a diverse range of stories from across the globe. from the perspective about networks, journalists on al jazeera. ah, as i say, in passengers who had arrived in the netherlands from south africa test positive for the new variant of coven 19. ah! i money in sight. this is al jazeera live from doha, also coming up, villages, homes destroyed and eastern ukraine as fighting and shelling and testifying, and polls clothes and a parliamentary election and ca gastorm, that's expected to both. so the president center job titles, hold on power, and a large number kimberly's children born a couple of mine,

some serious deformities. we'll have our we begin with the latest on the corona, vars pandemic on saturday. we told you about 2 passenger flights from south africa that landed in amsterdam with a number of passengers testing positive for coven 19. well, now we have consummation that 13 of them have the new on the chrome variance authorities are still conducting more tests. their journey began on friday after the 2 airlines took off from cape town on johannesburg, nearly 600 people were men. the way through the 11 hour flight countries started shutting their borders to south africa and the region. the netherlands decided the passengers already in the air would have to be tested on arrival. or at least 61 people in those flights tested positive and have been kept in isolation. let's go

straight to ne bianca who's in london for us. what is the latest we're hearing from authority? the netherlands below. so hearing as a, the investigation into whether or not more passengers will test positive the i'm a convergent is still underway. as you mentioned, there 13 of the 61 you tested positive coven 19. have now have their cases confirm, asked this a new variant. there was 624 passengers on 2 flights, one from cape town, one from johannesburg that arrived in the netherlands on friday. all $624.00 were held for several hours while this testing was underway and those that have tested positive for either the original variance or the new variant are now isolating. we believe a shipple airport in a designated hotel. it is, of course, one of the largest international travel hogs a in the world. and the dutch understandably are being very,

very cautious about how they play this. so news also elsewhere in europe. a 2 cases of omicron have been discovered in denmark as well, on an increasingly longer and longer list of cases popping up all over the continent in germany and italy and belgium. of course here the u. k, we've been reporting it for a couple of days. interestingly, in belgium, the case there found in a woman isn't expected or isn't believe to have been linked to any travel to africa, or anybody who'd come from africa. the implication is that the varian may already be seated in various countries. here in europe. how much pressure does this put on europe, which is already been dealing with the sage and the doubts variant? if was a huge amount of stress on the various european economies going into the christmas season, of course, i think governments are mulling or exactly what exactly what exactly they should do, whether they should go hard and foster whether they should introduce partial

restrictions, whether they should be a little bit more cautious because of the moment we're in something of a data limbo when it comes to understanding whether or not existing vaccines provides some degree of immunity. for this variant, whether or not this variance spreads quickly, whether it is extremely harmful for the elderly. whether indeed it could affect young children as well. we simply don't know, but there is a degree of anecdotal evidence. some of it coming from dr. angelie curtsey, who was the south african doctor who 1st brought this very into the world's attention. she said amongst young people there the variant shows mild symptoms. so talking about her. busy typically cough we're talking about lethargy. what we don't know though is it's impact further afield. the question is, will look, should we be heading the or the safety switch as much as we can now or biding our time as more information comes in and keep me packet that for us in london.

australia's prime minister scott morrison says the veron is concerning. after tea passengers who arrived in sydney were confined to have the new strain and government has imposed restrictions on people arriving from 9 southern african countries. it is a fast moving issue that we will continue as we always have sensible, balanced, guided by the best possible medical evidence and medical expert advice. that is what is enabled a strategy to be so successful through the course of cove it to open, safely and to remain safely open. that clock has more from breast than in australia that was from southern africa and it, but i've been concerned with tested positive. the flight number was q r 90 right? there were landing in sydney. now there were 14 passages on this flight from southern africa. the other 12 have now gone into military to, to a mentoring hotel florentine. it was a full flight. there were 260 people on board,

the other passengers and crew. they are now being told to go into the oscillation now. well that was the site to reopen it, borders internationally, it dropped quarantined. all those people who fully back tonight and of course over not that changed as a result. any national trouble, any striding returning home now must partake in 72 out of soap oscillation, and anyone from those 9 countries from southern africa. and they must be compulsory hotel point name. let's try to had some of the topics border restriction in the world borders international borders have been closed for around 600 days. early this month, the problem is that we would be reopening one sides. suggestions were around 40000, the spreading was stuck with stranded overseas, some yet to lift those international restrictions in the lots of queens that were i am and witness ready, but certainly at the change of not this new private strain, there's a lot of cool to concern about international travel once again, and certainly ahead of just

