see anywhere except here for welcome back. to the biggest stories of the week from developers of. the sun an official memorandum of cooperation with hope combining the 2 vaccines will improve advocacy . a new more contagious strain it's been detected in england and it's causing panic worldwide more than 40 countries have banned arrivals from the u.k. . for whistle blowers dozens of pardons from donald trump exclude those who spilled the beans on u.s. war crimes including mercenaries found guilty of mass murder of civilians in iraq. so that there is no justification iraqi blood has become a term is simple and has no significance and. we hope that there will be justice

your blood will not just disappear and the iraqi government must act as soon as possible. and a victory or a defeat the u.k. prime minister celebrates an historic brags that deal. describes it as a situation. where good morning thanks for joining us for the weekly. and russia. have launched clinical trials of a joint coronavirus vaccine that combines elements of jobs developed individually by the sides. explained why they're joining forces with the russians. we have 2 main goals the 1st one is to allow headscarf official notice doctors and

nurses to use 11 vaccine all the all there for the for the 1st injection and the 2nd to make the alex simpler and the 2nd goal is to hope pretty get better he just when you combine 2 different vaccines i don't think companies are competing against each other everybody is racing against the virus we would need many many vaccines because there is no one single company. gunplay to send out of x. into the entire world and some of these vaccines have to be easy to use and they have to be cheap because the low income countries cannot afford the expensive accident we are on the myriad of the disease when the whole world and its got rid of it so we on the safety issue are going to stay around the world oration was asked was that america and the other producers but it's equally or because we just need to work together and it's our national operation can be just. or all i was

thinking about a call. we spoke to a medicine professor at norwich medical school and peter smith epidemiology professor at the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine who explained why the british russian scientific cooperation in the fight against hiv it is significant. one of the problems with the. i don't know virus the vaccines like this book nick 5 in the oxford is that there's always a risk that you can develop immunity to the carrier rather than to the target which is what you are wanting for now if you actually makes these 2 that seem so you maybe give one vaccine to start and then the other 134 weeks later then you you get over this problem of develop immunity to the carrier virus and i think there's quite a lot of evidence that actually does work like that but and people have shown this

works in other areas so to me the compound a nation of the sputnik and the ox so that's because any vaccine could well improve its efficacy a lot greater than the individual vaccines apart now the problem with. biotech back scenes is that they are card of a street which is going to make it very difficult to deliver in many parts of the world where it is both the oxford and the the russian vaccine have a much more except of all cold showing in terms of being delivering being able to very many parts of the world. aunties and uncles sauce he spoke with alexander ginzburg director of russia's camel institute about how their vaccine deficit from others. we developed a vaccine from the start of receiving funding to registration really quite quickly in 5 months the main reason is that for 25 years or more we have been developing at

the gum alay institute a technological platform on which this vaccine preparation can be made we already had a wealth of experience not only the technology of how to do it but before that we had even worked out possible concentrations we knew all the dosages needed to obtain an optimal immune response with minimal side effects. the safety of the vaccine has been fully proven on a very similar vaccine not identical against not only a bowl of viruses but also the mers coronavirus so when we were working against covered 19 we were able to use around 70 percent of an existing element one of the indicators by which the effectiveness of a vaccine is most easily measured is the presence of and to bodies in the blood if we proceed from that's experimental data in a similar vaccine against a bowl or this protective immunity lasted for 2 years we simply didn't have a long observation period because the pfizer vaccine needs to be transported at

minus 70 degrees and yours at minus 23 rate. minus 18 for now some months down the line i hope that we'll be able to amend the registration certificates that this vaccine can be stored not at minus 18 but to the household refrigerator temperature of plus 2. the side effects don't force you out of action there may be a rash headache muscle discomfort and i think the most noticeable effects may be your temperature going up to 38 degrees for 2 days do you take the vaccine yourself yes on march 30th along with all my employees and you're still alive not just alive but pretty active i vaccinated my 14 year old granddaughter so you violated your own instructions against vaccinating children that's outrageous you were ready to kill your entire family for the sake of a new vaccine i wasn't going to kill them but prove that the vaccine is completely safe. what is the difference between the oxford vaccine that is astra zeneca and

