i r g iran's only operating nuclear power plant has temporarily shut down for emergency reasons. ah, hello barbara, are you watching? al jazeera alive from london also coming out. the counts begins in armenia, following is not selection called by the embattled prime minister. nicole pushing a strategic road, linking east and west, is reopened in libya, after years of conflict. alarm bells ring for him and when the crown with his record low voter turnout in french, the gentleman i

hello. thank you for joining us. iran's only nuclear power plant has been shut down for what's being described as emergency reasons. the head of the state energy company says the shut down of the bush. our plant could last 4 days. authorities say there could be power outages in several cities. there had been warnings that plant could stop working because iran had been unable to buy maintenance parts due to us sanctions. will have us as lonnie is a senior research fellow at the center for middle east, a strategic studies into iran. he explains how this could be a blow to a power supply already strained by crypto currency farming. i take with some sources in the iran atomic energy agency and they said that there are

some repairs are being done in the facility. and when i asked them, is this something serious or not? they said no, that's not serious. and it will be back to the grid with a couple of days. and this is more important in terms of the power outage done in the aspect of the facility. because these days we are seeing that the cup, the currency mining is consuming the electricity in the country and it says cause maybe some time in the past some power outages. this is why we hear the official mentioning this because the facility, if it is out of the grid, it can decrease by 1000 megawatts. so i can say that the section is more important than they make their section because i take with the sources in the atomic organization and they said that it will go back to the greed with a couple of days. it's nothing serious. well, meanwhile,

the u. s. says there are still sticking point, some key issues in the efforts to revive the 2015 iran nuclear deal. the folks in vienna have been a jury that international negotiators returning home for further consultation. the head of the iranian delegation said they're closer than ever to an agreement, but the remaining issues will not be easy to overcome. well, meanwhile, is rove new prime minister has wasted no time condemning races election when natalie bennett says it should serve as a red flag for world powers working to revive the nuclear deal. great food selection is i would say the love for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement and to understand who they're doing business with these guys are murder murders, regime of brutal haman must never be allowed to weapons of mass destruction that will enable it enough to kill 1000 millions or heavy force. it has more now from

western slim. the fact that he made them in english was quite interesting. given that he was speaking to his cabinet, the kind of scene that you'd usually see his predecessor benjamin netanyahu speaking in hebrew. so this is obviously a message designed for the wider world. a message, as he said, to try to push things in israel's favor, in terms of the possibility of the iran nuclear deal being resumed. he's also someone who is under criticism and has been under criticism from benjamin netanyahu, who, on his way out of the door, was saying that bennett would not be able to stand up to iran in terms of security would not be able to stand up to america. in terms of the revival of the deal. so he as a right winger in a very broad coalition government, which extends to the far left of israeli politics, is trying to shore up his own credentials as an iran hawk. there is some reporting

in the israeli media that there is an expectation within there's really senior sources that there will be a delay or at least some kind of postponement is iran now reviews it's policy potentially time enough, at least to try to shift the american policy a little more, and israel's favor. the poles in armine as parliamentary election have closed, and ballots are being counted. it's the country 2nd snap election in just 3 years. prime minister nico machine yet called the vote in a problem, he faced months of protests for losing territory to us, or by schon in the gordon or cut back during a weeks long conflict last year. opinion polls suggest the election race will be tight. preliminary results are expected to start coming in on monday for re challenge. has this report from yet? from the sun beats down on armine is election day,

but outside polling stations across the country, people keep patiently for their chance to vote. and they told us about hope for the future ends to that countries present miseries and i expect mania is able to overcome this temporary crisis with a good governance will be able to guarantee development, avail, country, politically and economically. yes. and it's, i'm going to vote with the dream to see my armenia safe and unified with care about, i hope for the best future for my country. the electorate have different views on how that is to be achieve and whether either of the front runners can achieve it. this is acting prime minister nicole passion. yet he's trying to convince people not to throw him and his reformist agenda out, just because they're angry and traumatized by last year's military defeat against azerbaijan and his, his main rival, former presidents, robert cherry. and he's trying to convince voters to ignore the corruption

associated with his years in office and trust him again as a strong man who can rebuild armenians military strength and standing for plenty of voters. neither of these options are particularly appetizing. both main arrivals try to convince that their competitor is worse. and that is why we have this aggressive and abusive language from both sides. now. so, and if you will talk to our citizens, you will see that they are just judging what will be the least harm for the future of our media. there are outcomes that could extend the dog fighting of the election campaigns. no clear winner and no coalition deal could see the 2 front runners sharp and their claws for a 2nd round in a month. well, we can speak to rory live in yet of and for us to so we know that we're expecting the results to start coming in on monday. the polls have no closed,

