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[00:00.000 --> 00:04.240]  But, polluted, we look at how Kazakhstan's 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.
[00:18.320 --> 00:20.960]  The west coast of the United States places like Los Angeles
[00:20.960 --> 00:22.960]  gets its turn in an hour from now.
[00:22.960 --> 00:27.200]  A Hawaii in about three hours from now, then it's basically all done.
[00:27.200 --> 00:31.600]  But, for the last 20 hours, millions of people across the globe have been celebrating the
[00:31.600 --> 00:32.640]  start of the new year.
[00:32.640 --> 00:34.960]  The latest to light up, the Big Apple.
[00:36.560 --> 00:38.640]  There is hundreds of thousands of people packed.
[00:39.360 --> 00:43.360]  Into New York's Times Square, the crossroads of the world, as they call it,
[00:43.920 --> 00:46.720]  to watch the countdown joined by Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
[00:46.720 --> 00:48.720]  they're in Lady Gaga as well, pop singer,
[00:48.720 --> 00:51.680]  who hit the switch sending the country's famous crystal,
[00:51.680 --> 00:54.240]  city's famous crystal ball on its countdown that dropped.
[00:54.240 --> 00:56.960]  A few hours earlier in London.
[01:02.800 --> 01:06.640]  There is bombs, the Chimes of Big Ben Mark, the arrival of 2012,
[01:06.640 --> 01:10.880]  around 250,000 people, quarter of a million on the banks of the River Tames,
[01:10.880 --> 01:13.760]  to watch a new fireworks display.
[01:13.760 --> 01:16.400]  They're big year for the British capital hosting the Olympic Games
[01:17.280 --> 01:21.440]  in July and August, for the Olympic theme to those colours there as well.
[01:21.440 --> 01:25.040]  Thousands toasting the new year on the Shomtonese in Paris.
[01:26.240 --> 01:29.440]  A little glass of champagne, the Eiffel Tower had a special display
[01:29.440 --> 01:32.720]  illuminating for the end of 2011.
[01:32.720 --> 01:35.760]  There were some 60,000 police officers, firefighters,
[01:35.760 --> 01:38.720]  and other emergency personnel, on standby across France, actually.
[01:40.080 --> 01:42.560]  And world leaders have taken this chance to deliver their new,
[01:42.560 --> 01:44.080]  year, messages, here's a few of them.
[01:45.200 --> 01:49.600]  Downs surdieting, world peace and development of facing new opportunities and
[01:49.600 --> 01:53.600]  challenges. China will continue to adhere to safeguarding world peace
[01:53.600 --> 01:57.280]  and promoting common development in its foreign policy objectives.
[01:57.280 --> 02:00.480]  adhere to an independent foreign policy, the peace,
[02:00.480 --> 02:04.480]  and unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development.
[02:04.480 --> 02:06.080]  Rona Dvacicliatnaza.
[02:06.080 --> 02:11.120]  Exactly 20 years ago, we celebrated our first new year in a country called Russia,
[02:11.120 --> 02:15.440]  a name celebrated for the illustrious deeds of our great ancestors.
[02:15.440 --> 02:20.080]  It is our duty to preserve it and to build a progressive site.
[02:20.080 --> 02:23.920]  There's 2011 comes to an end and we look ahead to 2012.
[02:23.920 --> 02:26.320]  I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.
[02:27.200 --> 02:30.880]  The last year has been a time of great challenge and great progress for our country.
[02:31.680 --> 02:34.080]  We ended one war and began to wind down another.
[02:34.720 --> 02:38.240]  We dealt a crippling blow to Al Qaeda and made America more secure.
[02:40.080 --> 02:42.560]  There's a man with a fight on his hands in 2012, isn't he?
[02:42.560 --> 02:46.000]  With the economy still struggling in the United States, it is going to be one tough year
[02:46.000 --> 02:50.480]  for Barack Obama. As he tries to hold onto the White House and ensure he doesn't become
[02:51.120 --> 02:55.360]  a one-term president. This is from Alan Fischer now in Washington for us.
[02:56.640 --> 03:00.480]  It will be the battleground for the next U.S. presidential election.
[03:00.480 --> 03:03.200]  While Americans have spent the past month hunting for bargains,
[03:03.200 --> 03:06.640]  soon they'll be shopping for a president. They hope can deliver what they're after.
[03:07.200 --> 03:12.400]  In this election, issues like security, immigration and foreign policy have been pushed to the margins.
