ah, ah ah, oh, you want to help save the world? sneeze into your elbow. oh, this is al jazeera ah, hello, i'm rob matheson and this is the news ally from doha coming up the next 60 minutes . a powerless winter, the u. k. is warned, i can see a 1000000 cases of the ohm icon, covet variant in weeks and attempt to deescalate tension. president bible is going

to speak to ukrainian and baltic leaders as russia masses. troops on ukraine's border are guilty voting for 3 pro democracy campaigners in hong kong. they're charged with taking part in a band vigil. talk to salvage the iran nuclear deal and we're about to get underway . we're going to be live in vienna and i'm he to stay with the sports news. australia continued to dominate the ashes, cricket series against england, and barcelona myself on the knockout stage of the champions league for the 1st time in 2 decades. following a 3 little defeat to buy and munich, ah, the amazon varied as casting a shadow over the coming christmas period with countries across the globe stepping up measures to contain the spread of the new covered 19 strain. south africa approved the use of the pfizer vaccine boosters, shot falling spike in cases in the past 2 weeks. a 3rd dose can now be given to

people. over 18. denmark has moved to impose a series of tough new restrictions, including a night curfew and a ban on indoor gatherings, while in the u. k. the hell secretary is wanting. it could see a 1000000 omicron infections by the end of this month. cases of the new variant to be doubling every $2.00 to $3.00 days. that all comes as prime minister barak. johnson's authority has been questioned arter leaked videos, showing his staff joking about holding a party during last year's lockdown. now we're going to get more in the situation in south africa shortly with farmer to millet in johanna's fault. let's just talk to joe and john hall, who's life for us in london. so once again, our whole new raft of rules coming in for the u. k. with regard to coverage on yes indeed, of course the question will they work politically that is highly questionable. when you look at the newspaper headlines of the media headlines here today that say

things like new rules for us, no rules for them. that's a response to the seismic political events of wednesday. of course, we'll talk about that in a, in a minute. that's not the point though. it's about a virus. we're told that in terms of the micron, very it, it has a very rapid doubling time here of between 2 and a half to 3 days. there are something like they think 10000 cases here now. and that points to, according val secretary, a 1000000 cases, potentially by the end of the month. and it is in response to that that this at plan b long in the works 100. the announced on wednesday has been brought in, or enhanced mosque wearing guidance to work from home. again, the limited use of cobit passports in mass public venues. no one thinks that's going to white on the crown out. clearly it is again about buying time. the hope is that while it is apparently much more transmissible than delta, it may yet turn out to be less severe. but they don't want to find themselves in a situation where they've already gone off a cliff in terms of numbers in a couple of weeks time. when the scientists come back and say, look,

it is in fact more severe than delta in every way. so it's a, it's a defensive action. and one of the problems that is bars johnson's government is going to be facing is whether or not people believe it has the authority to actually put any of this through, as you say, going by this morning's front pages. well this, as i said, is all a response to what happened on wednesday, kicked off by the leak of a video showing senior staff is joking about a party that it's claimed, in fact took place down the street basically within the prime minister's own home. and it's a party that he still claims didn't happen. a falling predictions by a lot of political commentators here on wednesday by thursday morning talk of the end of the road for bar as johnson, the turning point in his premise ship something that the voters will finally remember when they next go to the polls and the opinion polls are showing a sharp downturn in support for the tories. one in fact shows 63 percent of britons

now believe bars johnson should resign. well, here is a look back at those events of wednesday a day at some, a cooling the worst yet for bodies. johnson as prime minister, denied, 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 news briefing offers damning evidence to the contrary. i went home, old allan and cheese the season line. all right. this is, this is recorded. inspection of policy with a business means it's not just one of those involved has now resigned. it recalled and perhaps eclipse to previous pandemic rule. breaches like

