all. welcome to the. big splash in the world of high tech business what turns events science into i can't change products they don't understand oh he's this guy he followed russian innovators to e.g. bidders abroad and their big breakthrough back home spotlight on story on

technology update here. we've got the future covered. at least three people have been killed thirty injured as a russian passenger plane with over one hundred on board catches fire taxiing for takeoff in western siberia. the world welcome to the new year with over a million people venturing into a snowstorm to celebrate it in the heart of the russian capital while the international space station crew says cosmic congratulations from. plus the new year brings a new currency to a stone you as the baltic state becomes the latest member of the eurozone but many think it's a cause not for celebrating but for tightening belts. welcome

if you just joined us this is r.t. it's five pm new year's day here in moscow. and the developing news story of the soft new really unfortunate way to start the new year at least three people we're hearing now have been killed after a regional russian airliner caught fire and exploded at an airport in the eastern siberian city of sort of good nick with the latest developments for us rena what more do we know we spoke to last when the details of this were first starting to come through can you update us. yes of course well what we know right now like you said. call idea flight three four eight was on its way from so good to moscow didn't manage to take off when the fire started on board and now as far as what

exactly happened is to get unknown we do know that there are there have been some reports that. one of the turbans may have caught fire or they may have been in illian objects in one of the engines again in the situation is working at the scene right now but we do know that about several seconds before the plane was supposed to take off one of the one of the. engines has exploded and according to one of the witnesses one of the passengers who was in the plane panic broke out when passengers realized that the cabin was being filled with smoke and sparks were flying everywhere so we do know at this point that more than thirty people have been injured of course they're being hospitalized right now three people as you said have been are dead what exactly has caused the deaths is not yet clear we do know that at least one person has probably died from the severe burns that she has received majority of the people who are hospitalized are hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning of course. of course the authorities are still working on the

case there trying to determine what exactly has caused the the incident we do know that a criminal investigation has been a criminal case has been launched at this point is dealing with negligence and a violation of safety procedures but these are just of course the preliminary causes more than one hundred persons were reported on board at least eight crew members this is the t u one fifty four it's one of russia's most well now well known planes of course not a lot of air companies are operating at the moment this is the second crash involving two you won fifty four in just over a month the last time that and incident has occurred involving first type of plane was in moscow at the most jeddah airport in the beginning of december when a t one fifty four upgraded by airlines has caught fire during the emergency landing three people have died then as well so at this point we're still waiting

for the authorities to of course provide us with a concrete figures with a cookie. first are the how many people exactly have been injured what the what those injuries are and whether or not we should be expecting any more deaths hopefully of course not but we do know that at least four people right now are in severe condition and this is basically the latest that we're getting the latest information that we have at this point ok well we'll let you get back to the authorities and get some more information for most for us and we'll come back to you when you have it for america lucia thank you. well that type of one five four was being used on kolob via flight number three for eight bound for moscow the aircraft is russia's most successful ever model plane with around a thousand of them produced since one nine hundred sixty eight just to bring a bit of background there's a sketch of it there the three engine medium range passenger plane was once the work course of russia's domestic aviation and many many still remain in use today

first plane to reach a speeds of over nine hundred kilometers per hour. among the fastest in its class we're told it to its popularity in its day despite being criticized for its safety record experts say that pilot error rather than technical faults of being to blame for most fatal accidents and that the good planes if well maintained as i say will bring you more on this unfortunate story to start the new year as when we get it here on r.t. . well the new the world toasted in new year with russia marking it times last night millions took to the streets to bid farewell to twenty ten with moscow traditionally at the center of the celebrations are to join the revelers on red square. moscow is a city that reeling knows how cicero a new years back. and seeing in twenty

eleven was no exception nearly one and a half million revelers descended on the russian capital downtown area turning it into a giant street party. my wish is it my children are happy and successful that's the most important thing to me we wish them and everyone health and happiness let them ski and fly and have no enemies. wishing boys and girls everywhere a very happy new year. my warmest congratulations for the new year the healthy everyone and support such a winter olympics. on red square itself numbers were limited to twenty five thousand those who braved the elements to claim their spot early on that were not disappointed on the stroke of midnight the kremlin's clock tower rang out.

