just taking the bread out of our mouths. allo twenty fourteen time zone by time zone cities around the world are ringing in the new year the planet is celebrating in stop. needs but then you russia has always stood united in case of trial. russian president vladimir putin saying he'll fight terrorism to the end in his new year message to the nation before heading to the city of volgograd where to bomb attacks killed thirty four people. as latvia enters the euro zone at the start of two thousand and fourteen we look at what this could bring for the country based on the increasing debts of those already in the club. and our correspondent giving you the chance to become

more familiar with the host city of sochi and it's there to catch the eye in iraq for from the streets and squares of the winter games capital. you with us as we ring in the new year on r.t.i. matras are with you as we welcome twenty fourteen around the world the new year has just made its way to america's west coast arriving in the states of washington oregon and california where this is live video you're looking at here of san francisco fireworks to welcome two thousand and fourteen earlier the eastern part of the u.s. the crossroads of the world in times square was the epicenter of the holiday excitement there were here you can see the fireworks near the golden gate bridge in new york though the crystal ball was counting down to midnight and massive crowd.

old lang syne and new york new york of course almost everywhere else on the planet it is two thousand and fourteen as well and the great wall of china to the world's tallest skyscraper in the by the onion domes of the kremlin and the london eye all the perfect backgrounds for some spectacular fireworks displays we have all the best shots for you to enjoy and maybe select your next new year destination from all of us here at our best wishes for a happy new year. twenty thirteen though didn't end on the happiest of notes in a russia after bombings in volgograd president vladimir putin traveled to the southern ca that was devastated by two explosions that killed thirty four and left

scores wounded in the tragic events there a prompted the president to re white or to rewrite his annual new year address and he pledged to the nation to battle terror till the end it was also the first time he reached out to the country from somewhere other than the kremlin towers he was in the city of how about all the school which was hit by the massive flooding that affected russia is far east last year marking the new year with those left without a home because of the natural disaster is nice but then you russia there's only stood united in face of triumphs that argue that we are friends and we mourn the victims of the brutal terrorist attacks. we didn't we will continue to fight the terrorists with determination good ideas the resolve and commitment until they are all gone but by good we will provide support for the victims and their families we will accomplish everything we have planned with the moon and we will restore a build everything we have decided to restart believe that the president laid

flowers at the site of the latest blast that happened monday when an explosion ripped through a trolley bus during rush hour but it also took a tour of one of the hospitals where many of the wounded victims are being treated he wished them fast recoveries and a happy new year meanwhile the city started three days of mourning for those who fell victim to the acts of terror artie's margaret howell reports. it is a somber mood here of course with all that has happened over the past couple of days i want to say though of volgograd is a city of hope and i was really encouraged on our way back from dinner we saw some children and they were dressed for the new year and you know this is a city of hope and it this something this is something that does happen globally it is a global issue it's not a russian issue and cities across the world have dealt with terrorist attacks like these and unfortunately will the crowd this is happens here. a sober mood yes with

the three days of mourning and there is a damper here on the city we do hear a little bit of fireworks in the background but not what you would expect on new year's eve but we were able to visit with the victim's family members who had them you know other family members die as well as victims who survived these attacks and in particular one young man the security officer who died the first victim of the terrorist attack he was able to speak with his father earlier and. here he had this job for about a year or so how it all happened on the video footage he was standing by the railing during the security check and then there was this man coming in and he just barely made it towards him and then there was a blast and it was over and no more footage he stopped that man who was trying to get through the security gate as he had to yes that's what the camera showed i saw him doing his job smiling he did what he had to do that it was his duty. this is

a city of hope and i have faith that they will be able to to overcome something this this heinous to tap into them and using this period this time to reflect and not to celebrate as much as the rest of the world. all the efforts to rescue a russian vessel trapped in arctic ice have so far failed australian ice breaker at all boarded step because of bad weather while the chinese one got stuck as well on its way to the russian ship for the r.t. dot com to learn how the seventy four scientists stranded aboard marked the beginning of the new year. also online setting the date an agreement reportedly reached between iran and world powers on implementing a nuclear deal to learn the details of a pact on r.t. dot com. for a lot of fear there was more to celebrate at the start of two thousand and fourteen as a new year fireworks exploded in the skies over the capital riga it became the eighteenth member of the eurozone but artie's ball scott found that opinions on the adoption