[03:12.400 --> 03:16.800]  In a famous political phrase from the past, it's all about the economy stupid.
[03:16.800 --> 03:19.440]  The economy is going to be front-center. It always is in every election,
[03:19.440 --> 03:24.000]  particularly presidential years. And particularly when you have a serious downturn,
[03:24.000 --> 03:28.560]  we're still recovering from the downturn. It's hard to believe that won't be front-end center.
[03:28.560 --> 03:32.880]  Barack Obama is going into the election with an unemployment rate of more than 8%,
[03:32.880 --> 03:39.120]  a figure which would normally kill any chance of winning. The national debt is $15 trillion.
[03:39.120 --> 03:46.240]  I'm growing by around $4 billion a day. But still, his approval rating is 47%. The highest in five
[03:46.240 --> 03:52.240]  months. This is, as ever, a referendum on the top two candidates who America likes best.
[03:52.240 --> 03:56.480]  But it's also an ideological battle on the type of government America wants,
[03:56.480 --> 04:00.880]  whether it favors the Democrat idea of spending more money to create jobs,
[04:00.880 --> 04:06.160]  or whether it backs the Republicans, cutting taxes, cutting spending to build a stronger economy.
[04:06.160 --> 04:11.760]  This is a battle, a crucial vote, on the future direction of America. And who gets to lead it?
[04:11.760 --> 04:14.880]  Throughout the series of Republican debates to select a candidate,
[04:14.880 --> 04:19.440]  issues which have played big in previous elections such as immigration and national security
[04:19.440 --> 04:24.720]  have all had an earring. But one observer says they are minor considerations as people go to vote.
[04:24.720 --> 04:30.160]  Americans always care more about what's going on at home than overseas. The examples
[04:30.160 --> 04:35.520]  throughout history are plentiful. This year is the same way, especially right now when we're
[04:35.520 --> 04:41.920]  getting out of Iraq as fast as a weekend, trying to get out of Afghanistan. So that's all
[04:41.920 --> 04:47.040]  in the background right now. The first votes in the 2012 presidential election campaign
[04:47.040 --> 04:52.640]  will be cast on January 3rd in Iowa. The final vote, the general election, is November 6th.
[04:52.640 --> 04:57.120]  The thing about elections here is that a single moment, a single comment can change the entire
[04:57.120 --> 05:02.000]  landscape. But this election will be won by the person who can convince Americans
[05:02.000 --> 05:07.280]  better times are coming, and they will have more money in their pocket. I'll ensure Al-Jazeera,
[05:07.280 --> 05:12.640]  Washington. Tough times for the U.S. economy clearly what about Europe, though,
[05:12.640 --> 05:16.640]  in her end of year speaks to the German Chancellor had this prediction for the year ahead.
[05:18.640 --> 05:23.920]  Today you can be sure that I will do everything in my power to strengthen the Euro,
[05:23.920 --> 05:29.680]  but this will only work if Europe learns from its mistakes. One of these is that a common currency
[05:29.680 --> 05:34.240]  can only really be successful if we in Europe cooperate more than we have done.
[05:34.240 --> 05:39.280]  Europe is growing together in the crisis. The path to overcoming this remains long and won't
[05:39.280 --> 05:44.960]  be free from setbacks. But at the end of it, Europe will emerge stronger from the crisis than it went
[05:44.960 --> 05:50.720]  into it. The single Euro currency was actually launched this day, 10 years ago, but the
[05:50.720 --> 05:56.320]  debt crisis has really put its future in doubt. Estonia is the newest member of the Euro.
[05:56.320 --> 06:02.240]  Charlie Angela is there for us to gauge the economic climbers. The word is from Switzerland,
[06:02.240 --> 06:08.160]  the felt from Belgium, the strings from Germany, and Estonia piano takes three months to make
[06:08.160 --> 06:14.960]  and depends on Europe for its parts. These and other exports of textiles and machinery make
[06:14.960 --> 06:27.040]  Estonia's $19 billion economy Europe's fastest growing. Venolau manages the factory and runs his
[06:27.040 --> 06:33.360]  fingers over each instrument before it has shipped. He says a success of his company and country
[06:33.360 --> 06:41.840]  lies in its size. We survived the recession because we're small and flexible. We don't
[06:41.840 --> 06:47.200]  ask produce, so we didn't have any pianos lingering and warehouses that didn't sell. But joining
[06:47.200 --> 06:52.640]  the Euro was good for us. It did away with customs fees and border paperwork. It's brought us closer
[06:52.640 --> 06:58.480]  to our European neighbours and helped us break into new markets. When the Euro arrived last year,
[06:58.480 --> 07:03.920]  the mood was festive. Estonia's were excited, but now in the capital Tallinn that mood has
[07:03.920 --> 07:10.080]  changed. It was a terrible idea. We were already poor, but by next year we'll be beggars.