chief advisor, dominic 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 for his johnson was under extreme pressure to step up his wrist, saying, 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 i apologize, i apologize unreservedly to the effect that it is caused up and down the country. and i apologize for the impression that he gave he barely took the sting out of the opposition's attack. her must be the queen since alone would she mark the passing of the man should be married to 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, boris 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 vaccine passports in large public settings. it is for the public now to decide if they will listen things 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 variance, and whether this government has the moral authority to enforce the jonah whole al jazeera london. well, political problems in the u. k. but let's go to find the middle miller, who's in johannesburg for us. let's talk about covered there. the numbers there appear to be rising. they certainly, i mean if we look at the last 24 hours, have been 19000 over 19000 cases. and i think what is concerning is the positivity rate. and that, that's gone up to 26.8 percent, which really is about the number of people going out to get tested. a port of them are then receiving results, saying that they're positive. and i think this is what experts are keeping a close eye on. the what has made south africa sort of stand out in the last couple of days is that the number of infections throughout november and at the end of the 3rd wave had really dropped significantly,

perhaps 3 or 400 cases in an entire week. and now we've seen that to increase exponentially by 300 percent. and so they is continuing concern around just how the army crow via variant will impact south africans and an increase in disease. but the government appears to be taking quite a sober approach, not heightening or restriction levels in south africa. i'm also firing back at the international community around travel bands saying that hospitals are in order. they're ready for anything that might happen with during that 4th wave. and wanting to be cautious, really being concerned about justa, how severe the variant might be. but also saying we need scientific data to back up . and that this position that we're in and to better understand what's going on. servers were mentioned before approving the use of the fires of vaccine boost or shot one would imagine that they're going to hope that that's gonna help deal with the problem. but overall it has been

a bit difficult to get people to get vaccinated. there is no or they're certainly one of the biggest difficulties the governments having they've allowed to the medicines authority and the vaccine authority. 2 has allowed for booster shot a 3rd shot for people have already had 2 shots of pfizer of increased protection because as concerns around just how that new variant could evade immunity. but the government is already sitting in a position where just $42.00 or 43 percent of people eligible for a vaccine have actually received a jab at least one job. so they're pushing campaigns to try and get people to receive a vaccination saying this will protect them. it will be more effective in conjunction with non pharmaceutical methods. but that it really is about this sort of approach along with reducing mass gatherings that will keep people safe. so the emphasis right now really is to get out, get out and get vaccinated. never mind trying to push people who have had to shot

to really to get a 3rd one. and they to now have that option for people over the age of 80. 5 a to thanks very much. indeed. farmer miller talking to us from johannesburg. mother, you as president ruled out sending troops to defend ukraine from a potential russian invasion unless there's agreement from nato. now, joe biden is going to speak to your friends president vladimir zalinski about the threat of the border later on thursday. and this week, biden held talks with russian president vladimir putin who said he has no plans to invade ukraine. biden's threatened moscow with severe economic sanctions. if an attack happens, okay, let's get a chance start. but his lifeless in collin shack, in the ukraine. so job item one would imagine when he makes this call to the cranium president is going to seek to reassure him. i would imagine that may not be enough for the ukraine. president

no, that's what we're expecting. we're also expecting, as you say, a lot more rhetoric with respect to support support that sir, that the us and nato allies are offering the ukranian partner. and it's gonna be very interesting to see whether in fact, any kind of talk of concessions that ukraine may need or be asked to to, to make will also be discuss. and when we talk about concessions, for example, with respect to the mint, to agreement agreement that by all intensive purposes has been an unadulterated failure. in the last 7 and a half years since it was signed or 70 years since he was signed in 2015 and an agreement that the russians accused the ukrainians of not implementing their part of the agreement. one of the things that president virginia said in the last couple days is that sir, do you gradients must start talking to the russia back separatists in the don bass area. and that is something that the ukrainians have so far, always refused to do because of course,

they say that that would legitimize what they describe as being a terrorist organization. so it can be very interesting to see what kind of pressure the u. s. president will put on zalinski to try and avert this crisis deteriorating any further interest in me. also to day there's reportedly a meeting going on between the trilateral contact group. now that includes representatives of russia, ukraine, and the organization for security and cooperation in europe that are monitoring things in this region. i have been for years apparently on the table there for discussion is prisoners swaps the opening of additional check points and trying to maintain some sort of c spy receipts far. of course that is repeatedly violated almost every day. yeah, let's talk about the situation on the ground because of course we can't lose sight of the fact that while all these high level talks are going on, it's still very tense in ukraine on the border there. i mentioned before your uncle and checked his talk as to why you them what's going on

