her test record 19 was negative a son seen here in this mobile phone footage had the task of burying her ashes losing a loved one to covert 19 is bad enough but many muslims say cremating their bodies is a fit worse than death the government says all covert victims are primitive on the advice of its technical experts committee and it can't make exceptions for any community with infections and deaths rising rapidly the dispute is far from over and then there's al-jazeera colomba. this is al jazeera and these are the top stories you know it states is recorded 2800 deaths from the coronavirus the highest daily number since the pandemic started president elect joe biden says he'll ask americans to commit to mile square and for the 1st $100.00 days of his administration. and

a special pandemic session of the united nations the secretary general called for a unified global response global 8 deaths linked to cope with 19 of post $1500000.00 for the 1st time since 945 entire world is confronted by a common senate regardless of nationality at new city or face the world us organization provided factual information and scientific guidance that should have been the basis for equality in a few global response unfortunately many of these recommendations were not followed and in some situations there was a rejection affects and and ignored those of the right ones and when countries go in their own direction the violence goes in every direction. u.n. says famine like conditions of reappeared in parts of yemen and almost half the population is experiencing high levels of food insecurity aid agencies are warning time is

running out to prevent mass starvation and the outlook for next year is worse famine has never been officially declared in yemen in the last 5 years. top course in central african republic has ruled that former president upfront can't stand for election the court said was is it did not satisfy the good morality requirement for candidates because of an international warrant in the un sanctions against him the former leader is accused of murder torture and supporting groups guilty of war crimes. aid workers say thousands of remainder refugees are being coerced into moving to a remote island off bangladesh which the u.n. wants is prone to storms and flooding nearly 1000000 have been living in squalor camps in southeast bangladesh after fleeing violence and meanwhile they're refusing to return without guarantees for their safety and rights. as the headlines news continues here on elves there are often inside story coming up next.

the afghan government and the taliban say they've reached a breakthrough they'll press ahead with talks on the political roadmap under ceasefire 2 decades of conflict of killed tens of thousands of people so what chance is there a lasting peace this is inside story. hello welcome to the program burnitz after months of discussions in capitals capital doha

the afghan government and the taliban off finally taking up an opportunity for peace the 2 sides have agreed on a set of rules that would allow substantiative negotiations to start a breakthrough aims to put an end to almost 2 decades of conflict now many details have been given on the political agenda or when the talks will begin the afghan government has repeatedly demanded taliban fighters stop the attacks but the group has refused to agree to a cease fire until other issues have been resolved afghan president after afghani reiterated his demand for a truce the president's spokesman tweeted the agreement is a step forward towards beginning the negotiations on the main issues including a comprehensive cease fire as the key demand of the afghan people. 3 main sticking points halted progress during the 1st direct talks between the warring sides in september now as negotiations

a set to enter the next phase some of those differences appear to have been resolved the taliban has insisted that the had nothing school of islamic thought should form a legal basis for the talks the government wanted to guarantee the inclusion a religious minorities and the 2 sides of differed on whether a us taliban deal reached in february would be the basis of negotiations of a deal between the us and taliban has paved the way for the so-called interim afghan talks under the agreement foreign troops would be pulled out from afghanistan by may but that is in exchange for security guarantees by taliban fighters nato has about 11000 troops in afghanistan it's secretary general un stoltenberg welcomed the breakthrough. agreement today is you can discuss whether it's a big or small step but the important thing is that it's the 1st step is the 1st time actually it tal a ban on the afghan government are able to sign

a document agreeing on the framework the modalities for negotiations addressing a long term peaceful solution hard to reach peace in afghanistan where as one comes as the u.s. is set to cut down its troop levels in afghanistan to 2 and a half 1000 present donald trump has ordered the drawdown to take place by mid january just days before president elect joe biden is expected to take office there have been calls for biden to review the peace process with the taliban whose fighters have been blamed for a series of attacks since the deal was signed. let's bring in our guests in washington d.c. we have omar samad a nonresident senior fellow at the atlantic council he's also a former spokesman for the afghan ministry of foreign affairs and a former advisor to afghan chief executive abdullah abdullah from kabul we're joined by mushtaq rahim

a founding member of afghanistan affairs unit think tank and also in washington d.c. richard ponzi oh director of the justice security 2020 program at the stimson center and a former u.s. state department advisor on afghanistan welcome to you all. so mad if i can begin with you this seems like something of an early victory for the taliban doesn't it they've kept up the violence ok they've avoided u.k. u.s. and nato troops but not afghan civilians and they've got a deal a small deal with the afghan government. well i think it's. a relative part of their success step for all sides. and most importantly i think it's it gives a bit of hope to the afghan people who as you said are victims of violence from all sides let's remember the bidens unfortunately. is obviously carried out by all of

