forced the country to acknowledge its fascist, passed the silence of others. weakness on al jazeera. ah, unprompted and uninterrupted discussion from london, broadcast santana on. ah, this is al jazeera ah, the time is $1600.00 gmc and come all santa maria here in doha. and the news from al jazeera is the end of a long election day in ethiopia, overshadowed by the conflict and famine in the northern region, and questions about the polls credibility. and that's the note from iran, the president elect to a meeting with joe biden,

as he insists the us must return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions. also in the news, the armenian prime minister, this is a decision to go to the vote of pays off. nicole parson young and his party of one a landslide victory vaccine skepticism. and we will tell you why many parents plan to not inoculate that children. and peter stemmed with the sports coming up limping organizes announce a cap on spectators for tokyo games. and europe and championship scottish play betty gilmore test positive the coven. more of that? later this news our ah, just going 6 pm in about the polls are closing in ethiopia as general election after a 10 month delay. the vote has been why be welcomes that has not come without a multitude of issues. millions of ethiopia have been excluded from voting this round because of ballot problems and insecurity in 3 regions, including of course,

northern to guy. this is the 1st electoral test for the prime minister abbey med since his appointments in 2018. there are more than 40 political parties competing for 8 abriana though is expected to win elections happening under the shadow of regional tension as well today, which we mentioned remains at war with the national army and is now suffering from widespread famine. and ethiopia still dealing as well, with a long standing dispute with sudan and egypt over its hydro electric dam on the blue nile. lots to talk about. we'll start with mohammed joining us for madison about today to polling stations. still so many people there. mohammed yes, come all polling has closed in most calling sessions across the country, but the electoral board has extended the warranty. then some of the pulling

stations like the one where we are now. well, water was still in the cues of the times at 6 o'clock, right? so we are seeing a situation where the, some pulling sessions, where the voltage is still going on and will go on until the last several. there was long queues of the in the capital at the sub about several other cities across the country. people had started gathering in some of these discussions as early as 4 in the morning. these are very crucial elections to if they see us, the 1st step towards the micro sizing, the confounded ones, the entire world to see it just not a walk in progress. prime minute coffee is both in his hometown of got always contesting for parliamentary states and he is contesting against 2 opposition candidates. he says that it's not the absolved,

but it's not any other person who is going to say whether these elections on legitimate, but it will be up to the if you're pm people. of course, he's very keen to win a popular mandate from the people of if you up here, he come to power 998 is to get that some reforms. and he says he wants fresh mondays to have the capacity to implement cuban father reforms in politics under economy as well. so he wants a mandate from the people, yet there are millions of people who don't get to vote today, mom and dad. and that is what is costing a very long shadow on this election. not just to great region which is well, a 7 month long conflict is going on before i get in fighting with a t p l. a. fight as that is the former ruling patty of the ticket region in the

more but also there are places in that you, some part of the country, like how to the tiniest of the federal states of the field. and also the somali region, next to the heart of wealth voting has been postponed until september for what the electoral board calls logistical rhythms. they also focus on the, on the region on a hot region as well as in the shingles where some conflict with this, where a tribal violence hung up on where for security reasons, the elections have the phone. so it's about a 5th of the 547 constituencies in if you're working with the rest of the country today. right, so some polls the closing, more to come. we will be back with mohammed and out of south about a little later on its focus again in on today early the united nations human rights

chief said she is deeply disturbed by the situation in that region. the conflict between the national army and the ticket in people's liberation front, the t. p l. f. now into its 8th months tv dominated ethiopians politics and 8030 years until i b i. me to power in 2018. he ordered a military operation against the group intake day in november after he said it attacked army basis, a t p, as it was unfairly targeted to get your position party, say more than 50000 people have been killed. while the un says more than 350000 face risk of famine. but we've got hipaa morgan in gathering site over the border in sudan, that is where thousands of ethiopian refugees on living monday is voting day. and if you appear in the countries 6 parliamentary election, but for $70000.00, if you'll be in refugees who fled from the northern region to come here in sudan, including this camp of cuba and sedans about estates. it's just another day. now