[07:10.080 --> 07:16.000]  Before when I paid for electricity and housing, I'd have $30 left. Now I have nothing.
[07:16.000 --> 07:21.360]  It was a bad decision. Europe is now in a financial crisis and the future looks dark.
[07:21.360 --> 07:27.360]  It's not a good thing. As the crisis deepens, Estonia is taking precautions.
[07:27.360 --> 07:32.240]  The finance minister has won awards for his austerity measures, but admits the Euro's own
[07:32.240 --> 07:38.560]  troubles could take his country down. We have been pulled down anyway. We are part of Europe
[07:38.560 --> 07:48.080]  and the economy, our export markets are there. We depend very much on external environment
[07:48.080 --> 07:58.000]  and it doesn't make it different. There are only additional obligations being a part of
[07:58.000 --> 08:04.480]  the Eurozone and there are also merits. It's unclear what 2012 will hold for Estonians in the
[08:04.480 --> 08:09.440]  rest of the Eurozone, at least this country's debts are low and its financial assets could
[08:09.440 --> 08:15.280]  cushion a fall back into a session. But some say that by joining the Euro when it did, Estonia
[08:15.280 --> 08:20.400]  really bought the last ticket onto the Titanic, Charlie Antula, Al-Dazirah Tallinn.
[08:21.600 --> 08:26.320]  Now Nigeria's president has declared an emergency in four states after a series of attacks
[08:26.320 --> 08:30.400]  by the Islamist group, Boko Haram. The group is behind the recent Christmas Day attacks,
[08:30.400 --> 08:35.600]  which killed at least 42 people. Now in a national address, President Scott Jonathan said
[08:35.600 --> 08:40.640]  the state of emergency is only an interim measure. The plan is to restore security in the north
[08:40.640 --> 08:45.040]  where most of the violence has taken place. The measures include closing parts of Nigeria's borders
[08:45.040 --> 08:50.160]  with Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Ahmed Idris reports now from the capital of Boucher.
[08:51.440 --> 08:56.480]  This rapidly escalating insurgency launched by the Islamist group Boko Haram has left dozens
[08:56.480 --> 09:01.360]  dead across the country in attacks carried out on Christmas Day. Speaking of centuries as
[09:01.360 --> 09:07.120]  Church in Aboujawa 37 died, President Goudla Jonathan said, Boko Haram had started as a harmless
[09:07.120 --> 09:13.840]  group, but had now grown cancerous. We will crush the terrorist he said. Later, he went on television
[09:13.840 --> 09:25.280]  in an address to the nation to declare a state of emergency. The crisis about jumped the terrorist dimension,
[09:25.280 --> 09:47.280]  building, and places of worship, becoming targets of terrorist attacks. While it shouts for lasting
[09:47.280 --> 09:41.600]  solution is ongoing, it has become imperative to take some precise measures necessary to restore
[09:41.600 --> 09:48.080]  numbers in the country especially within the affected communities. The decision to invoke
[09:48.080 --> 09:53.120]  emergency powers came after briefing from the President's chief of defense staff. It involves
[09:53.120 --> 09:57.840]  the closure of international borders along the states of European border in the Northeast,
[09:57.840 --> 10:03.040]  while part of state and central Nigeria and Niger state have also been declared affected areas.
[10:03.840 --> 10:07.600]  Boko Haram would loosely translate as Western education is forbidden,
[10:07.600 --> 10:11.520]  seeks the implementation of strict Sharia law across the country.
[10:11.520 --> 10:16.480]  Their thought to have been involved in string of attacks across Nigeria in 2011,
[10:16.480 --> 10:20.800]  including the bombing of the U.N. in August, leaving 21 people dead.
[10:20.800 --> 10:25.920]  The state of emergency raises fears of an escalation in Africa's most popular
[10:25.920 --> 10:30.400]  nation, which is split between a largely Christian south and Muslim north,
[10:30.400 --> 10:34.160]  Ahmet Idris, Al-Jazeera, Aboujah, Nigeria.
