ah, a deadline for this hour on off international with the 2nd day of voting underway here at odyssey we continue with our special coverage of the ongoing referendums and don bass. zapata ology unheard of song on whether or not to join russia. as we understand out, international observers are monitoring the poke, says tendency. this is a historic day for don boss. i've been covering this issue since 2014. therefore, i know very well with the feelings of the people are here. back on home soil, 55 captured military personnel from russia and the don batch republics who are released in a prison, a swap with ukraine,

a recount their own deals with. they beat me with the chair, kicked me and hit me with them up. they beat me because of a broken chair. they said your cattle, you broke our chair. they started hitting me on the head again. the jab, me with all sorts of needles in my ear. and my nose just to mock me under this week's un general assembly african states stress the need for their countries to stick together to combat regional crises and unite in the fight against climate change and other issues as well. ah, so a very warm welcome to you from a very rainy bosco, this is asi international. so glad you can join us on this saturday. so it is day 2 and voting as well underway. the historic referendums being held in don bass and to other regions of ukraine on whether or not to join russia. here or doughty, of course we are continuing our special coverage.

ah. the referendums are being held in 4 areas. so the dot net scan login's the people's republic under her song anne's up at orgy regents back in 2014. i don't. yeah, it's kind of against voted to declare themselves independence after they refused to recognize the coolant key of that. despite fears of shelling, the 1st they turn out with steady highest rate dawn yes. 23 percent. no guns can

separate orgy just over 20 percent. and it hurt a saunders 1st. they turn out turn out was was just around 50. now in the run up to today's voting, a number of local officials were targeted in terror attacks the locals, as we understand they still want to make their voices. ah, this is our choice. i've been waiting for this since 2014. i want to live a life without fascists. i'm fed up with them and god willing, we'll have peace and everything will be safe so that our children and grandchildren will live and grow up in peace so that everything will be fine with this means everything to us. my son has been fighting in the loo, ganske republic for 8 years. for me, this is everything. it's a matter of life and death. we came back home, enough is enough. they do have the friend in the city of tim. so as you can see, the huge lives of people at voting station or the city, the spot weeks,

months of ukrainian attempts to terrify the population does scare them away from voting here. that there is some apprehension left as much as them as yesterday when you're nationalists of paper fairway from both extension for their own safety. many people have feared that bad for ben could be blount that i've met with stations on another publication. and i have parents lives out a little common die with a little common. now people have she in the, on the 1st day of the referendum things well, well that was safety. there weren't any violations, any serious violations or, or did violence. and now now that out of the, the biggest turn out is expected of course on, on sunday, but 15 percent was the 10 out est with which local officials are very happy. those,

those same officials, by the way, the election committee members were threatened. they were born some of them, a several carbons planted, and that they received endless death threats. the houses of property were brought. nevertheless, the referendum is, is on the way you claim has of course threatened any person here who roots who participates in this referendum with both persecution and prosecutor, perhaps even jail sentences. but there is a greater and greater understanding here in your song as well as a ne, brings up an orange you that, that you claim as a going to come back that russia is here to stay. we're getting report saying there was a strife by ukrainian armed forces or no civilian areas in the don. yes, city or the attack that caused some significant damage. you can see some of it in the pictures i was being assigned, at least one woman was killed in one man,

was injured. now despite her widespread of ridicule and condemnation by the west and questions about the legitimacy of the referendums, and some international observers have been monitoring the voting process. a one from italy showed his impressions at the end of the 1st day was shot sunday to see this is a historic day for don boss. i've been covering this issue since 2014. therefore, i know very well with the feelings of the people are here, and how many people want to return to russia. today, i had the opportunity to visit the polling stations. i was surprised how everything was in order. i was surprised by the authorities of the don, it's republic protected care about security. i saw how mobile groups went from house to house. i did not see any legal violations complete freedom. i walked took pictures. no one forbade me from anything. i have already sent my materials to the italian media. i have not seen any coercion of the people. you might find this

quite interesting art contributor rachel marston has been reviewing the years of selectively applied policy by various western professional partners a towards the right of people to self determination. have a watch. western officials clearly don't support these people in ukraine, having the opportunity to exercise their right to self determination is guaranteed under international law. you as a bastard ukraine, bridget brink and nato secretary general jens fulton berg called them quote sham referendums. and the european union's chief diplomat, joseph burrell, dismissed them as quote, illegal referendums, which are quote, in violation of ukraine's independence sovereignty and territorial integrity and a blatant breach of international law. when territorial integrity comes in conflict with self determination, it's apparently the people's will. that matters most and least that's what the position was. the western officials had towards costeo's independence. that is, after nato had bombed yugoslavia and carved out kosovo from russian allied serbia

