my guests from around the world take a hot seat and we debate the week's top stories in pressing issues here on our just your. unprompted and uninterrupted discussions. from our london broadcast center. it's a position short story we've never seen before a position that refused to respect the will of the people refuse respect the rule of law and refuse to honor our constitution. joe biden who criticizes donald trump for falsely claim the vote forward as the electoral college formally confirms his election victory. u.s. attorney general william barr has resigned amid tensions with president trump over his base that's claims of election for. fellow i mean this is out there live from doha also coming up

a trade route between china and australia escalates amid reports of beijing has restricted imports of his trade in coal. turning day into night so thousands gather in chile and argentina to view a return so the. u.s. president elected by told americans that democracy has prevailed the comments came soon after the electoral college formally validated his victory in the november presidential election despite donald trump's multiple attempts to have a turn the result she returns reports now from wilmington delaware the ghost of our biden of delaware a democrat. i defied knows 0. california as electoral college vote made it official joe biden is the president elect and in the end the formal tally of the states joe biden won in the november election was

the procedural affair it normally is across the country electors in states that biden flipped from the republicans cost their states votes for the president elect joseph r. biden has received $16.00 votes under the u.s. constitution the president isn't chosen by the popular vote but by the $538.00 electors of the electoral college however usually they follow the majority vote in each of their states as part of the trump campaigns efforts to overturn the election results efforts were made to subvert that process they have actors have not honestly cast 16 votes for joseph r. biden but even in michigan one of several states where electors were given a police escort the vote was conducted without surprise and eventually 306 electors across the country voted for biden 232 for trump soon after joe biden made a national address calling for the page to be terms 306 electoral votes is the same number of electoral votes that donald trump vice president parents received when

they won in 2060. at the time president calls elect the electoral college tally a landslide why is our own standards these numbers represented. a clear victory then and i respectfully suggest they do so now if nothing else some wonder whether this rather focus on the electoral college might lead to more discussion about whether us will use should be allowed directly to vote for president i myself disagree that we still need an electoral college to certify our election results and we should really lived into our principle in this country of one person one vote and make sure that we honor the popular vote when americans vote for president on election day as the electoral college finalized biden's victory throughout the day trump tweeted about election fraud he has repeated he will fight on in the courts but it's not clear what his motivation is at this point the electoral college votes will now be sent to the u.s.

congress where they will be counted and certified on january the 6th there are reports that some republicans may attempt a last ditch style and at that point which have nothing else will be a symbolic moment that will help the narrative that many from supporters still believe that this election has been stolen however the polls also show that a majority of americans do feel that it's time to move on. the al-jazeera wilmington delaware well u.s. attorney general william barr has resigned and will step down next week to donald trump this month by failing to support the president's unfounded claims of election fraud but since his resignation letter said the allegations would still be pursued tweeted that their relationship had been a very good one it's here now from aaron cole who's a political commentator and the director of debates at the university of michigan he says that trumpet chose to announce paul's resignation on the day that biden's victory was confirmed by the electoral college. i believe the president asked for

the resignation. when to make this announcement and i was slippery. with this. knowledge of this new. presidential always. cycle and never forgot one. thing the last month or so to see what happens. yeah this is something commonly seen with other cabinet members and other social contract in this race and a lot. less monster investigating election fraud. not a plea not in the under investigation or election. we aren't going on. the deputy for the remaining. sir i don't think

a lot of promise but you see another a. general insult someone like me. and i really. want to special counsel to investigate. with certain things like that are always to direct this. all a lesson for us in the 24 election is an actual criminal cult has rejected calls to investigate allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity in china is changing provence excelled we had given the court evidence cues in beijing of locking up more than 1000000 people from the muslim minority and forcibly sterilizing women prosecute prosecutors say they cannot investigate the allegations because china is not a signatory to the hague based call. australia's prime minister scott morrison has

won china it would be in breach of global trade rules if it stops imports of australian coal his remarks follow the chinese state media reports of possible restrictions it is a further escalation in the growing trade dispute and a potential blow to australia's coal industry as nicholas cage reports now from such. a strong leader is one of the world's largest produces and eggs of coal used in both steel making and to generate power one of its major markets is china but months to be imported lies have left millions of tons of destroyed in coal stranded china's coast and the industry turmoil china sort of political reasons not economic crisis because they can on a quiet itself to china so it's clearly a political stance that they the parties taken. by using say mean we can destroy it was being targeted in that state backed global times newspaper saying power plants have been granted approval to import coal without clearance restrictions from

