israel begins vaccinating against private 19 it's not known when millions of palestinians will be off of the job. and a new strain of the coronavirus in the u.k. forces millions of people to be placed under strict lockdown just before christmas . play there i missed on here tell you this is al jazeera live from also coming up u.s. president donald trump downplay is the impact of a vast cyber security breach being seen as the worst in american history. and

a test for democracy thailand holds its 1st local elections after months of protests against the government on the monarchy. well we begin in israel where a mass vaccination campaign is currently underway to fight the coronavirus pandemic the government is aiming to inoculate 60000 people in a day that doesn't include palestinians living in the occupied west bank and gaza prime minister benjamin netanyahu himself has vaccination on saturday and said this marks the beginning of the end of the outbreak a national rollout will include israeli settlers living in the illegally occupied west bank but the territories 2 and a half 1000000 palestinians are expected to be waiting much longer for their jobs but we will be getting more reaction from me to either him she's in ramallah very shortly but 1st let's go she's investors some for us i mean we're watching this roll out continue today can you talk us through how it's all been going so far. you

know so as you mentioned prime minister netanyahu and the minister of health received the vaccine they were the 1st israelis to receive the vaccine late last night and today the president a few other ministers the head of health care it's the hospitals as well as health care workers they will be receiving the vaccine starting from monday everyone who is over the age of 60 and has create existing health conditions will be vaccinated appointments for those vaccines have had already opened late last week in the 2nd phase that there will be teachers of social workers and soldiers people who are coming and high contact with others so the government is expecting that about 60000 people will be vaccinated each day but that really depends on how many doses they are going to be receiving there's about $4000000.00 from pfizer that are expected by the end of this year and another $4000000.00 early next year because really

government has also signed an agreement with what just received f.d.a. approval but that it's not going to come through until 2021 but in this moment where the vaccines are starting to roll out the number of introductions are still rising there will be a special cabinet meeting that will contribute today and that will be discussing possible restriction measures on a possible lockdown there has been some discussion of possibly shutting down the airport so things are still still kind of up in the air. there with all the latest for us from west or east and thanks so much irene well now let's get the view from ramallah and the abraham is in ramallah for us and you know i imagine there is some frustration there as people are waiting for these jabs what is the plan for the occupied west bank and gaza. the plan for now was palestinians are going to be waiting for a few months the palestinian prime minister and how much they spoke on thursday and said it's going to be taking

a few months before any vaccination our lives to the palestinian territory and now it's worth noting that the palestinian authority is already financially overstretched and will not be able to afford to vaccinating the whole population which is why they are relying on the w a h o to help them with some of that but even if the w.s.j. program kicks out its work it's all it's really difficult to be able to vaccinate the whole population we're talking about 20 percent of the palestinians in the occupied west bank and in the gaza strip it's already a difficult situation for the health. ministry there saying that the palestinian hospitals are already overstretched and they cannot handle an outbreak and this is why they've announced a partial lockdown during christmas and the new year there has been talks about the russian vaccine but we've heard the palestinian prime minister to talk about only

allowing the approved boxing nations to arrive to the palestinian territory and for many human rights organizations they say that israel has the humanitarian and the legal and the moral responsibility to vaccinate people as an occupying power need to abraham that with all the latest for us from ramallah thank you so much neda. on how much and she talks in the u.k. about a near strain of the current virus have led to a further tightening of restrictions that a high a tear down is now in effect across london as well as southeast england and the netherlands has now also banned all flights from the u.k. and a bid to try to stop the spread of that new strain or a challenge reports from london. for days scientists and opposition politicians have been saying it's the government shouldn't be letting so many english households mick's over christmas on saturday boris johnson relented it is with

a very heavy heart i must tell you we cannot continue with christmas those plans. a new coronavirus variance with spreading alarmingly in london and the southeast he said adding that the world health organization had been alerted to the mutant strain it's 70 percent more transmissible and a new 4th tier of restrictions is needed residents in those areas miss stay at home apart from limited exemptions set out in law non-essential retail indoor gyms and leisure facilities and personal care services was close individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space your skull must just days ago boris johnson mocked his opposition rival kier starmer for questioning why restrictions were being eased for christmas and if he really is going to press ahead with this can he tell us what's the assessment and has it been done of the impact that it will have on infection rates and increase pressure on the n.h.s.

what's the impact well it's because she had the guts just to say what he really wants to do which is to cancel the plans people who have made and cancel cancel christmas that's really that's what i think that's what he's driving at this is bigger london has gone from tear to tear for a no family christmas in just 4 days in parts of england in lower it is allowing 3 households to mix for 5 days is being reduced to just christmas day itself scotland's 1st minister says her country is allowing only one day of mixing 2 and is essentially pulling up the drawbridge if you had people travelling to join you for christmas from. that will no longer be permitted. it will no longer be permitted for any of us to travel anywhere in the rest of the u.k. for christmas we simply cannot take the risk of this stream traveling from different parts of the u.k.

