you get in though a. little. bit let me get on the other. in the day's headlines san marino becomes the latest european country to start vaccinating its citizens with russia sputnik shop after supply blaze of crabs the country's labor minister explained why they sought an alternative. be an independent state even within the territory of the european union we have the right to make independent decisions. also this hour hundreds of millions of euro to controversal foreign consultants present micron's government comes under heavy fire for its vaccine distribution campaign. and the b.b.c. reveals plans to reverse the dominance of american cartoons setting extremely ambitious targets to get children watching more british based culture.

you're watching arts international bring you your live news update from our studio here in moscow welcome to the program. send marino's begun vaccinating with russia sputnik the code vaccine after deliveries of approved alternatives failed to arrive microstates surrounded by italy isn't a member so was excluded from block deals with pharmaceutical giants overshot supplies but it had negotiated getting a tiny part of each delivery to italy they're saying let use the medical director of san marino state hospital said there were no doubts about russian vaccine quality. we chose the sputnik vaccine because there is an agreement between us and italy through the european union for the supply of money and pfizer vaccines that unfortunately are delayed at the moment there for even the excellent diplomatic

relations with russia 'd we have chosen to get the sputnik the vaccine faster we saw some excellent reviews from renowned international medical journals like the land set or the spawn sanny in rome that have already tested the quality of this vaccine officials say the russian made job could eventually vaccinate some 13 percent of its population of around $34000.00 so marina's labor minister told us what about more why they made that choice. independent even within the territory of italy and the european union we have the right to make independent decisions and have an excellent relations both with members and countries outside borders at the moment you are showing an increased interest in the sputnik v.x. and we've reached out instead of staying only inside the market we acted in the interests of our own citizens and i'm sure that over time more states will draw conclusions and make similar decisions for

a part we have complete confidence in the russian vaccine we can see that technical of initiative and bureaucratic decisions taken with regard to the production and distribution of certain products significantly slow down the approval process in different countries so we think these processes should be rated due to the critical circumstances in the e.u. we simply did not have a vaccine and we had to make a choice. that comes as certain states also step up talks to get sputnik the chancellor has spoken on the phone with a lot of about getting supplies as soon as the european medicines agency approves russia's jab we spoke to one top austrian biologist about how the scientific community is responding to russia's development. job is good i think that the lancet publication shows that what it can be is a high quality vaccine that we have promising data of 91 percent effectiveness which is high demonstrates this this is a vector based vaccine which means it is injected using

a virus into our immune system to form immunity in the difference between the other vector vaccine since it would be is that it uses 2 different viral vectors usual and this is important as in some cases the immune system can create antibodies to the vector making the 2nd jab less effective whilst putting the has to a different safe viruses it makes the back seem more effective our. friends has suffered its worst week in the pandemic since november of last year reporting more than 25000 new cases on friday and m.p.'s want to know why foreign consultants with deep ties to present mccrone are pocketing huge contracts for a vaccine rollout plagued by delays and failures are to charlotte devinsky reports . as the vaccine rollout in france gains ground questions being asked about the role of private companies and consulting firms involved they said to be playing a major role in the strategy which to many has been

a major disaster several companies were hired by the french government between them they have signed contracts worth millions and millions of euros the lion's share went to american food and the kings see the lucrative contracts signed with mckinsey and not initially disclosed to the public was supposed to help ensure vaccine duces could be transported across france working you might think is perfectly suited to france's last network of civil servants so the fact that it's been contracted out to us firm is that many with a bitter taste in their mouths. in government as in our hospitals consulting firm serve policing public administration at astronomical cost why such contempt for civil servants what an admission of an effectiveness and helplessness and our whole state apparatus what is it for absolutely amazing what is mckinsey doing

there we have a ministry of health a ministry of the interior and a ministry of defense that know how to manage crises if we know how to mobilize them this is decay of the state. mackenzie appears to be a particularly poisoned chalice the firm recently agreed to pay more than half a $1000000000.00 to settle lawsuits brought by u.s. states it was accused of fueling the opioid epidemic for its work boosting the sales of oxycontin a painkiller not a squeaky clean reputation for a firm helping the vaccine roll out. it's a big scam yes for me it's a scam i don't have much to say personally but it's a scam and i'm not really surprised after all it's the government so it is bizarre it's not spoken about in the newspapers here you've spoken about it and we don't talk about it on television or in the newspapers the things that are said in our country but it can mean nothing but in another country it's

