from sock all 3 versions of the stories and some elements of the truth. but the full story remains and compute unpacking 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 jesse, uta, ah, passengers stranded on christmas plans thrown into chaos. thousands of flights. cancel because of the corona virus pandemic. the hello i'm, i am no miles in london. you're watching al jazeera over coming up on the program. a presidential pardon for a corrupt korean leda. going hey, to walk free from prison on new year's eve. furious survivors accuse bangladesh, ferry authorities of negligence for fire that left dozens of people dead. and in

that land, that's just 3 hours to christmas and any restrictions a dampening celebration. ah welcome to the program. christmas travel pines have again been thrown into chaos by the corona. virus pandemic. more than 3000 flights and globally were cancelled on friday because crew either ill or had to isolate you to the virus. and that number could grow some more than 5000. by the end of christmas, we can at least $117.00 services we cancelled in australia, while several 100 was scrapped in the united states. while there, as gabriel elizondo is following the story from newark airport in new jersey. i'm not sure if you've had a chance to speak to and many of the passengers that but tell us about flights that have been cancelled while you are. well, we have spoke to

a few of the passengers and some of them are taking it in stride. if you will saying, listen, i've been one guy said, i've been vaccinated not once twice but 3 times where a mask and i'm going to try to get on my flight. go home and see my family. other people are definitely more worried about these cancellations. here at newark airport, we've seen long lines kind of evan flow throughout the day. there's been a lot of delays, a few cancellations here and there, particularly in another terminal where there's a lot of united flights where we're at. we have definitely seen the strain. this is not only the um recon variance that is now affecting people on the ground, but affecting travelers trying to get up in the air to go home on this holiday season. the biggest cancellation here in the us are with united and delta united, about 176 cancel flights today and dealt with a little over 160. and they're already starting to cancel flights for the coming days as well. united actually sending out a message on, on, on,

on the phone's tell effective travelers saying your flight has been cancelled and it's due to the surgeon cove. it cases that are affecting our staffing essentially pilots flight attendants ramp agents. just like everyone else catching on recon very into very high rates, particularly here in the northeast of the u. s. calling in sick, and that is primarily what's causing these problems here in the u. s. i will say here in newark airport, one of the longest lines other than the check in lines. where would you guess at the cove? it test site, one floor above me in long lines there all day of travelers wanting to be tested. okay. and then in related development, the biden administration is lifting travel restrictions on a southern african countries that had initially been imposed because of concern of the spread of this on the call. very why these restrictions being lifted? now, the administration is saying, because it's by recommendation from the cdc,

the centers for disease control, who recommended to the administration that they could be lifted. these travel restrictions to these 8 countries in southern africa. because research has shown that the vaccines seem to come back, the alma kron very into, very well, and are preventing people from most people, not off, most people from getting deathly ill. and so that's why the cdc recommended it, and that's why the administration is being those restrictions. i'll say it's 8 countries among them, south africa botswana, him, bob wayne. and maybe we had mozambique to name a few this the restrictions will be dropped and travel will be open again freely from those countries to the us starting on january 1st. all right, thank you very much, gabe. no reporting to us from the new look at bought in new jersey. okay.

of course you had a great deal about the importance of vaccinations worldwide will now as further evidence of the inequitable global distribution of these vaccines rich countries of receive more maxine in the run up to christmas than african countries have all year an exam report says an a 6 week period, the e u, the u. k. in the u. s. received 513000000 doses. only 500000000 went to the entire continent of africa. throughout the whole of 2021. few of the 9 percent of africans awfully vaccinated. the current rate of delivery. it's going to take until april 2023 to get everyone a 1st dose g 7 country was we'll have a 1400000000 surplus of doses by march 2022 failing to deliver on donation pledges. but none of that has slowed down the booster roll out in the u. k . and elsewhere. as a challenge reports,

