on al jazeera, ah, ah, you want to help save the world? needs into your own. ah, i this is al jazeera. ah, hello mario minimizing. you're watching the news, our life from london coming up in the next 60 minute. flames in gulf suburb, north of the greek capital, as your heat wave continues to generate record temperatures. a holy and historic site reviewed by christians for centuries now under the control of rebels in ethiopia, north, a message of unity and reconciliation from iran,

new president. but major domestic and foreign policy challenges lie ahead and we look at the drive to go electric in america. president joe biden unveils plans to make half of all cause 0 emission by the year 2030. but is it achievable? and i'm time how much and i have all the ford spanish giant barcelona, and nasa are sometimes fairly, and missy will be leaving after 21 years at the club. ah hello, welcome to the news. our hot dry winds in high temperatures keeping wildfires burning across southern europe. thousands of act as a forest have been reduced to ash in several countries with ancient sites in greece . now risk in turkey,

more than 180 separate blazes have been recorded was one that threatened to coal fired power station in the last cause in consent that blaise is now under control. but 36000 people have been evacuated in the same area fires of laid waste and more than 20000 hector's of land on the italian island of sardinia with blazes. continuing in calabria and sicily, a government minutes to now says 70 percent of them are the faults of human action and temperatures of it. 45 degrees celsius in greece, finding flames that came perilously close to the site of the ancient olympics. well, that place was fought back, but then there was another in the northern suburbs of the capital, athens that has been rekindled. 3 significant blazes are also burning on the island of elvia at the no deaths or injuries, but there is widespread destruction of buildings and the countries already shrinking forests. reese's prime minister is warned of more difficult days ahead,

with winds for cost of pick up and for the heat wave to continue evacuation orders have been made on dozens of villages. well, there is a bus ravi is following this story. he is in half an eighty's, which is just near athens, were here just above the national road, a major highway, a corridor that runs north and south along the length of the country and fire rescue teams have been using it as a kind of trench to try to fight the fire, to try to keep the fire from crossing this line to try to hold it back from spreading across the highway and into dry parts of the area here on the other side of the highway and spreading into the greater athens area for our rescue team so far have been successful. however, we've seen that these fires seem to have an unsafe level appetite, at least on one occasion since we've been up here, we've seen the fire jump across the highway. immediately rescue workers reacted down the flames. a helicopter came in and dropped water over the flames and pushed

it back. but we have to say that the temperatures over these fires are so hot that helicopters had to start flying lower and lower and has have had to start of flying . well, past sun down, even though conditions are dangerous, and that's because the water that they were dropping simply evaporated before it hit, it would hit the ground. and so we've seen helicopters making lower and lower flights to try to keep these flames from crossing the national highway. however, it has to be said as soon as they put out the flames on one side of the foothills, the fire seems to spread and grow in another as it comes further and further down the hills. people here are just watching and waiting, worried that their homes might be next. and there's definitely concern that fire rescue teams definitely have another long night ahead of them to try to keep the blaze under some kind of control. meanwhile, a fire in southern turkey that reached a compound of a coal feud thermal power plant has been brought under control, which is easing. fears of severe air pollution in the region had the place reached

the ponds. coal stores. strong winds drove the fight, was quite power plant in mowgli late on wednesday, triggering the evacuation of locals and tourists, turkey enlisted navy vessels to ferry people from the region. the country has been struck by the worst fires in decades over the past 9 days, killing at least 8 people and destroying homes. while at russell sir, there is near that power prompt that we were just mentioning in the area of may last and says the firefighters have brought the blaze under control, but there are fears that it could fly up again. we are in, in the village of cameras and mill us where the power plant is. and you can see that behind me, that is the maximum distance that we can approach. because the security p at the security forces are $100.00 people from getting closer to the power plant, but it is still too risky that has been report of the wildfires in the surrounding