conflicts thought that integrate between the regional figured people's liberation front and the federal government in early november last year and has displaced more than 2000000 according to the united nation. more than 350000 people are in need of aid on our facing famine. while more than 5000000 are facing food insecurity need of 8 for survival. now the region of p great will not be voting in the elections, and that is not something that has been decided by the people of degree. rather, it was decided by the federal government which says that the insecurity integrate will not allow for voting to take place. it is worth noting, however, that the region of degree held its own votes in september last year, and that was not recognized by the federal government. it was one of the factors that led to the conflict in november. people who we spoke to here to hear their views on the election say they don't think that the process will lead to stability . and if they say that was conflict ongoing, not just in figures, but other parts of the country, as well as the detention of major opposition figures who was top contenders against

prime minister and his ruling prosperity policy in jail. they believe that conditions were created to make sure that prime minister abbey and his ruling prosperity party when a 2nd term. they also say that the fact that the grants are excluded shows that if the opium stone regards the great as part of the country. so people, he has said that they believe that the process that is ongoing and if you will not lead to stability or security, they say that if anything it would lead to further conflicts and insecurity, especially in the region of to grey. while joining us not from swindon in the u. k . as mohammed get him, i hear the visiting lecturer at the university of roehampton, an expert on ethiopian issues. it just struck me there. mohammed that paper was talking about a 2nd round of voting, which will happen will should happen in september for these areas which haven't been able to vote. we could be looking at quite an unsettled periods, a good many more months for a year. yes, it is. you know,

that is the time for it and is your chance. it has been quite to me just 3 years says i can, he can with a lot of our office stability and kind of unifying to get around. he's not a modem or that is togetherness. but then immediately to started to and robin where i experience it. several community violence is an intern, not displacement, and then now war and to cry. it's quite unsettling time and it's your, your yes, the likelihoods as we see him on screen right now, actually i'll be, i made the likelihood is that he will win the selection. how much of that is down to his popularity with his supporters and how much of it is down to the fact that there was a weakened opposition? yes, his popularity has dwindled a little a little bit in the past year or so. but then he has got lots of support

in some focus of the society. and then he's also condition device around the factors. for example, the girl does the grid, but it says dom and the pressure about it is making his run of the talk to that is pushing borders to another is that the current international pressure also is pushing some people towards him. those are also sources of support for him, but also he has delivered to some of the biggest project and he is one of the workaholic people. and he has done a lot of job in terms of delivering those projects. he has, he has troy promised that he would be somebody who is trustworthy to deliver at development. but the challenges out there in terms of, you know, finding the people and growing them together. well, exactly, there's a war going on and check that which is kill tens of thousands of people and

hundreds of thousands. they're either display still facing famine. surely that has to if he wins this and if you get this mandate, surely that has to be the priority. exactly. i had to click a couple of days ago. he has got 2 options. if you will, the looks, you know, one is going the authority and direction on the pretext of projecting himself or the leader of law and order. because there is, there is, this is security undefeated as a side t, but more fruitful direction would be kind of in the direction of nation building where he needs to really have a dialogue starting with these on the job. he's already on the are and having a unity that and needs to also expanded to to gray is experiencing violent conflict. okay,

we'll leave it there. good to talk to them or how may i go to my joining us from swinton today. thank you so much. thanks for having me. or until the news runs, president elect has declared his country as many more foreign policy objectives and just reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world pounds abraham rice. he gave his 1st news conference and winning fridays election. he reiterated his support for the agreement, but emphasized that it was the us that violated it by withdrawing 3 years ago. that such a hard as you don't mind how, how can i redirection with all countries will be balance any negotiation that is going to be the benefit of our nation will be supported. but negotiations should have an achievement for the great nation of iran, and it's people who call your home care al stance is that all signatory should return to the 2015 agreement and abide by their commitments. we are asking the europeans not to be pressured or influenced by the americans. people want their rights to be revived. he was closed about iran's ballistic missile program and its

