and this is mean. fighting both isis and us on. the 1st of a 2 part epic tale of a remarkable family. the father the son and the jihad part one on down to 0. intensive care units are running out of beds in several u.s. states because of the covert 19 advantage. on down jordan this is al jazeera live from doha also coming up a stricter coronavirus measures come into force in germany pressure mounts on european regulators to approve a vaccine quickly. and we will control the senate presidents

like joe biden campaigns in georgia in a bid to boost the democrats and senate runoff races crucial for control of the upper chamber. an escalation in australia's growing trade route with china congress to ask the world trade organization to investigate chinese tariffs on bali. we begin in the u.s. where the hospital system is being strained to breaking point by code 900 patients intensive care units have completely run out of room and at least one state mississippi even as vaccines are being distributed major cities such as los angeles are also being overwhelmed doctors are warning the worst is yet to come reports. in california and across the u.s. the coded 900 numbers are staggering in los angeles county population 10000000 there were fewer than 100 intensive care unit beds available on tuesday in some

areas like the central valley and counties east of los angeles there are 0 i.c.u. beds left more people will die because the hope is that. statewide more than 42000 cases of covert 19 were reported on monday breaking all previous single day records we're still in the tunnel going through the most challenging and difficult search we've experienced since the beginning of this pandemic most of the state is under a stay at home order still public officials pleaded with people to wear masks and socially distance. we just had to order $5000.00 additional body bags they just purchased for the state that should be sobering after more than 300000 deaths nationwide millions of doses of pfizer's vaccine are now being distributed around the country with medical workers at the front of the line more encouraging news

came from the u.s. food and drug administration which found moderna vaccine candidate to be 94 percent effective emergency f.d.a. authorization for the vaccine is expected by the end of the week a new poll shows 71 percent of the u.s. population wants to get vaccinated right away that's an 8 percent increase from september widespread vaccine acceptance is essential to combat in the virus vaccine rollout also costs money congress is still working on multi-billion dollar covert relief legislation but they're not there yet no matter how long it takes will be here until we get a codebook the country's top infectious disease expert dr anthony fauci recommended that president elect joe biden who is 78 years old and vice president elect kamel harris get vaccinated right away in the interests of national security we want him

fully protected as he enters into the presidency in january so that would be my strong recommendation biden said he'd take that advice. you are allowed now to the public. much of the ongoing nationwide search is attributed to virus exposure during travel and family gatherings over they thanksgiving holiday last month with hanukkah underway and christmas coming next week doctors are begging americans to stay home and stay safe rob reynolds al-jazeera los angeles. streets in brazil have been teeming with christmas shoppers despite a recent surge in corona virus infections and deaths well this was the scene in the biggest city south paolo latest figures show the daily number of coronavirus deaths past $900.00 for the 1st time in 3 months and all thora teams are concerned there could be another spike after the holiday season. south korea has recorded its

highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day a little over a 1000 new infections were reported on wednesday 2nd time the tally has topped a 1000 in 3 days the highest daily count since the pandemic began britain's prime minister is under pressure to reconsider plans to ease coronavirus restrictions over the christmas period under current measures up to 3 households will be allowed to mix over the 5 day festive season urgent review was called for off the 2 leading medical journals warned the decision to relax the rules was rash and would cost many lives decisions expected by the end of the week. meanwhile tougher restrictions have come into force in the u.k. capital journal well as the latest from london's. tonight we've been spiraling rates of infection around the london area and the southeast in some places infection rates doubling in 7 days we're told that there is this particularly virulent variant of the virus that's been identified in part responsible for that

fast uptick in infections and then this rather in congress situation where the government is lifting all restrictions for a 5 day period over christmas to allow families to get together in their homes to mix together and it sparked real concern about what comes down the line beyond christmas possibly a 3rd wave in january maybe even a 3rd lockdown real criticism aimed at the government not least on tuesday for 2. preeminent medical journals in this country both internationally respected that have issued a very rare joint editorial warning the government of what is at stake here saying simply that if people do get together people will die most likely elderly relatives predicting that the caseload for the national health service after christmas will be 40 times higher than it was at the beginning of the 2nd lockdown back in the autumn and urging the government not to blunder it says into another era so lots of these voices now aimed at the government urging change that it sounds like there

