mystery surrounds a huge explosion in central nashville which police believe was an intentional act. why maryam namazie and london you're watching al-jazeera also coming up on the program millions of americans ignore pace to stay at home to stem rising coded numbers as christmas celebrations a scaled back around the world sees file on fighting flares again in the central african republic where campaigning is wrapping up out of the election on sunday and

the money's main opposition to somalia cease a dies of 2 months after he was released from a 6 month kidnapping. welcome to the program we begin in the united states where a motorhome has exploded in downtown nashville and what police say was an intentional acts minutes before the early morning blast and now when it was heard from the vehicle warning an explosion was imminent 3 people were injured in the blast which was felt several blocks away flights out of nashville have been halted because of telecommunications problems caused by the blast shavar chancy reports. the early morning blast in downtown nashville was felt under heard from kilometers away authorities or at least 20 buildings were damaged when the vertical exploded. police were already on their way having received

a call the reporting gunshots in the area when they arrived they heard moments believed to be coming from the vehicle than the explosion was imminent they called in the bomb squad and began evacuating the area out of the bomb squad approached the explosion occurred we had one of those not this was the testimony of a man who lived a block of a whole forward we just heard this blast and we felt the windows in our building shake and we were in a high rise development on the 26th floor and we just thought this. unbelievable ass. the f.b.i. has taken control of the investigation authorities are also in the public for help please tell us what you know. we need to police we need your help the early hour prevented more casualties the air is filled with shops restaurants bars to poppins and an a.t.m. t. technical facility is adjacent to the bus sites if you want to kill a lot of people then you'll do it during your shopping hours 730 at night or 2 in

the afternoon 630 on christmas morning there is a book to calm your reader the fewest people out possible so that could imply or is this it's a statement grabber act rather than seeking to cause mass casualties the president has been briefed as he spends the christmas holiday in florida. a christmas celebrations have been scaled back around the world with big events and family gatherings could trigger of this surge in corona virus cases but francis used his christmas day message to call on wild latest and show access to vaccines foal not just the wealthy countries and all the developments in japan and ireland have now detected cases of the coronavirus variant is behind a surge here in the u.k. where more than 70000 people have now died and despite soaring numbers of

infections and deaths millions of americans have ignored warnings to stay at home for the holidays more than a 1000000 boarded flights on wednesday the busiest travel day since the month of march well u.s. president elect joe biden has expressed sympathy for many families facing the 1st christmas often losing a loved one he released a holiday message alongside his wife jill biden promising to do better to combat the pandemic in 2021. we know for so many of you in our nation this is been a very difficult year and we're reminded in this season i hope our common humanity and what we're called to do for one another many of our fellow americans are struggling to find work literally put food on the table pay their rent or mortgage reminded we're on this earth to care for one another to give what we can and to be a source of help and hope to friend a stranger like many families are facing their 1st christmas having lost a loved one in jail and i know that. and we know how in times of grief

a kind word can mean so much. so let's enjoy jesus following developments for us from washington and the current surgeon cry to virus cases is being attributed to the thanksgiving holiday rolls what are we seeing with christmas. well public health officials are very worried that we're going to see perhaps an even greater spurt of cases come mid january and that's because people have been traveling or at least flying in the past week more than 7000000 people have gone through t.s.a. checkpoints at the nation's airports and that's only going to increase over the coming $7.00 to $10.00 days as we get to the beginning of 2021 and now we already have cases already surging here in the united states on average about 3000 people a day are dying from code at 19 and so public health officials say that this is

going to get much worse even with the rollout of now 2 vaccines on an emergency basis of course the 7000000 people that we're talking about going through the nation's airports that doesn't even begin to account for the millions of people who have driven somewhere or perhaps who have taken a train or a bus to visit friends and relatives during this holiday period is you say very important to consider that it's not just about travel it's also about other ways of seeing relatives as well gerri in this period and of course all this makes that coronavirus relief bill much more. much more urgent and so far there has not been any action taken by the u.s. president donald trump who apparently has received or at least his staff has received the some 5000 page law that or bill i should say that would provide a one time a stimulus check for millions of americans of $600.00 in order to help prop up the

u.s. economy but that bill would also provide for ongoing funding to help people stay in their homes to provide financial support for small and medium sized businesses and perhaps just as important funding not just for the u.s. military but to keep the entire u.s. government operating after midnight on monday if the president either fails to sign the bill or rejects the bill out right there's going to be a mad dash in congress to try to at least find a way to keep the federal government open but as of right now so much money that people have come to rely on in the heart of the pandemic simply is running out as we speak thank you very much from washington roslyn jordan. well it's a quiet christmas across europe as many nations struggle to contain a winter surge in infections and deaths lockdowns and restrictions have been reimposed across the continent affecting hundreds of millions of people dominic

