in our top stories for the last 7 days the deputy head of the e.u. admits critical flaws in the blocks of vaccine strategy and it's made worse as a group of european states suspending the use of the astra zeneca job over reports of significant side effects. britain shut down for brand new covert emergency hospitals billed at a cost of half a $1000000000.00 pounds at the same time as public anger boils over a mere one percent pay rise offer for those frontline health workers. this is that equates to around speak out. and in many hospitals states across it costs more to get our. french performers see these 3 of the countries

for national fear to say they can't survive the pandemic shut down of cultural sites we go to report for you from one of the occupied venues. this made headlines to our sister channel r.t. deutsche souza top german newspaper of espionage claims regarding russian opposition figure alexina. so plenty to recap for you this is r.t. international at the weekend my name is kevin owen just turned 9 in the morning here now whatever time it is with you thanks for dropping by as i take you through those stories than brief again and this made big headlines the e.u. commission vice president this weekend as admitted the blocks covert vaccination strategy is struggling amid a worsening crisis as a number of european countries have suspended the use of the astra zeneca this week

over reports of blood clots and even death nor hawkins reports. what could be more boring than covert surely not the very thing meant to protect you from the virus yet some are worried countries more than just one or 2 of choosing to put vaccinations with astra zeneca as job on hold concerned about potential serious side effects are officially no link has been found denmark was the 1st with norway and iceland following suit the effects snowballed with another half a dozen nations suspending at least one particular batch of $1000000.00 doses the european medicines agency is urging calm giving it a jab at the benefit of the doubt until further notice the position of the european mats and siege and sea safety committee is that the vaccines benefits continue to risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of jesus and from one balik advance isn't going. the world health organization is also

remaining optimistic after all there's not enough doses to go around with the oxford job if the brakes are put on this vaccine that he used target of 70 percent of vaccinated by summer would look even more distant than today so blood clots are not for now it must remain a part of the plan even if some experts question in the risks people suffering diseases all the time and you need to be sure that where any of beds that you see any effects that you see of the vaccine are not simply because your bucks 1000 a large group of individuals who have other health conditions and so you have to look at it very very carefully and that's why you need to take a bit of a breather and investigate the possibility that the vaccine is it associated with these effects as if this new curveball with concerns over side effects wasn't enough the e.u. remains divided over its vaccine supply system with at least 5 member states submitting a complaint to top e.u. officials that all countries seem to be equal but some more equal than others you

have to here and front of all i have together with other heads of government showed the information and compared our own statistics on the distribution among e.u. member states and when you do that you notice that their mounts delivered do not correspond to the respective population numbers. but the bizarre words are still contracts but when member states and pharmaceutical companies are certain have existed according to austria malta for instance would receive 3 times as many of those as per capita as ball garia and all allegedly because of backroom deals struck between some governments and big pharma the e.u. says it's up to member states that aside on their own vaccine deals unless of course they get the russian vaccine but more on that later the starting point of the commission is to distribute doses based on population that member states can ask for less all more of a particular vaccine in this context and following talks between member states. it's possible that

a new distribution plan is agreed with the company the vaccine shortage is increasingly looking like a drought out of around $100000000.00 astra zeneca doses supposed to be delivered just $10000000.00 have been received and the e.u. is really losing patience with being labeled the bad guy we see esther's any case delivering below 10 percent of what had been contracted for the 1st quarter we are tired of being the scapegoat it's not surprising some states are looking elsewhere to solve vaccine supply problems slovakia for one recently recording the highest death rate per 1000000 in the world as requested suppliers of russia's sport mcvie what is surprising is the reaction this decision caused with the country's health minister forming on his own sword to stop a complete collapse of the government we are an integral part of the congress used the chance to save our people only because the vaccine is made in russia i'm not a killer across the border in the czech republic with the world's 2nd highest

number of deaths per 1000000 we could see another minister leave his post this time for opposing the use of the sputnik job with the country's president insisting he won't wait for the e.u.'s approval while lives are lost i would like to say that the 2 biggest obstacles to delivering sputnik the to the czech republic are the minister of health and also the director of the state institute for drug control. the 2 i spoke of are to blame for the fact that our people will continue to die unnecessarily the only solution i see is the retirement of both hungary slovakia the czech republic were all convinced by the publication and peer review of data on sport mcvie in the world's top medical journals many weeks ago the e.u. has discouraged any countries from making their own decisions on the vaccines use calling it a russian roulette yet only began their own medical agency's review days ago a process which could take months they say the protein is safety critics say it's

