the ah, as the world celebrates the new year r t looked at some of the positive predictions for 2022 with financial experts forecasting the global economy is set to grow while inflation will start to fall. and of course we review the year that is just on as well, with a look at some of the big political spats that unfold it, including a controversial defense deal. it's all friends at loggerheads with. it's alex 2021 was many things, but it also in the online world fund give ammunition to have fun making means from pretty sanders and his mittens to a boat stuck in this way. now we look at top events of last year deemed worthy of digital mockery. the news i brought up from direct,

from our studios in moscow. this is our international. i'm john thomas. certainly glad to have. right now. 2022 has only just begun and some of the positive expectations for the year ahead concern the economy with financial experts predicting things could be looking up american investment bank. morgan stanley has a pretty positive outlook and things inflation and major markets will rise. but then retreat, while the global economy should grow by 5 percent, and the banks optimism doesn't stop there either supply chains are expected to recover boosting commerce and driving down inflation throughout the world. emerging markets are predicted to grow faster than the global average, especially in asia. although china's economy may slow down compared with last year unless they warn the government uses up on the certain regulations, including on carbon emissions. now if those forecasts do come true, they will bring much needed relief to the many who have suffered in economic squeeze after to cover the blighted years during which prices have sword, especially for energy and fuel. we asked to economists for their predictions for

the coming year. mean the one i'm most concerned about is going to be the shock that results from a u. s. sovereign debt and currency crisis. i believe that that is inevitable, and that is going to be the biggest financial a people that the world, the scene. i think the biggest issue in currency markets is what's the alternative that people are going to turn to against the us dollar. it doesn't look as if bitcoin encrypted currency so far have reached significantly wide enough acceptance to really be the alternative that's needed. and certainly who wants to abandon the usa because the u. s. dollar is at least the symbol of an economy that is consistently rejuvenate itself. in favor of something like the euro, the next best option, when we see the europeans in mass locked on having gas problems, all sorts of other issues at home, which don't suggest that the euro currency is any more stable. i do think that to move towards green energy is going to slow down substantially as people realize how

expensive that's actually going to be. i mean, if you're really want to say the planet from climate change of fish really is the existential threat. it's going to come with a huge price tag. there's a situation, it's certainly in europe, in all the parts of the world. if you get inflation, we just have not been going off historically for large sways of the population of the course of the last 20 years. you're looking at a position where people are going to be squeezed financially. they may have energy issues and certainly as their gas bills go up, what's the basis of politics? well, the engine roman still this panel at her, kansas bread and games. that doesn't seem to be an awful lot of fun, like there to be, had a lot on europe at the moment times to cope with 19. and if it's going to be more expensive to simply teach your home to light your home. and indeed to have the food that you want in your home. some people are going to get very, very upset, and it's not beyond the power of reason that we're going to see an increase in the sort of general protest that has been occurring. indeed,

in recent weeks of places like holland of tried to lock, once again with the new year ahead, people are also trying, as is human nature, to stay positive and look back at some of the more funnier moments of 2021 particularly online here is a lighter look at the year just gone ah, [000:00:00;00] a in. c in

a ah, a in, but jokes aside,

pandemic remains of the global word of the year for britain. however, 2021 has put the country in a much better position. specifically when it comes to the covered crisis. that's at least according to prime minister boys. johnson's new year's message, happy new year. 2022 is almost upon us. and whatever the challenges that fate continues to throw in our way, we can say one thing with certainty. opposition this december, the 31st is incomparably better than last year. that said daily infections in the u . k. hit another record, a high on friday, and england's top health official say the whole service is on a war footing. buquet though, of course, is not alone when it comes to struggling with the pandemic. art is nikia and looks back on the past troubled 12 months. if 2020, with the year we love to cove it 2021 was the year life was supposed to get back on track. but as always, things on never that simple. after months of locked downs and restrictions 2021. so

