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[00:00.000 --> 00:04.280]  But polluted, we look at how Kazakhstan is finally trying to clean up its act.
[00:13.920 --> 00:18.320]  So just a few cities in the world left now waiting to tick over to 2012.
[00:18.360 --> 00:22.720]  The West Coast of the United States, places like Los Angeles, gets its turn in an hour from now.
[00:23.280 --> 00:27.160]  Hawaii in about three hours from now and then it's basically all done.
[00:27.160 --> 00:32.640]  But for the last 20 hours, millions of people across the globe have been celebrating the start of the new year.
[00:32.640 --> 00:35.040]  The latest to light up, the Big Apple.
[00:36.560 --> 00:45.080]  There it is, hundreds of thousands of people packed into New York's Times Square, the crossroads of the world, as they call it, to watch the countdown.
[00:45.080 --> 00:54.440]  Joined by Mayor Michael Bloomberg there and Lady Gaga as well, pop singer, who hit the switch, sending the country's famous crystal, city's famous crystal ball on its countdown drop.
[00:54.440 --> 00:57.360]  A few hours earlier, in London.
[01:02.840 --> 01:14.120]  There was bongs, chimes of Big Ben marked the arrival of 2012 for around 250,000 people, quarter of a million on the banks of the River Thames to watch a New Year fireworks display there.
[01:14.120 --> 01:21.560]  Big year for the British capital, hosting the Olympic Games in July and August, very Olympic themed to those colours there as well.
[01:21.560 --> 01:27.640]  Thousands toasting the New Year on the Champs-Élysées in Paris with a little glass of champagne.
[01:27.640 --> 01:32.480]  The Eiffel Tower had a special display illuminating for the end of 2011.
[01:32.480 --> 01:38.840]  There were some 60,000 police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel on standby across France, actually.
[01:38.840 --> 01:44.240]  And world leaders have taken this chance to deliver their New Year messages. Here's a few of them.
[01:44.240 --> 01:57.040]  World peace and development are facing new opportunities and challenges. China will continue to adhere to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development in its foreign policy objectives.
[01:57.040 --> 02:04.320]  Adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace and unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development.
[02:04.320 --> 02:15.520]  Exactly 20 years ago, we celebrated our first New Year in a country called Russia, a name celebrated for the illustrious deeds of our great ancestors.
[02:15.520 --> 02:20.120]  It is our duty to preserve it and to build a progressive state.
[02:20.120 --> 02:27.320]  As 2011 comes to an end and we look ahead to 2012, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.
[02:27.320 --> 02:31.720]  The last year has been a time of great challenge and great progress for our country.
[02:31.720 --> 02:40.120]  We ended one war and began to wind down another. We dealt a crippling blow to Al Qaeda and made America more secure.
[02:40.120 --> 02:53.000]  There's a man with a fight on his hands in 2012, isn't he? With the economy still struggling in the United States, it is going to be one tough year for Barack Obama as he tries to hold on to the White House and ensure he doesn't become a one term president.
[02:53.000 --> 02:56.680]  This from Alan Fisher now in Washington for us.
[02:56.680 --> 03:07.200]  It will be the battleground for the next U.S. presidential election. While Americans have spent the past month hunting for bargains, soon they'll be shopping for a president they hope can deliver what they're after.
[03:07.200 --> 03:12.560]  In this election, issues like security, immigration and foreign policy have been pushed to the margins.
[03:12.560 --> 03:16.960]  In a famous political phrase from the past, it's all about the economy, stupid.
[03:16.960 --> 03:28.720]  The economy is going to be front and center. It always is in every election, particularly presidential years and particularly when you have a serious downturn or we're still recovering from the downturn. It's hard to believe that won't be front and center.
[03:28.720 --> 03:36.080]  Barack Obama is going into the election with an unemployment rate of more than eight percent, a figure which would normally kill any chance of winning.
[03:36.080 --> 03:42.160]  The national debt is 15 trillion dollars and growing by around four billion dollars a day.
[03:42.160 --> 03:52.320]  But still, his approval rating is 47 percent, the highest in five months. This is, as ever, a referendum on the top two candidates who America likes best.
[03:52.320 --> 04:06.160]  But it's also an ideological battle on the type of government America wants, whether it favors the Democrat idea of spending more money to create jobs or whether it backs the Republicans, cutting taxes, cutting spending to build a stronger economy.
[04:06.160 --> 04:11.800]  This is a battle, a crucial vote on the future direction of America and who gets to lead it.
[04:11.800 --> 04:20.880]  Throughout the series of Republican debates to select a candidate, issues which have played big in previous elections, such as immigration and national security, have all had an earring.
[04:20.880 --> 04:24.840]  But one observer says they are minor considerations as people go to vote.
[04:24.840 --> 04:32.560]  Americans always care more about what's going on at home than overseas. The examples throughout history are plentiful.
[04:32.560 --> 04:41.320]  This year is the same way, especially right now when we're getting out of Iraq as fast as we can, trying to get out of Afghanistan.
[04:41.320 --> 04:43.640]  So that's all in the background right now.
[04:43.640 --> 04:49.520]  The first votes in the 2012 presidential election campaign will be cast on January the 3rd in Iowa.
[04:49.520 --> 04:52.800]  The final vote, the general election, is November the 6th.
[04:52.800 --> 04:58.360]  The thing about elections here is that a single moment, a single comment can change the entire landscape.
