the sovereignty of the country or is business and business is good and that is the reality of what we're facing, which is fashion. a top headlines on, on the international with the 2nd day of voting underway. hearing off here, we continue with our special coverage of the ongoing referendums and gone bass zappa, ology, unheard of song on whether or not could join the russian federation. international observers are now monitoring the polk candidacy. 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. that's 55 captured military personnel from russia. and the going back to republics were released in a prison of swap with ukraine. they take

a challenge to rick count, they will deal with beat me with the chair, kicked me and hit me with them off. 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 jab me with all sorts of needles in my ear and my nose just to mock me during this week. so un general, assembly african, the faith stress the need for the countries to stick together to come back regional crises and unite in the fight against climate with sorry, from a rotary, sushi and the entire news team here at ot international. it is a pleasure to have you with us for this stuff that a program. so of course it is day number 2 and voting is well underway at the historic referendums being held in don bass and to other regions of ukraine on whether or not to join russia. here at auto international. we are continuing our special coverage.

ah so you should know by now the referendums are being held in for areas that don't. yeah, it's going to look on people's republics on the hudson and zipper orgy regions. now back in 2014 don't yet, scandal guns, they actually voted to declare themselves independent author. they refused to recognize the crew. when key f, a spike reports of some shelling, turn out has been modest. the highest, the highest rate was in finance. 23 percent there in logan's can support all she

it's just over 20 percent. and her son around 15 parties that raymond caseres now reports from the heart of don bass in the don't yet square public. the 2nd day of the referendum continues here in the nest people's republic. now these up while groups are walking from district district to make sure that everybody who wants to vote yet to do that. now the atmosphere, it is a pretty, a festive clarissa music. her people are smiling. this said despite the fact that sounds of shelling our conference here in don't eskoville asked her 24 hours or 2 civilians were killed and her 2 people were wounded as well. never the less the people are still coming out and their voting and mass, at least a quarter of the population of the nest people's republic have voted on the 1st day, and that number will certainly grow on the 2nd day. of course, sir,

we have spoken to some of the people to find out what they feel about this referendum college, but also the nurse toys, which i forgot some other, which of those whiskey them will settle slower misuse of the her. with that, it's a deal we've been waiting for this for 30 years since 1991. i was 21 when i voted against the soviet union disillusion. i've been waiting for this minute for 30 years. i voted in 2014 for denette cin dependence. and further joining up with russia, my parents, my wife, every one voted for it. it feel somewhat hard is this moment comes after 8 years. we feel sorry because of children dying in these years because of elderly people dying in these years. because of all those who died, but thank god this moment has come. thank god, wonderful wish it's a mirror. what. what can i say? we want peace. we want water. we have had no water for half of

a year. we won't change. we won't in this moment to come early, but thank god it has finally happened twice of how we just heard, sir. we just heard some sounds of her shelling as the lecture commission committee are working here. they have asked all the people to run into the basement so that no one gets hurt. i think we're going to do the same thing. and despite the fact that the shelling continues and the old people had to flee from outside and enter this building, the voting still continues in this apartment building. now. we are still waiting for other residents from nearby houses to come over and cast their ballots. as the shelling continues, these are truly people made of heal because, despite all the threats, despite daily tragedies, they're still coming out here to cast their ballot and vote to return to russia. ledge of the group brought the good, you know, this is kind of

a holiday for us. we suffered for 8 years waiting for these days to come. i took up arms back in 2014. i did everything i could. i am old, but when they shelled almost every market internet's grocer, i realized that we needed to return 3 times this fire at them. otherwise, this would never end. we met up with another mobile group of election officials. as you can see, people are holding up to cast their ballots. and of course, just like an all the other places that we're we have visited. all these people are in favor of the people's republic to join a russia. the reason i know that is because the people here are very open about their wishes. now least people who are with the election commission committee and they are mostly teachers. and according to them,

they've been receiving threats from anonymous people on the internet. despite all that. however, they are continuing their task and letting people know all around and ask that they can vote freely from uncle fred hearty. then as people's republic there was some report or saying there was a strike by ukrainian armed forces on the a civilian areas. although next city the attack did cause some damage, you can see in the footage of the renaissance, at least one person was killed and one that man injured. now, a number of international observers have been monitoring the voting and one of them italian and g and franko for stuco. he gave us his assessment of believe i was able, should either you don't j very 1st thing that catches your eye, is the situation that prevails at the polling stations, and it's completely opposite to what they show us in the media of western countries . they tell us about the terror that allegedly occurs here, but we see the opposite picture with our own eyes. i would like to emphasize that the historic referendum that is taking place here today will also be