kane reports now from the german capital. christmas in rome during code where good will to others means socially distance events providing presence of the poor and homeless as welcome as these gifts may seem what many people want this winter is the coded vaccine and now the 1st consignment of it have arrived in rome ready for distribution on sunday to people who the pope says should be 1st on the list. i pray for all those in charge of nations companies international organizations to promote cooperation and not competition and look for a solution for everybody vaccines for everybody especially for the most vulnerable and needy ones in every region of the planet as in many other e.u. countries the vaccine will also start being distributed in germany on sunday it's a development many hope will transform the situation. in the us long as in their

lives end of this tunnel we see the long awaited light at the end of the tunnel become brighter we will come closer to the exit from this crisis step by step how long the road will be depends on us if we remain reasonable and patient then we will gradually be able to do many things again that we had to do without for a long time. the strategy many european governments are adopting is to follow a return to hard lock downs and the start of mass vaccination so their hope is to reduce the numbers of new infections and eventually lower mortality rates that has been claiming the lives of thousands of people every day for some time dominic kane al-jazeera. well elsewhere in south korea officials are considering even stricter measures now to control the virus as the daily infection count hits another high the country's disease control and prevention agency recorded more than 1200 new cases on friday daily numbers have been hovering

a record levels over the past few weeks the government says it will impose a special quarantine period until january 3rd citizens have been ordered to cancel all meeting and travel plans. now a ceasefire between rebels and the government in the central african republic has collapsed a day after it was announced and 2 days before the country's election as fighting in the town of baquba which is home to one of the country's largest gold mines a rebel force called the coalition of patriots for change says the government rejected the peace deal its fighters a battling the army and u.n. peacekeepers and opposition politicians are trying to get sunday's national election postponed president foulston are changed today is running for a 2nd term but his opponents of us the constitutional court to delay the poll because of the violence cattail in campaigning and also they say many voters have been scared off by. catherine soy spoke to us earlier from president today as

a final campaign rally in the capital bangui. the lot of. the board who are in that thing are ready to go and a lot of them have their lives that they cannot change rubble or that the result was. not that he'd buy it because the president in a minute has not been listening and that. that government should have been at not hearing. what based on and already hearing on fighting in a town about 500 kilometer. area where the fighting is going on at all one of the largest. mining areas in the. very. many parts of the country. here in borneo while they wait for that election on monday. now aid workers say the death toll from an attack in western ethiopia has

more than double that wednesday's pre-dawn attack by an identified gunman took place in the benish angle region where several ethnic groups live side by side the red cross now says more than 222 people were killed 40000 people have fled the area if you have his prime minister called the attack a massacre and sent soldiers to the region on thursday troops reportedly killed 42 armed men suspected of being behind the attack. well now to mali where the main opposition to this and maybe a cease a has died 2 months after he was released from a long kidnapping ordeal 71 year old veteran politician died while receiving treatment for covert 19 in france mourners gathered outside his home in mali's capital bamako and leading politicians have been paying tribute it was a former finance minister and 3 time runner up for the presidency in a political career spanning 3 decades in march he was kidnapped by an armed group in the north are campaigning in the country's election was only released in october

. the malay did live in. so my life had become the torch that mali is wanted to hold in so that it illuminates the path to follow to regain peace unity mali sovereignty and national how many. some demanded to destress their ground a feeling of sadness a great. for us it means taking our guide our leader the founder of our party he was the one in whom everyone in the you are the recognized himself he has just left us orphans. the most usual i don't have enough words i don't even know where to start all i can say may his soul rest in peace or other than that i can say nothing may his soul rest in peace you. still. i have a small present anymore maybe looking for something to read. but as parts johnson's

brags that deal with the e.u. going to satisfy his neighbors on his own party. and then we'll tell you about electric dreams becoming a reality for china's plug in comic is here keeping them cheap to outsell that rivals. holloway have something of a mixed bag in the weather across australia at the moment but plenty of showers across northern parts there are rumbling away some heavy rain there rather top end up towards darwin draped across the cape york peninsula and didn't move the parts of queensland further south it is a good deal drier plenty of warm weather around temperatures natalie that around 34 celsius and similar temperature there for perth but some places of rain still lurking along the east coast of new south wales has been

a rather wet start to the weekend to the festive season there for sydney temperatures at about 25 celsius it will dry up it will warm up as we go on sunday said not looking too bad by the state just ahead to the base and somewhat to whether that will push back into the southeast is that western side of victorian some heavy rain there retired into tasmania basin places of cloud and right across there's a lot but not too bad it will make its way through dry weather coming in behind we've also got some dry weather coming in behind for good parts of japan when she weather here across northern parts of hunchy pushing up into hokkaido dry to the south at the moment you notice but western weather will slide outs of eastern china through the east china sea running across south korea and it's increasingly wet for q.c. but into the weekend. what does somebody been doing with the money the explorer we bring you the stories and

