sure of all accountability of police officers though they could get it misconduct that has nothing to do with all the crime. the search continues for survivors of a deadly apartment block collapsed in the russian city of magnitogorsk on monday seven people died and dozens more are still unaccounted for. united states exit the un's culture and heritage wing the latest in a string of international accords abandoned by the trump administration. the french president takes a swipe at extreme elements among anti-government demonstrators in his traditional new year's eve speech. and the world over people have been assuring him that twenty nine hundred twenty nineteen and now it's new york's turn

to welcome the new year these are live pictures from new york and show you right now but we also have the highlights of the festivities in moscow and across the globe. a very warm welcome and a very happy new year to you from all of us here at r.t. international thanks for joining us this morning however it first some new year's day in the central russian city of mike need to go people there are still coming to terms with the tragic collapse of an apartment block in the early hours of monday morning at least seven people died and the fate of dozens more remain unknown we can go live now to our correspondent igor stan of who's at the scene for as eagle what's this it what's happening there right now. well nick you the rescue and search operation is. well on going as you can clearly see behind me in fact it

hasn't stopped for a minute in the rescuers worked overnight searching for anybody who could still be trapped under the rubble now according to the latest information from russia's emergencies minister the total of seven bodies have so far been recovered five of them have been identified now the figure of people still unaccounted for stands at thirty seven so it has slightly climbed up from yesterday new estimates have come in those people still haven't made contact with the rescuers here although all around us we can see signs saying please if you lived if you if you were housed in one of the collapsed parts of the building please do make contact and there are telephone numbers here written as well in fact as well the buildings around here they stand with shattered glass so really you can clearly see around here how powerful the explosion was we heard from witnesses have

a listen. sister travels if not at six in the morning heard an explosion and ran to the kitchen window with her purple smoke and the building started collapsing the shockwave was so strong that our bed was shaking we heard a woman shouting loudly for help i don't know what happened to her. now well but the thing is this is as close as we were allowed to get here by the emergency ministry workers in fact if you just look carefully enough you can see the crane over there which is right now it looks like holding up the concrete plates of the building that still stands and that is because really we're being told today the risk of very grave danger that more other parts of this residential building might collapse once we couldn't really get any closer and right now we're being moved even further away but really the official response to this tragedy has been very significant crushing. president vladimir putin was here yesterday so we don't know

if he's sent the new year's eve you kind of welcome the new year in magnitogorsk but the russian emergencies minister said he did he held a briefing a few few minutes ago i should say updating journalists on the latest and in general just it's keeping up to date the regional authorities are here as well we are here of course to you and we will be keeping you up to speed with all the latest things they go we appreciate that is not clearly tragic start to the new year to so many families there so i thought so with them thanks for now. after years of bitter wrangling the decision by the united states and israel to leave the un's culture and heritage organization has come into force washington announced its intention to leave us go in october accusing the agency of anti

israel bias. on the twelfth of october two thousand and seventeen the department of state notified unesco directed general it mean a book of the u.s. decision to withdraw from their goodness nation and to seek to establish a permanent observer mission to unesco this decision was not taken lightly and reflects his concerns with the mountaineer being such an escrow the need for fundamental reform and they're going to zation and continuing anti israel license unesco now at this point that we can review that in twenty seventeen there was outcry from the united states and israel when unesco designated a hebron the city in the west bank designated as a world historical site now there is a contested area in the center of that city to muslims it's the ibrahimi mosque to jews it's the cave of patriarchs and at that point we saw some loud outcry from the united states and from israel now it's important to note that this isn't the first

time that we've heard accusations of a pro palestinian bias from the usa and from israel and twenty eleven when the body officially recognized a state of palestine at that point the usa and israel both stopped paying dues to unesco they were then stripped of their voting rights in two thousand and thirteen after having not paid their dues so at this point we see the united states carrying out a policy that it's long carried out which is when it doesn't like certain international accords and agreements or international bodies it simply withdraw its review the united states will withdraw from the optional protocol in dispute resolution to the vienna convention on diplomatic relations the united states is officially withdrawing from the un human rights council we will not cooperate with the i.c.c. we will provide no assistance to the i.c.c. baseless politicize claims are brought against us for critical bodies and institution unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court the council ceases to be

