amid far works and scale down to liberation people see out a difficult 2020 and welcome the new year with hopes of a brighter 12 months ahead. world politicians mall a kobe passport and companies develop mobile apps to enforce compliance but there are warning such systems a significant complication it's. also this our friend sees an alarming wave of suicides among small business owners us terms are pushed on earth by coronavirus lockdowns. it was my neighbor who lived right in front of my house at a restaurant for 2 generations during the 2nd lockdown everyone had to close again

but some roadside restaurants were authorized to open and she was not on the list the next day she hanged herself. and the u.s. enters 2021 with a grim a new record registering its highest ever daily death toll reports from new york city particularly hard hit by the. this is r t international bring your live news updates straight from the russian capital welcome to the program all parts of the world have now entered the new year and magnificent firework displays lit up the sky and many cities around the globe.

and their new year's speech as leaders worldwide a paid tribute to medical workers on the front line and express how hard the last 12 months have been it is a historic crisis that has imposed much on everyone and too much on some i don't think i'm exaggerating when i say that never in the last 15 years have all of us fallen the old year so difficult when the 1st month of the year will be difficult and at least until the spring the epidemic will continue to weigh a lot on the life of our country so i can imagine that there will be plenty of people who'll be only too happy to say goodbye to the grimness of 2020 we will end the pandemic once and for all this is one of the most extraordinary scientific industrial and medical feats of history not everyone is sitting at the festive table right now where lots of people are still in hospitals and i'm sure they feel

the support of their loved ones and friends you know she was alone there are you me with all my heart and i wish you a speedy recovery misty and a happy return. london's new year fireworks were cancelled but people still came together to celebrate we showed up to enforce restrictions on gatherings and disperse crowds on of the city's current a lockdown mixing between households is banned and new york's usually packed times square has also seen far less people than usual at holiday events toned down but new york based journalist and commentator thomas morris disappointed by officials downbeat signals of continued restrictions. fortunately i'm not sure i share that optimism at this point i mean especially as someone who lives in new york city we already have de blasio our mayor and governor still pretty a very dark picture of what's ahead i believe they said broadway still won't be open until 2022 i don't really see the sort of one party rule per gresley of

democrat stronghold cities in america necessarily need to get help with getting back to normal i mean these these governments and these these rulers have shown just how much they're easy to become tyrannical their petty tyrants pursuit ironical i think they want to give up that little level of control so easily and i don't think they're going to they've completely locked down their states they have their ruling almost by anything but military rule when you they have a you know couvade forces roaming the streets making sure people wear it masks in shops they've got the national guard in new york deployed at the airports to make sure you pull up these illegal al surveys when you get off the plane you remember these are the same people that told us 2 weeks to slow the spread here we are 9 months later. the u.s. has read the start of $3800.00 daily deaths from coded a sad new record to end the year on one of the worst affected areas new york city

had almost $8000.00 new cases are to scale mop up looks at how the pandemics change the city. as the new year rolls 'd around many in new york city are hoping that 2021 will be completely different the incoming administration of joe biden is promising that they will turn things around with coded 19 with very swift measures and a local government is reassuring everyone that soon things will be back to normal. this jar of them over here in new york city all of the country we're getting a shot of hope. we now know that we will ultimately defeat the coronavirus but what will this new normal be a lot of things won't be like that old pre lockdown world before the masks and temperature checks are one of many small businesses will be gone over 30 different retail and restaurant chains filed for bankruptcy in 2021 and many more downsizing stores and restaurants shutting down during the pandemic big tech is now moving in

amazon facebook and google have moved thousands of their employees to the big apple the 3 tech giants now have over 22000 employees in new york city and more are expected these silicon valley giants are buying up iconic office buildings another aspect of new york city life public transportation is also not doing so well the jobs of thousands of transit workers are on the brink as the trains shut down each night in order to be clean and comply with health regulations new york city is going to enter 2021 with the significant loss at this point this city has actually dropped off the list of america's top 10 zip codes many rich folks have packed up and moved on the cost of rent has decreased by 30 percent so how normal will this new normal be once restrictions are finally lifted it looks like many things have changed in a way that is not easily reversed. r.t. new york. politicians around the world are insisting that corona virus vaccines