might be some tweaks in the offing the government and the other nations of the u.k. discussing the possibility of tweaking these rules and one minister earlier on in the day admitting that look all coronavirus measures are under review all the time what several nations in europe are facing tough choices and their fight against the coronavirus cases are surging ahead of the christmas period but fears that increased travel could accelerate the spread but new restrictions will hit businesses for the past 24 hours has also brought new hope that vaccines could be administered in several countries as soon as next week and in barbara ports now from brussels. in brussels they're dreaming of a busy christmas shops reopened in belgium on tuesday despite a recent rise in coffee 1000 cases but bars and restaurants have to stay closed shop keepers here in belgium are hoping to make the most of the reopening but with daily covered 19 infections roys ing and the reproduction rated almost one the

government is not ruling out bringing in new restrictions at the end of this week. over the border in the netherlands they've gone into a 5 week lockdown closing all non-essential shops as well as schools prime minister mark router insists that rising infection rates make it essential to in his words bite through this very sour apple before things get better. it's totally understandable the numbers afghan if this wasn't done the consequences cannot be neglected. i looked down is not really dissolution of a strict enforcement not compulsory facemask even the coronavirus at and shopping malls the temperature should be checked but there's new hope at the prospect of mass vaccinations across europe after pressure from the german government the european union's regulate free body is set to approve the pfizer biotech vaccine next monday. live on the law and president of the european commission tweeted i welcome the e m

a bringing forward its meeting to discuss the pfizer buy on take vaccine before christmas likely that the 1st europeans will be vaccinated before the end of 2020. germany hopes of vaccinate up to $4000000.00 citizens by the end of the year but with hundreds still dying from the corona virus every day it's bringing in a national lockdown on wednesday. in france they've lifted a lot down but they're bringing in a nighttime curfew and bars and restaurants remain closed tuesday so members of the cultural industries protests angry that places like museums and theaters and also allowed to open number 3 to the huge numbers of cinemas in theaters that will close is catastrophic person will no longer be the culture city it was before the lockdown. they have it backwards you can't say one sector is essential and another is not there's no evidence of clusters in theatres and cinemas now the governments are voicing people to quarantine before meeting up at christmas because. it's scientific can't sleep and i view that as reasonable if you can self confine for 8

days before christmas if you can it's not possible for everyone across europe the message from governments is the same please be careful over christmas so the new year can be a better one. al-jazeera brussels. yes president elect joe biden has traveled to the state of georgia to campaign for the 2 democratic candidates in a runoff that will determine control of the senate comes a day off to his presidential win was verified by the literal college a white house correspondent can really help get reports from atlanta. he won the southern state of georgia in november narrowly with just 12000 votes that's why us president elect joe biden is back you voted as if your life depended on it well guess what. now you're going to have to do it again come january 5th but i do need his democratic party to pick up 2 georgia senate seats in next month's runoff

election republicans hold the seat currently but if democrats win they take control of the senate and the u.s. congress on health care and voting rights on criminal justice racial justice and climate change get show march done so much that can make 'd the lives of people of georgia and the whole country was so much better a win in the senate means biden will be able to push through policy without resistance from republican senate majority leader mitch mcconnell who for the 1st time ignalina biden's win. after the country's electoral college on monday certified the vote result the electoral college. vote. so today i want to congratulate president elect joe biden but even as members of his own republican party are now congratulating biden on his victory president