. or they have it's name we will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the united states to purported binding jurisdiction dispute resolution in the international court of justice so the united states continues to withdraw from international bodies and international agreements in response to decisions it does not approve of peter galbraith a full new u.s. ambassador to croatia believes america's withdrawal from international agreement found organizations will eventually he will first so this is entirely political step you know everyone has to be pointed out that we already have that is that so many of these institutions the united nations the international court of justice were ones that were created the human rights were created by the united states the united states to leave. and now we withdraw but also

this concept from a very good sized ministration a very extreme one one i have to point out that lost the election by three million votes and based on the midterm results is not likely to be around it after twenty twenty five and so very likely these decisions will then be reversed so my advice to the rest of the world is take a deep breath and america will be back. french president mccrum has used his traditional new year's eve speech to slam extremist elements in the country. the news of all. we have perience great division and anger broke out anger against injustices against the course of a sometimes in comprehensible globalization against an administrative system that's become too complex and lacking in empathy there was also anger against profound changes that call into question our society's identity and direction this anger has

shown me one thing no matter how excessive or overflowing it is we will not quit the. authorities in paris were primed to tackle unrest on new year's eve with twelve thousand police on duty but the yellow vests protesters didn't march on the french capital as polish and irish monorail the french publisher and lighter ones of more demonstrations in the new year. with all the blunders the government and the especially the m.p.'s are making i don't see any soothing of the situation this movement through of course continue into two thousand and nineteen the movement is so popular between seventeen and eighty percent of the french support them all approve of the movement that it is not excluded that especially in the provinces john d'armes or even policemen who have more in common with the protestors and with the officials in paris because become most sympathetic with their cause and refused

to execute orders eminent mccraw embodies what the yellow vests rejects globalization and pro-business policies in a way he cannot predict given without stopping did what he is he's lacking leeway he sorts through to diffuse the crisis in the midst of december by announcing a ten billion euro package of measures which was which which was not so really convincing france was hit by anti-government protests for much of twenty eighteen starting from demonstrations against labor reforms to the latest yellow vest protests over field taxes our paris correspondent shiela de bent recaps over. hague this infamous phrase often contributed to marion twenty being used to demonstrate new blood livius nurse the selfishness of france's elites which in turn led to the french revolution now the attribution may be misguided but the lesson isn't if you can all the cries of the social classes or you mock them you do so at

your own peril. the current french president should have seen it long ago as unrest has been bubbling throughout two thousand and eighteen. things started to turn nasty as the french government attempted to effect an empty airport community that they keep cool at the gate. it's a pretty nasty case expose should be distributed. at the talks will be eco are just joking meanwhile michael was dismissing these should should be built this period he must be evacuated to give back to it

because the man with the money is the republican field it must be respect. mayhem first reached paris in spring over a month calls for reform plans all may first violence quickly spilled over and dozens were arrested. but the penny bill did drop for my colleagues spend the summer offering advice to school who would listen in raging. the country in the process he said. give it to these lutheran people who've lived through transformations in recent years i'm not exactly ghouls who are resistant to change. notes diplomatic he doesn't know how to talk to people he cannot say about all of people all of the

nations it's just bad luck on both sides to the foreigners and to the people like french people comes down to. trying to find you a job by crossing the road oh yeah you don't say that to people people are really struggling to easy to sign when you don't have a problem with needing your job it think that everybody can do it just by working or crossing the street bed it's not real life it's just a very rich get out service just sort of it's not great to say things like that to french people people aren't precarious situations i think it's quite ridiculous for a president to be so far from reality so by the time he told prejudice to stop playing the french way he had come to love him because i think if you do this on the general shoulder cool told me you can speak freely the only thing we do is have the rights he's completely the country would be different if everyone did the same . staying stuck trying to people in france you don't see people start complaining

specially in france the people that complain all the time we love that it's crimes and it's not. arrogance i think a little aggressive you know once again a very bold and there's no other word in the good old french spirit of things anger and resentment towards the man often described as the president of the rich really who without a body of a seventeen they had had enough. you. see crazy you know the streets of paris. take your squashes brute force calls pointed stupid and offered an olive branch for many it was too little too late for the yellow best small store good for much gold made in green when you roll the roof the fleet is going to be expected two thousand

the like you could still see i believe the french government if the boy lives would he leave. r.t. paris. is delicious. authorities in japan say a minivan was deliberately driven at revelers in central tokyo just minutes into the new year it's hard left eight people injured one of them in a critical condition it happened in a tourist hot spot known for its fashion and pop culture police reportedly arrested a man in his twenty's local media say the driver told police that he intended it to be a terror attack. and in the u.k. counterterrorism police have launched an investigation after a man stabbed three people including a police officer in manchester in northwest england.