patients reach boiling points with trust and lead is that an all time low and people's spinning on to the streets in protest, despite officials warning inoculation was vitally important. ah, in the u. k, the government's reputation, nose dived as p. and boris johnson flip flopped on guidelines. leaving brits confused and frustrated. where mosque stone, where mosques, hug your friends, don't hug friends, rush on your neighbors, and cancel your parties as the pm was alleged, to exempt himself from the rose. and a oh

ah, there's a meetings of people at work today, but this is where i live in to our work are those are meetings of people at what unsurprisingly, the country is predicting his days in number 10 on now. none but i elsewhere in europe and vaccinated people were barred from much of public life and there were take to germans, made their thoughts on this herd. ah . similar angry scenes and australia crowds opposing restrictions and vaccine mandates flooded the streets.

ah, state side vaccine, mondays were creating similar divisions as bind in announce said vaccination would be compulsory for health workers, teachers and anyone working within a team of more than a 100. again, a suggestion many were unwilling to take lying down both politicians and ordinary citizens. ah, cove, it has become our common enemy, rather than bring it as closely together. it became another example of the disparity between rich and poor vaccine make his sold medicine to the highest bidders. and rich countries promised to share but hoarded doses, the surplus destroyed. while the poorest nations of the world went without, there is no doubt that they know equitable sharing of those vaccines has cost many

lives. while some countries are now rolling out blanket booster programs only have off w just members, states have been able to reach the target of vaccinating 40 percent of their populations by the end of the year because of distortions in global supply. meanwhile, the vaccine may curse the savers at the rich got rich themselves, new figures from the people's vaccine alliance revealed that the companies behind 2 of the most successful covered 1900 vaccines, pfizer by and taken the durn, are making combined profits of $65000.00 every minute, despite receiving public funding of over a $1000000000.00, the 3 corporations have refused calls to urgently transfer vaccine technology and know how with capital producers and low and middle income countries. for those who was counting that money in 2021, the year was one of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, of epidemic levels. but those who we turn to what

a need of care were experiencing a crisis of their own various states warned of an impending health care system collapse with the national guard deployed for support and health care staff across the globe on strike over unworkable conditions. ah, and then we come, full circle is hospital workers who object to monetary cove jobs all fired regardless of their reasons to decide the mandates. i am being escorted out of kaiser permanente hospital for my religious beliefs. because i don't want to get a job in 2020, we became arm chair experts in epidemiology 2021 taught is more than we ever needed to know about corporate greed and poor leadership. some off to such a check,

a couple of years from may be forgiven for looking at 2022 through their fingers. a little uncertain of what the year will bring. still the head in the program, 2 decades of fighting only to disappear chaotically in no matter of months. we look at how the war in afghanistan has left veterans who served a asking wasn't worth it. ah ah ah ah ah ah,

a ah with what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have. it's crazy even foundation, let it be an arms race is on often very dramatic development only personally i'm going to resist. i don't see how that strategy will be successfully, very critical time. time to sit down and talk ah, welcome back. this is our t international. now, a major international riff to develop last year between old friends and it saw 2 countries on opposite sides of the planet, driven even further apart,

australia and france fell out after the french were snubbed at the last minute when britain and the us wooed australia into a new defense packed shell, davinsky has more on the deal, the turns up triggering the nuclear option is always going to be risky. business as australia found, i think 2021 we need to. so i did to renee on a 56000000000 euros submarine deal with franks. so how did cambra elect parish? no, i friends all this is bull. a new enhanced trilateral security partnership between the strider, the united kingdom and the united states that announcement. so ron select flabbergasted, but it was not at a loss for words. see, but it's really a stop in the back. a relationship of trust had been built with australia and this trust has been betrayed. crohn's livid that that deal of

a century wave keyboard. and i want to thank her that fell down under. thank you very much. val appreciated premise was scrapped without a claims. only warning. what followed was an a bomb of a diplomatic full lance. we had the president of france calling the prime minister stria a lawyer. we have a try block, we have the recall of ambassadors and we have a very costly medic situation. frances, assuming the presidency of the a, you very significant fire in global politics and very hostile and a long memory. and feel, the trite, are even president by why that was managed was clumsy, which is presidential her heading and screaming amber. and if

