new heights my chin is here on al-jazeera. the arab. u.s. politicians vote on a massive coronavirus relief package of the country's total number of infections also is $18000000.00. better than oracle and as al-jazeera live from doha coming up facing isolation more countries shut their borders to the u.k. of a phase of a mutated strain of covert 19. go on the same streets of the central african republic in an increase in violence ahead of this week's elections. and stargazers

look to the skies is also in the systems to bigots promise a rare celestial event. after months of political gridlock millions of americans could start receiving pandemic relief checks as of next week the house of representatives has approved a $900000000000.00 stimulus package aimed at helping businesses and families it's taken months of negotiations between democrats and republicans to finalize the agreement and the senate is due to vote on it shortly meanwhile california's governor has warned there are massive though no more intensive care beds in 2 regions that include los angeles that's home to 30000000 people it is likely that stay at home orders will be extended the total number of infections in the u.s. has passed 18000000 the number of deaths is almost at 320000

that's joined. now she's dying for us from washington and heidi that midnight deadline is fast approaching how quickly is the senate expected to vote. right the deadline is the you are than 2 hours in a washington and the senate has still yet to take up this bill that was just passed by the u.s. house of representatives we're hearing though that there is safety guard in a sense that the version of the bill the house passed would offer a 7 day extension to move this deadline back a further week if the senate doesn't have time to vote on the massive bill which would include funding the gover for government for another year and include this $900000000000.00 in covert relief but what that boils down to is before midnight the senate has to vote on something to keep the government open past midnight and

most are hoping that they will vote on this bigger bill of that $900000000000.00 for covert relief there would be checks given out to individual americans totaling $600.00 and most people would qualify it would extend unemployment insurance into mid march and it would offer rental and food assistance as well as money for vaccine distribution all of these elements and more many would argue sorely needed right now in the u.s. absolutely to cross the u.s. is that going to be enough food to help poor people who need it. well president elect joe biden says no he has said from the beginning that he sees this as a down payment and he's already indicated that in his 1st days in office one of his priorities will to push for further legislative action more economic aid as well as more money for vaccinations within his 1st 100 days in office you know speaking

with americans on the streets this is a very difficult time for them approaching the holidays there are people who can't afford christmas presents for their families who are of course bracing for the holidays alone without seeing loved ones in person and struggling even just to buy their groceries so $600.00 certainly will take a load off of their shoulders for the short term but many are saying it'll only get them a little bit further and of course there are so many families staring at a vixen notices as well as wondering how long they can keep going while being unemployed. joined us from washington d.c. thanks very much heidi. well u.s. president elect joe biden has received his 1st dose of the tech crying a virus vaccine is one of a growing list of high profile people being publicly vaccinated as well effort to encourage confidence and in 1000 vaccines biden says he wants to see at least

100000000 doses administered showing his 1st 100 days in office. doing this to demonstrate. people should be compared 'd want. 'd to take the vaccine there's nothing to worry about i'm looking forward to the 2nd structure with g.o.p. senator sherrod really i hope people listen to all the experts from the doctor from t.'s on talking about the need to wear a mask during this christmas and new year's holidays were mass socially distance and. if you don't have to travel don't travel a growing number of countries are shutting the borders to flights and travels from the u.k. well in 40 countries have imposed restrictions on growing concerns over mutated strayed of the virus but his government has moved to reassure assistance is working to ensure frank's including food supplies won't be affected by it has more from london. fears a future to disappointing many to stock up on supplies u.k.

flights banned from dozens of countries but prime minister johnson is trying to reassure everyone that everything is under control hoping to have the situation resolved up to speak to france's president emmanuel background it's very very important. not just for the peoples of the role but it's also taking realistic we have every reason to be extremely hopeful about this country's ability to bounce back next year from cape you typed site on the streets on the borders is a very different picture anything to be hopeful about. the announcement by the government of a new more transmissible strain of the covert virus has concerned france europe and many other countries the new variant was identified in the u.k. in september and by last week it accounted for more than 60 percent of covered $1000.00 cases in london thought to be about 40 to 70 percent more transmissible

but scientists say it doesn't appear to be more deadly and there's no evidence to suggest that the new vaccine will be less effective against it variants of the virus have also been identified in spain belgium strain italy the netherlands and south africa instead of infecting one or 2 people when you're talking or breathing near them infecting 3 or 4 ok so this seems to be how the process spreading further and faster so it's not spreading a different way it's just as more of a spreading to more people who are. johnston says he hopes for a transport issues will be resolved soon and he's working with his european partners to find a solution yet they are only 10 days left for the u.k. deadline to leave europe totally this still no trade deal the disruption the u.k. is experiencing now a possible a prelude of what's to come if they leave europe without a deal i said take al-jazeera london hong kong as one of the hobson there is no