under the pretext of protecting its ethnic minority sounds. a lot like the justification for the referendums now in these ukrainian regions whose people have suffered under keams attack since 2014. but unlike with the current situation in ukraine, the international community at that time agreed that coast those minority shouldn't have to live under systemic oppression. today our armed forces joined our nato allies and airstrikes against serbian forces responsible for the brutality and kosovo. oh, what i'm really proud of is what we did in class. so i really found it very difficult to watch when people were being killed. i pleasure to united states would continue to work with those nations that have not recognized and independent kosovo, to convince them to do so as quickly as possible. so apparently the western position only favors self determination if it harms their enemy and benefits the west. another example, what about of taiwan decided to hold

a referendum to succeed from china tomorrow? it's hard to imagine that the westwood, denounce it, and argue instead that the taiwanese have to respect the one china policy that the west supports. all, all egging on taipei provoking cheng and using taiwanese chinese relations and tensions as a pretext to rock up sales for the u. s. military. industrial complex. referendums are all equal in the eyes of the west. the democracy exercise by catalonia, in its bid for independence in 2017 from spain, was denounced by most of the you under the spanish constitution. yesterday's vote and got the lonia was not only go countries like france, italy, germany and the u. k. were more interested at the time in what a vote in favor of independence for catalonia could mean for their own countries as they struggled to contain independence movements on their own territories. in other words, these people over here are fighting for their own democratic self determination.

but how does that affect me? that's what they were doing. as for madrid, it came down to a question of revenue loss as colonia, with just 16 percent of spain's population. also counts for 19 percent of its g. d p. another a friend and may be lurking on the horizon in scotland as separate a sentiment as festered since edinburgh voted to reject independence in 2014. but the u. k. 's newest prime minister list trust isn't keen on permitting a 2nd round. perhaps she's concerned that the result won't be the same. if i am elected as prime minister, i will not allow another. independent trust brings up the notion of family, but apparently isn't interested in acknowledging similar family style bonds that link the rust, the phone, ukrainian regions to russia. the western hypocrisy and double standards of defending democratic principles to self determination only if and when it suits them,

hasn't escaped the attention of the scottish leadership. if she governs as she has campaigned over the summer, she will be a disaster at no just for scotland. but for all of the you key, there's a tendency to denigrate or block referendums that suit the western agenda. but when the irish vote to ratify the lisbon treaty, that is the use constitution establishing a centralized leadership and foreign policy failed the 1st time. while that didn't prevent them from being allowed to vote a 2nd time to secure the desired result. similarily, the dutch voted to enter a referendum in 2016 against the you having closer linked to ukraine. but that didn't prevent the country's parliament for voting against the people's will. a year later, apparently it was enough to say that, well, hey, they were asked. so given the tendency of western officials to cherry pick the referendums, they support or don't, in accordance with their political agendas,

while they're hardly in a position of high moral authority to be telling anyone, seizing the opportunity for self determination, what is or isn't legitimate or several events have been held across russia to support the referendums in don boss. this includes the south west city of vulgar grad, where hundreds of people gathered waving flags and banners, as well as a noble, severe disk where people unfold a giant flag of russia under the national anthem. there was also a rally and a cross new york sco one of the larger cities in siberia with around 10000 people were showing up to support the referendums. the events of being attended by representatives of public associations, political parties, and civil octopus. well, here doughty, of course we will keep you thoroughly updated with the latest as a saturday marks day number 2 of voting for millions of locals. ah,

so after a long separation from relatives military personnel from russia and don bass republics who had been in ukrainian captivity have now returned home policies more if an option that brings us more on this prisoner exchange and talk to some of the service men and families who shut this door? a happy day for what had been some very anxious families as 55 military personnel from russia and the dunbar. republics, sons and husbands, fathers and brothers who had long been held in ukraine in captivity have come back home, fight zebra thorn. thank you that he is in life that they returned my son to me. thanks everyone. god bless everyone. we are proud of him. we were afraid to lose him. not that we believed we knew that he would return. we prayed every morning and every evening the whole city was waiting for him. every one was waiting for him. all the relatives, his wife, was very bori. we were very worried. it's the latest and so far,

the largest prisoners of war exchanged between moscow and key f since the beginning of the russian offensive in february and both sides a hail and into a success summer. the most important thing is that they didn't leave us there. when we were there, there was a sense that no one wanted us in our country, but you see how it turned out. our guys quickly took us away quickly, pulled us out. among the 215 key of prisoners. the allied forces traded for the men were 5 notorious as old battalion commanders. but it was a freedom at any price deal to them. they said that no one was worried about you. your country will not exchange you except for us. but we believe that would be an exchange. we just believed it. of course, i am happy that i am in russia, but i would like to thank those who were involved in the exchange that it happened . i hope that the rest of all people we taken out of that and they will also be at home. the most important thing for me now is to see my family friends,