politics whatever the truth and effective mass vaccination program still seems a distant prospect. holcomb's the mean time money down the drain is how the u.k.'s huge temporary covert hospitals have been described after it was revealed in the week most are now being closed and having treated only a handful of patients it's led to questions over the government's approach to the pandemic kate partridge this report. 4 of england's nightingale hospitals are being closed down they've been built at a cost of 500000000 pounds to preempt a surge in the pandemic but the east london venue treated only 54 patients in the 1st wave while others so not all but n.h.s. officials say they served as the nation's safety net since the very early days of the been there make the nightingale hospitals have been on hand as the ultimate insurance policy in case existing hospital capacity was overwhelmed but many

permanent hospitals were already short staffed and unable to release frontline workers to the nightingales the government felt the need to show some. centerpiece that they could share what. we have created it was rules and. china managed to create. even even more so i mean there was an element of basically showing of those who are trying to reassure that they were doing things and when when the government starts to do things right is ensure you're going to get the waste of money because no one asked the question well do we need them really do we need to as it turned out. it also turned out we start them because the main issue was basically stopping not the actual number of plates that were available so the whole thing was just. to go far as i can see why that new

year medics in covert hotspots were days away from having to choose who would be treated and who wouldn't as record coronavirus admissions forced ambulances to wait outside a n.d. and amid the surge n.h.s. workers had to resort to wearing bin bags due to a lack of personal protective equipment some doctors even received p.p.a. which had gone beyond its expiry date over 2 years the u.k. government has also set aside. cash for its much criticised covert 19 track and trace system 37000000000 pounds of taxpayers' money prompting a scathing report from a westminster spending watchdog despite the unimaginable resources throwing at this project testing trace cannot point to a measurable difference to the progress of the pandemic british experience cannot be treated by the government like an a.t.m. machine we need to see a clear plan and costs better controlled in his budget chancellery she soon x. said the government had spent over 280000000000 pounds during the pandemic over

700000 jobs have been lost and the economy has suffered its biggest drop in 300 years but tough questions are now being asked about how chunks of that 280000000000 pounds have been spent and the impact that they've had. the hospital closures come as a government as a cover for more than a one percent per year as a cause for l.h.'s workers nurses have launched a petition calling for a 15 percent salary hike which has so far receive the support of more than half a 1000000 people one nurse explained to us what a one percent rise looks like. the honest one percent is quite frankly an insult to the profession and to the n.h.s. it's a home for most nurses that equates to around 3 counts of weak and in many hostile sites across the u.k. it costs more than that to park a car to go to work a market car and we're acutely aware of its financial strain that's the price on the u.k. by the pound and nick. we're not saying that we deserve any more than anyone else

we're just saying that we are also interested in the save face what we do and i think what we talk about money and what. we've just seen $67.00 and made use of it in its system that we pay for an n.h.s. to house 50 percent pay rise and it would still be money left in the doctor will see nearly qualified nurses and student nurses already thinking gosh you know if i come into the right career here we have over 400000 nurses vacancies in the way and that really causes patient safety issues across. more than 50 performers and employees have become squatters occupying 3 of from his 4 national theatres in a cry for help they say the industry cannot longer survive the pandemic shut down of cultural sites forcing the country's culture minister to negotiate with them shallow dubai and ski visited one of the occupied venues. very late i don't know

i was. the chorus of calls demanding the reopening of cultural venue's is growing allow day in front but with no clear end date in sight to the closure of the it is concert hall cinemas museums so more taking more drastic measures over the last week 3 of france's 4 national theatres including this one behind me have been occupied by protesters it is true that every day several times. as the day we take another place a new theatre a new national stage is occupied in this way with multiply in the case of resistance to make our claims heard so we've all hit by the o.t. now for a week and for that it serves as a place of residence the odeon is a symbolic place it was occupied in the 968 process there are already struggles that have been expressed in this place in fact it was the base to signal the alarm

of the cultural catastrophe which is taking place protesters who set up shop here at the vote in favor to say they weren't leave until the. men no wanted that there now we're determined to hold on until we're satisfied we do not claim the reopening at all costs it is not part of our main slogan contrary to what some media main we want things to be reopened with social rights for all and massive plan for culture and above all the total reform of the unemployment insurance and the right to unemployment benefits guaranteed for all. the issue has even reached the government with the cultural minister paying a visit to the squatters. i went to the occupied theater audio on i understand the concerns in particular ball the aftermath of the whites here they know it why objective is to continue to protect artistic employment as much as necessary we

will continue our discussions days later though and nothing has changed if the sector already hit badly by the 1st wave of the covert pandemic with performers taking to the streets to make their plight no thank you thank you. thank you who were. 6 6 there is going to go to the well small private galleries have been allowed to stay open larger places such as they serve how to remain shut protests to say that it is possible to open up cultural venues and ensure the people remain socially distanced as if the louvre museum the also a museum the big museums in paris these a vos places where social distancing would be respected but they are closed.

