the british prime minister plunges england into a 3rd lockdown it will see businesses and schools closed their doors until mid february while people are ordered to stay home also ahead. of. a british judge rules against extraditing the wiki leaks founder julian assange to the u.s. over mental health concerns but as the current editor in chief of wiki leaks points out questions over press freedom remain. with wind for julian the songs. we have people. it is not necessarily a win for journalists in the. u.s.

says it will appeal the decision we've been hearing reaction from a song army of supporters. i'm so happy that he's. going to be discharged and for whatever reason it's fantastic he's standing up freedom of speech he's got nothing to tell the truth that's the real soon i'm going to see this guy ollie's just because he's a terrific guy. broadcasting live from moscow to the world this is our chief international i'm donald quarter taking you through your world news stories welcome to the program. morris johnson has imposed another national lockdown in england the country's 3rd since the spring the british prime minister said he hopes the move will be enough to contain a highly contagious variant of covert currently spreading around the country that's

as the u.k. is pushing towards nearly $60000.00 new cases a day we know how of the new variant of the bars and it's been both frustrating and looming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading. scientists have confirmed this new variant is between 50 and 70 percent more transmissible in england we was therefore going to a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant if come back full circle to to last march when we were told to stay home protect the n.h.s. and to save lives and that mantra was repeated by boris johnson again today and is in force once again what it means simply enough is that people in england are being told to stay home except for a number of reasons essential shopping work if that work can't be done from home exercise urgent medical needs or in cases where someone is threatened with domestic

violence and has to get out there's also significant pressure coming for parents and students as primary and secondary schools will move to remote learning from to morrow and the closure of schools is a major government u. turn as the pm had said that he was determined the primary schools at least in england would stay open he did say that there is a rather downbeat meds message of course that the oxford astra zeneca vaccine means that the biggest maximisation program in the u.k. history can now be effectively rolled out and that he hopes that the most vulnerable will all have been vaccinated by mid february for goes well with britain's the says that now more than ever we must pull together many people who are going to be extremely frustrated that the government has given them almost no notice again for yet another major life upheaval and is once again being reactive rather than proactive with coded 19 by the way we're back in lockdown in england

and the new rules are going to become law from wednesday microbiologist ed reading university simon clarke believes the situation has not been heading in the right direction. if the numbers of the factions are going off by definition restrictions on a working because of the very minimum they should cause them to level off ideally you want to drive them down so if the numbers are going up then then they're not working so really there are only a few leaders left to pull from they are. closing schools and universities and restricting the amount of people who go to work on a daily basis that those who are really really have. a british court has rejected washington's extradition request for julian assange on student concerns about his mental health the u.s. says it will appeal the decision and still wants to try the wiki leaks founder on espionage charges let's take a look at the reaction of assad just supporters outside the courthouse when the

verdict filtered through i mean you're going to eat i mean it's true it was you know was i was. was. as long as julian has to injure suffering and isolation as an unconvicted prisoner in belmarsh prison and as long as our children continue to be the rest of their father's love and affection. we cannot celebrate. we will celebrate the day he comes home of glimmers of hope to start the new year and hopefully a new era. it is a day. a day of with

a win for julian assange. but we have people. it is not necessarily a win for journalists and writers. everything had been absent in that trial was there was a circus cheering fried eunice on does not fit the historic moment outside the for her out of charge have no right to actually do it your innocence to the united states it has been a decision based have meant to house grounds indeed you know what is 6 right if you were to be extradited to the united states it is a very unexpected have resulted front up until the last moment the judge had said that the case was not politically motivated he said she said that he would not he would face a purge all in the united states under the u.s. constitution but at the 11th hour the judge actually said no judas old would not be accurate i said to the united states but it is incredible since we've just heard

from so morris the partner of judy in the sun she says actually right now we cannot fully celebrate we can only fully celebrate when judas sarge is court but this is the 1st step to justice we've also heard from the wiki leaks editor in chief christian roughed her up to he said again yet it's not over when featured in just yet nor a win for john isn't just yet but there should be more pressure applied on to the united states for the u.s. government to follow and they say enough is enough because of course judas soldier has been wanted by the united states for his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the united states and if he were to be found guilty he would have been sentenced up to 175 years behind prison that's under the u.s. is indictments of 18 counts under the espionage act for spying and publishing tons of fire documents all related to the war in iraq and afghanistan plus one of conspiracy to hack a government computer to publish these documents as well so according to today's