areas of the power plants through the last couple of days. but yesterday, that was at the blame the blazes came to a very critical distance early in the morning, and then it has been taken under the console. but at afternoon the flames returned back and the fire fighters managed to put them also out. but at the nighttime, the, the 3rd wave came and it was the most critical one, because for the 1st time, the fires got into the terminal power plant. so it has been through the or that the heart a force and work it has been managed to be pulled out, but there are still many fires nearby. and given the current, these, the weather conditions, the strong winds, it can be carried out into the power the power plants court. and if that happens, it will not only trigger an explosion, but probably, and via mantel disaster as well. all are the top story. this our is in

northern ethiopia, where to grind rebels of seas control of the ancient town of lovely baylor, a significant holy sites and millions of orthodox christians. recent days and weeks, the conflict spread forth in tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. g piano fighters of targeted the strategically important a far region of ethiopia, but are also focusing on hammer horror. and this is where the town of lally baylor is located for the rebels. it's a symbolic victory, but it's also a significant incursion. south lally baylor is a unesco wild heritage site and it said the grid for millions of ethiopian orthodox christians, fame for his tal century rock hewn churches, or vine. it's initially broke out in november. when is your pin prime minister b, a ahmed sent troops to fight the takeaway people's liberation front group dominated national politics before he came to power. by the end of that month,

the prime minister declared victory saying the government had captured the regional capital of mckelly. but the conflict took a turn in june. when the 2 grind forces took back control of mckelly and government soldiers were forced to withdraw from the area since then. rebels have pressed into a far region in the east and then i'm horror in the north. displacing more than 250000 people out there is malcolm whether it's following the story from nairobi, resident and others have told us the fighters from the gray region of entered the historic town lolly. better. there were rumors that they were closed and local residents over the last week, some of the residents that they've had gunfire at night, but they say it's normal to to have some gunfire at night there. but in just in the last few hours, resident said they could see the, the gray and people's liberation from finances getting close. busy and then just to show a while ago, they've taken control of the town to town with

a population of 20000 people, but it couldn't be of greater religious and cultural and historical significance. a 100 years old, full of ancient church. and in a holy site for years, millions of orthodox christine. but it is also, as will appears to be a significant incursion on the part of the grand people's liberation funds from the north, coming into the territory of the enemy. they've been fighting with a mar of militia to the south, and now it seems they have taken control of the town as well inside the enemy territory. but is careful to remember that in this conflict, the wrong contingent front lines to speak of the people control the town here and other, other control the town that we can't we can't get how much territories taken. but certainly this is as far as we've known, they've take taking the town into the enemy's territory so far that conflict could

have been spreading into the m r afar regions in the last few weeks. now in chad, 24 soldiers there have been killed in an attack by suspected bulk her arm fighters . it happened on an island in the late charge region book around in a rival splinter group. have been using the area to launch attacks in chad and neighboring countries. as well last year at least a 100 shoddy and troops were killed during an assault by the armed groups form a chinese president. interest de b died in april during fighting against rebels in northern chad. you're watching the news, our live from london still ahead on the program. we look at st. battles in afghanistan is the fight for vital towns between the government and taliban fighters intensifies. we look at the economic effect of the pandemic on the bangladesh and

in sport will tell you why the people have reason to celebrate a we reported earlier on the wildfires emergency in europe. we want to now focus on the united states because california is largest active while fire has wiped out much of a small town in the north of the state. according to evacuees, most of greenville central business district has been destroyed, with st. lights melting in the extreme heat, known as the dixie fire, been burning for about 3 weeks fed by high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity. john henderson is near the town of greenville in california and joined us. now. john, just tell us what's happening around you and roughly how far roughly the distance between where you are now and greenville.

well, we are very close to greenville that is the town that this dixie fire just in gold 24 hours ago. what happened was high winds checked up, winds of over 65 kilometers per hour, and this is the outskirts of greenville you can see a car burning over here soon, some 1st responders responding to that scene. and then if you just look behind me here, this is a helicopter that has been dropping either water or fire retarded on some of these fires because they've crossed it over to both sides of the road. and if we keep moving over this way, that town that's sign, they're welcome you to the town of greenville. and as we move on here, you can see those 1st sponder is going into the town, which has been just absolutely decimated. and then over here, these are vehicles that were apparently abandoned outside of down as people left.