a scandal what can we do here in front of you know government toying consultancy firms. uncommon these days but what has surprised me is just how quickly this appears to be accelerating calls government to sign some 575 contracts with consultancy firm since october 28th covering everything from economic recovery to. public sector accounts of big business. for around 10 percent of their overall profits so how do people feel. especially since there was a call for tenders all of that was it for the french firms to the north because i don't understand why would it be a group that would benefit from that's the story you just told me something actually i'm sure the government listen listen. i think these are things to deserve

to be thought about we do need a private company to think about how we do transportation we still have the french railways. on getting business. i think we could use the more wisely more courage to do more fronts 1st you don't know for example he doesn't give enough to give the impression that micron is no longer president he does not the french government has played down the role played by groups like mckinsey consultancy firms have been used for several years by multiple governments when the elaborate implement big projects require or logistical support and advice from what really got people angry is just how close the consultancy firms like mckinsey are to president with toys going back many years and with such sums lining the pockets of a private american consultancy firm at the same time when the economy here has been laid low by the pandemic many are now asking questions so much even ati.

a german doctor has reportedly refused to treat a female politician because of her political views for the alternative for germany party the country's 3rd largest told us of the shock she felt when the family doctor told her he was taking a quote moral stand. you know i can. do to a chronic illness had to visit my family doctor i had been seen for the past 2 years the conversation went relatively well and then my doctor told me that he would like to terminate the health care contract i was horrified and asked him why he replied that he had learned from the media that i was a member of the a.v. party and that i had been elected to the bundestag from the electoral district so for moral reasons he could no longer continue my treatment then i asked if i fainted now what would you do he replied that then he would have to help me as a medical emergency case and then i said that if he was alone in the room he could

just close the door and you're in there are such station press only every 10 seconds. the doctor's clinic has not yet responded to our requests for comment but the insurance company in the case told us that it expects patients to get the best possible treatment regardless of their beliefs and that the legal ramifications should be looked into. it's far from the 1st alleged discrimination against members and 2019 and after m.p. was beaten unconscious in the street and a year later at the party's leaders car was set on fire a study found alternative for germany suffers the most attacks of any national party including physical verbal and property assaults and he refused treatment by her doctor again says mainstream media ignored her case but she is fighting for justice. and. i represent the position of the a of d. and i do not adhere to right wing radical views in the a of d. i feel a liberal conservative so there was no reason to attack me personally or to deny

further medical attention i consider this to be absolutely average 3 and cannot understand my case was covered by the media unfortunately not local but only alternative media were covering the story i actually sent a statement to the police with my lawyer who filled a complaint with the physicians chambre and i sent a copy to a ok bottom victim because this doctor works on the contract with that insurance company according to the rules such actions are prohibited since he's providing services on the health insurance policy so i decided to fight it and my fight continues. the b.b.c. is pumping extra cash to reverse dependence on american cartoons like the simpsons the broadcaster set an extraordinary target of 90 percent of its cartoons being british and just the latest salvo of a very adult battle for children's minds. has more. let's face it

cartoon say it all of our childhood the simpsons tom and jerry rug rats the looney tunes you name it we've probably spent far too many hours glued to the t.v. . am. actually doomed according to the director of the b.b.c.'s children's department too many cartoons watched here in britain all while not british what i think we can do to set our characters in the british setting or at least european when i'm talking now i'm saying what about roast beef instead of turkey we should be thinking about these things children grow up with these cultures why not infuse more of our culture to drive us to develop homegrown animation series aimed at young says a 7 to 12 but should children be told what to watch in favor of promoting british culture or should kids be left to be kids just kind of shift focus i don't think

the british people lack identity because they don't have any culture to speak out like that in texas running around london right they can step outside this thing which is filled sad that they need to be understand which coaching isn't have that retail for a young age sometimes kids like to hear something that's immediate towards them at school when it's time to say that if it really makes any difference it's good to keep it to them to see the coaches but i don't think it's very depends on the budget comes around like i watch it every couple 7 it's pretty extraordinary really obviously as broad as possible it's got to be the best answer to anything the b.b.c. is even toying with the idea of recreating british versions of the world's most popular cartoons imagine if we could have a version of the seams as for children and families in the u.k. it would be amazing. but it's not even possible it's come up with new things i think i'm kind of the age of remakes deceived on a lot and i've had enough. so i got my new stuff best new story to tell and i think

