let's see. today on our. welcome to twenty four team time both time zone by time zone cities around the world have welcomed the new year and the planet of course has been celebrating in style. but then you russia has only stood united in the face of trial president vladimir putin saying he'll fight terrorism till the end of his new year's message to the nation before heading to the city of volgograd where two bomb attacks killed thirty four people. as latvia enters the euro zone at the start of two thousand and fourteen we'll look at what this could bring for the country based on the increasing debts of those already in the club. and we give you the chance to become more familiar with the host city of sochi and it's all

there to catch the eye of a report from the streets and squares of the winter games capital. one pm in moscow great to have you ring in the year with us here on r.t.i. matt treasure with you as we welcome two thousand and fourteen around the world well new year has just made it to alaska and now only hawaii and some of the most remote remote islands of the pacific are now still in two thousand and thirteen earlier the eastern seaboard of the u.s. the crossroads of the world times square was the center of the holiday excitement that's where we saw the famous crystal ball count down to midnight as the massive crowds sang old lang syne and new york new york the rest of the planet by now well into twenty fourteen the new year was heralded from the great wall of china and the world's tallest skyscraper in dubai. the onion domes of the kremlin and the flare

of the london eye all the perfect backgrounds for some spectacular displays of fireworks you've got all the best shots for you to enjoy and maybe to select your next new year's destination from the entire r.t.e. news team best wishes and happy. of course twenty thirteen didn't end on the happiest of notes for russia after the bombings in volgograd president vladimir putin traveled to the southern city devastated by two explosions that killed thirty four people and left scores wounded the tragic events there prompted the president to rewrite his annual new year address and pledge to the nation to fight terrorism till the end i am in the far east it was also the first time that putin at all reached out to the country from

somewhere other than the kremlin he was in the city of how about all this time that was hit by massive flooding that affected russia's far east last year he marked the new year with those left without a home because of the natural disaster. of a nice but then you russia there's always stood united in face of trial that argued that we are friends and we mourn the victims of the brutal terrorist attacks we've yet and we will continue to fight these terrorists with determination but i do use the resolve and commitment until they are all gone with my dear we will provide support for the victims and their families we will accomplish everything we have planned and we will restore a build everything we have decided to restore our belief that week. the president already laid flowers at the site of the latest blast on monday the explosion that ripped through a trolley bus during rush hour putin also took a tour of one of the hospitals where many of the wounded victims were treated you

wish them fast recoveries and happy new years meanwhile the city started three days of mourning for those who fell victim to the acts of terror margaret howell reports from volgograd. 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 but 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. 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 law and all the efforts to rescue a russian vessel trapped in antarctic ice have so far failed at all. trillian ice breaker had to abort its attempt due to bad weather and a chinese one got stuck as well on its way to the russian ship on our website r.t. dot com you can learn how the seventy four stranded people aboard marked the start of the new year. plus the setting of the dayton agreement reportedly reached between iran and world powers on the implementation of the nuclear deal and the details of the pact on our t. dot com. right from the scene. of the first strike. and i think you're. on a reporter's twitter. and instagram. to

be in the. for latvia there was more to celebrate at the start of two thousand and fourteen as the new year fireworks exploded across the riga skies the country became the eighteen the eighteenth member of the eurozone darkeys paul scott reports though opinions on the adoption of the currency aren't you know on a miss. you know you have to understand if a country wants to be independent it has to have its own independent currency a currency it prints itself and controls itself under it 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 and claims 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 various again that both the country it's entrepreneurs and its people will have by seeing higher ratings and lower interest rates on their 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 inevitable 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 the customers alike all prices on display is going to show two amounts the price in lots and the price in euros twenty police. are too exposed to accept both flats and eras but whatever currency you choose to pay we're supposed to give you change in the uterus. 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 and we'll. see riga latvia. greece though seems to be fed up with its

own euro putting but despite ongoing economic woes the country with almost a quarter of its populace at risk of poverty is beginning its term as rotating e.u. president starting today let's take a look at a quick look at how the blocks policies affected athens and some other european economies in four years of austerity all the nations you see here will have their debts rise in greece and spain by forty percent this despite the fact that all countries adopting the euro mustn't allow their national public debt to exceed sixty percent of g.d.p. at the same time average income of those living in these fall in these countries has fallen except germany and it greece horsed of all meanwhile the country's leaders are giving assurances that athens will leave its bella program within the next year within that without the need for a third aid package when the greek journalist we talked to says what the e.u. did to his country is a cautionary tale. i believe that greece can give some lessons of how

