the world it would be two thousand and fourteen with a bang as champagne celebrations and fireworks mark the occasion. president putin visits the city of volgograd mourning the deaths of the victims killed in two suicide blasts after a new year's address where he pledged to find terrorists until they are defeated. the eurozone welcomes its eighteen member lots for euro's amid public disapproval and fears that they are joining a losing team. and let the games begin russia's first ever winter olympics kick off in sochi in just over a month we take a look at what spectators and athletes can expect.

in broadcasting live from our studios in moscow this is r t i'm sean thomas going to have you with us now fireworks and festivities all across the globe as the world welcomed the year two thousand and fourteen australia was among the first to ring in the new year over a million and a half people enjoyed the fireworks at the landmark sydney harbor bridge literally tons of fireworks went off around the world but none could top the display in dubai the city set a world record by firing off four hundred thousand fireworks from the world's tallest tower in new york the famous crystal ball in times square dropped as the clock struck midnight to set off celebrations there while the traditional beach party to welcome two thousand and fourteen was held at copacabana in brazil corks popping off bottles in the birth nation of champagne what went wrong in the french . also check out this amazing display in london wherever you are r t international

wishes you a very happy. for russia the celebrations were marred by tragic events in volgograd where thirty four people were killed by suicide bombings on consecutive days president putin rewrote his traditional new year's address in the wake of the attacks promising a massive crackdown on terrorists you know so visited the mourning city to pay tribute to the dead and visited the injured that are still in the hospital margaret howell reports 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 whoknows also taking a tour of one of the hospitals here where many of the wounded are being treated he was briefed on their condition and that's improved 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 but the tragic events in volgograd where were 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 outside the kremlin but from the far east city of culver osc where it was hit by a massive flood last year. the news but the new russia has always stood united in face of trial but argue that if your friends and school in a way mourn the victims of the brutal terrorist attacks. we are doing we will continue to fight these terrorists with determination but i do use the resolve and commitment to the untold they are all gone what do 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 well despite the new year's festivities the city is and morning until the third of january commemorating the thirty four victims of the two terror attacks. the youngest victim of the volgograd to terror attacks three month old toll. has regained consciousness she was transported to moscow for treatment after being at the center of the explosion which left her in a coma with a head injury or mother and grandmother were killed while the girl's blanket saved her life. for more on what is happening in volgograd and to see how locals are coming to terms with the tragedy you can head to our t.v. dot com. lot rio has become of the eighteenth e.u. states to join the euro zone banks have started exchanging currency with the new year's arrival but according to polls over half of the nation citizens are anything

but enthusiastic about the swap people fear that inflation will push up prices and that losses from joining the euro will outweigh benefits artie's paul scott reports . 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 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 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 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 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 and lots and the pricing 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 your us. so it's 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 really eating. altie riga latvia. greece which is struggling to get out of a six year a session is assuming the six month rotating e.u. presidency meanwhile within the country people are growing increasingly angry

towards brussels that has been pushing for athens to accept austerity measures in exchange for bailout payments let's now take a look at how that plan has been working out so far now since the financial crisis first hit the eurozone in two thousand and nine nations across the bloc have seen their debts increasing with greece during the worst ironically even germany has long been over the sixty per cent a deadline that's the limit any of the country set to join the e.u. are required to be below meanwhile cuts imposed by governments across the e.u. have led to a fall in the average of personal income in a number of states germany is among the few countries enjoying an increase now greece has been the worst affected here as well along with the e.u. presidency athens assumes power over the box regulations but one journalist we spoke to doesn't believe a greece will look to change much. i believe that greece can give some lessons of how third thing is 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 especially countries in the european very free but there is nothing else for europeans are we 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 the core of the european union. russia's first ever winter olympic games will open in sochi in just over one month the world class resort has been rebuilt into a winter sports haven which is all set to welcome spectators and some of the world's top athletes artie's is there. it's always been the subtopic call vacation spot for russia and 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 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 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 to the faces to the subtopic will city it basic beautiful collection of dns divina shops pulse natural mineral spring keeping fit

with the daily show isn't the trend. the international olympic committee has their own or. of announcing that the twenty second olympic winter games in two thousand and fourteen are awarded to the city of thirteen i don't know six in the heart yes in the pool of the plexi has become a world class resort the olympics are renowned for reviving and regenerating host city here the mix of new building rail line 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 what's going to happen here is that they will have a beautiful ski resorts nice hotels nice facilities nice transport and differently they have the potential to attract tourists here no doubt spread across two distinct areas the game's coastal cluster its way into ice event in the city and

the mounting cost for sports like 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 planes 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 i went to olympics with many firsts innovative technology and environmentally friendly that such a lympics is all said she showcase russia to the world to bang with say such r t now as they turn to tar today as they will have more reports from the winter olympics host city throughout the week. that's so true of the twenty

fourteen olympics what's this place like why is is 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 replace you from a very cold snowy windy mountainous tough beyond the olympics but. today. unexplored and talk to go what is it in this icy expanse that attracts the people who come here. now i only go to the dock. and enter into. a new generation of polar explorers is coming. we have a new group of specialists here now all of them are young how are they going to get

along with each other and i don't know. who. i used to be a bureaucrat. seriously. what adventures await in this mysterious land. of a live what do they eat and what are they actually doing it on top to go. welcome back you're watching our team now. two thousand and thirteen it's in the books