donald trump refuses to concede the white house press secretary insists the vote result is still not final the president is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election polls show dozens of congressional republicans support trump's unproven claims of election fraud and trump's refusal to concede to biden is worrying some georgia voters it's sad this leave united states somebody have to be big enough to say it's it it's over last you know but this is hard and unfortunately that's the way we are in the world today or choose hope over fear knowing his agenda is on the line biden is promising voters he'll make history with his diverse cabinet the latest expected announcement former democratic presidential candidate. as biden's transportation secretary. will be the 1st senate

confirmed openly gay cabinet member if his nomination succeeds there's no letter to america's future but there will be a limit on the number of people that commit such robotic operations was 5 months ago that was what celebrate virtual up carol about al jazeera at left 5 time for a short break here al-jazeera when we come back for it once the horses the lower the under severe pressure from patients concerns the health system not going to stop will be unable to cope with an increase in severe cases of coronavirus. and sounding the alarm of a so-called crisis why humanitarian efforts in yemen on the brink of collapse more nuts.

time for more stalling weather for the event it's already affected turkey has been flooding as a result this is the picture on wednesday sort of circulation and underneath the city name say you've got one dark blue would suggest a period of potentially heavy rain followed through by showers the focus the gaza city shows that it's a gusty westerly in the showers or wednesday when the wind dies in the showers eventually go about trying to get to friday the temp is on the face of it aren't affected but without the sunshine i think it will feel pretty rogering wednesday thursday we'll see the showers spread easter iraq and then catch the iranian mountains i think will see significant snow here as things improve at least the point of view of the sky scape further west and that's the bigger improvement on friday elsewhere a quiet looking picture with temperatures in the twenty's we've got used to that there the seasonal rain in southern africa is concentrating i think in western parts of zambia eastern angola so over the arc of anger delta you've got some

significant rain which is to be expected it's also a good looking rainy season so far and in this forecast for them bob way at least central mozambique and probably malawi this is representing botswana thunderstorms for 3 days and johannesburg and not far away. true confession someone or not a big cleanup or clinic night or a cynical example of communist propaganda that wanted to participate in their logical what they are now well enough to do it was told in 2010 al-jazeera access to north korea to investigate the alleged use of biological warfare by the us during the korean war rewind revisits dirty little secrets on al-jazeera.

welcome back a quick reminder the top stories here this hour health experts in parts of the usa hospitals are being strained to breaking point as coronavirus cases continue to search a pfizer vaccine is now being distributed across the country the 2nd vaccine expected to be approved this week. several nations in europe are still deciding whether to ease or tighten restrictions ahead of the end of year holiday period health experts say lock downs are needed to curb increased top of the most urgent cases but others are warning it will come at the cost of businesses. u.s. president elect joe biden has been campaigning for democrats in the state of georgia ahead of 2 runoff elections next month if the republicans win either

contest they would maintain power in the senate allowing them to block by legislative agenda. now straightly is launching a formal appeal to the world trade organization over china's decision to impose huge tariffs on its barley in may beijing impose duties on the grain for 5 years effectively stopping a $1000000000.00 trade in its tracks the 2 countries have been a growing trade dispute since australia called for an investigation into the origins of the corona virus pandemic but peter macaulay's an associate professor at the australian national university he says the disagreement between both countries is deepening. the political temperature has been rising for 3 or 4 years and there's really escalation on both sides. australia. australia really. prompted a good deal of anger in china by taking china to the world health organization

appealing to the world health organization over the code virus for mohan and since then it is escalated further with a range of trade measures it's not just bali it's tourists it's wine it's coal even lobsters. so it's quite sharp now between the 2 countries and i don't know what's going to happen certainly china is not going to back down and it looks a straight is not going to back down either the trouble with this bali w t i lied to me is that it will take a long time it would normally take well library a year possibly 2 years so in a way the appeal to the w.t. i was more symbolic than actually having any immediate effect it is really just australia digging its heels in and sending yet another signal to china on the chinese side i think they will they will they won't gain much as i say this is just will go on for a long time this w.t. yard i'm. bracing for the arrival of