wife. i haven't seen her since january. we signed our marriage certificate, and i just left right away. sometimes i talked to her via video link, but basically i haven't seen her in almost a year. 10 of the many foreigners who've been fighting on key upside were also released 5 bridge citizen to americans and fighters from the rocco, sweden and croatia. some of the released prisoners who spent months in captivity talk about torture and humiliation. and also confirmed that more and more foreigners are fighting on ukraine's side burst the yellows begin. yes. they stood armed with clubs from the very beginning. they began to beat me with a baton and use electric shocks. then with every incorrect answer or action i said or did they shocked me beat me with a baton on my legs until i had bruises or threw up, understood what it would have crew. they beat me with a chair, kicked me and hit me with the mob. they beat me because of a broken chair. they said your cattle, you broke our chair and they started hitting me on the head again. the jagged me

with all sorts of needles. my ear, my nose, just a mock me rush for more than the home over the road. they threatened me with a knife, then they threw me into a pickup truck and we drove off somewhere. another 15 people ran up there and they started taking pictures with me. look there, they caught an org, and occupier took pictures and filmed the videos. they lifted me by the head and took pictures of it. i thought it was clear from their voices that there were not only ukrainians their foreign speech was heard arabic speech was heard from all. after that, they took pictures with me there while they continued to beat me. to put a knife to my eye, they put a knife to my groin. they said we will cut everything off of you. now if you do not confess, phonemic with the holes. they also explain why capturing members of the russian military. he's such a desired trophy for those fighting for keith expense. so on the bottom line is that they are nancy's now the armed forces. denazi's received money for the military prisoners for surgeons. it's about $300.00 for officers after 1000.

although his former prisoners released during this recent exchange are currently being treated in various russian hospitals. if military dr. commissions decide their feet, the service men may soon return to the front lines, raving ocean on naughty moss region. or the whole a partial novelization in russia does continue. the far east city of laval, stock reservists have been receiving military uniforms and will receive extra specialized training. what are the ne city of nick coats? i recruit so being dispatched to the states eastern military district and we did speak to a few reserve us there, some of whom volunteered for service. dickie was the one of my thoughts. i swore her nose and served wild. that's enough. we must go. the motherland is calling there also guys, dead. they have wives and children who must fight for our country. in any case, rushes a force through us and worries,

but we will break through northern suppose we can because we have a positive attitude. every citizen must defend his homeland or if we do not defend it, we simply will not have a homeland. now to western russia with a partial mobilization continues as well. in the border region of belgrade with jazz, russia says has been repeatedly shelled by kia forces and some recruits are not even waiting for the military summons the soil. i'm a fighting mood i served in the meal 3 in the air force. i'm a person label for military service. i live in russia. i have a duty to defend my homeland, so that all civilians, my parents, brothers and sisters to live in peace and tranquility also wasn't really well in the mood, is very combative. they called me, i came, it is my duty to defend the motherland. overflowed in the time has come. i went to the military registration enlistment office aust, if i was needed or not, i turned out to be needed. and here i am. i made the decision myself, i told my family, and everyone supported and accepted it. i mean,

while they know the russian far east, some recruits have already received combat weapons. as with the account of odds from other areas of the country, they'll begin this specialized training soon. during the u. n's, general assembly chad's minister of foreign affairs stretched the need for african countries in the sa held region to stick together and fight regional crises collectively. ah, i, we know, tightening terrorist activity and so how, so how is replete with programs committing the crisis several products over last 2 years, which always felt our expectations where all, where terrorism can only be beaten by joint efforts, but still lack of appropriate resources came up as well, so during the general assembly, a number of african countries express their desire to combine their efforts in the fight against climate change and stand up to what they called western pressure. here's our correspondent with more presidents of african countries spoke as one and

the un general assembly squarely putting attention on acute issues faced by the continent. africa formed a formidable front to counter the green, neo colonial lobby of western countries, climate change and its negative impacts. where at the center of issues brought by africa, many leaders highlighting the issue of climate injustice to say the least polluters which are africans. now, phase of the most severe impact of climate change in africa and other developing mission produce only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. compared to industrialized economies. yet, we are the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change. while africa is the least responsible for the crime and crisis, it does find itself at the epicenter of its worst impacts. the african continent,

like many developing regions of the well suffering, the effects of climate change. to a disproportionate degree. the politics of climate change are really about who foot the bill. was the nation's allowed when imposing pressure on developing nations to go green. but they start whispering when you talk about who will fund this transition. but for africa, the issue of climate justice is the most paramount issue for the transition. we think country should fit the bill, but eventually in the long run it might be right for us to put the bill. yes, the waste of got the money, little foot, the proportion of the bill. but a deuce feel that every african countries should accuse contribution to just take africa for africa has long been voicing this concert while polluting the least for pest actually of global c. o. 2 emissions the continent is paying