[10:36.000 --> 10:39.840]  There have also been clashes in the east of the country at least 40 people were killed
[10:39.840 --> 10:45.600]  and fighting between neighbouring communities in Abonni state. The clashes appear to be related
[10:45.600 --> 10:50.400]  to a long-running land dispute and there's no suggestion they are linked to the Boko Haram
[10:50.400 --> 10:55.040]  in the presidency. In a moment to the latest from Syria and then,
[10:55.040 --> 10:58.400]  a leader to die for North Korea's new year messages typically
[10:58.400 --> 11:02.000]  sympathetic, but also acknowledges people are going hungry.
[11:02.720 --> 11:07.120]  But gadgets or gimmicks, we take a look at some of the new technology which could take hold in
[11:07.120 --> 11:21.840]  2012.
[11:24.400 --> 11:28.880]  Hello, it's looking like a mild start to the new year for a much of North America.
[11:28.880 --> 11:33.200]  We have got glad to clear skies down into the south. What Clapper do have here in the process of
[11:33.200 --> 11:38.080]  fizzling away, but we've got an area of ice, snow, and heavy rain moving through the northern
[11:38.080 --> 11:42.480]  plains, heading across the Upper Midwest into New England to eastern parts of Canada.
[11:42.480 --> 11:46.480]  There's still very much in places we go on through Sunday then. It will be a cold one for
[11:46.480 --> 11:51.600]  those central areas of Canada around Ontario, into Quebec. But for the United States,
[11:51.600 --> 11:56.160]  it's looking nicely fine and dry. Do you see getting up to a respectable 14 degrees south
[11:56.160 --> 12:00.240]  or should be about 70 degrees at this time of the year? Some of the values too for Atlanta
[12:00.240 --> 12:04.880]  and for Dallas and a D-4 San Francisco. Someone she weathered towards a Pacific Northwest,
[12:04.880 --> 12:10.240]  but fine and dry for LA, another warm one here, temperatures here at around 25 degrees south.
[12:10.240 --> 12:14.400]  So that's a sort of value we're looking at for Havana, not too bad across the greater
[12:14.400 --> 12:17.920]  round till it's not too bad. In fact, across much of the Caribbean, Central America,
[12:17.920 --> 12:22.560]  seeing a rash of showers just across south-western corner of the Caribbean Sea.
[12:22.560 --> 12:25.920]  Got some weather wet weather making, it's where in across north-western areas of Europe,
[12:25.920 --> 12:30.560]  at least it's mild, we'll see temperatures into double figures there for London and also for Paris
[12:30.560 --> 12:34.960]  along with Berlin. We've got some snow making, it's where over the higher ground, just around the
[12:34.960 --> 12:47.680]  out. Certainly, very disturbing to that eastern side of the Mediterranean with the risk of flooding.
[12:47.680 --> 12:53.840]  No matter what direction you're taking, you will find us at your service all along the way.
[12:53.840 --> 12:56.640]  Q&B, together forward.
[13:03.040 --> 13:10.400]  Untold stories, alternative perspectives, share your opinions with our online community,
[13:10.400 --> 13:29.920]  become part of it, join the stream. At this time, on Aljazeera.
[13:40.560 --> 13:44.080]  So these are the top stories here in Aljazeera, people around the world celebrating the arrival
[13:44.080 --> 13:49.120]  of 2012 of course, hundreds of thousands of them packed, time square in New York City,
[13:49.120 --> 13:52.640]  or the latest big cities to usher in the New Year, little over an hour ago.
[13:54.800 --> 13:58.880]  In the area's presence declared a state of emergency in four states after a series of attacks
[13:58.880 --> 14:03.360]  by the Islamist group, Boko Haram, and in a separate incident in the east of the country,
[14:03.360 --> 14:07.440]  fighting between neighbouring communities over a land dispute is killed at least 50 people.
[14:07.440 --> 14:13.200]  To Syria, where two of the country's opposition groups are joining forces, the National
[14:13.200 --> 14:18.000]  Coordination Committee and the Syrian National Council set aside their differences and signed
[14:18.000 --> 14:23.120]  an agreement in Cairo. The document calls for the legal protection of all civilians under
[14:23.120 --> 14:27.200]  international law. It talks about national unity, preventing sectarian divisions.