the game elaine stritch of vaccine there are a lot of differences but they're not significant oxford and as to seneca went from my point of view on the classic path of working against airborne pathogens our colleagues applied all the rules for creating influenza vaccines to the creation of a vaccine against 19 and it seems to me that the epidemiological features of this disease or this pathogen were not quite accurately calculated the people at pfizer also understand this and have made great efforts to modify the r.n.a. so that it would not be recognized as far as i understand it by protective proteins but i'm not sure where the my colleagues most to solve all the problems on a large scale it. has officially registered russia spinning the vaccine and the 1st planeload has arrived in buenos aires more a month later this hour. the world health organization has raised the alarm over

a new highly contagious strain of cove it was 1st registered in the u.k. in a sense spread around the world. 16 countries have now confirmed the 1st cases of the new coronavirus variant after it 1st the most in the u.k. it spread to europe and the middle east asia and australia today was detected in the western hemisphere with candidate reporting its 1st case now the discovery of this new strain prompted many countries to adopt pretty harsh measures more than 40 countries banned all arrivals from the united kingdom euro tunnel services from england to the continent was suspended for hundreds of people stranded in airports and train stations over christmas travel ban also left more than 4000 lorry stranded for days in the british port of dover and things moving again only on

thursday hundreds of drivers though are still waiting to cross the border and at one point tensions over the ban led to scuffles with the police. a lot of people on the full force just to get in and obviously using their facilities their toilets. within the 1st day to close side to close this move and closing down anybody using the toilets now when you're talking. thousands of people. is going to be a problem. i am here and i want to show what. i can and i think to me and i have to look at it i mean it was i mean

i know that i am going down to the ground but i don't believe that the british government has imposed restrictions across the u.k. to combat the surgeon infections but journalist and broadcaster neil clark says the british government has mismanaged the crisis causing unnecessary chaos. the fact of the matter is that this so-called use throat was known about in september we had scientists writing about it discussing it in september and yet the health secretary only in the us is this just a few days before christmas why didn't he make an announcement about this in september why didn't they get up in september it knows it up now so evidently could get double what was going to happen and it's also to link up with the other main story will ever get to where the british government is trying to terrify is into iraqi w m d star about this terrible strain but of course our closest trading partners are going to say wow you're sorry we're going to block flights were going to stop

people coming in from britain if what you say it's true the british government said it why should we have british people coming over to our countries and of course we got the chaos of the whole issue about the about the french blockade et cetera coming in so it really is a total disaster really and disaster is the responsibility of the british government. mercy for mercenaries but whistleblowers can go whistle trump issued dozens of pardons this week but this one calls from rights activists and to u.s. lawmakers not for defenders of freedom of speech like julian assange and edward snowden in the same time now going u.s. president set of alarm bells at the u.n. by giving clemency to 4 former contractors of the blackwater private military company they were jailed for their involvement in the mass killing of civilians in iraq. and i wondered.

if. they were dead bodies everywhere and the argument going badly with you people and so are among the dead bodies lying on the street those who are child. 7 years old. right foreign ministry has condemned the decision saying that it didn't take into account the seriousness of the crime and also said that the move isn't in line with a commitment to human rights and justice declared by washington by god said he would urge the u.s. to reconsider the people of iraq also responded angrily to the part. there is no justification iraqi blood has become per miscible and has no significance one day they will pay the price because iraqi blood does not spill

easily. into good enough we hope that there will be justice god willing their blood will not just disappear and the iraqi government must act as soon as possible because the course of this is to see if the infamous black will to company kill citizens a nice to a square today we hear they've been released on the personal rulers of president truman it's like the u.s. doesn't care if the spilled a rocky blood we call on the united nations the international community and human rights organizations to intervene immediately and condemn these killers there has been widespread outrage about the trump administration's decision to grant clemency to some members of the blackwater military contracting company these were guards who were employed by blackwater who killed civilians in iraq paul slow evan liberty and dustin herd were convicted for manslaughter and the individual nicholas slotting who opened fire and 1st started shooting into the crowd of iraqi civilians

