december on a jesse era ah, bold and untold stories from asia and the pacific on al jazeera ah, more flight restrictions imposed, but the bid to contain the new current of ours variant could already be too late. this very it is spreading around the world with 2 cases so far identified here in the u. k. ah, lauren taylor, this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up and see the did he did, he did receive it. please. concern is closer to home in africa where low vaccine rates and poor health care could make infection outcomes worse period. burkina faso

protest is called for the president to go following a series of deadly attacks. they say he's failed to stop and nude. he challenged musical theater and brought joy to his audiences. steven sometime dies age 91 ah more countries of closed off travel to lengthening lists of southern african nations as concern about the new current of ours variant, omicron increases. but the spread of the new infection may itself be out pacing those efforts with several countries identifying their 1st cases. the world health organization declared omicron, a variant of concern on friday. owning their signs, it could spread more quickly us because it has around 50 mutations of the original

virus, including $32.00 on what's called the spike protein. this is what the virus uses to cause infection. and as what many vaccines are based on several nations are restricted travel from all of all of its or some of these southern african countries, including botswana, where the 1st sample came from, and south africa, which identified it on saturday, australia became the latest to bring in restrictions for decisions by the us, japan, canada, and others. but several countries have already identified cases including israel and belgium. and in the past few hours the u. k. and germany or britain reports score. it's ross because thank the nightmare before christmas with much of the planet still battling a resurgence as a delta variance of cov 19. the new amik chrome variant is spreading countries a scrambling to close their borders to travelers from the south of africa, where on the chrome was 1st identified family gatherings in winter. holidays are in jeopardy. not to mention the potential global economic impact. my main concern,

i'm not going to get back to england before full, i am tomorrow morning, which is looking more and more likely. and i feel very sad for the people here as well. going back on the list again, and who knows for how long not being able to see family in europe after one confirmed case in belgium, cases have been found in germany and the czech republic, the netherlands is still conducting tests for on the kron among the 61 covey positive passengers who arrived at amsterdam ship all at port on friday. and there an hour confirmed cases in the u. k. all of them connected to recent travel in southern africa. previously accused of acting too slowly on cove it. this time the u. k. government is moving fast. we're not going to stop people traveling. i want to stress that we're not going to stop people traveling. but we will require anyone who enters the u. k. to take a p c r test. by the end of the 2nd day after their arrival,

and to self isolate until they have a negative result. closing borders won't keep out the variance, but scientists hope it will by time when you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go. essentially, all over the issue of blocking tray of a travel from a given country is to just give us time to assess it better on despite the on the con variant, having significantly more mutations than previous variants, there is cautious optimism that existing vaccines can be adapted to tackle it, you're not going to see a new vaccine in the next few weeks, or even, you know, the next month or so. but he's going to take longer than that. but it will not take the amount of time that it would normally take to manufacture and deliver that steam. it can be done as speed now because of the understanding and knowledge that we have. oh, the biggest i lemme for politicians in scientists is the question of public

complaints. violent anti lockdown protests in the netherlands and belgium last weekend and switzerland votes this weekend. and whether to scrap the country's vaccine certificate scheme, despite rising infections, that with uncertainties are on the on the con variant. the precautionary restrictions will likely be pushed back home brennan autism. now this is bracing for the like the arrival of on metro net 2nd basis from how did your cache in washington d. c. a. how is the u. s. reacting on this are in the cities. see in the states and department have just issued a do not travel warning to americans concerning south africa and surrounding countries. and of course, on monday that is when the travel band for visitors from those countries will kick in. notably, us citizens and permanent residents will still be allowed to travel back and forth . and at least as of a few hours ago,