will stay a voluntary many countries are already preparing for coping passports and companies are preparing a mobile applications so authorities can check through people's phones whether or not they've had the job become and trust that works already developed such an app and collaboration with airlines such as virgin atlantic and the found as. if you're still not sure you want to get a code vaccine the choice might now be a little clear several countries are debating whether or not people who get the job should have certain. privileges for being covert safe not a bad idea on paper but for those in the back of the line or just hesitant to inject a rapidly developed chemical cocktail life might not be the same sure you don't have to get an ocular rated but good luck if you want to travel or go to a bar or pretty much anything anywhere that requires your code pass several governments have already spoken against introducing such a system but have

a very clear position on this as important as vaccination is for all of us there must be no special treatment for the vaccine these distinguishing between the vaccinated and the knowledge vaccinated would be the same as making it mandatory it would divide society. there are no plans to introduce a vaccine passport to give people access to places such as pubs and restaurants once a coronavirus job becomes available but not everyone so opposed to the idea now the moment when it's not possible to a flu vaccinations to everyone such a procedure is out of the question but the discussion about it can be stilted no and even in countries that have said that they won't be introducing the covert passes some politicians are saying there's nothing they can really do against businesses requiring a proof of vaccination we are looking at the technology and of course a way of people being able to inform their physician that they have been vaccinated

but also i think you'll probably find that restaurants and bars and cinemas and other venues sports venues will probably also use that system and companies including i.b.m. have taken matters into their own hands developing apps that would allow businesses to track employees and customers while there is an argument that encouraging more people to get the job will bring about the end of lockdowns but what about personal freedoms that's the thing though you had more stuff and restricted people doing this all before you got it after it was one of the right pieces from print one from one for them to be able to live their life i mean what you eat in a country freedom of speech. is not really much of is it i think is disgusting because it is a form of tyranny. that takes away our freedoms to travel freely. takes away our privacy completely mean at the end of that people got their firies about things and they don't want to be pushed into things you know

a lot of people think they. will tell you what to do it's having control of the. everything's up in the air at the moment some countries have taken the idea of passports in another direction instead of handing out vaccine passes spain has decided to do the on. visit and make a naughty list we'll set up a registry and share it with our european partners of those who have been offered the vaccination and rejected it spain's health minister didn't specify what exactly what happens to those who get on this register but when a country starts making lists of people it usually doesn't and very well it's a scary thought it kind of reminds me a bit. of this is going too far but lists of people that are not complying with something almost reminds me. of the yellow star on the sleeves of germany a lot i don't really know i'm talking about i don't like when people get what we

should all be leery of when people get put on the list for being the particular type of person that's not doing something or is doing something or is of particular we are not to know what. it's discrimination as we know it is true. oh we tend to be against giving people. special rights or something just because they're going back as men after all it's also a matter of how lucky are you to get in that quickly and how low on the priority list that you may have to wait very long at you for that because it is definitely would be i wish we were. here at r.t. we were 247 and once again this year to bring in is as it broke and many of you had a tar website for your updates ask a teller takes a look back at our articles that got the most clicks. bodybuilder c.n.n. and ronnie's rallies rallies little smith campaign oh how does good timing because i'm reading about you know to worry no hacking not today no i'm reading about your

favorite stories on our web site this year the one you clicked on the most well i'll be honest i spend most of my time online going through all of the hate comments that trolls heaping on you tube so i've never really got around to checking out our column but i'm glad i got the chance now well let's see this one came and thought. a concept bodybuilders dream wedding to his girlfriend canceled because of covert on your probably moved by this more to dave's room juliet oh just look at the pair in tight and so sweet ha. and i see why you like the story has got francis x. don't you know i did but oh well what else what else ok well this one not quite as remounted but still determined 2nd.

a huge b.l.m. rally in new york whoa nothing new really have a protest today keeps democracy in play why so many hits then. you know i've got a thousands gather here and it's ok but restaurants a shot and small businesses are killed to slow the spread of trump's ronnie's of course a dubbed super spreaders it's almost like you i'm not convinced that covert doesn't attend democrat led romney's visit restaurants before 10 pm shocking well timed to the big one then let's see what came out on top. what we have here facebook and it's fact checking all you need stories yes you have i remember this now turns out the lead story here is that the independent group is

absolutely packed with democratic donors and that c.n.n. people on friday they've developed an appetite for branding any news to the right of the left hopes what you it's actually quite surprising because usually big tech just nubs right wing media content while that's a wrap on this year. here's hoping you keep on playing through 2021. live. 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 show business i'll see you then.

