al jazeera ah, results are expected soon in the gambia as presidential election, where voters use models to cost a balance. ah, hello, i'm down, jordan, this is al jazeera la you from to also coming up. winter's coming, but russia is accused of putting a choke hold on ukraine's energy supplies we follow congolese and ugandan troops are joining forces against a rebel group that's threatening both countries. plus i'm aerobic bride in western afghanistan where they've just finished harvesting the world's most expensive spies in a country that right now is among the world's most economically ah,

early election results are expected in the coming hours in the gambia voters used a unique system for casting their ballots in an election that seen as a test for their countries transition to democracy. turnout was high as they decided whether president adam of barrow deserves another term, often address reports from a capital banjo. president adam a bottle arrives to cast his vote aware that in this tightly contested election, there could be surprises. but the president and his supporters accounting only divided opposition to achieve victory. or i am john present to support this one. everybody knows, not even, you know, to do as you want to be doing. the other borrower is challenged by the leading architects of the coalition. but ended the victory over his predecessor ya. 5 years

ago, they also voted and i confident of women. when i want to say that i have gotten my work and hummed in there, it does to god, what is it to him? this election is significant in many aspects, from the record number of candidates to the nearly a 1000000 people who registered to vote solomon boss as the difference between the 2016 election. and this one is clear, the feeling of fear was there. but this one has no feeling of fear. for my own honest that from my own of them it doesn't mean anything for you as a voter. yeah, it means something. yes. because then somebody, if she at it go to settings, which is not in line with his own desire for 1st time for to howard demi, it's a dream come true. it's been nice voting for the 1st time since i was adela. i

wanted to vote because he didn't really feel like i said, 14140 as in all previous elections since 1947, a unique system is used traditional models along with a drum and bell inside. this could be the last time the marble system of voting is used in the gumby with the list of candied, it's going, it's becoming increasingly expensive to produce ballard boxes for each candidate. and in all of the countries, $1500.00 boats, city, the election commission wants to adopt paper ballots in the next vote. because the system that a sockless country for more than half a century is no longer sustainable. turned out across the country was impressive. and the process largely peaceful people are enjoying greater freedom. they, you know, they have seen develop elections as a means to piece. because gammy is also, you know, very canopies love in bottles are love music. the result of the election is

expected within 24 hours of paul's closing. on saturday night, ahmed edris al jazeera by june, the gambia security forces have been deployed to central molly after 31 people were killed in an ambush. a truck was sprayed with bullets and set on fire. near the town of multi women and children are among the victims. central marley's become one of the most violent air is in the fight against arm groups linked to iso and al qaeda. if he appears prime minister has called on young people fighting for the to gripe people's liberation front to surrender and not take part in what he called a war without a gold fighting's not said to be limited to areas between the towns of batty and dessie. the government says it's making progress and has captured more towns from the rebels, which been fighting for more than a year. but their leader denies his troops. i was drawing and says, the government's engaged in war propaganda. the leaders of france and saudi arabia have held a joint son called with lebanon's prime minister in what seen as a significant gesture, resolving

a diplomatic crisis. the call was made as french president emanuel macro visited saudi arabia of the trips to the u. a and cattle, the kingdom and of the gold states withdrew their ambassadors from beirut last month, angered by a government minister who criticized the satellite war in yemen. the minister resigned on friday. what saturday been france also issued a joint statement, calling on lebanon's leaders to work on comprehensive reforms. they want action on corruption, finance, energy and border control. emmanuel macro mom had been solomon also agreed to work on a humanitarian plan for lebanon's people. it's grinding economic crisis as left 3 quarters of the population in poverty. with more than 15 european countries have confirmed cases of the army con variance, but this persistent opposition to the reintroduction of measures to slow rising infections. thousands,

much peacefully through the dutch city of utrecht. the government imposed a partial lockdown 3 weeks ago, due to case number's being at the highest since the pandemic again, a neighboring germany has just reported another 42000 infections. the outgoing chancellor anglo merkel made an appeal to those resisting vaccinations as she prepares to leave office in the coming week. well, the number of new daily cobra 19 cases in south africa has nearly quadrupled in just 4 days. more than 16000 infections were recorded on saturday compared with 4300 on tuesday. it's underscoring concerns about the rapid spread of been you on the chrome variant from johannesburg from eden mil explains how the government's responding by encouraging more fascinations. this is one of a few 100 vaccination centers in the housing province in south africa. and how ting has been hardest hit by the rise in coven, 19 infections, between 70 and 80 percent of new infections across of africa in this province alone

