this hour's headlines stories the head of nato calls for a deescalation of tensions in the middle east say's the u.s. did you know. powerful general to stop short of condemning the killing. millions from the streets of cities are told to run for the funeral procession of the country's slain general. also ahead in the program crisis this phaedra list from. eastern orthodox christians are on the world celebrates christmas day live pictures right now from the service party we'll be following it for it's. still several thousands

of people attend the safest is here on christmas eve might be even more eighty's fairly mild for this time of the year well though i have to say i'm fairly sure least on the outside he has. around the clock across the world this is your r.t. international from the team myself you don't know me you hello under warm welcome. the head of nato alliance was not informed of u.s. plans to assassinate iran's most powerful general custom solo money stoltenberg says it was a unilateral act by america but he stopped short of criticizing washington for the killing. this is a u.s. decision it is not a decision taken by neither do global coalition nor nato but all allies are concerned about iran's destabilizing activities in the region iran support 2

different terrorist groups yet stoltenberg didn't have too much time to talk to the press on monday afternoon in brussels what he did say though was that the nato military training mission that was operating in iraq will be suspended with immediate effect then well deescalation more 'd than once was the words uttered by the nato secretary general he said that this was the message that had come out of the meeting from the other the ambassadors of the allies that make up nato saying every single one of them had been putting forward well basically the same words and that word deescalation at the meeting today. called for restraint and deescalation a new conflict would be in no one's interest. so we are on must refrain from further violence and provocations well this latest from the nato secretary general

comes as the prime minister of iraq. heidi discuss doubts over the claims by the u.s. that sort of money was in baghdad in order to plan attacks against u.s. diplomats the iraqi prime minister says that solomon he was there as part of a diplomatic reports more in at least an attempt to to create a diplomatic reports more talks in which the iraqi prime minister was intending to be asked well as all of this news comes out the words coming from european capitals and also capitals of other nato member states has been one that echoes that word again we heard from the secretary general deescalation and calming things down we are looking to deescalate and stabilize the situation while the u.s. will take the operation judgment call but they've got the right of self-defense if you look at what general sort of man he was doing he wasn't is not victim in this scenario he was a regional menace. that we had

a conversation with trump about developments in the region and we will show the news at that point i especially have suggested to him that tensions with iran it should not be heightened. forgiveness and the american action is a reaction to a whole series of military provocations through which iran bears responsibility we are in a dangerous escalation point now we have to contribute to deescalation with prudence and restraint while our nations are calling for a calming down of events in a deescalation the what we're hearing coming out of the state department is that they did the right thing in targeting a solemn army with might pompei you know the secretary of state saying the region is safer because he's no longer there american people should know the president trumps decision to remove qassam somaly from the battlefield saved. american lives there's no doubt about that we made the right decision to take out this terrorist american people should know the present trouble never shy away from protecting and

defending america what we've done over these past weeks presenter made the decision this was the time to stop this reign of terror from this guy who was the globe it certainly wasn't the longest of press conferences from u.n. stoltenberg the nato secretary general in brussels didn't see were too comfortable taking too many questions from journalists on a subject wants to get out of there was soon as possible the escalation the watch would throughout his press conference but he was also very keen to stress that the targeting of solid mani was a u.s. decision not a nato decision peter all of our reporting while in iran itself millions of mourners are turning out for the funeral of cast and solemnly there's been a huge outpouring of grief indeed across the middle east and beyond iran's supreme leader earlier wept he said prayers are with the slain commanders coffin in tehran some mourners carried red flags associated with unjust bloodshed and all the runs foreign minister stated the u.s. cannot break the will of this nation not yet what. have you ever seen such

a sea of humanity in your life donald trump do you still want to listen to the clowns advising you want to a region do you still imagine you can break the will of this great nation and its people. end of malign u.s. presence in west asia has begun the u.s. strike also killed monday i'll know how to say he was the deputy commander of iraq's popular mobilisation forces and one of the most important military figures in the country back in 2017 we spoke to in an exclusive interview as words in the light of his death certainly not poignant. this is curious here for ages countries is a unified system but it is in our interests that iran remains safe that iraq remains say the new administration is trying to start a war in the region and this is madness our whole region will go against it by using every means we have we are in charge of our lives we resist it saddam who was