you might get side effects. how did you that they may be christmas, but the u. k. is vaccine boost a program rolls on without a pause. this is portsmouth on england, south coast, and jobs being given to people who slipped between the cracks. i'm not opposed with, i'm not laughing. i said we need to get the town vaccinated. able to go on the come get actual avenue homeless that particularly the homeless. the very vulnerable at this time of year to co. they sleep rough and they definitely need to be protected from some come by. despite christmas day, the 25th and boxing day, the 26th being holidays jobs are still being given. it's just this sort of public service that boris johnson, frank's health workers and care is for and his christmas message. oh those in the n h. yes, we're here christmas. our care workers. everyone involved in the incredible vaccination campaign. those looking after people who have lost loved ones this year and who

would otherwise be on the road. he said, been so many words. those getting vaccinated and boosted are doing what jesus would have wanted. getting jobs, not just for themselves for ourselves, but for friends and family and everyone. we meet that after all is the teaching of jesus christ, whose birth is at the heart of this enormous festival, ah, across europe on a cron is rampant, but countries are responding differently. germans q outside shops to show their health passes. nightclubs will be shot after christmas, and the major events will have attendance limits. spain has brought back mandatory mosque wearing outside now as well as inside. but the netherlands lockdown is still something of an outlier, non essential shops, restaurants, hair, dresses, gyms, museums, and other public places are close until at least the middle of january. another christmas in the shadow of cove at 19 rory challenz al jazeera.

ah, now news from south korea, country as pardon for present park gin, hay, who's been selling a 22 year prison sentence for corruption in 2017 part became the country's 1st and aquatic, reelected leader, to be thrown out of office alexia bryan reports park on hays removal from office and raised in 2017 was a dramatic fall from grace. let saw her go from south korea's president to prisoner . she's been serving a 22 year sentence for corruption that the government's pardon will see her released on december 31st along with around 3000 others. how are you putting on your credit score? we have included former president park and he and former prime minister hung shook

to the list to overcome unfortunate past history and cries of covert 19, but realized peoples unity and provide a chance to take a new step forward to the future. park is currently in hospital and analysts believe that played a part in her imminent release. i think it's really her dancing age and her health issues. she's had physical and mental health issues since impeachment i am, she's pretty clearly not going to have any kind of meaningful political role in korean life. she's allowed, gomez appears going to happen. hawk was one seen as political royalty the daughter, a former president part young. he, she served as acting 1st lady after her mother was killed and 974 joe young. so yes, i got one young in 2013 parkin hay became the country's 1st female leader scoring a decisive victory for her conservative party. but she suffered

a sharp drop in public support. after more than 300 people, mostly children drowned when a fairy capsized in 2014 just 2 years later. and now the political scandal engulfed her administration after an old friend choice. and so was alleged to have used her influence over the president to meddle in state affairs. hundreds of thousands of people gathered every weekend to demand parks resignation. there was celebrations when she was impeached, thrown out of office, and later jailed for collusion with joy to receive billions of dollars from major companies. the scandal also landed heads of 2 conglomerates and prison. what occurred in the blue house during her reign was unacceptable. ah, but there are corruption indeed, but um, overall i, i personally that a feel that she was deeply involved into these into the entire scheme and so she's

been jailed. she's in poor health. i feel like the time is right to let her go and give her the pardon. it's on the front of the palm on me. i feel upset as a citizen, i feel that it's regrettable that such a decision was made all of a sudden when it would undo what was achieved through the candlelight vigils. almost all of south koreans, former presidents have been implicated and corruption scandals lenient back. the only living ex president aside from park is also in prison. he didn't receive a pardon alex, there brian al jazeera at least 39 people died when a fire with through a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers in bangladesh. please say the blaze broke out in the engine room in the middle of the night and quickly engulfed the boat bonnet. smith has more on us now. this oven, i've ferry was packed with up to 800 people heading out of docker for a weekend, away with friends and family. many would have been sleeping in these crowded cabins

as the fire took hold in the engine room or the engine had been running for about an hour while on fire. later, the fire probably spread from the engine to the earl tanker and his tub with a loud bang at this spot where you're spending right now. how about that? that was not as flames whipped through the ferry, many passengers jumped into the river to escape. according to police, they believed the engine carried on running for an hour. as the fire took hold. many survivors have suffered terrible burn injuries and the death toll is expected to rise. i was on the 2nd floor. suddenly the engine exploded and caught fire. it had be malfunctioning from earlier on, but the negligence of the fairy authority resulted in the fire. the ferry was covered in curtains. all the heat from the explosion was trapped inside and that he'd made everything fern. dozens of bodies have been recovered so far, very accidents, a common in bangladesh, usually blamed on over crowding, and lacks enforcement of rules. fairies are a main means of transport and