will cullen. chuck, interestingly, is one of 3 checkpoints that take it to allow people to cross from mainland ukraine across on to the peninsula. of course, the peninsula annexed illegally by russia in 2014. we understand, according to reports, that there are tens of thousands of russian troops, literally not too far down this road, many of them having been deployed in recent weeks. and we're exploring the kind of pressures that the ukranian government are putting on the russian troops in crimea by using their water resources. crimea is largely dependent on water from the mainland, and the ukrainians built a dime in 2014 a building another one. now, and they're saying that they will not release that water until the russians leave. so another example of we explored earlier this week,

the way that russia is using coal and gas as a means of putting pressure on the ukrainians, the ukrainians, using their water resources to do the same. one thing we do know, as this crisis is unfolded, is that nato forces have been training ukrainian military in ukraine am. and this of course is something that angers the russians. but there is one particularly affective ukrainian armed unit that nato is refusing to train when we visited them at their training camp a couple of days ago. and this is our report that the soldiers, a members of what used to be a pro ukrainian government 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. the government supplies weapons, ammunition tanks and armored personnel. carriers like this one, put 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 commanded here say that the unit is still struggling to shade

a reputation of having far right or even fascist leanings. these allegations, the commanders staunchly deny, but they acknowledge that it's the main reason why nato forces refused to train them alongside the ukrainian army critic 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 cor fall 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 crane in government and people. more couple up a honda you, me, the russia propaganda try to discredit us because it knows we 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 visit several times from representatives of nato countries. we want to share our battle experience with them. we could learn from each other slowly. 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 for all stuff, but al jazeera, also for young easton ukraine. the hong kong court is convicted 3 pro democracy activists, including business tycoon, jimmy ly, overcharges linked to an illegal vigil last year. the trio pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly that among more than a dozen activists accused of organizing and taking part in the event commemorating the gentleman's square massacre. they're also accused of inciting other people to be involved. they haven't been sentenced yet. hong kong bands, the annual vigil. due to the pandemic, don grande is the editor in chief and co founder of the hong kong free press. he says china is trying to erase all memory of the 1989 massacre. it was a short session today about a 100 people queuing up outside people in the public gallery waving and shouting birthday to jim live return 74 this week already behind bars, awaiting a security law trial outside court. it was

a loan protest known as grandma longer shouting cody moxie slogans and calling for the release of political prisoners. and also lots of, of course, playing closed police and uniform police as well as probation protesters calling for heavy sentencing. as we know, last year's committed vigil was banned on covert grounds. usually you would see a c, a p or tens of thousands holding candles quietly in the city's largest part. but today, these 3 po, democracy figures. the only ones who have pled guilty were charged with convicted of unauthorized assembly. this case itself is part i would say perhaps a wider crackdown on the memory of the 1989 massacre textbooks have been sensitive museum exhibits confiscated. visual organizers have been put behind bars, and as you can see, this commemoration has been banned, let alone a monument to the gentleman massacre isn't the threats which stands on university

of hong kong campus. but so it's been about a year and a half now of hong kong under the national security law over $120.00 odd activists in jail. the only 2 i have been put behind bars on the 2 is actually in convicted so far, but many more set to go to court. more had in the news are including is democracy on the decline with united states. so, but it's guess list to a 2 day conference has some surprising omissions and lots of dr for smokers in new zealand is the government effectively bands everyone from lighting up down in sport, full steam ahead. the blistering century puts astray in from control the 1st ashes test against england. ah, talks aimed at reviving the 2015 iran nuclear agreement are about to resume in vienna. after last week's negotiations made little headway. the u. s. and european

participants of accused iran of not being serious about solving the deal. they were taken to come back with realistic proposals. will dawson bodies live for us in vienna? dasa, it really doesn't sound there's a lot of optimism for this latest round of talks. so there certainly isn't at this point, this is of course the 1st stage since all the parties took a 5 day break at because the europeans and americans said they needed to consult their capitals with what the renew i propose. after coming back from the over 5 month break, the renew, it said they put forth 2 proposals. that is, the 1st one about the sanctions relief that they were expecting to happen. and then also the about iran's nuclear program was a 2nd proposal. the technical aspects of the radios are willing to talk about the europeans have said that what they got from the iranians was very, very different than what they were expecting. and what they had been discussing

