Your churning in from rights around the world this hour welcome to moscow and to r. T. International my names and only. The head of nato sais the alliance was not informed of the u. S. Plans to assassinate irans most powerful general kassim solo money yet in stoltenberg say it was a unilateral act by america but he stopped short of criticizing washington for the killing. The u. S. The sea should. Take and neither do Global Coalition nor nato but all allies are concerned about irans destabilization or t. V. In the region iran supporting different terrorist groups stoltenberg didnt 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 than once was the words uttered by the nato secretary general he said that this was the message that have come out of the meeting from the passages of those allies that make up nato saying every single one of them had been putting forward well basically the same words and that word is deescalation. I think the important thing now is to really try to deescalate and to avoid further increase increased tensions in the region and ive seen before i started start to speculate on how we will react. Not help to deescalate it will actually do the opposite while 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 salomone 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 theyve got the right of selfdefense if you look at what general sort of man he was doing he wasnt is not a victim in this scenario he was a regional menace they were saying that we had a conversation with trump about developments in the region and we were shocked when we got the news at that point i especially had suggested to him that tensions with iran should not be heightened. 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 allied nations are calling for a calming down of events in a deescalation the what were hearing coming out of the state department. It is this they did the right thing in targeting solomonic with mike pompei you know the secretary of state saying the region is safer because hes no longer there American People should know the president trumps decision to remove cost and so the money from the battlefield saved american lives theres 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 weve 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 wasnt the longest of press conferences from u. N. Stoltenberg the nato secretary general in brussels didnt seem too comfortable taking too many questions from journalists on the subject want to get out there was soon as possible the escalation the watchword 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 well in iran millions of mourners are turning out for the funeral of solemn money theres been a huge i pouring of grief across the middle east and beyond irans Supreme Leader earlier where he said prayers for the slain commanders coffin in tehran some mourners carried red flies associated with just bloodshed on revenge around the foreign minister says the u. S. Can no brick the well is nation. Have you ever seen such a sea of humanity in your life dont trump do you still want to listen to the clowns advising you want all 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 well the u. S. Strike also killed. This he was the Deputy Commander of Iraqs Popular Mobilization forces on one of the most important military figures in the country to back in 2017 we spoke to me in an exclusive interview his words in the light of his death certainly poignant this is curious here for ages countries is a unified system it is in our interests that iran remains safe that iraq remains safe the new administration is trying to start a war in the region and this is madness our whole region will go up against it by using every means we have were 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. Or one of the 1st repercussions for the United States came from iraqi m. P. s who voted on sunday to expel Foreign Forces from their country for conducting the killing on their soil they rocky lawmakers resolution not only calls on u. S. Troops to leave the country it also asked the government to pull back from military assistance for the u. S. Led Coalition Plus that urge for a formal complaint to be raised out the u. N. Against washington for violating iraqi sovereignty which as we heard has already been filed while donald trump has not warning iraq to brace itself for heavy sanctions if it picks its troops and. We have a very extraordinary really expensive very base thats there it cost billions of dollars to build long before my time were not living unless they pay us back for it if they do ask us to leave if we dont do it in a very friendly basis will charge them sanctions like theyve never seen before ever although are really in leaders are vowing to avenge solmonese death or Senior Correspondent the it has been looking at how it might be a better move to play along. On the face of it trump and iran they always wanted the same thing iran no 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 americas 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 wouldnt say to get elected in reality he escalated conflict after conflict whether was a scratch trumps policies would tear it open into a wound on the trump of america went from a fool with iran having a nuclear deal to assassinating irans 2nd most powerful official i dont think trump expected this not median morning 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 money at 8 30 am on the morning he was killed as he left Baghdad International airport mr abdul mahdi said the general saloon money was carrying iran some response to a message iraq had conveyed 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 its 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 the iraqis dont want foreign troops murdering who they will when they will the parliament has decided to ask the us to leave once the 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 doesnt do it we will take greater our 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 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 burn the American Flag in america theyre 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. 