. and that is why authorities are saying that people need to get out and get vaccinated. there has been some level of vaccine hesitancy, about 42 percent of people who are eligible for a vaccine have actually taken that up. but that number drops to about 36 percent for people who have taken up 2 doses, who are fully vaccinated. the government has set up a number of drives, door to door awareness campaigns, trying to create awareness around why the vaccine is important, especially because so little is known around the army kron variance. and the greatest concern there is just how easily it spreads. and that is being reflected in the spike in numbers that south africa is experiencing. one area of concern, while hospitalizations of people has remained relatively low, a number of young children under the age of 5 or having to be admitted to hospital now becoming ill after contracting cove. at 19 this recruiting

a number of students 12 to 17, since it was open to that age group a month or so ago that has come in now for, for the vaccinations coming in with the parents coming in as families. so there has been that we have the mon, optical, a number of infected, a kids at the surrounding schools over years where i think parents are exercising portia a week ago, this vaccine send to had about the steel, 60 people coming through every day. and now that number has doubled, so that is encouraging for people trying to make sure that south africans are getting vaccinated. but we've also been to several vaccination centers in this province. some entirely empty, some with people trickling through and others more busy. so there's still an issue around vaccine hesitancy, but certainly a significant proportion of the south african population has been spooked by this new army con variant. and more people are coming out to get a job. us defense secretary lloyd austin says his country is committed to making

sure ukraine has what it means to protect itself. russia is reportedly building up forces on his board of ukraine. and now it's accused of using energy as a weapon by cutting cold supplies to ukraine. charles traffic reports from to risk hold line close to the front line in easton, ukraine. moines, such as this one have helped fuel industry in the don bus region and across what was the soviet union for over a century. but ukraine remains dependent on russia to meet its energy needs, especially coal, which is vital for fueling ukrainian power stations. in 2014 pro russia, separatists seized control of the majority of the mines. further depleting, ukraine's access to coal decades of neglect means much of the mines infrastructure is close to collapse the about, although not just thought the equipment we have is from 1958 lack of investment and

government negligence is one of the reasons why we face a shortage, things could be difficult this winter. another problem is that russia caught crane's coal supply last month. russia has recently stopped exporting coal to ukraine, saying that there's just too much domestic internal demand for the natural resource . some analysts are describing this is nothing short of blackmail. an effort by russia to weapon analyze its vast natural resources as a means of putting pressure on ukraine. and it's not just cold that russia is using to try and control your grain. these a gas pipelines similar to those that transport russian gas across ukraine to europe. europe relies on russia around 35 percent of its energy needs. and ukraine gets paid transit these, which were around 2000000000 dollars last year with those days on nearly over the

non stream to pipeline, which is expect you to be opperation next year, bypasses ukraine, instead transporting gas from russia to germany on the baltic sea. russia trying to lead to divide europe for rush rate the energy relations. ready was different states separately rather than with then go the year from your perspective, this means that russia will have has free to destabilize station in. ready the queen, more actively germany has warned russia not to use its gas exports as a weapon, but has been criticized by other european states and ukraine for exposing kiana to more economic pressure for moscow. silas, se russia's aim of trying to keep ukraine inexperience? influence is impossible, it is simply not possible to have that sort of control away our neighbors. we've

all with the investing huge resources military as well as economy because in b and as i see on russia, i think it moscow and age to modify its aids. because very simply, natalie windsor is just beginning give is so worried about the potential electricity blackouts that it's been forced to start importing cole from as far away as the us in columbia. so my goal is to say economic and energy pressure from russia will continue. because the more ukraine talks about future nato and e u membership, the more moscow sees red. josh rabbit al jazeera toreto, eastern ukraine. 3030 and people have been killed and many others injured after eruptions from mounts, a marrow, the tall, his volcano on the indonesian island of java, huge clouds of smoke and ash, shooting into the atmosphere. i've also triggered heavy rainfall. it last erupted in january, but there are no casualties. also to come here. now does it include,