sturdy masers in a time of crisis and when a country has a huge problem that this is a very big only do disaster in that sense we can beat some lessons to other european countries and the space of the countries in the european very free but there is nothing else for europeans to expect from greece at the moment these european presidency cannot really make any changes in the europe in the european union that is controlled primarily by burning and by some big financial institutions in 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 is their chance to shine at the olympic games in sochi a huge amount of work's been done because a world class resort had to be turned into an international winter sports haven from scratch here's artie's top you might say with more it's always been the

subtopic cool vacation spot for russians now it's on the world's map for winter sports so she wore hose that sports men and women dignitaries and spectators come the winter olympics and paralympics 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 summer last skiing in the nearby mountains make it an ideal place for winter vacations. russian is of course the main language used by days in the service industry of 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 it basic

beautiful collection of dns divina shops and natural mineral spring keeping fit with a daily stroll is a new trend. the international olympic committee as the owner of announcing that the twenty second olympic winter games in two thousand and fourteen are awarded to the city of sochi. and then the six and a half yes since the pool of the plexi has become a world class resort the lympics are renowned for reviving and regenerating host city here the mix of new buildings rail line and will cost the city's really big games with a strong legacy in the caucasus for generations to come. it's obvious on the easy to said that what's going to happen here is that they will have a beautiful ski resorts nice hotels nice facilities nice transport and definitely 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. but 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 good a winter olympics with many firsts innovative technology and environmentally friendly the such lympics is all set to showcase russia to the world they saw our team. in turn from our reports from this year's city of aleppo big dreams say

that will be airing throughout the week here on our to. the sochi home of the twenty fourteen olympics was this police line and why is this so special as the russian resort prepares to welcome the world power the games should be the city's present and future a lot more so it will bring you this is a moment to everybody from a very cold and snowy windy mountainous to beyond the olympics but to say. on our team. well good. science technology innovation all the leaders developments from around russia we've got this huge you're covered.

stories others. picture. seventeen minutes past the hour let's take

a look back at some of the main events that defined two thousand and thirteen and those that will leave their mark on the year to come as americans celebrate the new year with hopes of leaving all their troubles behind their still challenges to face in two thousand and fourteen from austerity cuts to the looming debt ceiling to pressure to rein in the surveillance or he's guided as more from washington. it was a year of cliffhangers we heard the white house threat military action we saw the us congress threaten default to blackmail the president it's been a roller coaster but very few enjoyed it and here's a quick look back at some of the twists and turns. team obama prepared to hit syria the u.n. bulked while others worry that u.s. strikes could benefit extremists never. hurt the american people wouldn't buy it either so president obama finally took up the russian proposal to cut a deal and we will work together in consultation with russia and china to put forward a resolution at the u.n.

security council requiring assad to give up his chemical weapons and to ultimately destroy them under international control desist for war in syria live many americans wondering why their representatives weren't as robust in helping them so pawling to me that in this circumstance in these times we spend two or three or more weeks deciding whether we should conduct what is laughingly referred to as a humanitarian war in congress the republicans used the debt limit to blackmail president obama and starve funds for medical insurance scheme for millions of americans which is struggling to get off the ground anyway the government close for over two weeks and us that default fears put the world back on economic alert with suspiciously dramatic time in congress eventually you'll do it but its reputation was sealed it will leave millions dangling on the brink of a catastrophe so a few can score political points if you had many politicians calling for reforms in

the wake of first snowden's revelations and at the same time calling him a traitor the obama administration of course had to do some damage control after all the revelations showed that the government had lied to the people about this program but it seems it is going to be damage control more in words than actual change of policy we hear words transparency and oversight more often. but the reality is this president obama himself said he's quite happy with the way with how the program works the boston bombings which killed three people and injured two hundred sixty four in fact and it actually said something about how this surveillance program works the two perpetrators somehow flew under the radar although the f.b.i. and the cia had received warnings from russia about one of them a year before it happened but the u.s. law enforcement didn't act on those warnings possibly looking at the guy. and thinking it's russia trying to solve its problems and that it has nothing to do with the turns out it's not just

a problem it seems that washington is starting to see it more clearly. in ukraine new year festivities though couldn't make up for the deep divide within the country protests kept up in the capital of kiev as the opposition calls for closer ties with the e.u. are. reports. this is a political protest this is the anger at the country's government and the president president something which has been going on for more than six weeks now it's rather turbulent six weeks for ukraine as i mentioned my report. first they wanted to be in europe was then they wanted a revolution. that was the. ukraine's leaders feared that a free trade zone with the e.u. would cause industry to collapse the crowds never bought that but when the police used force against peaceful bro e.u. protesters. they stopped caring altogether.

