good afternoon. good evening where ever you are in the world. welcome to all the international. it's just gone 5, i am here in the russian capitol and it's great to have you with us. i'm right. hm . all right, let's take a look at today's top stories. offers headline, one person has been ripple, had killed and 2 others wounded in the latest euclid and showing a residential areas in the city of the risk is for the shows, the moment in a probability was hit by a rocket attack. the shell fragments appeared to be from a soviet design grant rocket. the mer said the recruiting military fight of the 16 of those projectiles into the city. the latest shelling vocal of her hill saying credit and forces have been increasing artillery of plants on residential areas. allegations that kids government has denied, we heard from a resident who was lucky to survive off a shove exploded, near which it came. lloyd with that being that mamma was who sits him yet and then you will get a digital ukrainian military continues to target civilians on a daily basis here in the people's republic. right now i'm in it sounds of yes, there was a satellite c, c o for republic, capital of done that. now this house here was completely destroyed. the woman that i spoke with. she says she was making dumplings late at night. and then this explosion took place. if you let me know i was making something santander was a now bang. initially i couldn't even understand whether i'm scared or not. so i waited for a beep and then leaked out of the window. so my kitchen was in fire, it was dark already, so i couldn't see what exactly was playing now. i called the emergency services immediately they quickly arrived and began pity. now to fire the television, nevada has been on the korean shilling every single day. right now, as i'm speaking with you, we can still hear the sounds of our children, shelly by ukrainian military was he's roland cos arrive a report saying on the location of the public. now. meanwhile, in a south western ukraine authorities in the black sea port, odessa toppled a monument to the russian imperial leader who founded the modern city, the devil. it was conducted at night during a curfew. the monument depicted russian empress catherine the great, as well as several of her associates who established the city in the late 18th century. the current ukraine authorities have alleged that the monument was a symbol of russian colonialism. meanwhile, washington is civil. the anti russian merits has been amplified throughout the former soviet republics says the ukraine news site has a platform called the freedom to quote, sweat awareness about russian colonialism and is financed by a prominent us state funded organization. previously, hughes of supporting coups, the national endowment for democracy is a non profit group funded by the u. s. congress for what they describe as promotion . freedom in foreign countries. it hasn't been accused of facilitating q r insurgencies in the, for me to slow via as was georgia, ukraine, and several arab nations. the organization has even admitted to taking on some roles previously conducted by the cia. a lot of what we do today was done covered lee 25 years ago by the c. i. a. the biggest difference is that when such activities are done, overtly the flap potential is close to 0. openness is its own protection. if somebody is humorous, but i think it's funny from the fact that america talks about coney, eliza moore, that ukraine talks about colonialism and america has interfered with a more more called imperialism as interfere with more elections and more. the sovereignty of more nations round the world than any other nation on, on, on earth. and we find ourselves in this place where they are exactly what they say they're fighting against. and when they speak about, you know, what rushes doing in large part, that's what they've done across the world, they use the word democracy, these were freedom, they use the word that we want. we want to protect the freedom of speech. but in actuality, everything that you see even down to the twitter files, which we weren't supposed to oversee, show that they've had a large degree of suppression of in the u. s. a 1st amendment while walking across the world just spreading these papa propaganda wise roses pharma sa robe has issued a stone warning about western attempts to maintain a colonial irin dominance in the world. he may, those commands an interview with russia's channel one it should yields muscles in. we're talking about the establishment of a colonial order that the west hides under the slogan of respect for the rules based world order. he'll go, i have repeatedly asked my western colleagues with whom we were still communicating at that time. can you hand over a list of these rules? where is it all written down? no one has ever given any references to any specific rules. and the answer why is simple, because these rules mean that everyone must obey the united states. that dominance mentality has not disappeared younger than issues e, it is not only nato, but also the european union as an association and not so long ago. claim strategic autonomy has completely submitted to this western line, which, you know, the collective west is at war with us, led by this western power, the united states of america renewals. this war was declared to us quite a long time ago after the coo and ukraine took place, orchestrated by the united states and in fact, supported by the european union and after the minsk agreements, which as it finally turns out, no one was willing to fulfill. we, we chose those who are reliable, who are able to negotiate as to why we have very few opportunities to talk to the west right now. you actually, there is no special desire. when you read the statements of foreign ministers, or prime ministers, who say that it's necessary to deal with the security of europe against russia, many countries have faced a need to choose what is probably difficult to make such a decision. considering how much everyone was tied to the system of globalization created by the americans and discredited by them. because washington proved it's on reliability. as a curator of the system. every time there are any election campaigns, americans need to invent some external topic, re either a thread or a task, and then given their weight on the world stage, global processes become hostages, or strongly influenced by their internal political struggle. was a little now, democrats in the american sense, are those who are loyal, not