a few weeks ahead of christmas or governance around the well as happened, imposing new restrictions in response. the new variance. israel is bonding all foreigners from entering the country for 2 weeks. returning citizens will need to quarantine, hurry forth, it has moved from occupied east jerusalem. what the government has announced and was still waiting for the final confirmation from the cabinet, but were expecting that to come through without any trouble. it is very restrictive, all foreign visitors to the country will be banned from entry unless they get special dispensation, which is historically a very small number. so the recently reopen tourism business has had the shot has brought down on it just a few weeks into that. tentative reopening israelis returning to the country. they will have to currency for at least 3 days if vaccinated 7 days if not vaccinated, and go to a government run quarantine hotel if they've been to any of the 50 african countries

on the read list. and on top of that, more controversially, for many, the reposition of surveillance by the countries internal security agency, the sion that of telephone. this time it will only be those belonging to people who confirmed to have the army cron varied, but nonetheless, some controversy about that move as well. if you talk to people involved in the tourism business, which obviously there are many religious pilgrims who come to this area as well as just this being the main reason for most people to come to jerusalem to see this historic and very religiously significant site. there was some hope that there might be some recovery of that industry we spoke to and is ready to a guide who is very disappointed about the situation spoken to palestinian shop owners who say that, you know, it's been a terrible couple of years. so the mother is the director of the vaccines, an infectious disease analytics research unit in south africa. he says,

banning travelers from a few countries won't be effective in stopping on the chrome spreading to believe that by thinking about from an end for countries in africa that we haven't, you've not going to fit your daughter. and i think that's another piece of feel allowed to cover between the 3 countries in your own country. it's completely might you to imagine that you're going to be able to prevent the discretion of to be at your for the case just example. in belgium, we added the traveling belgium that ended up with a gate and should note that contact with anyone from southern africa inspector for governments destroy. going to end up wanting to try to take out a route of israel reach if necessary to shut the board. a student that's up to well, our government's prepared to do that. dante, it's no because protest too much for that, the going to going on the consequences for their own countries. you do is to shut the water to the rest of the world. it's much more convenient to single out a few southern african countries that dr. political economic club,

closed and boarded, provide the impression that you're actually doing something for your fucking to when it's going to have nominal back. we have that will be a provincially around your country. the big question right now is we have to create and you going to compute the delta p again and that you have that out. but you've got a computer delta gradient would be to, to the next few weeks. we want you to get the temperature in any countries haven't shot that dog from the rest of the world. european ministers are to me and cali shortly to discuss the cross channel migration crisis. 27 people drowned trying to get across the english channel between the you came from an attendee on wednesday. person has been excluded from the talks. or we challenge reports from cali in northern france. toa his father and their friends may have reached the end of the road. i do it afraid of anything i do have that no food. no food. was it?

if we done 30 i said that by the other the day nobody accept us any. would the iranian migrants have made it to the coast of northern france, but crossing the channel to england is difficult, and ought to 27 people drowns, trying this week. it's risky too, but it's risk many is still willing to take. if i die sookie, nobody even think about me. one me migrants and refugees, camp on road sides and railway sidings, surrounded by the debris of a life they hoped would be temporary and now seems endless. they burn anything to keep warm and wait. just do it the shoes. tell them easy to say the police, sir. i know everywhere they don't let us go to indoors easily . you know, really and be like no french police have stepped up patrols.

storms have made this a treacherous time to attempt a crossing, assuming you can afford the $3300.00 smuggle as a charging. and the inflatable ding ease. they use a small and vulnerable, but the dream doesn't die. patrick from seed on wants to hide in a vehicle using the ferry. one tonight in the morning. i'll come here, sit on the sleep and eat again. tonight go you want to go england and get us and then guess i'm gonna leave out on sunday interior ministers from france, germany, belgium, the netherlands and european commission diplomats are meeting in cali to discuss the migration crisis, but they'll be one important absence. pretty patel. he came home. secretary has

been disinvite it. the french asked her not to come off the prime minister barak johnson tweeted a letter he'd written to french president and manual micron mac cron, like needed the migration policy suggestions, nor the twitter tactics at the dispute shows how little trust remains between britain and france at a time when this and humanity are both solely needed. well re talents. how does era kelly fill ahead on the out there. to don says 6 of his soldiers have been killed during a board. a skirmish with ah, hello. hello. so set fare for the korean peninsula and for japan at the moment that's about to change. we got this area cloud sliding out. so for china pushing right up into the

