this midday here in moscow in the headlines this new year's eve england extends covert restrictions on the number of areas affected as the rate of infections spirals following the discovery of that new highly contagious strain of the virus. other news the e.u. strikes a milestone trade deal with china removing key barriers to investment it comes after years of talks and despite the incoming administration demanding it be consulted ahead of the deal. plus the year that was you speak to some of the medical workers around the world who've become the unsung heroes in the year of the pandemic. and we've seen people die in the scene people come in and they come because we have to be away and now what we want. is what we have been to all.

day from russia this 31st of december kevin 0 in here with the update from r.t. international's world news h.q. so 1st than 3 quarters of england's been placed in the toughest stay at home for restrictions as covert cases sore after a new highly infectious strain of the virus was detected. he had no choice but to bring in the new measures. the new variant means that 3 quarters of the population are now going to be. 4 and almost all of the country into 3 and you and i know that 3 and 4 measures place a significant burden on people and especially on businesses affected but i'm afraid it's absolutely necessary because of the number of cases that we've see more regions entering turf or that includes the north east of england north west the

south east the rules in that area is to stay at home now experts are warning there that to 4 is not even going far enough and many say that what's needed is a full scale national lockdown to try and take control of this virus nothing on that though from westminster nor was there any talk of a to 5 of course we've heard some rumors circulating over the past few days that potentially there could even be a tear 5 coming out on all of this nothing on that either but this latest set of tighter set of restrictions as much to do with today being the 3rd day the 3rd consecutive day that we've seen the daily cases absolutely at a peaks and not really basically means that the 2nd wave of 19 is much harsher and much worse than the 1st wave and of course we've just been seeing in the last few weeks these 2 strands of 191 seemingly even originating here in the u.k. one apparently of reconnecting in south africa all of this so is placing

a huge amount of pressure on the n.h.s. many say that the n.h.s. the ta it and frustrated but it's also coming being quite apparent in the hospitals within themselves we're seeing a shortage of styles but also a shortage of bed spaces as well gospel. control you start having to make it incredibly difficult decision to decide who gets an ambulance and. quite often with. numbers of people waiting. susan i know you have nobody left to send well working behind the scenes is the medical and science professionals and some good news coming from them because the latest vaccination has just been approved in the united kingdom by the u.k.'s medicines regulator that's the oxford university astra zeneca vaccination being the 2nd one here in the united kingdom following of course the pfizer biotech vaccine just a few weeks ago as with the 1st vaccination this one also is going to be abiding by

a priority list at the top of the list of courses the over 80 is the elderly but also staff on the frontline as well much like the united kingdom 1st approved by on tech vaccination the e.u. said actually the u.k. is really rushing things through and the e.u. will be taking their time with things we need additional data about the quality of the vaccine and after that the company has to formally apply but even with this vaccination is really difficult to be quite positive here in the united kingdom of course britain has been dubbed plague ireland after the last few weeks it's easy to see why remember just a few months ago boris johnson promised the u.k. that it would be normality by christmas and really we've already done christmas and it couldn't be. it's going to be a grim journey the national hospital dr judy is warning the whole service is over world's to the point where clinics we've sued for choices over denied patients life

so big it's awful thought we got reaction from medical experts. it is one of those very unfortunate situations in which surely you have a good it was. the latest innovation to be. constraints or any situation in which you have to make a decision between life and. 'd grow to begin there unfortunately and you have to be. because you have to still run and so that is. going to mission a coach unless we are strict in enforcing this team is it only becomes very symbolic there's a lot of i would call it the wood for the trees stuff here with the variance training because i would like to say you still need to get infected whether it is the old strain or the new strain it is dropping your guard from infection that causes you to get infected rather than we now have a new strain and therefore it is the fault of the new strain making all these

infections maybe more infectious but still if we exercise infection control you can protect yourself. cause it was the medical workers that became the unsung heroes of 2020 rising to the occasion saving lives often a considerable risk their own health we speak next than the some of those people direct on the front lines of the worldwide battle against the corona virus pandemic . that phone was going every 15 minutes every 10 minutes as the nurse put. it would ring again and it became so frightening because the patients. into the hospital. for me working throughout that cove it is same by to a patient and knowing that come back tomorrow and their bed is being. made to fresh because they died and we're seeing people die in a scene people coming in they can't breathe well having to put people out because