these are the decisions which are purely political through this there is a very clear choice of society that emerges what is essential to the market and what is not essential concerns culture it concerns all the things that nourish hope nourish reflection this is what power has in its sights through its political choices from spies' consented to have one of the most generous support systems of all states in the world but that system has been strained as a result of k. the 19 and many claim that they have 4 legs through the cracks those hay say that this protest is just the start as more and more regions in france will see similar action chelate even skate oxy paris coming up cold growth the governor of new york to resign amid accusations of a cover up in the number of care home tests we talk about it next here on our t.v. .

so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy confrontation let it be an arms race is often very dramatic development only and going to exist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time to sit down and talk. pressure is growing on the governor of new york andrew cuomo to step down amid a growing scandal over cover ups of care home deaths in the pandemic the mayor of new york's leading figure calling on him to go we've seen so many. so many troubling things that have come out just in a matter of weeks starting with the fact that thousands of people died in the nursing homes and we still don't have the truth about that and their families need and deserve the truth and we know one thing there was

a purposeful cover up and that alone is unacceptable and disqualifying so the state health department reported around 8000 fatalities in care homes but those who were transferred to hospital and there were excluded from the figures something deliberately to make the number of casualties seem low if those victims were added in the real death toll was almost double that reported. delay in the reporting of some deaths but victims' relatives still questioning the counting. or there is in a nursing home station in the nursing home for 23. when here we are there were at least in theory ended my family he 'd could no longer stand. the nursing home. system ways not prepared for any kind of health care or emergency and i know my father still encountered it but the governor's attitude of

who cares where they die it does matter because it points to one where where there you know errors in their policies and to why are they afraid of having those numbers revealed. in the way we spoke to women who lost parents to coronavirus in the nursing facilities and of set up now an advocacy group called voices facility is they say not a priority for politicians. my father is still among the uncounted because he was released from a nursing home rehabilitation center after next surgery knowingly with the virus he was labeled a covert suspect in his nursing home paperwork and made him test him they didn't treat him they didn't tell us and unfortunately we were the ones when we got him home that had to put him in a hospital when he came home he was in terrible condition and he collapsed on the driveway exposing my whole family to coal bed and we all got sick shortly there

after. my father unfortunately lost his life on april 14th after being on a ventilator for almost 2 weeks and it was purely preventable he was only 76 years old he was a healthy man and it was a pure cova death the facility failed her. and the state failed her. i think that right now at least many of the deaths that happen in nursing homes were because of a mandate that almost put in that force these facilities to take in patients when they were not equipped to take care of them so it's a combination of both my mother's facility was reporting 40 deaths back in april when my mother died and she was not part of that number because she died at the hospital so when months and months continue to pass and they stayed at 40 we knew that that number could not be correct i mean you're not going to tell me that 40 people die on

a one shot and then no one dies for months so when the number actually came out we were we were basically you know we were found to be true that it was going to write . a company made headlines to. assist a channel in germany filing for a lawsuit against build over claims by the more the doxy made its report to you guessed it spy for the kremlin sas could tell you that story. on the face of it a sin sation old story it's got all the words 7 to draw or read to read spawn i public enemy number one russia but a closer look and not sensation apart basically daniel lined up an r.t. to each employee claims he was essentially used as a spy for the channel and then all the information he was gathering on kremlin critic alex anan found me when he was recuperating in a bill and clinic for legit poisoning was being put straight into the hands of russian president vladimir putin since ational right well not quite because the

evidence seems more taken from a manual called john ism what are one inspiring want to one as proof screenshots of a chat with editors i'll tell you these chats a common practice that the easiest way for reporters producers cameraman tech guys to coordinate and also tell you that pretty boring filled with the logistical stuff and despite claims his chart was pretty boring too yes he was also to go inside the shower take clinic one found he was schooled investigative journalism it's called trying to get ahead of other outlets so that you get the scoop in fact build was one of the most active moles inside the hospital as the head of our to do each reminds us to accuse us of spying and at the same time to post images of the every little step develop he makes including pictures of his garden to host a word if russian intelligence wanted to get any additional information they would

buy a subscription to build plants and of course we want to remind our colleagues of german that you slay ssion that for now at least protect the media and lowering it to collect information and metis that are considered to be of public interest so bill does that it's rule john as it's trying to get the latest on a top developing story our team does that it's going to tinge of hypocrisy that claim that this work. group was filled with nefarious spying requests it's also undermined by the fact that when he questions whether getting a hidden camera recording of what's inside toward one volume has remained to be which is on german military and is appropriate his boss writes clearly no i don't think so not exactly the most ruthless of spying attempts than evidence number 2 is the video agency ruptly park 247 outside the shower take clinic yes that's true in fact for a long time it was live streamed on you tube talk about money to cover in the same