a country that's criss crossed by more than a 130 rivers. the government to set up 2 committees to investigate the fire. they been ordered to report their findings. in 3 days, bernard smith, al jazeera, still had for you on the program. unfortunately, it's the end by women for women, an african tv station packs up because many female media workers say it's getting too difficult to keep that job. we're trying to rewrite some of the astronomy folks that exist right now. it might be 20 years late, but it finally all systems go for the launch of the most powerful observatory ever into space. ah, we have had days of rain across siberia. hello everyone. and we've got more rounds

to come. so here we are on saturday, particularly heavy. let me press play. see what happens on sunday. yep. you guessed it. another wave moves in this is concerning because it's falling in northern spain were earlier this month we had been dealing with some flooding. so we'll keep tabs on the situation. they're a batch of rain falling across the republic of arlene. we'll see those winds pick up as well. and also some rain for the south west of england. temperatures have fallen across central parts of europe, and we've got a rain snow line. we'll call it prague to be an as a south of that. that's where the rain falling. and we've got snow for the check republic. interest will vakio concentrated rain for crecia into bars. we could see winds here of up to 70 kilometers per hour and wet weather for the top end of italy off to its stumble right now. a temperature is, are on the rise in turkey. actually all of that rain and snow has made a clean sweep of the country on cur, looking good with a high of 6 off to africa. windsor dragon down temperatures in cairo as one and

hard toom at $29.00 degrees, but toward the west. lot of unsettled weather. a lot of rain coming your way for robots and mara cash at 18 degrees, but give it a few days or temperatures will rise and back into the sun. that's it, sir. ah, americans are increasingly saying authoritarianism might not be so bad. there were several steps along the way where the chain of command, it seemed like tried to cover it up. what's your take on why they've gotten this so wrong? that to me is political malpractice, the bottom line on you with politics and policies and the impact on the world on al jazeera, there are some of the media stories, a critical look at the global news media. spread it on how to sierra government shut off, access to social media. lou .

oh, main stories now more than $3000.00 flights have been cancelled around the world on christmas eve with allies blaming the karone of ours variance amik wrong lift on sir united and delta airlines. all say virus has taken a toll on their staff. south career is pardoned, former president arguing hey, who's been serving a 22 year prison sentence of a corruption in 2017 part became the country's 1st democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office. and at least 39 people have died when a fire through a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers in bangladesh. lisa, the blaze broke out in the engine room in the middle of the night. quickly and gulf to the entire boat. or the pandemic has cast a shadow of

a christmas eve celebrations in bath lamb in the occupied west bank with relatively small crowds, any birth town of profit, jesus christ benz at march through manger square before the arrival of latin patriarch pierre batista. pizza, butler, who is the most senior roman catholic cleric in the region. you urge people to look to the future with hope. normally chris, mrs. bethlehem's busiest tourist season this year israel has been almost all international travel, including to the occupied palestinian territories. on to abraham joined us live now from bath lambs manger square in the occupied west bank. and what is that is lots of lights and activity happening behind you. but one is the mood and the atmosphere like that. where am if we compare it to last year 1000 in say at least they got to celebrate christmas. last year, people weren't even allowed to come to the manger square and participate in the

celebration because they were only dealing with the religious side of the facilities. but it's still a low key christmas season. we haven't seen many people turn up. and also it's missing an important element that we've seen all across the years, which is tour. because israel controls access to the occupied us bank and it has stopped the influx of tourists since the beginning of the pens that make only allowed tours to come in for about 2 weeks, which didn't really help the citizens of that time. who happily depend on tourism. and joining me here to talk more about the situation in bethlehem is george say, dan, he's lived all of his live in bethlehem and he's a cool founder of rights movement campaign. how do you feel seeing the lives, the people christmas this year? of, despite all the challenges that we have been going 3 through, through the pandemic, is really thrilling and exciting to see people again,