[14:28.000 --> 14:32.720]  It does also reject any foreign intervention that could affect Syria's sovereignty,
[14:32.720 --> 14:37.760]  and urge a new constitution to guarantee a transition to democracy.
[14:37.760 --> 14:42.160]  International journalists are not free to report inside Syria, but Hashem Al-Bara is
[14:42.160 --> 14:46.880]  getting information for us at the Turkish Syria border. It's been looking at the latest pictures
[14:46.880 --> 14:55.120]  to come out of the country. Swarming on to public squares across the country,
[14:55.120 --> 15:04.240]  if festive atmosphere here in homes, protesters remembering their dead and vowing to continue
[15:04.240 --> 15:14.240]  the fight to topple the regime. On the outskirts of Damascus, descent is building momentum.
[15:15.360 --> 15:22.320]  These protesters are holding banners that read Bashar is a liar and the Arab observers
[15:22.320 --> 15:30.000]  didn't show up here. Aleppo was for months unaffected by demonstrations, but that is changing.
[15:30.720 --> 15:38.880]  Defiant protesters denouncing President Bashar al-Assad. They are saying that dream is to be
[15:38.880 --> 15:46.720]  martyrs. The presence of Arab observers seems to have emboldened the anti-government movement
[15:46.720 --> 15:55.840]  across Syria. This observer is expressing concerns over the situation in the rest of the city of
[15:55.840 --> 16:04.080]  Darah. Elsewhere a video posted on the internet shows a woman complaining to another Arab
[16:04.080 --> 16:13.040]  league observer that the government is making it difficult to get bread. The opposition has
[16:13.040 --> 16:20.560]  received a significant boost with a Syrian national council and other factions joining forces.
[16:20.560 --> 16:27.040]  They are talking about the transitional period and Syria after Al-Assad. With a united voice,
[16:27.040 --> 16:33.600]  they will call the international community to help us the regime. Hashim al-Bad al-Jazirah
[16:33.600 --> 16:39.280]  and Takyah. With the violence escalating in Syria, the Philippines is calling back all of
[16:39.280 --> 16:44.400]  its expatriate workers. The government says it is concerned for the safety of more than 4,000
[16:44.400 --> 16:51.280]  Filipinos in Syria. And the evacuation is mandatory. Most 500 workers have already fled the country.
[16:51.280 --> 16:56.640]  The embassy has helped more than 50 people leave on Saturday alone. Director of advocacy for
[16:56.640 --> 17:01.360]  Amnesty Internationalist T. Kumara and says he believes other countries will follow the Philippines
[17:01.360 --> 17:09.920]  way. Philippines actually waited because for Philippine government and Philippine has a country. The foreign
[17:09.920 --> 17:16.320]  investment that means the remittance from these workers is a significant income. So imagine if
[17:16.320 --> 17:24.080]  they have decided to forego those significant income at the expense to protect their citizens.
[17:24.080 --> 17:29.440]  That says something. That means a Philippine government have taken this step. Then you can pretty
[17:29.440 --> 17:35.600]  mature. Other government feel full of food. Very soon. We showed you some new years messages early
[17:35.600 --> 17:40.160]  in this broadcast and North Korean state media has broadcasted a new year's message of its own,
[17:40.160 --> 17:45.520]  calling on the nation to defend their new leader to the death. A message also acknowledged
[17:45.520 --> 17:51.680]  the country's food crisis and said the problem would be tackled this year. Harry Foster does
[17:51.680 --> 17:57.360]  more from across the border in Seoul, South Korea. What 2012 was always going to be an important
[17:57.360 --> 18:02.480]  year in North Korea. It's the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the founding father.
[18:02.480 --> 18:08.560]  Also the year that his son Kim Jong-il said would be the achievement of a strong and prosperous nation.
[18:08.560 --> 18:13.680]  Of course this year also will be the first that Kim Jong-un will be in charge. And there's plenty
[18:13.680 --> 18:18.720]  of reference to the new young Supreme Leader as he's known in this new message. It says that the
[18:18.720 --> 18:23.920]  people and the Army should act as human bolwarks and human shields in defending Kim Jong-un
[18:23.920 --> 18:28.880]  and to the death it calls in the eternal center of unity in the country. In terms of the
[18:28.880 --> 18:34.320]  achievement of strong and prosperous nation status, it says that they will glorify this year 2012
[18:34.320 --> 18:39.760]  as a year of proud victory, a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding. Now you could read that
[18:39.760 --> 18:44.960]  to be something slightly different from a year when prosperity is actually achieved. And indeed
[18:44.960 --> 18:49.680]  there is reference to the food problem in North Korea. They say the food problem is a burning issue
[18:49.680 --> 18:56.160]  and one that requires resolution. In terms of relations with the South, there is strong condemnation
[18:56.160 --> 19:01.840]  of South Korea's refusal to allow private citizens to travel North to express their condolences.