marking the beginning of the night's main celebrations. the music only start for policy go is to listen to president made very his new year address shown on big screens across the capital. as we see the old year out we remember it's joyful and sad moment and hope that next year will be good and successful for all of us and for our country we will build a modern russia together a strong open and friendly country. the evening's christian day was a fabulous firework display over the mosque forever a burst of color setting the scene for the capital's fun holiday this. good luck sticks to.

the well to me. well. warmer temperatures more exotic celebrations no snow there but plenty of palm trees and the usual christmas. sarah first reports. love. her russian.

people. reporting on new year's celebrations in russian city of sochi. now most of us had one moment to see in the new year this year but there are six people who were able to do it sixteen times the crew of the international space station who had one of the most exciting starts the new year. and shared it with. talk about a prime seat the coup the high assess a watching not just one square city or even the country celebrates its new year they get to watch the whole planet spin into its next orbit to sun and here in mission control in moscow on a live link up i asked them just how they feel about it hello my name's tom barton

from russia today television my christmas and happy new year there are six of you and then pick billion of us down here what's your message to the well media. happy new year we wish everyone good health love happiness success in all their new beginnings and plenty of rewarding achievement in the upcoming year it was also a chance for others to send a cosmic congratulations father frost was here greeting the cosmonauts children and praising their orbiting relatives but as much as the kids wanted to see the joy read man their warmest words were saved the loved ones in space. hello daddy i love you so much you are the best dad in the world happy new year. the crew of the s.s. are the only ones to spend new year in splendid isolation in moscow those participating in the simulated trip to mars and back of over five hundred days have already been

in their modules for seven months. we would like to hug everybody to shake hands even to kiss and people if they ask but it won't be soon because we have a year of hard work ahead. the i.s.o.'s crew is spending new year in about the most exotic location possible and they also have the unique advantage of being able to share the strikes of midnight repeatedly. we have a chance to celebrate the new year several times we send our wishes to different control centers we start in the east and finish with houston we can celebrate all day but after the partying is over they'll still be watching over the planet because they are s.s. will remain in space for quite a while after the new year suffice to say that today's little chat provided a human touch to an otherwise very technical life. still ahead playing with fire during new year's party the team heads have some revelers love of seventy year in with a bang why they did tragic consequences. with eyes of india's golden

spice fire that was threatening the famous saffron problems and how local farmers a struggling to preserve us in a few minutes time as well. people in the stone here have not only seen in the new year but they've also got some new money to use as well as the baltic state becomes the seventeenth member of the eurozone but while officials celebrated this a story of a stone in fear the single currency will make their poor living standards even worse exam avoid to reports. chatting about the bad and the worst these two france italy will sions apart irina and her native the store near here are learned but they have one concern on their minds how to make it in these tough economic times according to rena their definitions of hardship couldn't be more different he's running a fairish people had a chance to experience what life is like here in

a stone i think there would have been no rallies in dublin they simply don't appreciate what they have if you are on welfare when dystonia you simply can't make ends meet the gap in living standards within the european union is huge but it may get even bigger is tony now has to contribute eight hundred million euros to the e.u. solidarity found it will be partially used to munting our lands lavish social programs and only thing the arrangement will keep reach countries reacher and their poor members who are. fair to us tell me. this. because. sixty three percent of the. average you know. something one hundred twenty or even more one historian joined the european union

