grieving process understood you know everyone individually is different and one is going to. you know grieve differently and how long it takes him to come to grips with it it's up to them and that individual is a lot of things that. in this world lead just never duck. and so it's all about ribs and now before we go let's take a look at south korea's new celebrity it's the baby panda food bowo the giant panda club was caught on camera clinging on to keep up after a weighing session millions have watched the 15 minute video of the 6 month old the 1st of a panda to be born in south korea or just. this is al-jazeera these are your top stories the total number of covert 1000 cases

around the globe is quickly approaching 100000000 it comes as well lead a struggle with how to respond including mexico's president obama daughter who has tested positive for the virus. you know it's a state's will reinstate a travel ban in an effort to contain highly contagious coronavirus variants but it won't apply to u.s. citizens and residents nations affected include brazil the united kingdom and most european countries south africa will also be added to that list. new zealand has reported its 1st community case in months which was contracted in quarantine is believed to be the south african strain of the virus. germany's health minister says bell and expects the regulators to approve the covert 19 vaccine developed by astra zeneca and the university of oxford on friday concerns grow about the more infectious u.k. variants spreading rapidly in germany john mccain has moved from berlin. people

know about it now but the fear is how long how much time there was between the 1st case appearing there and the coroner happening which mirrors in some ways the way that the pandemic developed in germany certainly the case of being attentive and then finally a quarantine as it were being imposed that's what's informing this perspective right now but no doubt about it from a ministerial perspective not just in berlin but right around the country they're very very concerned about the new variants that have been identified and specifically brother one that was 1st identified in the u.k. . uganda's high court says the detention of opposition leader bobby wine by security forces is on the lawful the court has directed the police and the military to leave winds residence he's been on the house arrest since january 15th a day off to uganda's presidential election. ok that's the headline news continues here on al-jazeera stories stay with us.

freezing cold fails to deter the biggest anti-government protest in russia in years thousands demanding the release of opposition leader election of only are arrested will the demonstrations game momentum and pose a real challenge to glad i'm here putin this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program. people in russia have defied police warnings and freezing temperatures to hold some of the biggest protests yet against president

vladimir putin tens of thousands rallied in nearly 70 cities to demand the release of alexei navalny the opposition leader was arrested as he returned from germany where he'd been treated for a poisoning he says was ordered by the president security forces detained more than 3000 demonstrators triggering condemnation from countries including the u.s. and u.k. they've only supporters are promising more protests so we're going to go reports. from the sole eastern city of lagos stuck. with only simpletons faced off with police in subzero temperatures. in the search he's had denied permission for the demonstration. that it didn't stop the crowd gathering to call for the release of the man. she was most prominent opposition movement. in the capital moscow tens of thousands could gather it

was lisa using batons on the crowds so more fierce backed by protesters as a challenge to freedom alexei navalny was was are you familiar among those detained weiss u.t.m. . apologies for the poor quality she wrote on his social media page very bad light in the police van was as much as president vladimir putin has attempted to play down alexina volleys influenced the arrest of one of russia's most prominent opposition leaders has only inflamed his supporters was on the law is being trampled on can an absolutely incredible man and this arrest is one of the most serious violations of human and civil rights in the russian federation but it will set a precedent that could lead to the destruction of all our civil liberties of a glove nigger away at the with him earlier in the week novelli had released

a video alleging president putin was the owner of a 1000000000 dollar property on the black sea this was denied by putin spokesperson . then of only supporters corruption is a major source of a discontent in the constant crackdown on their movement is they say an attempt to silence them ok now that you know. this is going to i'm fed up with keeping quiet we've been silent for too long and it's probably time to speak that's my position and time to say that we have the right that we have the freedoms and that we have the desire to live in a completely different country. the only may not pose an immediate danger to president clinton's power but economic problems in the country are only going as is the discontent and some analysts believe the kremlin fears the potential of the della reese style mass dissent and the prospect of more protests. sunny day you go out jazeera. all right let's bring in