of the currency aren't unanimous you know you have to understand if a country wants to be independent it has to have its own independent currency currency it prints itself and control itself. under is and his organization are calling for a referendum he says the latvian people have had the euro forced upon them and haven't been allowed their say the claims of the vast majority of the population are opposed to the move. there's always some who will benefit at the top end but the majority will lose out latvia will import goods from other e.u. countries at a cheaper rate which will mean we produce less and ruin the economy. recent statistics from a leading latvian pollster showed that fifty three percent of latvians are opposed to the move while only twenty two percent think it is a good idea with legitimate concerns over the state of the eurozone the bank of latvia has launched a p.r. campaign in an attempt to convince people now is the right time for the country to

switch currency whenever we have a chance we explain to people that sloppier is a small open economy with both loans and deposits very much in euro's already and there is a gain for the country it's entrepreneurs and it's people will have by seeing higher ratings and lower interest rates on the on their on their lives although there's little public support and economic instability across the continent one leading opposition figure says the government simply has no choice but the news business it's never trouble we took responsibility to join the eurozone when we entered the e.u. time will tell it doesn't matter what money is in our pockets it matters how much of it we have. now to make life easier for small businesses and customers alike all prices on display are going to show two amounts the price and lots and the pricing euros twenty places.

for two express must accept both latin eras but whatever currency you choose to pay we're supposed to give you change in your us. that was not going to work i don't know i don't know how it's going to display here for me but i hope somehow it. it will work well but of course it will be confusing especially first two weeks as people like kareena learn to adapt to the new currency the long term effects on the not be an economy remain to be seen in this case the proof of the pudding we'll. see riga latvia. greece though seems to be fed up with its own euro put in but despite ongoing economic woes with a country almost a quarter of its population are risking poverty it's beginning its start of the rotating the e.u. presidency in january first let's take a quick look at how the blocks policies affected athens and other european economies in four years of austerity measures all of the countries you see here saw

their debts rise in greece and spain by forty percent that despite the fact that all countries adopting the euro mustn't allow their national public debt to exceed sixty percent of gross g.d.p. at the same time average income of people living in these countries fell everywhere except germany and greece was hit worst of all meanwhile the country's leaders are giving assurances that athens will leave its bailout program within the year without the need for a third aid package one agreed journalist we talked to says what the e.u. did to his country should serve as a cautionary tale. i believe that greece can give some lessons of how sterrett the masers in a time of crisis and when a country has a huge problem that this is very beginning leads only to disaster in that sense we can beat some lessons to other european countries in the space of the countries in the european thirty three but there is nothing else for europeans to expect from greece at the moment these european président see cannot really make any changes in

the europe in the european union that is controlled primarily by very lean and by some big financial institutions in the core of the european union. no doubt about the most anticipated moment of two thousand and fourteen for winter sport athletes of course it's their chance to shine at the olympic games in sochi a huge amount of work's been done because a resort city had to be turned into an international winter sports haven pretty much from scratch here is to bottom out say with all you need to know about the host city. it's always been a subtopic all vacation spot for russians now it's on the world's map for winter sports so what she wore hose that sports men and women dignitaries and spectators come the winter olympics and paralympic games. sochi is one of the southernmost places in russia as the unofficial capital of the

riviera of the caucasus the beaches and marina make the city popular in some a loss skiing in the nearby mountains make it an ideal place for winter vacations. russian is of course the main language used but there is in the service industry a brushing up on the english while key information signs are also being translated your first reaction to sochi is that it's big with high rising buildings and an urban attitude this may surprise many the wrong many faces to the subtropical city its basic beautiful collection of dns divina shops and natural mineral spring keeping fit with the daily show is a new trend. the international olympic committee as their owner. with announcing that the twenty second olympic winter games in two thousand and fourteen are wardak to defeat b. of sorts. and then the six in the hockey a since the pool

of the plexi has become a world class resort lympics are renowned for reviving and regenerating host city here the makes of new building rail lines and will cost the city fleet the games with a strong legacy in the caucuses for generations to come. it's obvious on the easy to said that's what's going to happen here is that they would have a beautiful ski resorts nice hotels nice facilities nice transport and defeat clear they have the potential to attract tourists here no doubt spread across two distinct areas the game's coastal cluster its way into ice events in the city and the mounting cost for sports plex skiing and bobsled the two clusters only thirty minutes apart making these games one of the most compact ever held but have all the infrastructure changes made a difference for those who call sochi home including people with disabilities first