supported by the americans we fought against the u.s. invasion in iraq and we will oppose any kind of american aggression in the region. well one of the 1st repercussions for the united states came from iraqi m.p.'s who voted on sunday to expel foreign forces for conducting the killing on their soil they are rocky lawmakers resolution not only calls on u.s. troops to leave the country and also us the government to pull back from military assistance for the u.s. led coalition plus it urge for a formal complaint to be raised up the u.n. against washington for violating iraqi sovereignty which we heard earlier has already been filed while double trouble is now warning iraq to brace itself for heavy sanctions if by kicks the troops. we have a very extraordinary really expensive ear piece that's there it cost billions of dollars to build long before my time we're not living unless they pay us back for it they do ask us to leave if we don't do it in

a very friendly basis will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before avar although a rainy and leaders are volleying to venice solomonic death or senior correspondent in iraq as the it has been looking at how it might be a better move to play the long game. on the face of it trump and iran they always wanted the same thing iran knew secret always wanted the us to get the hell away from it out of iraq out of the middle east and trump well he won the election promising to end america's wars we want to bring our troops back home and i got elected on that if you go back and look at our speeches i would say we want to bring our troops back home from these endless wars what a man wouldn't say to get elected in reality he escalated conflict if the conflict where there was a scratch trumps policies would tear it open into a wound on the trump of america went from a full with iran having

a nuclear deal to assassinating iran's 2nd most powerful official i don't think trump expected this not neatly and mourning a man that the u.s. claimed was a terrorist and i highly doubt he expected to have all his embassies go in lockdown with crowds demanding death at the gates. i was due to meet a general saloon monny 8 30 am on the morning he was killed is the last baghdad international airport to mark the surgeon general saloon monny was carrying iran response to a message iraq has a need for on behalf of saudi arabia aimed at easing tensions between the 2 countries in the region so the money was apparently on

a peace mission carrying proposals on how to reduce tensions in the region this is from the mouth of the u.s. backed iraqi prime minister versus him we have the state department it's sure and says that he was actually evil and take our word for it he was. organizing imminent attacks on u.s. bases take our word for it is there any surprise that iraqis voted to remove american soldiers from their country that iraqis don't want foreign troops murdering who they will when they will the parliament has decided to ask the us to leave once a prime minister signs off iraq will withdraw its request for assistance which they followed with the us led coalition when isis was ascendant if the us refuses to pull out if it keeps its troops it will no longer be a friend it will be an occupier essentially in death sulaimani achieved exactly

what he wanted for iraqis to expel america and if parliament doesn't do it we will take greater action the white house is in panic trying to justify what it did the vice president telling fairy tales trying to tie sulaimani to $911.00 of all things trump threatening to bomb iranian cultural targets which would be a textbook example of a war crime that again i doubt he cares much in iran millions burned the american flag in america they're burning the book on international law and order if the americans think about putting iraq under sanctions definitely iraq will look into other sources into either selling its oil financing its projects and finding more suitable partners than partner who comes to iraq iraq he citizen use iraqi airspace iraqi ground to kill iraqi officials and

that is definitely not the way that we are looking in to our allies. it's well past midnight here in moscow are not means it's christmas day for eastern orthodox christians. service is on the way as you can see here christ the savior cathedral in central moscow these are live pictures right now taking place from the service a little earlier i spoke to nick your new give me a sense of the feeling going in to the christmas market. i could almost 2 weeks since the west liberated christmas but the big day has finally arrived for orthodox christians and as you said the orthodox church celebrates christmas day on january the 7 so we started starting here on christmas eve and now it's christmas day and it's a pretty big deal for people here in russia that's because russia is home to

a whopping 39 percent of christians base not just people here in russia they're going to be marking this day of course people all around the world will be people in macedonia it is israel of ethiopia that's just naming your few places but to people here in moscow is only one place to be on christmas eve christmas day and that's right here at tryst this day of year cathedral it's not only majestic on the outside it's also a beautiful on the inside too and here's the facts for you it's the tallest in eastern orthodox church in the entire world so last year we saw several thousands of people attend the services here on christmas day this year it might be even more it is fairly mild for this time of the year old although i have to say i'm fairly sure least on the outside here people who can't make you see the church who will not be able to watch it at home on their t.v.'s a lot of the russian t.v. channels broadcast the service live you can even watch at home too you can go to the official website of the russian orthodox church more to live there although one