. but it's not just the united kingdom other european countries are tightening restrictions too among them it's really has announced a new national lockdown over most of the holidays it's a lead germany france and 5 other e.u. states are coordinating the start of their covert vaccinations it's this it's that he's prime minister says that signals the nightmare is about to end brewery chalons how does era london now the u.s. army general in charge of the covert 1000 vaccine distribution there has apologized for a mix up over the amount of jobs available 11 states were told their allocations of the fines and the newly approved mcdonagh vaccines had been cut with no explanation it was my fault i gave guidance i am the one that approved the forecasts sheets i am the one that approved the allocation it's right there is no problem with the process there is no problem with the pfizer vaccine there is no problem with the

madonna vaccine right it was a plain error and i am responsible and now in australia about a quarter of a 1000000 people in sydney's northern beaches suburbs have been placed under strict lockdown in a bid to contain a growing outbreak gatherings across gracious sydney have also been restricted there are now almost 70 cases linked to a new plaster a strain your had recently gone more than 2 weeks without any located transmissive cases. another group of children who were abducted in northern nigeria have reportedly been rescued by vigilante groups they've been returning from a religious gathering in the huta in katsina states this latest incident comes just 2 days of the hundreds of boys were reunited with their families also in katsina after they were kidnapped by bandits while our correspondent ben address is on the ground there for us in katsina amid just days after these boys finally got to go

home and now they kidnap him i know we're still getting details about this but what do we know at the stage well the children were coming from an islamic gether innocuous studying in production when they run into the bandits early on at a community took some hostages and a few cows and it's also happening at the same time when we're hearing about abductions in the northeast of the country carried out by boko haram 2 days ago there was. a number. but agree that much of a highway and then we're hearing of another attack. in jury in local government area where at least 30 people have been taken now they could in a state isn't under the underscores or under the serious security threat being pleased in not only northeastern nigeria but also here in northwestern nigeria where hundreds or even thousands of people have been killed over the last few years and tens of thousands have been displaced by the activities of this bonded but for

this because what came home it was an abrasion time in the bitty al-jazeera visited to follow up on the release or the situation in that community in. the last book and going to school and received so many visitors it was 15 years ago that was when their youngest child rusa was born. neighbors and well wishers returned to celebrate again this time the safe return home after 60 ordeal at the hands of kidnappers. morsy is one of the 344 school boys released after they were abducted by gunmen from a boarding school more than a week ago when i'm with to go and i can't really express how i feel miles have returned home there is no after every when it is the same story in almost every home affected here in cancun and as a way. life ambition is to become

a surgeon but after the days he spent in captivity he's having a rethink about future studies because. frankly every student is scared of going back. threatened to kill us next time they sees us many of his fellow students will regain their freedom are equally scared about continuing the education after threats made by the kidnappers but slowly they can get a community is getting back on its feet. the mood in going to has dramatically changed since our last visit here a few days ago when 344 students are still missing now the local market is fully open but the main talking point for the people is security they want to see evidence of more protection by the security forces. that are seated the age of a force that stretches into them for where many of the bandits gangs of gunmen hide out before launching attacks on local communities that. is the most vulnerable

council area in katsina state yes we have one armored personnel carrier a few soldiers and police but that's not enough to deal with the big threat we face daily. become for now but in other villages around here people are living in fear they have been reports of other takes on the police to communities nearby since the news of the students. there's been a significant security presence here because of the recent abductions but it's not clear how long that will last how many trees are does iraq and iraq northwest nigeria. head hair on al jazeera live in to bursley as east african leaders gather to discuss the diplomatic standoff between kenya and somalia. and we take a look at how is this casino capital macau became a model for china's one country 2 systems principles.

