i kathy denied m. you wrong one. i want to investigate on al jazeera. ah, this is al jazeera. ah, i know lauren taylor, this is the al jazeera and use our live from london coming up. the identification of our micron of coincides with a sudden rise in corporate 19 infections. a warning that the new current virus variant could be having a big impact in south africa. some doctors think it's just a mild infection. comes as more countries find their 1st cases of all micron with new travel restrictions taking hold in the coming hours. also head to make the u. k

less attractive and stop playing politics over migrant desks, say the french after summit, they excluded the u. k. from final hours of voting in honduras, but after years might in corruption, their fears, a foul play, and it's been 4 years of a 247 had a. is it an illness or r u. s. embassies around the world? under attack? we speak to one of the 1st victims of havana syndrome. i'm devin asked with sport lino, messy and spies. paris. i was a matter of come back when, but there was a worrying looking injury. the name are and man just a cities match with west ham, becomes a spot the ball competition as heavy snow hits the english premier league within those id from with the new and potentially more transmissible. variant of corona virus has continued

to spread with cases now found in more than 10 countries, health officials around the world. se omicron which has been called a variant of concern, is likely to be even more prevalent than that. and in the past few hours, the president of south africa, where it was 1st identified says it could be linked to a stark rise in infections and criticize the imposition of travel bands. we are deeply disappointed by the decision of several countries to prohibit travel from a member of sodom, african countries including our own following the identification of the on the corn variant. this is a clear and completely unjustified departure from the commitment about many of these countries made at the meeting of the g. 20 countries in rome last month. haven't been a joint slide from johannesburg. so an expression there of the frustration over these travel bands and that continues to be the sentiment from the south

african government that south africa has been punished along with other southern african countries for detecting this variant in south africa. they are at the moment about 19 cases of the new variant in neighboring botswana. and those samples were sent to south africa. and that's also how this variant wires are identified. and the president had also gone on to talk about what a good job local sciences were doing in terms of the sequencing of genomes, as well as watching out for changes in mutations and the coven, 19 virus. and instead of being applauded for that, south africa is being punished. and this will just really worse than the economic situation in a country that's already had months of locked down where the south african ran. the currency has lost a significant amount of value and with thousands of jobs have been lost. and so this type of reaction, they're calling knee jerk reaction. they say is just unjustified unwarranted and

simply unfair. what else do you have to say about the, the, the cases, the effect this is having on numbers of cases there. so, rama was, i had noted that about the that the cases had risen by about 9 percent in the last 2 weeks. or so perhaps an average of 500 cases a day, a couple of weeks ago. and that now has gone up. i think they are still trying to understand better whether or not they can attribute that rise to this new variant and just how people are infected. but we've also spoke to affected rather, but we've also spoken to scientists and experts today who say that the cases they have come across in south africa just over 50 are miles and they aren't terribly worried about the severity of illness. and that they haven't been any hospitalizations linked to this particular variant as yet. but, but this is what the president had to say regarding the rise in numbers in south

africa. also urging people to go out and get vaccinated. considering that only 41 percent of south african adults have had received at least one job so far. the identification of only colonel coincides with a sudden rise in corporate mountain infections. this increase has been centered in hotel, although cases are also rising. in other provinces, we have seen an average of 1600 new cases in the last 7 days, compared to just 500 new daily cases in the previous week. now while they haven't been any changes to lockdown restrictions in south africa, south africa remains at level one, the lowest level of restrictions. though the president has emphasized the need for people to be vaccinated and has also said that they're considering mandatory vaccinations, especially for people who go to public places,

public events and use public transport. so we're certainly we'll hear more in the coming days from the government around what exactly it will do to push people going out to getting that to get vaccinated family dinner. thank you very much. indeed. we heard the criticism from the south africa president on travel bands, passengers arriving to the u. k. from all 10 of these southern african nations need to corn tina as of sunday. that's the same for people from 6 of these countries entering japan. and for monday, the u. s. is banning travelers from 8 of them except for american citizens. but some nations are going farther morocco halting all incoming at travel from around the world for the next 2 weeks from monday. and that follows a similar decision by israel, which from midnight shots in just one hour, his band all foreigners, very fortunate reports from occupied east jerusalem. getting in while the getting was good. sunday was the final day of relatively unrestricted arrivals at israel's