of course. so what do we know so far? well, we had some turn out figures released a couple of hours ago, and what they say is that there is a slight increase in turnouts over the last parliamentary election, which is back in 2018. that was the one that brought the coal passion and power. but although there was a slight increase on the last elections, it was still the turn out of below 50 percent. now that suggests, i suppose a degree of voter apathy, perhaps as political analysts to saying in the report that we just played that some of the voters out there at least didn't really like either of these candidates and weren't prepared to vote for other candidates in the field theda, regardless of who gets into the, the prime minister's office. they are going to face a long, long list of very,

very difficult problems that they have to address. yes, you have this off them off of the war, which has resulted in a traumatized nation deeply divided. you've got issues over prison, the war that have yet to return from myself by john. there are refugees that need settling. you've got a whole host of economic problems and development issues that needs to be tackled. and then geopolitically armenia has always been in a tricky position. it's landlocked and it has troublesome relations with it's, it's nearest neighbors. you've got turkey, you've got as a, by john, of course, and you go russia. any one of these problems by themselves is going to be difficult to deal with, roll them all in together. and it's perhaps too much for even the ablest of politicians. i guess, i mean, you mentioned russia there, it was a russian broker, p steel that eventually bought land to the fighting last year. so what is moscow's take on the selection and their role in it?

yeah, that's an interesting question. bob. enough, anyone is observed elections in the former soviet union space of which armenia is one part will be used to seeing often, the quite heavy hand of russia play. it likes to get its man into the position of in the countries around it. so that begs the question exactly which of these 2 main candidates is rushes horse and regarding that horse, what they're trying to do to get to get that whole is into office. and i think the short answer to that, as well as it is probably happy enough with either of these 2 candidates, both passion in am to cherry. and it's not actually really doing that much. the heavy, the heavy hand of russia is not being seen in this election. yes, carrion has been viewed by moscow as its friend in armenia and yes,

passion. yeah. when he came to power, we came to power, basically. so trying to on the hook, armenia from russian influence to certain extent. but i think the 3 years that he's been in office have made him realize that russia better or worse is kind of essential to armenian politics and its relationship in the area. and certainly in the, off them off of the war, which left brother in russia and quite a strong position that broke that barbara to have peacekeepers on the ground and going to counteract a lot of passion, yann's, anti russian rhetoric fell away. and now i think russia is pretty happy with either either of these 2 men or a challenge with the latest, any event, of course, or you will bring us the results as we get them, which we are expecting sometime tomorrow for the moment. thank you. now the road that links eastern and western libya is reopening. after many years, the 2 parts of the country were under the control of rival administrations. after

the fall of the long time ruler more mar gadhafi. in 2011, the reopening of this road was one of the conditions of the cease fire agreement, signed by the warring sides in october. the government of national unity was sworn into office in march, taking over from the 2 administrations that had drunk the country for years. yeah, that you owe me more about it. it is my pleasure to be part of this historic day. as the reopen, the main artery connecting us to flip, yet what's west, it would enable our people to reunite as a doctor of division and separation have gone forever. i take this opportunity to call an all libyans to stay away from rift malice or hatred. and to join hands to rebuild our country, to take libya forward. o'malley, china has more now from the coastal city, from the coastal road west of the city of cyst. now we're here on the coastal road in between the cities of miss rhonda and approximately

a 130 kilometers east of miss. rather now the prime minister has just arrived. he's opened the road and to commemorate the event. now this road has been closed. since warlord khalifa after launch is offensive on tripoli in 2019 in april 2019, this is a very important road to live in trade between eastern and western libya. so this is very significant. according to the prime minister, he says this will help rebuild living up to bring about unity and to further prosperity in the country. now, there are critics that say that opening the road will give war fighters as approximately, according to the un, 20000 born fighters in libya, according to military forces. there's at least 2000 russian mercenaries to the south here. wagner group. so some play that this will help for the,

for the, for inquires to continue on, or to move up towards, towards the north. so we're here now. this is the front line. there's another, there's another, a place that they're going to go to about 20 kilometers to the east of here, and they're going to be opening up that road there. the hope is that libyans will be able to travel from is turned to western libya from western to eastern libya. and that this will help unite the country. still to come here are allowed to 0 afghan, a star vessels, a surgeon corona virus, cases with 10000 new infections recorded in just the past week. ah

hello nessie, you hear the weather story across europe as we head toward monday, it's going to be white as far north as scandinavia rate down to the south as we head toward the iberian peninsula. but let's go into an area right now. i think we'll see some pretty intense rain as we head toward the northwest of france into the low countries and the winds will be coming out a pretty good clip to looking for. gusts about 50 kilometers per hour. now the wet weather is starting to move further to the east, but so as the heat look at these temperature is bill miss. $32.00, i began at $33.00 rate into the bulk in belgrade $35.00. and because of this high heat, the atmosphere will be conducive to seen some storms here. now for turkey, we've got a batch of what weather toward the north, extending toward the south. in fact, the a, a bit of sunshine will be picking through, for example, at $26.00 degrees after africa right now. and you know, morocco rebut temperatures. here are a bit below average at 22. but look at the high heat as we had toward tenicia and