united airlines and delta airlines had bows and that both announced they would continue flight service between the 2 countries. and americans are indeed still traveling. of course, this is from before news broke of this new variant, but the t, as a said that just yesterday there were 1800000 people who passed through us pass back us airports on this holiday weekend of travel, which is right on par, even with pre pandemic levels. lorne and what about the questions remaining, but the variant will any kind of progress on that? right, we just heard from doctor anthony theology, who's the white house adviser on cove id and he went on to say that there are 2 big questions for him. one is whether or not the this new variant makes people more sick. and secondly, whether the existing vaccines are effective against it. u. s. scientists are working on that very question right now, pfizer has announced its conducting laboratory studies and within 2 weeks or so is

when the 1st data is expected to be out about whether or not existing vaccines are effective against this new variant. how to do that? sure. thank you very much. deed was south africa's foreign ministry. says it's being punished with travel bands for detecting the omicron varied. instead it says it scientists should be applauded. but as from the miller reports from johannesburg, there are reasons for concern. while the south african governments urged people not to panic, many or worried, especially as some continue to rush to leave south africa. my family generally as a whole is ready, deflated by the entire situation. disappointed, not feeling as though wishing catch a great. we haven't seen each other for 3 years. many have struggled through a slump in the economy because of previous travel bands and locked downs and now uncertain about how the new army cron variant will affect them. some been civil

leveling and, and then let's go and get vaccinated, especially people my age so we can protect ourselves. that's all i can say. i know we all have our opinions about the vaccines, but on my side, i want to get vaccinated. but there's been a slower than expected vaccination rate in south africa. slightly more than 40 percent of adults have had at least one job in terms of um, vaccinations. oh to oh it's it's summer's choice. whether it's a big needle i would like to to, to merge or 2 people to get him did. he did mention a suit at this point because he living in leg avila excuse griswold, right look right now is and into giving snares and as soon as possible as the holiday season approaches, the tourism industry had expected an increase in visitors, many of them from the u. k. and europe to bring in millions of dollars worth of

revenue. the south african currency, the rounds already lost its value. after the announcement of the new variant, the government says south africa has been at the forefront of testing and tracking changes in coven 19. and sciences have stressed, it's important to see what the data on the new variant will show before making any decisions. and that sentiment trickle down to the general public where many believe south africa's been treated unfairly. the government is worried, the global reaction has caused unnecessary panic. it says it's begun talks with the european union and the united kingdom on the latest round of travel bands, saying other countries didn't receive the same treatment. when you variance were detected elsewhere. for me to mila al jazeera johannesburg. ah, listen book in a fossil capital of fire tear gas during

a demonstration against the president. protest as a hot cowboy, as failed to stop a wave of violence by om groups. nicholas hack has more. there's anger in bertina foster. this was supposed to be a peaceful protest in support of security forces and against a president who's been unable to stop a wave of attacks by arm, whoops, affiliated with iso and al qaeda. the shouts we want president temporary to resign . the government has lost control of border areas, the north and east, forcing millions of people, mostly children, and teenagers, to flee the violence free burkina faso, the chat, police fire tear gas. in response. he got used to step down. this is the end of the resume or rock boris years lost all trust and attacked my arm groups on a police outpost anita earlier this month killed dozens of people sparking nationwide outrage after it was revealed. the officers had gone 2 weeks on the

front line without food rations, forcing them to hunt to survive. not a single government official was present at their funeral. after being largely silent for weeks, the president finally made a statement on thursday. faced with sony defeats on the battlefield, the president is calling for reforms in the military, or as much as we must stand shoulder to shoulder with our defense and security forces to support and encourage them in their heroic struggle. and we must be uncompromising with all those whose behavior is not acceptable of our soldiers must not be left to fend for themselves because of bureaucracy or gross negligence. there's growing resentment in the ranks of the army. mobile internet has been shut down for nearly a week after a french military convoy crossing through burkina faso on its way to molly was stopped by protesters chanting anti french slogans. the convoy now in the chair is facing protest there to both the president of britain,