and we'll tell you about, i only homecoming in the pool that's been decades and the make plus hoping for some christmas g. i'm so much did a tourist dollars in the city revealed as the birthplace of jesus. more of those things ah hello there, let start in the middle east and with the more unsettled weather. plague, the levant. you can see the cloud from that low pressure moving across the mediterranean reading, wet and windy weather tis turkey to cyprus, and further afield to lebanon. now those showers are gonna edge across syria. by the time we get into monday, iraq, we'll see some of the rain as well, and by the time it gets into noon areas of iran, it will be a little bit of a wintery mix. we're going to see the temperature in tehran dipped down, and we're going to see some temperatures come down for the south across some of

those gulf states and guitar, for example, and the you a, the temperature in doha, and into by slightly below average for this time of year and he's going to feel a little bit cooler now. it's rather dry across much of saudi arabia. but across the red sea we are seeing no showers pick up or on coastal areas of sudan. and as we had to north africa, it's going to get very wet and windy indeed for coastal areas of jerry to new zia as well as libya. some of that wind kicking up some dust as it edges into egypt. it is rather cool up here, temperature, slightly below average. now for the west weather across central africa, we have to head to tanzania. we've got storms blowing into coastal areas. and further south of this we've got very wet weather, plaguing south africa, with storms in johannesburg. all week ah, a mass pro democracy movement, violent crackdowns assassinations, and you imposed sanctions. all tactics in the struggle that ensued from the 2020

bella roost in presidential elections. that shook the country, self proclaimed dictators seat of power. and now, new tactics, migrants, people in power investigates the humanitarian disaster unraveling on europe's borders and asks what's next in the battle for bella bruce on a jetta. ah ah, welcome back up here to might about top stories here at this hour. early results are expected on sunday after gambiola voted in an election seems the test which transition to democracy turned out was high as people decided. the president at m a

barrow deserves another to the leaders of france and saudi arabia held a joint phone call with lebanon's prime minister in an attempt to resolve a diplomatic crisis. gold states withdrew ambassadors in beirut last month, up to a minister criticized. he started at war in yemen. on the south, african government is working to scale up coven 19 vaccinations. the new on the con variant is driving another way to infections with a number of new daily cases, many quadrupling in just 4 days. saddam's military chief says the army will leave politics after elections of a schedule for 2023 general abdel fetter albert han offered the assurance. during one of several interviews he gave with international news agencies on saturday. but hun let the military takeover in october. before a deal was struck last month to reinstate the prime minister, then 2000 ugandan soldiers and are crossed into democratic republic of congo to fight alongside troops. that it's all part of

a joint operation against an arm group which is bringing violence to both countries . katelyn has held a young rebels. soldiers from 2 countries on the hunt for one common enemy. troops from uganda have joined their counterparts in democratic republic of congo, hoping that together they'll defeat rebels from the allied democratic forces or 80 f. their targets include the d. r c's, renzo re mountains where the armed group establish itself more than 25 years ago. producers are ugandan allies carried out an air strike across our border earlier this week. now, together with our dear c, troops were on the move on a mission to push out the rebels in the region. it's an unusual collaboration between uganda and the d r c. but both governments say the adf poses a threat. they can't afford to ignore. the armed group is accused of having links to isolate in killing hundreds of people, village rates,

and northeastern democratic republic of congo noble and uganda, blended for suicide bombings, last month. and it's capital kampala. oh, we're very happy. both governments are working together. we've suffered and cried because of all the security and killings we supported and encouraged both armies. villages like these often bear the bronze of the violence. entire communities have been displaced and regional leaders here, the fighting can spill over to other neighboring countries. we are either the dollars under, we already did this, but he's been years ugandan troob say they're ready to stay in the d r. c, until the rebels are pushed out. but critics fear the presence of foreign troops could lead to more on rest and perhaps to the rise of other armed groups. katya locally silly 0 venezuelan opposition leader. one guy though has joined protest and