our who use it tacitly against certain targets and then also in a defensive or offensive manner by government forces and sometimes international forces when it's needed so it is a step but it opens the door for the next stage which is to talk about what adams to discuss down the road so it's to set the agenda for substantive talks now we are not the steps and the talks yet at this is going to be another difficult stage in my opinion i think both sides already get you have gotten to know each other. or well versed in some of the issues but it's going to take a bit of time and effort it's important that the environment around them outside of the room also be conducive 'd to helping the peace process move forward

mushtaq is taken since september and lots of painstaking talks to get to where we are just this agreement is that something positive to see out of the 1st agreement between the 2 sides in 19 years. well lennart in 19 years but let's say in the last 4 decades for the 1st time you're seeing the 2 opposing avalon parties are sitting across the table to each other and i think that's a significant progress in the history of the afghan conflict but as we all know that's the really the 1st step and very tiny step considering the size of the issues that are in front of the negotiating teams where the given to be discussing the issues related to the future makeup of the of one state system and the way the government the power sharing issues will be discussed how will the constitution will uphold so yes definitely it's a very good 1st step positive step because there were concerns that after trump

administration that had led the negotiation with the taliban and successfully complete signed the agreement since they were going out of the office a new administration was coming there were some skeptics around the issue and now that we have seeing progress in the entry of one talks it out of hopes that the process will certainly move forward and will give an opportunity a chance to the peace process to succeed ok richard is this something of perhaps a small victory for the taliban they've kept up these violent attacks albeit avoiding u.s. and nato soldiers and they've managed to negotiate some sort of an honorary deal if you like with the afghan government. you know this does fit with the stalling strategy of the taliban over the previous year really running down the clock against the us troop withdrawal part of the us agreement in february this year but i would say as my 2 colleagues on the panel noted it is an important step or i

would not call it a breakthrough as the united nations and others in the media have announced it's not even certainly not to be an end of the process not even the beginning of the end but the beginning of the beginning of the formal negotiations let's not overstate that these were procedural agreements and around $24.00 that were agreed upon it sets the basis though for the serious work to be again as my colleagues have noted just getting a cease fire is probably going to be intermittent ceasefires towards adorable lasting solution this is when the real work begins and there are huge disagreement still between the taliban and the afghan government. richard mentioned the running down of the clock there is going to be the main demand is going to be for the taliban to cease fire before these before there's any substantive talks considering the taliban have been unwilling to do that is that a realistic prospect. well all sides of their oclock let's be realistic

a. couple has a small clock mr bunny is running his clock it's tied to his politics invest our base. other african politicians have their say and they're worried and people obviously what things happen as soon as possible because they're under pressure washington has its clock now it's going to be handed over to another team as predicted. and the region the countries around there and have theirs and they obviously are watching very carefully hedging depending on how the wind blows so if you're going to cross that situation as far as the cease fire is concerned bernard i think that for the dollar of on this ceasefire a permanent cease fire is very much tied to the end state or a certain stage with then subject of talks that deals with. if you should

government i think that they realize that it's sort of a given t. not that they should be using that again afghan civilians and saying the means but it is obvious the leverage that they are using political leverage that is tied to something substracted on the political front which probably has a door to maybe a transitional system most transitional administration afghanistan later on we don't know at what stage we don't even know if others will will cooperate with that and who will spoil and who will and they will disable so there are a lot of questions ahead but i think what we should expect at this point is put pressure on the toilet what were reduction in violence the need to make sure that civilians are protected that there is some type of agreement have to have a protocol on reducing violence that in targeted civilians mainly in hoping

for further ceasefire issues down the road. mushtaq. stalking that sounds sounds like something was not quite exactly a ceasefire but a reduction in violence but the government is going to ask for a cease fire isn't it is he going to get that or is it going to end up at the taliban has what leverage because it has continued its attacks what are we going to see you see any negotiation negotiating party will maintain. its india hand in order to get into negotiation and try to seek and sense concessions are. collect leverage on the negotiation table the afghan government will continue to push for the cease fire and so as the taliban are tried to push and talk about the future set up of the government what sort of state system so development in this by getting chip india hands while going into talks but both sides know that none of the 2 issues that they're presenting are going to be