the world is driven by dreamers shaped by one person or those great. thinks. we dare to ask. every year with great pleasure to be answered questions from our viewers and this year is no joke but as usual your questions focus on future posts be a bit my panel in the future looking.

welcome back france has recorded 25000 new cases of kobe in the past day the highest rate since mid november and the government has responded by tightening a nighttime curfew and several cities. at this stage we don't want to implement a nationwide or local lowdown however we will propose an extension of the curfew which instead of starting at 8 pm will start at 6 pm in all the regions where it's needed is some cities or regions where the incidence rate is above the maximum alert level these measures will be implemented from generally 2nd 2021. aside from the curfew is bars and restaurants remain closed over the festive period it extends months of restrictions that have taken a devastating toll on the hospitality industry we heard from the mine a restaurant owner in northwest france he described the desperate state people are and how his neighbor was driven to suicide. so i've been living in la trinité so

mail for 16 years i have 12 attell rooms into restaurants we serve from 40250000 per year we employ 12 people during the winter period and around 22 people during the summer period so being suddenly left without work for 5 months is not easy there are no more events there are no more buses there is nothing and on top of that we are closed in terms of health i took antidepressants i took sensitives i throw up every morning i don't sleep much and i don't sleep well and i think i'm not the only one in this position among people i know there was my neighbor who lived right in front of my house who had a restaurant for 2 generations she survived the 1st lucked out she was 36 years old she had a roadside restaurant it was an establishment that everyone knew and appreciated during the 2nd lockdown everyone had to close again but some roadside restaurants

were authorized to open and as she was not on the list the next day she hanged herself if you want to morbid detail it was her 11 year old son who took her down from the noose. the french economy shrunk by a record $13.00 back in spring when the 1st lockdown was enforced and businesses deemed non-essential were the worst hit with the hospitality sector seeing a contraction of around 50 percent in output and sent on a again says many business owners see no way out of the situation. if you want to close bars and restaurants that don't follow protocol that's fine but on the other hand most of my colleagues have scrupulously respected all the rules that have been imposed on us and today there is no study which proves that restaurants are a source of infection when you see people crowding in the subway i don't understand why there is less danger in supermarkets or in the subway than in a restaurant i didn't take a salary for 6 months so ultimately. i paid to work luckily for me and my wife

we've put some money aside we've put it aside but it melts like ice cubes in the sun so inevitably it makes us questions we wonder how it's going to be tomorrow if we'll be able to pay the rent if we'll be able to pay for the car if we'll be able to pay for the kids' school especially when we know that business owners and friends have no direct help at christmas my children told me daddy don't give us presence will sell all our toys instead to earn money to have food. while most of the world is stuck in a covert recession china is bucking the trend with strong economic growth that's expected to hit 9 percent this year and the impacts could be felt far afield with beijing's belt and road initiative now spending several continents a project was launched in 20th 13 with the aim of bolstering transport links from china across europe asia and africa or than 70 countries are now involved and the

chinese government is believed to have spent around a trillion dollars building ports railways highways and energy pipelines foreign policy analysts are to outlier give us his insights on china's investment strategy and how it contrasts with western goals. well he. already seemed to be effect of the battle to order the shift in germany a good example it's a city of 2 spork. specific regions was hit hard by the end of the mining industry and other factors a lot of unemployed and so on and no sense to better their automation there of what we see at us from asia happening into the direction we see many new jobs being created and this is just one example of course china is not just trying to hope without getting anything from this but there is a very big difference you see the west getting involved in some we just of their work and by this i mean their new liberal western leads to lama leader approaches

steps they only care for their own interests so called cooperation was the west is very one sided there is no real development happening in this country's basically there are no schemas that they if all of their natural resources and in return de or less get nothing going in case of china there is actually clear results there is still no railroads being built there are points being built so a one side of course china going to go benefits from this but on the other side the partner countries also i do benefit from each infrastructure investments is especially good for the base which i think one must start to give up on the west. russia seems to have overtaken the u.s. as beijing's most important global partner a poll by the global times newspaper found more than half the chinese population now calls moscow its key ally the proportion of chinese people who value u.s.

