the truth, but the whole story of the news and content on the parking the stories you're being told, it's not a science story at all. it's a story about politics. the listening post, your guide to the media on a just 0. lou . a guilty verdict for 3 pro democracy campaigners in the hong kong. they're charged with taking part in a band vigil. ah hello there, i'm to start today. this is out of their life from doha also coming up tougher cove at 19 restrictions imposed in the u. k. but the government is under fire after senior officials are accused of ignoring previous measures. determined to snuff out smoking new zealand unveils plans, a band, the next generation from lighting up. and we look at the ukranian

regiment. the nato won't work with because of accusations. it's linked to a fall right group. ah. now, hong kong court has convicted 3 pro democracy activists, including business tycoon jimmy lie overcharges linked to an illegal vigil last year. the trio pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly. there among more than a dozen activists accused of organizing, participating in and, and fighting others to take part in the event commemorating the gentleman square massacre. they haven't been sentenced yet on kong, banned that annual vigil due to the pandemic. well, tom grundy is the editor in chief and co founder of hong kong, free press. he says, china is trying to raise all memory of the 1989 massacre. it was a short session today about a 100 people queuing the outside. people in the public gallery waving and shouting

birthday to stimuli who turned 24 this week already behind bars, awaiting a security or trial outside court. there was a loan protest known as grandma wrong shouting, put amongst the slogans and coming for the release of political prisoners and also lots of course, plainclothes, police, and uniform police, as well as probation protest. calling for a heavy sentencing. as we know last year can number to visual was banned on covey grounds. usually you would see a sea of people tens of thousands holding candles quietly in the city, the largest part. but today, these 3 po, democracy figures. the only ones who have pled guilty were charged with convicted of on the rise assembly. this case itself is part i would say you have a wider crap down on the memory of the $989.00 massacre textbooks have been since the museum exhibits confiscated visuals. organizers have been put behind bars and

you can see the commemoration has been ban. let alone a monument to the gentleman massacre isn't the threats which stands on university hong kong campus. but it's been about a year and a half now of hong kong under the national security law over a $120.00 odd activists in jail. and the to i've been put behind bars only 2 of actually in convicted so far. but many more set to go to court. now the bodies of 13 people killed in a helicopter crash, and india been brought to the capital where they'll be laid to rest. the aircraft came down just short of its destination. a military training college in the southern states of common law do. the highest ranking, military official was among those killed defense chief general busy ra. we'll be buried with full military honors. an investigation is currently under way to determine the cause of the accident. well, let's bring him, elizabeth peron, emma india correspondent,

to joins us now from new delhi lives. we've been saying there has now been an official government statement on the crash. what did we hear from the defense minister? that's right, mr. to defense minister raj. not saying address parliament on thursday morning and he went over the timeline of the crash. he said, the military helicopter took off from the lord air base in the southern states of some law at 1148 a. m local time. it was only supposed to go a very short distance and lands less than half an hour later, at $1215.00 at the wellington defense service college where been supposed to be attending an event. but at 12 of 8, the helicopter last contact with the air force base. and shortly afterwards, people who were living near could know so a very large fire and a forest rushed to the scene. so the records of the helicopter on fire to which rescue was arrived at the scene and tried to recover as many people as they could

and take them to the washington medical college. but 13 of the 14 people on board died and the one surviving member is on live support. now, the bodies of all 13 and now making their way from family to delhi that arrive on thursday evening. the investigation is very much underway with the employee team, actually reaching wellington, and i'm now do on wednesday evening and importantly for that investigation of the helicopter flight data recorder and be but hawk recorder have also been covered with involved with death that death is being felt across the country and that is because the defense services are held in such high regard and india and he held the highest position and the defense services. after he finished his role as the chief of the army, he was put in the position of chief of defense staff. it was a new position that was created to integrate in the us armed forces, the army,