[04:58.360 --> 05:05.880]  But this election will be won by the person who can convince Americans better times are coming and they will have more money in their pocket.
[05:05.880 --> 05:09.240]  Alan Fisher, Al Jazeera, Washington.
[05:09.240 --> 05:12.680]  Tough times for the U.S. economy. Clearly, what about Europe, though?
[05:12.680 --> 05:17.560]  In her end of year speech, the German chancellor had this prediction for the year ahead.
[05:17.560 --> 05:24.000]  Today, you can be sure that I will do everything in my power to strengthen the euro.
[05:24.000 --> 05:27.640]  But this will only work if Europe learns from its mistakes.
[05:27.640 --> 05:34.360]  One of these is that a common currency can only really be successful if we in Europe cooperate more than we have done.
[05:34.360 --> 05:36.520]  Europe is growing together in the crisis.
[05:36.520 --> 05:41.000]  The path to overcoming this remains long and won't be free from setbacks.
[05:41.000 --> 05:46.560]  But at the end of it, Europe will emerge stronger from the crisis than it went into it.
[05:46.560 --> 05:53.720]  The single euro currency was actually launched this day 10 years ago, but the debt crisis has really put its future in doubt.
[05:53.720 --> 05:56.360]  Estonia is the newest member of the euro.
[05:56.360 --> 06:00.560]  Charlie Angela is there for us to gauge the economic climate.
[06:00.560 --> 06:05.360]  The wood is from Switzerland, the felt from Belgium, the strings from Germany.
[06:05.360 --> 06:12.000]  An Estonian piano takes three months to make and depends on Europe for its parts.
[06:12.000 --> 06:24.200]  These and other exports of textiles and machinery make Estonia's 19 billion dollar economy Europe's fastest growing.
[06:24.200 --> 06:30.360]  Venno Lau manages the factory and runs his fingers over each instrument before it is shipped.
[06:30.360 --> 06:38.400]  He says the success of his company and country lies in its size.
[06:38.400 --> 06:41.640]  We survived the recession because we're small and flexible.
[06:41.640 --> 06:46.720]  We don't mass produce, so we didn't have any pianos lingering in warehouses that didn't sell.
[06:46.720 --> 06:48.640]  But joining the euro was good for us.
[06:48.640 --> 06:51.720]  It did away with customs fees and border paperwork.
[06:51.720 --> 06:56.960]  It's brought us closer to our European neighbors and helped us break into new markets.
[06:56.960 --> 06:59.800]  When the euro arrived last year, the mood was festive.
[06:59.800 --> 07:05.680]  Estonians were excited, but now in the capital Tallinn, that mood has changed.
[07:05.680 --> 07:07.120]  It was a terrible idea.
[07:07.120 --> 07:10.440]  We were already poor, but by next year, we'll be beggars.
[07:10.440 --> 07:14.880]  Before, when I'd paid for electricity and housing, I'd have 30 dollars left.
[07:14.880 --> 07:17.160]  Now I have nothing.
[07:17.160 --> 07:18.560]  It was a bad decision.
[07:18.560 --> 07:21.560]  Europe is now in a financial crisis and the future looks dark.
[07:21.560 --> 07:23.680]  It's not a good thing.
[07:23.680 --> 07:27.480]  As the crisis deepens, Estonia is taking precautions.
[07:27.480 --> 07:31.040]  The finance minister has won awards for his austerity measures,
[07:31.040 --> 07:34.600]  but admits the eurozone troubles could take his country down.
[07:34.600 --> 07:37.120]  We would have been pulled down anyway.
[07:37.120 --> 07:41.040]  We are part of the European economy.
[07:41.040 --> 07:43.120]  Our export markets are there.
[07:43.120 --> 07:50.480]  We depend very much on the external environment and it doesn't make a difference.
[07:50.480 --> 07:58.720]  There are only additional obligations being part of the eurozone
[07:58.720 --> 08:01.040]  and there are also merits.
[08:01.040 --> 08:05.960]  It's unclear what 2012 will hold for Estonians and the rest of the eurozone.
[08:05.960 --> 08:07.960]  At least this country's debts are low
[08:07.960 --> 08:11.960]  and its financial assets could cushion a fall back into recession.
[08:11.960 --> 08:14.800]  But some say that by joining the euro when it did,
[08:14.800 --> 08:18.200]  Estonia really bought the last ticket onto the Titanic.
[08:18.200 --> 08:21.680]  Charlie Angela, Al Jazeera, Tallinn.
[08:21.680 --> 08:25.000]  Nigeria's president has declared an emergency in four states
[08:25.000 --> 08:28.560]  after a series of attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram.
[08:28.560 --> 08:30.440]  The group was behind the recent Christmas Day attacks
[08:30.440 --> 08:33.160]  which killed at least 42 people.
[08:33.160 --> 08:35.680]  On a national address, President Goodluck Jonathan said
[08:35.680 --> 08:38.720]  the state of emergency is only an interim measure.
[08:38.720 --> 08:40.680]  The plan is to restore security in the north
[08:40.680 --> 08:42.760]  where most of the violence has taken place.
[08:42.760 --> 08:45.080]  The measures include closing parts of Nigeria's borders
[08:45.080 --> 08:47.840]  with Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
[08:47.840 --> 08:51.360]  Ahmed Idris reports now from the capital Abuja.
[08:51.360 --> 08:55.600]  This rapidly escalating insurgency launched by the Islamist group Boko Haram
[08:55.600 --> 08:57.760]  has left dozens dead across the country
[08:57.760 --> 09:00.240]  in attacks carried out on Christmas Day.