restrictions on flights from the u.k. people who spent more than just 2 hours a day in the past fortnight. will be banned from boarding flights to hong kong that includes the city's residents to pick up pollen joins us live from hong kong a diverse the 1st city in asia to hold flights from the u.k. was impact is it having on travels. that's right one would think that with the car the current pandemic restrictions and the lesser flight travels this wouldn't be so significant but it is particularly particularly in hong kong those who travel between hong kong and the u.k. has still remained relatively robust throughout the last few months in fact more than 5000 people have landed in hong kong just this month alone and many of them are students there's still quite a lot of trade there's the hong kong and the u.k. have very strong relations the health secretary has said this is the most stringent and most severe measures that taken on air travel this is unprecedented how long it

will last is anyone's guess cathay pacific which is hong kong's flagship airline used to have at least $5.00 to $10.00 flights a day that was down to about $1.00 to $2.00 per day in the last few weeks and now they say they're suspending all flights until january 10th now in france government says this measure is necessary mainly due to the fact that a large number of flights or all of the infections that we've seen have been from the u.k. fact more than 22 percent of all imported cases from the start of the pandemic have been from the u.k. laura and hong kong experiencing is also wave of the virus was the situation. that's right why other countries are still battling through their 2nd and 3rd it's the 4th wave here in hong kong and said to be the most severe with the largest numbers of daily infections and what's also constant in turn is one the winter

season but also the fact that many of the sources of these new clusters cannot be traced and that is a huge worry here in hong kong which is so densely populated. so the government has put in some of its most serious social distancing measures that only 2 people are together or they will be find my life has virtually shut down restaurants and the entertainment centers have to close by 6 o'clock and no leisure activities no sporting activities schools have been shut for a couple of weeks now so hong kong has pretty much come to a standstill and it has suffered quite a bit particularly with its economy and so the government in the latest has just signed off a $1000000000.00 tranche of really a relief measures for businesses now here in hong kong ok david bowie is the latest there from hong kong thanks very much to hear the world health organization chief has addressed the latest coronavirus mutation in a press conference he says the vaccine will also work against contagious strain

viruses mutate over time that's natural and they expected the u.k. has reported that this new virus transmits more easily but there is no evidence so far that it's more likely to cause if it does or mortality w. 2 is working with scientists to understand how this general changes affect how the virus behaves the bottom line be that we need to cyprus transmission of all sizes called to viruses as quickly as we can the more we allow it to spread the more opportunity to change. castle's 1st shipment of the pfizer biotech coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the capsule doha ready for distribution the elderly those with chronic illnesses and front line workers will be 1st in line once the roll out again is being described as the largest vaccination program ever launched in that country. canada's most populous province is going into lockdown from saturday

affecting 14000000 people ontario is in the grip of a 2nd wave of corona virus infections according to thousands new cases a day for the past week restrictions will be imposed on the north of the province for 2 weeks and for almost a month from the self schools will close the essential services will be limited and gatherings restricted still ahead hair on al-jazeera 32 years on the us charges the libyan man with building the bomb that brought down a pan am flight. on poll recent denmark where the culling of millions of mink due to a covert 19 outbreak has left an industry on its knees and the government facing questions over its hundley of the crisis.

we've had the extremes we're not going to see anymore we are seeing cold weather return that there is a nose of cold air behind it on the trading frontal systems got snow from montana more especially on the canadian side the story developing in the midwest and across the lakes once more towards the northeast it will not turn into a nor'easter but we particularly bad right up in the northeast of canada about how to get through the into tuesday that coldest sunk down into the plain states in fact yorks attempts at kansas city get a 9 degrees so it keeps going south we might see a bit more snow in arkansas so i don't think so i think we'll stay on the warm side here that warm weather is helping to induce rain significant rain on its way through for example kentucky tennessee. south of all this not particularly active that's the cold front currently going offshore so you get some big showers temporary in the bahamas and there are showers tossed around across cuba throughout central america and overseas in the smaller less run to the sick of daily showers

the trade winds how it has a pretty big rain recently in brazil the showers are still there south korea but the heaviest rain is probably further inland west side of brazil northern possibility or peru where it is wanted. for. an invitation to bear witness to all that life office. the heidi's the learner's the trials and tribulations. and see minutes and everything miracles the injustice east the defiance the tests of character and the capacity take to these witness documentaries with a delicate touch on al-jazeera. route.