ties has collapsed to less than 48 percent down from almost double that figure just a year ago a political expert and china specialist told us the unfriendly actions of successive american presidents have been extremely damaging. it has a growing perception among the chinese people that these east may be the time for china to decouple with the us now and of course we can attribute this to mr truong. trade war and his campaign against china in his presidency but i will see if entries a continuation of. administration of the obama period when starting from 2013 i think. the obama people to issue of course he is already tricked the kind of stronger reaction in china and china start to be you if you are

losing this or trying to see in all these us come to the point at the china realize that china need to have across a strategic and energy ties with the russians and it is a time the chinese has to seriously consider what is the future of the us china will issues. at the start of 2021 of britain's officially it left the e.u. common market and now the u.k. could see a shake up of its food supply post rex it the country will be free to import products banned in the e.u. and that includes us meat products treated with drugs including hormones and antibiotics that sustainable food campaigners are saying the government should decline given the growing world problem of anti microbial resistance it would be completely irresponsible if the government were to allow the import of beef pork or poultry produced with antibiotics for growth promotion which have been banned here . a report from the sustainable food trust singled out

a drug used on pigs which leaves cancer causing residues and it mentioned various types of antibiotics used to promote growth on u.s. factory farms which can cause antibiotic resistance and undermine treatments of various diseases in humans the reporter 1st 2 proposals to ban all preventative use of antibiotics and animals from 2022 and to require export to do the same feat additives are another concern notably top of mean which is routinely used by u.s. farmers it's banned in more than 160 countries including russia and china and scientists have linked it to reduce life expectancy here's what one of the authors of the report told us. we really shouldn't be using any antibiotics to promote growth and she bought it so critically important so all of us to humans and to farm animals to treat disease when it occurs but we've been using them responsibly and we've still got very high levels of heart disease despite the fact that we've

people have changed diets and things like that there are there is evidence out there the way these drugs are being used. the residues of them could be contributing to that what we have been concerned about is that once they get into a trade negotiations with the us all with australia or with some other countries some of those countries are very keen to export meat to us and most of those countries are using antibiotics more excessively and more 'd irresponsibly they're being used in the u.k. and so for us it would be a very regrettable step if after all the sacrifices and hard work of british farmers to find ways of keeping animals and keeping them healthy with such excessive use of antibiotics that we actually then started to allow in meat that was produced for the variance about 6 that we found in this country. that's been our breakdown of the day's top headlines but since it is new year's day we're going to wrap things up with a bang as a look at more of the fireworks displays that took place around the world as i was

going to hand. the.

well the pandemic no certainly no borders and is blind to nationalities. in. the summer if we don't come with the we don't look like seeing the whole world needs to be. judged as coming every crisis with the same things. we can do better we should. everyone is contributing each of our own way but we also know that this crisis will not go on forever the challenges create the response has been masked so many good people are helping us. it makes us feel very proud that we are in it together.

an entire village in alaska has had to move if another country threaten the one god in america. we do everything our power to protect. wanted me to skipping climate change poses the same threat right now alaska has seen some of the fuss just coastal erosion in the world we lost about 30 feet. 35 feet of ground in just about 3 months while we were measuring. in the east the river is $35.00 closer to the town than was. i think we're part of a 1st for. this

is nothing like football. it's not a money spinner but it is expensive. and it's dangerous. business is on the speedway. and they have no brakes to. stop. some people. flocking to the kaiser report 1st of the new year's day so we got an excellent feel nice christmas lights i don't think the set i mean you know i took the money i save and i bought sats all right time now to turn to peak or is the editor over a crack and he's also an advisor at bit coy magazine.

pain has changed american lives but pharmaceutical companies have a miraculous solution. based drugs it's not the people who are chronic pain and the believe that their opioid prescription is working for them in the remedy be certain to do no price that they pay closer dependancy an addiction to opiates the long term use there really isn't scientifically justified in our study actually suggests that. the long term effects may not just be absence of benefit but actually that they may be causing long term.