support for regional groups. i see describe those issues as non negotiable. i'm answering a question on whether he would meet you as president joe biden. dry. c simply said, no, i want to correspond. kimberly, how can, let's talk to her about this. i don't know how upset joe biden will actually be by that. kimberly, but at least to put the market down, doesn't it? the white house, the bind administration, know where they stand at this point with this new administration in iran. yeah. and the by the ministration knows where it stands. and so what we're hearing from the national security advisor, jim sullivan, is that it's really too soon to tell if this election results in iran is going to make the primary goal of the united states. and that is, of course, reviving that 2015 agreement to live it runs nuclear program. whether or not this is going to make things better or worse. what we know is that the 2 sides with

regard to the negotiations that have been going out to be in are still very far apart and some issues. but the word from the national security advisor is that the arrow is going in the right direction. now what i can tell you about political pressure that joe biden is facing. it is intense particularly on capitol hill by some conservative critics and also members of his own party that are concerned that in order to revive this deal, that the united states may live some of those sanctions that iran is looking for without 1st securing the guarantee that iran is rolling back its nuclear program. in fact, there is already alarm that the white house was quietly according to the state department, lifted some sanctions on some businesses and individuals. the feeling being that there was no congressional oversight, there was no congressional authorization. and the fear is that more could be done in order to provide assurance that not just a wrong, but a lot of the world is looking for. and that is look at, we saw the trump administration basically pull back. how do we know that one more

us election will change things and that could happen again, that there could be a completely different government that we're working with. so he sighed, looking for some assurances and again, drawing those lines in the sound. so we expect that they're going to be a number of questions about this. we've got a white house press briefing in the next hour. we're certain agend, saki, why those press secretary is likely going to have some comments. ok, so we'll talk to you about that again later on. and kimberly how could at the white house. thank you. and now marks it's patrick associate fellow at the international institute for strategic study in the americas. also form a deputy assistant secretary of state. he's in washington as well to talk about this just following on from what kimberly was saying there, mark about this idea of the u. s. lifting sanctions before a deal was struck. what's your take on that? it sounds politically risky. well, the united states has lifted a few sanctions in a very minor way as your correspond indicated. and you know,

anything by didn't ministration does to show flexibility toward iran is going to be criticized. republicans are not going to support any feasible deal with iran. so the binding team knows this and knows they will have to whether criticism. i think the issue is not so much the one of sequencing, but rather than the extent to which they will lift sanctions imposed by the trunk team. the white house has said that there will be several 100 sanctions that will remain in place. iran want all of them lifted, and i think they will have to be some compromises on both sides to narrow down this area of disagreement. ok. the fact that the president elect to fed now he doesn't want to meet joe biden, as i suggested to, kimberly, that's probably not a huge concern for joe biden. i'm sure he probably knew that because this will be a more conservative governments in iran, but again, maybe that just lays out the laser, everything out a little bit better. we know that the iranians will speak more with one voice

between what the supreme latest says and what the president says. it will be mostly a little bit. ok, 7 then washington can cause its cloth accordingly. well, you're absolutely right. that at iran will speak with one voice, and in fact they have been and what racy said about? no, no, not meeting with by me. and yet nobody's going to shit. it. curious about that, but it's not really a change. i mean, you know, brock obama tried to have a meeting with honey. donald trump did ru honey, the current president wouldn't meet with either of them because of the politics in tehran doesn't allow it until united states concedes and gives up all sanctions. ronnie wasn't going to meet with trump, so i don't think there's a great deal of difference here. the key thing is that the supreme leader remains the supreme leader and he calls the shots. and if,

if the united states any wrong can restore the deal. and it can be implemented in iran, can see the sanctions lifting benefits and then maybe racy, would be more inclined to meet with by helping by rushing to meet with him by and will let his negotiators take this. yes. as just as you have you listed off those previous presidents there made me sort of think, yeah, there has been this concerted effort for some time now, even before those presidents to quote unquote deal with iran. the, the, the headline has always be because we don't want to iran to have a nuclear weapon, but there's a lot more to this, isn't it that the iran issue has so much on effect in the middle east. there are so many complications in iran in be so called behavior is of concern to many of its neighbors into the united states. united states is primarily concerned about the nuclear issue, because if the rock gets nuclear weapons that would, that would really be