main effort. you rules me no foreigners save those with special exemptions will be allowed into the country in the world's harshest response to the army. crown variant is res. returning home will have to quarantine for 3 days effects unaided, 7 days if not, and be diverted to quarantine hotels if they been to restless countries in africa. at the weekly cabinet donuts for the hammock, a holiday, while ministers voted on measures destined to ruin many holiday plans are shoved solid lad dick. but now we need to tighten up our borders in order to keep israel open internally. i understand that we need to change vacation destinations and go into isolation upon return. this happens in my family as well. restrictions on the countries borders is not an easy step, but it's a temporary and necessary step. lot them in another controversial move, the security service will once again trace transmission by monitoring people's phones. although, unlike earlier in the pandemic, the government says this will be reserved for confirmed cases of the army chrome

variant. they meet at impact of a list, of course will be 1st felt in the tourism industry, not just in israel, but here in occupied east jerusalem. and in the occupied west bank as well. a tentative recovery built on the reopening of the borders to tourists. just a little bit earlier this month has now been thrown into doubt. tourists you've already arrived, can finish their trips, but soon the supply of customers will dry up again. it was the beginning that was the beginning of what we hoped to be her, her return of the tourist industry and the return of tourists to, to israel. and again, this is another flap in the faith further into jerusalem's old city shopkeepers who'd only just reopened a contemplating bringing down the shutters again. i don't think that i because, well, 1st of all, this could be that in every way around the world, not only in this country and for the tourist who got in, heightened concerns about getting back out. this is not good news parsing cause i

hope we can go home where it is available at the plains and i come here, i don't know if they're going to go back the government's message, but it closed the borders early and reopen after 2 weeks. been close them late and regretted. recent experience though, tells of temporary restrictions being stretched well beyond the and dates few here a betting that the tourists will be back soon. eric will sit al jazeera, occupied east, jerusalem. scientists around the world are working hard to find out more about the effect of the new strain, but relatively little is known so far about the severity of the illness it causes or if it requires a change in treatment. here's what we do now. variant b 11529 or on a cron was to cat a variant of concern by the world health organization on friday at thought it was flagged up by a south african scientists who detected it in samples from their an botswana. the concern comes from the amount of mutations there are $32.00 on what's called the spike protein. this is what the virus uses to cause infection. and it's what many

vaccines are based on. you k governments as it will convene an urgent meeting of g 7 health ministers to discuss the variant on monday. ne fokker has more now on the situation across europe. we on the con, variant is in europe with every passing, our more cases the detected with the single largest number of infections found on to flight that arrived here at amsterdam, shipple airport on friday from cape town at johannesburg. of the $624.00 passengers on board. $61.00 tested positive for covert 19 a more than a dozen half the armor crowd variant. all and now isolating all the present. 100 percent of the people who return from southern africa will be contacted. we also asked the municipalities to visit 100 percent of the people at home to check whether they are really isolating the oma corn variance now being identified in germany, italy the u. k. denmark, belgium, chet, republic, and austria with case is likely to be circulating in france according to the french

government. the urge a message from brussels couldn't be any clearer vaccinate vaccine night vaccinate boost, boost, boost as much as possible. because this boosting of vaccination arrays us a level of antibodies and stimulates the memory cells for covet a viruses. therefore, this is the police of the immune system. the europe wide response has been to restrict flights from several southern african countries and introduce mandatory testing of people arriving from abroad. travelers coming here to the u. k will have to quarantine for 10 days at their own expense. moves some scientists believe won't be effective in stopping the spread. it's complicated, not you to imagine that you're going to be able to prevent the discretion. busy of to be agent as resorting to the case is an example. in belgium, we entered the traveling belgium. i ended up with a gate and should absolutely demote at a contact with anyone from southern africa. scientists in italy have produced the