[09:00.240 --> 09:03.720]  Speaking at St. Therese's Church in Abuja where 37 died,
[09:03.720 --> 09:07.760]  President Goodluck Jonathan said Boko Haram had started as a harmless group
[09:07.760 --> 09:09.680]  but had now grown cancerous.
[09:09.680 --> 09:12.080]  We will crush the terrorists, he said.
[09:12.080 --> 09:15.240]  Later, he went on television in an address to the nation
[09:15.240 --> 09:17.440]  to declare a state of emergency.
[09:17.440 --> 09:20.960]  The crisis has assumed a terrorist dimension
[09:20.960 --> 09:26.400]  with vital institutions of government including the United Nations building
[09:26.400 --> 09:32.800]  and places of worship becoming targets of terrorist attacks.
[09:32.800 --> 09:36.680]  While the chance for a lasting solution is ongoing,
[09:36.680 --> 09:41.000]  it has become imperative to take some decisive measures necessary
[09:41.000 --> 09:43.040]  to restore normalcy in the country,
[09:43.040 --> 09:47.040]  especially within the affected communities.
[09:47.040 --> 09:48.840]  The decision to invoke emergency powers
[09:48.840 --> 09:52.560]  came after briefings from the president's chief of defence staff.
[09:52.560 --> 09:54.760]  It involves the closure of international borders
[09:54.760 --> 09:57.960]  along the states of Yorba and Borno in the north-east,
[09:57.960 --> 10:01.160]  while Plata State in central Nigeria and Niger State
[10:01.160 --> 10:03.960]  have also been declared affected areas.
[10:03.960 --> 10:07.560]  Boko Haram, which loosely translates as Western Education is Forbidden,
[10:07.560 --> 10:11.640]  seeks the implementation of strict sharia law across the country.
[10:11.640 --> 10:16.640]  They are thought to have been involved in a string of attacks across Nigeria in 2011,
[10:16.640 --> 10:21.440]  including the bombing of the UN in August, leaving 21 people dead.
[10:21.440 --> 10:24.640]  The state of emergency raises fears of an escalation
[10:24.640 --> 10:26.760]  in Africa's most populous nation,
[10:26.760 --> 10:30.760]  which is split between a largely Christian south and Muslim north,
[10:30.760 --> 10:36.040]  Ahmed Idriss, Al Jazeera, Abuja, Nigeria.
[10:36.040 --> 10:38.560]  And there have also been clashes in the east of the country.
[10:38.560 --> 10:40.440]  At least 40 people were killed in fighting
[10:40.440 --> 10:44.240]  between neighbouring communities in Ebony's state.
[10:44.240 --> 10:47.440]  The crashes appear to be related to a long-running land dispute
[10:47.440 --> 10:51.960]  and there's no suggestion they are linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.
[10:51.960 --> 10:56.360]  In a moment, the latest from Syria and then a leader to die for.
[10:56.360 --> 10:59.240]  North Korea's new year message is typically sycophantic,
[10:59.240 --> 11:02.840]  but also acknowledges people are going hungry.
[11:02.840 --> 11:06.160]  Plus gadgets or gimmicks, we take a look at some of the new technology
[11:06.160 --> 11:24.640]  which could take hold in 2012.
[11:24.640 --> 11:29.040]  Hello, it's looking like a mild start to the new year for much of North America.
[11:29.040 --> 11:31.440]  We have got largely clear skies down into the south,
[11:31.440 --> 11:33.840]  what Clabber do have here in the process of fizzling away.
[11:33.840 --> 11:37.240]  We've got an area of ice, snow and heavy rain
[11:37.240 --> 11:38.640]  moving through the Northern Plains,
[11:38.640 --> 11:42.680]  heading across the Upper Midwest into New England into eastern parts of Canada.
[11:42.680 --> 11:45.600]  Still very much in place as we go on through Sunday then.
[11:45.600 --> 11:48.280]  It will be a cold one for those central areas of Canada,
[11:48.280 --> 11:50.160]  around Ontario into Quebec.
[11:50.160 --> 11:53.000]  But for the United States, it's looking largely fine and dry.
[11:53.000 --> 11:56.360]  DC getting up to very respectable 14 degrees Celsius,
[11:56.360 --> 11:58.280]  should be about seven degrees at this time of the year.
[11:58.280 --> 12:03.280]  Similar values too for Atlanta and for Dallas and indeed for San Francisco.
[12:03.280 --> 12:05.040]  Some wintry weather up towards the Pacific Northwest,
[12:05.040 --> 12:06.760]  but fine and dry for LA.
[12:06.760 --> 12:10.560]  Another warm one here, temperatures here at around 25 degrees Celsius.
[12:10.560 --> 12:13.400]  That's the sort of value we're looking at for Havana.
[12:13.400 --> 12:14.920]  Not too bad across the Greater Antilles,
[12:14.920 --> 12:17.040]  not too bad in fact across much of the Caribbean.
[12:17.040 --> 12:19.240]  Central America seeing a rash of showers
[12:19.240 --> 12:22.800]  just across that southwestern corner of the Caribbean Sea.
[12:22.800 --> 12:25.800]  Got some mild weather making its way in across the northwestern areas of Hewitt,
[12:25.800 --> 12:27.120]  but at least it's mild.