a good example for those european countries, such as colonial scotland, who several times try to determine their own fate. but europe unfortunately suppresses their will. but here, russia welcomes this and from our point of view, what is happening here is a historical event for the whole world base. when you might find this interesting artie contributor rachel martha has been reviewing the years over selectively applied policy by western professional partners towards the right of people to that have self determination. have a listen. 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 master to ukraine, bridget brink and nato secretary general jens fulton berg called them quote sham referendums. and the european union's chief diplomat, yoseph 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. at 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 kim's attack since 2014. but unlike with the current situation, 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, i am really proud of staff 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 an independent kosovo to convince them to do so as quickly as possible. so apparently the western position only favor 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 wall egging on type. hey provoking beige and using taiwanese chinese relations and tensions as a pretext to rack 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 got the lonia, who was not to be 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 accounts for 19 percent of its g d, p. another of her and, and may be looking on the horizon in scotland as separate a sentiment as festered since edinburgh voted to reject independence in 2014. but the u. k is new as prime minister list truss 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 us, she has campaigned over the summer, she will be a disaster, not just for scotland, but for all of the you key. there's a tendency to denigrate or block referendums that don't suit the western agenda. but when the irish vote to ratify the lisbon treaty, that is the ease 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 in 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. i let's, i discussed the referendums now with journalist and founder of don bass inside a cristella male. joining us here on the ot us national program on the saturday of variable welcome to eucharist out. thanks for joining us here on the program day one seemed almost suspicious. the quiet on the violence front in those regions at the referenda was we're getting underway, as i understand, wanted to ask you day to now what's the, what's the general feeling in the republics there and, and, and, and what is your assessment of how be a referendums are being conducted on this morning. the referendum was not so quiet

like yesterday. there was a shilling of the center of the next was on this place i discussed with people who were there when the shell sales people said that does not frighten them to both on the contrary, pushes them to vote for the integration of the d. p. r. into russia. so the more ukraine is churning the don't bus people, the moral they want to join russia. so for key feed, i think it's a very bad strategy. i've seen that many people are all the people i discussed with or for the integration of the dpr with the, with russia i've not met for the moment one person was against. so the moody is quite good. people are voting activity. i voted myself this morning. i had one of these mobile commission who came, which came to my house and i voted at home crystal, can you give us

a bit more information about that? for those people who don't go to the polling stations, you talked about a mo, mo bile polling station. yes, it's a mobile pulling station. so all the local, the electoral commission of been splitting little groups of 234 people we're going from home to home from the house building to house building and the, the problem with the electoral books, the books like the usual one. but the small 141, a portable one, and so they are the thing they have the lease of the people, they check your passport to the, to the here that you have the right to vote, that you have the age jump in quickly, but you just you're describing these mo bile polling stations with these groups of people that can go from house to house. are these the same people that the western press, her said are torturing people, threatening people,

and for them to vote. really, i don't see how they can torture and frighten anybody. i mean, the group i followed just to be and the group which came to my house this morning. the gentle women mainly teachers or former teachers which are now been senior. so i don't see how the great and the really smilingly be good through it nor talk. sure anybody it doesn't make you realize doesn't that crystal that you know, some of the reports we're seeing in the west. i mean, i really don't know where they come up with some of this stuff. christina, i went through, i wanted to ask you even before the referendums are getting on the way, even before anyone cost a single vote. western politicians who are blasting the referendum as a sham as a cynical as outright theater. does that sound like an accurate description to you?

soon enough? absolutely not. really the respecting all the rules. i've seen the ballot, the sealed, and so they cannot open need 3. the same kind of the big ones you have in the usual pool stations is just that it's smaller, but it's the same system to protect, to, to assure the security of the walton, the, the, the, the t v. i mean, they have the need, the chick, the paper, so there's nothing there which i see could be a sham or a c q vote or so on. i spent you to the, to are words with the group with the small by group. and really i have seen that there were, there was nothing, no infringement to everything was perfect. so no, what i see here on the field is really very good, very good election. and as an italian, the observer said today in

a press conference, the smith so the, the really great for invited people for people who cannot go by themself to the pulsation because it allows them to vote without having to find some system to, to tell to the full station that they want to vote from home. here. the point fish in is coming to the people. that's incredible. it really is quite something. and you know, you mentioned the international observers who are that some of these italian absorb or the crystal. i just want to say it's so good to speak to you knowing where you are knowing what you're facing. and also in the light of what all the western press is saying, you're telling us something entirely different. and i dare say what you're saying is much more steep in truth than what we're hearing elsewhere. chris, tell me on author, journalist and founder of don bass. insider, always a pleasure to see you. thank you. always a pleasure to be with you. thank you for joining us here on how to international as a several events have been now held across russia to support the referendums in