[19:02.560 --> 19:08.960]  Also criticism of what the North Koreans term is, the South's refusal to exceed to
[19:08.960 --> 19:16.800]  consideratory moves from the North in the year 2011. And also calling for the United States military
[19:16.800 --> 19:23.200]  to pull out from the peninsula. There's no official reaction yet here in Seoul. We're expecting
[19:23.200 --> 19:28.320]  potentially a presidential address from the President Yimong back on Monday. One anonymous
[19:28.320 --> 19:32.400]  government official, though, has been quoted in the local media saying that this appears to be
[19:32.400 --> 19:38.800]  a less conciliatory message than the one at the beginning of 2011. There is less talk of willingness
[19:38.800 --> 19:44.400]  to talk with South Korea, but that doesn't mean he says according to local media that the
[19:44.400 --> 19:48.480]  window for talks has been slammed shut just through this one new year message.
[20:14.480 --> 20:19.440]  fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., about the possible ramifications of this bill.
[20:20.480 --> 20:26.080]  Can I tune negative effects? The first, as you mentioned, is that the United States is very concerned
[20:26.080 --> 20:31.280]  in the case of some countries to take new people, they label its terrorists and just holding
[20:31.280 --> 20:37.920]  them without trial. And so we've tried to work against that and the way some people could read
[20:37.920 --> 20:43.920]  the legislations in past recently and time I present today is allowing the United States to do
[20:43.920 --> 20:48.480]  that very thing. And so it would be, again, makes it a bit harder. There's also another problem.
[20:48.480 --> 20:52.080]  There's a bit of a concern that perhaps some European countries, other countries,
[20:52.080 --> 20:57.360]  which have a very strong tradition of legalizing human rights, might feel uncomfortable
[20:57.360 --> 21:00.640]  cooperating with the United States, if I say, giving us somebody who they think could be
[21:00.640 --> 21:05.280]  detained indefinitely, a providing information that could lead to the military seizure of somebody.
[21:05.280 --> 21:08.080]  So again, it could have a double-lead negative effect.
[21:08.960 --> 21:13.040]  If it feels like you're playing catch up with the latest technology, it's because you are
[21:13.040 --> 21:17.920]  an intuitive of that is only likely to accelerate. Big feature of 2011 was the way technology
[21:17.920 --> 21:22.960]  information collided, helping to spur things like the Arab Spring Revolutions, and sparring
[21:22.960 --> 21:27.680]  other mass movements like the Occupy Wall Street Produce. Now, it's about making that information
[21:27.680 --> 21:32.160]  even more accessible and right at our fingertips if that were possible even more.
[21:32.160 --> 21:35.840]  Let's talk more about these developments. Alfred Sue is joining us on Skype, actually,
[21:35.840 --> 21:39.520]  just to illustrate some technology from Singapore. He's the founder of techgoondood.com
[21:39.520 --> 21:43.760]  website specializing in new technology. Alfred, thanks for joining us. We're going to talk
[21:43.760 --> 21:47.120]  about the gadgets in a moment. I want to start though with something when we're talking about
[21:47.120 --> 21:53.280]  information and storing it and using it and moving around this idea of cloud computing,
[21:53.280 --> 21:57.200]  where you store things not on your computer, but on a server, I guess, somewhere else.
[21:57.920 --> 22:01.600]  Is this something we're just going to really start to take off in 2012 and change how we
[22:02.320 --> 22:03.600]  use our information, I guess?
[22:03.600 --> 22:12.160]  I think all of us are really using cloud computing somewhere. We use web-based email. We use Gmail,
[22:12.160 --> 22:16.240]  for example, right? I mean, all the messages are stopped online. You're not on computers.
[22:17.040 --> 22:23.200]  What do you see in 2012, probably would be more companies moving towards cloud computing
[22:23.200 --> 22:26.640]  by taking out rooms of IT equipment.