[12:27.120 --> 12:29.680]  We'll see temperatures into double figures there for London
[12:29.680 --> 12:32.080]  and also for Paris along with Berlin.
[12:32.080 --> 12:35.720]  We've got some snow making its way over the higher ground, just around the Alps.
[12:35.720 --> 12:38.480]  Certainly very disturbing to that eastern side of the Mediterranean
[12:38.480 --> 12:40.280]  with the risk of flooding.
[12:40.280 --> 12:51.000]  No matter what direction you're taking,
[12:51.000 --> 12:54.800]  you will find us at your service all along the way.
[12:54.800 --> 13:03.120]  Q&B, together forward.
[13:03.120 --> 13:05.200]  Untold stories.
[13:05.200 --> 13:07.760]  Alternative perspectives.
[13:07.760 --> 13:11.520]  Share your opinions with our online community.
[13:11.520 --> 13:13.120]  Become part of it.
[13:13.120 --> 13:14.880]  Join the stream.
[13:14.880 --> 13:40.840]  Coming up this time on Al Jazeera.
[13:40.840 --> 13:42.840]  So these are the top stories here on Al Jazeera.
[13:42.840 --> 13:45.800]  People around the world celebrating the arrival of 2012, of course.
[13:45.800 --> 13:49.600]  Hundreds of thousands of them packed Times Square in New York City.
[13:49.600 --> 13:55.000]  The latest big cities to usher in the new year a little over an hour ago.
[13:55.000 --> 13:57.720]  Nigeria's presidents declared a state of emergency in four states
[13:57.720 --> 14:01.640]  after a series of attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram.
[14:01.640 --> 14:03.400]  And in a separate incident in the east of the country
[14:03.400 --> 14:06.000]  fighting between neighbouring communities over a land dispute
[14:06.000 --> 14:09.760]  has killed at least 50 people.
[14:09.760 --> 14:12.880]  To Syria, where two of the country's opposition groups are joining forces,
[14:12.880 --> 14:16.400]  the National Coordination Committee and the Syrian National Council
[14:16.400 --> 14:19.920]  set aside their differences and signed an agreement in Cairo.
[14:19.920 --> 14:22.920]  The document calls for the legal protection of all civilians
[14:22.920 --> 14:24.160]  under international law.
[14:24.160 --> 14:28.280]  It talks about national unity, preventing sectarian divisions.
[14:28.280 --> 14:30.240]  It does also reject any foreign intervention
[14:30.240 --> 14:32.800]  that could affect Syria's sovereignty
[14:32.800 --> 14:38.400]  and urges a new constitution to guarantee a transition to democracy.
[14:38.400 --> 14:41.320]  Journalists are not free to report inside Syria.
[14:41.320 --> 14:43.640]  But Hashem al-Bahre is getting information for us
[14:43.640 --> 14:46.000]  at the Turkish-Syria border.
[14:46.000 --> 14:48.640]  He's been looking at the latest pictures to come out of the country.
[14:51.640 --> 14:56.040]  Swarming onto public squares across the country,
[14:56.040 --> 14:59.800]  a festive atmosphere here in Homs.
[14:59.800 --> 15:02.720]  Protesters remembering their dead
[15:02.720 --> 15:09.800]  and vowing to continue the fight to topple the regime.
[15:09.800 --> 15:12.160]  On the outskirts of Damascus,
[15:12.160 --> 15:15.480]  dissent is building momentum.
[15:15.480 --> 15:19.040]  These protesters are holding banners that read,
[15:19.040 --> 15:24.360]  Bashar is a liar and the Arab observers didn't show up here.
[15:24.360 --> 15:28.720]  Aleppo was for months unaffected by demonstrations,
[15:28.720 --> 15:30.840]  but that is changing.
[15:30.840 --> 15:36.440]  Defiant protesters denouncing President Bashar al-Assad.
[15:36.440 --> 15:40.880]  They are saying their dream is to be martyrs.
[15:40.880 --> 15:43.200]  The presence of Arab observers
[15:43.200 --> 15:50.920]  seems to have emboldened the anti-government movement across Syria.
[15:50.920 --> 15:54.800]  This observer is expressing concerns over the situation
[15:54.800 --> 15:57.640]  in the restive city of Daraa.
[15:57.640 --> 16:01.160]  Elsewhere, a video posted on the internet
[16:01.160 --> 16:05.400]  shows a woman complaining to another Arab league observer
[16:05.400 --> 16:12.000]  that the government is making it difficult to get bread.
[16:12.000 --> 16:15.840]  The opposition has received a significant boost
[16:15.840 --> 16:20.720]  with the Syrian National Council and other factions joining forces.
[16:20.720 --> 16:23.360]  They are talking about the transitional period
[16:23.360 --> 16:25.560]  and Syria after al-Assad.
[16:25.560 --> 16:29.880]  With a united voice, they will call the international community
[16:29.880 --> 16:32.080]  to help out the regime.
[16:32.080 --> 16:36.080]  Hashem al-Bara' al-Jazeera, Antakya.
[16:36.080 --> 16:37.800]  So with the violence escalating in Syria,
[16:37.800 --> 16:41.160]  the Philippines is calling back all of its expatriate workers.
[16:41.160 --> 16:43.040]  The government says it's concerned for the safety
[16:43.040 --> 16:46.120]  of more than 4,000 Filipinos in Syria,
[16:46.120 --> 16:48.120]  and the evacuation is mandatory.
[16:48.120 --> 16:51.400]  Almost 500 workers have already fled the country.