they can't breathe because of 19 people protested why do why you look. so i feel as nurses most health care professionals it's quite difficult it's difficult for us you know i remember having a patient. she would say that she looked classical music i remember she was classical music so why did these during my break i was able to go out and get my photo up put the music on my phone and then i put it into a plastic bag and then i was able to when i went back in i was able to just play music to her and just knowing that she could see the happiness usually you see somebody decline. and. she or you p.d. or you feel like something's wrong they don't look right but this was sort of like . a and then. you find out they're not. only they're not ok but.

i don't feel like i. just feel like a human being who simply cares. wants to help them and make a difference so we have to. show what we want to. do what we have to give you. some proud of all of us. we're going to. be. we won't give a shit making decision. maybe we can step up to the plate a little more and maybe we can be and how to make sure that we can make. all of this we're running low on oxygen and supplies on you know other respiratory drugs definitely bad definitely staff this is not over this is far from over that scene's are not going to i mean yes they're going to help but it's going to take a lot of time before we could vaccinate everyone. at the start there wasn't enough

equipment we had to come up with impromptu protective gear repurpose it so that we could take patients it's obvious that the whole european continent was not prepared for such a pandemic not only spain turns out there was no centralized organized policy in any of the affected countries including spain even to this day spain has many different communities each with their own understanding of how to deal with the pandemic disagreements of the lock down recession the straw in communities controlled by opposition parties because they do almost a 100 percent of the opposite of what the health ministry to do their mistakes throughout the whole year starting from not closing airports and not implementing controls on everyone entering spain from other countries bodies and demonstrations were allowed for too long many protesters took to the streets without masks obviously that was a huge mistake because we did not manage to stop the virus we should have been ahead of it including no small steps that are still affecting the current situation potentially to devastated parts of the population is even worse it's always late

and not enough from the 1st wave in spain the maybe even during in march and april it became clear that the european union's a gigantic structure that's not working where equipment is stolen really has to ask you burn russia for help after failing to get aid in europe in spain when they are not in the 2nd wave but the 3rd remission stage got the 4 as a vaccine i would have liked to get the sputnik the vaccine but it's unlikely to arrive here in spain with the current. narrative with the virus has been made into a political and ideological issue tough because people are objecting to vaccination and bring home with their lies and manipulation in the media it's every day struggles just some of the guys in the front line of this war through the president or turmoil of 2020 that. make it i'm president of profits multi-billionaire bosses well publicly expressing solidarity with all those who've suffered have been pocketing extraordinary earnings this year covering that. 2020

the year that won't be messed coronavirus. entire health care system is on the very brink of collapse lockdown major health crisis hospitals and health care workers are bracing for an onslaught of growth of virus patients storing unemployment so many workers are still hurting very badly as the economy starts to tank hunger. and mass unemployment collapsed businesses whole industries brought to their knees stability security in choice just wiped out. we're hearing the same refrain all around the world families are very worried as they are forced to make impossible decisions do they risk the disease as they go out to earn money to buy food will stay home and watch their children go hungry but as some plunged into dire financial straits others soared to unimaginable heights how well it turns out that a pandemic is just the thing to help take the video conferencing up didn't even

exist before 2020 no one knows will it exist after 2020 no one knows and given its c.e.o. pocketed 17000000000 dollars this year i doubt he's having sleepless nights also sleeping soundly just source with people border home amazon had a blockbuster year but according to the richest man or know who made $75000000000.00 as the global economy just crashed and bought and apparently it wasn't all fun and games. there is no instruction manual for how to feel at a time like this i know this causes stress for everyone my list of worries right now like yours i'm sure is long for my own children parents friends to the safety of you my colleagues to those who are already very sick and to the brutal home that will be caused by the economic fallout across our communities well that might not

