noting the fact police officers pointing guns at journalists missing the hong kong fact and fiction truth is it anyway on al-jazeera. if you continue to have this now it's going to take years not words to vaccinate the american people u.s. president elect joe biden criticizes the slow roll last of coronavirus frank scenes and pledges to take a more aggressive approach. hello i'm adrian for the game this is al jazeera live from go also coming up. to be on the story british health officials warn coronavirus infections are rising rapidly as politicians consider new restrictions. the chinese court hands down jail

sentences to a group of pro-democracy activists who try to flee home home in a speedboat. pro and anti abortion supporters rally argentina as the senate votes on whether to legalize the procedure. u.s. president elect joe biden has criticised the trumpet ministration for falling behind in its rollout of covert 19 vaccines he's warned that if the rollout continues at its current pace it could take years before the population is fully vaccinated al-jazeera should have returns or reports from washington the president elect delivered a grim message from his base in wilmington delaware as i long feared war the effort to distribute to the minister the vaccine is not progressing this should. a few weeks ago trump administration suggested 20000000 americans could be vaccinated by

the end of december with only a few days left in december we've only vaccinate a few 1000000 so far in the face of vaccine the vaccination program is moving now as it if you continue to move it is now it's going to take years not months to vaccinate the american people but joe biden repeated that he had a comprehensive plan he would invoke the defense production acts to mandate that the production of vaccines and personal protective equipment all the u.s. is manufacturing priorities he will form obama vaccination units that would travel to isolated areas of the country and embark on a public education program to combat vaccine denial the goal will be 100000000 shots administered in 100 days and for the american people to wear their mosques for the duration off the president's 1st 100 days. current president meanwhile was golfing in florida but also in gauging in political debate on twitter once again

urging the senate to agree to higher stimulus checks for low and middle income americans than the $600.00 already passed by congress is their objection to the modification. objection inserted the senate majority leader blocked of vote on the bill that passed the house of representatives on monday mandating $2000.00 payments instead he introduced his own bill that would mandate $2000.00 payments but also the formation of a commission to investigate allegations of fraud in the presidential election and end legal protections for social media companies democrats will not vote for such a package the polls show overwhelming support for $2000.00 checks now it seems that republican senators including the 2 facing a tough runoff election in georgia next week that will decide control of the senate will be able to say they did vote for more help with no chance of the money ever reaching those in need she ever attends the al-jazeera washington the us has voted

has reported its 1st case of a more contagious variant of the corona virus which was originally discovered in the u.k. a man in colorado was confirmed to have the strain has no recent travel had history it has further urgency to efforts to vaccinate americans and stamp out uncontrolled outbreaks across the country and many hospitals across the u.s. are struggling with a high number of infections hospitals in alabama say that they're a crisis point with many intensive care units asked or above capacity while california has extended stay at home orders in parts of the state as it battles record numbers of new infections let's bring in dr jessica osterman she's an emergency medicine physician in los angeles california and joins us now live via skype good to have you with us dr what are conditions like at the facility at which you work. we are really just being slammed with patients at this point pretty much every hospital in los angeles is actually closed to ambulance traffic at this point

. and we have converted some of our yard space into inpatient wards and we're moving our your patients out to tents outside in the parking lot we actually have hospitals in l.a. that are treating patients in their gift shops in their lobbies so everyone is really hurting with kind of the onslaught of patients that we're seeing and what's it like to work in such a busy environment like that how are your stuff coping. there they're getting by it's really difficult because we are seeing and at the beginning of the pandemic we saw a lot of elderly patients from nursing homes and now the bulk of the patients that we're seeing are actually probably 40 to 60 year olds and sometimes even younger that are very sick so it's definitely taking a mental health cold to see these patients go through kind of the terrible pieces of this illness and sometimes expired here in the e.r. hospitals already struggling to cope will the whole is a. period make things worse do you think that there's