if i so an easier have praised the presence of french forces in the region. but the security situation has deteriorated and there's growing resentments that governments in the region are using security forces to climb down on protests. instead of protecting their countries against armed attacks. the demonstrators are ignoring their governance called for calm and dialogue for them. this is not the end, but just the beginning. nicholas hawk al jazeera sedans reinstate prime minister dela handle is dismissed, the chief of police and his deputy, the senate general hollard medea for him, a defendant security forces, requisitions, they used lie fire on civilians. for in last month's kuhn, he says police only used legal means to contain demonstrations. however, doctors say 15 people were shot dead last wednesday, highest number of death since the military takeover have been. morgan has moved from the capitol cartoon. the public have been opposing the fact that he has signed

an agreement with the army in the 1st place. they were demanding accountability. they still are demanding accountability for the 41 protest who were killed. in addition to the 200 protesters who have been injured over the past month or so, but they've also import testing something else over the past week. and that is the fact that prime minister had done the dog who was, who was the symbol of civilian rule, up until november 21st. when he finds that agreement with the military. now they're protecting that signature of that agreement, which they say is a betrayal to the demands of the revolution. they had made it very clear that they wanted no negotiations with the army. they didn't want to give this military takeover and mercy. and they say that with prime minister handbook signing that agreement with the military, that is what he has done. now, one of the clauses of that agreement that was find it was a 4th in the clause agreement, one of that, it clearly states that they will be accountability and they will be investigations into the processor, into the death of processes, as well as the violence of death was committed over the past month and now

protested, may not take this easy despite the fact that it could be a step taken by the prime minister to appease the street and try to use the momentum of the protest is to try to minimize the amount of people taking to the st, demanding accountability. it's laclare if that would have any impact, especially because the anger is at the agreement more than the anger and more of the agreement. and the fact that prime minister him to the lamb dog simon agreement in the 1st place, the u. s. is greatly concerned about the escalating conflict any see opiate and a school for urgent negotiations. the warnings and the state department follows a phone call between the sector state and kenny as president. if you can, 5 minutes of your head is believed to join the army on the front lines against the growing rebels from the north. he said his forces are making gains when it comes after a series of gains made by rebels from t gray, who pushed into the neighboring m. herrera and a far regions in the summer. now they are advancing towards the capital on the

a to highway. they took the strategic important towns of dessie and composure last month. and this week they see, show rove it a town, just 202220 kilometers a northeast of the capital. i just have a federal tax reason, independent journalist in the summer, but he says the warrant bought is a choosing aggression despite the various schools for peace, the relationship between the us and the to the breaker, low the ground government accusing the us. i have to say the bite and ministration fighting with a t p and left in which the children side. and that's why the order of parliament is a terrorist organization. the job site they took and government side has been saying, forcing them or pushing the pressure to negotiate with a t p. it's almost like, you know, pushing the u. s. food sit down and negotiate with the caliber and i've gone to

stuff. but the community employee that has been going back and forth looking at the situation, having a conversation with a friend government that she left leadership and mckelly still sees a small window of opportunity. and the u. s. has been forced to play a supporting role to this because you didn't invoice. but once again, between the both sites, there doesn't seem to be any kind of interest. to tease is come to an end. the prime minister is in the bottle gown and he was shown on national tv, giving interviews in the open. and he has said that he wants to see this end, but he wants to bury the enemy. and this shows you that military might, is more practical in this, from the perspective of both both sides and the state of the peaceful resolution that many countries are calling for. it seems to come on out as era. he is a conflict, drove me to the residence of this village away. now more shilling and eastern

ukraine is forcing out. those who will find friend already found in the solomon islands of days of writing and looting would explain what's driving the rest. ah however, i really am struggling to find any decent weather across europe at the moment. really is something of a dog's in easy lots of cloud showing up here because this area of low pressure, this is storm arden still buffeting at her move west corner of europe. so still some very strong winds coming through here will those when should gradually ease off as we go on through the next couple of days. but we are looking at gales severe gales at, present, still making the way down across the north sea, pushing down into the low countries. his cold front sinks further south that keen northly wind still bringing those snow flurries in across sir parts of scott,