he was convicted of 1st degree murder but now the white house is letting all of them off they will no longer be in prison serving their sentences they have been pardoned this is the feeling of the white house about why they made this decision when the convoy attempted to establish a blockade outside the green zone the situation turned violent which resulted in the unfortunate deaths and injuries of iraqi civilians further prosecutors recently disclosed more than 10 years after the incident that the lead iraq investigates who prosecutors relied heavily on so very far that there were no exigent victims and to collect evidence may have helped tunnies to insurgent groups himself now at this point there is widespread out. rage this seems like the trump administration is almost approving of the killing of iraqi civilians 2 children were among the 14 people in the crowd who died as a result of their gunfire but at this point people are also looking at the fact

that trump's education secretary betsy to vos is the sister of the founder of blackwater erik prince now there's also been a lot of outrage about who is not on the list of trump's pardons so the names that were missing that many were optimistic and hopeful about were julian a son john edward snowden these prominent whistleblowers had many people calling for the trump white house to grant them clemency those who called for them were not just activists and advocates of civil liberties and for the protection of whistleblowers but also representatives of the united nations take a listen if president trump is true as well yes i think the least you could do is to end the suffering the purity the songs to pardon him this man has for be enough for the interest of the public and was donald trump since you're given pardons to people please consider pardoning those who at great personal sacrifice expose the deception and criminality of those in the deep state now trump still has time to

grant a pardon to edward snowden and to julian a son she can grant clemency up until the moment he leaves office to do it at the very very last minute however the number of people that were pardoned today and the information about who they are seems to have many pessimistic many of the activists supporting the whistleblowers feel like this indicates the trumpet ministration is moving in a very different direction with its clemency next thing with his one use coming up after this short break.

so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy. let it be an arms race is on the spear in dramatic development only personally i'm going to resist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time to sit down and talk.

in the u.k. and the european union reached a landmark trade deal after 4 years of wrangling the chief exec negotiate to describe the u.k. e.u. divorce as a lose lose but prime minister boris johnson was upbeat in his christmas address this is the feast. full of fish by the way and i believe it will be the basis of a happy and successful and stable partnership with our friends in the e.u. for years to come. yeah but getting your dollar to play the reason no winner and bracks it's a lose lose situation to separate especially in the world as it is today england the united kingdom has chosen to be solitary rather than stand together. or boris johnson's christmas wish may have come true it's been overshadowed by a tough year of covert closed borders and economic woes so skewed taylor picks up the story. it was almost as if he wanted to become

a meme we have so much to look forward to in 2020 it's hard to pin down which one of 2020 stretches he meant the end as negotiations food shortages coronavirus close borders economic collapse felt like. sending it. sending a president who home printer on christmas. yet i feel like christmas has been known in history you might be like remember it is the prime minister. best so while it's about a man who wanted to be remembered as the one who got brecht's it done 4 years of preparation for a course he believed in thompson was set up for trial and he even promised back in january that it was often ready all but done we had ended a debate has run for 3 and a half years some would say 47 years i would even mention the name of the control the scene. except to say that it begins with billions receding the past behind us

well be rose from the past and a haunted chorus for 11 months that's how long it took to negotiate a deal a deal that has followed praxedis claimed could be resolved over a cup of tea 11 months the brink of no deal a nation of disappointed impatient angry people but boris still gave himself a pat on the back we've taken back control of our laws and we've taken back control of every jot and tittle of regulation in a way that is complete and unfettered who's going to tell him then that this celebration might be a party for one. it sounds like the british team have dropped the ball before the line no wonder they want a christmas eve announcement to hide the fishery sell out today amidst all the debates and details of the trade deal one fundamental truth remains that at a time of global insecurity we're no longer part of one of history's greatest and

most noble project bringing nations together to build peace out of the ruins of war this is a disastrous bragg's it scorches forwards and like all other aspects of bragg's it for students cortlandt against our will it wasn't just brussels that proved to be bogus on doing fresh from a caribbean holiday and still on a post-election high in the new year boris johnson didn't seem too concerned about a never heard of before virus his message was clear don't exaggerate when barry is going up. and when there is a risk that new diseases such as corona virus will trigger a panic while it was a pretty quick descent from fun to this.