you people think that things couldn't get any worse thing, you'd be wrong. australia's prime minister tried to suggest that france was a where the deal was doomed. i made it very clear that i conventional diesel powered submarine was not going to meet the strategy is strategic requirements. we discussed that candidly. then one of those, a parent messages between the french and all the leaders, was leaked. should i expect good old bad news from our joint submarines ambitions? oh dear. oh dear that when done with france. well, a bit like this submarine deal, inelegant crude confidence has been completely shattered. that's how the french saw it. relations hitting a new. lo and it seems the whole debacle hasn't gone down to well in australia.

either the desire to acquire nuclear submarines will literally burn bridges with some of our most longstanding items will undermine original security and will break a lot of formal and informal regional understandings and cooperation. a great so they are profound implications for australia. they are financial security. they are environmental, they're also very much about defense, an hour an hour, bipolar cells and how others in the layton and the world shifting towards nuclear submarines raises of the questions to given that astray is a no nuclear power nation. the real concern to move will priscilla title porsche original on rights. we've already seen expressions from

japan and south korea. i and we would also consider all welcome a nuclear, how it's submarine doctrine. and there is a real concern that this will now break. i sort of understanding and lead to increased military expansion of pressure and technical capacity increases in the region. while australia may, if hope that sampling up to the u. s. might have given it to boost on the international stage. what it seen is the reverse trade talks through the you have been picked into the long grass. but in through all the stuff there is no worries kind of attitude so much so that it's just stuck up 2 fingers to french, designed helicopters to no one. the front says the rift between the 2 countries

remains open. what strain is lead is may not be quick to co known just how big of an issue this could be. but australians themselves have been left wondering if they government is a few stubby short of the 6 pack solid, even skiing, all t paris in another major story last year, u. s. troops and their allies rapidly pulled out of afghanistan after 2 decades of war. but for many who served there is still a living question, was it worth it? as part of our on heard voices project at r t dot com. we spoke to a u. k. army veteran about the conflict. i can take my life last year. i was in a wheel by the way, my mind ended. i nearly lost my son and i didn't know what to do. a lot of the guys i was with don't really talk to each other anymore. i mean there and to try to delete it and move away from all. but quite a few people lives in the last 4 or 5 years. have been most recent is only

a few months ago. i few been through hell and you're still living it. you just get a feeling of fear somebody wouldn't understand, you know, and given the order to kill someone and stuff, you know, people get upset about things today that don't need to upset about it. i won't. so i woke in my coffee, i really just drink the coffee when i 1st went to gaston and we were told that we were going to burn the poppy fields

to the plumbers to work and do not. not pon changed them. we landed in a scar on our troops in a way that they haven't for many years are going to be fighting alongside other countries and situations of great danger. so those are very good at taking orders and just getting on with it or not questioning orders, but as you go through the years and you mature and you start to sort of have to bring in the things yourself and realize, okay, why are we here? what are we doing? we know looking at style. i think it was a pointless exercise. what's happening in the south of afghanistan, the residence about the taliban trying to get back power? ah, we want our way back. and the taliban had already got in the grind that we'd already cleared. my friend, my really was just a couple stood on one and died instantly. lost his arms and legs. i believe it's 17 casualties all from,

from our group out of each of those casualties. you've got quite a few guys affected by what they've seen. it's trauma, public trauma, it's a constant heights about over weeks and weeks, and most u . k. troops and officials work round the clock to a remorseless deadline. it, thanks to the colossal exertions this country has not been processed, check vetted, and ended more than 15000 people to safety in less than 2 weeks. i mean, it's been a complete mess, have by ins and ministration worked with the rational allies. it would have been, we were going to leave anyway, but we could have done up a systematic approach. for instance. you don't even need to have a military mindset to understand that if you're going to extract from a country,