[16:51.400 --> 16:55.120]  The embassy has helped more than 50 people leave on Saturday alone.
[16:55.120 --> 16:58.440]  Director of Advocacy for Amnesty International is Tiu Kumaran
[16:58.440 --> 17:02.800]  and says he believes other countries will follow the Philippines' lead.
[17:02.800 --> 17:06.720]  Philippines actually waited because for Philippine government
[17:06.720 --> 17:10.720]  and Philippine as a country, the foreign investment,
[17:10.720 --> 17:13.360]  that means the remittance from these workers,
[17:13.360 --> 17:15.440]  is a significant income.
[17:15.440 --> 17:20.520]  So imagine if they have decided to forego those significant income
[17:20.520 --> 17:24.160]  at the expense to protect their citizens.
[17:24.160 --> 17:25.520]  That says something.
[17:25.520 --> 17:28.680]  That means if Philippine government have taken this step,
[17:28.680 --> 17:31.120]  then you can pretty much sure other governments
[17:31.120 --> 17:34.080]  will follow suit very soon.
[17:34.080 --> 17:36.600]  We showed you some New Year's messages earlier in this broadcast,
[17:36.600 --> 17:38.720]  and North Korean state media has broadcast
[17:38.720 --> 17:40.320]  a New Year's message of its own,
[17:40.320 --> 17:44.200]  calling on the nation to defend their new leader to the death.
[17:44.200 --> 17:47.080]  The message also acknowledged the country's food crisis
[17:47.080 --> 17:51.200]  and said the problem would be tackled this year.
[17:51.200 --> 17:55.880]  Harry Fawcett has more from across the border in Seoul, South Korea.
[17:55.880 --> 17:58.440]  2012 was always going to be an important year in North Korea.
[17:58.440 --> 18:01.320]  It's the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung,
[18:01.320 --> 18:04.760]  the founding father, also the year that his son, Kim Jong-il,
[18:04.760 --> 18:08.680]  said would be the achievement of a strong and prosperous nation.
[18:08.680 --> 18:11.200]  Of course, this year also will be the first
[18:11.200 --> 18:13.120]  that Kim Jong-un will be in charge,
[18:13.120 --> 18:15.760]  and there's plenty of reference to the new young supreme leader,
[18:15.760 --> 18:18.280]  as he's known, in this New Year message.
[18:18.280 --> 18:19.920]  It says that the people and the army
[18:19.920 --> 18:22.600]  should act as human bulwarks and human shields
[18:22.600 --> 18:24.720]  in defending Kim Jong-un unto the death.
[18:24.720 --> 18:28.160]  It calls him the eternal centre of unity in the country.
[18:28.160 --> 18:32.120]  In terms of the achievement of strong and prosperous nation status,
[18:32.120 --> 18:34.480]  it says that they will glorify this year, 2012,
[18:34.480 --> 18:36.040]  as a year of proud victory,
[18:36.040 --> 18:39.160]  a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding.
[18:39.160 --> 18:41.120]  Now, you could read that to be something slightly different
[18:41.120 --> 18:44.680]  from a year when prosperity is actually achieved,
[18:44.680 --> 18:47.240]  and indeed, there is reference to the food problem in North Korea.
[18:47.240 --> 18:49.840]  They say the food problem is a burning issue,
[18:49.840 --> 18:52.360]  and one that requires resolution.
[18:52.360 --> 18:54.600]  In terms of relations with the South,
[18:54.600 --> 18:57.960]  there is strong condemnation of South Korea's refusal
[18:57.960 --> 19:00.440]  to allow private citizens to travel north
[19:00.440 --> 19:02.600]  to express their condolences.
[19:02.600 --> 19:05.800]  Also, criticism of what the North Koreans term
[19:05.800 --> 19:10.400]  as the South's refusal to accede to conciliatory moves
[19:10.400 --> 19:13.440]  from the north in the year 2011,
[19:13.440 --> 19:16.920]  and also calling for the United States military
[19:16.920 --> 19:19.800]  to pull out from the peninsula.
[19:19.800 --> 19:22.560]  There's no official reaction yet here in Seoul.
[19:22.560 --> 19:24.840]  We're expecting potentially a presidential address
[19:24.840 --> 19:27.400]  from the president, Lee Myung-bak, on Monday.
[19:27.400 --> 19:29.160]  One anonymous government official, though,
[19:29.160 --> 19:31.920]  has been quoted in the local media saying that this appears
[19:31.920 --> 19:33.760]  to be a less conciliatory message
[19:33.760 --> 19:36.920]  than the one at the beginning of 2011.
[19:36.920 --> 19:41.360]  There is less talk of willingness to talk with South Korea,
[19:41.360 --> 19:44.200]  but that doesn't mean, he says, according to local media,
[19:44.200 --> 19:46.760]  that the window for talks has been slammed shut
[19:46.760 --> 19:49.480]  just through this one New Year message.
[19:49.480 --> 19:51.520]  US President Barack Obama signed into law
[19:51.520 --> 19:53.600]  a huge defense spending bill,
[19:53.600 --> 19:56.320]  which includes tough new sanctions against Iran.
[19:56.320 --> 19:58.400]  The sanctions will apply penalties to companies
[19:58.400 --> 20:00.880]  that do business with Iran's central bank.
[20:00.880 --> 20:02.960]  Wide-ranging bill also includes provisions
[20:02.960 --> 20:05.200]  about the detention, interrogation,
[20:05.200 --> 20:08.040]  and prosecution of terrorist suspects.