and you can see they have been, several of them are on fire. and this is just the entry way to the town inside that town. pretty much everything has been devastated. it was joan gold rush era town for the 18 forties and it had 800 people who lived here in those people appear to have evacuated safely. and today, one after the other. we have been receiving evacuation notices on our phones talking about other towns nearby here, but that is the road into greenville there. there's very little left and you've got 5000 firefighters who've been working on this fire fire. that is in goldstein area, the size of new york city has been fueled by high winds. and you can see some of that wind right now. if you just see the close whipping around us. that is not the way it is several miles away from here. it is up in these regions here where that

wind is fueled these fires and we should know, this is one of about a 100 fires. and 13 western states that are being battled by tens of thousands of firefighters. it just happens to be here. it's really looks like one of the worst it does, and you're not far from greenville. the images that we've been seeing, john show that really much of this town has been completely destroyed. but people have now been displayed. they've had to go elsewhere. but just describe, just describe what it feels like for you to be there because obviously we can see that the air is thick with smoke. but is it just, you know, how, what does it feel like a people able to, to breathe properly? well i can tell you not really. i had mask that i usually use for covered purposes in my pocket, my photographer and i, we've both been wearing them out here because the smoke is intense and you can feel the heat off of the fires and the public has been blocked from this road,

miles back but we were allowed to travel in as press and there are other reporters here as well. but most of what you see here, these are all 1st responders. there no members of the public remaining. in greenville we had to drive through a road on which there were growing flames on each side. but the road itself was clear and we know that we can get out of here through the other side. but it feels erie, it's like a moose scape you go through huge patches where all of the trees have been burned, either in this fire or in previous fires because there have been so many so it's just bizarre to see it after worry. but we need to remember also that there 5000 and firefighters on this fire alone that are doing their best to stop this fire from proceeding elsewhere. meanwhile, you've got the annoyance of fighting flies and other of nature's pest here as well

. but yeah, it's just an an odd scene and a tragic one, but one in which it's important to note that the 800 people who live behind that sign there seem to evolve survived. right. thank you very much and take care of yourself, john, 100 reporting to us from near greenville as we see, california are really battling a number of large active blazes which are some of the worst and in recent history. thank you, john. in afghan, asked on the army in the air force are trying to repel caliban fighters who are closing on several regional capitals in the south west. the group has encircled her rock and kandahar more afghans. special forces of arrived in helmand where a battle for the provincial capital, laska gar, is ongoing. well, i was just touching on some of the st battles that have been taking place in and around the area because there is intense fighting around the hell man police headquarters. of course, this is in the south of the country as well as the main intelligence headquarters

and a diplomatic area as well which houses cities governance. so these are obviously key target the focus of recent fighting another main battle ground is a former british military base. and even places that are usually considered to be safe. well, they are also under threat including the emergency hospital. taliban fighters have also been taking up positions near the main marketplace. diplomatic editor james bays is in consul a lot happening in the south and in the west of afghanistan and as has been the focus for some days, the province of helmand where so many so much of the fighting involving international forces took place over 20 years. now they have gone, the fighting is continuing and it's continuing in the provincial capital laska, where the taliban had been in the heart of the city. but we have an important new bit of information and this is source to the army brigade of the african army that

are leading the operation in laska god. and they tell us that there they have carried out their strike the african air force and they say they've targeted senior taliban leadership in laska go. i have to say we only have that from the coal saying that they have done that. certainly the local genesis providing us with a lot of our information says heavy fighting is continuing in the center of laska gar. moving from helmand to the neighboring province of kandahar and they're still fighting inside the 2nd city. we understand in the last 24 hours as strikes to have been carried out by the african air force. we've got news of casualties from near weiss hospital, which is the main hospital in canada. they say that 22 people have been admitted over night and this morning moving to the west of afghanistan and herat. that is