1st image of the variant that has more mutations in spite proteins, the part that interact with human cells compared with the highly infectious delta variance. in the absence of any hard data on how wide spread or virulent the all macro variant is, or indeed any information on whether or not existing vaccines confirm a degree of immunity against it. scientists are urging caution due to march by way of new restrictions, and it could have a negative impact on europe's economies due to little and it could take the pandemic in a dangerous new direction. miss walker al jazeera london doctor hammond money reserve on a just at the university of lancaster. he joins us live by skype. thanks so much for being with us. so clearly a lot of work underway to try and get more information. but from the evidence you seen so far from south africa and elsewhere, what is you, what are your thoughts on the, on the subject? i think my major concern at really is that because of this magnitude of the

mutations in the spike protein, it's going to have a significant impact on to the vaccine efficacy. and what we know already is that those mutation that this sir new variant has acquired, those were individually been reported another variance. so we have some level of translation that we can put it into the context for this new barrier. so it beside transmission and some effect on 2 may be high disease severity. the major concerns i have is really all the vaccine efficacy. and so we've had the least one south african doctor saying that actually the what she seen so far cases it was a mild symptoms. is it possible that the very end might be more transmissible, but actually an end up leading to less severe illness? i think that would be an ideal situation, that when we have a virus that can be more transmissible, can spread very quickly, but doesn't really cause any home. and that is jewish. and we wanted to be in the let's hope that that would be the case. but that doesn't seems to be the situation at the moment because most of the cases that we are having at the moment audience

very urbanized prevents, has been the south africa for example pretoria and in this book. so the situation that you will see an open eyes to a population of it that is a bit more condensed involvement, cannot be translated into other countries and more importantly, that is the other burden off. this is like tv, an actual, it's very common in south africa. so perspective of the disease solidity that we will see over there might not be really translated into other countries. and you mentioned the, the issue, the vaccines. what do you think? i mean, you talked about the kind of the vague racial variations, the spike protein is that the problem. and if so, although vaccines that once are effective against previous variance that might actually be brought back in instead of the ones that we've been using, a predominantly really important question actually, because most of the vaccines that currently are being deployed, for example, i am pfizer, matter not astrazeneca, johnson johnson, they are purely based on despite protein itself. so the only contained the spike,

but it, but then we have other vaccines, for example, normal vax and some of the killed vaccines like sign of hans. i know that they take the all widest particles which mean that it would contain spite protein, but it also looked at in other genes off the vidas as well. so if there would be any escape out of the immunity from these mixed vaccines that it would be probably more compensated with this up and new a new variant and new mutations. so certainly that aspect need to be visited, but at the same time, most of the vaccine that are currently being deployed, we are learned so much down the line from production manufacturing to scaling up. i think we are certainly in his but better condition to handle a new valiant than we were all the year before. it was about the, the criticism. so that was very critical of the decision to have their, their travel bands. i mean, it, is it you think an unfair response and is it, is it something that will actually make a difference? well, i think that is also very important because it's pretty controversial really, how we look into. but in a disease management perspective, when these kind of variance come into a country or into continent, very difficult to manage them or take an example of delta. vanity merged into euro,

for instance, is took at the whole europe by strong. so it's very difficult to control these widest when or new reading, and when they come into the country or into the continents, the only way we can minimize that impact is really to reduce the spread of the transmission at so that we will buy time to, to really study them by that there is a genuine concerns about the transmission disease severity or the vaccine ethic efficacy. so, but, but certainly on the other handed, aflac negative on to the countries economy. and they've been very transparent, very honest and sharing the information. and i'm, i must say that whole word must tagged them because if they wouldn't let us know in timely, we would not be discussing this one. and we would not have that information that we will be otherwise having it talk to millennia. thank you very much indeed. to feel time. thank you. thanks for having me. still come on. the news are a very name, much under fire in ethiopia is a far region out. is there against exclusive access to the front line of an

escalating conflict? the votes have been counted in a king is election, which is said to strengthen the president to cost to parliament. and for me, one pays tribute to to you found a frank williams with died aged $79.00. ah, france says it won't be held hostage by the you case, domestic politics on migration. that response came in a european leaders emergency summit in cali, which was missing representation from the u. k. it was cold after 27 people died, trying to cross the english channel or a challenge reports from chi. they wait because that's all their lives have become here. the queueing for charity clothing, anything to fight the early went to chill. but ultimately they're waiting for an opportunity here from when there comes,