the state to about enough where an election was unknown. the supreme court council, the state governors race, which is being one by an opposition candidate. why do says it shows free and fair elections are impossible in venezuela judges of ordered a new election to be held in january teresa report. i make the state of but enough, the birthplace of the neat revolutionary president of a chinese. you had to send up a new dispute between vin, if we let the government and the opposition, it is here where the chevy family has been ruling for over 20 years. with a late president's brother at any charities, charges governor. but as they vote were being tallied after last month, contested governor's race between co disqualified opposition candidate to play the super atlanta alleging pending investigations and said the election should be scrapped and held again. it was the supreme court of justice, set a date for a new electoral contest for january the 9th. however, the day that all that,

as well as were waiting for next year was the election to choose the president of the republic or recall, referring to the governorship of the state of marina in november, elections, venezuela, socialist party, won in 19 provinces. the opposition in only 3, the opposition was divided in many states across the country. but enough, the heart of the war chavez revolution is one state. the government cannot afford to lose up the union of serve the elections for the 1st time in 15 years. and in a preliminary report said that even louis improvements had been made. the elections happened with no independent judicial oversight or election law enforcement. james chavez and nancy were stepping down after the electoral scandal warrior. put us in that mirror. i present my resignation from office effective as of today in order to facilitate this transition process until the elections proposed by the highest

court of the republic take place. now, all the several muddiness and be a proficient capacity to unite to defeat the ruling party. and then you vote set for january the whole annually say it's a little fight that count in the struggle for democracy. one in don't always pass you the only way out is by we can the regime and that's achieved where you can get strength out to them. the situation and bring us generates this well more conflict within my resume here. and to do that, you have to participate in elections. anthony forced them to expose themselves. venezuela has been struggling through political and economic crisis for years. b, elections were for many a path towards dialogue. but the situation but enough, expose as the enormous challenges still ahead. very so i'll just eda security forces of shot and killed a palestinian man who police say stabbed,

and his raimie before attempting to attack officers. it happened outside damascus gate in our bodies. jerusalem video appears to show israeli police pointing their guns at paramedics, preventing them from treating the palestinian. these rainy stumbling victim was treated and is now in hospital worshippers in the pool of held a ceremony to welcome the return of an idol that was stolen almost 40 years ago. the statue of 2 hindu gods wasn't a u. s. museum. an investigation by the f b i resulted in return on saturday from ya to limby reports mel from potash. the peoples of political patton waited a long time for this to catch a glimpse of their long lost and much loved icon. the 12th century, statue of luxury 9, was worshipped for centuries before it disappeared from the town in 1984. we were sad when the days she worshipped disappeared. we're happy to get it back. in the 40 years later, it is back where it belongs to statue was briefly seen at sotheby's auction house

of new york in the early ninety's before vanishing again. it then reappeared at the dallas museum about in texas artist and researcher joy lynn davis. spotted it in an online image such 6 years ago since then. she's been working with nepali heritage activists and f b i. agents to ensure it's returned to napa. it feels like a bit of a like a bit of justice in the world. and also just of our wonderful happiness to see the she had returned and actually back in worship again in the original temple it's it's, it's the dream. it's a dream come true for many of us. oh, temple custodians conducted religious rights before reinstating the statue in its shrine wherein bought in the right square a unesco world heritage site. in the past, dozens of gut monday valley's venerated deities have disappeared from here into private and museum collections abroad. at what may be objects about so many had deep cultural and spiritual significance for generations of nepalese. the 19

eighties and nineties saw the plunder of bronze de teeth and stone sculptures from cut monday's valley region 2 important books, the gods and leaving the country and stolen images of the upon have painstakingly documented more than 200 missing artifacts. the books raised awareness about the theft and trafficking in cultural heritage. heritage activists say there is increasing pressure on western collectors and museums to return upon stolen treasures. or is it almost when they see how we worship and take care of our deities? i'm sure people will be happy to return them when they release what they haven't stolen. they must feel guilty while only a small percentage of nipples stolen. idols have found their way home. activists welcomed this happy homecoming as the start of a positive trend, remy at the limbo al jazeera gutmann to the farmers in western of ghana style have just finished harvesting flowers, produce saffron is the world's most expensive spice on this corner of the world.