in two thousand and four most of its residents some of the membership as their ticket to perspire itchy the country drastically cut social spending to three the ear requirements a move that provoked little public discontent historians just tighten their belts and according to the country's finance minister they're ready to do it again this time to lead the irish continue wearing their cloth loose you can't avoid obligations if you're. taken to the club with your summary fleer. and inviting smile this girl has become a boost to child for stoney's inclusion into the euro zone but the reality of this move is proving far less alluring the average unemployment benefit in our line is eight hundred euro's that's what joblessness twenty and get the new year and about policy makers are trying to portray this issue as a matter of direction the european union some a story and see it as

a sign of discord in living standards and inequality in shouldering the hardship for the workers are the tallinn estonia online on the new the website this new year's day stripping down an old american school and turning it into a strip club and it wants to swap textbooks for pole dancing in the street take a look at our t.v. dot com tonight find out why tangerines are a must have a new year feast syria and russia another young republic of congo manages to bring this gold to festive tables. russians are certainly big on new year's celebrations but it doesn't always added happiness works have become something of a seasonal tradition but treating birds has become

a seasonal chore to the hospitals as he explains next cheap substandard and lethal far worse can lead to horrific consequences. two decades after consumer fireworks were first imported into russia they have become an essential part of the festive tradition this holiday season russians will be setting off nearly one hundred million dollars worth of fireworks in their backyards and many of them will end up here in the burns unit but a huge problem is that many of these fireworks do not work as advertised for example a firework doesn't quite ignite when it's meant to people pick it up and then it explodes burns damage blown off fingers we've got it all here authorities say there isn't enough control over the quality of the fireworks which can be sold anywhere by anyone most don't find out they've bought a defective firework until it's too late to find out that some of the fireworks on sale really aren't safe i've decided the pavers that the popular moscow store.

with their colorful packaging these chinese made imports are aimed at casual part technics enthusiastic prices are dirt cheap less than ten dollars for an entire display i buy a few for testing by professionals. but most of the do not comply with the russian legislation for example look at this parachute it's meant to go up st. it might seem trivial but the other four is off in the wrong direction here soon. authorities admit drug imports do get through but then says that it's up to people to at least try to buy from licensed suppliers still although some of the injuries will be from misuse of defective fireworks hospitals in moscow alone expect to receive around one hundred patients these holidays but all hope to avoid large scale mishaps most of firework induced fire in the lame horse nightclub just over a year ago has killed more than one hundred fifty people.

well i've created a new worse warning slow death yeah i'm enjoying a further third of probably some good quality far away either on their artsy moscow . now just over ten minutes time on our traveling man james brown hits the road again this time heading to the ancient city of ramallah to immerse himself in legends and age old activities.

was right we are going. that's coming up shortly next to richard rohmer of southron mock soul celebrations an indian kashmir but as it turns out farmers there are struggling to preserve the costliest spots in the world as heavy industries and poor irrigation facilities damaged crops charan singh reports for. saffron is a spice synonymous with meat costing four thousand u.s. dollars a kilogram this prized ingredient is used in medicine and south asian cuisine i cannot yet but the saffron farmers in. unhappy lot with their yield half what it was a decade ago or they blamed a dozen cement factories that have been set up nearby. these factories do not use

pollution control devices you can see them spewing a dust twenty four hours a day we are working hard to keep our fields for to increase their heels but the government doesn't take any action against the cement plant when it is. the fall out is that every year sees less snow fall than the last affecting the crop many farmers see they're even thinking of selling their land the biggest problem is the adulteration of cheap big brands of saffron sell briskly here on the streets of three no doubt and it is virtually impossible for you and me to distinguish between these and the real thing this says don't get stuck with the image and resulted in a drop in prices the availability of cheaper saffron from iran and spain has added to the problem with credibility at stake traders like goods are emerging now refused to stock saffron. w. when one cannot be sure the quality i should like stalk it well nobody can

guarantee whether it's genuine so there isn't much demand for more if the government is ready to do a thing to kate. i don't know if i will start. but there are those who still swear by saffron houseboat owner but she had done to her saffron every morning especially in winter. or had some from to milk who have been released issues because it's very good for one's health in this cold weather that it helps reduce congestion in my back it also goes away. that will bring some cheer to the saffron farmers who face a second year of plummeting prices the government had pledged eighty million dollars six months ago to improve facilities but the farmers are yet to see any action do they do this cash crop could well continue its slow decline got and seeing r t bump or more world news in brief at least twenty one people killed in