anyone except the strategy of those countries that have arable and also are willing to export culture china are introducing a russian colony and we sing from within this father's country strachey expand their market in china. it will no doubt further with my intentions reviving which is shutting more restraint in industries out of china in a day to try dispute the foreign interference by using the bears in hong kong and allegations about the origins of the current bars. talking about the coal industry right now is a sensitive industry stakeholders have been reluctant to comment on what's happening with china and australia remains without an energy policy as more countries set climate targets carbon dioxide levels are strongly was blocked from speaking in a recent united nations climate summit due to its perceived lack of action on climate change some experts believe now is the time to plan for a future of reduced use of coal and other forces you strike is increasingly being

viewed quite rightly as an international climate action strategy needs a plan we need a plan to get out of coal and gas we need a planned transition all of those workers for a plan in the short term to find new trade partners cold exports to china were worth more than 10000000000 dollars last year now that's threatened and other industries will be wondering if i could be next gauge al-jazeera me when i start the new day he's in australia new zealand economist capital economics he joins us live from singapore welcome to the program what is going on here do you think china is going to blacklist australian coal and if so does it break trade rules. well. pretty. willing to ban the exports from australia barley and wine in theory official

capacities. and or sorry impose tariffs on most goods and there being more room in a door on official ban and so on exports of meat from some of australia's largest. and so it seems that since hospital that these 3. serious there were rumors weeks ago that. state owned. steel mills had stopped important australian call and it was a little bit unclear as to why although the trade tensions seemed like the the obvious course this is now is just more formal for action of that and so yes they do seem serious. yes probably these are in breach of the trade rules are trying to not be afraid to. say that different exports have been dumped right

out wine and bali were exactly the sort of going twisting of the knife by china these reprisals do you think it just comes down to china's anger at australia for calling for an investigation into the outbreak the covert outbreak or does it go deeper than that as you go back further. yes china's released a list of 14 reasons why there have been mounting political tensions between the camera and. the covert 19 investigation was a pick one but there it's also been. there also criticize close ties between australia and that you with and australia siding with the u.s. the number of disputes the whole way there and also engaged. along with negative reports from australian media so there's a whole range of issues yes but certainly a call for a cup at 19 and this to go didn't help

a lot of one way traffic with china imposing their reprisals. retaliate in any way restricting access to exports of iron ore for example we're trying to desperately need i would be very surprised if australia went down that road simply because i annoy is very profitable for australia if they were to restrict exports of that to china they would be hurting lots of miners in australia just as much and it would be i think politically unpalatable and they'd or i would bet you do appreciate that thanks very much and thank you thank you. still ahead here al-jazeera will have the latest on the massive covert 1000 vaccination campaign underway in the united states calling for justice families in lebanon say charges of negligence do not go far

enough following the devastating for that pledge. throughout the arabian peninsula temperatures are dropped to the normal seasonal level middle twenty's not middle thirty's the active weather the wind the rain that still churning itself around the eastern med the rain will ease in southern turkey on tuesday but equally edge into lebanon and further south in fact it will affect the northern parts of egypt the forward tranche of it will be a few showers or thunderstorms stretching down to saudi arabia the bulk of it there is going to be rain through the northern part of iraq and into the higher ground where it's just over snow so in gaza you're not you get showers for a couple of days the breeze a year when it's for the 1st then it dies and then sun comes out fine on thursday for the sciences the showers disappear not much changes but cross into the west and

barrington's of iran which rain in style once again might even get snow in turn around and that's the case through thursday as well as things disintegrate the next storm system is not forming at this time for the south seas no rain welcome though it is shows a few variations general life one go down to mozambique typically but it's going to be concentrating i think in places like zambia and botswana on tuesday and wednesday the forecast for the capital of botswana is certainly a sundry one for a couple days. and. what doesn't even do it with the money that it's borrowed we bring in the stories endeavor. in the midst of the rapidly changing the world the living seen as congress is debating a bill seeking to raise billions of dollars from the super rich poor families hit hard by and damage counting the cost on al-jazeera. be the

hero the world needs. washing. better get your watch out 0 remind of our top stories this hour and president elect joe biden says democracy has prevailed after members of the u.s. electoral college formally validated his victory in the presidential election biden accused donald trump of trying to sabotage the will of millions of voters by challenging the result. u.s. attorney general william bar has resigned and will step down next week he angered donald trump this month by failing to support the president's unfounded claims of

