that still is the soul of the. chief. in the day's headlines moscow accuses brussels of politicizing the fight against the pending demick at the kremlin hit back at controversial comments from a new chief underlines casting doubt over russia's comeback see. we discussed the e.u.'s ongoing criticism of sputnik v. with russia's foreign ministry spokesman. how can the aggressor open its vaccine for the world not without hiding it making it too expensive and blackmailing with it. and the campaign to boycott facebook gains momentum in australia after the tech giant blocked news posts in the country something called an abuse of power will put the issue up for debate. should facebook profit on someone else's work

without giving them some look biggest problem facebook is that they're utterly controlling that narrative i think this whole social media i guess ecosystem has really spun out of control in terms of how it is monetize. welcome to the program and happy friday to you all this is our to international bring your live news update this hour. russia has accused brussels of politicizing the fight against the corona virus pandemic. underline made controversial comments and what she question moscow's motives to help the block with its vaccine rollout. we are perplexed to hear assessments by the had of the you exactly as it is either in an effort to politicize the issue in an insubstantial dated and indeed deplorable way or indicates an inadequate level of awareness of the top level

official or slough on elian's comments come as the e.u. commission seeks to restore confidence in the blocs own back scene rollout which has been marred by shortages earlier taylor joined my colleague nic aaron in the studio to discuss the issue. well it's pretty clear from the statement that russia is dismayed by the lack of diplomacy but also the lack of humanity that the chief has recently shown again politics beats cooperation when it comes to the covert 19 vaccine for the e.u. it really has been a struggle a struggle to get production off the ground the struggle to get jobs and arms struggle with the u.k. of the who gets however many doses and the slowness in inoculating its 450000000 strong population has got people angry and frustrated this was in that view a political test russel's failed to the point that wonderland had to publicly apologize and don't know the senate district is today we're not where we want to be in combating the virus we were late in granting authorization we were too old to

mystic about mess production and maybe we also took for granted that the doses would actually arrive on time we must ask ourselves why and what lessons we can draw from it while one lesson that did come out was that the been so inefficient that individual member states have been forced to go out on the road looking for alternatives and then looking at russia hungry for example has rights to from urgency you sputnik see we also heard in the czech republic showing an appetite for the russian frack scene so here we've got us out of wonderland buried by criticism humiliated by having to say sorry feeling the pressure what better way to divert attention from all the problems in your backyard than by fighting accusations at another country in fact let's remind ourselves of exactly what it was that she said over all arsonists. we still wonder why russia is offering theoretically millions and millions of doses while not sufficiently

progressing vaccinating the own people this is also a question i think that should be answered but do along the lions concerns have any ground here i mean i understand this but niggas is being read. in 29 countries already but what's the situation right here within russia well from the very get go as soon as russia became the 1st country in the world to register 1000 francs and president putin said russians come fast they are our priority and this was something that was reiterated by the officials and brussels representatives of the russian authorities saying to fit community and business entities have repeatedly publicly stressed that vaccination of its own citizens constitutes an absolute priority for russia in its fight against kovi 19th in full compliance with the principles of democracy and human tarion law inoculation and russia's voluntary and to date all interested citizens are provided with the vaccine without delay and free of charge without free accessibility is undeniably

a scene success washers and top 3 if you're a pen nations in terms of facts nations at last count 2200000 including many of our colleagues who described how smooth the process was you know they turned up they didn't have to book in advance they did the medical check they got fastow's then the 2nd dose then they went home and they were getting back to normal life at the same time we're seeing a very positive dynamic in terms of case numbers which are steadily declining day on day. as in every single country not everyone is racing to go and get that job at least not quite yet and this discrepancy between internal and external to mind is something that moscow raised recently. we haven't had any reports about vaccine shortages and us domestic demand for this vaccine is still gathering momentum in moscow there's no deficits but we can see there's a huge demand for demand for the russian vaccine it is indeed high it's so high that he suppresses our production capacity that's why we are actively working on

quickly launching production of the vaccine in several foreign countries production in foreign countries will cover demand abroad while many factions inside the country will cover the domestic market so clearly that's the law. who responds to vaughan to len's quite hostile comments but hc clearly throwing up political punch was more important than logic perhaps not surprising we obviously know the e.u. russian relations are going through a slightly bumpy potch moscow says it's for straighted by brussels consistently interfering and it's an ton and it looks like a we might be seeing the same story instead of trying to resolve its own issues the e.u. is trying to deflect attention and undermining a country who's trying to offer a helping hand. this is just the latest in a long line of critical remarks coming from the european union over sputnik v despite some countries in the bloc forcing support for the job as the campaign struggles to get off the ground artie's on time to discuss the issue with the