the government building stormed barricades built and top western politicians dropping by the german and dutch foreign ministers and a deputy u.s. secretary of state before u.s. senator john mccain weighed in taking a swipe at russia stalks while stirring up the key of crowds himself premier others with a few american is where you find me but none of them dug ukraine out of its mess mosco later agreed to help with a discount on gas prices and a fifteen billion dollar loan for the now entrenched protesters the lifeline was a sellout. any treaty with russia is not worth the paper it was signed on. key of still has the crowds what's more twenty fifteen will see ukraine choose its next president a leader who needs to make a difference in whether its embittered sides continue to fight or unite. the one thing which ever to my eyes is the happenings that the my done right now the better

is the christmas tree over there usually it is a christmas tree which the authorities set up in the central square for people to come here to celebrate right now is something of a protest symbol is covered with ukrainian flag as it's covered with protest banners and even. the banner of the former prime minister yulia tymoshenko who is now in jail indeed the euro my done has become something of a state within a state it lives by its own laws people are sleeping here they set up tent camps they're cooking food and it's really unlikely they're willing to disperse that anytime soon the opposition already said about its plans to hold the protesters at least until the end of january then in fact holding a huge national wide strike on a generally the twenty fourth that's how it is right now but definitely twenty fourteen will be a very turbulent year for ukrainian politics because in a little more than twelve months from now at the end of january twenty fifteen people will take to the polls to elect a new president and that will be some very serious political battle especially

considering everything which has happened in the last two months in this country pictures from scotland where people marked the beginning of what could become a historic year september eighteenth scots will decide whether or not they want their country to seek independence from the u.k. or to sara for ports. it's going to be a major year for scotland at the end of twenty forty they're going to have that independence referendum and there is everything still to play for indeed the united kingdom this time next year could look vastly different services campaigns set to kick into first gear to try and convince faces either way ahead of that we went up to scotland to speak to some of the scottish people to find out how they're feeling about once the tastes have been made and the clubs. scotland will wake up to what to be a very big come september eighteenth and scottish faces will be asked the question should scotland become an independent country in the arguments for and

against what sort of swayze to say yes saying no i think just financially we're going to be job security not everyone's course a new year resolution. i think the bank is going to getting paid twenty. forward to that but my second child dealt with the most. whatever happens. now lies in its people's hand and i think it means op is going to. be there to look after themselves not sure which way it's going to go down so that everything they haven't. served. at. twenty thirteen was also a game changer for the first digital currency bitcoin free of government regulations it was once thought of as money only for the tech savvy but a little more than a month ago it soared to more than a thousand dollars for the for the general counsel of the big point foundation

thinks it has the potential to go mainstream. i do think that what you're going to see with big coin is a internet reference currency a currency build for the internet that enables consumers to reap tremendous advantages there's no person behind big coin or company behind because that's the whole point there's been some volatility but that's not unexpected when you think about a new system that's just come around we're just about to hit five years old right for a technology that's very very new and people are just starting to learn about it and get excited about it but i think over time what you'll see is that the price a level out it will come to a level that sustain that's sustainable through here again the supply and demand market mechanics as the market for big point matures you see the dramatic swings that could be even a couple more years from now before we get to that level sat but it will likely happen or a part of life in one of the world's harshest environments coming your way in

a few minutes stay with us you are. obviously we should be quite concerned about a lot of the recent revelations about spying and so forth the internet remains the most powerful tool for the spread of freedom in the world today. much of your advice is centered around. aspects of american culture example mindful eating social eating of voiding of snacks how much of an influence do you think american culture has on the rest of the. two things. in the world the. food. all the countries worldwide.

right from the scene. first straight. and i think that you're. on a reporter's twitter. and instagram. to be in the know. on. cape town south africa the i can to make sure that if diesel electric research vessel the sport she hoists the flag to show the ream pilot is aboard an officer with unrivaled knowledge of these waters he still has to ship out into the atlantic

and then returns to dock. this is the very last opportunity for several weeks to call home with a cell phone very soon all mobiles will be far out of range the ship is setting sail for of inaccessible area if there's any kind of emergency they'll be no one to provide any kind of help. the russian ship sails self to the land of a tunnel ice and snow to antarctica. the first officer will now explain the code of conduct on board there are twenty three passengers aboard the i could make sure they're off and for some this is their first trip to the antarctic zone but for one passenger it's become a familiar journey this is the twenty sixth time he's followed this route. back a nine hundred sixty four. trip we went. who was the first time

i felt so acutely just how far away. ten days and nights of ocean like. this is. as you can see nothing there we. have to look out for. no one to relay messages except. winter in the southern hemisphere begins at the same time as the northern summer several times over the short summer season the academics approach the.