i think it's the same for everywhere in the new year is enjoyed a spectacular world come across the globe with crowds of revelers ringing it in time zone by the time. president putin visits the city of volgograd mourning the victims of successive suicide bombings after a pledge to fight terror until the end in his new year address. that real world was twenty fourteen and a new currency but many doubt the adoption of the crisis about the euro will turn out well. over a month now to go before the winter games starting such a report from the city preparing to host the olympics and while it's guests.

leaving ten pm here in moscow this new year's day very warm welcome she just joined us this is r.t. international with me kevin now in our top story the world wrong in the new year everyone on the planet it is now officially twenty fourteen and here's how it was welcomed across the globe straightly as were among the first to see in twenty forty with a traditional dazzling display of fireworks over a million people packed around the iconic bridge in sydney harbor which was lit up by more than seven tons of pyrotechnics first of crowds also gathered in new york's times square to watch the famous chris still full count down to midnight i want to turn out. the new year without that not to be outdone rio held its traditional party only iconic about a beach over a million revelers gathered there some dressed in traditional white for good luck others in yellow to attract. well for the new year. pain drinking crowds filling

the streets of the french capital here and that in london i was a good show hundreds of thousands watched the city being lit up by another breathtaking display of course no doubt international press machine with a happy. russian of the celebrations of mobbed by those tragic events in volgograd with thirty four people killed two suicide bombings in two days president putin changed his traditional new year's address in the wake of the attacks promising a massive crackdown on terrorists he also visited the morning city to pay tribute to the dead and visited the injured still in hospital of his margaret how reporters president putin has arrived in volgograd and he has had a very busy morning he laid flowers at the site of the latest blast on monday an explosion that ripped through a trolley bus during rush hour. ospital so here where many of the wounded are being treated he was briefed on their condition and met them personally wishing each of

them a fast recovery and a happy new year the president also held a meeting with the heads of the federal security service and emergency committee on their current terror activities to the tragic events in volgograd where we're on putin's mind however even before the new year as he rewrote that annual address to the nation pledging to fight terrorism still the very end and he was speaking for the first time not from him outside the kremlin but from the far east city of culver osc where it was hit by a massive flood last year. russia has always stood united in face of trial but argue that we are friends and school in a way mourn the victims of the brutal terrorist attacks. we're here and we will continue to fight the terrorists with determination to resolve and commitment to the one told they are all gone whereby we will provide support for the victims and

their families we will accomplish everything we have planned was them knowing we will restore a build everything we have decided to restore our ability to pass the well despite the new year's festivities the city is in mourning until the third of january commemorating the thirty four victims of the two terror attacks and in fact over sixty people as well injured in the volga grad terror attacks are still in hospital among them is three month old vic told good nova she was among the youngest to be she's been transported to moscow for further treatment but except the conditions critical but stable because mother and grandmother were killed in an explosion rollergirls blanket saved her life we followed her condition as well as the others who were injured. for more on what's happening of all that and to see how the locals are coming to terms with the tragedy had. a lot of the new year latvia has welcomed in a new currency becoming the eighteenth member of the eurozone now but with the euro

still emerging from a severe crisis many a lot of you have got their doubts about adopting the single currency as artie's pull scott. 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 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 complained 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 will import goods from other 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 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 swap here is a small open economy with both loans and deposits very much in euro's already and there is again the country it's entrepreneurs and it's 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 customers alike all prices on display are going to show two amounts the price and

lots and the pricing euros twenty please. feel free to express post except both latin eras but whatever currency you choose to pay we're supposed to give you change in your us. so it's not going to work i don't know how 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 effect on the opinion of one of the remaining to be seen in this case the proof of the pudding between eating scott r.t. riga latvia. here is a member greece's economy has been struggling more the most is taking over the rotating new presidency for this year two politicians say the role is a chance to prove greece is a normal country despite all its economic woes. look at how some e.u.