developments that are rapidly changing the world we live in argentina's congress is debating a bill seeking to raise billions of dollars from the super rich poor families hit hard by condemning counting the cost on al-jazeera. what's most important to me is talking to people understanding what they're going through and you're about to see it or we believe everyone has a story worth hearing. the moon. to. look at the headlines now a motorhome has exploded in downtown nashville shaking the u.s. city more police say was an intentional act vehicle emitted

a recording for several minutes before the blast telling people to evacuate the area 3 people were injured in all the top stories a cease fire between rebels and the government in the central african republic has collapsed a day after it was announced and 2 days before the country's election a coalition of patriots for change group says the government rejected the truce. and the coronavirus pandemic has led to a muted christmas celebrations pope francis urged access to vaccines for all just not just the wealthy countries while only a small number of washed up as were allowed to attend midnight mass in bethlehem. well multiple global studies suggest the pandemic has increased depression and anxiety in children the social isolation and the disruption of daily life is also triggered children living with obsessive compulsive disorder is going to have reports from miami beach i want to find a way to make your nighttime routine calm or the call from the mental health hospital halfway across the country was greatly anticipated but now the anguish is

long distance less than a week before this florida family admitted their 12 year old son we'll call jackson to inpatient treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder or o.c.d. and an eating disorder he is the most amazing so we outgoing athletic smart friendly kind through the course of this quarantine he became on edge anxious i'm anxious and today i would describe him as a rat in an electrified cage studies have shown that the fear and stressors of the coated 1000 pandemic have been triggering for children with o.c.d. and anxiety jackson tortured himself by spending his waking hours only standing or exercising insisting that he needed to lose weight the deterioration happened in a matter of months honestly i would rather die of corona by now because to go

through this to watch your kid suffer like this is worse i would rather take the pain from him and not have to see him suffering like this the international o.c.d. foundation says 2 to 4 percent of all children will develop. an estimated 3000000 children in the united states alone there is a genetic component to o.c.d. and anxiety jackson's father also has o.c.d. his struggle to find affordable treatment has been replicated with his son due to a lack of specialized pediatric facilities and the fact that. many won't accept health insurance the family waited 6 weeks to find an empty bed states away it breaks my heart to see that you know that my son is struggling with this and that you know we just you know we're smart people educated resourceful and we just haven't up until this point been able to find him the right care that he needs today i'm going to talk to you about anxious the tashi daniels is

a child there are pissed she says there has been an influx of desperate families across the globe seeking assistance through her online workshops and community forums although many countries don't have adequately trained clinicians who can treat o.c.d. she says there is a type of therapy parents can teach children that helps rewire their brains and stop the compulsive behavior it's never too late to give your child those skills to have it and approach your child's behavior and then it can make a huge difference long term there's always hope jackson's family is clinging to that hope the family's life has been turned upside down pretty much nothing has been the same the family doesn't know when they'll see jackson again coded $1000.00 restrictions prevent visits they can only have faith that the treatment he's undergoing revives the son and brother they know josh are going to

a. miami beach. ambassadors from the european union's 27 member states have met in brussels that discuss the trade deal struck with the u.k. on thursday if they agree with the terms it'll end years of uncertainty just days before the u.k. leaves european trade rules on december 31st reports now from london i have a small present for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post christmas lunch moment and here it is 2000 pages of dense detail the british government's christmas gift to the nation because this is a deal a deal to give certainty to business travelers and all investors in our country from the 1st of january a deal with our friends and partners in the in brussels e.u. ambassadors met for a christmas day briefing with the blocks bricks at the goetia to michel barnier the 27 european union states are expected to formally back the trade deal within days

the european parliament which normally votes on a tax before it becomes law will vote on the deal retrospective lee in january the choreography is different for british m.p.'s who will cast their vote on the deal in parliament on the 30th of december where it's expected to pass with the the government controls a sizable majority of the opposition labor party says it will reluctantly back it a day later midnight december 31st the u.k. will employ gets economy from the world's largest trading bloc in a deal that will either drive or diminish the country for generations to come. it's been a year of painful certainty for everyone the british economy is shuttered thousands of businesses a teaching on the edge of ruin a while the country has been grappling with the impact of covert 19 it's also been living under long shadow cast by brick sit and worries that the british economy might never be the same again but now that there is

a deal here in london the voted almost exclusively to remain in the european union as a sense of quiet and reluctant acceptance of this time of great upheaval a familiar face with a traditional christmas message even on the darkest nights a queen elizabeth is the hope of a new dawn. but even with this deal uncertainty remains there are fears unemployment will rise if firms relocate to the e.u. a few transport companies have access to britain's new border crossing software and an answer questions on how to avoid physical border checks between northern ireland part of the u.k. and ireland and e.u. member as more details emerge is clear the british government's also gone further than expected in granting the e.u. access to british fishing grounds the e.u. and u.k. are now decipher ing the trade deal for general consumption both eager to show they've gained the most ground at the 11th hour the park out to syria london.