the air force, and the lady. and he was, or the seeing that process of integration or for modernization than he was seen is really key to that process of transformation. he also led major operations on both of india's trouble borders on the border with pakistan and also with china. counter insurgency cross border operations with me on mom. and for all these reasons that both houses of parliament house 2 minutes of silence that had been a reach laying ceremony with the coffins and probably not to before. they make a way to deleon bitter knowledge from the state of orthodox and observing 3 days of morning. elizabeth problem in the correspondence with all the later. thank you so much then not to the pandemic and england is returning to title corona virus restrictions. as the article on varying costs a shadow over the coming christmas period. but there are big questions over prime minister barak johnson's authority. the measures were announced very shortly after

he was forced to apologize for a video of his own staff, joking about holding a christmas party during the last year's lockdown. shown reports now from london. deny deny, deny has been the strategy at number 10 downing street over reports of a staff christmas party last year when they were banned under covert rules. the government says no rules were broken. leaked video recorded 4 days later, during rehearsals, by senior staff for a news briefing offers damning evidence to the contrary. i went home old and all the cheese. the season line. all right. this is recorded. inspection policy was a business means it was not so she just, one of those involved has now resigned. it recalled and perhaps eclipsed previous

pandemic rule breaches. like chief advisor, dominant cummings, lockdown family road trip, the former health secretary mat hancock's office affair, and the prime minister's own failure to wear a mask on a recent hospital visit. at prime minister's questions on wednesday, boris johnson was under extreme pressure to step up his response. i can understand how infuriating it must be to think that the people who have been setting the rules have not been following the mississippi. because i was also curious to see that and the to pick up, i apologize. i apologize, unreservedly to the effect that it is caused up and down the country. and i apologize to the impression. but again, he barely took the sting out of the opposition's attack. come must be the queen since alone would she mark the passing of the man? she'd been marked for 73 years. leadership sacrifice. that's

what gives leaders of moral authority to lee the just the prime minister. think he has the moral authority to leave off the british people to stick to the wrong. that question would be put to the test later. at a news conference, baris johnson announced new public health measures in response to the highly transmissible omit crohn variant. i know this will be hard for many people. they include mosque wearing in more indoor settings, guidance to work from home, where possible, and the use of the vaccine passports in large public settings. it is for the public now to decide if they will listen things in by making his statement and offering his apology in parliament bars. johnson will have hoped to move events on in a story that has the potential to do him great damage. the problem is that a new conversation may now emerge,

one about the public's willingness to follow new measures in the face of the army, chrome variant. and whether this government has the moral authority to enforce the jona whole al jazeera london. and now the us senate has passed a republican measure that would overturn the vaccine mandate on private employees. the policy would make it compulsory for companies with more than $100.00 workers to require employees to get back to nation or weekly testing. that mandate has now been temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court is a deadly pandemic that has ended a life of 700000 of our mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, prematurely 700000 americans have disappeared. but apparently, the inconvenience of a weekly test is so odious, so revolting that is worth another 700000 people die. the federal government has no authority to make anyone choose between getting a back saying,

and keeping their job. we are the united states of america. home of the free land of the brake that we are a people that make our own decisions and live in a free nation. meanwhile, the united states is hosting a 2 day summit with more than a 100, a 100 countries discussing the decline of democracy wild wide. but some experts have criticized just who is on the guest list because they have questionable human rights records. kimberly hallett reports now from washington d. c. the images are unforgettable. supporters of former president donald trump last january attempting to overturn the results of the u. s. presidential election. it rattled a nation that prides itself on being a model for democracy. since then,

many americans have come to believe democracy is under attack him the u. s. and elsewhere, it's no secret that there is democratic backsliding happening around the world. that's why you as president biden is holding a virtual summit this week to bring together more than a 100 countries to promote democratic ideals like voting and human rights. divide in administration points to threats to taiwan from china and ukraine from russia. as just some of the examples of how democratic governments are being tested, it hopes to rally global leadership to stand up even confront those authoritarian forces. but critics say the u. s. lacks the moral authority to hold such as summit . we directly arm and finance some of the most authoritarian and inch democratic