thing you won't be able to get involved with is the 12 course a lavish feast it will people will be enjoying probably after 2 and a half hours service here that will include things like most goose the good old russian bullsh and you're probably thinking why 12 christmas mothers. one dish each . with. just. all merry christmas from here in central moscow. ok moving the program all know or turkish soldiers are on their way to libya according to president on thursday the turkish parliament voted to block the un recognized government in tripoli giving the green light to the deployment libya's rival administration based in the east of the country voted against the deal with on. it was decided to cut ties between the turkish regime and the states of libya and also in today's session a unanimous vote was pounced on the general command and beyond forces to disable

all airports and. under the militias control due to the danger they pose to the country's national security by bringing the colonists to our country well the situation was discussed behind closed doors on monday at the un security council here's what the head of the organizations mission in libya had to say after the meeting. we are calling on all countries to stop and that feeding i don't do any difference between what is happening in the east and what is happening in the west the get out of libya at my command that's what i am asking all the countries where this comes as the forces of general haftar who controls most of the country say they have taken the coastal city of sirte around 450 kilometers from tripoli the u.n. back over many days in charge of the capital all with small pockets of the war torn

country it's requested military aid from on kratz a country that general its forces last month the country has been in a state of war since protests in 27 that was when the country's leader moammar gadhafi was i stayed iow johnson viewpoint africa founder believes that even with turkey's support it's will be difficult for the u.n. back overman to its rival. i'm afraid that libya has been a bit of a mess since gadhafi went many people are saying that is very much like syria number 2 mr have to who controls a large sways of the country or protect a period of time has the swing of the pendulum but on the other hand when you have a government which has been supported by the united nations a government that's supported by the united states i'm think sarah. has a faction or the. willing but it's going to be very difficult concept physically how which is why he's been propped up and supported by the turks who are who have

already expressed to send their military might to support him there are too many actors playing and supporting competing factions which for we know we're not showing exactly who's going to succeed in the why the blacks get to answer. the race is on to evacuate stricken residents in a stream the most ferocious wildfires in decades roberge swathes of the southeast 25 people are now known to have died many thousands of how to abandon their homes and be relocated there's been a brief respite from the record breaking heat wave but emergency services are braced for housing this conditions to return in just a few days the fires have been burning with such intensity that plumes of smoke have even reportedly made their way across the pacific ocean to chile.

well i agree astray are directing their fury prime minister scott morrison over his handling of the crisis on for suggesting there's no direct link between the fires and climate change the spike many seeing it as a root cause of the on president destruction. that's become hard of the process and longer the rival lepping between stites this is driven by climate chimes scientists the pain very clear that the 10 or 20 years now that climate change is leading to more frequent and more severe bush 5 and drought and white we're already seeing catastrophic impacts you can imagine how much worse it will be if we allow the

planet to continue to warm if we allow the continent of australia to continue to dry out this is just a taste of what's to come if we don't act there's no argument about the links between in my view in the government's view and any government in this country about the links between broader issues of global climate change and and weather events around the world but i'm sure people are equally to acknowledge that the direct connection to any single farmer event it's not a credible suggestion to mike that link to. the new year in scotland is a much celebrated event with the capital drawing thought of sins of those days for hogmanay but the residents who live there are full telling say they're increasingly being shut out of their own city to make way for tourists their numbers have grown rapidly in recent years but it's proving to be a double edged sword for edinburgh the city council says the new year celebration influx causes an increase in noise pollution and overcrowding on the streets

residents who live in the center even have to wear id response to enter and exit their own streets they also have to get permits for visitors to their own homes during the hogmanay festivities. but in recent years event organizers have worked with edinburgh city council to try and make the most of the rising number of visitors the city's german themed christmas market also caused upset when it was revealed having received planning permission for the last 2 years but went ahead anyway here is what people in edinburgh been telling us about it. so yes because of that issue because it's. the same people so you sort of bars serve them you know they're good for you to do it's just going to become more difficult service i think we have plenty and i think they need to see that the people want to listen. sitting. here and not have to be pushed out. of. the stores look this if you get into city that that means

people not look at this i mean that is going to be like any of them or the city ok it's time to take stock of 29000 next as we reflect on more of the events that marked the year just gone. i. found. or with the help of our touchscreen here we're going to go through because we saw further bit of political maneuvering and we are dealing over weaponry let's take a look because as the iran nuclear deal on raw both nations boosted their defense budget they get to develop a new arms race waited in the wings the us withdrew from the i.n.f. treaty let's take a look at the arms race here on our screen on limiting the list of missiles and $28.00 in russia then took one of the scribes as a symmetrical response in $29.00. being taken closer look at how it all felt.