however we've got a developing tropical storm making its way across the philippines into the south china sea a little circulation him now pushing through it dipping some very heavy rain into the philippines 182 millimeters of rainfall here in 24 hours there we go that kulish unrolling towards the southern vietnam it will brush the south of vietnam before grassy heading over towards the south of thailand becoming a little smaller as it does say the malaysian peninsula into the middle part of next week shows continue unabated across much of malaysia more shallow as that is coming into the part of indonesia the heat of the day seasonal shelves as they should be with a join up with a shower as long as spells of rain that we see tumbling into the northwest of australia more wet weather coming through here tropical low just rolls in the cross the kimberley we have got some western weather in the forecast across the heart of australia right across central areas right down towards the southeast actually over

the next day or so so the interior taking something of a soaking that is likely to lead to some flooding at times out west a weather affecting parts of queensland in areas of new south wales seeing some very heavy rain as well and we'll see some western weather just to the north of sydney for tom again it could lead to some flooding wish i was to. pushing through victoria. the virus is indiscriminate get those living in poverty are far more vulnerable to the dangers of covert 19 ali re-examine the reasons for this disparity the social and economic inequalities that surround us are much deeper and much more problematic than we thought i'd ask whether lessons learned from the global pandemic could lead to positive change. or fix the him or we all hail the lock down exposing privilege and poverty during a crisis on. the

. program. that's remind you of our top stories here this hour israel has begun its covert 1000 vaccination campaign the government is aiming to inoculate 60000 people a day but that doesn't include palestinians living in the occupied west bank and gaza. british prime minister barak johnson has announced stricter restrictions in london and southeast england the netherlands has now also banned all flights from the u.k. in a bid to stop the spread of a new more contagious strain of the current virus identified by the british government. the us president donald trump has contradicted his own secretary of

state by saying china could be responsible for a cyber attack on 6 government departments that my compare however said it was pretty clear that russia was behind the hacking believed to be the west in u.s. history russia denies any involvement has. president donald trump has weighed in on what's seen as the biggest ever cyber espionage attack against washington downplaying it and the kremlin's involvement in the hacking he says the cyber hug is far greater in what he called fake news media than an actuality i have been fully briefed and everything is well under control russia russia russia is the priority chant when anything happens because lame stream is for mostly financial reasons petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be china it may speaking on a radio show might pompei who said it was clear russia was involved. very

significant effort. i think you were a case but now we can say pretty clearly it was the russians the release of most activity the full extent of the cyber attack is still emerging but at least 6 u.s. government departments have been infiltrated among them the agency that manages nuclear weapons however they've said the security hasn't been compromised. the heart began as early as march and targeted widely used software made by solar winds the texas based company says up to 18000 customers downloaded compromised software updates which allowed hackers to spy on e-mail exchanges i think the damage is going to be. potentially worse i suppose or no longer. the n.r.c. it seems to be. attackers are aiming to steal information it's not wrong they're

not trying to block or. religious merinos it's just some members of congress are demanding answers from president trump national security is the number one challenge the number one responsibility of a government is to protect our people. every government agency is compromised our national security is compromised. i'm disappointed that he is not bringing the government together to respond to it and the threat is far from over experts saying many more systems may be compromised without anyone knowing and the only way to be sure and it is clean is for it to be burnt down to the ground and rebuilt a marriage or 3. well us president elect joe biden has now introduced key members of his environment an energy team ushering in some more government firsts but only as include the 1st african-american man to head the environmental protection agency

a renewable power advocate to lead the department of energy and the country's 1st ever native american cabinet secretary holland has been nominated for interior secretary she would be the 1st indigenous person to serve in the role that oversees tribal lands. a number of groups occupying large areas of central african republic have announced the formation of a coalition ahead of next week's elections that the government tames it's an attempt by a former president francis posies a crew that move comes as un peacekeepers are being deployed in a response to a series of attacks nicholas haq reports. rebel leaders and president are going to where they are in a room together last november signing a pact of peace and reconciliation but that's been broken at least 11 rebel armed groups are moving towards the capital bangui to put pressure on the government days before a presidential election $21.00 who is running for a 2nd mandate is favorite but the rebels the coalition for patriotic change said in

a statement the president failed to deliver on an agreement to offer its leaders position in government and funds to disarm their troops a government spokesman describes this as an attempted coup on the. central african republic is facing an attempt to destabilize a democratically elected government we believe former president busies a and foreign mercenaries are organizing attacks thanks. ted to run for reelection has been invalidated by the constitutional court in 2013 he was accused of amending religious divisions calling on christian militia groups known as the anti blocker to attack pro-government fighters known as the anti selecta the un intervene then sending in french troops to protect civilians while the government puts the blame on. the former president there is no mention of him in this statement signed by rebel leaders not. showing again.