them maybe into wells, and also into parts of england as well along with the a low countries and noticed some heavy snowfall that just rounds. southern france, germany pushing across into the outs some significant snow coming in across poland as well. and we still have the snow still affecting northern parts of spain on sunday, april turn to rain as we go on 3, monday, slightly mild as started to push his way in by that state. plenty, a shower was there across the mediterranean war, snow there around the dalmatian coast and some lobby down, paused to i would towards the black sea into eastern parts of europe and measures for monday that i'm pretty snowy for the politics ah assassinations in broad daylight and increasing moderates, towns and cities living fair al jazeera world examines the rise and criminal gangs,

and the palestinian israeli community. how are these violent crime syndicates operating and are these ready authorities doing enough to combat them at palestinian israeli crime waived on al jazeera. oh, a armando top stories, niandra 0, a growing list of countries have restricted travel to southern africa ever concerns about a new current of ours ferry. and the 1st cases of on the crone have been detected in u. k. israel and belgium, amongst others, south africa, has condemned to measures saying it's being punished for detecting the strain when

it should be applauded people, they're concerned, it's worse than economic damage. she's already been struggling to previous trouble bands and locked downs, venetian book and also find tear gas. and then government demonstration. but just calling for the resignation of president, come away. they're angry at failures, stuff away, violence by all groups. russia says it's recent build up of tens of thousands of troops near the ukrainian border hoses. no threat, but fighting between the ukrainian military and russian by separatists and eastern ukraine has increased. and as chance dropped, the reports from the village of nevada, k homes and lives have been destroyed. this is what heavy weapons do to people's lives in eastern ukraine. it was 1 am. when the shilling started nearly and her husband were fast asleep. they woke buried under the rubble of their

home and they were rescued by the neighbors. superfluous. at the hospital, we woke and our home had been completely destroyed around. i prayed that if we were to die then please god make it quick. the couple i hear you cause her to sit down as it always will have so much emotional pain. i wanted to die. we had ever seen. we need it in life now it's gone. people tried to comfort us, but it's so very hard to cope. around 400 people used to live in this village before the conflict between ukraine and russian back separatists started more than 7 and a half years ago. now fewer than 40 remained and most a leaving because they're afraid of more shelling. tice's home was also hit. she's lived here for nearly 50 years. she's diabetic and spend most of her $100.00 a month pension on food and medicine. she can't afford to rent another home. so

she's moving to her daughter's a few kilometers away. the cranium, soldiers are constantly here. they seem to do rotations every 6 months so, so they were living in different houses in the village when the recent shelling started. friends help her collect wood from the destroyed shed to use his fuel. at her daughter's house. i was frightened in 2014 when the house was shelled, but i was with my sick husband about this time i was alone and overwhelmed via this village hadn't suffered any shilling for the last couple of years. but that all changed on november. the 14th residents tell us that they don't know which side opened fire 1st, but they're all exchanges of fire across the more than 400 kilometers front line almost every day. and it's important to recognize that there are terrified civilians living in the villages like this one that have been destroyed by

ukrainian army shells. just a few kilometers from here. there are what seemed to be disused ukrainian military posts in the village. the military says its base is away from where the few remaining civilians live occasionally ukrainian soldier repairs. every one seems to be leaving. this man asks us if we want to buy his horse. i can leave her here because i don't know when the shelling will start again . he says, russia says it's recent true build up on the border poses no threat to ukraine. the fighting has got worse, and with no sign of any lasting agreement between ukraine, the separatists on their back as in moscow, nelly and her fellow villages joining them more than a 1000000 people who have already been forced to flee their homes. cha stafford al