of all there are many ramps and many places are accessible now lifts first of all the winter theater here in the square i used to visit it quite often actually my expectations were superseded by the reality i didn't expect that it would be so that i went to olympics with many firsts innovative technology and environmentally friendly the such lympics is all set to showcase russia to the world to hang with a such she r t. in turn from our reports from this year city of the limpid golden dreams from top you might say and will be airing that throughout the week here on r.t. . such. as the country fourteen olympics what's this place like why is this so special as the russian resort prepares to welcome the world power the games shaping the city's present and future life so it will bring you this is the

moment they're reporting from a very cold snowy windy mountainous stuff yet beyond the olympics but what's a. secret laboratory tim curry was able to build the most sophisticated robot which all unfortunately doesn't give a darn about anything turns mission to teach me creation why it should care about humans and we're going this is why you should care only on the dog.

we speak your language will not advance. music programs and documentaries and spanish more matters to you breaking news a little tonnage of angles kid stories. i'll teach spanish find out more visit i. think a few moments now to look back at the main events that defined two thousand and thirteen and those that will leave their mark. on the year to come the arab spring now in its fifth year but turbulence there only seems to be growing across the region as revolutions pave the way for counter revolutions peaceful democratic movements came face to face with mounting radical islamist agendas while foreign countries have been weighing in to make a diplomatic impact artie's middle east bureau chief publicly or has more. two

thousand and thirteen certainly was a tough year and many of those same challenges are expected to follow into the new year one bright spot though could be the interim nuclear deal that was signed between tehran and world powers. three years since the arab spring and most of the region is still reeling in egypt people will head back to the polls after a year two more political uncertainty and violent upheaval. libya's a nation divided with chaos all around two years after gadhafi has fall. while it's the same old same old in the israeli palestinian peace talks. radians though might see some of spite in two thousand and fourteen after world powers clinched a breakthrough nuclear deal but amid if it's to make the six month agreement more permanent one country is determined to upset the apple cart israel's going to be demanding things like temping we're going to hear extreme the bells

a lot of dealing and screaming i think the run isn't doing what it's supposed to do you know what it internationally as an historic deal israel's prime minister lamented it wasn't historic mistake to iran agreed to constrain its nuclear drive in return for temporary reprieve from sanctions the six negotiating powers agreed to recognize iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy including its right to enrichment under the conditions of this program is placed under strict control by the. syria meanwhile is on track to meet the chemical weapons destruction deadline by mid two thousand and fourteen it's a conflict to get into a new phase as the waste signals to the syrian opposition that president assad may state after all. of these stories and the deeper trains they reflect are certain to remain in the headlines while the syrian civil war is going to continue to be a major story in two thousand and fourteen of course it is the major security concern of this region it's

a war that's left some one hundred twenty. thousand people did it's continued for nearly three years some six million people have been made if you g.'s two million of them outside of the country we do expect that the war will continue to be felt outside of the country you need to look at countries for example like iraq and lebanon these people states where the sectarian violence continues to be played out the damascus government certainly does believe it can win this war and if not wanted then at least retain control over the areas where it currently has its grip what we do expect for two thousand and fourteen is that the opposition will continue to be dominated by islamist extremists and the knock on effect of this is that it's going to be increasingly difficult for the damascus regime to enter into any kind of negotiations or discussions with them and at the same time you have external outside powers that are also going to withdraw all the support for the opposition this means that the geneva two summit that it is currently slated for january does not have

a particularly good prognosis. into the broader looser warning of the increased threat posed by foreign backed radical islamists. since the beginning the assad government has made it clear that it's willing to enter into talks to try to seek a negotiated a political settlement to the three year long dispute since the beginning the opposition have not wanted to have a negotiated settlement they wanted to carry out civil war they felt that they had the power of western and and other regional forces behind them but it's become quite clear and i think the september settlement between the obama administration and the russian government and the assad government to seek a negotiated settlement is an indicator that the rebels cannot win the war in spite of all of the arms and money that have come from the outside the syrian army is prevailing the syrian people in the main don't want them they rebel when they're living under their control so i think the prognosis is is quite bad for the geneva settlement i think the assad government feels confident and is willing in isn't

prepared in carrying out military offensives against the rebel force that it sees as is quite split united states on a number of scandals in two thousand and thirteen with the scope of its covert global monitoring exposed by whistleblower edward snowden but he subsequently stressed another major issue is already surfer reports from london the snowden revelations arguably the biggest security leak in u.s. history and the impact of that really cuts governments and countries well why didn't they move with that felt then here in the u.k. but as you're about to see it wasn't just edward snowden he paid the price getting the truth out there. as with a revelation came pushed to began playing hardball if the government couldn't get its hands on snowden they'd get that they kids even the punt know the journalist he got the leaks into the. this case the bayliss was this late