in the central african republic just one week before the presidential election russian trained troops have now launched operations to regain control of the country the un's 12000 strong peacekeeping force is on high alert deployed on major roads around the capital. in the 2 rounds of elections but the problem grows and the 1st run off election. and i don't see. next week because when the simoneau december when we're going to security situation right now it isn't of course impossible to organize election caught in this latest spiral of violence or the people of central african republic more than half a 1000000 have left their homes with nowhere to go their norwegian refugee council describes it as the world's most neglected conflict in a country unable to find peace nicholas hark al-jazeera. now leaders from 8

east african countries are gathering for an emergency summit to discuss the challenges facing the region that regional bloc known as egads will focus on the diplomatic standoff between somalia and kenya somalia you're recall cut diplomatic ties with kenya on tuesday accusing it of meddling in politics to present a rule hosted the leader of somaliland also talk about the humanitarian crisis and ethiopia is more than tikrit region. 9 people have been killed in the afghan capital in a car bomb attack there another 15 were also wounded in that blast in kabul including an m.p. khan mohammad wardak there's been no claim yet of responsibility targeted attacks there have increased so in recent weeks last week the deputy governor of kabul was killed also by a kabul. violent protests have broken out in lebanon off to a major hike in university tuition fees police used tear gas to disperse crowds in

the capital beirut students responded by throwing bottles and other objects in the protest follows a decision by some universities to price situation on a new dollar exchange rate which will see some fees triple. well voting is underway in thailand's 1st local elections since the military coup in 2014 last year's general poll accusations of manipulation stalking anti-government protests this provincial vote could indicate the effectiveness or otherwise of those demonstrations tony chang reports from the city of somewhat. once he was seen as the savior of type politics a charismatic leader whose reform agenda captures a culture of the votes in last year's election since then his party future forward has been dissolved and he's been banned from politics for a decade but tenet on jong un is not giving up his party has reformed under the new bern a move forward and is bigger asli contesting local elections across time. for

tons of. anti-government protests in bangkok and around the country that have played up for the past 5 months giving the pope a new impetus younger voters disenfranchised by the military coup in 2014 could turn to candidates bank by move forward and their agenda political reform. but they face stiff opposition local politics in thailand dominated by well established political families well known to world voters with money to spend on their campaigns which. is running in the affluent province of chonburi his father convicted of corruption and murdering a political rival held the position before him his brother who failed to win a seat as an m.p.

is currently a cabinet minister and he vehemently denies he's part of a political dynasty. if in fact even they myself my family have been in politics for a long time every. time that we were given the chance to work in politics opposition came from an election. and while the results of the election more than likely change much it could signify deep shifts in thai society thailand has been ruled by the rigid socio political hierarchy with the monarchy at the center that hall ruling regime now is being tested and the election this and just $11.00 small indicator but also one contest that reflects the broader struggle despite a pretty good showing here voter turnout is not expected to be high so close to the long new year holiday the election commission has warned that if voters don't cast their ballots they could well be disqualified in the next general election. and

even if voters do turn out in large numbers in reality these elections won't bring much change the government's paid little attention to the demands from the protest movement but this is a chance for toys to make their voice heard at the ballot box which in recent years has frequently been tonight tony. some of pre-con time and. now macau is marking the 21st anniversary of its return to china from portuguese control but unlike hong kong the gambling hub has embraced beijing's tightening grip difficult holland reports. this is a tale of 2 cities macau a former portuguese colony now a casino powerhouse the other hong kong a former british colony and an international financial center both returned to chinese rule in the late 1990 s. . but while hong kong pushed back against beijing's tightening control in the following years that with little opposition in macau macau has

a large population with very strong mainland chinese attachment emotion the politically and culturally haven't set that in the reason years there are a minority of young people in macau who tend to support western style democracy and one of those is 29 year old sulu sue an opposition member of my cows legislative assembly who says gaining support for the fight for democracy is an uphill battle. china. started. while the british in hong kong instilled the idea of democracy in their final years

. the portuguese largely recognize china's sovereignty over macau. mainland china is crucial for the city's economy bestowing favorable policies to sting tourism and building major infrastructure projects like the $20000000000.00 hong kong macau zhuhai bridge perhaps this is the most tangible symbol of the communist party's push to integrate hong kong and macau into mainland china when it was launched 2 years ago it became the 1st physical link between the 2 former colonies and set them up for the next phase of unification the greater bay area development plan it's part of beijing's efforts to knit hong kong macau and southern chinese cities into a tech. and to. slap west

a strong china. to. china's leaders sheeting paying called macau a shining example of the one country 2 systems policy one that beijing says hong kong outspoken people could learn from difficult poland al-jazeera hong kong. this is al-jazeera and these are the headlines israel has begun its covert 19 vaccination campaign the government is aiming to inoculate 60000 people a day but that doesn't include palestinians living in the occupied west bank or gaza are enough that has the latest from lester's. to morrow all of those that are over the age of 60 and have preexisting conditions will be vaccinated appointments for that had already opened up late last week in the 2nd phase of the vaccination

people who are in high contact with the public and people will be vaccinated that is include.