a game changer. that could threaten us national interest on your way. what iran does meddling and its neighbors is a last concern. the united states have great concern to its neighbors. my patrick, always a pleasure to talk to you. thanks for making the time for us. sure. happy to talk to you. we are almost 19 minutes past the hour he is what's coming up hong kong pro democracy, apple newspapers or the apple valley that is may be forced to close down. we'll tell you about that one. so sweet and governments can last up to the prime minister . lots of competence folks. and only $10000.00 local fans will be allowed inside. the limbic venue in tokyo is organized as kathy attended becomes of target 90. i the latest on armine is elections now with the acting prime minister,

nicole passion. yon has one sundays snap parliamentary vote. passion, yann's civil contract party took nearly 54 percent of the vote. remember, he called the early pole to ease public anger about the peace still he signed to the war with as a by john last year, passing on the main rival, the former president robert cherry and his armenia alliance block is in a distant 2nd, like just 21 percent still so much outraged about, i mean is defeat in the war. and in fact, only 49 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots more with re challenge now. and yet finally got to hand it to him, rory he took the risk of calling a stop election after losing a war, and has won emphatically it was a bold move, a risky move, and you're right, it has paid off for nicole a passion. he, well, the, basically the, the last polls going into this election was saying that it was going to be very,

very close neck and neck between brushing the and his rival, robert cherry and but when it came down to it that sizable chunk of the electorate that said that they were undecided when they actually got into the polling station and were ready to put a mark next to a name, the name they put their mom back. so in the main was nicole fashion the and now that says quite a lot of things, i think about the nature of this campaign. it says the french, the, although many people here are still absolutely furious and traumatized by the war last year. many people have lost sons, brothers and fathers. there was a choice to be made between a vision of what our media is to be for all his flaws, for all the fact that he's a very imperfect politician. most people decided that they were going to stick with passion yan rather than go with robert cherry and, and what he represent safe. he is a former president of all media. he in many ways is high media path,

which is more authoritarian, more corrupt and more beholden to a system of patronage. and i think a lot of armenians as, as devastated as they are by the war, didn't want to go back to that. this is good for the pay, thin rory. the fact that passion on was the one who signed it who effectively ended the war regardless of how his critics felt about this and maybe it, the continuity will help i think it probably is. yes. i think the say question the on is he's one of the guarantors of russian broke good. see spot, the p steel, co, cherry. and his election campaign was being much more bellicose about the possibility, the, the desire ready to rearm, to rebuild our media strength. and perhaps at some point in the future contests the

outcome was to take back parts of new. going to carry back that have been lost. so as to why john, if i think by contrast and i think is basically saying this is the piece that we have for the moments. and that will please many people. of course, it will please, i think on the other side of the border and as the by john, it'll properly be satisfying kentucky as well, but also to russia, which invested quite heavily in brokering that piece deals and certainly doesn't want a return to any kind of violence blair up so although contrary and traditionally as being moscow, as by me, perhaps surprisingly, moscow is satisfied with necco of fashion. and despite the most rhetoric of his language, when he came to power 3 years ago, that's pulling away. now, i think for moscow's perspective, shooting out as a guarantor or a pace, and that's a good thing, said the devil, you know,

as i say already challenge. and yet, yvonne, thank you. well, ottoman gregorian is then associate professor of international relations that the university use as the result of more a rejection of china. and then it is an endorsement of passion you it is certainly a very strange outcome. it is difficult to recall. too many cases were after such a catastrophic defeat, the leader or a political party has retained its power. and even before the war pushing in and he's, he's political party, had lost a considerable amount of their popularity. so such a character. victory certainly begs a question, some people asked the question, how found an easy answer to it? 3 cheese, the irrationality of the army, and electra, the ideas of all, you know, pushing on having a cold following get such and such. i reject these ideas. i think the army and

