wealthy british style.

markets. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike's cancer the no holds barred look at the global financial headlines kaiser reports on our. top stories at least three people have been killed and over thirty injured as a russian passenger jet with over one hundred on board catches fire while taxiing for takeoff in western siberia. the world's welcome to the new year with over a million people venturing into the snowstorm to celebrate it in the heart of the russian capital while the international space station crew sends cosmic congratulations from high above. plus the new year brings a new currency to a stone year 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

the seven pm new year's day here in moscow kevin zero in on our top story at least three people have been killed after a regional russian airliner caught fire and exploded at an airport in the western siberian city of sort of good. as the latest developments. first of all the incident happened around one pm mosco time in so good the plane was seconds away from takeoff it was ready to take off for moscow when one of the engines has caught fire and what happened afterwards actually was pending and chaos on board among more than hundred passengers on board were members of one of russia's most famous pop groups and they have actually already spoken about what happened they were eyewitnesses of course they said that first black smoke filled the cabin sparks went flying everywhere people of course started panicking climbing literally over

the heads of one another in order to get out of the passenger's cabin authorities were of course very quick to evacuate the people after the vacation of the passengers was complete one of the fuel tanks has exploded in the plane has burned down and now as i said more than hundred people on board at least at least three have been confirmed dead right now. more than thirty have been hospitalized majority of them are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning but of course there are also burns and all various sorts of other injuries at least four people are in very serious condition including a small child who is in on life support right now for we understand a criminal investigation has been launched into the case there have been several versions of events of what could have happened one of the versions of what could have transpired in order for this horrific tragedy to happen on the first day of the new year is that something may have been caught into the engine off an airplane but that is just one of the probably many versions so of course investigations are

investigators are still working at the scene right now trying to determine what exactly happened of course there was also it to you on fifty four which was carrying president kaczynski polish president kaczynski on board that plane crashed in april of last year but we have to distinguish between a very. modifications of. do you want to see for the plane that was carrying the polish president was one of the newest models it was but it was not a factored in mast until two thousand and six it was sticking out of nasa production afterwards but still some of those types of planes to you want fifty four m. are still being produced so the plane that the polish president was on board it was a relatively new plane now this particular plane which weren't in so good earlier today is one of the older versions that was in production from one thousand nine hundred five it was at least twenty year twenty some years old so obviously get some technical difficulties could have been the cause of of this incident.

which now the world toasted in the new year with russia marking it nine times last night millions took to the streets to bid farewell to twenty ten was moscow traditionally at the center of the celebrations but he's always have a joy in the revelers on red square. moscow is a city that reading know these houses through a new year's backlash. 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. but i wish them and everyone health and happiness in flying and have you no enemies. wishing boys and girls everywhere

a very happy new year. my warmest congratulations for the new year be healthy everyone and support the sochi winter olympics. on red square itself numbers were limited to twenty five thousand. braved the elements to. claim their sponsor leon were not disappointed on the stroke of midnight the kremlin's clock tower rang out. marking the beginning of the night's main celebrations. of the music only stopped for a party goes to listen to president nevada's new year address shown on big screens across the capital. but i was a start a good look as we see the old year out we remember it's joyful and sad. 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 the saying goes that good luck sticks to those who celebrate you here on moscow's red square whether or not teaching is a believe that what's not in doubt is that those muscovites you must hear a sponsor of this story love to welcome in its once eleven did so and she russian style alice said that's the team of. south russia's limping city of sochi for warmer temperatures and more exotic celebrations no snow there but you will find plenty of palm trees instead of the usual christmas friday parties sarah first got that side of the story. i love.