where the african military felt that they made some progress pushing the taliban back. but i can tell you that has been fresh fighting in herat in recent hours. the taliban seemed to be over night. we're told, pushing in for multiple directions towards the center of the city. in iran, the new president has pledged his country's nuclear program, will always be peaceful and won't produce weapons in brian, right. you see said he would take steps to lift the sanctions which have devastated countries economy off. he was inaugurated as iran 8th president alley hush. him has worn out from tat ron this was a brilliant use, his final step to becoming the new president of iran, the ceremony, and early indication of what his foreign policy might look like. there was only one delegation representing to us from the european union, but many leaders and officials from south america and africa. and more

significantly, the countries out on the iran, racy says that supply already not to be got a more steady horn interference in the region won't resolved any problems. it's a problem itself. i extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood own regional countries, especially our neighbors. how many lazy criticized us sanctions on his country up to for my us president donald trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. but he stressed iran's nuclear program is completely peaceful. that's the policy of threats and sanction. can't prevent iranians from seeking their legal rights, including the right to develop nuclear energy sanctions must be nullified and we support any diplomatic effort that fills that goal sanctions are adding to your own hardships. andrade, he says, rebuilding the economy as a main priority is appealing for cooperation from all iranians to get the country

back on its feet and says, his government will wage a war on collection. it's not going to be an easy task for, therefore, engaging others. if physical to what he aims, cheap, it's submitting it's kevin is in a few days and then the parliament will have to get each minute stuff. a separate board or conference. i should just, you know, half of all cars and trucks sold in the us will be electric by the 2030, if new target set by the president, joe biden. and mat, ease include hydrogen fuel cell and plug in hybrid vehicles. but there are hurdles to achieving this goal. as our white house correspondent, kimberly how kit reports. it's an announcement geared towards changing the way americans drive their vision to the future. that is now beginning to happen. a future of the automobile industry that is electric. the executive order signed by president biden sets

a target for 0 mission cars to account for half of all vehicle sold in the united states by the year 2030 biden's goal to shift americans toward cleaner electric vehicles and compete with china. right now. china is leaving the race is one of the largest and fastest growing electric vehicle markets in the world. electric vehicles accounted for just 2 percent of car sales in the past 3 years. in the united states, china has more than doubled the number of electric vehicles on the road. auto companies in the u. s. are also unveiling similar goals for electric vehicles to account for at least half of all car sales by 2030. but biden's electric vehicle revolution face is a big problem infrastructure. it's a priority and biden's, $1.00 trillion dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill still being worked out in congress. the legislation includes 7500000000 for

a network of electric vehicle charging stations. but it's just half of what byte and called for and fall short of what's needed to support so many electric vehicles on the road. we haven't had the, in the investment in infrastructure that we've really needed to, to grow the market. and to really demand that the vehicles are available for, for consumers biden is under pressure to act. you set a goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. wildfires on the west coast of the united states are only highlighting the problem on track to burn big again in 2021. as a result of historic drought and heat waves, president biden executive order also rolls back trump era emission standards. the environmental protection agency's new standards will reduce 200000000000 metric

tons of carbon pollution. kimberly help hit al jazeera, the white house or more than a 1000000 electric vehicles were sold in the us last year, but that's just 2 percent of new cars sales. there are 3 types on the market which are included in biden's. go all electric vehicles like a tesla plug in hybrids like those made by the traditional comic because an fuel cell vehicles, those are rare are the one all electric car on the road can save an average of one and a half 1000000 grams of carbon dioxide a year compared to petrol model, but just how green it is comes down to the electricity powering it mix in 95 percent of countries makes it cleaner. that in cold, dependent nations like poland, the impact is marginal. an added cost is the manufacturing of an electric vehicle can produce a 3rd of the cars, lifetime emissions, and electric cars account for 60 percent of the global demand for lithium batteries