with a previous negotiating team that was under the previous president in there on the pass hydro. honey b radian, deputy foreign minister who arrived in vienna earlier on thursday has been holding the trilateral meeting with the chinese and the russian delegations here. and then they are all set to have a joint commission meeting with the various parties and doing the europeans. they all believe that this is something there at a very critical stage. the reigning foreign minister himself had a phone conversation with a head of the foreign policy chief during which he stress. that's the comments that have come from the europeans, are not constructive. and they could really have damaging effects on these talks. there is a sense that the next 40 or hours will be very, very crucial. and there's also the i e and the side of this whole thing. and that is, that's the agency that his house with enforcing the nuclear deal of 2015 and monitoring ron's nuclear program. the head of that agency has said that over the past few

months, iran has not been very cooperative. and that is the point that the americans are worried about. and the in their piss upset that they are threatening to call an emergency meeting of the board of governors of the i 8 before the years. and because iran is not being very cooperative with the agency and that is something that is a great concern. we know that the range of americans don't directly speak to one another. the americans are at a very different hotel. the radians are talking to the europeans tell behind, and the european role in all of this is they, they go back and forth between the 2 sides. the americas are out here today. there are, at the rate the americans are due to come on the weekend for now we understand they'll be a series of technical meetings today and on friday. and then we'll have to see where things go from there. but all sides are very adamant about their position. and unless somebody gives in a little bit to it appears that there could be an end to these talks sooner rather than later on. or you can be kind of keeping a close eye on those told says they unfold over the next few days for no door. so

giovanni in vienna, thank you. the bodies of 13 people killed in a helicopter crash in india or being brought to the capitol will be laid to rest. the aircraft came down just short of its destination, which was a military training college. in the southern state of tamil nadu, the highest ranking military official was among those killed defense chief general griffin gar light, whose varied with full military honors investigations underway, determine the cause of the accidents. elizabeth platinums are correspondent in new delhi and she says investigators have recovered the cockpit flight data recorder from the helicopter 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 salute air base in the southern states of some large 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 the invalid was

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 couldn't know. so a very large fire and a forest rushed to the scene. so the record of the helicopter on fire was rescue was arrived at the scene and tried to recover as many people as they could and take them to the willing to medical college. bach, 13 of the 14 people on board died and the one surviving member is on live support. now, the bodies of 13 and now making their way from thumb and noddy to delhi that arrive on thursday evening. the investigation is very much underway with the inquiry team, actually reaching wellington and simon now do on wednesday evening. now that's involved with the death of 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 in the defense services. so i had an interest to grab this impact on young people around the spotlights as us senators grilled of also the social media app. i didn't sport actions in the champions league, barcelona and i was on the knockout stage that's coming up with a use hello. good to see. we're going to the outbreaks of rain across this ribbon of clouds stretching from iceland cutting across the united kingdom, western france and the top end of iberia. so we'll pick up the store there because a wild weather continues for the northern coast of spain scooping up about a 100 millimeters of rain in 12 hours. that a question if there will be flooding, 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 picking up to 30 centimeters of snow. and then this plume of what, whether on those eastern shores of the adrian exceeds so albania, montenegro, bosnia right into the northeast of croatia. much quieter across the mediterranean now and for the love and still a few showers hanging around thursday, but at 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 and 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, a next time, bye for now? ah. once upon a time,

finally fled from lunch and so silent and snow. eli, the sisters who so scattered vincent back that made to speed with the little boy had to mind how will a story whitney wake up and mom's aunt cher, an incognito, culture of knowledge, openness and pluralism worldwide. and to reward merit to excellence and encourage creativity. the shake ahmad award for translation and international understanding was found to promote translation and owner translators, and acknowledged the road and strengthening the bonds of friendship and co operation between arab islamic and world coaches, blue moon

. ah, your child, is it a reminder of our top stories? this our south africa approve the use of the pfizer vaccine booster shots as it battles of forth wave of the patent and pandemic? a w a chose says south african case is increased by 255 percent to the past week. england's returning to tighter corona virus restrictions, as the oma con variant, cast a shadow over the coming christmas period. but there are questions over prime as to ballast. johnson's authority, after a leak video, showed his staff, joking about a holding a party to last year's lockdown to pro democracy activists in hong kong have been convicted of taking part in a band vigil last year. media tied to july is among them more than

a dozen people would charge for involvement in the event commemorating the gentleman's square massacre.