the people. come to. her russian winter. clothes. why. not. trouble about. to celebrate every year. that. doesn't take people. under that. twenty four. let me tell you. and so she did with the morning into the night sarah firth reporting there on the new year's celebrations in russia resort city of sochi most of us had just one moment to see in the new year but there are six people they were able to do it sixteen times the crew of the international space station and one of the most

exciting starts the new year arguably. shared it with took about a prime seat the sense 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. mission control in moscow a live link up. just how they feel about it hello my name comes from russia today television my christmas and happy new year. and then six billion of us down here what is your message to the. 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 for the frost was here greeting the cosmonauts children

and praising their orbiting relatives but as much as the kids wanted to see the joy right now on their warmest words were saved the loved ones in space. that's followed daddy i love you still months you are the best dad in the world happy new year. the crew the s.s. are the only ones to spend new year and spend in isolation in moscow those participating in the simulated trip to mars and back over the 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 especially a 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. so i had finished playing with fire during new year's parties out. of saying we're in with a bang my latest and tragic consequences and we also report the minds of a golden spice that was threatening a famous suffer from crops and how local farmers are struggling to preserve in a few minutes time. for that so people of the stone you have not only seen a new year but they've also seen a new currency today the baltic states become the seventeenth member now of the eurozone but while officials celebrate a stone ians fear the single currency will make their poor living standards even worse xander boyko reports. chatting about the dead and the

worst these to 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 this tough economic times march according to rena their definitions of hardship couldn't be more different than if irish 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 studio now has to contribute eight hundred million euros to the e.u. solidarity fund it will be partially used to mundine our lands lavish social programs and only see the arrangement will keep reach countries reacher and their poor members who are these. two estonia.

is this contributions. because. sixty three percent off from the average joe we know. something one hundred twenty or even more one historian joined the european union in two thousand and four most of its residents so would the membership as their ticket to perspire achieve the country drastically cut social spending to feed the ear requirements a move has 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 that cloth loose. you can avoid obligations if you are. you know all taken to the club if your summary fleer and

inviting smile this girl has become a poster 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 that's more jobless this morning and we'll get the new year and about policy makers are trying to portray this issue as a matter of solidarity and european union some a story and see it as a sign of discord in living standards and inequality in shouldering the hardship of the work of art tallinn estonia. well online on the new look website of. stripping down of the american school and turning it into a strip club find who wants to swap books for. tangerines or must have a new year for use in russia now the young republic of karzi branches to bring this goal to first new tables every year.

russians are certainly big on new year's celebrations but it doesn't always end in happiness fireworks become something of a seasonal tradition but treating burns has become a seasonal chore of our spittles to. explain this next cheap substandard and often lethal fireworks can lead to rethink 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. 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 i damaged 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 but anyone most don't find out they've bought a defective firework until it's too late to point out that some of the fireworks on sale really aren't. 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. most of the do not comply with the russian legislation for example look at this parachute forward it's meant to go up street goes up at an angle it might seem trivial but. in the wrong direction in his suit.

authorities admit drug imports do get through but then says that it's up to people to it 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. the avoid large scale mishaps much the firework induced for in the lame for smart club just over a year ago has killed more than one hundred fifty people. well i feel that the new worst wanting slow death yeah i'm enjoying to press the third was probably with some good quality far away either on the art the last go. like today artie's traveler james brown hits the road again this time he's heading to the ancient city of costume are to immerse himself in legends an age old activities. i. took.

was six weeks we really. expect. a rich rohmer of saffron marks all celebrations in indian kashmir but as it turns out farmers there are struggling now to preserve the costliest spice in the world is heavy industries and poor a geisha facility damaged crops charan singh explains more. saffron is

a spice synonymous with meat costing four thousand u.s. dollars a kilogram this price being greedy and is used in medicine and south asian cuisine . here yet but the saffron farmers in. unhappy lot with their yield half what it was a decade ago 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 dust twenty four hours a day here working hard to keep or fields for to increase the government doesn't take any action against the cement plant. the fallout is that every year sees less snow fall than the last affecting the crop many farmers see there even thinking of selling their land the biggest problem is the adulteration of cheap big brands of saffron briskly here on the streets and it is virtually impossible for you or me to

