests and into professional strikes throughout the year one protest movement. every saturday without fail the yellow vests took to the streets. a movement born in 2018 but it left a small cone 2019 the yellow vests home to change in the social fabric and fronts they've charged to the streets in anger of what they see as being a hugely unequal country with

a growing divide between the rich and the pool mccaughan had given them concessions but they were rejected week after week the yellow vests and the police clashed thousands on both sides injured. then you may want the climate strikes led by phone says use they took to the streets to decry the country more so doing enough to join the freud just strikes president michael was incensed and demanded that they take that action elsewhere. every friday to save the planet is burning that's nice but that is not the problem

people should go protest in poland help me move those i cannot push forward. and of course ending the year has been the big one and nationwide strike against pension reform. the public transport strike has brought most of the country choice down still under was sparked over the plans to merge 42 different pension schemes into a universal points based system and if you know anything about the french you don't mess with the toyman so as 2100 was to a close there was only one question to ask those who take it into the streets would mark coleman are all the unwanted gifts he presented to the french this year b

o fole the christmas is naughty or nice list he is a naughty child that's for sure and i hope he will not have any presents from father christmas so i think that it's a father with 3 who is coming to see him i know i think someone should tell my craw on that father christmas doesn't exist at all as if you were the child i am not sure that he would have a lot of presents this year because he has not been very wise he did not listen to his people but his duty. no t.v. no t.v. it's not nice to see you i think that he will be deprived of gifts this year and also next year. thanks thing without international but with updates at the top of the hour see the.

leaks last only guarded. when you're. told doesn't get a good pool so the look at the distance was more than a book called need to use a bug. in school stalls that it's about seeing. just a little. dog

see it because it makes us. look. like. the other. day. this is us broadcasting around the globe and covering the world of business and finance and the impact upon us all i'm christiane washington and here's

a look at what we have in store for you today should the u.s. and china ease tensions this week to ring in the new year professor richard wolf is on hand today to break down the developments that could be on the horizon for the world's top 2 economies but in another trade development the e.u. is i quote set in trade relations with the united states according to the union's new trade commissioner hillary for which the british american business association lends a 2nd hand to break down this and other major developments in the euro zone and later 2019 has been a shiny year for gold as the price has jumped on economic turmoil david mcilvaine of mckelvie financial help us dig into the sector and how it's been competing against other asset we have so much to get to today let's go. stocks are falling across the board from their all time highs monday the penultimate trading day of the year equities have enjoyed a strong december santa rally and oil prices continue to trade higher on china u.s.

optimism the pullback today is most likely due to the fact markets are in the midst of a liquidity and news desert during those final few days of the year chinese vice premier and top negotiator leo will visit washington this week where he is expected to sign phase one of the agreement however a political concerns continue to bubble in the background as neither side has released any specific details of the trade agreement and no text has been released while the u.s. t.r. has released a mere fact sheet outlining what it claimed to be in the deal which included $80000000000.00 in ad purchases over 2 years analysts consensus is that these figures do not add up and remain. possible benchmarks to fulfill it looks like the best we can hope for in the space one of the d. a trade deal is merely a point of truce in the bitter trade war rather than any real substantial changes which really begs the question of why even start a trade war if at the end nothing changed and you've wasted an entire year of economic productivity to help us answer this question and more we bring in

professor richard wolfe host of economic update so richard this entire thing has been political theater from the start and you called it and now they've been dragging this phase one out for a long time a signing ceremony translations legal scrubs more and more fluff trickling little bits of information every single day to give the markets an illusion of progress but is this thing actually going to get signed i mean multiple analysts have already came out and said that the benchmark exports set by the u.s. are simply unfeasible as they have exceeded that of 2017 why would china agree to something like that. well i think for the chinese it's a question of gaining time for them this entire stuff started with the initiative of mr trump it's political theater we've said that for a long don designed to make mr trump appear for his reelection bid as the protector of the united states making the charlie knees and for that matter

everybody else in the world give the united states a better deal beating up on the foreigners for achieving us that's as old as methuselah in the world of politics and mr trump is trying it again the charlie needs know that that can hurt them as it has but they also know that it hurts mr trump's reelection bid because it hurts manufacturing farmers and others so the bit bottom line is it's a theater driven by the calculus mr trump's calculus how much does the theater again movie and the how much does the theater lose me and what. the resign this coming week it will be overwhelmed by how that calculus shifts between no alexion the next more the november but if the chinese side decides to sign something that they simply can't deliver on because these are impossible benchmarks to fulfill all of us we said then wouldn't it just be a question of if not when then like how chinese will default in the so-called

agreements.