even to the united states, but to the democratic party of the united states. kriseskew political social ah, social media uses have debunked yet another fake news story from ukraine files off and local. they can try to pass off an old photo and irish boy and an elderly tweet as a supposed child. some of the ukraine conflicts the saddest part. there are no children in ukraine any more. only little humans with very grown up, eyes, old to even somewhat tired of a life yet and lived pictured mark 8 years old, just survived a russia artillery attack. readers added context, they thought people might want to know. this image predates the conflict in ukraine and it p is on a novel published in 2013 the ukrainian m p. that posted this photo in the 1st co in the 1st place, straight up light about it. i mean, she said that there was an 8 year old boy there that survived some sort of russian artillery attack. when in reality this kid was an irish orphan. this was a picture that was taken from the cover of a book, a 2013 spanish translation of the miss, remembered man. so while you definitely shouldn't a judge, a book by its cover, you most certainly should not take what ukrainian officials are saying at face value about this kind of stuff. the photo is lifted from a 2013 book by christie mckenna, more broadly, it is true that the crimes of nazi regimes bring disaster on their own children. do ukrainian officials and pundents nail for vass image such as to keep posting such fakes. the tweets glaring and accuracy didn't stop it from getting widespread distribution though i mean, after all, the ukrainian m p that tweeted it has over 330000 followers on twitter and the u. n's head of global communications even responded to it with a broken heart that's despite the fact that her account said that all the information there is verified and based in science, i mean this time it clearly wasn't. so it makes you wonder, just how often were being duped here. well, i don't know, could this not have just been an honest mistake by this particular happy? well, i mean, we have actually been seeing this pretty consistently, children being used in the western media and by ukrainian officials to manipulate people's emotions, to change their opinions on the ukraine conflict through bought through that way. and we actually made earlier this month, a report covering all these stories, just how many of them are either fake or actually the fault of the ukrainian military with doesn't stop there either. earlier this year we saw another ukrainian m p, or a ukranian official, rather post a picture of a drawing of a girl on twitter who apparently was from ukraine and she had cut her hair to protect herself from being raped by russian troops. so the story goes, except we saw no evidence come with this story, and the drawing was essentially a copy and paste a job from an actual photo of a girl who died an al switzer. now, we've seen a lot of these sakes going around the internet, but just to give you an idea of the sheer scale of this fake information war, we can look at an australian report that was published about twitter activity towards the earlier days and weeks of russia's special military operation, it said that over 80 percent of tweets from that time were part of a covert propaganda operation. and over 90 percent of the accounts that were making these tweets were pro ukrainian. we found that between 60 and 80 percent of tweets using the hash tags we studied, came from bought accounts during the 1st 2 weeks of the war. we found that 90.16 percent of accounts fell into the pro ukraine category, while only 6.8 percent fell into the pro russia category. i think it goes without saying that in our day and age, the information war effort is just as important to as that of the conventional war . and no doubt social media platforms play a central role in that one of the major problems is that often these myths are debunked. long after this faith content has already made its way across the internet while the seo ukraine official bushes of thank. so we're to the summer golf, new food, publish the photo, showing kearney soldier proudly displaying a nazi symbol, the skull and crossbones icon in the patch on his. the woods used by nosey german s as forces during little 2. we heard from jim chamberlain, jonas, i'm activists. who says the western media, the simply turned a blind eye to bleats neo nazis sentiments in nuclear. at some point that the members of the media intelligence. yeah. and the ruling class in general decided we can't really hide this. so let's just act like it's not a big deal, or like some other form of nationalism the same way they say, let's use jewish. you know, they say, well of course we don't support nazis. you know, we're the, we're the reasonable progressives of the way. we're about freedom, freedom of speech and free value, but there's no way that you know, this is crazy that they would be not that simple mean something else. and people just don't really pay attention and sort of believe what their top, i think it's so easy for them to just turn out propaganda in relation to ukraine. but no one feels the need to fact check to pay attention. for last africa south saddam has a now 7750. so the democratic republic of congo, that's part of an international effort to restore stability in the central african nation. so begins voter registration for next year's presidential election that has been intense fighting between congress, national forces on the 23 in certain recent months in the region of the country. neither one of them border the president has faith hosted with being unable to stop move on without foreign intervention. it wanted to run against 2 prominent opposition. candidates was a national security concerns and very much in focus. this is the ways why the m 23 group and other are functions, is driven thousands of people to flee from their homes in the rest of the region. there's also numerous claims of civilians been abducted by the military forces. the dfcs lawanda financing the m $23.00 navigation that the neighboring country adamantly denies. we heard from a foreign affairs and civil society on the she says, presidential candidates must focus on the security concerns. i think the most critical issue from the issue of the economy. of course it's one of the forest country in the world. the g d p 6 with so you have initial states that does not want to show that local. thank you. so you got it. yes for, i mean you, as a result, you have all my knowledge of the