spokeswoman for the russian foreign ministry. that's not that it's our vaccine developments were denied by the west they said lots of different things that it does not exist it's bad and nobody should use it it was necessary to invent something very fast in order not to destroy the created myth that russia is an aggressor how can aggressors offer its facts into the world not without hiding it making it too expensive or blackmailing with it this is what they aggressively do instead we offered it as a tool as a method maybe not as a panacea but one of the means of overcoming the crisis in some ways it can be compared to space of course the scale is different but when you read the guardian went on his flight and when he returned what did the soviet union do it denounced that outer space is for peaceful exploration that what they used to saw proposed to the world city new trend in the direction the same with the vaccine we're open to corporations we're ready to join production we're ready to study and share our

experience some people from the west couldn't deal with it this is a blow and this is not envy this is a blow to the longstanding model of representing russia as an aggressor. and yet i see. as countries as far away as latin america continue to receive supplies of russia sputnik me and western media outlets appear to be drawing similarities between what they call the spread of the russian vaccine and cold worst fears the influence it has on that later in the program. large protests continue in spain over the arrest of catalan a rapper public hersel who has been jailed for slandering the crown and glorifying terrorism. the artist was arrested on tuesday at the university of utah where he and his

supporters had barricaded themselves inside hundreds of public figures have spoken out in support of the artists will ever see international described his detention as an excessive restriction on his freedom of expression protests and support of the 32 year old has been taking place across the country there's also been riots and clashes with police back in 2018 public hazel was convicted by a spanish court over tweets calling the former king a quote mafia boss as well fell foul of legislation covering spaniards rights to freedom of expression of the gag law by critics a court ruled spanish law prohibited such expressions of opinion public lawyer gave us his view on the matter is that based. in this country the term glorification of terrorism has been used very easily to persecute political dissidents it's one of the countries where many artists have been given prison terms and it's not nice and here we have other political and social problems and in

the pandemic the economic recession is a very important matter as young people have no future the state is very powerful and there are many types of violence that it's using to protect itself this is systematic and daily violence against those who lost their homes who have no homes as they don't have an income people are unhappy with this while it's. a campaign to boycott facebook is gaining momentum in australia after the tech giant blocked news posts in the country in response to a proposed law to make social networks pay publishers for news content that's really in government has criticised the move. i would decide if i said this is a strike you are going to business here you work according to our rules but the idea of shutting down the sort of sots di did yesterday as some sort of 3 well 'd i know i was trying to react to that and i thought that was a. not a good move on the part of this morning so we'll see way where those discussions go

and we can find a pathway going forward yesterday's actions by phase work were on this is scary they would heavy handed they have generated a very strong reaction here in a strike. and addition to news posts facebook also blocked a number of key australian government pages including health departments emergency services and trade unions the company later commented on the issue saying these accounts had been inadvertently impacted and are now being restored and see international weighed in on the issue saying facebook's willingness to control information people rely on is extremely concerning the groups that the move stood in stark contrast to what it called the tech giants or track record and handling hateful content and disk information canada has also voiced support for australia and its spat with facebook the country is considering somewhat legislation and has said it would not be intimidated by the tech giant earlier you know neil got the thoughts of our guests on the story. although i don't like facebook by any means i

also don't blame them for trying to put a stop to what i think is a very bad policy that in the end well only end up hurting smaller independent and perhaps even dissident sources in favor of a larger more establishment media sources these news organizations are disappearing that's really what's at stake and they really don't have any choice because they're not generating the kind of revenues necessary to run these news this content of which facebook reliance on it we have seen a whole cloth disruption of paid you know professional journalists guys that spent 30 years cutting their teeth and there are a lot of jobs because who's going to pay him $80.00 grand plus benefits to write a story when you can get to me on his you know no unfair of by no real credentials in journalism typing out something and make more money on those clicks so the question is for democracy is what is the threshold where people deserve to

have real information and should they have to pay for it should facebook profit on someone else's work without giving them some look you can understand facebook's desire not to give in and start paying for news stories like google did once the box opens there's $200.00 other countries surely saying we want some to facebook but you do to their shareholders right if we start saying all right facebook will have to pay to feature news articles and news links what's stopping other forms of content from doing the same this whole social media i guess ecosystem has really spun out of control in terms of how it is monetize and actually a i think more equitable if i can use that word solution to this would be to start talking about ways to break up the monopoly that facebook does have on advertising and also on user data basically the biggest problem with facebook is that they're utterly controlling that narrative and they're completely shutting out news that doesn't obey the narrative miss and this goes for almost. every issue down the line