[20:08.040 --> 20:09.320]  President said he signed the bill
[20:09.320 --> 20:11.080]  despite having some serious reservations
[20:11.080 --> 20:12.800]  about some of those measures.
[20:12.800 --> 20:14.000]  Earlier, we heard from Richard Weitz,
[20:14.000 --> 20:17.160]  a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC,
[20:17.160 --> 20:20.480]  about the possible ramifications of this bill.
[20:20.480 --> 20:22.720]  It can have two negative effects.
[20:22.720 --> 20:23.800]  The first, as you mentioned,
[20:23.800 --> 20:26.120]  is that the United States is very concerned
[20:26.120 --> 20:28.960]  in the case of some countries detaining people
[20:28.960 --> 20:32.880]  they label as terrorists and just holding them without trial.
[20:32.880 --> 20:35.000]  And so we've tried to work against that.
[20:35.000 --> 20:38.800]  And the way some people could read the legislations
[20:38.800 --> 20:42.600]  that passed recently and signed by the president today
[20:42.600 --> 20:44.880]  is allowing the United States to do that very thing.
[20:44.880 --> 20:47.400]  And so it, again, makes it a bit harder.
[20:47.400 --> 20:48.560]  There's also another problem.
[20:48.560 --> 20:49.760]  There's a bit of a concern
[20:49.760 --> 20:51.640]  that perhaps some European countries,
[20:51.640 --> 20:53.680]  other countries which have a very strong tradition
[20:53.680 --> 20:56.360]  of legalizing human rights,
[20:56.360 --> 20:58.720]  might feel uncomfortable cooperating with the United States,
[20:58.720 --> 20:59.920]  say, giving us somebody
[20:59.920 --> 21:01.720]  who they think could be detained indefinitely
[21:01.720 --> 21:02.760]  or providing information
[21:02.760 --> 21:05.360]  that could lead to the military seizure of somebody.
[21:05.360 --> 21:09.000]  So again, it could have a doubly negative effect.
[21:09.000 --> 21:10.520]  If it feels like you're playing catch-up
[21:10.520 --> 21:13.160]  with the latest technology, it's because you are.
[21:13.160 --> 21:15.800]  And in 2012, that is only likely to accelerate.
[21:15.800 --> 21:19.040]  Big feature of 2011 was the way technology information collided,
[21:19.040 --> 21:22.440]  helping to spur things like the Arab Spring revolutions,
[21:22.440 --> 21:23.800]  inspiring other mass movements
[21:23.800 --> 21:25.680]  like the Occupy Wall Street protests.
[21:25.680 --> 21:29.560]  Now it's about making that information even more accessible
[21:29.560 --> 21:32.320]  and right at our fingertips, if that were possible even more.
[21:32.320 --> 21:33.480]  Let's talk more about these developments.
[21:33.480 --> 21:35.920]  Alfred Hsu is joining us on Skype, actually,
[21:35.920 --> 21:37.800]  just to illustrate some technology from Singapore.
[21:37.800 --> 21:40.160]  He is the founder of TechGundu.com,
[21:40.160 --> 21:42.400]  a website specializing in new technology.
[21:42.400 --> 21:43.440]  Alfred, thanks for joining us.
[21:43.440 --> 21:45.200]  I'm going to talk about the gadgets in a moment.
[21:45.200 --> 21:46.640]  I want to start, though, with something.
[21:46.640 --> 21:50.280]  When we're talking about information and storing it
[21:50.280 --> 21:53.480]  and using it and moving around, this idea of cloud computing,
[21:53.480 --> 21:55.120]  where you store things not on your computer
[21:55.120 --> 21:57.960]  but on a server, I guess, somewhere else,
[21:57.960 --> 22:00.640]  is this something which is going to really start to take off in 2012
[22:00.640 --> 22:05.080]  and change how we use our information, I guess?
[22:05.080 --> 22:08.640]  I think, you know, all of us are really using cloud computing
[22:08.640 --> 22:11.560]  some way if we use web-based email.
[22:11.560 --> 22:13.120]  If you use Gmail, for example, right,
[22:13.120 --> 22:15.400]  I mean, all the messages are stored online.
[22:15.400 --> 22:17.240]  They're not on our computers.
[22:17.240 --> 22:20.960]  What we see in 2012 probably will be more companies
[22:20.960 --> 22:23.720]  moving towards cloud computing, you know,
[22:23.720 --> 22:27.520]  by taking out rooms of IT equipment.
[22:27.520 --> 22:28.240]  But it's safe?
[22:28.240 --> 22:31.440]  I mean, the query I would have is on the hacking side of things.
[22:31.440 --> 22:34.960]  If you want to store all your stuff elsewhere,
[22:34.960 --> 22:38.400]  away from your own computer, the issue of hacking.
[22:38.400 --> 22:39.080]  Right.
[22:39.080 --> 22:41.840]  So it's the same question whether you're going to put your money
[22:41.840 --> 22:43.800]  under the bed or in the bank.
[22:43.800 --> 22:47.280]  So in the bank, typically, you have people
[22:47.280 --> 22:49.960]  who are more seasoned and experts in security
[22:49.960 --> 22:53.880]  than, say, your average IT manager in a corporation.