libya, tunis, 41. tripoli, 43. both of these places are good 10 degrees above where they should be. as we look toward the gulf of guinea bouts of what weather southern nigeria gonna, the ivory coast rate through to sierra beyond so free town a hive. 27 the most people will never know what's beyond these doors. the deafening silence of 100000. for how it feels to touch danger every day, most people will never know what it's like to work with. every breath is precious, with fear is not an option, but we're not most people. oh,

i a reminder now the top stories on al jazeera, iran's only nuclear power plant, has been shut down for what's being described as emergency reasons. the head of the state energy company says the shut down of the bushes plants could last 4 days, forcing possible power outages. poles in armine as parliamentary election of clothes and ballots are being counted. the country 2nd snap collection in just 3 years. preliminary results are expected to start coming in on monday, and the rose is that links eastern and western libya is reopening. after many years . the 2 parts of the country had been under the control of rival administration.

and the reopening was one of the conditions of the cease fire agreement people in ethiopia, the northern p grade region will not take part in mondays. general elections. the government says the conditions on the ground don't allow for the vote, but as promised to hold them once the situation stabilizes more than 2000000 people are displaced by months of conflict, that's force tens of thousands to seek refuge in neighboring sedan. have a morgan reports not forget that he fate, along the border with the few here. this little coffee shop in cuba camp is where some refugees hang out to escape the scorching sun outside. it's also where they come to talk about the latest development in their home region of the great in northern europeans, which is their fled to escape fighting. and today, most of the conversation revolved around if you, if it's parliamentary elections on our, on they are. i love my country and tomorrow their elections. i would like to vote,

but the conflict and politics and if you have ruined many, many things. we've been excluded as if t gray was not part of a few p. and that really pains me. conflict erupted last november and if he appears to agree between the government and the regional take root people's liberation front or t p l f. the ruling party, if you appeal for 27 years, they will also from power in 2018. following years of protests and new government was formed, led by prime minister abbey met, who promised reformed, and free and fair elections in 2020. but they have been twice postponed due to the corona virus pandemic, and logistical problems. many here of what's in h cast ballots in the to grin regional elections, which were held in september last year that was not recognized by the federal government. and was one of the factors behind the conflict. the regent. $7000000.00 people want to be taking part in parliamentary elections this year. many who fled to camp here say after the violence of witness back home. they don't feel they're

missing out. right groups have accused both the left and federal government, of committing atrocities in the conflict. refugees who've arrived here have reported being tortured, beat him, and imprisoned because of a gram identities. every twin groups fighting and take re, for the government, have been accused of human rights violations from masculine, to sexual violence, to blocking a to those ne refugees also accused militia term if you, if i'm her region of carrying out killings integrating, i use eliminate her malicious came to my house at night and be to my husband and tried to force us into a ministry truck. i was 6 months pregnant and the neighbors told them, let me go because of that. we scale. we saw the malicious kill many people including my 30 neighbor this here in this coffee shop. the red it is that the conflict integrate has divided a country that was already unraveling. and that election would further destabilize it some model. so one is that there is fighting in other parts, if it's cube you,

including the somali region, aroma, and venetian global on the most prominent opposition. figures are in jail of the government, for layman. this is a country of law and order, but this is a line. and i don't think this election will be democratic process. those hearsay, even though the votes are yet to be cast and their results haven't been announced. the outcome of the election is unlikely to change the trajectory of africa, the 2nd most populous country. he but morgan august 0, who by camp the body states. france has been voting in a 1st round of regional election that seen a historic wind for a far right party in one district. sunday's ballot is seen as a dress rehearsal for next year's presidential vote. but participation so far has been one of the lowest ever for an election in france. by mid day, just 12.2 percent of people had voted president manuel mccann's young central party

is expected to fair, portly as many grow frustrated as governments handling of the pandemic. excuse me, the regional election will pass the appeal of follow the leader marine the pen. that's going to natasha butler, who joins us now from paris. natasha, tell us more about what's going on. why it was a big night before the traditional right wing parties in frogs or the conservative party. something of a come back for them. because in recent polls have pretty much a beat off the radar. but we have seen them leading in the 1st round of regional elections here in fraud so far ahead in some regions like in the north of france. now some of the main issues in this regional election for voters have been things like crime insecurity, immigration issues, which of course appealed very much to the conservative party voters here. but also