going bass. this includes, for example, the southware city of vulgar, where hundreds of people gathered waving flags and banners, as well as a novel. so be of square people unfurled a giant flag of russia under the national anthem. there was also a supportive riley in the cross no yard ask one of the largest cities in siberia with around 10000 people showing up to support the referendums. now all of these events are being attended by representatives of public associations. local parties and civil activists will, of course, here at auto, internationalists, we really appreciate your company for this. we will continue to keep you up to date on the very, very latest as saturday. does mob day number 2 or voting for millions of people? ah, so after a long separation from relatives military personnel from russia in the going back

to republics, you had been in ukrainian captivity. have now returned home autism. or if an option that brings us more on this prisoner exchange and talk to some of the service men and families to share their stores. 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 1st. zebra storm, thank you. the he's 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 in kiev since the beginning

of the russian offensive in february and both sides a hail in it, 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 with 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. 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 inside were also released 5 bridge citizens to americans and fighters from morocco, sweden and croatia. some of the release prisoners who spent months in captivity talk about torturing humiliation, and also confirmed that more and more foreigners are fighting on ukraine's side. and thus 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 shocks me, beat me with a baton on my legs until i had bruises or 2 at the dispos. your wife would have qu, they beat me with the chair, kick me and hit me with the mob. 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 jagged me with all sorts of needles. ear my nose just to mock me crash for the most on the home of the day. 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 orc and occupier took pictures and film to videos. they lifted me by the head and took pictures of what it was clear from their voices that there were not only ukrainian staircases. foreign speech was heard, arabic speech was heard from all after that, they took pictures with me there while they continued to beat me. he 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, anemia with the full was. they also explain why capturing members of the russian military and he's such a desired trophy for those fighting for key as functional. and that's the bottom line is that they are nancy's not the armed force. genesis received money for the military prisoners, for surgeon. it's about $300.00 for officers after 1000 being all those former prisoners released during this recent exchange are currently being treated in

various russian hospitals. if military dr. commissions decide the our feet, the service men may soon return to the front lines. maybe notion on our t, moscow region. the partial mobilization does continue here in russia. in the far east city of lead of all stock reservists have been receiving military uniforms. unreal receive extra specialized training. while in the northeast city of dakota, recruits to being dispatched to the states eastern military district. and we did speak to a few reserve. is there some of whom actually just came out and volunteered for service? did you listen to it? what are my thoughts? i swore a nose and served you. well, that's enough. we must go. the motherland, us calling. there also guys there. they have wives and children who must fight for our country. but in any case, russia is a force. there are some worries, but rural breakthrough, northern source bullet region, mccarthy, i have a positive attitude. every citizen must defend his homeland. if we do not defend it,

we simply will not have a homeland with him now to our western russia, where the apostle mobilization continues as well. in the border region of belgrade, on which, as russia says, has been repeatedly shelled of ikea forces. some recruits aren't even waiting for that military summons latoya. i'm a fighting mood. i served 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 live in peace intern quality. i was 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 every wants to port it and accepted it. meanwhile, in the russian far east, some recruits have already received their a specialized combat weapons. as with their counterparts from other areas of the

country, they'll soon begin their additional training as well. all right, or during the you end general assembly chad's minister of foreign affairs, stress the need for african countries in the sa hell region to stick together. busy and fight regional crises collectively. how do we know tightening terrorist activities for how the hell is replete with programs? committing the price of several products over the last 2 years, which always filled our expectations where all where terrorism can only be beaten by joint efforts. but still lack of appropriate resources. also during the general assembly, a number of african countries express that desire to combine their efforts in the fight against climate change. and as they said to stand up to that will take cold weston pressure. here's our t carol the tattler presidents of african countries. so guess 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 it's negative impacts way 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 they're looking 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 african released 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 suffered,

the effects of climate change to a disproportionate degree. the politics of climate change are really about who foot the bill. western nations are loud 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 this transition within countries 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 to be a portion of the bill. but a deuce feel that every african countries should accuse contribution. let's take africa for africa has long been voicing this conferred while polluting the least 4 percent actually of global c, o 2 emissions the continent is paying a high price. africa's obliged was already limited financial means and scant level

of support to spend around 2 to 3 percent of its gdp barrel. m. do it up 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 peace and security. in the south region, 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 adopt 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 and 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 continue to drag their feet with regards to climate, reparations, and funding people in the developing world. i in the fight for their lives, fighting the elements to save lives and livelihoods. god, i will if ada. oddity in johannesburg, china's a foreign minister has said, washington needs to re think its attitude towards beijing. if indeed, the 2 powers at a get along in the future, china us relations are at a critical juncture and it is urgent for both sides to establish 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.