our guests in moscow sergey markov director of the institute for political studies and former member of the russian parliament in london dom until a lecturer in security and development at the department of war studies king's college london also in moscow maria lipman senior associate at the institute for european russian and eurasian studies at george washington university welcome to the program maria let me start with you today the fact that there were so many people coming out in so many cities across russia despite the cold despite the pandemic despite the risk of arrest does that suggest to you that these protests will gain momentum. it is very hard to say at this point we had protests before and we had them over the years protests a huge show of emotion though character not of political ones and they have it to rise and it is true however that this time around the geography of the protests

has been much broader than ever before and what is also important is that the slogans that people chanted were the same in basically the same everywhere so what we are what we have now is clearly a minority but a sizeable one that feels strong discontent with regard to the russian authorities and with regard to the russian regime this seems like some change compared from before however it is not clear at this point whether this might be yet another wave that will ebb with time sergey from your vantage point do you believe that alexei navalny poses a threat to vladimir putin's grip on power. norms which i'm sure is of little. internal order to extent and whether it's in monaco pollution

monk or actually people because. pretty soon the army get in their rule it's limited or mubarak. people who would be deep sit ins a complete victory in russia and so we're just russia is getting through russia and dressers diminish it suited in you'd see it and to be a sort of them are just so you might say and you know us. as from the sense with russia great. history of shooting and see if there's a number of such people did it small is it why we'll have support at least in the mind of a good actor if you've been aggressive but greatest smoke room by little point if you're from elected in those elections but if you're not i didn't know a chance at all but i see another name on beer as i said because if you just rip on the race or you know real animus or play beautiful young irish is because of all

and tender sensitive community it was that you're not that states and great britain and in the us a country or us. says a real sort it was these people may. be in the ukraine they try to or restaurants well sort of president or bill or russia ex and now all they will try to run nights but it's called why owens. did it or was it coming by let me tell lection it will happen on september was this year this is preparation was courting this election not free and fair though until you heard sergei there talk about the upcoming elections of course in september russia's going to have these parliamentary elections for the state duma do you believe that what's happening now could have an impact on the election. well i think that that's the objective of the demonstrators and of the sort of the non union of i mean he's i mean his

followers and his team i mean the effort is really to try and see if i sort of what i'm tell you and i did russia what can be established which could have an impact and i think that's what really the kremlin is quite warry down i think i disagree with sergey i think there is concern in the kremlin otherwise they would have taken all these precautions they would have been efforts to persuade people not to go curbing for example access to. social media platforms so i think the kremlin is war it is worried that there could be a sort of upper 10 show backlash. in the elections on the not at that massive scale but the big name of of a significant turn and that there is pressure for political pluralism because of a lot of the realities of the situation in the ground i think that russians those who sort of call a star all not only not necessarily he's only his followers but people who are probably dissatisfied with the overall situation in russia with the economic

situation with their covidien by the impact of covariate consumption about. me so i think that there is there is a possibility that there is some impact but of course i don't really banged on how i think kremlin manages these opposition what will happen with now about me and whether the momentum i. pointed out can be sustained and i think that there is there are many months ahead it's not very clear what is clear is that the government is really eager to or it's sort of the bella who chanson ario of i sort of up on the constant line of series of demonstrations on a regular basis which increase in time maria i'm curious to know your thoughts about something of president putin has largely stayed out of public view the last several months. he's been working from his residence a lot of the time and there's this perception among many that he's just essentially

trying to stay out of view when you compare that to the fact that alexei of on the you know returned to the country where he was poisoned that he knew that he most likely risked being arrested when he returned are those optics damaging for president putin does this mean that no vali has gotten the upper hand. well. i would still not not over estimate the offer him for an axiom of our nature there is a conservative constituency in russia at least one 3rd russians will vote for powers that be whatever the situation whatever is happening there is another 3rd that will support that it's in the valley and certainly not because he in any way represents the west and is a hand of the west he is a totally homebred politician and his supporters admire his courage in share

his his discontent and his outrage over the corruption in the country about one 3rd of those people who are caught the way totally under represented in the russian legislature today and this is actually the core of the problem people are protesting because there is no way for them to be engaged politically and there's also one more 3rd that is actually refrains from politics and evades politics and would like to stay away from politics but maybe can't be mob it lies by. his supporters if they sustain the momentum as see if this wave does not but continues to rise we may see each division will not be in 23 thirds but maybe something something different. and that