let's rewind and take a look at some of the most significant events that was a turbulent year for america it was rocked by the boston marathon bombings the government shutdown left a balancing on the verge of a default and it almost launched a strike on syria two thousand and thirteen also revealed how the n.s.a. spied on u.s. citizens and the rest of the world is going to you can comment add to the major news that came out of america in two thousand and thirteen. 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 a team obama prepared to hit syria the u.n. bulked while others worried that u.s. strikes could benefit extremists. 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 spent 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 a 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 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 act to do some damage control after all the revelations show that the government had lied to the people about this program but it seems that it is 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 this 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

it has nothing to do with the u. well it turns out it's not just for this problem but it seems that washington is starting to see it more clearly. it was new year's celebrations and part protests of ukrainian capital independence square has been the scene of anti-government rallies for weeks now the country's opposition wants closer trade ties with the e.u. . he 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. that 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. 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 are to my eyes is the happenings at 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 might dunn 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 plan to hold the protesters at least until the end of january then in fact holding a huge national 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 the 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. meanwhile around fifteen thousand right wing activists marched through the ukrainian capital they were celebrating what would have been the one hundred fifth birthday of. a divisive a political figure in the one nine hundred thirty s. and forty's the demonstrators consider him a leader of ukraine's independence movement but others say he was a nazi collaborator. in the netherlands some people braved the weather to find a cool way to celebrate the new year thousands of dutch. north sea for the countries. on the section of our website and we have got the footage of her.

plus. a group of researchers trying to bridge the gap between animals and humans and produced a gadget that they say can translate what a dog is thinking. for the full story. in his new year's address the u.k. prime minister called on the country for unity that's as scotland is set to vote in an independence referendum next september david cameron urged people to vote no saying that their family of nations are better off together. has travelled to edinburgh to find out if people there are ready to make the big decision. it's going to be a major year for scotland at the end of twenty four saying 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 in to first get 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 it once the tastes have been made and the glasses and scotland will wake up to what's 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 he's saying no i think just financially we're going to be job security but not everyone's course a new year resolution to revolution i think the bank is going to get engaged twenty . forward to my second child out be the most. whatever happens scotland's future now lies in its people's hands and i think it means office going to stamp out on the road and get them to know the cast themselves not sure which way it's going to go to go and sort of everything they

haven't yeah so. edinburgh in two thousand and thirteen the digital currency bitcoin not only moved from the dark corners of the internet to dinner table discussions also changed the game free of government regulations that was once considered money only by the tech savvy but just over a month ago its value skyrocketed above one thousand dollars for the first time patrick murphy from the general counsel of the bitcoin foundation believes it has the potential to become mainstream. i do think that what you're going to see with big coin is a internet reference currency a currency built 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 to regain the supply and demand the market mechanics as the market for big coin matures you won't see the dramatic swings that could be even a couple more years from now before we get to that level so that but it will likely happen take a look at some more news making world headlines this hour a third explosion has rocked a five star hotel in the small in capital mogadishu near the international airport it came just an hour after twin car bombs went off in the same area killing at least eleven people and injuring seventeen more reports say that an exchange of fire followed the blast the hotel is popular among politicians and high ranking officials he is the mr militant group al-shabaab is suspected to be behind the attack. citizens of bulgaria and romania have rung in the

new year with migration restrictions lifted they now have the right to live and work across the european union migration controls were imposed by nine of the twenty six other member states on the nationals of the two countries when they joined of the bloc in two thousand and seven the move has raised concerns in countries such as france britain and germany over a possible mass influx of immigrants. at least two people have been killed and seventeen injured in a car bombing in pakistan four policemen were among the wounded in the blast took place outside the city of quetta it targeted a passenger bus carrying shia muslims who were returning from a pilgrimage to iran and explosives packed car parked alongside the road blew up as the bus passed no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack so far. in the u.s. at least thirteen people have been wounded following an explosion and fire at an

apartment building in minneapolis the injured have been transported to local hospitals authorities said that weather conditions hampered the work of firefighters there are reports that some people could still be trapped inside the cause of the explosion is now under investigation. well next our team meets a team of russian arctic explorers actually antarctic explorers but if you're watching us in the u.k. our team travels to antarctica as well but on board a vessel. recently the federal reserve system celebrated its one hundredth birthday and the big con game that just a few years ago no one seems to know about has been in place for one hundred years so let's celebrate the federal reserve by remembering all their accomplishments since nine hundred thirteen firstly they've managed to take the printing of money

out of the hands of the u.s. government and thus out of the hands of u.s. voters i want it comes to money who needs to mock received representation anyways they also managed to whittle away the dollars tagging the gold until nixon finally said forget gold let's print our way out of vietnam and because there is no link between the dollar and gold the purchasing power of the dollar has reduced by at least twenty three times since the fed came into being lovely but what about the next hundred years well if the recent rounds of quantitative easing are any sign of things to come then we are going to be seeing a lot more inflation and big private bankers getting richer while we all get poorer bad people generally don't survive one hundred years but bad systems sadly can go on and on and on forever but that's just my opinion.

summer is coming to an end to the crew of the academic field of is waiting for the research station to take up the winter everything has to be done quickly if the wind gets any stronger. to be able to take. 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 the soviet union's biggest antarctic research station. now it only works during the summer. in the southern hemisphere some a starts in december and ends in much it's now april so seasonal operations are over. geological

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