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. Moving the program on turkish soldiers or on their way to libya according to president carter one on thursday of the Turkish Parliament voted to back the u. N. Recognize government in tripoli giving the green light to the deployment libyas rival administration based in the east of the country voted against a deal with on crown. It was decided to cut ties between the turkish regime and the states of libya and also in todays session a unanimous vote was passed in the general command authorizing be armed forces to disable all airports ports and ports under the militias control due to the danger they pose to the countrys National Security by bringing the colonists to our country well the situation was the scales behind closed doors on monday at the u. N. Security council heres what the head of the Organizations Mission in libya had to say following that meeting we are calling on all countries to stop the feeding i do and the difference between what is happening in the east and what is happening in the west the get out of libyan. My command thats what i am asking all the countries like helms out as the forces of general tar who controls most of the country say they have taken the coastal city of sirte to run 450 kilometers from tripoli the u. N. Backed government is in charge of the capital along with small d pockets of the war torn country it requested military aid from one critic onto the generals forces last month the country has been in a spate of state of war since protests in 2011 that was when of course the countrys leader Moammar Gadhafi was i said i would jonson few point africa funder believes that even with turkey support it will be difficult for the u. N. Back government to ice thats rival. Im afraid 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 large swathes 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 supported by the United States i think. Has a faction or field of winning but its going to be very difficult concept physically how which is why hes been propped talk and supported by the turks who are who. To send their military might to support him there are too many actors playing and supporting a competing factions which for we know were not showing exactly whos going to succeed in the why the actual lets get too into. The race is on to if i can we had stricken residents in a stream the most the most ferocious wildfires in decades robards swades of the southeast at least 25 people are known to have died and many thousands of had to abandon their homes and be relocated theres been a brief respite from the record breaking heat wave but Emergency Services are brace for huzzard as conditions to return in a few days. Well angriest trillions are directing their fury at Prime MinisterScott Morrison over his handling of the crisis on for suggesting theres no direct link between the fires and Climate Change despite many seeing it as a root cause of the unprecedented destruction. Thats become hard of the process and longer the rival lepping between stites this is driven by climate chimes scientific name very clear that the 10 or 20 years now that Climate Change is leading to more frequent and more severe bush 5 and droughts and hate were already seeing catastrophic impacts you could 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 whats to come if we dont act theres no argument about the links between in my view in the governments 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 im sure people equally to acknowledge that the direct connection to any single farmer event its not a credible suggestion to mike that link. Ok switching gears now the new year in scotland is a much celebrated event with the capital drawing followers of visitors for hogmanay but the residents who live there are full time say theyre increasingly being shut out of their own city to make way for the tourists their numbers have grown rapidly in recent years but its proving to be a double edged sword for edinburgh the City Council Sees the new year celebration influx calls as 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 the event organizers have worked with Edinburgh City Council to try and make the most of the rising number of visitors the citys german theme Christmas Market also calls the opposite when it was revealed that it hadnt received planning permission for the past 2 years but it went ahead anyway with the Christmas Market now heres what people in edinburgh being telling us about the situation. So its become about that issue because firstly its. The same people so you sort of want Workers Service you know theyre good for College Students its 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. He and not have to be pushed out. Of. The stores look this if you get into city that that means people are not looking at this i mean that is going to be like any of them or the city. Taking stock of 21000. 00 next as we reflect on more of the events that marked the year just. I think. What we saw for a bit of political maneuvering and we are dealing over weaponry as the a run nuclear deal on rather less to cure and power games nations boosted their Defense Budgets to get to a new arms race weighted in the wings and us were true from the i. N. F. Treaty on limiting Ballistic Missiles in 28. 00 d. Russia then took one of the scribe does a symmetrical response and 29000. 00 takes a closer look now at how it all. 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 but 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 theres concern a pullout could lead to a new arms race its 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 iron of shackles started the messala tests right away 2 weeks after the pullout and then again in december this in turn kicked russias military into action too as it accused the us of premeditating their withdrawal National Beacon for us opponents had to be only east and street food with us. Not of use trumped up accusations and allegatio