accepted as comprehensive as they think particularly the issue of ceasefire you know the taliban cannot going to do cease fire until they are quite sure of concrete progress and dom's of reaching an agreement with the afghan government and that isn't is that the taliban experience this for 3 days during the holidays 3 years back where they lost control of their fighters on the ground who came out in media and demanded the peace process peaceful settlement so that's why it given they are using it as possible sooner fakery mendip or using it as a but again ing chip but both sides know that this is not going to war devil i chief argument. richard we know that the afghan government is very nervous about this rapid drawdown of u.s. troops ward the afghan government be wise to try and stall or

delay the talks advancing any further until president elect joe biden's in the white house would he be different in his approach to afghanistan do you think joe biden would he continue the drawdown. i think the reason we saw the progress this week indo is precisely because of the outcome of u.s. election results know of the taliban knowing they're not going to have the same relationship with the united states as they have currently with the trumpet ministration many in washington and elsewhere certainly european capitals are worried that the us is abandoning its commitment to conditions based drop it seen this reduction in violence that our other 2 commentators have referred to it's a clear violation of the 3 men from february another violation by the taliban has been their commitment to counter terrorism commitments the connections to the al-qaeda in particular continue as reported in the security council as 3 simply as

this past may yes they've been attacking isis. common cause against the islamic state but these 2 violations meanwhile the u.s. has been withdrawing that's its commitment and finally the start of the negotiations they have started in earnest but the key point is that the taliban needs to live up to its part of the agreement if the u.s. is going to follow through on its deal at the same time the u.s. is going to know to the afghan government that it's not going to have a military presence forever and it needs to put a positive pressure on both sides to make progress towards a durable political solution omar rigid points out the the taliban's violations of the february february agreement and the last year would abide not would it be worth the afghan government to hang on a bit until about a ministration comes in would it reduce would slow down the drawdown of troops that

the afghan government is so worried about. we don't know what the by the administration is going to do that by the by the administration has a very very full plate internally domestically and internationally afghanistan and i'm sure they would like to not have to deal with afghanistan at this point and there is an opportunity to really there is an opportunity once. in a lifetime opportunity to put an end to this war that this whole war has to be put into an end obviously responsibly responsibly doesn't just mean that the taliban have to do this or this country has to do this 'd responsibility that all sides have to be responsible that includes people in kabul the good people in the region that includes people in washington there are those in washington were calling for more who are in afghanistan that is insane there are people who are calling for a total real immediate reduction in forces and pullout that is also somewhat insane

so we need to find the right formula that works keeping the afghan people in mind and realizing that the war has in some ways ended because. one side probably has lost but we thought want to call it a loss or defeat and we need to make sure that the afghans come together and rebuild their country in form a government of their choosing. you can't impose things on afghanistan anymore to me things have been an old and they're all back in the region again to come to the region because they have. an important role balancing so we have to balance the region we have to balance afghan politics and the different interests and we have to balance external grid our politics as well and so all of that was good diplomacy and i think that what we need to do is focus more on diplomacy and active and

concern. it diplomacy and i hope by this bush. mentioned that the need to give the afghan people a government of that choosing all know when's day the chairman of the u.s. joint chiefs of staff mark milley he said the most common way that insurgencies and is through a power sharing negotiated settlement is this where you see this ultimately ending up. well i mean ideally yes any sort of insurgency will end up in bringing in giving a share to the warring parties allowing them to join but the problem is that the taliban have been quite a damaged on their demand that they want the reestablishment of the regime that was toppled by the us intervention in the post 911. action operation enduring freedom that was implemented by the united states so that's the sticking point

otherwise i indeed depart sharing is something that's going to resolve you have to share the buy of with those who have been fighting for it for the last 2 decades have been able to challenge international forces the domestic forces they have been able to call a sharks as far as the negotiation between the taliban and al assad is concerned over the course of last couple of years they have been dominating they have a lot of leverage and that's why a power sharing would be an ideal scenario but then the taliban after a short bit of flexibility but equally learning from the history of the afghan history back in the late eighty's when did the same sort of uninjured arrangements were being struck by the international community as part of geneva process the mujahideen groups did not agree to any sort of power sharing and we all know it ended up in civil civil war that's the what it that's the concern here in afghanistan that the rigidity is going to challenge the success of this whole process there has to be flexibility there has to be concessions and it has to be with a positive vice wives as far as the peace process consent them and see the there

idjit active duty is going to challenge so yes the power sharing is the solution. the make up and its outlook has to be worked out richard i have to say it might seem incredible to some of the does even a possibility of any power sharing future given the duration of these talks in september given the difficulties between the afghan government itself between the 2 sides and who won their own presidential election can you ever see a pair of power sharing agreement in afghanistan being agreed between these parties . zab salute the essential and some form or another version of the current constitutional order since the beginning of the bonn process 1000 years ago is critical but it has to include the taliban this time let's not forget though if it's just a power sharing agreement among the least that's not going to pass the test for