well again what you found is there has a reminder of our top stories this hour the u.s. house of representatives has approved a $900000000000.00 relief package aimed at helping businesses and families struggling joining the pandemic the senate vote on the bill shortly it comes as the number of corn virus cases in the u.s. exceeds 18000000. more than 40 countries and close the borders to flights and travelers from the u.k. due to concerns over mutated strain of the virus which is government says it's working to ensure freight including food supplies would be affected. more details are emerging about a massive breach of u.s. government agencies which washington is blaming on russian hackers democratic

senators says encryption keys was stolen and dozens of emails were accessed at the treasury department the treasury hacked began in july but cyber experts think the overall operation started months earlier the malicious code was hidden in software updates on government computers tech giants microsoft and google have joined facebook legal challenge against israeli cyber surveillance firm and a brief by the companies to a u.s. court says the firm's hacking tools a powerful and dangerous last year facebook sued n.s.o. over claims that exposes a loophole in facebook and what's up allowing it to put more than 1400 people worldwide under surveillance there on sunday it was revealed that spyware sold by n.s.a. was used to the phones of dozens of al jazeera journalists. canada has pledged to give $70000000.00 to the u.n. agency for palestinian refugees to help tackle its worst ever financial crisis the agency has been struggling to run operations after the u.s.

cut contributions money from canada will be distributed over 3 years it'll go towards running schools and providing health services to more than $5000000.00 palestinians. he runs outgoing special coordinator for the middle east as one of the prospects of a 2 state solution for palestine is fading nicholai national made the comment during his last briefing on monday so a situation has gone from bad to worse as kristen salumi reports from the u.n. . because. it was a 1st at the united nations a moroccan ambassador celebrating hanukkah with his israeli counterpart morocco is one of 4 arab nations to reestablish diplomatic relations with israel the deal was brokered by the united states for decades the prevailing assumption was that the world would only see norm was normalized in international relations with israel following a resolution of the israeli palestinian dispute but we have proven this is sumption

wrong while the u.s. took credit in the security council outgoing middle east special coordinator nicol i'm alive not noted the situation has gone from bad to worse for most palestinians despite an 8 month pause in the building of illegal jewish settlements in the occupied territories israel's destruction of palestinian homes for lacking permits that are rarely granted escalated by 70 percent with plans to build in areas seen as crucial to a future palestinian state advancing i do believe in a 2 state solution although every day we see a chance of. realization frankly i do believe that it is the possible and it is possible that we recognize the legitimate story. rights both israelis and palestinians alike. in exchange for morocco normalizing ties with israel the united states recognize morocco sovereignty over the western sahara

region and separatists there with whom the united nations had also been engaging in peace negotiations many here in the international community see these unilateral moves by the united states as undermining longstanding norms in international agreements it was 4 years ago that the security council passed resolution 2334 calling settlement expansion a flagrant violation of international law what was significant about it was that it was the 1st one and it was 10 years to do so the 1st one since 1980 to talk about. the united states which. such a solution is abstained and that's what was significant about it but there's nothing controversial new in the actual resolution while president elect joe biden has promised to return to international agreements many living under occupation have to wonder what difference if any at all it will make for them kristen salumi al jazeera the united nations the presence of central african republic has

criticized groups behind an escalation in violence ahead of this week's election tensions have been right rising in the run up to the december 27th vote and wonder sent troops to the country to help deal with the fighting the government accuse rebels backed by the former president francois poses a of attempting to stage a coup. what we deplore what we condemn is that the people instead of entering the process so that we can have peace a democratic framework now that we've regained constitutional order we must maintain that order for democracy in the country but i'm 40 there are some who are engaged in parts of violence that the people condemn and that we condemn. russia has also voiced concerns about the unfolding political unrest catherine sawyer is in the capsule bungie with more on the security situation. if this stays to the general election here in the central african republic and we're seeing some pay

that sees a page politicians trying to sell that agenda ahead of that election about what people out there who are it about here the topic was the security situation outside . people particularly wanting to find the place in the west where we armed groups house. coalition calling themselves a feature change and say threatening to march to belong you saying that they do they want a sensational government without president. who would dare out that both that both groups have been met with force by the central central african agni also hard from the russian government that has stated has deployed more troops to try and quell that situation in the west russia's influence is particularly growing with the country stayed to be parole president was there

a was also said to be leaning more towards russia then we have the french who have also had a strong presence here all these countries with vast quantities of call and economic interests and coming back to the election we've been talking to opposition leaders was saying that they want the selections postponed until the factory to see 2 ways around the country is resolved but i've also spoken to some additional who are saying that is most an option. 32 years after a bomb attack took down an airliner over look to be in scotland the u.s. justice department has charged a new suspect former libyan intelligence of a gala mohamed must food is accused of making the bomb that blew up the pan a plane in 198-8270 people were killed most of them americans u.s. is requesting the food be extradited from libya where he's in custody. the united states has filed criminal charges against

a 3rd conspirator. keir remzi for his role in the bombing of pan am flight one o 3 let there be no mistake no amount of time or distance will stop the united states and our scottish partners from pursuing justice in this case he always defacto ruler and the private bank in luxembourg have been accused of trying to plot economic downfall but the big news says it's in emails documents and legal filings between mohammed bin zayed and on land and suggests a plan to attack castles financial markets including depleting its foreign exchange reserves idea was reportedly had shortly after the u.a.e. saudi arabia egypt and bahrain imposed a blockade on castle lands denies the allegations. as courses rolled in june parliamentary votes electing a new government was illegal the government led by the center right democratic