we've been through enough this year tonight as news stories that can probably come up but i would say that yeah would be great to see that like medium come to the u.k. and be more like british and that type of humor i don't know if that would go abroad do a sequel to the simpsons. well maybe the b.b.c. is on to something here off to rule the have been huge successes like peppa pig in fact it was so popular that kids across the atlantic were hit with the pepper effect and began imitating british accents it's all the 1st time that foreign cartoons have come under fire a few years ago critics lashed out at a russian cartoon musher in the bag accusing it of having a most sinister side being wait for it a propaganda tool for dealing with the kinds of. things. you see what did we miss something here the cartoons are really used to indoctrinate children's minds and promote interests you start the better i guess.

still ahead in the program and a show of anger and mass opposition rally is held in our media in a bid to force the under-fire prime minister to quit that story and others in just 90 seconds.

join me every thursday on the alex salmond show and i'll be speaking to guests of the world of politics or business i'm show business i'll see you then. welcome back mass opposition rallies are underway in armenia with crowds calling on the prime minister to quit and falls his controversial efforts to sack the armed forces chief earlier the country's president discussed the national unrest with

parliamentary group leaders are to his concert in rushkoff reports from the protests. the protests are still already here and more and more are arriving over the standoff between prime minister of pashtun and military chiefs opposition leaders are given a passionate speeches right as we speak i'm probably going to hear that in their galvanize and move the crowd over here and you know this area has become the center of a street an uprising against a passion and people have been hammering here overnight for his 2nd night lighting fires inside metal barrel barrels they are getting drinking water and supplies and they are adamant that they will stay here until their key demand is meant that pasha now on the stand down. we've made significant progress it has to create he who betrayed the nation has to leave we've never had such a vile leader who treated us so badly. the only the scientific community politicians policies everyone is against nichols. i think today's

a crucial day so many things have already happened and so many things have been disclosed so everyone who's been following pressure now they realized they were misled and will turn away from him he's a liar after the demonstration is over and people are going to march him down the cd and as you can see tensions are running high after the army's top commander told prime minister to resign leave that accuse the has of the armed forces of attempting to end since them this situation has begun to spiral out of control the opposition which backs the military has vowed to pile ever even more pressure on the call by sharon and remove him from power no matter what. the pressure from the public will rice and we will eventually make question jaan resign we have an unprecedented situation in our country a government that has lost cannot continue to be the government they need to have

the courage to think like statesman not like adventurous from the streets and to resign. at the time of the $28.00. protests people were in a good state and now everyone is depressed everyone is shocked we've lost the war we've lost thousands of people we've lost territories our prisoners haven't returned so far they're still searching for thousands of people who have gone missing in such a climate it's very hard to do something for a healthy society. so far hasn't shown signs of backing down either of the fronting the armenian military and demanding they can ease orders on the ones to be had of the military a general staff who accused him of being incompetent but they are meeting the president still hasn't signed off on that order and. has met the opposition leaders who are actually rallying behind the army as mean and law of the president has till today to make his call but even if the top military commander who defied caution on

his dismissal will he agree to go as what a lot of people in armenia are wondering all in all. pretty dire situation in the country or i mean in military and political elites on as well as thousands of people on the streets are revealing. and dissipation of a fierce battle for. the country's been on ad since november over ip still with us and by sean on the disputed region of not going to cut a buffer the government victory and more about armenians saw the agreement as a humiliating defeat and protests as reacted to the troops by storming the government building and. much of the current volatility husband fueled by a top level dispute over army weaponry the prime minister earlier claimed that russian made scanner missile systems had failed during the war the russian defense ministry says armenia didn't even use that weapon in the conflict. a lot of kids.

chalk it up to get my carpal tunnel to. feel. why the iskenderun that fired did not explode or only exploded 10 percent off the. clock to. the prime minister on the governments of all media no longer able to make adequate decisions in this hateful and critical situation for the armenian people given the current situation in the home forces of the resignation of the prime minister and the government.