you bring back all your citizens from the embassy, put them into secure bias, and then fly them. what you don't do your flyers, your military, and then go, what about the, what are the civilians come out and i got tional that got home be 600016 weapon systems, 3000 bombs left behind. so that's munitions that can be used for id the glass that i was watching. last night i watched the video of taliban dressed as us special forces moving in behind her to take control of fortune x, which, you know, it's just unbelievable. we don't have too many people for situation which we just give upon. and britain's war and africana stan and tony blair's pardon, it is very much back in people's minds this new year. a wave of anger has rolled across the u. k. at the last minute that the former prime minister is to be knighted by queen elizabeth with the highest possible ranking. many describe his

foreign policies when in power as war crimes. all government despises its citizens . yes, tony blair deserves a trial at the hague rather than a knighthood. an imperial honor system, which knighted every one from muscle. we need to. jimmie snellville doesn't really have a reputation to protect. so does it. blair can disgrace what's already shameful. tony blair, getting a knighthood, is the establishment sticking out 2 fingers to ordinary people in the hundreds of thousands who were killed in the iraq war. you also strongly supported the launch in 2001 of the us war on terror that led to the invasion of iraq and as casualties mounted. in that campaign, blair faced accusations that he had misled parliament over weapons of mass destruction in the country. that was the largely debunked reason given. so coalition forces could attack talk. radio host and columnist john dance says that people have every right to be angry at tony blair's knighthood. i can't ever

remember such an outburst on social media about the honest list. i would say 95 percent of people that i've read on social media today and i've spoken to in the street of very, very much against. i think it's an absolutely terrible decision. many people in our country now, but in the u. k. believe is a war criminal, they believe we were led into a war, you know, as jude got away prediction at the time that was illegal. if he had any real honor, he would have disappeared after iraq and afghanistan. he had enough money, he should a late lunch, he was a great prime minister for a long period of time. he was a brilliant, charismatic leader, but iraq and afghanistan mixed in. they'll be the thing he's remembered for many people think he took their sons to their deaths in the desert and they can't forgive it. and i can fully understand where they're coming from. finally here in russia, the holiday season is only just getting started with the orthodox christmas being

celebrated next friday and with ornaments and other festive items. still in hot demand for decorations, when pensioner has taken a particularly creative approach, me oh, i say you can't feel my legs can only sit and lie. i haven't been outside for over 4 years. ah, folk broke and all the time i did. when my wife's friend came over, she liked the dose so much that she took it home. when people started to need my

baubles, ah, ah, in unless you started making compositions with animals and mushrooms, my friends began to come enough to buy them. i didn't refuse. so i don't charge him too much money with me. most fishing clothes i gave them to everyone in the summer. not bad. even cool ones came out. and for some reason the fish bice ah, the main thing to do is to make some remarkable. it doesn't take much, but from this junk,

these things come out. ah, i just under 32 minutes and i'll be back with another. yes, this is our to international a who's diagnosed with cancer in 2000 when the doctors told me the cancer was incurable. i knew i had to make a change, so i decided to travel to one of the most toxic places in america. florida. one of florida is biggest industries and best kept secrets, is phosphate mine in the biggest layer is $85000000000.00 industry. is mosaic, and i there are reports of millions of gallons of contaminated water now flowing into the florida aqua for my brother. there's a chronic i don't want to hear that word poets,

but that's what it is. i'm in 2013 my uncle, our family dog. my brother was 21 years old, myself and my father were all a whole lot and the good play. right? yeah, yeah. maybe they'll actually learn more help is more important in a things that have happened in the world would be done by people who had a great vision of how society could be better. but that great vision is typically the left hemisphere representation is not real. it doesn't take into account any of the complexity of reality, the subtlety of how various and complex people it puts them into categories is this

lot is bad. we'll get rid of them. you know and change is an organic process, changes an evolution, and the opposition is not between the status and everything must stay the same and everything must be ready. key change, radical change is not the way that you join me every 1st day on the alex, simon, sure. but i'll be speaking to guess in the world of politics, sport, business, i'm show business. i'll see you then.