distinguish between these and the real thing this has done to saffron's 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. now refused to stock saffron . when one cannot be sure the quality i should talk it won't matter to guarantee whether it's genuine so there isn't much demand for more if the government is ready to thank you kate. but there are those who still swear by saffron houseboat owner but she had done to has saffron every morning especially in winter. or from to milk will have been raised 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 feast. 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 grab could well continue its slow decline garden saying r g bomb bought. a brief look at some of the first major headlines of twenty eleven international twenty one being killed and over seventy injured after a car bomb exploded outside a church in egypt the service had just ended and worshippers were leaving 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 no one claimed responsibility for you but some officials have pointed the finger at al-qaeda. some forty inmates of a low security prison in the u.k. began the new year by setting fire to the facility one hundred specialist police officers be called to to deal with the prisoners after they began to smash windows as the clock struck midnight the riot broke out of the inmates refused to take

alcohol breathalyzer tests lack of security to open prisons in the u.k. has long been controversial debate recently intensified after five convicted killers were found wandering in and out of jail while serving with time. this trail is bracing itself for more floods even though much of the northeast already lies submerged under water and the 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 military air transport for food and water it's estimated the cleanup will cost billions of dollars. a park in moscow is offering a special holiday treat to children in the city a visit to father frost the russian santa claus he and his granddaughter come to their moscow residence for christmas and new year but as it seems sean thomas found out it's not all smiles in winter wonderland right now. good models in

the snow made in are true i conjure up the russian new year spreading love and joy throughout the holiday season while their official address is in the leaky they have a seasonal state of the art home in the outskirts of moscow as well i believe that this place is of great importance for all parents and children then they can feel their real fairytale here at the moscow site kids can play around the new year's tree card you can hardly talk to the main characters and even send a letter to do yet models through the village post office through it all the children here can become a part of gitmo magical world. i like which is why we went to his bedroom and his dining hall and his guest room but aside from the fantasy of it all there is also a practical side to the village. helpers are part of a special college intern program some of them it's all about the smile you know it's a joy to see a child smile we also learned how to make children believe our tale it is said that

the land of the buildings in all of these decorations cost around thirty three and a half million dollars but it's not just for show the organizers say it's so that the people here can know the true meaning of the mood here in nigeria high hopes hopes that we will accomplish more next year than we did this year hopes that we do more and correct the mistakes other people make politicians for instance we magicians have to correct the mistakes they make but life in the village isn't one long fairy tale there are some grumblings the magic kingdom is costing too much and the money could have been better spent helping children directly despite that the city of moscow is pressing forward with plans to expand the project further in the coming years. that is sure to continue to make the children who come here smile no matter what the new year is a holiday when children's wishes come true it's a very fun holiday children get presents what are not about from the frost house is that it was magical i really did not did when we joined hands in a circle inside the house and made our wishes and then bubbles fall on us. you and

wish you the bubbles of faith that the new year will be brighter for all. sean thomas archie moscow. yes never the best to you as well as you're celebrating new year in hope you have a good day today in our interview show spotlight is coming up in just about five minutes time but before that is time for a business review of the year 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 we're doing a question of a report 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 tan with greece making a splash as the euro crisis presented russians with a 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 ranking in the top twenty global destinations and is expected to strengthen that position as it hopes on booming markets such as china and russia would be doable for the next year we believe the tourist cereals will definitely grow and customers will have more spending power and there is still

a trend which even the crisis is filled with russians do not cut costs on family holidays we expect this to be the fastest growing sector in twenty women 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 invest up to forty five million dollars to meet russian demand for beach and family holidays with a person. growth plans for this marketplace we cannot go into bed with intel was just thrown still every market that we are crude to the 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 are great 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 market share is expected to reach thirty percent in moscow leaving significant room for growth according to experts. shop day for this hour but you can always buy most henri's on our website r.t. dot com slash business. a little bit with.