[22:53.880 --> 22:56.880]  Unless you are, say, a bank, an actual bank,
[22:56.880 --> 22:58.520]  with really sensitive data,
[22:58.520 --> 23:00.960]  which you want to really safeguard on your own,
[23:00.960 --> 23:04.160]  most corporations will see the kind of everyday type
[23:04.160 --> 23:05.960]  of computing processes.
[23:05.960 --> 23:08.440]  They will see benefits from moving this away
[23:08.440 --> 23:11.040]  from their own IT in call centres.
[23:11.040 --> 23:13.040]  Okay, let's move on.
[23:13.040 --> 23:15.480]  I want to talk about the sort of the technology side of things,
[23:15.480 --> 23:18.120]  the hardware, the gadget side of things.
[23:18.120 --> 23:20.720]  I was saying before, a big feature is information
[23:20.720 --> 23:21.760]  and how we access it.
[23:21.760 --> 23:23.160]  Tablet computers have become a big deal.
[23:23.160 --> 23:25.320]  We've got some pictures here, which we're going to show our viewers
[23:25.320 --> 23:27.240]  of a concept which Samsung is putting out.
[23:27.240 --> 23:29.880]  It's a flexible screen computer.
[23:29.880 --> 23:32.640]  I think they're saying it's probably a few years away yet,
[23:32.640 --> 23:36.040]  almost a computer, a tablet that you could fold into your pocket.
[23:36.040 --> 23:38.880]  Is this the way it is, that if you're in the technology business,
[23:38.880 --> 23:42.240]  you've got to be thinking mobile, mobile, mobile all the time?
[23:42.240 --> 23:43.400]  Yes.
[23:43.400 --> 23:46.680]  I think in the past couple of years, we've seen tablets,
[23:46.680 --> 23:51.520]  smartphones becoming smarter and more powerful CPUs.
[23:51.520 --> 23:53.440]  I think Chinese people are going to see the same thing.
[23:53.440 --> 23:57.560]  But one thing to note is these phones are going to start transforming
[23:57.560 --> 23:59.640]  from just being phones or portable devices
[23:59.640 --> 24:01.560]  to basically one-in-one devices.
[24:01.560 --> 24:05.400]  You think of the way we switch from desktops to laptops, right?
[24:05.400 --> 24:07.560]  I mean, when we bring a laptop to work nowadays,
[24:07.560 --> 24:10.440]  we connect it to a big screen, to a keyboard.
[24:10.440 --> 24:13.280]  The same thing is going to happen to these handheld devices,
[24:13.280 --> 24:15.200]  your phones and your tablets.
[24:15.200 --> 24:17.440]  In 2022, we're going to see a lot more of these tablets
[24:17.440 --> 24:20.600]  with powerful processors that allow you to connect to your screens
[24:20.600 --> 24:24.000]  and your keyboards so that basically you have only one device.
[24:24.000 --> 24:27.080]  You wouldn't need a laptop or desktop.
[24:27.080 --> 24:29.600]  This handheld device will be the central device
[24:29.600 --> 24:33.840]  for you to log onto everything you need for email and everything.
[24:33.840 --> 24:35.160]  Yeah, all about handheld devices.
[24:35.160 --> 24:39.360]  I mean, I don't want to be premature about the death of the desktop computer.
[24:39.360 --> 24:41.720]  However, is it becoming...
[24:41.720 --> 24:43.720]  Is it being phased out now?
[24:43.720 --> 24:45.920]  People opt for laptops more often than not now.
[24:45.920 --> 24:48.800]  Now, if you've got a tablet computer and a mobile device and all that,
[24:48.800 --> 24:51.520]  why would you want a desktop computer anymore?
[24:51.520 --> 24:53.520]  Well, there are specialised users.
[24:53.520 --> 24:55.440]  For example, if you are a graphics designer,
[24:55.440 --> 24:57.240]  you might need a powerful computer.
[24:57.240 --> 25:00.480]  Or if you're playing games, you need a very powerful computer.
[25:00.480 --> 25:04.960]  But for everyday tasks, for making Skype calls, for example,
[25:04.960 --> 25:07.200]  to surf the web, to get an email,
[25:07.200 --> 25:09.200]  you don't really need a desktop anymore.
[25:09.200 --> 25:11.400]  There will be people who buy desktops, right,
[25:11.400 --> 25:14.440]  because, you know, because they're getting cheaper and cheaper.
[25:14.440 --> 25:16.240]  You know, but if...
[25:16.240 --> 25:18.640]  You know, the primary device already will be a portable device,
[25:18.640 --> 25:19.720]  not a desktop computer.
[25:19.720 --> 25:21.040]  Alfred Tew, it's been great talking to you.
[25:21.040 --> 25:22.840]  Thank you for joining us there from Singapore.
[25:22.840 --> 25:23.840]  Thanks for your time.
[25:25.880 --> 25:29.360]  Kazakhstan now, the ninth largest nation in the world
[25:29.360 --> 25:32.680]  in terms of landmass and huge oil and gas reserves,
[25:32.680 --> 25:34.760]  but also a big polluter.
[25:34.760 --> 25:36.520]  However, it's recently been making headlines
[25:36.520 --> 25:38.840]  for its environmentally friendly initiatives.
[25:38.840 --> 25:40.480]  Robin Forestier-Walker has this report for us
[25:40.480 --> 25:41.720]  from the capital, Almaty.
[25:43.320 --> 25:47.000]  Majestic mountains tower above Almaty.
[25:47.000 --> 25:49.000]  But even on clear days,
[25:49.000 --> 25:52.160]  you can barely see Kazakhstan's commercial capital.