a high price. africa's obliged with already limited financial means, and scant level of support to spend around 2 to 3 percent of its gdp parent, him to adapt to these impacts. a disproportionate responsibility that must be described as anything other than climate injustice. those also another meeting of the minds this time on attaining piece of security. in this a how reason? the g 5, the hall is a joint military operation, comprising bertina fossil shed model, tamia, naija, and formerly miley, they were in agreement about new efforts to push against the insurgency in the south. this situation requires is to adapt new strategies to fight effectively against armed terrorist groups in the common space and new agreements were being signed. and it was also brought up in the general assembly. the population and

degradation of the climate in combination have created thanks to the regional disorder following the fall of the regime of colonel gadhafi in 2011. the situation of chaos that the countries of the cell region are experiencing today. time will tell if the 77th do, and general assembly will be another talk shop or an agent for change. as was the nations continued to drag their feet with regards to climate, reparations, and funding people in the developing world. i in the fight for the our lives, fighting the elements to save lives and livelihoods globally sacha r t. in johannesburg, china's foreign minister has said, washington needs to rethink its attitude towards beijing. if the 2 powers are to get along in the future. china, us relations are at a critical juncture and it is urgent for both sides dress, stablish a correct way for the 2 major countries to get along with each other. in

a responsible attitude towards the world, we hope that the u. s. will correct its perception of china and stop trying to deal with the chinese from a position of strength. well then august tension between beijing and washington was stretched to the limit over the visit to the disputed territory of taiwan by nancy pelosi. the head of the house of representative speaker became the highest ranking us official to make this trip since 1900 ninety's. it was called a provocation by many, certainly china was outraged by china, ended up launching its biggest ever military drills around the island in response. well, let's talk to nelson wong about this, the vice chairman of shanghai center international studies. i. mr. wong is great to see you today. thanks for joining us on this saturday. that the chinese foreign minister says washington needs to rethink its approach to relations with beijing. have relations got that bad that a statement like this needs to be offered? absolutely. i think all foreign minister has said it's very correct that it is time

for the us to really position itself. it's attitude towards handling relations. because the relations between the 2 big country is that us in china are currently at its lowest part seems the 2 sides of established a diplomatic relations. this is a fact, but we have to face the reality that mark us is the most powerful country, which is the country in the world that even china is upcoming to become the next super power as well, both economically and perhaps the military as well. but china has never taken us as its enemy. china has always been telling the world, including every country that the rise of china is going to be

a piece of water. and this is something that i think not only the international community, but particularly the us government will need to understand. so i love saying he can jump, which is why i would absolutely agree to that. and, you know, these are supposed to be the people who are running the world and they need to act like adults, certainly. so they certainly should come to a table and act like adults. let's talk about red lines. mr. wong vladimir putin has been warned. the west about his red lines for years. typically, all those warning fell on deaf ears were basically ignored. considering the us is steadily increasing, its support a tie, one, a lot of weapons, a huge amount of weapons being sold there. are there any red lines that you can think of? that would be a point of no return in china's relationship with america? well, at the moment, i think china has made it very clear that the red line is about

the issue of taiwan. because taiwan is considered as the poor interest of china, the re unification of the 2 sides of the straight. so that's a very clear read law that china has put it out. and in terms of actually happened, when you asked what are the red lines? the red lines have been laid out very clearly is when i one wants to get independent if the separates in taiwan wants to go for an independent island of taiwan, then china is definitely not going to allow that. all right, mr. wall. let's, let's talk about something here. i guess a lot of people don't even really consider that much. i mean that taiwan is in china's back yard. it's nowhere near america in a way. it reminds me of the u. k. and the full clinton's being on the other side of

the world, the u. s. has been standing resolutely by tie one for years. what does it gain from this relationship, mister wall? well, i think to the us, they look at taiwan as a strategic stand post in terms of global geo political power. but you're right. i mean, taiwan is actually just all the china's post and so it is very far away from the us. so i think the change of attitude, when our foreign ministers said that the us needs to change its position and it's basically in our understanding it is a change of attitude. all looking at how the world is going to be govern. if we do believe that the world is going to become multi paula, then everybody's interest needs to be respective. you cannot imagine the world to

be run, take did by country forever. this is wrong or this certainly something that was talked about just last week at the s c o summit and was becca star with a lot of bricks members and tow. a lot of them saying that now is the new born multi polar world, and is putin keep saying nothing can stop the changes that are happening. nelson wong, the vice chairman of the shanghai sent over international studies. always a pleasure. thanks for joining us. thank you. thank you. i thank you for joining us as well for this program from moscow on this saturday. we're back in about half an hour. ah.

with ah, for the 1st time in history, an entire country's culture has been trashed with a very modern weapon cancelled culture. really desert one the will are lucille my love. so all in one when you get just me said in the one it with the phrase now particularly refers to counseling russian culture.