jazeera neville ski eastern ukraine. a new ministers will hold, crisis talks in kelly on sunday to dress cross channel migration between the u. k and france. it comes up to 20 settle before ground trying to get across on wednesday. but the u. k. has been uninvited from the meeting french president in missouri, my whole cues, british prime minister bras, johnson not being serious about sorting out the problem. he posted a letter calling on the french side to take actions. algerians are voted in local elections that are basing as a test of support for president of the machine to boon mezz. municipal and provincial councils were on the ballot. observe, as predicting a low turn out to boon came to power off to his predecessor was ousted in 2019 by pro democracy protest. back on the head of the army police in iran, of arrested 67 people during protest against water shortages. and they find pagans

to disperse demonstrations in the city is for hon. rainier authorities are promised to compensate farmers, but losses incurred in drought hit areas. 3 people have been confirmed dead in the solomon islands, often days of writing in the capital. honey ara police arrested more than 100 people. sarah clark reports bodies were found in the bird house building in the chinatown district. this area was the flash point for the last 3 days of writing. like a report suggests that the remainder of looters who trapped inside the store that was on the web and local gun on wednesday, kennedy had enclosed an indefinite nighttime p. c. that will show races more than 100 people on rod for life charges. the prime minister isn't hiding place at surrounded his residence after is targeted by, as he government group led by the people of the later province,

most populous district in the solomon islands mulligan, people, the lack of muleta, once a prime minister to stand down because of the things he isn't addressing with the prime minister didn't address issues that were affecting the province of their thing has been widespread across the capital. people are now queuing for fuel and food. supermarket are the bird to the ground for clothes, australian troops, and military personnel from pump, and you're getting around the ground to help her to order in the capital is obviously pens we've seen the last couple of days. there has been some destructions, some losing its volatile situation. the streets may become for now, but there's been simmering discontent, predict heights that the people of them a later province dissatisfied with the prime minister, accusing him of neglecting their province. that's compounded by anger over the central government's decision to dump their allegiance with taiwan. recognizing

china instead with the prime minister, refusing to budge on the protest demands that tension is unlikely to ease sarah clark, al, jazeera police and macau of detained and questioned the territories. biggest casino mogul authorities and mainland china have issued a warned for alvin charles arrest ahead of some city group is wanted for an injury . running an illegal cross border gambling syndicate and setting up casinos in china gambling his band outside the special administrative territory. one of the most influential broadway composes and nurses of all time. steven sometime has died at the age of 91. his works into broadway classics. west side story gypsy and sweeney todd. and he'll be credited with reinventing musical theater group to looks back on his life. oh,

he could make woods flow and sing me here are lost on the ground, but to describe stephen san dance tenant and courier is to deal with superlative. m. look long. he was a titan of america's musical theater, one of the most original song writers and the greatest composers of the 20th century, much like his extraordinary skills, his accomplishments, and audacity were unmatched on broadway. her born and raised in new york city, san time songs revealed the insides and triumphs of modern life with humor and sympathy. oh, a unique style. the turn musicals like west side story into the woods at sweeney todd into classics.

ah, his freaks who musical company which debuted in 1970 receipt, 14 tony award nominations. what started as an interest in music? when he was a teenager, became a towering courier that revolution i storytelling on the broadway stage. in 2015 president barack obama awarded san time the presidential medal of freedom. he won an oscar eat grammy awards and 8 lifetime tony awards. more than any other american composer and lyricist it's, it's nice to get an award. it's nice to be recognized. just the way it's it, i'd rather have an audience like what i write than dislike what i write, but primarily i want to write. so, you know, that's what called santana, transformed musical theater shondra by setting his dancing words to unforgettable melodies every day. for his legacy now includes music

that would reach far beyond the broadway stage. stephen sondheim was 91. her adequate money can catch up with all news on our website address that is our 0 dot com. that's act updated throughout the day. ah, one of the top stories around to 0 countries around the world are racing to find any cases of a new variant of the current of ours that's believed. could be more transmissible, a growing list to restricted travel to southern africa, including south korea, the u. s. and australia, the cases have now been detected in israel, germany, u. k. and several other countries, british prime minister, or as johnson has tightened rules. our scientists are.