measures that have been affecting athens and some other european economies too in the four years of a us territory measures the nation's chaudiere haven't seen the increase reaching the highest levels in greece and in italy those countries no longer meet the eurozone requirement to limit their national debt to sixty percent of g.d.p. at the same time to the average person incomes fall in all of those states except germany in fact greece has been the worst affected along with the presidency athens assumes power over the blocs regulations too but one journalist we spoke to earlier doesn't believe greece will have to change that much. i believe that greece can give some lessons of how sturdy masers in a time of crisis and when a country has a huge public that this is very beginning leads only to disaster in that sense we can beat some measures rather european countries in the space of the countries in the european very free but there is nothing else europeans expect from greece at

the moment these european président see cannot really make any changes in the europe in a european union that is controlled primarily by very lean and by some big financial institutions in the core of the european union. coming up scholar marks the start of a major year of decision scots are going to have to say yes or no to becoming independent britain surrounded by fireworks and festive spirit arctics revels to it in britain to gauge public feeling about a potential break way. just a few weeks russia's most anticipated event of twenty fourteen gets underway the world's winter athletics waiting for their chance to shine at the olympic games in sochi the city's newly constructed venues are promising a warm welcome to a first class service not say look what's on offer. it's always been a subtopic all vacation spot for russians now it's on the world's map for winter

sports so it's one hose that sports men and women dignitaries and spectators come the winter olympics and paralympic games. so cheap is one of the southernmost places in the russian as the unofficial capital of the riviera all the caucuses the beaches and marina make the city popular in summer was skiing in the nearby mountains make it an ideal place for winter vacations. russian is of course the main language used for 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 go wrong to the faces to the subtopic of the team if they still get a full flexion of the end to find a shop called 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 i wore that to the city of sochi beach and it takes an out yes to the poor little fluffy has become a world class who still limping around we now believe by these generating they fix you here to make some new building play online and we're going to do that for you to gauge the strong leg of the bulk of the generations to come. it's easy to said that's 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 it's what i see then through the city and

the mountain costs for sports like skiing and bobsled the two clusters only thirty minutes apart making these games one of the most compact of the help. 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 planes are accessible now lifts first of all the winter theater here on 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 i went to lympics with many first innovative technology and environmentally friendly the such olympics is all set to showcase russia to the world say such eat our teeth. and that will report from this year's city of olympic dreams i must say throughout the week here on r.t. . so it. was the twenty fourth of june olympics was this boy's life

on the line isn't so special as the russian resort prepares to welcome the world power the game should be the city's present and future of ludlow sochi will bring you this is the moment they're reporting from a very cold snowy windy mountainous stuff beyond the olympics but come on let's say. on our team. basis with economic ups and downs in the final months day the london deal sank night and the rest of the life during the making will be everything on

a. slip under control marginalize the bank holiday face just like you know about. a pleasure to have you with us here on our team today i'm sure. well again so that we've said goodbye to twenty thirty let's take a look at some of the events it'll be remembered for sure it was a turbulent year for america which was rocked by the boston marathon bombings also

the government shutdown left it balancing on the verge of default and it almost launched a war on syria too and of course twenty thirteen revealed how the n.s.a. hacks of the country and the rest of the world are his eyes in washington guarded she can send us this report. it was a year of cliffhangers we heard the white house direct 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 un bolt while others worried that u.s. strikes could benefit extremists. 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 us 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 timing 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 you had many politicians calling for reforms in the wake of for snowden's revelations and at the same time calling him

a traitor the obama administration of course to actually do some damage control after all the revelations show that the government had lied to the people about this program but it seems it's going to be damage control more in words than in actual change of policy we hear words transparency and oversight more often. but the reality is president obama himself said he's quite happy with the way with how the program works the boston bombings in april 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 who was from chechen descent and thinking it's russia trying to solve its problems and that he has nothing to do with the uighurs well it turns out it's not just washes problem but it seems that washington is starting to see it more clearly. going to

encounter a correspondent in washington that. the policy of the czech republic has died after an explosion at his residence in prague it's reported he was in his apartment with his family was open a safe at the time of a blast let's talk more about. it with a list of people who got to head of the palestinian national initiative thanks for being with us. rather peculiar story this is still very unclear sort of thing we're going to say is just purely speculation but what was your first thought when you heard about the news. well we feel very sorry for the death of. a very tragic incident. should not have happened. about the cause of this blast to happen. but it seems to be that something that related to the past has put these explosives that. is