far east of russia, that's going to sink its way further southwards. and as it does so, it will just ram papa little so some when she weather coming through our beijing easing towards yellow. see some wet weather coming through here. north korea saying somewhere whether it's sliding in for monday, then that rain really setting in snow on the northern flank of that heavy down. pause for south korea, the que shoe, southern parts of honju, northern parts. so for japan, we'll see the best of the dry weather for longest, but that will turn increased on settle as we go one through the week, of course. so chances and disruption coming through here, we're seeing some disruptive rein recently into we're indonesia, some heavy downpours here. have you down posed to, to northern parts of the philippines, central and southern part of the vietnam, seeing some live showers through cambodia and on in sue or thailand where, where the 2 across southern parts solver in the air causing some issues such rank is still seeing some very heavy rain at wet weather will slide out into the arabian

sea. it will gradually turn increased wet right up the western gates by the middle of the week. ah, ah mother nature's kiss. cold landscapes, but strong infrastructure governance. arising where investments are waiting to flourish. with tv even supplied by tradition and where beautiful possibilities are offered. lou.

the me. welcome back here watching out is there a mind to help stories? this 13 passengers traveling from south africa to saddam have tested positive for the need on the chrome variance authorities. investigating off the 61 of nearly 600 travelers on friday were found to have cobit 19 israel as buying all foreigners from entering the country for 2 weeks. it is a tough to travel bound so far since the baron was detective in south africa, the european minister meeting and need to discuss the cross channel migration crisis. 27 people drowned trying to get across the english channel between you came from and thinking on wednesday. person has been excluded from the hauling stations of clothes and vote, saw being counted in cargo stones parliamentary election. president jethro promised

to make sure this election is free and peaceful. long as he is vote was disputed and triggered rise. but out of the previous government, let's go to zane bas robbie, who is live for us in bas, get zane. so very thing house close. now bring us up to date on how the day went. well, curtis, done as a country has crossed a sort of finish line polls closed just moments ago. and so far, everything proceeded throughout the day without any major incident of any kind were here at a pulling station in the most densely populated part of the city in the south of biscuits, an election workers at this pulling station behind me, tell us that the turn out figures, which is what the topic of conversation will be. now vote counting and turn out the turn out figures largely mirror the number of eligible voters that came out to vote in january's presidential elections that saw president. so there jumper of

a send to the presidency, they say according to the lot as late as data, it is about 28 percent of eligible voters that have come out in this parliamentary election. the government will no doubt see that as a success. but experts say there's still a lot of work to be done. initial results will be here in a couple of days. and then in 2 weeks we'll have final results. parliament will can be an early next year. if all of that happens without incident, that can be seen as a turning point. in this countries, a democratic process, we spoke to presidents, other job, or just the day before the election day. and he gave us a sense of what he thinks the political health of his country, a country he described as an island of democracy in central asia on the eve of parliamentary elections. curtis jones, president, southern par uh said his government has done everything possible to crack down on the long standing problem of vote rigging. on his watch, he says, results will be legitimate and post election street and will remain protest pre island christ. i'm going to have all of that,

not going to. if every citizen wants to ensure future. sure, a good future for you. regardless of the cold, regardless of rain, regardless of snow. regardless of rocks falling from the sky, they should come vote. the week leading up to election day saw police raids on a legit coup ladders homes and the rest of a parliamentary candidate supporter accused of trying to buy votes, small and in the president's words stupid actions that his people will no longer abide, tourist about on one breath johnson, even if you dig for information about them, there is no one significant. we know who they are, drug take as convicts, and what people would links to organized crimes. and we will take very strict action against them within the boundaries of the law. i mean, i'll dot mitchell little in january, japan was elected president with 80 percent of the vote. recent poll numbers suggest he is still the most trusted political figure in the country. but until august on political popularity is easily lost and on the streets, people are critical of him for not delivering on his promises. asked if he sees

a problem with cracking down on the sort of activism that brought him to power. he said circumstances were different. did m as in control, alma, i've been jailed twice, and both times i was jailed unjustly. off to my 2nd imprisonment and people freed major and last october's events. and there is a huge difference between me and the cooper watches a difference as wide as the space between the ground and the sky. i had no intention to carry out and on revolt. i don't called people to protest. the people freed me and they placed me in this position, yet he has no party affiliations and says he is not backing any candidates. but experts say parties that support president power of government are the ones that are expected to take the majority of seats and parliament. a self proclaimed champion of democracy is about to consolidate even more power. the president's message to his people is that he is putting his best foot forward and his faith in

god, and they should be confident putting their faith in him. then bas robbie al jazeera at the presidential residence in bish heck. russia says its recent build up of troops near the ukrainian border poses no threads fighting between ukraine's military and russian. back separatist has been getting worse. charles trotted reports from the village of neville skid needs on. yes. in eastern ukraine. this is what heavy weapons do to people's lives. in easton 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 that offered to be 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, her, her dentist said, did it always do?