way our tireless ruptly cameramen camped night and day outside the ecuadorian embassy in london to counter the truly sensational moment the jury and a son was dragged out we were the only ones to get these pictures and every outlet in the world was behind they appreciate to drop his journalism back then but not now and the final damning allegation the anti employee in charge of lying does assignment was photographed with the russian foreign minister froth at a public christmas party the horror never mind that this was one of hundreds of photos taken all but there were hundreds including foreign journalists apparently this one photo is incontrovertibly proof that r t 2 each on the russian government are in cahoots you also have to ask yourself do you believe in coincidence not long ago on t.v. it's opening a channel in germany shortly after problems started headline summed up

a smear campaign appeared then. told the bank accounts in germany would be shot within months fast forward and now are being labeled a kremlin spies like i said coincidence you decide for that part all colleagues in germany convinced. what we see in germany today is a clear attempt to quell our see this is an attempt that is being broken straight into the media as it was staring operational and in the media at every turn against me and allegations aimed at suppressing our journalistic freedoms and making personal attacks this is what it means to be an alternative voice in germany and it's also worth mentioning that doesn't exactly have the best track record between 20152028 was hit with 72 reprimands from the german media regulator that's almost

a 3rd of the toll in that time frame something to bear in mind when you jump head 1st into this latest offering from the tabloid and offering that promise is spiced sensation a bombshell and a juicy spy story but actually delivers well a day in the life of any journalist anywhere in the world. the word normals being dropped from all skincare products made by the consumer goods judge unilever u.k. based firm claims the term makes customers feel excluded we know that removing normal from our products packaging will not fix the problem alone but it's an important step forward seems the company polled customers of far more than 2 in 3 people for using the word normal or the negative impact you know of or also says it's ending the excessive air brushing of models in its advertising but there was a burglar she gets the moves. so sick of woken is taken to p.c.

extremes normal means not only and not dry do we have to turn every term on the planet into enclose it itty i've never been able to use normal shampoo but at least i know that it isn't suitable for my dry and hair thank god i have always felt marginalized with my dry scalp every time in the shampoo aisle i would have to seek out a safe space because of the pain and anguish caused by seeing the word normal and my inability to ever have normal hair you know leverage just saved my life it's not the 1st time you believe is courted controversy last year it faced huge flak over its marketing of skin whitening products in asia to member that well we put the issue about dropping the word normal no up for debate. there's no way ordinary people think this in those kinds of numbers when it comes to the word normal the other thing about using models and changing the shots oh i agree with but the

normal thing this is purely them over reacting to the trouble they landed themselves in i think it's important that they are talking about this and they are going to do this because. it's needed we need to keep pushing change in the industry i mean you know body london we have probably one of the most inclusive agencies and i don't think enough times are doing enough to how that can haynes inclusive and stay away from normal this is marketed this is a bit like we're going to change tomato sauce so it's going to be green we're going to turn salad cream into a different color we're going to start making solid cream this is just a pathetic attempt to grab more market share and also so i can i disagree i don't think that's that's and i think that if they were leaving the it was all is not it doesn't i disagree so i die i have to agree and then i mean we we've recently hired a model who went through an accident he has to be scarring she has you know think.

she is doing very well now a fee is going to be shocking to say this is imposed and this is what we should be seeing and i think removing normal is important for a lot of people out there so i had. the the the idea of nor why i would agree with you dave summers got a disability or whatever i could do not understand what they call the motos i take on board completely but it's the word normal when it comes to things like shampoo for a normal hair well it is are the normal greasy or dry or cracked or damaged and i think doing what they're doing what they're talking about removing almost stopping editing and editing especially on social media this is you know there is a definite trend against that. well i think what they are doing is a step in the right direction it is not the be all and end all but it is moving forward so i think it's an indication i don't think they're necessarily doing it to

ground crass i think it's needed doing this purely to get market share and they're doing it purely because of their offensive products that they had before 10000 people i'd love to see the steps of let's see the demographic of the 10000 people that they asked them whether they confuse the question ability or being confused or not my friend where you think it's about normal imagery would talk about the world normal i don't object to any of the rest of it but the word normal it's work nonsense it's all done for marketing and you shouldn't be falling for it because they're making a mug of you. the conversation went on always guaranteed to get you talking on the stories we cover every week more of a new for a view of what happened the last 7 days about half an hour of low though for me kevin owen and the rest the on duty tape thank you for taking the time of the day to watch us have a great rest of the week.