sun just defense the united states was trying to prosecute yunus on depleted. good grounds it was a politically motivated case it said of course if it is politically motivated that would therefore mean that judas saw and was exempt from actually titian on to the u.k. you asked extradition treaty how as a prosecutor said the absolute opposite that it was not politically motivated and in fact you're a soldier endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of people for publishing these classified documents so although today is a victory an essence for june a surge as the judge did of course say that it was not politically motivated enough to serious concern for journalism going forward on the future of journalism as well you know i spoke to rebecca vincent from reporters without borders and she says that journalists need to be protected so we read the very much and share the court's assessment of his serious mental health arrests but we're concerned that the rest of the decision leaves the door open for possible other prosecutions on

similar grounds because until that point until she came to that point of the decision it seems very much that the case would have been in favor of the prosecution so without the mental health issues at play somebody else in that same situation could have indeed been extradited to the u.s. to face charges there so this pointed out broader systemic issues that need to be addressed the not the astronauts act must be reformed it locks the public interest of funds if any publisher any journalist any source finds himself subject to similar proceedings they cannot adequately defend themselves so that it hit today was one thing story medical grounds of course students soldiers defense team said that he was totally unfit to travel to the united states both in terms of his physical how auntie's mental how the post units are just being rolled up in london's ecuadorian embassy for one thing 7 in the hope is that he was put into a belmarsh prison for almost 2 years so his mental and physical health has been seriously deteriorating but it wasn't just his mental and physical health here in the united kingdom but what could happen to him if he were to be sent to the united

states he would have had to serve that sentence if found guilty and convicted in any tax colorado joe that's one of america's most notorious jail. in fact home to some of the world's worst criminal masterminds truckloads terrorists you name it they're in that most notorious prison and that's exactly what you did a soldier was going to be had it so that huge sentence that prospect of the future like that was something that really meant a judeans meant to house was really at breaking point i his lawyer says that he was having suicidal tendencies and forced hundreds of times a day so that is pretty much the key reason why the judge today said that that is so stupid that's a fate that he was not going to be facing having said that as i do mention it's not in terms of journalistic freedoms we're still out a point where the battle is not over just yet we understand that the decision on whether or not you know so much will be granted bail or not will come on wednesday

and of course the united states is at healing at this verdict today they still are on the hunt for judas origin essence they still want to see judas sold expedited to the united states to the doctor who really isn't over yet but in time to support his own campaign is that outside the criminal court here today it wasn't just you know so much that was in the dock but actually the fundamental tenants on tricycles of the rights and freedoms of expression not depressed but also for the public to access information as well so it is a big day for tourists but there's still a long way to go when it comes to journalistic freedoms pink floyd founder roger waters who's a long time campaigner for julian assange gave his reaction to the court's decision we his supporters have to be saying you have asked to bail him out he has suffered. way beyond any suffering that should have been meted out same for his one's mobo infringement which he sees only a crime under u.k.

law ok so by him now that the man begin to live this is a battle not just for the life of a one great truly great journalist julian and sometimes it's a battle for the survival of the human race if we give up the 4th estate if we allow the united states government to crucify a journalist on the grounds that he revealed war crimes by them then we give up our access to the real world and we say ok we will believe what you are less and if somebody comes along and says actually you know what that's not true this government murdered journalists by machine gunning them from a helicopter in baghdad in 2007 and we know they did and here is the proof and

we're going to publish it and then and and then we will say you can't do that because if you do we're going to kill you is that the well we want to live in no we also heard from a number of assad's other prominent supporters outside the courthouse. i wasn't sure what to expect but i'm so happy that he's. been discharged for whatever reason it's fantastic i mean there's so many people who've been campaigning for an awful long time against this injustice when he's gone through 1011 years of hell 1st on the house arrest and in belmarsh prison for the simple crime of journalism which isn't a crime he's standing up for freedom of speech he's done nothing but tell the truth he's been treated as a political prisoner object or that it's mental health has suffered an unknown people opposed to him has said that that is the case this is this is not just about him personally it's about journalism it's about freedom it's about freedom of speech it's about freedom of the press and all those things are being undermined