breaks it hangs in the balance and those are the words of the u.k. is it international trade secretary. appropriate state minister liam fox is urging britons to get behind prime minister to raise a male face the unknown reality of a no deal when the country leaves the e.u. and pays are due to vote on may's deal in mid january downing street says the prime minister has been in contact with us here leaders over the holiday period to seek assurances she faced a serious challenge to her leadership over the past couple of months it until the deal has a deal has been russia five it is the responsible position of government and it is it would be the responsible position of any government to put in place contingency arrangements for no deal no do y'all would reduce zoster for our country and no responsible government would ever allow each i know it's christmas i know it's not

to be stocking down the chimney on top christmas tree he still hasn't found. the prime minister who is supposed to be undertaking a negotiation. the prime minister the trial to bring in acceptable deal but why doesn't the prime minister stop the pretense and stop wasting four billion pounds in a cynical attempt to drive good g three damaging deal through their house. is a right honorable gentleman doesn't want to see money being spent on no deal he's governed easy on so so so this. is cool commentator john white thinks that to raise money is trying to use the countdown to bragg's it as a weapon against parliament. i think the idea that there would be no brakes or the t.v. license as not being in the last two years at least. torturous negotiations but we have no as a crisis as mature to the point where to get

a consensual counts no domini the issue which is those who advocate how to break and those who are pushing for a second referendum a so-called people who do need music in the country is that they too reason these deal is a loss of all worlds it doesn't satisfy anyone it's only an eighty eight everyone on both sides of the issue in opposition to her and the she's trying to use time when are say a rino that taim is running out march twenty ninth as the date em up for. the e.u. the she's trying to weaponize tank to leverage more pressure on the tory tory howard precious years and i've benches. apart that wouldn't be out of place in the tavi blockbuster game of thrones i've been unfolding in singapore it's been revealed that they own brother current prime minister has been financially supporting a long time government critic and he says that they pick up the story. the new year to see family and loved ones getting together to enjoy festivities and celebrations

right perhaps not so much at the top level of politics in singapore meets the prime minister and his rival brother and sister whose family quarrels a well known in the country recently their leaders brothers been supporting this blogger has found himself in brawls in the scathing battle with the pm it all started after the blogger posted a seemingly offensive article on facebook it claims the former leader of neighboring malaysia had signed secret deals in exchange for singapore's banks helping to launder money out of malaysia's state coffers accusations the singapore and prime minister strongly denies the blogger is now facing defamation charges as the two prepared to fight it out in the courts in times of need you would think you could turn to your family for support but as the prime minister's brother is instead helping the blogger pay his hefty legal fees he sent me a message that he has drawn support lo and behold the first one to do so into my

account this sibling was of a safe when questioned about the actual amounts donated simply stating it was a meaningful some when pressed further joked it's not one dollar we might not know the amounts but we do know this is a prime example of a lengthy family feud ass's the dispute over this colonial era bungalow that belonged to the late father and the country's first prime minister who wanted the property demolished after his death the coral got so bad it's his brother publicly accused him of misusing his position for personal gain but the prime minister denies putting self interests before good governance. regarding the. continued existence of honks as my ward as prime minister. you're very media trucks magic properties to boast so much struggle for thirteen years as prime minister must be in a pretty. sidestreet the people of singapore were also reassured that disputes wouldn't distracts from more important national issues over the last week

a singaporean so have been disturbed and confused by news of the private dispute between my siblings and me i deeply regret that this dispute has affected singapore's reputation and singapore ians confidence in the government much as i would like to move on and the most unhappy experience for singapore ians these baseless accusations against the government cannot be left unanswered they must be and will be dealt with openly and refuted but within an identified some in the blackest back pockets and as legal proceedings continue the least siblings will have to put their differences aside if they're to stop the public from speculating on any further family quarrels. well people the world over have been assuring in twenty nineteen now it's new york's turn celebrations there are in full swing overnights many capitals three lavish fireworks displays our last go was no

exception new year's celebrations all a very special place in the hearts of russians we're prepared a compilation of the best moments of the first day of twenty nineteen from around the globe. i. believe. i. guess. i. i