a there's an extra spike to come yet oh yeah i don't think we've seen the worst quite yet even looking at our numbers before thanksgiving we've pretty much quadrupled in the number of patients that are in patient right now from the thanksgiving holiday and so we can really only anticipate that it's going to get even worse after the christmas holiday and millions of americans kind of traveling all over so i think the worst that will see is going to be in late january and potentially in the february and how severe all the cases the ending up in hospital that have been severe all day i'll tell you and in los angeles in the spring we weren't seeing too many severe cases and now we're seeing much sicker patients much younger and healthier patients that are requiring into basins being put on ventilators and i.c.u. level care so they are they're much sicker now than they were in the spring. do you think that current health and hygiene measures a strict enough i don't think so quite yet i do agree that i think we need some

sort of national mandate because just doing local mandates and having these patients traveling kind of all over the us is just allowing for the spread of disease everywhere we really need some sort of national mandate in place either masked man days or back to the mandate to really control this the we're just having kind of uncontrolled spread with the amount of trouble that we're seeing talks of we really appreciate you giving us your time many thanks indeed dr jessica austin and of course in los angeles thank you for the crown of our situation is worsening in europe the u.k. reported a record 53000 infections on tuesday that's nearly 12000 more than the previous record set just the day before meanwhile the e.u. is buying an extra 100000000 doses of the pfizer a b o n tec vaccine in addition to the 200000000 already ordered as its rollout gathers pace rory chalons reports. across europe

a public health operation is underway the size and speed of which hasn't been seen before madrid spain one of 5 airports country wide with the same arrival new consignments of the 5 is a biotech vaccine from plane. to truck and off with a police escort just in case spain now has 350000 new doses. of german care home the country was one of 7 e.u. states to coordinate the start of vaccinations on sunday. elderly and caregivers are the priority while supplies a short either to the schools or infant ye know the big vaccination pushes on and we as an aid organization want to do our part to eventually defeat this scourge of mankind. already 3 weeks into vaccinations is the u.k. because of the new more infectious strain of the virus the situation is worsening

by the day there are more covered patients in hospital now than there were hearing the 1st wave speak the head of n.h.s. england acknowledged the picture is grim many of us of course lost. family friends colleagues and of the time of year when normally we'd be celebrating i think understandably a lot of people are feeling tired of anxious and frustrated. and now you're back to be on the story of the 2nd wave of coronavirus sweeping your this country medical experts are deeply worried about rising infections the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine is advising that new restrictions plus a huge increase in weekly vaccinations may be needed otherwise they fear 2021 could see more hospitalizations and deaths in this year. ministers are considering keeping school and college people's home after christmas holidays finished they're also looking as a new tear of lockdown measures rory chalons how to 010 hong kong

pro-democracy activists have been jailed for between 7 months and 3 years by a chinese course they're part of a group of 12 who are court trying to flee to taiwan from hong kong on a speedboat in august let's go live to on calling out as soon as adrian brown is there adrian tell us more about this the sentencing. yes well age and i can tell you that in the last hour or so the 2 youngest defendants age 16 and 17 years old were driven across the border from shands then back into hong kong after being released by the court they of course had all pleaded guilty and i think it's clear that the court decided to treat these 2 very young defendants with some degree of leniency but of course they are leaving behind 10 other defendants who tried to obscure armed with them to taiwan back in august

they of course are now facing sentences of between 77 months and 3 years they've also been fined a total the group in total of more than $17000.00 u.s. dollars now looking at the pictures of the 2 young defendants being driven across the border it really sort of a vote images of of the cold war the 2 youngsters were both hooded police sat in front of the car and of course in many ways they're also facing the prospect of you know. arrest and possible charges here in hong kong because of course they have squandered hong kong they left hong kong illegally by boat and so their troubles are of course not over the international community has been paid playing a great deal of attention to this case on the eve of the sentencing the european union voiced its concerns saying that it was concerned there would be no jew process and the fact that foreign observers are not being allowed to attend the