it might killed him. keys aren't from see don. heard about the 27 people who died in the channel this week. it hasn't put him off when you're dead and do something that is good for day. what you day i knew is leading bardello. so diana dry sink. that is good. it says, but it's a dodge residue drive. you're running behind your dream. they're trapped. no european country wants them and they know it until we are dying of death. oh, our discipline. those are the only options they will just do is their shoes. tell them easy to say. french police have stepped up. beach patrols recently. storms have made this a treacherous time to attempt to crossing, assuming you can afford the $3300.00 smugglers, a charging and the freight building is they use a small and vulnerable refugee charities, according and governments to make legal options for migrants and asylum seekers. easier and what we need is a better solid system. it's not that the purpose in

a moment. we call for something that doesn't force people to rest their lives about the channel. on sunday, the ministers from france, germany, belgium, and the netherlands. and he repeat, commission diplomat, met to discuss the crisis, they pledged more unified policing and the use of the resources like an e u. border agency planed to patrol frances coastline boss. the u. k. was absent disinvited by france after boris johnson angle manual. not crohn by tweeting a letter he'd written to the french president containing previously rejected policy suggestions, said to have to have a, this joint work meeting can only be done in a serious way. and with that being hosted to domestic politics. president, mclaren said several times this week that the relationship with britain must be relationship of equals. we are not auxiliaries of britain. this issue has always been one that requires co operation between france and the united kingdom. and right now that is fighting. yes, british politicians like to blame france to distract from domestic problems,

but with french presidential elections approaching the case, isn't the only government playing to the home crowd by throwing insults across the channel. meanwhile, desperate people shivering in the cold and drowning and the sea will reach helen's out. his era. kelly the czech republic, has a new prime minister, 7 weeks after its general election. it will be ration for a pitch of yellow, was unusual. president them and was diagnosed with non teen friday and perform ceremony inside a large plastic box. viola had a shock when in last month selection and of the weeks of talks his right when civic democrat party is now leading a 5 way coalition hurts, have been counted in kingston's parliamentary elections a year after disputed vote. the 2 political turmoil, the number of seats up for grabs, has been reduced by the president from 120 to just 90. but the same bas robbie reports from dish politics this year has been more peaceful than before.

the election day for curtis. dan's new parliament, a re run one year in the making in a country where it can be difficult to tell if the political storm has passed or if you're in it's, i mean, i think we had too many negatives. our country was so ruined during previous years . we nearly hit rock bottom. i want quick active and effective measures from the government. i really want our country to rise. we always say we are one of the most ancient nations in the world and we are proud of it. but in fact, there is nothing to be proud of. and i want us to have reasons to be proud to be. i won't government to stop playing political games with a legal stage intrigues and start dealing with economics. the country as well, people's wealth and improving international relations. attracting foreign investment. people live easier and better lawyers. some journalists,

critical of the president, said they were barred from reporting a polling stations opposition leaders accused the government of influencing the voting process using the same corrupt practices of past leaders. the government, by its own admission said before the polls, it won't be perfect. but the central election commission said there were 5 times fewer violations at polling stations, as compared to last year, were at the polling station that is closest to the main square that was last year. the scene of violent protests and clashes with police over disputed parliamentary election results back then. this time so far it has to be said, things are pretty quite disputed results from last year. parliamentary election led to a violent revolution. the 3rd into decades bringing president southern power off to power. after casting his ballot he left on a diplomatic visit to turkmenistan, criticized by his opponents for not delivering on many of his public promises,

depart will likely count a quiet election day as a promise he did make good on. i think it's a bit of an overstatement to say that this is the best selection of 30 years, but certainly compared to some of the more recent couple of elections, we can say the, the amount of complaints the spread of abuses is certainly lower. this time, the final results will be out in 2 weeks and the 1st session of parliament is expected to convene early next year. if nothing happens in the coming weeks, that will be something meaningful. a turning point for this country and the government will count it as a success to have kept the wheels of democracy moving. then basra, the algebra, this a few hours left for hundreds to vote in the countries presidential election. but the campaign has been overshadowed by fears of fraud, and the un has expressed concern after the deaths of dozens of political candidates, and our regular reports from the capital tegucigalpa. ah, it's been

a tense election season in honduras, a wave of political violence, his moral. what would otherwise be a celebration of civic engagement in the community of can the learners thousands recently took to the streets for the funeral of francisco pucky dog then in incumbent merrill candidate who was killed in broad daylight. more on the campaign trail. human rights observers say would happen to get then, is just one of dozens of similar cases of politically motivated attacks in the lead up to this year's general election. a phase one i thought that looked like they own work that will enter. we've had 31 politically motivated violence that's in the country. hold candidates for popular elected positions. more to have. we have many criminal attacks nationwide that form part of the current political climate. yes.