league of course a vote was elected by 61 deputies in the balkan regions 120 parliament of the previous government was dismissed the constitutional court of course the vote was calling on the president to hold a new election and found the vote was illegal because an m.p. who cast the decisive vote had been convicted of fraud linked breeding has been temporarily banned in denmark 17000000 of the animals have now been culled following fears that cave in 1000 on farms could spread to humans and as paul raced reports the impact on farmers could last longer than any ban. prices up what's likely to be one of the last shipments of mink pelts to leave the farm his father started nearly 40 years ago the rest of their herds are among the millions of minks that the danish government ordered to be slaughtered after a mutation of covert $98.00 was found in the animals it could mean the country's

main industry the largest in the world disappears altogether. so it's farming is a lifestyle they made in march you get kids in april and then you watch them grow and get this beautiful fur here that's hard for me to live without but i'll have to learn to farm has begun the color of the country 17000000 strong mink population last month when a strain of corona virus called cluster 5 spread from the animals to humans they were told to continue even when it was found that the mutation had probably died out weeks earlier and that the government had lacked the legal authority to order the cole in the 1st place 2 months ago this farm had more than 25000 minks housed in these buildings now like in more than a 1000 other farms across denmark it's totally. on monday the government finally passed its order into law and the banned mink farming until december 2021 but address and peta say it's already too late to save the industry which until now

accounted for 40 percent of the world's milk production denmark's mink was also the most expensive bringing in an estimated $1000000000.00 a year i don't see any future forming farming in denmark because all the dead now of course. saying that it's good for. us that we don't have this industry anymore. what happened is that. this industry will move. china. russia where they don't have this organization as we have in europe that's already seems to be happening with. chinese mink farm is saying they are ramping up production to take advantage of a surge in milk prices caused by the danish crisis animal welfare groups don't believe that's a reason to protect the industry if. it. makes their posters are completely alone in the large territory and it's not ok for minks to

live in poor conditions here just because they could be worse. we don't think there should be minks in denmark the crisis that the danes have labeled the mink saga doesn't end here some of the animals buried in mass graves after the cold started have risen to the surface due to the effects of decomposition thirty's for groundwater and lakes could have been contaminated by the rotting bodies as a commission looks into the handling of the affair farmers are demanding up to $4000000000.00 in compensation saying that businesses were buried along with the minkes paul reese al-jazeera jutland denmark. stargazers are being treated to a once in a lifetime event jupiter and saturn make their closest alignment since the 17th century and she largest planets in our solar system have been inching closer together since september culminating and what's known as the great conjunction 20 joins us on the outskirts of thailand's capital to watch the raf an omelette.

gathering on a bridge on the outskirts of bangkok gazing at the sky but it's not the sunset people have come to see these amateur astronomers want to catch a glimpse of the great conjunction a celestial event that happens approximately only every 20 years. we will see very bright stars jupiter is originally very bright but when saturn is near will be even brighter together. this year have extra special the 2 planets are coming even closer together than usual the last time this happened was in $1623.00 but trying to see it is hard bangkok like most cities suffers from significant light pollution the light of the glimmering stars is blocked out by the glare of the bustling city . that's why the stargazers as they're known on social media. have set up an exhibition of the stars at night as seen from thailand spectacular views and seen

by most city dwellers and concert on thinks that after the trials of 2020 there may be a message written in the skies that we have suffered sadness distress worry and tension from current virus since the beginning of the year but at the end of this year we look up and see a bright sky and it will give us hope that can keep us moving forward astronomers believe that the star of bethlehem or christmas star is actually the great conjunction that occurred in the year 7 b.c. and when it was last this bright galileo the man considered to be the father of astronomy was still alive low he makes no record of having seen it but for the astronomers of today it presents a unique opportunity. this time the great conjunction happened true or 3 months after saturn and jupiter came close to the earth so that makes them look brighter you'll be able to see the great conjunction until the night of the 23rd and if you

miss it it will come around again in 2040. if you want to see this broad you're going to have to wait another 400 years with everyone on this planet trying to stay socially distant because a coronavirus of the planets are managing to get closer together tony chang al jazeera chuch own son tyler. there with al jazeera these are all top stories the u.s. house of representatives has approved a $900000000000.00 relief package aimed at helping businesses and families struggling during the pandemic the senate vote on the bill shortly it comes as the number of growing virus cases in the u.s. exceeds 18000000 castro has more from washington the deadline is the you are than 2 hours in washington and the senate has still yet to take up this bill that was just.