one you will have more supporters it should not be it should never be underestimated the distance 8 has jake can take advantage over the public in russia in so many different ways including in maybe 1st and foremost law enforcement bodies in the government's readiness to use them against the public sergey president putin does not refer to much from the volley by name state run media outlets largely depict him as an unimportant figure based on what happened you know with these protests do you think that that's going to start to change. i don't think that will change too much because i've seen a lot of these military got right by russia and it's by russian reporting classed as and dependent russian. side to it you know it's a home base is that it got it just as clear a plane with pick up edge and or. russian and i missed there's

a whole united states and said why religion if we didn't didn't mention is a name or was a guy who in theater got militant and defended by actions. which one's eyes understand that one is some kind of mr smee. movie much and which i mean it's not 6 button or i'm used to just me it's. going to feel so. great among all sides i mean sort of. a time you know what you meant which in effect it's you'll i knew no holes or global walls or something is this. sure to get it will why not explain why me and elizabeth. will not die to mention it and not before let it year it's you know russia is bit

is small because exactly it is east. it's a bit a small car a number of russian citizens on war into clear away and edging towards united states to be all. of them attila alexina volleys team released in the past few days of video on you tube which they said was an investigation into a property on the black sea that was allegedly owned by president putin this is a claim of course that the kremlin has denied but this video has been viewed tens of millions of times since its release and it's just the latest in a series of videos that the vollies team say shows corruption at the highest levels in the russian government how damaging has this video been to president putin. i think it has been quite damaging i think it's on the one night it's a bit early to dress a segue zacky what the impact has been but from what i saw yesterday i mean people

where. great i mean there were some who were really upset about the fact that there is this sort of luxury with you know people with whom i spoke there is a great concern about the russian elite. you know spending all this money and you know when the russians you know russians are stated many are in sort of a situation of poverty and not doing very well when the last years the situation of the economy has not significantly improved and you know wages and have been stagnating so i'm sure that had an impact especially maybe among the younger generations and it also has had an impact that wrote i think now i think that many many abroad are starting to question because. there are there is a constituency abroad that is very supportive and i think these events are starting to have a sort of a questioning so means easier to judge at this moment how people are perceiving

would sing abroad i think that internally what is really important is a younger generations those that are have been growing up with putin all these years and haven't seen and tentative leadership and i think that these younger generations are a much more and have a mystic towards the leadership than a previous generations and i think that they really learn to determine the popularity of nominee is that in russia there are no proper free and fair elections so it's very very hard to know exactly how popular he would be. not you know unfair con 10 so it's may mean we can claim that he's popular he's not popular but all of these you know it's very hard to assess if we do not have an open and effective system of competition maria are there indications that there are differences of opinion within various factions of the russian government over how exactly to handle mr in

a volley in his case going forward. well if there are differences they are hidden far from the public eye on they have been no defections that's for sure and this is one of those advantages that i mentioned when i was talking at. the government the kremlin. putin cillizza visa the those who are critically minded in russia. there have been though defections no signs of defections in a very recent duma session have all factions of. the of the duma parties. humana mislay very angrily a very passionately and i would say the area in a jet italy denouncing the now and saying that it was a demonstration of loyalty to the regime i cannot interpret it otherwise if it looked like other lawmakers were competing in eloquence in how else they can the

feelie find of are any so there may be differences there probably are differences there may be differences between different agencies law enforcement may be different from the kremlin administration but even if such differences exist we do not have hard evidence for that. sergei let me ask you the u.s. of course has condemned what happened at the protests they've also condemned the arrest of alexei in a volley you've had the e.u. also condemn the disproportionate use of force against protesters how is all this going to affect russia's relationship especially when it comes to the new joe biden administration in the u.s. . kissel i seen it through he's going to say that's a strong support the police and the one they won't would rule it dear friend but at the cost that you are russian. and not as it is so.