but it's hard not to panic when the person who's supposed to be meeting you flip flops and utahns his way through a crisis to the point his own ministers don't know the rules so make it absolutely clear. that it is. the guy who let me i will absolutely get back to christmas would be cancelled actually christmas is off schools are reopening actually you know they're not we're lifting the knocked out actually stay at home little wonder then the confusion on exhaust peroration grew on the confused because you know it's like things are very very creak and we don't get that much information about what's going on and then suddenly boom the new school down we don't know what to do so nobody can use and they say they only cannot who's devoted 48 hours so it's so confusing i don't even . know my parents live. there with the kids so i am allowed to go to you tube

but i don't have time really and i have to be very very careful with you to do was it a case of bad timing for bojo was 2020 year you just couldn't shine no matter what or was it the man himself who failed to meet one thing's for sure for boris johnson it's been not a hell of a year but rather a year from how. let's look at how the u.k. an e.u. will cooperate from january 1st they'll be no tariffs on each other's goods no limit on trading you border checks have been agreed on to the u.k. has pulled out of the long running a rest miss judith exchanged scheme between universities politicians will return to westminster to vote on the deal on december 30th shortly after the deal was announced scotland's 1st minister nicola sturgeon said britain has lost more than it gained from briggs it and now scotland had to decide on its future is quote an independent and european nation while the deal is triggered mixed feelings among

scots and other brits. i think it makes it to be because over the past couple weeks i should be just so much hype and misinformation and media fatigue because it's been going so long i hate breaks and i think it's completely retrograde step i think that the feeling of being part of a multinational international. i word looking community i think has been thompson fantastic i didn't support bret so i didn't pull the brakes a i have really guides to not be part of you know petty boy it does make me nervous to think how am i going to get to visit the european cities and you know friends i have to live in spain and in france and other parts of europe it would have been a disaster if there had been no deal so very pleased that there is a deal this is i suppose some people a big christmas present it's just i think if i was really saved any of this year i think we will see a return to the troubles or was it st louis. extremely disappointing. and naive of shortsighted government as a for their own short sighted aims as

a such a terrible practice of the so you know this country is dreadful and you know i'm very very sorry i think it's really. funny going off to these years but it sort of begs the question as to whether this arrangement is going to be better than the arrangement we have to come before we left the european union. officially approved russian sputnik v. john for emergency use on wednesday officials from both countries said the faxing would be distributed within days. you know. 300000 doses of the vaccine are on argentinian territory these will be distributed in all of the provinces and we will work side by side with the leadership of buenos aires to start mass vaccination. or isn't we are helping argentina which is one of the 1st countries in latin america to receive the russian drug as we say in russia a friend in need is

a friend and we held that our vaccine helps to save the lives of millions of argentine. a plane carrying argentina's 1st batch has already arrived in buenos aires on thursday under the supply agreement moscow will provide enough doses for up to 10000000 people earlier in the month the argentine president expressed confidence in the russian vaccine saying he'll be the 1st to take it. and. in argentina some raised doubts about the quality of russian science to clear everyone's doubts when sputnik v. is here in argentina i will be the 1st one to take that vaccine because i have no doubt about the quality of the vaccine. members of the united states space force have finally been given a name one year after the elite branch of the armed forces was created you may think after so much time us top brass would be able to come up with something truly original.

soldiers sailors airmen marines and guardians will be defending army general. powell set off the bomb at mediately and we'll all be dead. now or be back what i just said.

ok i'll be back with our latest headlines in half an hour in the meantime don't forget lots more news available by checking out our website go to watty dot com. join me every thursday on the alex salmond show and i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics sports business i'm showbusiness i'll see you then. this is nothing like football. league that's

not a money spinner but it is expensive. and it's dangerous . this is speed. and they have no brakes that's a. threat that cuts some people. think i'm going extinct

. leg. length . we need in a world where the industry doesn't want any regulation they just want to put products on the market.