that is of the importance today let's remember back in around 2007 i happen to be one of those lucky ones who interviewed this guy who started facebook he was a nobody was still on my space my space everywhere and he said that he wanted to create an ecosystem similar to a a well at the time if we all remember dial up ale well it closed circuit environment where all your dating your shopping your opinions and basically people who weren't able to have real friends in life could have thousands of friends make believe friends and call them their friends and you would never have to leave that world and it would do everything for you well that dream has come true and now all of us are sitting in the middle of it going well wait a minute it's either all capitalism where anything goes and we can all charge for everything or it's part capitalism or it's something but we're at that time of growth now we actually have to make the grown up decisions. poorly organized

expensive and unsafe that's how some travelers returning to the u.k. have described the country's quarantine hotels the facilities were opened this week for people arriving from corona virus hotspots under the new measure as travelers returning from red listed countries have to quarantine in a hotel for at least 10 days it costs $1750.00 pounds per person that's about $2400.00 on an additional $650.00 pounds for a 2nd adult are shot edwards reports from outside one of the hotels. foreign travelers and brits returning home from $33.00 reckless countries are now forced to isolate and government mandated hotels in the u.k. for 10 days it's all part of measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variants but not only are rivals like elaine and wagner confined to the 4 walls of a small hotel room they've also got to foot they have to bills and selves to go you . know what we've got to be $2000.00 when you come back.

you know. we want to try to come along a bit but right now there are going to be a new rule how about i don't know i don't know yet but this couple of to loan many thought it's been cancelled and a party dates change due to complications of the cave a $1000.00 pandemic and it's not just the financial burden that's weighing heavily other rivals tell me the current policy is less safer than isolating a home a plague take. home. the 5. believe me state i like. being a feature bringing it. all. out one. currently the government has almost 5000 rooms available across 16 airport hotels with another 58000 on standby but as has been

throughout the entire pandemic scotland has gone one step further by enforcing hotel current measures on any international arrivals regardless of which country they arrive from even in exceptional circumstances we were due to. us we know almost in so it's when scotland and joost managed or seen mr consul 'd just automatically once the 16th and that's. when the rest if. you know can already have some along what if you were going to england or if you were willing to get in the ring and ring haski because. it's just if you were it would be penalized for a moment you know you know we. just all feeling like captives thousands of arrivals have to wait before getting home to their families as. ever more anxiety

it's all right and testing times sharjah edwards dusting oxy u.k. london league. still have as millions in the southern states of america are left without water or electricity amid a deadly winter storm republican texans received little sympathy on social media details on that story and more after this. join me every thursday on the elec so i'm unsure when i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics sports business i'm sure. i'll see you then.

welcome back to the program as countries in latin america continue to receive supplies of russia's sputnik me some western media outlets appear to be drawing

similarities between what they call the spread of the russian vaccine and the cold war there's artie's mom got staff with more. scrutiny v. was born into disbelief then ridicule and jokes how could russia have done what the richest and the most democratic nations of the world couldn't finally came acceptance greta but acceptance. is the facade. it was always politics it was never really about the vaccine if scrutiny came from france for example could you even imagine it would have attracted lease much ridicule and scorn of course it would fortunately science prevailed and

sputnik is saving lives in latin america. we're happy with the signing of a very important contract for our country for our population for the believe in people because in this way believe me is among the countries among the many countries that today are making efforts to provide a way out to give the population certainty in the face of this pandemic lose interest in these on the money russia has extended to helping hand in solidarity to our people the country attacked by imperial powers implicated country criminally kate the people who mock than derided spruit nick b. they haven't changed their minds that isn't what they do they still hate it they hate a vaccine just because it's russian but since they can no longer smear the vaccine is unsafe now they're trying to syria into the collective consciousness that it is

a weapon a russian weapon a vaccine cold war the joke is right jus political vaccine that's too good to be true. now you have to be a putin friend to place an order we will of course understand that it was and it is tabloid trash sellout pundits acting in special interests that angry that the united states which has alluded to do over the americas north and south assuming all that it isn't the us ride into latin america's rescue with a vaccine clutched in it's had and this is what we do indeed and geopolitics you know the americans have the assistance with food to africa and it has labels of us say things like that so we do this all the time and the vaccine is going to be a new way of this geopolitics in terms of getting of a bigger influence in the sphere of what america it's a game of chess if someone is winning that means the other side is losing so they