not an accident. i doubt that it's an act of assignation related to the existing situation it could have been something that was related to something in the past and it wasn't turned to properly but. i think it's would not be proper to jump to conclusions now it's better to give the chance to the investigation teams to examine what's how what has happened absolutely because the dysplastic find out what do we know about the. really think about him that could have brought something like this solved what do you know about him. i don't know him personally but i've been checking the information about his situation so far what we know is he has he had served before in this before before he became an ambassador but then he was posted in other places and then he's

recently become the ambassador was not long time ago last october and there are no indications that he. would indicate that he would be specifically targeted for anybody saw most of probably most probably this was unfortunate accident that has happened but the question is why of course these explosives were there and maybe they're related to something in the past that were directed at other people but in this case there are no indications that he himself was a target for any particular reason so it could have been if it was an assassination it could have had a personal motive to it it could have a political motive to it but if it is proved to be a political motive when the police results come out here of the investigation what would be the reaction from palestine if it does prove to be deliberate. there would be a lot of anger but i think i would be very careful about describing them not as a matter as an act of assignation one has to be careful and with one of the

investigation of the matter and once things are cleared i think one can take the proper position thanks for being on the program policy and people stuff about booty thank you thank you. thousands of protesters in ukraine of remain camped out in central kiev the new year's celebrations independence square has been the heart of anti-government protests for over a month the opposition call of a closer ties with the e.u. . has been following the demonstrations from the beginning. but 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 was that was was. 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 ah. 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 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 it any time soon the opposition already said about its plan 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. new off thousands of right wing activists are marching in the ukrainian capital top members of the country's what it calls for board of party is leading the annual rally of the demonstrators traditionally use the occasion to carry torches and chant nationalist slogans. online today today our web seem busy as ever the n.s.a.'s chief attempts to justify america's spying activities are going down too well you can read about that r.t. dot com is a you tube video made so many people angry in fact it was given over sixteen thousand dislikes from the people who watched it go r.t. dot com you see exactly what roiling the masses if you fancy also there to a new year present for the russian navy there's no gift wrapping but it does have cruise missiles and self guided talk paedos more details than about russia's new

nuclear submarine just a click away from. the world news headlines right now this hour the manager of formula one driver michael schumacher says his client's condition is stable but critical tonight the forty four year old sporting legend suffered severe head injuries when he hit a rock while skiing with his teenage son fans gathered outside the hospital where he's undergone two operations on his brain and remains in a medically induced coma. when the explosions rocked a five star hotel in the somali capital mogadishu near the international airport no casualties have been reported so far witnesses say gunfire followed those blasts the hotels popular among politicians and high ranking officials get up to twenty six minutes past ten at night this new year's day thanks for being with us so we day's not going to badly next made a team of russian polar explorers antarctica by land is what the program's called and it's right after the break.

we in the new year in this edition of crossfire we ask what is in store as we start two thousand and fourteen and what will make this year different even better from the year that has passed who should we keep our eye on and what stories should we be following. such as. the twenty fourteen olympics what's this place like and why is it so special as the russian resort prepares to welcome the world power of the games shaping the city's present and future. 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. today.

summer is coming to an end to the crew of the of is waiting for the research station to pick up the winter everything has to be done quickly if the wind gets any stronger. be able to take off and there's no other way of getting people onto the ship from the station they need to hurry winter begins tomorrow. used to be. talk to station. now it only works during the summer. in the southern hemisphere someone starts in december and ends in much it's now april so seasonal operations are over. geological samples gathered during

the summer a loaded into containers. cold water is drained from the station and windows are boarded up and filled in with insulation foam if the snow is given even the slightest chance to sneak in it will be impossible to get out of . the diesel generator was the last to be shutdown no one can survive without heat. the operation takes just a few hours to complete. the station is ready for winter. comfortable flying people to the academic field of.

are no good to see you good to see you back here they told us you would come you're here and fortune is smiling upon us again everything's going to be great. i'm going to be eighty five in april now i only go to the dock. and antarctica. i'm drawn towards it my wife isn't even aware of these expeditions in the last few years. rushes expeditions to antarctica from cape town south africa while the ship stays in port for a few days the team members in.