both in this country are by the actions of the people in the united states they're trying to get him to be extradited of pushing this action here was the right absolutely remarkable decision 95 percent of the judges are bars were in favor for us i mean favor of execution she threw my political the penalty threw out public interest depends only in the last moment for a decision that she cited the american prison system so brutal so fresh. you would be at risk of suicide if i sent him to be america or america sought help going to get that this is the end of the story we will go to a higher court so this is just because it is a terrific day what she said about markets much more worrying because she said there's no public interest there's no we there's no difference to journalists. like proper journalists or you like to do what most journalists to control. there's no public interest but these are these were very very bad remarks and this is

a victory and the changes you need to celebrate the fulton thing is if i never saw much of julian room be extradited according to the decision of the judge i don't know he's very who are saying that the only reason the on. the reason why this edition has been stopped ease his fragile health condition and the high risk of suicidal journalists around the world should be very very worried about today's outcome is very very worrying dot's jaci basically creamy now lies journalistic p.v.t. these if political case. and. it's not over it's not over yet it has been looking back at the events that led to a songes long fight for freedom. julian his son has come a long way from an obscure activist to freedom fighter all traitor depending on who

you are one thing you can deny him though is that he led the charge that we kill leaks to dig up the secrets that america's intelligence colossus spent billions of dollars burying and he succeeded.

field reports from iraq military logs from afghanistan sensitive documents from guantanamo bay none of which made the u.s. look particularly good i would argue that it's closer to being the high tech terrorist it is it i mean international community i'm not for the death penalty so if i'm not for the death penalty i want to do it illegally shoot the son of a. great discredit to this nation should be assassinated he should be treated as an enemy combatant it didn't take long for his sons to experience firsthand what it means to be uncle sam's public enemy the us went after the whistleblower launching a probe into his actions at the same time a seemingly unrelated sexual assault investigation was opened. in sweden a son himself though claimed it was all part of americas to extradite him by all

means possible the pressure mounted so when 2012 a son requested asylum from ecuador and holed up in the country's embassy in london this kicked off what would become a long 7 years of confinement with even the u.n. calling for an end to this suffering various forms of deprivation of liberty to which julian assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention the working group maintains that the arbitrary detention of mr assigned should be brought to an end instead the old things short from bad to even worse for a sign of ecuador's new president who was looking for warmer relations with the u.s. seem to take personal offense when we can leaks wrote about corruption allegations against him sarge was shown the door artie's video agency ruptly turned out to be

the only outlet to catch the moment his son was literally carried out of the building some 7 years after he stepped in it. was. once u.k. law enforcement got their hands on a son they threw him in prison a proper one but the u.s. government is looking to try him under american law where the whistleblower faces more than a 100 years behind bars now every cording that emerged in line has sparked another wave of calls to pardon the whistleblower in the tape ironically julian a son she was trying to help u.s. authorities minimize the fallout of the 2011 leaks. which will have an. hour here is more or. but we have been calling.

me. every day trying to. hold back on trump since you're given pardons to people please consider putting those who at great personal sacrifice expose the deception and criminality of those in the deep state mr president if you grant only one act of clemency jury no time in office please free julian a'sssos you alone can save his life on hoping that he will pardon julian assange it's the right thing to do so far from has remained deaf to the pleas the julian assange just saga has been going for so long it feels like it could be over any minute but flashing back to how it's been going so far it seems like we've just turned the page on another chapter good and i found it for what i have known of him is a very resilient person but he has been brought to the breaking point to 10 years of persecution. joint persecution for political reasons by sweden by the

united kingdom by the us by ecuador and none of this is being addressed he's not being compensated and not receiving justice for the ill treatment you know suffered he should not have been brought to a point where you are suicidal he has been persecuted to a point where he has been broken and now they basically the system is getting him out and you know obviously that is a legal obligation but in the fens the system has succeeded in intimidating the world and happen the message that this is what's going to happen to you if ever you have to publishing our dirty. secrets and making that known to the world. let's recap monday's big developments regarding julian assad sure british judge has ruled against extraditing him to the u.s. today concerns over his mental health the u.s. has said it will appeal the court's decision