[22:26.640 --> 22:31.920]  It's safe. The query I would have is on the hacking side of things. If you're going to store
[22:31.920 --> 22:37.120]  all your stuff elsewhere away from your own computer, the issue of hacking.
[22:39.120 --> 22:43.600]  The same question is whether you put money under the bed or in the bank.
[22:43.600 --> 22:50.960]  In a bank typically, you have people or more seasoned and experts in security than, say,
[22:50.960 --> 22:56.720]  you're average ID manager in a corporation. Unless you are, say you're a bank, actual bank,
[22:56.720 --> 22:59.920]  with really sensitive data, which you weren't really safe out on your own.
[23:00.720 --> 23:05.760]  In the most corporations, we'll see every day in type of computer processes.
[23:05.760 --> 23:10.560]  There's a lot of things from moving this away from the one IP in the concentress.
[23:12.240 --> 23:16.960]  Let's move on. I want to talk about the technology side of the hardware, the gadget side of things.
[23:16.960 --> 23:21.600]  I was saying before, a big feature is information and how we access it.
[23:21.600 --> 23:24.560]  Tablet computers have become a big deal. We've got some pictures here, which we're going to show
[23:24.560 --> 23:29.760]  of viewers of a concept which Samsung is putting out. It's a flexible screen computer.
[23:29.760 --> 23:33.680]  I think they're saying it's probably a few years away yet, almost a computer.
[23:33.680 --> 23:37.520]  A tablet that you could fold into your pocket. Is this the way it is that if you're in the
[23:37.520 --> 23:41.360]  technology business, you've got to be thinking mobile, mobile, mobile all the time?
[23:41.360 --> 23:47.840]  Yes. I think, you know, past couple of years of simple tablets, smartphone,
[23:47.840 --> 23:53.280]  computer, mobile full CPUs, I think you're going to see the same thing.
[23:53.280 --> 23:57.440]  But, you know, one thing to notice, this phone is going to start transforming,
[23:57.440 --> 24:01.440]  you know, from just being phones or portable devices to basically all in one devices.
[24:01.440 --> 24:05.280]  You think of the way we switch from, you know, that stops to that top, right?
[24:05.280 --> 24:09.040]  I mean, when you bring that top to work nowadays, you're connected to a big screen,
[24:09.040 --> 24:13.120]  to a keyboard. You know, the same thing is going to happen to these handheld devices,
[24:13.120 --> 24:17.440]  your phones and your tablets. You know, in 2021, you're going to see a lot more of these tablets
[24:17.440 --> 24:21.840]  with powerful processors that allow you to connect to your screens and your handheld keyboards.
[24:21.840 --> 24:26.960]  So that, you know, basically, you have only one device, you know, you will need a laptop or a desktop.
[24:26.960 --> 24:31.680]  This handheld device will be the central device for you to launch everything for you.
[24:33.680 --> 24:37.600]  Yeah, all about handheld devices. I mean, I don't want to be premature about the death of
[24:37.600 --> 24:44.880]  the desktop computer. However, is it becoming, is it being phased out now? People opt for laptops
[24:44.880 --> 24:47.680]  more often than not now. Now, if you've got a tablet computer or mobile device,
[24:48.720 --> 24:53.440]  why would you want to desktop computer anymore? Well, they are specialised useless,
[24:53.440 --> 24:57.120]  and for them, you got got fixed design, you know, you might need a powerful computer,
[24:57.120 --> 25:01.280]  or if you're playing games, you know, you need a very powerful computer. But, you know, for
[25:01.280 --> 25:07.200]  everyday tasks, you know, for making certain calls, for example, to stuff the way to get email. Now,
[25:07.200 --> 25:12.000]  you don't really need a desktop anymore. There will be people who buy their stops, right? Because,
[25:12.000 --> 25:17.440]  you know, because they're going cheaper, you know, but, you know, the primary device, or you
[25:17.440 --> 25:20.880]  will be a portable device, not a desktop computer. Now, for two, it's been great talking to you.
[25:20.880 --> 25:23.360]  Thank you for joining us live from Singapore. Thanks for your time.