in honduras is capital to gucci. guide me in the woods, spent her mornings in her artisan workshop at another point in indigenous rights activist meeting as art often portray scenes of daily life in indigenous mosquito communities. medinah was also until recently a political candidate, how by a hint, then she tells al jazeera that even after ending her campaign, she worries about being a target of violence. as this advocate yourself, henry, it's something i wouldn't wish on any one else, not having a life. the thought that at any moment something might happen. where can i go out on the street? and i'm always looking over my shoulder distrusting every one. because when someone says there's a price on your head, when i begin to lose trust in every one thinking someone might betray you get only and then i'm beat up this year some 7400 electoral observers will be monitoring poles across honduras under what many believe to be the most polarized election

season in recent memory, there's been growing anxiety among hunter and citizens. many worry over possible foul play by the countries ruling national party. similar to what international observers documented during the disputed presidential election 4 years ago when more than 2 dozen people were killed during protests that took place in the days after the election results were announced. apart from choosing a new president, hunters will be voting for 128 members of the national congress and nearly 300 mayors among other elected positions. experts however, warned that he generalized fear of violence on the streets could lead to a drastically lower voter turnout than previous elections. many doors as live now from the honduran capital degree scalper. so tell us about the day how it's played out. its been a beautiful day to be out voting in the capital city here in seattle. the other

polls opened at 7 a and there's still another half hour, at least to go before the 1st polls begin to close. there is an expectation that polls will remain open for people who are either late or some of the polling stations who didn't have their materials arriving on time and giving everybody an opportunity to cast to cancer votes. this is a general election that really has been shaping up to be a very major election of pivotal election, 400 citizens, for many reasons, not least of which is this backdrop of one of the worst migrant crises that this country has seen in recent memory. it's a migrant crisis that's fueled by ramp and corruption by worsening poverty in the country, forcing thousands of people over the course of the last few years to flee the country in mass. now again, these, the polls been opened from 7 am. there have been long queues, this is now the 3rd polling station that we've visited. and this, despite the, the large public participation that we've witness. there is a significant,

massive mistrust of the electoral process here in honduras. and this has everything to do with what happened. 4 years ago when the national party, the ruling party in the country that's been in power for the last 8 years, was able to achieve that victory. underwood international electoral observers would characterize as fraudulent circumstances. so there is a huge mistrust of that electoral process here in the country. and there is an expectation for many that this year could finally break the cycle of a one party rule that the country is seen over the course of the last 8 years. there's a lot of hope in the air you could say to people wanting radical change in the, the only political candidate in the race right now between the 3 major political candidates that offers that radical departure from the traditional politics that this country has seen recently is fuel medic, acid from the from the left wing opposition in honduras there is concern that she may lead to more polarization,

may be isolation of honduras from the united states. hunters is largest trading trading partner by far. but there's also this perception that a continuation of 8 more years of the same party could only worse in the circumstance and lead to even more people fleeing the country, like we've seen in these migrant caravans over the last few years on europe at thank you very much indeed the news aft london's to the head. ah, it's carnival time in synagogue capital and when it's the new event to celebrate longstanding traditions, leonor messy sets up all 3 p. s g goals as they come back to when the french league game action coming up and support ah, with getting going on your weather forecasts for

monday, europe and africa. we're going to start in this part of europe right now. we do have some snow that peer nice right through the alps, a lot of activity for a sicily central and southern parts of italy over the other side of the adriatic sea and some snow over a higher elevation, but also lower to the ground as well. sorry, 806 degrees, we could see some mixing there. what whether also through greece, though, i do think athens will stay dry, 20 degrees and what, whether from the black sea right through the mediterranean, for turkey, but powerful winds blasting through the boss for a system bowl. could see wind gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour. other side of the mediterranean, again, just set snow for the parent ease, but central and southern parts looking pretty good, northwestern europe. right now we do have some snow across the baltic states and that rain snow live pretty much on that border with lithuania and bella. ruth mince has a high of 4 degrees also for in london, but hang tight, i will bump up your temperature in the days to come in to double digit.