elections for. australia has won china it would be in breach of global trading rules if it stops imports of australian told its remarks follow chinese state media reports of possible restrictions. so the united states imposed sanctions on turkey over its purchase of russian that missile defense systems increasing tensions between the 2 nato allies washington had already removed turkey from its f. $35.00 jet program because of the deal turkey bought the russian s 400 ground to air defense system last year and insists it poses no threat to nato and 31 condemned the sanctions i initiated that not all from our nato ally the united states we expect support in our battle against terrorist organizations and forces to have plans for our region it's not sanction it we are never a country that chases after conflict with tensions with its neighbors or any other

we are fighting for the prosperity of our entire region and the world but the situation just not mean we will remain silent against our rights laws and serenity been trampled just like we don't want anyone's rights we will not allow anyone to take our rights either. robert hunter is a former u.s. ambassador today to explain why the u.s. considered the russian missile defense system a threat. it's a fact that if you have. russian military people on an airbase like question interlake where the united states also operates and if you have a turkish system based upon. that there is a russian type system which can target the most advanced u.s. planes in the region that cause could cause a lot of problems there is a concern that that would compromise some of the most important western american nato military secrets in terms of technology. mr no one in

effect opening the door to the russians it was not very smart for mr turner want if you had a problem with the americans and with nato to have chose that particular route i would have chosen something else. the number of deaths linked to cave 19 in the united states has now passed 300000 that grim figure was reached on the same day the logs vaccination campaign in the country's history began medical workers were among the 1st to be immunized with the pfizer pantech vaccine but health officials are still warning it could get much worse before it gets better particle he reports from washington d.c. . never before has the nation been so caught up in watching a delivery packed up shipped out and flown to its destinations all under the watchful eyes of security usually anonymous workers now celebrated but i'm very

humble. happy to. let the healing begin. these are the 1st coronavirus vaccines from pfizer almost 3000000 doses shipped out across the country and it led to very unusual live television it's not often you hear this when anyone gets a shot. here what happens to the. state governors from kentucky to colorado new york to louisiana waiting to see them arrive with this you. start to see our ability to preserve life protect our people we are going to be told it starts right there. one of the 1st shots watched on live television intensive care nurse in new york who wanted to send a message i hope they flock to getting a very paid for time in our history. i want to instill

public confidence that america the way all of these made for t.v. moments meant to let people know that the vaccine is safe and everyone should take it when they can as polls show as many as 50 percent of adults say they won't there's also a question about how long it will take to have enough vaccine for all americans right now we should use the media interviews. you know mr he already has been manufactured and you know locating it next year will be 1300000000 and we don't want to jinx make much we haven't got the 1300000000 cities our commitment to the world but you don't want to make much another vaccine from the company madonna is expected to get approval later this week that will increase supply and experts say they think that that means by the spring every american who wants to get the vaccination will be able to find one it's positive news but it comes a very grim day as it's announced that the u.s. has now lost 300000 people because of coded and experts say without big changes

it's only going to continue to get worse. al-jazeera washington. what countries around europe are again tightly restrictions with no sign corona virus infection rates are easing the netherlands has followed germany's footsteps announcing a new nationwide lockdown of the upcoming holiday period and in london in the u.k. new restrictions. are poems. london's festive preparations dealt a blow to the capital moving to tighter restrictions that will ban households from mixing and see the hospitality sector shut down again the health secretary warns that a new variant of the virus might in part be behind fast rising infection rates the medical advice that we have is that it is highly unlikely that this new variant impinged the vaccine and the impact of the vaccine but we will know that in the

coming days and weeks as a vaccine this as the new strand is cultured. london joins much of the rest of the country under tears 3 restrictions a government plan to relax these measures for a few days over christmas itself is fueling fears of a 3rd wave in the new year there have to do what they have to do it's a shame that things have been left to the last minute this is something that in. the u.k. is far from alone in europe to the christmas lights signal festive cheer but there's not a lot of it about french hotel and restaurant workers in paris protested for the right to work their industry shut since the end of october and won't reopen until late in january. in italy the government is debating tougher measures after an easing of restrictions saw shoppers pouring onto the streets on the weekend the country overtook britain to become the european nation with the highest official death toll more than 64 and

a half 1000 italians have died. no such debate in germany set to go back into lockdown on wednesday with the closure of non-essential shops and schools until january the 10th in the netherlands they're about to do the same. we have 600 deaths a day that's no joke i mean i'm 65 and i'm healthy touch wood but i'd like to stay that way and so now we all have to withdraw bit. even though that's not what i want . in the u.k. the rollout of the pfizer biotech vaccine continues the 1st country in europe to do so a flurry of excitement in recent weeks suggested the pen demick was nearly over christmas besieged by new restrictions proves it's not jonah how al-jazeera a prisoner swap is underway between armenia and azerbaijan it's part of a peace deal that ended recent fighting over the disputed region of going to karabakh. yes relative cheered as names of