trial which was held in secret there's been similar concerns expressed by the u.k. government and of course the government in the united states as to why china decided to release 2 of the defendants it could have something to do with the fact that china is due to sign a very important trade deal. with the european union any time and that this was something to possibly put kate critics because because of course the sentences they could have received could have been much higher this case has sparked a lot of concern in hong kong why is that. well i think for its spot concern i think for a number of reasons the age of of some of the scum does of course is one factor 16 and 17 year olds and in the eyes of many it's a measure of just how desperate they were to leave hong kong because they felt they

possibly wouldn't get a fair trial here now we don't know exactly the real reason why these 12 lead because nobody's been able to talk to them but it's fair to assume that that is one of the reasons why because in the eyes of hong kong's government of course they are fugitives from justice all have been arrested in connection with last year's protest and one of the defendants had also been detained on suspicion of violating the new national security law but i think from the perspective of the hong kong and chinese government's this case will serve as a warning to others who might be prepared to scorn to taiwan al-jazeera slavery and brown reporting live from hong kong adrian many thanks a weather update next here i was here and then working through the night the search goes on for survivors of a powerful earthquake in croatia. and football a neymar finds himself at the center of another controversy this time over

a week long party in brazil. the flooding rain is receded the floods are receding from western turkey the skies are clear right story around there is no more snow for tehran's about 10 degrees but there is a circulation attempting to form here which might produce some fairly big showers doesn't look too substantial produce an easterly wind to its northern flank so through iraq and jordan amman picks that up but the weather generally speaking is fine in those saturday against the bulk of it the winds are not strong elsewhere as a light breeze in the dark $22.00 degrees now slightly less colder than it was but the active weather is further south which is coming into potentially hurricane season we set to go tropical cyclone officially it's

a tropical storm shallow and i would imagine it's pronounced in the french way 100 kilometer winds its early season so these aren't particularly damaging but like down his possible the wave height of moment 3 meters and as it makes landfall $200.00 plus millimeters there are concerns in central mozambique as landfall is is doing wednesday morning that it spreads itself far and wide producing rain rather than strong winds and goes into the middle of zimbabwe but away will probably get it overhead a lot of rain during thursday. ok calm and make sure you're not hyping the situation be part of the debate my main characters are women when no topic is off the table the law is in the last allow child marriage to happen legally these are basically archaic walls dads off in the

jet mines and legalized pedophile on air online jumping to the comments section and meeting to be part of the discussion this stream on out is there a. cool. earth. hello again this is al jazeera but so much of the main news this hour u.s. president elect joe biden has criticized the trumpet ministration for forming behind and it's run out of covert 19 vaccines by the fatah and pick up the pace it could take years before the american population is fully vaccinated. the u.k. reported a record 53000 new infections on tuesday have steady 12000 more than the previous

record the government is considering implementing a new tour of restrictions to try to combat a highly transmissible strain of virus. 10 hong kong pro-democracy activists been jailed for between 7 months and 3 years by chinese course that part of a group of 12 to a court trying to flee from taiwan from hong kong on a speedboat in august. protest as a rallying outside argentina's senate place into the night as it prepares to vote on a bill to legalize abortion inside senators the basing the legislation which was backed by the lower house earlier this month if passed the law would allow terminations up to 14 weeks of pregnancy the senate rejected a similar bill in 20180 stories opposed been speaking to protesters in one assize. we're here outside of argentina progress while live debate in the senate thanks to you it seems like there's a festival underway here for

a full waiting for the votes to happen this is a highly divisive issue in argentina and while in this side there is those who are pro abortion pro-choice mostly who have been campaigning with a color green that has become the color of hope they say the color of this campaign that has spread throughout latin america on the other side of the plaza out there is the real movement those who are anti-abortion has there been voting a mask. there are people praying among other things people are waiting here for this vote to happen it's going to be a very long night for many of them people are watching the debates the ongoing debates on televisions here on the streets of little scientists this is exactly me important because pope francis is argentinean and he has been lobbying actively against the possibility of a slow passing the senate oh i got a phone number the president of argentina has become deeply involved in illegal i