an arms race cold war a nuclear crisis it seemed all these things both sparked and faded out of historical relevance in the. past millennium 2019 saw all of them make a comeback the united states is officially withdrawing from the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty or i.n.f. treaty the us unilaterally demolished a pillar of international stability crushing its i.n.f. treaty with russia.

fears of the past century resurrected immediately the u.s. is pulling out of a decades long nuclear treaty with russia sparking fears of a new arms race we thought was confined to the cold war now there's concern a pullout could lead to a new arms race it's clear that the threat of a new arms race is real we go into a nuclear arms race like we saw in the 1960 s. only more expensive and more dangerous it seemed the 2 countries were again trying to outpace each other on the military speed track with a nuclear winter right past the finishing line washington no longer bound by the i.m.f. shackled started the mess out tests right away 2 weeks after the pullout and then again and december this in turn kicked russia's military into action too as it accused the us of premeditating their withdrawal. when the us ponders had to be

only east and straightforward with us they should not have used trumped up accusations and allegations to unilaterally withdraw from its like they did in 2002 they violate everything and find excuse. this is to put the blame someone in russia does not pose a threat to anyone or any actions we take or retaliatory that is to say immediately since we never seek confrontation we do not want it is specially with a global power like the us both sides have been accusing each other of violating the deal but more school has also insisted that it has been unprecedentedly transparent in attempts to demonstrate compliance paraded the very message washington claims violated the i.m.f. russia invited international experts to come and be judge and jury what the rocket could and couldn't do the americans didn't come despite an almost personal invitation. for many years we've proposed to some talks but our initiatives have

not found the support of partners in fact they always find pretexts for dismantling the global security system russia says it still tries with the i.m.f. deal flatlined it suggests that arms control can be achieved through expanding another deal start and response washington talks at length about its gargantuan plans to include china and other nuclear powers in a new deal just some new deal even the u.s. seems to have little idea about where through that the you will start expires february the 5th 2021 we have until then to resolve the situation our proposals are still on the tables will be heard i understand that now it's up to washington to decide i hope that we're able to get everybody in a very 'd big and beautiful room and we were literally that would be much better all the while as nuclear parity hangs in the balance purely on the good faith of

a few individuals. igor said on a full 2019 so a governments in many countries left a note about just how widespread public dissatisfaction against them had reached let's take a look again from the yellow vests in part to the political turmoil in the left in america cries turned out regularly and in large numbers in spain it was the simmering independence rock over the wealthy council only a region that led to violent demonstrations let's take a look at the protesters set road blocks and clashed with police for weeks after 9 separatist leaders were sentenced to jail for sedition they pushed ahead with an independence referendum in 24 being despite from madrid the. reports from the capital on capital this is her report from barcelona during the height of autumn's on. 2

the streets of barcelona are again on fire we're standing right now between the bury cases that were built by professors as you can see the violence is only growing on the streets of the cats a lot and capital you're the only. protesters have phillips's these barry kates using garbage and appliances that were standing by the cafeterias as well as some of the furniture that they could find so they build those barricades now they set them on fire and right now they're shouting slogans and happening. and as you can see tensions our own the increasing here at this is happening right in the center of barcelona and the streets so far so long there are again fired if we remember what happened just on friday

a police forces responded with a rubber bullets and tear gas. barcelona is protesting sense monday and this saturday showed that people are not tired this is our islands to show that they're ready to take it to the streets. the love is or a lot for no rosato is here at the top to keep you up to date on a busy news day on more program start in moments here on 247 r.t. international season.

so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy confrontation let it be an arms race. spearing dramatic development the only really i'm going to resist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time time to sit down and talk. seemed wrong why don't we just don't. get to shape out. active. and engaged equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart weak she still looks for common ground.

i'm actually clancey welcome to going underground we will be back with a brand new season starting on january the 8th but until then we will be showing some of your favorite shows from the last season of the decade coming up in this show as britain tries to levy or be an union is the trading block turning into weimar germany we asked the university of london on call and why the e.u. has been forced to print tens of billions of euros from the. cure when we. are being killed as i speak to you tonight killed as a direct result of policy decisions that we as a body have made we ask the man who helped reveal war crimes in the pentagon papers senator mike gravel donald trump firing john bolton will really make any difference to lethal u.s. .