governments around the world. the case that comes to mind over and over again is saudi arabia, where we continue to sell arms in the millions, billions of dollars, to a government that who stated goal. he's not to support that democratic re foundation . the guest list for the summit has also raised eyebrows. countries like india and israel have been invited to attend. they've been criticized ised internationally for there are authoritarian responses, kashmir and the palestinian territories. meanwhile, turkey and hungry, both nato allies are excluded. it does not mean that we are invited, that every one we're inviting were giving a stamp of approval on every democracy is a work in progress. divisions over the 2020 u. s. election. continue led by former president trump, who has still not accepted the results or his defeat. democrats say that sentiment has motivated republicans to change voting laws in some states to

restrict access to the ballot box and potentially manipulate future votes. given the divisions over what democracy looks like in the us and abroad, the democracy summit will be a task for president biden. will he be able to push world leaders some with their own authoritarian tendencies to take meaningful action to change? kimberly held it al jazeera, the white house i still had here on out was era again of us. i was president dismisses the prime minister on the government after a wave of protests against rising and security. and we speak with the families of children killed by the pakistani taliban, who don't want the government to bring the group to the negotiating table. ah,

ah, look forward to burly to scully's with sponsored play cutaways, hello good to see you were going to see outbreaks of rain across this ribbon of cloud stretching from iceland cutting across the united kingdom, western france and that top end of iberia. so we'll pick up this story. there was a wild weather continues for the northern coast of spain, scooping up about a 100 millimeters of rain in 12 hours. not a question if there will be fighting, but just where and how much. then we're talking to this 10 centimeters of snow, 600 meters and above and those winds will be howling at 90 kilometers per hour. a swath of snow through the alpine region potentially pick an up to 30 centimeters of snow. and then this plume of what, whether on the eastern shores of the atria, exceeds so albania, montenegro, bosley, i read into the northeast of croatia, much quieter across than had her train in now and for the levant. still a few showers hanging around thursday, but the situation will improve throughout the day. remember about 24 hours ago,

we were warning you of sand and dust storms in northern egypt. while this was the scene in cairo, just blanketed and a cloud of dust spots an improvement in conditions on thursday, back into the sunshine, getting up to a high of 21 degrees. and what, whether for northern areas of algeria and tunisia, white, sand, windy, and tunis at 13 degrees c. next time, bye for now? oh, the weather sponsored by casara always joined the debate. 90 percent of the world's refugees have come from a common impacted country. the climate emergency is putting more pressure on systems across the world and amplify your voice. it's not really the future 8. now, this is not our responsibility. p. the lock company. i believe we cannot lose hope . we know what to do, and we have the tools and to get back. we must always pay for the stream on al

jazeera with wow, ah hello. they are watching al jazeera. let's remind you about top stories here, this out, media tycoon, jimmy ly, as one of 3 pro democracy activists found guilty of taking part in a band vigil and hong kong. last year, 24 people were charged in relation to the commemoration of the tenement square massacre held in violation of pandemic restrictions. the bodies of 13 people killed in a helicopter crash and india are being brought to the capitol, where they'll be laid to rest. the highest ranking, military official was among those killed and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. england is returning to tied to

a corona virus restrictions, as the micron variant caused the shadow over the coming christmas period. they're all questions, or if a prime minister barak johnson's authority after elite video showed his staff, joking about holding a party during last year's lockdown. now the new zealand government has announced one of the world's toughest anti smoking goals and plans to effectively ban smoking by progressively raising the legal age to buying tobacco products. the level of nicotine and cigarettes will also be reduced. the law is set to come into effect in 2027. critics say it could boost the black market for tobacco. when i spoke to dr. chaverra, she is new zealand associate health minister. she told me they thing isn't included in the new law because it's deemed a safe alternative to cigarettes. there is very strong evidence that tobacco is an extremely harmful and addictive substance, and yet the evidence will have on pipes is fairly bad. definitely a cipher old finished. so we're taking