electra has behaved rationally and the choice, the electorate has faith and i'm talking about the likes its own perspective. was beef be between electing, pushing, young, who they acknowledged had filled quite quite spectacularly. but the alternative was the restoration of the previous regime or the, the previous order which was associated with the name overall. but most people in armenia could see would consider that the restoration of some kind of a new futile order. that is what has been rejected by the electorate and so spectacular. and i think that the explanation to sweden, where the prime minister, stefan lawson is facing the choice of either resigning or calling us not election after losing a note confidence vote in parliament. the vote was triggered off to the governing coalition, fell apart in a dispute over proposed rent reforms as reporters from pull brennan. the rick dark

chamber in stock home was packed full for the momentous vote and electronic balance which took less than 20 seconds to confirm the outcome. stephanie lawson is the 1st swedish premier ever to lose a confidence as la fan sat impassively on the front row. as his coalition disintegrated before his eyes, stuffed beneath then threw up. lawfern is a former union boss famed for his negotiating skills and since an inconclusive election in 2018 lawful social democrats have governed in a minority coalition with the green while still needing the support of smaller parties to get that through parliament. but his government proposals to reform sweden's, strict rent control system, proved to be a red line for the left party who warned that they would bring down the government unless the proposals were withdrawn. the how you to not some of the some move only the polity. we kept our word said no, she dug into the left party leader so often now has one week to decide whether to

call a snap election or resign and get the speaker of parliament the task of trying to find a replacement prime minister. or was it vod regardless of what happens now, my party and myself will together with others, be available to shoulder the responsibility of leading the country. my primary focus has always been is and will always lead to do what is best for sweet audit. that's a heavy hint of what many analysts are suggesting that with sweden's fragmented political landscape and opinion poll, showing the center left and center right blocks evenly balanced. it's entirely possible that the speaker will hand the top job back to steph, unlawfully, at least until the next general election in september, next year. the pm may be down, but he's not yet out. pull, brennan, i'll just hear hong kong pro democracy newspaper. the apple daily is reported. they stopping both its print and online operations by wednesday, most of its employees are said to have resigned. the company's assets have been frozen by authorities under hong kong, controversial national security law,

leaving it unable to pay staff or cover expenses. 2 executives were charged off to police rates on the news during the last weeks. grab a break on the news when we come back. vaccination island, brazil launch is a mass inoculation drive near rio de janeiro as part of the largest study. also, india office max seems to all adults free of charge, but problems remain and there are concerns about a 3rd corona virus waive and you'll sports to spanish gulf. don't run, bounces back, covert and we'll be with open up coming up with pizza a little later. ah hello, that's more sunshine across the middle east. as per usual, i'm pleased to say they shall wind has just east off. so not quite says blow as it

has been recently with the lifted dustin side but lots of hazy sunshine. right across the middle east. $48.00 celsius, the in queue weight of the still impact that notice one or 2 showers there into a central and western parts of turkey. been that side as long as he dry with plenty of sunshine in the sunshine, stretching down across the horn of africa. fear showers still less into that eastern side of africa, but we have got one or 2 showers just cropping up around the open. hottest. just see some wet weather just seizing into where coastal parts of kenya, southern areas of somalia. have your showers around the gulf of guinea into gabon over towards cameroon, by jerry and flooding race. any possibility here? over the coming days for southern parts of africa and other dr. a lot of sunshine coming through a sad winter solstice. of course, we are looking at the top, which is fine to fall away because some west weather down towards the far south just around the western cape $800.00 celsius for cape town on wednesday. it'll cool

to go on into the middle part of the week and some showers, they haven't in northern parts of mozambique. the a city defined by military occupation. there's never been an arab state. he with the capital of jerusalem. everyone is welcome. but the default structure that maintains the call on a project, that's what it feels. a was one of the founders of settlement with this and the story of juice through the eyes of its own people, segregation, occupations discrimination, injustice. this is i thought site in 21st century jerusalem, a rock and a hard place analogy. 0 with energy and change to every part of our universe or small to continue the change.