a category 5 storm tropical cyclone yasi is expected to last the islands with gusts of up to 280 kilometers an hour the prime minister is in the country to prepare for possible evacuation it's a tropical cyclone yasi is now open waters between fiji and one or 2 we expected to move towards us from tomorrow we should all prepare now for heavy rain there are doing rains. and flooding across the country. a faction of the armed group boko haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of school boys in northern nigeria as students were taken on friday from a boarding school in katsina state there are concerns the government hasn't been forthcoming about the real number of boys abducted it says this negotiating with what they call armed bandits well the parents of the missing children have staged protests demanding the return of the students who have not been we want government

to risk your children because they have the capacity to do so but their actions are slow because it is not their children that are involved in the incident they put us in the situation now parents and grandparents are an absolute confusion they've stopped us from having peace of mind we are totally said. now there are new warnings of unprecedented challenges across the globe because of conflict climate change and the coronavirus pandemic the international rescue committee has released its list of crises which are expected to get even worse next year the 20 countries highlighted by the i.r.c. represent just 10 percent of the global population but 85 percent of those in need the group is calling for action in places including afghanistan syria and the democratic republic of congo saying they're highly volatile because of neglected long running conflicts if the r.p. arises into the report's top 5 for the 1st time because of fighting in the to grey region but topping the list for the 3rd year in a row is yemen the i.r.c.

says the scale of the need and a steep drop in funding have left the humanitarian response on the brink of collapse as one of the new reports. that some of these no letup in human suffering and is the method 3000000 people are displaced most live in doesn't think companies like this one surviving us best as they come waiting for help from the outside world. thousands and during the cold on the water less planes you know shop come near the city of them in the south. we are suffering due to the cold weather we need blankets for organization and philanthropist there is no support for the children this called the corona virus pandemic disease and malnutrition her all adding up to make life here extremely difficult we need the health center in the camp to deal with mt tradition and also to treat pregnant women. even before the war there many important 90 percent of the steeple from.

but supplies. a sharp fall in the value of the yemeni riyal has led to the prices of essential commodities like food and medicine. in the absence of help from the government and international allies assurance people he. the muscle the elements the line is in dallas out of pollution and the prices of everything have increased even for bread and vegetables prices have gone up because the road is cut off so everything is expensive for me i'm a motorcycle driver my daily income is not even $6.00 so i cannot afford to eat. yemen has been mired in war since late 2014. when the whole thing rebels seized control of several more from provinces and forced the international recognized government of president of the rebel monsoon. out of the capital sanaa. a sody u.a.e.

led coalition then intervened with diversity to consequences in a country rocked by conflict no one knows how many people are dying from diseases such as color or from the crop in 1000 pandemic. yemen's health system has all but collapsed across the country doctors say hospital beds have food and they don't know where to put the sick and dying. atop the latif alcoholic is head of son of fatah hospital don binns philosophy the war has had a huge impact on the health sector we've been affected by the brutal aggression on our country and the air and sea blockade we suffer from a dire shortage of medicine such as cancer drugs open heart surgery drugs and others unfortunately aid organizations also have a monopoly on what support they offer and we have no say on what help they bring in all this leads to a severe shortage of service whether in the aisle for a hospital or in other hospitals. then many courses of the war in the for there

only to consequences death and the destruction of people's livelihoods mohamed al jazeera. to afghanistan now where there are concerns a spike in corona virus cases could put the country's fragile health system under strain the exact number of cases in the country is unclear and many afghans are finding it to expensive to protect themselves from the virus in their country for reports from kabul. less than a month ago these beds were empty but since then footage obtained by al-jazeera from inside afghanistan's only covered hospital in kabul shows the beds are quickly filling up doctors say as winter sets in and respiratory diseases flare up coronavirus patients needing treatment in hospital will increase that. this hospital has capacity for only 120 patients if we put the patients in the hallways or any other rooms that will increase the number of beds to 150 we do not have any