a reduction approach by banding to best price will future generation. but making sure the current market to quit. there are $4000.00 new zealanders die each year from tobacco and we must take action on it. we made a lot of progress because of that regulation, reseating with allowing right to quit. so we made the biggest decrease we had in history in watching, right? the last year alone. so we think that what freak out is within reach a european population as is seek to make it as i reach that goal. as we need to take bold action to make sure all parts of the community get there. and because we're not prepared to lay past the community behind. now, nathan countries have been training ukraine's mother. theresa better defend itself against what kim and its allies say is russian aggression. but the western alliance has refused to work with one of the country's most effective fighting units,

which critics describe as a fall, right? neo nazi movement. charles transferred reports now from us in eastern ukraine. that these soldiers are members of what used to be a pro ukrainian government. a paramilitary group called the as of battalion, critics said, as of was a neo nazi group unit, started in 2014 as a volunteer organization. and quickly developed a fierce reputation for fighting pro russia separatists. defending the port city of mary awful. in december that year as off was incorporated into the ukrainian national guard. it now has over a 1000 soldiers. you recruit must pass a 5 week basic training course that instructors say is so grueling. only around half get through walkers offered fairly organized. i am proud to be a member, we are an elite regiment. we have proven ourselves as number one and all the armed

services. we are very motivated, even the enemy knows who we are and is afraid of us and the government supplies weapons, ammunition tanks and armored personnel. carriers like this one would around 80 percent of the men's kit and material for this training camp is bought with donated money. it's been 7 years since the as of brigade were incorporated into ukraine's national guard under the ministry of interior. but command is here say that the unit is still struggling to shade a reputation of having far right or even fascist leanings. these are allegations, the commanders staunchly deny, but they acknowledge that it's the main reason why nato forces refused to train them alongside the ukranian army. critics say the underlying philosophy of the regiment has not changed. they say it's part of

a far right movement led by this man, andre b litski, who was its 1st commander and who now leads the national co follow right? political party accused of having links to white supremacist groups. i think it's completely absurd to claim that there is no relationship between the regiment and the broader as our movements. ukraine's primary western allies are all the western allies are very especially now attuned to the issue of members. alright, extremists, in, in the military and any military. and they're very much not keen to be to associated with the as of badge resembles the wolf's angle, which is warned by nazi infantry divisions in world war 2. there's been pressure in the u. s. congress to declare as of a terrorist organization. but the regiments leader says it has distance itself from politics and serves the ukrainian government people more. this is couple of the

honda you, me, the russia propaganda try to discredit us because it knows we're combat capable and willing to fight to the end. russia tries to portray us to our western partners is incompetent right wing radicals. we've had visits several times from representatives of nato countries. we want to share our battle experience with them . we can learn from each other, slow b, o. but nato says it will not strain these men until the regiment proves it has no links to neo nazis. and that is proving hard to do all stuff. but al jazeera, also for young easton ukraine, a month long ceasefire between the pakistani taliban and the government is now ending. the information minister says all armed groups need to surrender if talks are to succeed. families of children killed by the taliban. they say they're angry about the government's so called mainstreaming of armed groups. some of them of age reports, not from chuck, dora,

and northern pakistan. but you did give me my name . he asked the taliban, can your children? how can you talk to them? this is johan at a protest against the government's decision to talk to the bucket funding, dollar bonds. her son was among the 132 students killed at an army public school by the on group in 2014 by 7. say it's the market funding. tyler bond said it was intervention for the military's operations in tribal areas because they will do is it gets a bullard, though. shawna is now angry at the bucket. finally, government and military for starting negotiations without punishing the culprits of that attack. so get the bose if she goes out this, how do i forget to everything? they say 80000 people have been killed. you're not the only one. i sympathize with everyone, but how do i forgot my dad? sorry about miss up kelly, do you? this is wrong, they are criminals. how can you forgive murders?