meditation all politics and i want it will be a nonevent much good and he's hopeful that it's to be limited because it sees as to us crush on the relationship it's. definitional to march because you're sort of militia is not so awful is it such. portals or. not but it's a kind of a life will mob will shrink on its sums in quotes upside to korea have been predicted by every day and it was expected. more important. he said there's a war and elation. between your institutions and you will either miscreation or cooperated and by then it will be i did it through december some kind of confrontation the security issue is and should be in block.

joining but it is yes and also reaches more straight people for. far what you're going to miss ration will gold and from investment the russian government what it's we expect it is that you're not to say we're interfere it's russian domestic but it's a great intensity during cease yeah as mr de. connect a previous battle of elections until until a while public awareness of election a volley may be growing in russia right now do russians actually know what in a volley stands for what his platform is. i yes i think they do but what is interesting i think that to a laments full civil war i think there is a knot of concern as was noted it in your introduction about you know the treatment of the russian citizen and get them to poison him on the decision to to actually

then you know sending to prison when he comes back to russia and i think that is something that now russians you know in this group of those who are opposed to move to the system this one thing which might mushroom mentioned i think there is a note of sort of. anger probably or of warre that this is sort of a new nature of the regime they really don't want that i think he's known for his videos i mean the videos that he produced in the past have always attracted a lot of attention a few years ago there was a video producer about to make lives and his own corruption and i think that that is something that tends to modernize people but i think the question is that the broader people who are dissatisfied with a system know much of whether they would support have on me and i heard many saying you know they they do not like the fact that she's being treated in such

a way honey fi may just come back to the point that was raised by sergey i think that if we can still have an impact i think that the new by the not ministration is going to look very carefully and denounce much more of a she meant it and the behavior of the russian leadership and in europe in particular in europe is very important especially if we think about for example north stream too which is a project that is very dear to the russian leadership and i think that a few days i will there was a big resolution that for example not stream should not move forward if not by me is not really the story there is not a better treatment of him and so i think the. there is there is a wee bit me shows like europe. to do something about me i'm now it may not may be interpreted defeat against arabs but certainly it dodges a quarter it touches a chord that none among the europeans very much maria we only have about

a minute and a half left let me just ask you could alexina vali have remained an effective opposition figure or opposition leader if he had stayed outside of russia. i mean not and i think this was the main reason why he decided to come back. being a popular political figure not a leader of an organized opposition certainly not the most popular opponent of their regime if he had stated broad that would put an end to his career as a public politician when let me ask you one of the thing when it comes to that 3rd of the russian population. do you think that those who support the you were talking about those who support president putin is it possible that they might now he might lose support among those. well it's hard to tell i'm talking about one 3rd that is

generally the more conservative russians. older russians people who rely on state television in its propaganda as their source of quote unquote news this is the main difference age wise up people a difference this is where the line of division goes and the source of information the vast space of the internet with its social networks with its you tube with its into instagram its separate twitter. versus television that has become these a propaganda all right we've run other times we're going to have to leave the discussion there thank you so much to all our guests sergey mark of them until i got more so and maria lipman. and thank you too for watching you can see the program again anytime of visiting our website al-jazeera dot com and to further discussion go to our facebook page that's facebook dot com forward slash a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter our handle is at a.j. inside story for me i'm a gentleman the whole team here by for now. teaching

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a meat and create millions of jobs but scant he-man fences with america's traditional allies we talked to multiple foreign minister for the view from the. counting the cost on al-jazeera. criminal drug dealing shifted to places beyond the reach of the and there are many people in afghan government when forced into drug trade guerrilla wars in colombia. and mexico where the cartels have been responsible for a merciless spiral of violence. the final episode of drug trafficking politics and our territories on al-jazeera. and. what are.

you senator. well again pieces over here in doha your top stories on al-jazeera the total number of covert 19 cases around the world is quickly approaching $100000000.00 it comes as global leaders struggle with how to respond including mexico's president obrador who's now tested positive for the virus the united states will reinstate a travel ban in an effort to contain highly contagious coronavirus variants but it won't apply to u.s. citizens and residents nations affected include brazil the u.k. and most.