gathering children and families. being excited about the fact that we can get that again. yes, there's no tourist, it's not the same as we used to it. but at least we were able to, to be here together and celebrate this edition that we have been doing for many years. and we will continue to do you our co founder of that movement campaign, which is an initiative that highlights the restrictions of movement when it comes to palestinian. what are you trying to do through right to movement? what i would, i would compare really resemble the reality of our everyday life. and by the down here, when you run in by this time we're running campaign was started by this time marathon the 1st, but no marathon, which really talk somebody out of the, of our everyday life when you run in palestine, you don't to do checkpoints by if you cheat gas by settlement, by the apartheid world. this is the same way. you go to school the same way. you go to church the same way you come to celebrate christmas the same way. you go to work and this is same way you run trying to tell the word that in palestine. the

occupation is oppressing us by the steady and limiting other movement, whether we're christians or muslims, and limiting or movement as of today, as we're speaking, accessing, and the ability for us to access and enjoy over religious traditions. my last question as a palestinian, what is your message to people from bethany? i hope people understand that we are dealing with to pandemic here. and we don't only want to end one pandemic, the global academic. we haven't. another pandemic. docu patient defend demick. and christmas is the best christmas is the best illustration of this apartheid if jesus was born today in bethlehem, he will have a different identity card than his parents. this is upper tide. we call on the humans because of the word to come here and learn. and see in their eyes, the oppression is not equal. there's 2 sides unequalled sights and oppress it and an oppressed and we both hear muslims and christians are suffering equally under

the occupation and it needs to end. we don't count on global leaders, but we count on human citizens of the word to take that action and come here and understand this. it doesn't take much when you come here and see it in your eyes to understand what's going on in the, in the ground and merry christmas from bethlehem, from the city of christmas. thank you so much. ga, a dan is the co founder of the right to movement campaign. and despite these obstacles that we've been hearing about all day, many people here were telling me that christmas is all about home and they wish that next year things will be better. oh, thank you very much. from bethlehem ever. i'm reporting to a well people company, a banner is border with poland. say they are staying put despite the freezing temperatures that nearly a 1000 people are hoping to eventually make it into the european union. temperature is dropped below minus 10 degrees in recent days. holland has refused to let refugees in accusing values of planting them the most iraqis,

but there are all the others from afghanistan and syria. when i protest and being held in several cities across libya, after a long way to presidential election was postponed. weiss and power of said that will continue to recognise libby as in term government until a vote can be held election. was part of the us back initiative to end over decade and violence. and the balance has not gone ahead because of a dispute over the rules in the eligibility of several candidates. medic, traina has more from tripoli today as libya, 70th anniversary or independence or independence day. it's also the day that a presidential election should have been run. so we're here in march square where you can see crowds gathering as libyan celebrate the historic day and live in history. but right next to the celebration,

you have people protesting here saying that election shouldn't go shouldn't go ahead without a constitution. they're calling for a constitutional referendum before a presidential election takes place. now just wednesday, the liberty of high national elections commission suggested that elections be postponed until january 24th. and really, we're not seeing any regret. we've talked to a couple of people. and here's what one of them had to say on the limit to what we have seen on the ground. and when you look at the lived in social media, most of the lived and people are calling for constitutional refer and them. a presidential election without the constitution is impossible of almost the halo. so what we're seeing now is libyans calling for our lametre election to move ahead. they want the constitutional referendum that identifies the governing power rather than they are a resident with

a believe we move the country forward. one of the largest and most powerful telescope ever built as you'd be blasted into space on saturday. it's about 20 years behind schedule, but that hasn't damp. and the excitement felt by scientists, the james web telescope could help us better understand stars and galaxies that are 13000000000 years old. money rapid has more now. it's one of the most highly anticipated space missions in recent memory. after more than 2 decades of setbacks and delays, the james web space telescope is finally cleared for launch and expectations at the space center in french, vienna, or high. and i think i speak for everyone to say that we're, we're really excited to see it launch and i think everyone's done everything they can to make it a successful launch as well. web is the most powerful space telescope ever built its mission to pier back 13500000000 years ago to the early stages of our universe