say send of abortions saying that it's a matter of public health every year over and over half a 1000000 abortions happen in argentina many women are must realize because of complications with those abortions many of the women you talk to piers say that this is a matter of equality because women with resources can have a safe abortion what those who don't made me end up with complications and hospital the big difference now and why this law may pass is that back in 2018 president now he's a moderate with the press 1st president to send this bill to congress he failed to pass the senate well this time president got a partner in this is fully committed he has been yawning calling senate or the getting the blame for the sole abortion becomes law people here say that they will remain on the streets watching this debate and they're saying that hopefully in the morning probably on wednesday morning they'll have something to celebrate for.

restaurants in central croatia working through the night to search for survivors of the last quake that killed based 7 people the 6.4 magnitude quake struck near the town of to train you know 50 kilometers from the capital zagreb the west damage is centered in and around the town many people are afraid to return to their homes for fear of aftershocks the local man says that hoff the town has been destroyed which is it was not deemed by. but reports. church bells and panic voices ring out amid the destruction as people in the small town of petrea rushed to rescue people from the rubble. one house collapsed on top of this car is a man and a boy inside thankfully local residents managed to get them both out alive. but there have been deaths including a 12 year old go these pictures filmed by al jazeera make clear the damage houses

completely collapsed others partially destroyed and stonework strewn across roads al-jazeera reporter marian very was reporting live when there was an aftershock. right now we hear oh but all. these. people in the nearby town of see also affected by the quake misses so now everything is destroyed all clouds are inside it was a girl inside but likely she wasn't in the changing room and she wanted to try some clothes i don't know what to do now i'm all shivering i feel like everything is still shaking soldiers from a nearby barracks were quickly on site handing out blankets to elderly people evacuated from a nursing home they've also brought emergency shelters for the town's 20000 residents. emergency services are coming from zagreb police civil protection services fire brigades we have teams coming from other parts of the country who

have mobilized everyone. all of the water we have to help people we have to give them clothes and blankets we have to make sure they have food we must cord and i all teams and find a way to get into the buildings because as far as i'm concerned all these buildings are dangerous. some of the injured have been taken to hospital in the capital zagreb 50 kilometers away the epicenter of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake was near here just like a week a quake on monday and once again it could be felt in zagreb where it damaged properties as well as in neighboring serbia and bosnia. via closed down its only nuclear power plant just a 100 kilometers from the epicenter as a precaution. you know the anger here and even smaller mug nor. the mains that we certainly might even more significant when they come.

or they become even more shallow or in march this year zagreb was hit by a magnitude 5.3 quake that killed one person but this is a small town still reeling and still trying to make sure everyone is accounted for . al jazeera hundreds of refugees in bosnia being transported from a temporary camp destroyed by fire last week a still without proper shelter the refugees have collected their belongings from remains of the camp and lippa their croatia's border they stayed on busses overnight last and authorities say they hope to relocate them on wednesday the camp of been heavily criticised by aid groups for providing an adequate shelter they say the fire left people stranded in freezing and squalid conditions with little food. people had to be called live this didn't. have too much cord and not have life here is a good life. and not have for not want to not me but i don't know i also scared i don't know where they're departing. an israeli man who spent 30 years in a u.s.