i 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 remain and most of leaving because they're afraid of more shelling. places 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 or 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. yesterday i was frightened in 2014 when the house was shelled, but i was with my husband. 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

a 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 troop build up on the border poses no threat to ukraine. the fighting has got worse, with no sign of any lasting agreement between ukraine, the separatists and their back, as in moscow, nelly and her fellow villages adjoining them more than a 1000000 people who have already been forced to flee their homes. cha, stripe al jazeera neville ski eastern ukraine. see don says 6 of his soldiers have been killed during an attack by ethiopian forces. it happened that an army post near contested border area in gas,

or if states menissi says its forces were pal the offensive and inflicted heavy losses on the arms group. if you know his army chief denied his soldiers had any involvement in the attack. but so soda has more from county. the sudanese side here says that they the the cure p and forces and some of the militia groups that are loyal to the central government in utopia. how attacked did the sudanese forces that they have killed, seeks through the onions, soldiers, and the in the statement of this with any army, they said that the attackers, the, this would drop your forces and militias aimed at intimidating the farmers sub page and the harvest season. and also incursions into this with anita lamb. this region of a sugar region is a very further region in the, in the, in between this redone and it, your peer and that region. this border has the all this dispute is since the colonial areas between the 2 countries and have witnessed several conflicts. the

last conflict was last year 2020 started in november and loss of months and months . but at the end of the process, it to appeal through that have agreed to keep the state or grand best integral have been interrupted by the collections that happened yesterday. however, the put, the export says that both companies will lease states will, will real refrain from escalating the passion as both or having the internal crisis . the conflict in ethiopia sped to e ne and region of a far an area. when most imports come 3 ounces, there is a fast international news channel to gain access to the region. since the fighting gand matea. tellico reports from the town of many national and human at the middle of the month. we are at the heart of a b. s. mentally area which has been recently making headline. this strategic area has been a prime target for the degree people liberation front. that degree and fighters

have been trying to advance to this area behind me, the road leading to area. and it's one of the main arteries for separating if you'll be out from the sea under more than 90 percent of the need. important to my left is the road leading to this above capital city. all of these above us imports run through this particular road statistics. have it that more than a 1000 trucks across this road, every single day buddy of the country's economic lifeline in front of me lies. but where the fighting is currently arranged. whoever wins that battle might have the upper hand in the war. doctors in the democratic republic, congo have native high rates and fast effects. and babies born near coal mines demands of the metal is soaring. as wealthy countries promise to switch from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, out there is malcolm webb has more coal whizzy in the south of the country. when

blue awesome by was born with a cleft lip. her mother, henrietta was worried there, hoping they can get help at this hospital in the democratic republic of congo laws, grandmother miss single. willa has seen cleft lip before i, michelle, she, i don't know what causes this, but one of our neighbors also has it and he struggles to speak other people in the community habit, but none of them have had surgery. they just lived with henry s. s l, food and drinks in one of the many informal coble mines here in lieu elaborate province. doctor billy mcclung says he's seen far too many left lips and other malformations in newborn babies over the 5 years he worked here. and says they can be connected to mine pollution when the we can be mining at the mouth of the pregnancy. these exposure he sent to the mining to the dust of the mining to them met in the mining can pick the baby and the baby can born with this month

formation. the bill is given corrective surgeries to thousands of children funded by charities. he's also worked on research projects, but he says much more needs to be done. as a lack of data. scientists have found that children whose father's work in the mines a much more likely to have birth defects. most of the cobalt is mind, industrially by foreign companies. most of the world's supply comes from here, is used in batteries in mobile phones and electric vehicles. demand for it is soaring in china, europe, in the us. communities here live right next to the mountains of mine. tailings. most mine is working in formal, illegal mine sticking out cobalt by hand. scientists say mine is exposed to radiation for metals at work may then be exposing pregnant mothers at home. we went with dr. billy to meet another of his patients. helen panza, son and dollar, has

a birth defect in his legs. talk to billy says it can be corrected with surgery, but it needs to be done soon. he's looking for funding. there's no way helen can afford the $1500.00 is needed. we stop going to hospital because we don't have money. we would go for the surgery if only god will help us dollar and helen live less than a 100 meters from a large industrial mine. it's just over there. helen's husband works in a mine the research his say, if it is indeed mining pollution that's causing the mouth, former teeth, they expect more mal foreman sees in future generations. and the worst of this is yet to come. dollar and children like him need public health services that don't exist here. we did much of the money made from cobalt mining goes abroad as hardly any help for the people who suffer its effect. malcolm web al jazeera co wavy democratic.