. scientists say the potential for new discoveries could up and everything we know about our place in the cosmos. we're really trying to look further back in time and, you know, examine how some of those 1st galaxies formed where we're trying to rewrite some of the astronomy votes that exist right now. at the space museum in the city of crew, a new generation of astronomers anxiously await lift off. and the excitement is just as high for aspiring scientists as it is for the grown ups who have been waiting for this moment. for years. we went to hear the music, i'm acela's phone, and i've been studying astronomy for 10 years. i'm very excited about this telescope. so many questions will be answered. thanks to it. i study excel planets, those planets that orbit stars, other than our son, and looking at their atmosphere, we could find possible evidence of extra terrestrial life. the web space telescope represents a collaborative effort by more than a dozen countries and the work of thousands of scientists and engineers from all

over the world. the faring sitting a top of that area and 5 rocket is housing. the james web space telescope and those rocket boosters that you see on the side of the spacecraft have been filled with some 480 metric tons of solid fuel propellant just enough to blast off and send us payload some one and a half 1000000 miles away from her with the rocket now sitting on its launch pad, fingers are crossed and collective breaths are being held for weather conditions to be optimal on the day of launch. manuel rob, hello al jazeera, peru, french kiana. how the international community is keeping up pressure on the taliban government in afghanistan to honor its promise to respect the rights of women and girls. but those working in the media industry say it's getting harder to keep that jobs from mcbride reports on this. now from the afghan capital cobble many weeks

after the taliban take over, zara not b has been dismantling the t. v station. she founded carefully packing away studio equipment in the hope of one day restarting f in there in the future, ma'am, we'll have some opportunity to reopen it. of course, we'll try to lee of it. it started 4 years ago with a staff of 50 banu tv was run by women making programs for women. it was seen as evidence of the more progressive policies of the previous government. i was really happy, especially the day that i said. now our games come through and now we have some, some station that is running by foreman by them. unfortunately, it's the end can see the tower afar. amanda was one of the stations, journalists splitting her time between reporting and studying. got college. now she does neither. that's all i could come on. dustin,

i feel we achieved something under the last government. but with the taliban rules, i think the percentage of female journalist is going down day by day. another recent directive means women will no longer be able to play leading roles in television dramas like this one that's still popular and streaming online. it appears the taliban is against women featuring to prominently in the media, but the government says across the board, many women have returned to their jobs and it stresses that its rules are still far less strict than those imposed by the 1st taliban administration. 25 years ago, this old women radio station, for example, is thriving, producing current affairs and educational programming. but it's growth in audience could partly be the result of the decline and on screen competition. and because many girls now have to study from ho backup. this ism of this government's remains

time will come up to get to know why they cannot get bash on it. but they are trying to create an environment where women feel suffocated. i don't believe the taliban will stand by any of their promises. keeping up the pressure, the international community says it will judge the taliban government on its actions. many women here it seems of already reached their own verdict. robert bride al jazeera couple and a couple of other stories to more universities in hong kong have removed sculptures, built the victims of the piano min square massacre that the chinese university took down the goddess of democracy, calling in unauthorized statue link 9. that university also removed a memorial dedicated to students killed in $1809.00 in china. on thursday. the university of hong kong will move the sculpture, the pillar of shame. now nearly 100 days after the cobra vehicles, okay, know, started spilling red hot lava authorities are preparing to declare the auction over

. it's been dormant for the past 9 days. experts believe it's safe to label a volcano extinguished after 10 days. destroyed 3000 buildings on the palmer and cause huge damages, economically vital, banana plantations. the cleanup is ongoing, and many people won't be able to return to their homes for months. ah, to look at the main stories now. more than 3000 flights have been cancelled around the world on christmas eve with airlines blaming the only con very to the corona virus. lufthansa, united in delta airlines say the virus has taken a toll on their staff. gabriel, amazon. no. is it new airport in new jersey where we're at we have definitely seen the strain of this.