[25:23.360 --> 25:30.880]  Uh, Kazakhstan now, the ninth largest nation in the world in terms of landmass and
[25:30.880 --> 25:36.400]  huge oil and gas reserves, but also a big polluter. However, it's recently been making headlines
[25:36.400 --> 25:40.400]  for its environmentally friendly initiatives, from forestry walker has this report for us from
[25:40.400 --> 25:48.800]  the capital Almati. Majestic mountains, tower above Almati, but even on clear days,
[25:48.800 --> 25:55.360]  you can barely see Kazakhstan's commercial capital. Under the blanket of Smog,
[25:55.360 --> 26:01.360]  cars are among the worst culprits. Almati's residents are forced to breathe in hundreds of
[26:01.360 --> 26:08.160]  thousands of tons a year of exhaust fumes. Kazakhstan's biggest sources of pollution are aging,
[26:08.160 --> 26:13.760]  coal-fired power stations, and gas-flaring from the petroleum industry, which make the country
[26:13.760 --> 26:21.360]  one of the world's worst carbon emitters by population. In 2008, it produced 15 tons of carbon dioxide
[26:21.360 --> 26:28.800]  per person, but the government is committed to reducing such emissions by 15 percent from 1992 levels
[26:28.800 --> 26:35.920]  by 2020. To achieve it, a cap-and-trade system in the energy sector will put a price on carbon
[26:35.920 --> 26:45.280]  from 2013. It's a modest aim, Kazakhstan produces less than 1992 levels today. Still,
[26:45.280 --> 26:49.440]  workshops like this are preparing the industry and officials are optimistic.
[26:49.440 --> 26:55.600]  It will seem not just a reduction of greenhouse gases, but the reduction of all dirty elements.
[26:55.600 --> 26:59.200]  So it means the environmental situation in the country will improve,
[26:59.200 --> 27:03.840]  and the reduction of renewable energy will help to reduce greenhouse emissions further.
[27:03.840 --> 27:10.560]  Green initiatives such as renewable energy in better public transport are still rare in Kazakhstan.
[27:11.280 --> 27:17.280]  This is the country's first cycle lane built last year. In fuseasts lobbied for it,
[27:17.280 --> 27:20.640]  but the government doesn't always honour its commitments.
[27:20.640 --> 27:28.400]  Promises are for this year, or to build up twice longer, by-clean, but they didn't.
[27:28.400 --> 27:32.480]  Sometimes, if you feel like you're here, then it's a war.
[27:33.920 --> 27:37.520]  Solutions such as our Marty's new metro are grounds for optimism.
[27:38.800 --> 27:42.480]  It took 23 years to complete and there's only one line.
[27:42.480 --> 27:46.320]  The city needs it now more than ever.
[27:46.320 --> 27:52.080]  It's just open and our Martyites are very proud to be using it for the first time.
[27:52.080 --> 27:57.600]  Eventually there will be more lines, and even if people start using it and leaving their cars at home,
[27:57.600 --> 28:00.320]  they can have a positive impact on the environment.
[28:01.520 --> 28:05.120]  The metro will carbon pricing won't alone make Kazakhstan green,
[28:06.320 --> 28:09.680]  but they show that the authorities aren't just sitting back and doing nothing,
[28:10.560 --> 28:13.200]  and that the country might be heading in the new direction.
[28:15.200 --> 28:18.400]  Roman for a steel walker, Al-Jazeera, Al-Mati.
[28:19.840 --> 28:22.240]  Just find every show you some new year's celebration to a little bit earlier,
[28:22.240 --> 28:26.640]  plays like New York and London and Paris, but what about the others?
[28:26.640 --> 28:29.920]  We're going to leave you in this bulletin with a quick spin around the globe.
[28:36.240 --> 28:38.160]  Get the new air, you want a beer from?
[28:38.160 --> 29:03.600]  Come on, come on, come on, come on.
[29:08.160 --> 29:26.160]  So this is Alcher Zero, and these are the stories making the headlines, as you've just seen people across the world celebrating the start of the new year, one of the latest big cities to lay up. New York, 100 of the thousands of people packed into Times Square to watch the countdown.
[29:26.160 --> 29:32.160]  Join by the cities. Excuse me, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Popsinger Lady Gaga was there too.
[29:32.160 --> 29:51.160]  Hmm. Big Bend doesn't usually do the happenings. But it does for the arrival of 2012 or until 150,000 people out on the banks of the River Tames to watch the new year fireworks display big year for the British capital. It is which hosts their Olympic games in July and August.
[29:51.160 --> 29:57.160]  And this is Egypt crowds gathering where else but Tuckery's Square to mark the end of a momentous year for the country.
[29:57.160 --> 30:04.160]  Alongside New York, New York celebrations they've had tribute to those kids.