. it's hard to attain now history let's take a look back at some of the events that defined it. well among the stories they grabbed headlines last year the script power case was certainly one of the biggest a russian double agent and his daughter living in the u.k. were rushed to hospital with signs of poisoning but it's all for a tease and their western allies were quick to blame but as annoyed found out there's more to it than the off parties and the media would want you to know. there was no trial no discussion there was only judgement and punishment is highly likely that russia was responsible we do hold russia culpable culpable culpable for the attempted murder the pundits needed even less than

a movie chalk sounds russian means russia did it but establish that it is not a chalk a matter is by definition of the translation of the name which means newcomer part of the program in the soviet union in the late seventy's and eighty's the points made there are a lot of questions to ask of this whole mess but over the last few weeks we've interviewed dozens of chemists experts and military specialists and hear their biggest gripes. the nuvi nerve agents a new she quit they haven't been so in decades there's many well published formulas of nerve agents so that it's no problem i mean mary where you have sarin so manji v.x. there are abundant abundant and the structures are known and the toxicity profiles are known so so many people can make nerve agents and they know what structures to

go to go toward here they are exerts from the books and studies available to the public neither the formula you know the chemicals any more russian than itself for years now researchers have published studies and theses on the nuvi chocks which there are dozens and dozens of many developed in different countries and it is just one good tool in twenty seven the u.s. or the published of people numerous chemical compounds we were interested because of the toxicity we all thought united them under the system there are more than sixty compounds here and they've all been indexed that means someone somewhere synthesize them and shared the information since then these formulas or some of them have appeared in various publications constantly you simply cannot see they are secret. there's more to it if you suspect a potential adverse arena has made

a new discovery you have to do the same in order to study the new substance and make and he doubts it's true to say that russia is not the only country being able to synthesize a few grams of know each other in the late ninety's all intelligence services in the west worked on because there were these rumors about a new military chemical agent produced in russia so so i'm not surprised that in france in a new king in the united states you have. formation that could explain. in which the product was identified that's the purpose and that's the job of this kind of laboratories and there's a whole lot of nerve agents to go around with more being discovered undeclared nerve agents. and it's a country and there are many discovers the properties of

a new chemical structure it's taxes it's a chemical weapon potential they must immediately according to the convention register it with the o.p.c. w. but no country does so despite having created many such chemicals. and it really isn't as difficult as it may sound if it's really an overtrick we're dealing with it's not a real problem to synthesize that kind of nerve agent or the necessary components are easily available on the open market the synthesis does not require sophisticated procedures any specialist in organic chemistry would be able to make it though every expert we talked to said that you need serious expertise and substantial funding to make sure nerve agent was a man of course you can't make this in any basement the chemicals are highly toxic and the lab has to be well equipped with ventilation detoxification equipment and

the chemists themselves have to be educated not every concern for such as this but there are twenty or so labs that counter. the argument that there is no alternative explanation because only russia has made new rich ox sales. britain's decision to classify almost every aspect of what happened and the investigation is called the room and mill running but there are tidbits that have leaked out tidbits that have the scientists crashing their heads over each other is supposed to be very toxic highly toxic five to eight times more toxic than than the x. which is already a very very toxic so a small amount should have killed mr keep out for sure but again it's very difficult to assess and evaluate this kind of question before knowing exactly how

the product was delivered the interesting thing with nova chalks is that there are so many of them and they come in so many different forms they can come in a powered as solid as a crystal and even as a liquid but just to give you some reference if this was a variety of the nuvi chalks a single drop is enough to kill ten people ten people within minutes if this was in the hailed even more at first one might think that the script all this could only have survived because the dude's had to be very small but the reported symptoms don't match they simply missing a little bit when witnesses found them they said serug a scrip or was rocking back and forth waving his hands it seemed more like the effects of narcotics if it was a small dose as they claim then first would come meiosis then the rest of the

symptoms convulsions uncontrolled urination but we didn't see that in photos or hear of it in reports there are many questions. if indeed this was the nuvi choke nerve agent at work the script balls were very fortunate. there's other headlines for this hour we're back in thirty minutes with the latest with you that. join me every thursday on the alex simon show and i'll be speaking to guest on the world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you then.