groups, movies, yes. will be, you know, it yourself especially, you know, you stand receive also if you like yours in that you got a also active. if you stuff that you're talking about, you know, everything you cannot talk about it. i think it's one that from the activities of the every to 3. yeah. see, can never be see a because unless the political suspicion you know how i'm able to collect if i get a book that says that they need to see if that is the only way. electra got it. so that has on the gone wreck or power outages this year with blackouts. it's one to 200 days due to the system breakdown and the energy industry local to hold a me is on location that a power plant in the country to share the details about the current energy questions. more than 200 days of power cuts in 2022 alone. that south africa lead to struggle record rotational blackouts due to ailing unrepaired infrastructure as what the country to its knees with just 12 hours of power a day, leaving many without heat. and i'm able to work corruption, crime, and sabotage at power plants as being cited effect of leading to the mobilization of the military to protect the countries electricity plus the number of different factors. some of them are operational relating to is comes, inability to maintain as co fleet. you also have issues with the cof fleet, boiler tube, you know, maintenance, you tube tube leaks the call that's being delivered on site. you also have what the term sabotaged, but ultimately it's just vandalism. 5th of the infrastructure, which is obviously affecting the transmission and distribution and some of the generation facilities as well as come holding one of south africa, largest energy companies experienced record rotational blackouts in 2022 with outdated and poorly maintained power stations. continually breaking down the company, say to, to rent a power cuts from low cheating, which is a way to ease the stress on main power sources went to mind is overwhelming. small businesses are struggling to keep afloat amid the darkness with increased crime throwing a new spanish the way. now the road in black health remained a noose around south africa, gross profit of africa. at the moment. i think this is unprecedented. we are sitting with an energy availability sector, which is the complaints that are available and only 50 percent. this is the lowest, it has ever been in is comes almost a 100 years history. in fact, more than a 100 years history. so we really are in trouble as frustrations continue to grow among south africans. many on looking to attend to, to keeping the lights on. but schools are already cash strapped with no additional fees. it's been a nightmare. and especially with the economy that is right now, half wood is high cost of living in high and adding mulch, getting on to the mix. what is getting spoiled medication? it's just, it's been a nightmare. i installed it for a 3 k v, a solar system where now the s glum becomes a back up rather than the primary source of power. the state owned company has warned that the 1st 3 months of the year would be difficult. for many south africans. it simply means that adjusting embracing for yet another powerless year ahead is what needs to be done. that's a home. so me for archie, johannesburg. mary, you are the user decline is as personified, fusion fraud was to remain closed after the winter holidays or the rising fossil fuel proved too too burdensome to keep up production. the government is also perfect to cut some of these on petrol in the coming days. all the contributor, writes miles and in paris gave us her take on those issues. things are really not looking very good here in france right now. and moscow's response to the g 7 in european union's price cap on russian oil. that is to ban deliveries, to countries that abide by the cap. does even kick in until february 1st and the e useful embargo on russian oil also hasn't been fully felt yet. because there's also a grace period there until january, so ships don't get caught out at sea, but already there are some signs of trouble here. hey, you know the fairy tale of cinderella, where she had to be home by midnight, or else her magic carriage turned back into a punkin? well, french drivers have until midnight on december 31st before their own cars. risk getting bricked turning into pumpkins because of sticker shock at the pump. because the discount that a live drivers here in france weren't even aware that the government had built into the price of fuel for the past few months to help offset the rising cost of energy is coming to a crashing halt when the clock strikes midnight on january 1st, and at that point, the prices are set to go up by $10.00 to $0.20 per liter for everyone, except about $10000000.00 french citizens who will qualify for the help that's replacing it. in the case of workers who make less than $14700.00 euros per year, who will need to fill out a government form to get on all whopping $100.00 euros to cover the entire year of energy price hikes for 2023. meanwhile, french factories are already planning to ring in the new year by not reopening after the holiday. citing skyrocketing production costs, one manager of the company that produces isolation material, told the french press that he seen a 100 percent increase in material costs. and 500 to 700 percent spikes in energy prices. oh and get this. the french energy transition minister, i guess penya, who now she tweeted on tuesday that if you hear home with would in france, the government will now offer you assistance of between 50 and 200 euros. the state acts against rising prices from this tuesday, december 27th. if you want temper to help you warm up, you can benefit from assistance ranging from 50 to 200 euro's. it was just so surreal. this tweet that you think you're looking at, a parody account, but nope, and apparently the energy transition minister, i guess, is going to help friends transition straight back to the cave mandate. hey, maybe the government can toss in a freed bag of marshmallows so that at least french citizens can all feel like they're having fun. camping out at home rather than huddling around the fire. like they're back in the stone age. maybe we can even like, since production is troublesome right now because of and he caused me, we can like start bashing on rocks in the fire to hobbled that. it's hard to believe that this is supposed to be one of the world's most developed countries, which at one point prided itself on its nuclear energy independence. so 0, now we're a new