durable certainly inclusive process of governance and preserving the gains that the afghan government and society have overseen for the past 2 decades human rights especially women's rights lots of gains getting children back to schools health indicators they need to build on that progress and also you know it's not just foreign forms of democracy that will be essential they can still lean on traditional tools such as the loya jirgah mechanism which again was used 2 decades ago among the various warring factions as my previous caller just noted the geneva process failed but those same parties came around the table and worked on a new constitutional order in the early 2000 it's time that the next phase begins with some kind of interim arrangement that the parties can agree to and then have the taliban fully brought into the system

a final point though building on investor smarts a point about diplomacy there is a critical role the united states can apply pressure on both sides is the other major conflict of the party. part of the conflict but it's really a possibility of mediation the united nations has a critical peacemaking role but there are other regional players from respect to stand to could tarr that might be asked by the parties they'll need to of course welcome the men and finally the other regional powers can reinforce this process many of them of course are undermining peace in afghanistan. richard mentioned the loya jirga this was in into. 1001 the bond agreement did this replace the created interim government would the current democratically elected government in kabul agree to something like that would you see them having to agree to something like that like that to pave the way. well listen i wasn't born i was in this government for many years i know how much gains we've had and i mean how much we

have not had how much has been wasted how much corruption exists our fragile everything else we need to be realistic the taliban for control over a lot of places in the country kabul in many cities are surrounded by prolonging. we need a settlement and we need to take action realities into account and not just p.r. . i think that it's important to learn the lessons from the past it's important to maintain the cool gains the afghan people as credit to ok and it's important to remember geneva. they will tell you a lot of the people you know this is the 1st time that the an intra afghan even though this is not to be represented but it's the most interesting that we've had so far in geneva ok it was a good solid occupation and the afghan people rose up and and eventually they had

to do what they had to do this case let's hope that we end up not with another. soviet type withdrawal or another yet now as the u.s. experienced our hope we did not create another vietnam so there are a lot of lessons of history and i hope that we apply the right measures and not politicize this beyond what is needed or what one last question to you mushtaq i'm afraid it could be a short answer but it's a long ish complicated issue i know but pakistan how relevant is pakistan now because the current leadership leading the talks here in doha is not as connected to pakistan as previous taliban leaders might might have been so do we have to worry about pakistan as much now. last absolutely at all times at our times and the reason i can give you is that yes you have the negotiating team sitting in doha are disconnected from the influence of the pakistanis but then don't forget the people sitting in doha how why out of the influential and how are they calling the shots

why is what is the reason because they have been dominant on the battlefield and betting field is again dependent on the pakistani side of their butin line and that because of the military are for example operating from the centuries from there and getting support from beyond to do it in line and but from within pakistan that gives leverage to get valid and in doha and as such the pakistani side of the game continues to dominate they are important and they will be made earlier and up until the end of this whole process gentlemen so much more to talk about on afghanistan but unfortunately we are out of time but thank you to omar samad to mushtaq correctly and to richard on 0 and thank you to watching you can see the program again any time visit our website al-jazeera dot com and for further discussion go to our facebook page facebook dot com ford slash a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter we are out a.j.

inside story for me bernard smith and the whole team here by foot. i. december on al-jazeera it's 10 years since of revolution in tunisia ignited the arab spring al-jazeera looks back at the uprising and asks what really changed across the middle east the stream is where al jazeera is global audience becomes a global community a year after the 1st coronavirus case in china will examine the devastation caused

by the virus and the efforts made to eliminate covert 90 people in power is back with more investigative documentaries and in-depth stories climate leaders will gather online to press ahead with a new stage of the paris climate agreement and examine the possible global solutions december on al-jazeera. with tiny it in cameras in the mills or illegally filming and sharing people's most intimate moments want to one needs to investigate south korea's spy cam demi on colleges in . al-jazeera well to meet some extraordinary women. who are making things happen that way. following their daily struggle to survive. for their families to thrive.

egypt's women street silent as on al-jazeera. the u.s. is always of impressed the people all right the world people pay attention to what gets on here and i just hear it's very good to bring the news to the world from here. i'm comfortable and all the top stories on al-jazeera the united states has recorded 2800 deaths from coronavirus the highest daily number since the pandemic started us president elect joe biden says he'll ask americans to make a commitment to mask wearing when he takes office more now from kristen salumi in wilmington delaware interesting news coming out late here from wilmington and president joe biden said.