be a manual but that is math and it shows that bats also could give $105000.00 bonus to every single amazon waka and still be as rich as he was at the start of the pandemic but he didn't what did happen was a grueling lockdown shifts like safety protocols and no mosques or what firing people who spoke out. was army the 4th or 4th problem with the 1st that you have a belief that you don't you just do but you trust the virus just like what you think if they want you to get sick you know here you know the world is not enough to even. leave one this about protection well he was a party that workers will college of business and other c.e.o.'s as pandemic profiteers who have made billions while putting workers and their families friends

and neighbors at risk do you think you could have beat making 75000000000 a year but you can just tossed in on musk he might have been broken 2008 but he'll raked in 123000000000 in 2020 when the cash is flowing you know wanted to stop. all of it. forcibly imprisoning people in their homes. might. break the people's freedoms and want to bring. more people. into america or the country. so instead of forcibly imprisoning people in their homes musk courage people to get back to walk all face starvation and get affected on no pay what set lethal virus off to roll you know you're talking about saving humanity but these are humans that

die in the process everybody dies 2020 the a one man could afford to just blow up his rocket while hundreds of millions are left picking up the pieces of that lives. it's called a post here if you're watching the clock to see is eve coming up the e.u. and china agree a milestone investment deal after years of talks but washington's angry it wasn't consulted was the brief we find out after the break. when i was sure seemed wrong. but i. just don't. let me. get to shape out this day. and indeed it was betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart we choose to look for common ground.

the world is driven by dreamers shaped by a person those with. no dares thinks. we dare to ask.

again so brussels in beijing of signed a massive last trade deal after years of talks over it opens up the chinese market to e.u. investment while giving beijing it in road to strategic european projects 2 in reverse but as you shall do bensky explains washington is not at all appy place dealers almost being 70 is in the making between the e.u. and showing up and they've really pushed the boat out to get it done before the end of 2020 essentially it means that there is the opportunity for the e.u. for investment in certain industries this is companies within the e.u. to be able to invest in areas of china before it had barriers around them such as the financial sector and the health sector for china it means that there is this possibility of investing in renewable energy so this is something on the table for each side in this and this deal has been disqualified by many as being the most ambitious deal that china has ever struck with

a nation country tomorrow's post covered world needs a strong e.u. china relationship to build for were. better but this requires cooperation reciprocity and trust especially in our trade and investment relationship but this deal comes with a huge amount of criticism many have said that the e.u. was far too soft on china on issues such as labor rights human rights in fact some e.u. countries said they were unhappy with the fact that the e.u. hadn't done enough to secure those issues these countries were countries such as the netherlands and belgium and the was also criticism from some e.u. parliament ariens who said you know essentially this didn't tackle issues such as hong kong and that of the weaker muslims in china e.u. china investment agreements we gained access to the documents and it's extremely light and human rights and slavery as i feared the french declinations on putting

an end to forced labor as a condition for a deal which just empty words hate from the land the european commission president told us dombrowski joins a brill you should raise recent human rights issues when you talk to see what they steal is also to likely to rub up the wrong way the new incoming president of the united states joe biden just a few weeks ago that you said he wanted to coordinate its interaction it's issues with china with the boy didn't a demonstration and yet just weeks before he takes office it's decided to push ahead with this deal some of those who have suggested that china was going soft on the e.u. in a way of perhaps ramping up those tensions the main deliverable from the genes point of view was to drive a wedge in tranches line to coalitions and brussels appears to have complied it's just mind boggling that the you would even consider rushing to a green investment pact with beijing weeks before biden takes after us after

claiming for several years that they wanted transatlantic cooperation on china while the e.u. has rejected that criticism saying that washington has done. so deals are trade and investment with china under the trumpet ministration so that's boy the boy but regardless of the geopolitics surrounding this deal what is clear is that. to get it done before the e.u. presidency to transfer. country next year and it seems that because she believes that this gives the e.u. level playing field the gates china. trumps everything else. i spoke earlier to professor benjamin chow from the paris school of business who told me the u.s. still is go to cold war mindset and ignores the benefits of the deal that. the u.s. is china's largest trading partner and the same is true. and even the tray is larger trade between the u.s. and. the 1st 3 quarters so in that sense it's nothing i think it's