deeply embarrassing the prime minister he promised to protect privacy rights but instead of reining in the spooks the knives were out for the newspapers of this concrete. argue. that. we live in a democracy in the midst of the people working on this story british people who have families in this country who love this country. to question but yes we patriots. and one of the things we all patriotic about is the nature of the democracy in the nature of a free press for a while and it looks like something was going to be done over the case intelligence themselves for the first time giving evidence in the public but there was none of the high handed interrogation that the whistle blowing journalists enjoy it as a serious conflict going on between a. growing national security system in the west and those people

who are trying. to expose what that system is doing and so as president his twenty fourteen days he worked so hard to expose the truth remain more resolved to keeping that debate alive. meanwhile among the major developments to come out of russia at the end of twenty thirteen was the pardon of former oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky who spent a decade behind bars once russia's richest man he'd be in prison in prison for tax fraud and embezzlement president putin granting her pardon on humanitarian grounds as the former tycoon's mother is seriously ill. go looks at what could be next for him. after ten years in jail and. now has to decide what to do with his newfound freedom and some of his plans have caused a few raised eyebrows. some of my comrades remain in jail they are my fellow sufferers for example my friend platon lebedev alexei protrusion there are

still other political prisoners in russia not only those related to the u. cos case i am free now and i'm asking you to think of it as something which symbolizes that the efforts of civil society can lead to the release of some people who no one thought would be able to walk free that you can was the head of security for mr hodder cost his oil company yukos he is currently serving a life sentence for five counts of murder in two thousand and seven a court convicted that you're going to ordering the shooting of up to the mayor of a town in siberia but the court had clashed with us over his insistence that the oil giant pay taxes due to his town by yukos was registered there so when it came to tax revenues it was answering to the mayor of nifty your guns would put the whole of they depended on him and that was the only reason why he even mattered only time will solve the mystery surrounding my husband's murder but i'd just like a cocky to confess and clear his conscience while on trial for the murder of her to

hopefully exhibit true again was serving twenty years in prison for the attempted murder of former the visor or. after quitting her post with you because she went to work as the head of p.r. for the mayor of moscow it was then that a bomb was placed in her moscow apartment fortunately it doesn't need to know why west course. comments about political prisoners as self-serving. how to cough accuse a hostage of his own past he can't a different way now if he ever recognizes what his security forces were doing he will automatically become responsible i think now he fears that. may start talking and what the third case could potentially be is a further investigation into those murders and assaults which the company's security forces carried out how to craft. he has no other choice he will continue to insist people from his security department opera little prisoners and he will

pretend to be pushing for release the adulation heaped upon mr howe that has left some of those watching feeling only half the stories being told despite his insistence that he was a political prisoner many in russia believe that he broke the law and that's why he was sent to jail in a ghost go r.t. moscow. breaking the set coming your way next stay with us we are.

on their way to and talk to the crew of the i can to make sure the face many challenges. here you have to look out for yourself crashing on to rocks trapped in pack ice in extreme conditions and a thing can happen and article always comes up with surprises you have to keep your eyes open because if there's always something going wrong the ship carries huge reserves of water food fuel as well as helicopters and people able to survive extreme conditions they're ready for anything even an apocalypse she's really an incredible ship. calling all antarctica stations and this is going to make it feel that of radio check please respond.

to. what is up y'all i'm out in martin and this is breaking that you probably heard about arizona governor jan brewer for all the wrong reasons after all her love for private prisons and disdain for undocumented immigrants ranked her on. the worst governors in the u.s. unfortunately this next story only helps amend her place on the list so it was recently disclosed that over six thousand child abuse claims across arizona have gone completely i'm investigating and while that number refers to cases dating back to two thousand and nine the vast majority of them are only a few months old and while i'm not blaming rural for the abuse itself of course she did take office in two thousand and nine so every one of these cases happened under her watch at the very least she could have fired the man alternately responsible for child protection in the state clarence carter ironically burr even said that fixing up arizona's troubled department of child protection services was

a top priority as governor but it seems like she's been far more concerned with making sure all those brown people stay out of her state. of the please please sir they are very hard to take a. look. at her had sex with that her right there. was. a. little.