launched a criminal case against an ally of kremlin critic following a raid on her home in moscow it was 1st attained on monday she was picked up outside of the house on an alleged secure of an alleged security agent in a valley said was involved in a plot to poison him the anticorruption says she wanted to speak to the agents. thousands of migrants are spending christmas in shelters at mexico's northern border and waiting for months for their asylum cases to be processed white that's demanded even more patience because of the pandemic there's hope a new president could change that in the media john hollinger reports from mexico. he's the line separating the u.s. from mexico it's been a slow train coming for those who want to cross it legally and the pandemic has made things worse with u.s. immigration courts closed for months. there are thousands of migrants stuck in

mexico to meet them open to process their asylum requests the u.s. has put them in a plan called m.p.p. which means they have to weigh in mexico while there are silent process plays out even though they're from other countries. get out all fled brazil he says because of the threat of violence erupt in buda city what is 10 months ago this still waiting for his 1st court date. to meet a thematic it was for march 14th of this year but that was changed because of the been demick to the simper 15 now it's put that into a mail for next year. you're just out though his son and his wife is spending christmas in a shelter many of the 10s of thousands of people that been ordered to wait in mexico in the n.p.p. program will be doing the same. some migration lawyers are worried that they could miss the one the deadline to start the asylum process all together new stories

hopes that's not the case but she's concerned about the well being of those she's trying to help those as us go more or less at bus you know it's a complicated situation for the hay from basic needs it's really unsaid saying what's going to happen to them and that generics and sightsee just being here waiting not knowing how to follow up with the proceeds. to go to a host church is one of many along the border which have been turned into shelters he's seen hope among those now under his care that a new u.s. . administration could help the north. but i don't know who is happier about biden's victory the americans or those stuck here in the asylum process because it means for them and then to their stay in mexico so that they can follow their dreams. president elect joe biden had promised to end the m.p.p. program on his 1st day in office now his incoming administration has signaled it would take more time and there are questions about what will burn happen to those spending this christmas in shelters john home with al-jazeera. also news from japan

where the former prime minister shinzo abe is apologize for possible illegal expenses linked to dinner parties hosted by his office when he was leader the scandal surrounds several annual events for supporters during tokyo's famous cherry blossom season the din is an upscale hotel was subsidized by his party but not properly reported japan has strict political funding laws meaning politicians can't give constituents. anything that's construed as a gift now trying to electric vehicle market is the largest in the world after a slump earlier this year the sale of electric cars is picking up speed as katrina year reports from while foreign brands dominate the luxury market it's the chinese comic has that are out selling them with the more affordable models. for one shelling owning a car once seemed impossible she couldn't afford one but the release of this mini electric model changed that it cost around $5000.01 5th the price of the average

car here the 25 year old graduate says she didn't hesitate to buy one. the cost is really low and the whole country is being encouraged to protect the environment by going electric so i decided to buy it unlike most electric vehicles this car can be plugged into a normal 220 volt outlet. it's made by local car make a ruling that has overtaken tesla as the top selling electric vehicle in china. the brand is a joint venture with general motors to target younger consumers and less affluent drivers. a huge untapped market in china we are redefining the concept of new energy cars they're no longer just expensive and. in the southern city of your electric vehicles are common sight china's leaders say cities like this are leading the way beijing wants electric vehicles to make up 20 percent of

all cars in china by 202550 percent by $23530000.00 of these many electric cars are produced every month now the manufacturer is focusing on chinese consumers but they've set the size of the markets of other developing countries in southeast asia most of the world's electric vehicles are made in china preferential government policies have helped to stoke demand here but the overseas market holds huge potential for chinese comic as. it's very possible that chinese electric cars will become mainstream in a global market we have very strong supply chain and the cost is very low chinese electric cars. option for consumers as we entered electric era the high end on luxury market however remains dominated by western brands audi and b.m.w. have expanded their new energy efficient offerings while tesla is ramping up production

capacity it aims to produce more than half a 1000000 cars in shanghai next year thousands of which will be exported to europe for now cheaper electric vehicles a leading the way in china. knows him electric car isn't for everyone but with the short daily commute she says it's more than enough between e.u. al-jazeera china. just a quick reminder of the main stories now police in the u.s. city of nashville say an explosion was an intentional act 3 people have been taken to hospital though non of them are in critical condition the blast in a parts motes home was felt several blocks away and several streets in the tennessee city remain closed off the explosion happened 6 30 am local time on christmas day meaning that nearby streets were largely empty.