government is to be sworn in the coming hours under the leadership of benjamins and yahoo. the featured cabin is already being described as the most right wing in the country's history of the transient political battle of cheese and maria for national disgust. the state and future prospects of israeli russian relations with ambassador. i'm a tale of total russia. israel relations have been tested a lot since the beginning was coast fashion, military operation. what are the major challenges and how did you overcome it? first of all, i would like to underline that israel, her was ease and we will remain, i'm sure for that were important partner of russia in the middle east and broder in the entire age of international affairs. and of course, from the very beginning of the in special made it through the ration of the globe that regarding the the ship said that they supported ukraine in this situation. they understand arkansas deeper in their minds. but publicly evaluating the could you sizing the current regime due to the, the soul so called the western photo. it's my guess i'm speaking about western solidarity israel so far did not join the western sanctions against russia. do you expect any changes in the front row and is leadership as well known as a very independent political structure and of course their lead not just by abstract. so today by their a practical national interest. by the way, despite all this sanctions flying throughout the world and through the region, the volume of our drape and take a look at the nation according to some sources hasn't been decreased significantly . and we're going to the whole that in this fetus, like every culture, education, medical care, or major scene height, the height of knowledge is some others. we will continue the rating. of course, there are figuration. we will be ready to work with any government of rail in the history of the recent though, if you are the case has shown that successful companies to give and it is already gone. and then 3 jointly made an effort to raise the relations on the very high level 33 single. so close people around the global looking ahead to hopefully more positive. yeah. math off the raw, the nerve wracking 12 months. so protest managing conflicts and a resurgent pandemic. i made a deeply economic crisis. my colleague, nikki aaron discussed the prospects for the new year with a pile of gas. i'm not being a pessimist, no pessimist is somebody who is irrationally negative, who is just always dower. when there is no need to be just when i think i have figured that the human race has somehow exhausted, every possible means of destroying itself or its cultural origin. or it sanity, i'm disappointed because there's a new way. no, i think things are going to be much worse. and, but the only thing that will help most people is the diluted effect of the social media platforms which allow people to recess and to revert from reality and go into la la land and take pictures of their food. while society collapses famous, the astrologer nostradamus, he made many interesting and unusual prophecies, as we know, he said, to predict the 3rd world war being on the horizon next year. what's your take on that? and does it look like tensions between some of the worlds and major powers are reaching that critical points? i say the possibility of potentially for a forefront war facing the united states, especially because it's out there with it's a gemini, stirring all of the sub has created the mess and in 2022. and i think it's, it, it just doesn't know how to help itself, and it's going to continue on that path. and it's going to create even greater tensions or in 2023. and we got to be watchful and any think and there can be something out of nowhere that could absolutely cause a, a catastrophic event, a cascading events that could lead to, to this war front war that i just mentioned. they stem from the middle east to the, to, into in the pacific to or of course europe, europe could in a 2nd war next year. and that, what is that war? that is basically coke, cause of both serbia, what are the prospects the 20? $23.00. does it look like we're heading for a serious recession and just how bad can things get? every statistic that we're seeing now is, every economy globally, is, is on a down trend, some performing better than others. you know, we've, we've had reasons, statistics from china, russia, india, those economies of recovery in a certain way from, you know, the, the pandemic, which we, we will part of the experience that really, again just, we are cutting the points of the other guys. now this whole global situation has been created, it just causing more and more pain. and why wouldn't economies, it's really virtually impossible for market to ask. well, when they come predict what's going to happen? i think it's very concerning. i'm really not sure what's gonna happen to global economy. i think we're going into a box global recession. i think the only way out of this is for countries to really start losing, as we're seeing now away from that dependence on the us dollar. and the hedge him and that's created by the united states through that financial system which we've all been forced to use generation, the vatican, the world health organization, the world economic forum, the u. n. again, a reconfiguration and realignment of power structures that we've never seen before . and most people per usual have nary a clue. so watch carefully and be aware that all of this is leading to a rapid rise to a multi polar world order. and we're seeing this accentuated by western gemini, and particularly us the gemini forcing, pushing russia and china iran to toward the multi polar reality. and we're seeing saudi arabia went to join with the bricks, countries. iran wants to join with bricks. when you put all of this together, they constitute more than, along with this shanghai cooperation organization, they constitute more than half the population of the world that was announced when recently, for example, the v t b bank, one of russia largest banks, has currently developed a new payment gateway that goes between russia and iran, allow people to lose money more instantly between the 2 countries. that's where we're living. the dominance of the financial system, which at the moment is controlled by a private company called swift, which is basically how much move our money to and fro around the world. now that goal and now we're seeing that on we're going to see i think a whole bunch of new and exciting companies from.