[25:53.720 --> 25:55.520]  Under the blanket of smog,
[25:55.520 --> 25:58.360]  cars are among the worst culprits.
[25:58.360 --> 26:00.920]  Almaty's residents are forced to breathe in
[26:00.920 --> 26:04.920]  hundreds of thousands of tonnes a year of exhaust fumes.
[26:04.920 --> 26:07.640]  Kazakhstan's biggest sources of pollution
[26:07.640 --> 26:10.360]  are ageing coal-fired power stations
[26:10.360 --> 26:12.960]  and gas flaring from the petroleum industry,
[26:12.960 --> 26:15.120]  which make the country one of the world's worst
[26:15.120 --> 26:17.000]  carbon emitters by population.
[26:18.080 --> 26:22.880]  In 2008, it produced 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person,
[26:22.880 --> 26:26.040]  but the government is committed to reducing such emissions
[26:26.040 --> 26:30.560]  by 15% from 1992 levels by 2020.
[26:30.560 --> 26:34.400]  To achieve it, a cap and trade system in the energy sector
[26:34.400 --> 26:37.400]  will put a price on carbon from 2013.
[26:39.520 --> 26:40.880]  It's a modest aim.
[26:40.880 --> 26:44.680]  Kazakhstan produces less than 1992 levels today.
[26:44.680 --> 26:47.960]  Still, workshops like this are preparing the industry
[26:47.960 --> 26:49.600]  and officials are optimistic.
[26:50.760 --> 26:53.400]  It will see not just a reduction of greenhouse gases,
[26:53.400 --> 26:55.680]  but the reduction of all dirty elements.
[26:55.680 --> 26:57.840]  So it means the environmental situation
[26:57.840 --> 26:59.400]  in the country will improve,
[26:59.400 --> 27:01.360]  and the reduction of renewable energy
[27:01.360 --> 27:04.200]  will help to reduce greenhouse emissions further.
[27:05.200 --> 27:07.440]  Green initiatives such as renewable energy
[27:07.440 --> 27:11.440]  and better public transport are still rare in Kazakhstan.
[27:11.440 --> 27:15.480]  This is the country's first cycle lane, built last year.
[27:15.480 --> 27:17.520]  Enthusiasts lobbied for it,
[27:17.520 --> 27:20.840]  but say government doesn't always honour its commitments.
[27:20.840 --> 27:25.840]  Promises was for this year to build up twice longer bike lane,
[27:25.840 --> 27:29.160]  but they didn't.
[27:29.160 --> 27:32.360]  Sometimes you feel like you're hitting the wall.
[27:33.680 --> 27:37.440]  Solutions such as Almaty's new metro are grounds for optimism.
[27:38.680 --> 27:42.200]  It took 23 years to complete, and there's only one line.
[27:43.640 --> 27:46.160]  But the city needs it now more than ever.
[27:46.160 --> 27:50.040]  It's just opened, and Almatyites are very proud
[27:50.040 --> 27:51.960]  to be using it for the first time.
[27:51.960 --> 27:54.080]  Eventually, there'll be more lines,
[27:54.080 --> 27:57.680]  and if enough people start using it and leaving their cars at home,
[27:57.680 --> 28:00.480]  it could have a positive impact on the environment.
[28:01.480 --> 28:05.280]  The metro or carbon pricing won't alone make Kazakhstan green.
[28:06.280 --> 28:08.760]  But they show that the authorities aren't just sitting back
[28:08.760 --> 28:10.480]  and doing nothing,
[28:10.480 --> 28:13.280]  and that the country might be heading in a new direction.
[28:15.160 --> 28:18.480]  Robin Forrester, Walker, Al Jazeera, Almaty.
[28:19.840 --> 28:21.520]  Just finally, we showed you some New Year's celebrations
[28:21.520 --> 28:24.040]  a little bit earlier, places like New York and London,
[28:24.040 --> 28:27.160]  and Paris, but what about the others?
[28:27.160 --> 28:56.080]  We're going to leave you in this bulletin with a quick spin around the globe.
[28:57.160 --> 29:16.520]  So this is Al Jazeera, and these are the stories making the headlines.
[29:16.520 --> 29:18.520]  As you've just seen, people across the world celebrating
[29:18.520 --> 29:19.520]  the start of the new year.
[29:19.520 --> 29:22.400]  One of the latest big cities to light up, New York,
[29:22.400 --> 29:24.600]  where hundreds of thousands of people packed into Times Square
[29:24.600 --> 29:26.400]  to watch the countdown.
[29:26.400 --> 29:29.000]  Joined by the city's, excuse me, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
[29:29.000 --> 29:30.880]  and pop singer Lady Gaga was there too.
[29:37.040 --> 29:40.880]  Big Ben doesn't usually do that, but it does for the arrival of 2012,
[29:40.880 --> 29:43.560]  around 250,000 people out on the banks of the River Thames
[29:43.560 --> 29:45.320]  to watch the New Year fireworks display.
[29:45.320 --> 29:46.920]  Big year for the British capital, it is,
[29:46.920 --> 29:50.880]  which hosts the Olympic Games in July and August.
[29:51.400 --> 29:54.400]  And this is Egypt, crowds gathering where else but Tahrir Square
[29:54.400 --> 29:57.120]  to mark the end of a momentous year for the country.
[29:57.120 --> 30:26.920]  Alongside New Year celebrations, they paid tribute to those...