prison for spying has returned home local media report that jonathan pollard arrived in west jerusalem with his wife. last month the u.s. government said the politic completed parole was free to return to israel a former u.s. navy intelligence analyst sold military secrets to israel while working at the pentagon in the 1980 s. . is hoping to make history with its 1st ever peaceful transition of power after sunday's elections early results for the ruling party's presidential candidates mohamed does whom in the lead he's considered a strong favorite to says to succeed president mohamed do is sue fool who stepping down after 10 years a central african republic government spokesman is insisting that sunday's general election was legitimate and credible despite election official saying that hundreds of polling stations were unable to open after being attacked by armed groups catherine soy has the latest from the capital bangui. it was

a joint statement by the african union the economic community of central african states and the community of the head and the heart and state to send observers here but it's important to note that they could only deploy to the ca people and be involved a suburb not too far away from here and they say that all the polling stations they visit said the process went on smoothly there was some delays in the delivery of what the materials in some polling stations some of the polling stations opened late but then people were did i mean to go and vote but they did also note that to see clearly in the provinces many presidential many candidates in the lead up to the election was able to complain because of. the security situation because of intimidation by armed groups and this is what we've been hearing as well on voting day falls in some towns and villages there was

a lot of intimidation of both cars by armed groups but then you when and government officials we've talked to say that despite the security challenges in march for the country people were able to come out and vote really now we wait for the results the preliminary presidential results on monday and people are eagerly waiting to hear just how many people tanned up to vote this week we're looking back on what's been a tumultuous year since the 1st coronavirus cases were reported in china south africa has been the worst affected country in africa and it's the 1st on the continent to reach 1000000 cases it's typhoon covert 19 restrictions to combat a surge in cases driven by a different fast spreading variant but that's happening too late for some sort of a tussle reports now from port in the. deliver him pay and her brother my novel bury their sister a few weeks ago they said linda were struggling to breathe but she didn't

immediately go to the hospital thinking whatever she had wasn't serious when she eventually got tested for curve at 19 it was too late by then another sister was also gravely ill the youngest sister was still in the hospital. when they're in a doll untiring who were still training for him to survive by then there was this group or guy in wild west still praying for the crown to survive and we worried that that one when she comes out her horse be done should be told and that her sister is no more numb to italy last secret died a few days after her big sister linda way so that has grown a virus infection total since the 1st case in march is now more than a 1000000 joining the festive season thousands of south africans traveled across the country visiting friends and family some attended large gatherings without wearing masks or practicing social distancing that's why health experts say they

are not surprised by the rise in numbers or tell us about is a coronavirus hotspots in the eastern cape one of the provinces where the new variant was identified in south africa doctors and nurses say the sharp increase in infection strain on already struggling medical facilities in. new variant has also been identified in other parts of the country several hospitals and medical centers say many wards are full there is a shortage of ventilators i.c.u. beds and start certainly with the 2nd wave we've seen all health care workers also unfortunately died from the disease should a burial is a heavy while you lose people you worked with for years but you have to continue you have to continue there's not enough time for grieving. so the africa's president. has tightened kovac 1000 missed actions banning alcohol sales extending

a nationwide curfew and making the wearing of mass in public a legal requirement so far most people in south africa who tested positive a curve in 1000 have recovered but some doctors say and like in the 1st wave when the defected this time they see more young people in the thirty's and forty's getting seriously ill or even dying from the disease how to al-jazeera port elizabeth in a special program this week elders here already looking at the devastation caused by covert 19 in the years since the virus emerged as vaccines offer hope of protection will be asking how long it could take for the world to recover you can see that on thursday at 800 hours g.m.t. to 0 brazilians in rio de janeiro will be blocked from accessing the beach on new year's eve to prevent crowds gathering the millions of people typically head to rio's coastline on december 31st to ring in the new year more than 191000 people

died from the corona virus in brazil and rio is one of the hardest hit cities in the country resilient footballer naima has come under fire for hosting a weeklong new year's eve party for around $150.00 celebrity guests local media have dubbed the party neymar palooza it started to see from mansion near rio on saturday. it is good to have you with us hello adrian for the get here in doha the headlines on al-jazeera u.s. president elect joe biden has criticized the trumpet ministration for fall in behind its rollout of covert 19 vaccines biden warned that if it doesn't pick up the pace it could take years before the american population is fully vaccinated the u.s. has reported its 1st case of a more contagious variant of the corona virus which was originally discovered in the u.k. .