returning soldiers were announced outside the military airport here in moscow which broke at the truce has more than 4 to 100 over to our media on monday when a dozen prisoners were returned to azerbaijan it is unclear how many more people are still to be exchanged. nigeria's federal police force says extra investigators have been deployed to help find hundreds of missing school boys they were taken on friday nights when gunmen stormed a state boarding school in the town of kind of in the northwestern cut scene a state state government says 333 students are unaccounted for while the nigerian president's office says at least 10 boys were abducted parents of missing students staged protests demanding the return of her children president mohamed bihari has been criticized for not visiting the school even though he's currently visiting his home state of katsina. lebanon's caretaker prime minister has refused to cooperate

with the investigation into the bay report explosion which happened in august ascend the up and 3 former cabinet ministers strace charges of carelessness and neglect victims' families are welcome the charges but say many more people need to be held to account so to reports now from. the rule of law is what these people are demanding they came to the palace of justice to show support for a judge who is facing a political backlash for charging the caretaker prime minister has stand and former ministers with negligence over the baby port explosion fadi so when it was supposed to question them this week but the defendants accuse him of violating the constitution by overstepping his powers and are refusing to comply it says me either he takes a decision that shows that he is truly working for justice in lebanon or he don't do that and the sure that the whole decision that he took and everything that happened in the past few weeks was just another scenario that case is now

politicized leading politicians and religious officials friends and foes rallied behind accusing so when of bypassing parliament and are calling his decision selective justice the judge has some say so one could have avoided criticism if he explained that more officials will be charged with judge of. the jurisdiction to indict to. file a claim against anybody once the judge has submitted to the parliament now i think he has the total and complete jurisdiction jurisdiction over the port was in the hands of many security agencies ministries and political parties and the ammonium nitrate blamed for triggering the explosion was stored in a warehouse 12 since late 2013. that is why some politicians believe the charges

are about settling political scores they question why former ministers linked to president michel aoun for example have not been charged the president has the night accusations that he intervened in the judicial probe the families of the $200.00 people killed believe charges of negligence are not enough and that many more officials need to provide answers. we want justice for the blood of the victims we want to know who caused the death of our children we are with you somewhere in a country with a history of a lack of accountability and the judiciary long accused of being politicized this is uncharted territory but justice here is now at stake center beirut. damage caused to harken slammed into honduras last month has cost the country $10000000000.00 the storm struck within 2 weeks of each of the bringing flooding to much of central america under us was the hardest hit country more than 1000 homes

were destroyed countries' governments has called for international help as it tries to rebuild. tens of thousands of tourists have converged on chile and argentina to experience this year's only total eclipse of the sun visitors were worried they wouldn't see much because of cloudy skies but the weather cleared up just in time are lots of america. reports now from santiago. for the 2nd time in 6 months the moon passed over the sun in the southern hemisphere creating a stunning spectacle it turned into night. unfortunately for residents and tens of thousands of visitors and astronomers who traveled to southern. region the weather clouded over what they'd hoped would be a perfect clear view. eclipse's never cease to amaze especially astronomers they study the sun's corona which drives solar winds and can produce alterations in

the cycles of the earth why is it wasn't porton to be able to see the corona better . than we can. we cannot forget that the sun is really the costs in the solar system so if you turn. the lights on. we. will die in less than a week in the capital santiago only 80 percent of the moon could be seen covering the sun well this is about as good as it's going to get i can still see a sliver of the sun peeking through but you can still see sunlight out here but it's darker than it was just a half an hour ago at high noon there are no clouds in the sky it was boiling hot and now it feels much much colder. residents who come to see and feel the same thing were not disappointed. this gives you a different energy it's an extraordinary sight a privilege. in 2024 another total solar eclipse will pass through mexico

and parts of the united states but it won't be another one in this exact place for another 400 years to see in human al-jazeera some get. plenty more on the web site of course all these are covering right there and also commenting notices to others or to. say this is out there these are the top stories and president elect joe biden says democracy has prevailed off the members of the u.s. electoral college for me validated his victory in the presidential election a biden accused donald trump of trying to sabotage the will of millions of voters by challenging the results schipper times he has more on the speech from wilmington delaware this was a positive a positive speech is 0 point was look the the system worked mondays.