of ram metal that needs to be mind bringing its own environmental costs. scott helped berg as a climate attorney at the central biological diversity, specializing in air quality protections and electric vehicles. choices via skype. now from oakland, california, some interesting points raised there. but let me 1st ask you about these. these measures at the, by the ministration is taking the targets are not binding for manufacturers or for bias. nonetheless, how much of a difference could it make to emissions fuel efficiency and pollution? first of all, thank you for having me. today's announcement was a step forward, but the truth is that it could have been a lot better. as you mentioned, the executive order sets a goal of having electric vehicles account for 50 percent of all new sales by 2030, and reducing emissions from gas powered cars for the next several years. but there are 2 important points here. one of them is that, as you mentioned,

that 50 percent target is completely voluntary. the president is trusting the car companies will make more electric vehicles. but these are the same companies that broke clear agreement with president obama 10 years ago. so we need to be more vigilant and holding them accountable, and a strong standard that does that. the 2nd point i'd make is that we expect this rule that have significant loopholes and credits that weekend. the overall impact of the rule. and make it less likely that more electric vehicles will actually be on the roads. so this is a step in the right direction, but unfortunately there are weak step and that they don't even return hospital levels that president obama said 10 years ago is not the point of this executive order that perhaps it's to renew a commitment to climate action after those standards that were taken on the president obama then rolled back on to the trump administration. that is certainly the white house's intention. and we certainly have heard strong statement about

climate from president bite and in the past. and as i mentioned, this was a step forward, but it wasn't the major groundbreaking step that we were hoping for to really raise the bar for addressing climate change. we're seeing massive heat waves and fires in the united states and europe. and the time for incremental action has passed. what we really need is 100 percent electric vehicles by 2030, not 50 percent, as the president announced. well, it has won the support of some major us automakers and large foreign companies as well. but i suppose they will. they will commit to greater standards on this one. it's more profitable for them. yeah, i think president biting may have been persuaded when the auto companies told him that there isn't a lot of consumer demand for electric vehicles and that they don't have the technology to make them. but both those statements are false. consumers are buying

more and more electric vehicles every year and they will continue to do so when they're affordable and available on the market. and automakers already have the technology to make cars that are much less polluting than the ones on the roads. now we just need strong laws and standards to make them do it, and that's what we wish. the statement today would have come out with right, so i'm just wondering that we liked as likely to see more public pressure for that . you're obviously in california, we've just been speaking about a wild fires, which, you know, we're talking about the have been some of the worst in history. he waves drought. is that perhaps going to create more public pressure for that to be government investment, to remove some of the loopholes that you talk about. do named it were facing climate disaster from all angles and in california. as in many other places, the world just seems to be never ending with with what we're facing. my hope is

that we're is that the public will present significant pressure to the administration and we're going to be doing all we can to, to really show the president and the administration why we need to at least get back to the levels the standards that president obama set 10 years ago, we were sort of now in this middle ground between the vicious, devastating standard that the trump administration proposed. and what the obama administration adapted 10 years ago. and we really need to be doing better to make a significant impact in climate change for all the reason. but you just mentioned. alright, thank you very much for joining us. got there in oakland, california. thank you. you know the news, our life from london much more still ahead on the program. my grandmother, she called me to say you come back the full day and and picks friend who ran from better. ruth, to tell her side of the story,

convicted of embezzlement. the american who is one of the biggest foreign investors in russia, says it's a political spit shop. and then in sports indian delights to breaking a metals route that lasted more than 4 decades. ah. hello there. it's all about the brutal heat that's been plaguing the south east of europe. in particular, we've seen record breaking temperatures for greece and for turkey. and this was seen in athens. it was engulfed in smoke from wildfires that are continuing to burn and those hot and dry conditions continue on friday, not just here, but for turkey, for north macedonia, albania, and southern areas of italy where we are seeing those wildfires continue to burn, but things do change on saturday.