the goblin says the state has the right to talk, but the group will have to, in its words, bow its head before the constitution. in addition to releasing a large number of its prisoners, the biggest one, he thought the bonds demands reported the include opening a political office in the end of the country, reversing the merger of tribal areas with the northern cape, the province. and the enforcement of it's version of islamic law and buckets fund or move. and my legacy ations are underway. law enforcement team said they're carrying out operations against what they call criminals and terrorists. this is not the 1st time the government is talking to the pakistan taliban or t t p. but simultaneously a database is being established or make sure they have the details of the sympathizer, the supporters and the fighters, which belong to the group. now by august on special security department says it's implementing a research based strategy to understand trends of terrorism. this new process it

helping the police to carry out hundreds of targeted operations across the northern province, which is a border with a lot of on crime and terrorism has a lot of nexus. also, they do not have any legit minted or a structured organization. they keep moving from one, dennis group to the other. we've been able to do it and then give a guideline to our feel units and they are no going for target competitions. but by just on highest court is not convinced the strategy to hold talks is well thought out. it's already some prime minister, him wrong hon and the judge has asked him, quote, are we going to surrender once again? he was told you those guilty to the negotiating table, all the group individuals and your other groups that have to surrender before any box can see. the government maintains the practice time you thought of on have safe havens across the border in earnest on the latest,

the slide was brokered by the gun tyler bond, which used its influence with the pakistan he thought of on mobile cush school with the salad seek of the other, we are acting as an intermediary and we can only try. we will continue to do it so that the talk should reach to a fruitful end in between the 2 brothers. on the murky talks that under way shall hon, shows us the steam, who are sons, blood on his shoe, victims of the buckets. tiny taliban are demanding justice before making deals with who they see as murderers. solomon java, the other the are tucked up northern buck. a son now became a foster as president rockell a has dismissed the prime minister on the government. the move follows a wave of protest linked to rising violence in the country and attacked last month . hundreds of fight, a storm account in the north killing dozens of police officers and 4 civilians. president war a pledge reforms to the military since that ambush. nicholas hawkins, following the story forth from deco. this announcement comes as no surprise there

was an ultimatum set by the opposition asking for change in the leadership in burkina faso or else there would be more protests. there were protests just 2 weeks ago calling on the resignation of president hawk, mark kimberly, and it seems with the dismissal of this government. critics say it's him deflecting responsibility for the uptake of attack just 3 weeks ago as security forces came under attack from groups affiliated to tied up. and when it came turned out that the security forces had done 2 weeks without food ration. there was uproar and national condemnation. there's been an increase in attack in the north of the country. the president has since dismiss 30 or so higher ranking officers, replacing them with younger ones. now, with this announcement of the dismissal of a prime minister is expected that a new government will be announced a much smaller when did a 33,

a member of cabinet. and this will be done before sunday when ricky fosset will celebrate its independent state. but there is a sense on the streets that not enough is being done by the leadership of ricky fosset, specifically the president to tackle the deteriorating security situation with millions of people this place and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. now more countries are announcing a diplomatic boy because of the basic winter olympics, canada and the u. k. have now joined the u. s. and the strategy is decision to protest what they call china's human rights abuses. athletes from all 4 nations will still be able to attend and compete in those games as a country, indeed, as many partners around the world, we are extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the chinese government. that is why we are announcing today that we will not be sending any

diplomatic representation to the beijing olympic paralympic games this winter. our athletes have been training for years now looking forward to compete the highest level against athletes from around the world. and they will continue to have all of our fullest support. ah, hello, this is al jazeera and these are the headlines media tied. couldn't jimmy lie as one of 3 pro democracy activists found guilty of taking part in a band vigil and hong kong? last year, 24 people were charged in relation to the commemoration of the gentleman square masika, held in violation of pandemic restrictions. the bodies of 13 people killed in a helicopter crash in india. i'll be brought to the capitol where they will be laid to rest. the country's highest ranking, military official was among those killed. elizabeth bron em has more from new delhi .