other space and we cannot put beds on the streets many officials and diplomats say the official tallies are seriously undercounted and there is no reliable data to give a clear picture of the pandemic in afghanistan the country has received millions of dollars in aid to manage the pandemic but a lack of testing and knowledge about the virus especially outside the afghan capital who remains a big problem forcing many people to seek help in kabul more memories of. my mom was sick can cause the doctors there were not able to get a diagnosis for her her health was getting worse by the day on her breathing got really bad we came to this hospital when we got the results of the covert test it was positive. there is no social distancing in afghanistan and barely anyone wears a mask many afghans believe the coronavirus doesn't exist here well that is if

there was coronavirus i could have been infected as i am in contact with hundreds of people every day here and i'm not but there is another reason why afghans do not follow the governments we commendations to take protective measures sanitizers and masks are available almost everywhere yet many afghans can not afford to buy them with most of living on less than $1.50 a day spending event $0.10 for one single use mass is too much. deficit of also increased according to the ministry of public health because afghans did not axs the health care they need to curb the spread of the virus during the winter wedding holes will be shot while universities have already been closed our prediction is that for 8 months the whole system will be under severe pressure from patients so that's why we have even though we have doubled the number

of beds the are increasing the beds more but the are prepared for that but let's see what happens nothing is predictable with coalwood the government says millions of dollars in international aid have been pledged to help of ghana stand deliver the car on a virus vaccine in the next 7 months initially for 20 percent of the population yet it managing the pandemic has been a big struggle vaccinating afghans could be an even bigger one fairly a conduit for al-jazeera. now an expedition to a forest region in the bolivian andi's has found 20 new species and rediscovered for they were thought to be extinct among the discoveries of the frog a 10 millimeters in length it's one of the world's smallest amphibians and this is the devil lied from which was observed for the 1st and only time 20 years ago i was living here in large numbers via mentalist say the discoveries so close to bolivia's capital prove the success of conservation efforts.

scientists are heading to the south atlantic to investigate a massive iceberg the size of a small country it's drifting towards the island of south georgia they'll be assessing potential damage to the region's delicate ecosystem reports now from. the iceberg known as a 68 a is one of the biggest ever recorded more than 4000 square meters it broke away from the antarctic last in the sea ice shelf in 2017 and is drifting toward south georgia at about 20 kilometers a day and is actually massive in terms of icebergs mostly icebergs when they're in the open ocean they tend to break our current or smaller icebergs this one remarkably as remained intact and is still even more remarkable because it's got quite a shallow keel is not very thick so we expected to break apart a 68 day is about 200 meters thick and one theory is that the iceberg will run

aground when it reaches the continental shelf around the island the challenge facing the team is to assess the impact something so huge might have on the vulnerable south atlantic ecosystem so something the size of luxembourg is going to be a massive impact on an island like south georgia which isn't that much bigger than luxemburg so. the iceberg is formed from glacier ice and as it melts to release billions of tons of freshwater into the sea potentially devastating krill photo plankton and other species low on the food chain that in turn could threaten the diverse ward life on the island there's no light in the moon it's one of the most pristine pieces in the world with the ocean of phone at its most of the world that's the problem. the scientists will employ 2 reporting submarines to measure the temperature salinity and levels of phytoplankton in the water around the

iceberg they also collect and study animals in the water you can see no say was it wasn't just a minute if we don't protect the oceans at these kinds of events will become increasingly frequent and the impact it reversible greenpeace and others have long been warning of the effects of climate change but say the threat presented by this enormous iceberg is one that cannot be ignored. and which one there al-jazeera one osiris. our time for a quick check of the headlines here on al-jazeera health experts and parts of the united states a hospitals are being strained to breaking point as coronavirus cases continue to surge a phase of vaccines now being distributed across the country but a 2nd seen expected to be approved this week has more now from los angeles the system is really approaching its breaking point very quickly the numbers in

california and across the united states are staggering 42000 new cases of covert 19 report report.