we discussed the latest with the vice president of the country's national assembly on an armenian lieutenant general a veteran a previous wars in the corner. the regime knew that for 30 years the military has been poorly managed in terms of equipment and maintenance this led to the army becoming weak it isn't the army used to be and pushing and came to power without a team all ricks perience the prime minister was an absolute 0 in military affairs as well as in economics and politics and this management disorganization noncompliance with the mobilization plan the destruction of command and control systems and the dismissal of military officers all this led to the fact that the general staff lost all patience and demanded the supreme commanders resignation as

he was destroying the army this destruction resulted in the loss of 5000 soldiers and tens of thousands of wounded. communion. is post-war turbulence when the military makes political statements it can only be called a military coup in the military must carry out its immediate task of protecting the borders of the republic politics is not a military matter our colleagues from other countries are emphasizing that this is unacceptable the prime minister has problems with a few military officials for in the war i must say the authorities and the prime minister are in control of the situation put in the blame on one person is wrong it's not fair and there are millions understand that and we all have our share of the blame thoughts. dozens of us democrats have signed a letter asking president joe biden to give up his soft 40 year for nuclear want to tell a quarter examines why donald trump is nuts for the democrats that's just an undisputed

fact but it seems like they feel he isn't the only head of state who's lost a few of his marbles. you alone possess the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons this thing one person with this authority entails real risks past presidents threaten to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior that caused other officials to express concern about the president's judgment nearly 30 democrats signed that letter which outlined 4 different ways to reduce presidential power over the nuclear button congressional oversight creating a special counsel consulting the speaker of the house why the need for all these new rules if the guy they say is bonkers isn't in the white house anymore the dems say they just don't want to repeat of the past 4 years but some republicans think the reason is a bit more senile i mean cynical sleepy joe wasn't just a political nickname it appears to be a governing strategy a growing number of democrats who are not concerned about giving joe biden the

codes for the nuclear system it's not just republicans though back in election season one poll said most voters in a number of pivotal swing states felt they had to choose between 2 old guys who were both mentally unfit for the presidency and judging by biden's campaign trail was making things easy for him self when they shoot 370 no i'm afraid of go in you know the 1st you know thing no man has a right to raise a hand tool and. other than self defense and that's really good workers and so we have to just change the culture period and keep the punching out of punching out of . your valerie and i'm ok. so the democrats might be scared with that guy behind the nuclear button but it's not much different than having biden at the head of their expanding war agenda the very same democrats for example are saying america's longest war in afghanistan should

be even longer. to pull out within several months now is a very challenging and destabilizing if it's we're going to be able to assure the world and the american public that afghanistan will not be a source of planning plotting to project terrorist attacks around the globe as the minimum i'm not sure we can do that without some presence there and there's this year's national defense authorization act which the democrats put forward to the military budget to a total of around 740000000000 dollars today the house and a strong bipartisan message to the american people are service members and our national security are more important than politics they're clearly not trying to put forward some kind of pacifist agenda so why should biden be at the head of military operations but not have his finger on the nuclear button it could be because mutually assured destruction isn't fun for anyone but when the killing is going on far away anything goes. lastly we turn to some world news and brief starting in greece.

as you can see protesters have again clashed with greek riot police at rallies backing a jailed far left arab group member on hunger strike but officers fired tear gas and water cannon at the demonstrators the convicted man serving 11 life sentences for murder and is reportedly in a critical condition after a month without food. we can now bring you live pictures from moscow where a group of people has gathered to pay tribute to opposition politician boris numbs off on the 6th anniversary of his murder of the u.s. germany a lot and the u.k. were among those who attended the shop on the bridge that you can see right now in the center of the russian capital where the tribute is taking place and people are bringing flowers his killers were caught and sentence.

hundreds in israel have defied a government curfew on large public gatherings and come together for the jewish holiday police just burst the crowds but dozens were turned to continue the celebrations after officers left. and a huge iceberg nearly double the size of new york city has broken free from arctica falls the 3rd major crack in a decade which happened last year across the brunt i have shelf our scientists say it's a natural occurrence and there's no evidence it's leaks of climate change. that's your breakdown of today's top headlines for now but if all the stories have unquenched your thirst for news head on over to our website r.t. dot com.

shows seem wrong. why don't we all just don't call. any world yet to shape out these days because as a kid and in detroit equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart when she still look for common ground. during the vietnam war u.s. forces also bomb to neighboring laos it was a secret war. and for years the american people did not know. we mounted laos so my skin is officially the mousepad rebound country per capita in a ball of human history millions of unexploded bombs still in danger lives in this small agricultural country jordyn wieber went on a kind of

a tap nothing even today kids in laos full victims of bombs dropped decades ago is the u.s. making amends for that tragedy and what help do the people need in that little land of mine. we. dock a. rock . or yeah you know what.