a songe will remain in custody ahead of that appeal there's also a chance he could be released on bail before then a decision on that will be made on wednesday now stateside the wiki leaks co-founder faces 17 counts of spying and one of conspiracy to hack a government computer if found guilty he would face up to 175 years in prison. in the u.s. the coronavirus vaccine rollout isn't quite going according to plan the country missed its target of inoculating 20000000 people by the end of 2020 only managing 3000000 as taylor picks up the story. it might be a new year but it's cool to buy the same old problems on the fust day of 2021 the us hit $20000000.00 kovac 19 cases but just out was before as the clock struck midnight thousands flooded the streets hoping that the next $365.00 days would just

be that little bit that. scared i don't know what will happen 1st rule for 2021 don't talk about 2020 and i believe this is there we go she started here we did. that everything is going to get better actually working at the c.b.s. and his own crazy with the coded vaccine and everything right now we really hope that everything goes back to normal this christmas i knew here many wished for return to our old normal lives something top medical advisors have been promising was just around the corner by the time we get into all of 2021 we could be approaching some level of normality tuns out though the very thing they said would quite literally set us free the fact scene is cool top in it's own trauma president

health experts in operation warp speed hope to have 20000000 americans vaccinated by now but things are going slower than 1st thought there is now growing frustration building over the slow roll out of the corona virus vaccines across the u.s. there's only a small percentage of the vaccine that's been distributed by the federal government that has actually been administered the massive vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in the u.s. has gotten off to a slower start very slower start there's no way we can speed this up in the near term 14000000 doses of the fine and madonna fight scenes have been distributed across america but fewer than 3000000 have been administered it why well donald trump says he's done his job but states aren't doing that. the federal government has distributed the vaccines to the states now it is up to the states to administer get moving a blame game that didn't go down well with those who say it's

a lack of direction from the top that's left people out in the cold that comprehensive vaccination plans have not been developed at the federal level and sent to the states as models is as and comprehensible as it is inexcusable it was unrealistic to assume that the health care workers already overburdened with covert care could take on a massive vaccination program many of those of the bugs and health care was because on now protesting they say they were promised a vaccine and instead face and miscues and crashing apps if that lucky that's despite being in contact with infected people all hours of the day for 10 months straight the promise to vaccinate them as a priority fell apart as quickly as the promise to inoculate 20000000 by the end of 2020 so if they're not going to the risk groups where all they going while no one apparently there are delays at every corner we agreed that number is lower than

less we hope for we know that it should be better and working hard to make the best tons out holiday period and snow storms on what a smooth rollout means but even once the holidays end in the snow melts if nothing changes unless say it would take almost 10 years to vaccinate enough americans to control the virus gives a whole new meaning to a peroration warp speed and the mess continues on a local level to. is it just normal teething problems of one of the most ambitious vaccination campaigns

in u.s. history or is it just incompetence at every level either way it looks like to kewl meant to bring is now only outing to the chaos that's it for this hour for more on your world news stories make sure to check out our website r.t. dot com and follow us on twitter i'll be back with more in just about half an hour and i hope to see you then. is your media a reflection of reality. in a world transformed. what will make you feel safe from. isolation or community. are you going the right way or are you being

led so well. what is true what is faith. in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us in the depths. or a maybe in the shallows. known as planned across the ocean will. lead you down australian visual they will. give me time should come to the nearest union. to go to live to introduce the church must play to the needs of the right seems to me and. i did indeed to go to church for this new look like

a loser well that i don't feel pretty chilled or if there will be a choice to be on your boat it will show you so much to do with. us took the little girl out of this thread through the coke with full attention you being point of their beautiful you're the morsi we're going. to put so that the new. black. duran dish to their share for more gas to jam just. reach the o.c.d. if you do you'll get. yes there when you know which of the will. do just what does lead to speech could you will know when you are going to. 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. hello and welcome to cross talk we're all things are considered i'm purely bell what is the fate of the progressive movement can it continue to co-exist with the mainstream establishment left is its current trajectory electoral did it and 10 progressive's be part of a greater political realignment.