over seventy injured after a car bomb exploded outside a church in egypt the service of just ended worshippers believe in the building when the blast went off in the aftermath of the attack angry christians attacked police and stormed a nearby mosque sparking a clash with muslims now and yet claimed responsibility for the attack but some officials point. the finger of al qaeda. australia is bracing itself for more floods even though much of the northeast already lie submerged under water and mud regional center of rockhampton is preparing for an anticipated ten meter rise in its river which is expected to flood half the city the disaster is affecting around two hundred thousand people many of whom are cut off by land and rely on military air transport food and water it's estimated the cleanup will cost billions of dollars. livy's present david morale is has reversed a decision to sharply increase fuel prices after a wave of nationwide protests at a korean produced last week would have seen the cost of petrol and diesel saw by up to eighty three percent after the government said it could no longer afford to

maintain a freeze on prices but after a week of violent protest rallies said he would answer people's wishes and cancel the move. for the twenty three minutes past five no let me recap our top story for the details coming through in the last few hours at least three people here now have been killed after a regional russian airliner caught fire and exploded at an airport in the eastern city of sort of good these are the latest pictures of it that have come through to the r.t. news center over one hundred people were on board the plane it was flight three four eight a calabria flight bound for moscow more than thirty passengers have been taken to hospital with most of them suffering from smoke inhalation a fuel tank exploded after an engine caught fire during taxiing report suggested that all past years on the crew were evacuated before the blast the plane was completely destroyed in the explosion. with more of that as we get it next to a look at the business highlights of twenty ten with charlotte.

they're welcome to this special business program here at r.t. looking at some of the highlights of two thousand and ten. russia is become the top european tourist market within the next ten years as according to your second largest tour operator thomas cook market is expected to grow by double digit percentage as the wealth of russia's one hundred forty two million population increases within a question of are reports turkey egypt and thailand these are the main destinations for russian tourists who go in search of the sun at the first sign of freezing weather back home about two million russians visit turkey one point six million go to egypt and over half a million go to thailand that picture changed in twenty tanned with greece making a splash as the euro crisis presented russians with the chance of a cheap holiday and greece could get

a further boost in twenty eleven with operators in turkey and egypt already raising their prices greece attracted fifteen million visitors in two thousand and nine and ranging in the top twenty global destinations and is expected to strengthen that position as it hopes on booming markets such as china and russia we do have the next year we believe the tourist cereals will definitely grow and customers will have more spending power and there's still a trend which even the crisis filtered through russians do not cut costs on family holidays we expect this to be the fastest growing sector in twenty one and greek holiday operators aren't the only ones eyeing the russian traveler europe second largest to operate at thomas cook has teamed up with russia's immuno will interest travel agency thomas cook will and last up to forty five million dollars to meet rushed and demand for beach and family holidays with personal. purpose marketplace

we cannot go into the intel was just a stone's throw every market that we operate to because of the circuit because we're going to be the same in russia so clearly we want to be the global war or number two in the russian markets operate is a bad thing and more than rising numbers of holidaymakers analysts believe as disposable incomes rise russians will be looking for more destinations and new services. business r.t. . in two thousand and ten merger and acquisition deals were among the top market drivers of the consumer goods sector is ahead of the trend the world's largest retailer wal-mart lost its tolls to enter the russian market as a russian ex-pat retail group stole the deal to acquire a discount to pay a one point one billion dollars. seven hundred stores to the country's biggest retailer expires while the show is expected to reach thirty percent in moscow

leaving significant room for growth according to its. shop day for this hour but you can always buy most henri's on our website r.t. dot com slash business. it can hear doctors wives policemen swines ministers wires i just prayed.