too far, right for it is not, is why we've seen marine the pens national national assembly party do particularly well coming in 2nd place, but not quite as well as was predicted by the polls in recent days. now marine le pen is very much hoping that her party will win a main region in the south. the from the provost code does your reaches region, which encompasses the cities like nice and math, say, and can her candidate a 30 in the lead there. but what we know now is other parties in that regional rallying around, and they may pull out, and that would then mean that the national, the former national fun policy, i should say, because it's changed. his name would probably a trail behind the conservative party in that region. marine the pen once the when the region know. because that will propel sad policy really from the margins of politics into the mainstream. she is blaming the fact that not enough people have

come out and voted in this election. it is in historically low rates of absence at the ballot box. people really uninterested, you might say in this palate, but that's been a trend that we've seen in recent elections. people know, coming out to vote in the 2nd round in the 1st round, sometimes coming out more in the 2nd world. but there is this sense of people being fed up in politics and politicians. we saw that in the presidential election 2017. we've seen after all the election saints and here and a historic low voter turnout. and specifically from a crohn's party. how significant is it that he is trailing so far behind? so is it that others did well or that he did poorly? well for him to present a manual micros republic on the move party is a very young policy was created by micro to propel him to the presidency. so it doesn't really have any roots in regional,

no collections. people like to vote for people they knows been around for a while. there isn't a sort of huge party machine behind digital decades of, of policy africa. so put candidates for it. so it might, might cross policies, really a struggled ever since. he came to power to make them all to capture the imagination of voters. but in many ways it doesn't actually seem to affect what happens to micro himself in fact many. and this is saying that the index is presidential election. people very much vote for the person, so that vote for micro, they're not really thinking about how his party is doing. nevertheless, there is no doubt that amount omicron to people on trucks will be looking at the selection very carefully. indeed, because they'll be looking at the fact that the conservatives have done so well. normally amount of michael would expect the far right to do well if he likes being against the far right because people tend to rally around against them in a 2nd round conservative, a much harder opponent for the president. and tasha bella with the latest from

paris, thank you. of chemist on is seeing a huge spike in daily corona virus cases and the record number of deaths. the government has asked for international health as agencies warned, the situation is now spiraling out of control. alexander buys reports in cobble the lineups for oxygen tank start in the middle of the night. and last for hours, every person here is desperately trying to save someone. they love to show the ins official journal more than i came here when i m last not to buy oxygen. because i have a cobit patient at home. i've been waiting on the street since then. i would never have what it's long, but i've already lost family members, like my aunt and some other relatives on my brother is now infected. and he's in a very serious condition. afghanistan's 3rd wave is also it's worst, and it's continuing to spiral out of control. 10000 new cases were recorded just in

the last week. but some say the true number is much higher. shad. wow. the number of infected much more than reported in the media. there are 2 to 5 people that are infected with the virus in many homes and the wrench in all categories from mild to moderate to severe hospitals in multiple provinces have reached full capacity. and there is a severe oxygen shortage. many here are angry and say, the government hasn't done enough to avoid this crisis. i have seen young people who have dined because they didn't get got only oxygen. if they have got oxygen, their life could be saved. i think the higher efficient in health sector, they are responsible for the that the health ministry has defended itself, saying it took the necessary steps and was prepared to treat its citizens as pull it off the market. come for me because i'm for all those patients who went to our medical facilities and needed oxygen, we're able to get it. but yes,

we are facing the threat of sort of oxygen is a positive cases continue to increase. and if most of the only goes to one hospital in the area, there's a few of a shortage of oxygen in both the government and aid workers are pleading for international health. there have been multiple calls for oxygen cylinders, and most crucially vaccines. afghanistan began to roll out in april, but so far, not even one percent of the population has been fully inoculated, or call on the old one, to, for 2 things. up as implants 1st and vaccines flex in the fin, oxygen, oxygen up to as the virus surges through the community, officials are trying to spread public awareness. they blame the surge on a lack of social distancing, and continued gatherings for a country that was already facing widespread poverty and a near constant threat of attacks conquering coded 19 is yet another worry. afghans

have to contend with. alexandra buyers, al jazeera, dozens of african migrants have been rescued off the coast of grand can aria where migrant facilities are packed to capacity. 45 migrants, including 8 children, were seen in a boat by a passing ship, about 60 kilometers south of grand can aria, where the 5700 migrants have made the dangerous crossing from africa to the canaries archipelago. more than twice as many as during the same period last year or pope francis has called for compassion for people, forced to flee their home countries and for the world to grow into what he described as a more humane community. today we celebrate world refugee de promoted by the united nations. with the theme together we, he'll learn and shine. let us open our hearts refugees. let us make our own their

sorrows and joys. let us learn from their courageous resilience. and so, altogether we grow into a mo humane community. one big family. ah . and now the top stories on al jazeera, iran's only nuclear power plant, has been shut down for what's being described as emergency reasons. the head of the state energy company says the shut down of the boucher plant could last 4 days with possible power outages. in several cities. there had been warnings the plant could stop working because iran had been unable to buy maintenance parts due to us sanction.