feel bad day meeting maybe the western european union or the americas you know united states is losing in latin america because the russians are gaining latin america which journalists seem to imply when running off to russia actually didn't see contrary to what their padley teach in us journalism schools latin americans aren't idiots and that perfectly capable of weighing their options so his flaws are and his sputnik floods is twice as expensive roughly and very difficult to transport and to store requiring deep freeze which is again expensive or is nick which can be kept at your regular kitchen fridge temperatures when we looked at the contracts we evaluated the ones with fines it did not comply with the legal protocols we expected we reached out to the russians and president fernandez related directly with putin and this sped things up we've heard for months now

promises and calls from western politicians and leaders to stop buying out and who are doing all the vaccines. so far that has been merely with poor nations or to put their faith in koufax they were told w.h.o. mechanism to provide the developing world with enough jobs to inoculate 20 percent of the population free of charge a levy in colombia even goto in the shortlist and guess what or the single dose has yet been delivered but you don't see politico raising a fuss about kovacs being too good to be true. a huge winter storm sweeping through the southern us has killed at least 36 people in texas one of the hardest hit states millions of people are still facing water and power shortages freezing temperatures have caused water pipes to burst leaving

millions of texans without access to clean running water of course have also been forced to stand in lines for food as shops run low on supplies the texas governor has blamed the power grid operator for the massive outages saying it failed to prepare for the storm operator though has stated that significant progress has been made in restoring power meanwhile people online took the opportunity to mock republican texans caught up in the storm that's killed martin explains. at a time like this you would think that texans would be receiving lots of love and sympathy from their fellow americans but not this time some just don't seem to be able to forget that texas is red they say this is god's punishment for election denial i feel for the people suffering through this weather but god doesn't seem to like ted cruz will join courneya these 2 also never recognize to do a war if this isn't payback i don't know what he is a texas keep voting for officials who don't believe in climate change and supported

privatization of the power grid maybe in 4 years you can vote for trump again he believes in the latter but not the former perfect. isn't it great how the red states are the 1st to denounce the federal government and also the 1st one to start whining and crying for help from the fats when things go bad lead them freeze i say let them freeze with wanting to split away with us now they're begging for help their red states warm them up so here we have americans saying that americans deserve to freeze because they are trump's supporters and some find the whole thing up warry asli funny this is especially tough for texans because they're not equipped for snow they don't have snow shovels out there the best bet is to grab the air 15 to shoot each snowflake before it lands while this seems to be a shocking revelation of american solidarity many texans don't seem too happy with ted cruz their senator who's enjoying his vacation in cancun and maybe they're also

devastated to hear that they're on their own from their mayor no one owes you will your family anything nor is it the local government's responsibility to support you during trying times like this sink or swim it's your choice the city and county along with power providers or any of the service nothing now that mayor has resigned that post has been deleted from social media but all of this has not made things easier for texans partisan mockery and mere celebration of the suffering of so many people in the lone star state seems to fly in the face of joe biden's claims that he's trying to reunify the country the nation is not divine to you go out there and take a look and talk to people you have fringes on both but it's not new is divided as we make it out to be and we have to bring it together as americans don't seem horrified by what's happening in texas but rather see it as some kind of cathartic

revenge for their political opponents it seems that biden's promise of reunifying the country is pretty far off caleb mop and artsy new york. that's her goal the news update for this hour but don't forget you can always had her website r.t. dot com for all the details on the stories and more. it's been decades since the fall of spain's fascist regime but old wounds still haven't tailed. into the garden this morning and that's. because only from you know . the bottom is a bow or. on the bus at us as mean older than us and i think ultimately you know thousands of newborn babies were torn from their mothers and given away and forced adoption that only. feast or are all born as a fellow men to this day mothers still search for grown children while adults look

in hope for their birth parents. strangers human beings to change directions or you know the music there i think is what was lost there is it there's going to make me more uneasy really why should we why should we be forced to buy time just because major. toyota supposedly knew great why don't we get to choose their. it. seems he said we're going to but it's interesting going to 60 keep the bridge. into the crease. the door just wasn't it would be

in. the. low. 3 like you know the got only here on the most well i want to get on with i got one from i think i want to get my game were called and so yes i mark one will be snuck through teaching the kid to smoothe in the corner and by 3 martin can move through the middle one seat you've got to go or not is beyond me. but almost get the whole pickings to intreat means richard boucher. whom when you hear. me guard the bus the way i'm what do. you do you see you or i wouldn't get that done and i could you know bored he'd 3 words leave boy spoil me well but. i think the words with me and what you've missed me.