make some of the best offering hope in a country teetering on the brink of economic disaster art zeros. robert bry reports from iraq promise in the fields of hair at the end of the saffron harvesting, is often marked by children from nearby villages coming to pick what's left for pocket money. for there is real value in the small purple flowers of the crocus family that yield the world's most expensive spice. since its introduction from neighboring iran, saffron cultivation has boomed in this province in recent years, and its value to afghanistan given its current economic plight, has never been more important. for saffron produces the turmoil of the taliban takeover has caused disruption for the shipping and banking services. they need for exports. but they say at least there isn't the same corruption they faced under the

old government method can make on on problems of the banking system. are a big issue for businesses, but i think we face list bureaucratic interference and the long term i'm optimistic about the future. extracting the precious filaments from the flowers, processing the individual threads to remove impurities, then sorting them into different grades requires painstaking attention. it's a role traditionally carried out by women. while men do the work in the fields, despite concerns they, taliban might try to stop women from working produce as we spoke to say there's been no problems so far. and that's good for the wider social significance of this spice, or in the last couple of decades, it's been promoted as an alternative to growing poppies for the opium trade. a trend helped by saffron's rising international price. and of course,

there will be some interest from the other problem anyway, they see that the price is really high. of course, there is a debt bring also the honda, the contribution of the flooring, the thought from as a lucrative alternative to puppy production. saffron cultivation was encouraged across afghan is done by the previous administration. it stands as one of its more successful legacies. but the vast majority of the country, saffron and the best quality spice still originates from the fields of had us. its been recognized by international awards as among the best in the world among the staff. can i export to more than 27 countries? and i know that suffering can change the economic face of the grandstand. and i know the soil and other provinces will also produce a frog. placing such trust in the powers of one tiny flower may be hoping for too much. but this is a country in need of any little help right now. rob mcbride,

al jazeera herat afghanistan, the mayor of re edition ero has cancelled new year's eve celebrations after brazil confirm that the 1st cases of the army, chrome variant thousands of residents and tourists usually flocked to the cities famous kobuck upon a beach to watch the fireworks on december 31st, the pandemic, a claim more than $615000.00 lives in brazil. a john christmas tree has been lit up in the occupied westbank city of bethlehem, where christian believe jesus was born. the faithful gathered outside the church of the nativity. open cove at 19 doesn't ruin another holiday season. bethlehem was will be closed last christmas eve abraham was there of the lights went on. this is the busiest bethlehem i see them in 2019 ever seen the friends i make head start and they do, i mean, wendy, this is 50 that had hit that door. is that because bob and people weren't even

allowed to with 3 lighting ceremony last year. but the day that the in the thousands and thousands of palestinians are here, that these people are coming from different places from quantity occupied, like i said, is ready. this is one of the initiatives this year to revive the economy christmas market where people can sell their products as well as their crafts people. here in bethlehem have depended on tourism for decades. so naturally when tourism stopped, the economy took a hard hit. now, you know, christmas people are looking to buy presents and the things are turning around, at least through the holidays. people are willing to spend more to try and bring some bright brightness and hope into the house and have like a happy holiday. so i think during this time people will spend, even if you know it's a bit difficult for them, palestinians do not control their own borders,

so they have to rely on what restrictions israel has in place november. israel has allowed vaccinated tours to come in and so people here were hopeful that tourism is going to be back. but soon after news of the new barian has emerged, israel has shut down its borders again. people here are saying that while they're glad that there is some sense of normalcy coming back to town, especially during the christmas season. it's the tours and that's going to revive the economy. oh, a quick check of the headlines here now to 0. only results are expected in the coming hours in the gumby as presidential election. people are deciding if president adam a barrow deserves another term, aren't as he was awkward address as move.