a win win situation china 'd used to have. investments like many countries we have sections in education national security and finance but scenes china 23 trade since in 2014 we have attracted a long money. from the epidemic we know that really. both in the united states in europe and in china in the areas of cooperation to make the crime a change. in the shape and so on the u.s. is helping still having a cold war minds it so i think we need to have a. more open. to look for gains by the end. of the big story today at least 26 people have been killed in schools injured in a wave of explosions in the yemeni port city of aden on wednesday the red cross

says its stuff are among the dead and wounded. you see the pictures as it happened the 1st day near port just after that plane the occurring newly appointed yemeni government officials had flown in from saudi arabia a local t.v. channel catching the explosion on camera as people were leaving the aircraft it was followed them by gunfire more blasts local reporters say the airport was also hit by mortar and drone strikes passages there were rushed to the presidential palace where another explosion took place so far no groups claimed responsibility but officials are blaming both the rebels the big picture saudi arabia is leading a u.s. backed bombing campaign of yemen against the rebels and the attacks come just a day after washington approved another huge $290000000.00 deal to supply more

bombs to rear the contract adds than $2000000000.00 weapons exports from the u.s. to saudi arabia despite repeated warnings about the spiraling civilian death toll from riyadh 5 year long campaign so the officials claim their attacks stop iranian influence on the region but rights groups warn the outcome is unacceptable. the saudi led coalition and the group fighting since march 25th seen are responsible for laws of war violations in human rights abuses the conflict has killed and injured thousands of civilians. the outgoing trump administration's rushing through other vast arms deals to the region kuwait's about to buy $4000000000.00 worth of attack helicopters and egypt set to get defense and targeting gear worth around $170000000.00 security expert michael maloof told us he thinks there's a good reason to why arms deals are being rushed through right now. this is part of trump's effort to keep saudi arabia. well armed and to try

and use its influence to offset iran the biden ministration may actually put the kibosh on biden himself as issues with saudi arabia and in addition the congress does as well and the congress has 30 days in which to disapprove and this is the period in which that would happen so and it would and the 30 day period would be asked during the need by the letter stray shinji should he be small and he could provide you could put a hold on it at that point. a final thought the last 12 months maybe a year like no other a but through the pandemic people's resourcefulness and creativity shone through didn't it all video agency rup least captured some of the most touching highlights of 2024 you going to show in a bit before i do it's kevin over here

a big season's greetings for me in the team behind me in the news room up stairs wherever thanks for watching this you know we continue to as well into the coming i'll leave you this hour there was some of those sights and sounds of the year just about to go. outside. the. world. the ticket home of us and you know the mind and that is. because of what i am a similar age. 6.

v.n.o. look over did ollie i mean he's the last public. to go to the top of the us to see them as i. watch my opinion of us all scholars on the way i mean saw a lot about it call it the news article number the couple didn't know it was an idea. so still.

every year with great pleasure to be answered questions from our viewers and this year is no different as usual your questions focus on future possible events my panel in a week to look at. an entire village in alaska has had to move if another country trying to wipe out an american

town. we do everything in our power to protect. wantonness keeping climate change as the same threat right now alaska does seem some of the fastest coastal erosion in the world we lost about 30 feet. 35 feet of ground in just about 3 months while we were measuring. is fast and that means the river is 35 closer than how the woman was or i don't think we're part of earth for. this just tell me. his silly. russian but tommy is

a real friend who lives in finland. this name is ok my eyes will be on the river and both of their oaths and. tonight told me he's heading for russia to take part in the european ice speedway championship. not many people know about. this on the usual sports but motorcycle racing on ice is tommy's true passion. officially the nordic countries are considered the birthplace of ice racing but it quickly caught on in russia. speedway is beautiful expensive and very dangerous on top of that races take place in extremely low temperatures which

doesn't exactly help with promoting the school of. ice races are often compared to . them by often seem to be treading a fine line between life and death when they're on the race track. have a horse. and decide on. the. track have a draw i sailed. with god. now we're going through my smoky hole. before the trip takes his youngest son to ice hockey practice. this really is a popular sport. chris .