some kind of sas that matter to you, al jazeera. ah, we'll see what happens. i hope my worthy council. on the contrary, his trouble plans into disarray, rising cases of the varian, full thousands of flight cancellations worldwide. ah, hello to rahman you're watching on there. like well headquarters here coming up in the next 30 minutes, a commission in the gun vehicles for the former president young germany to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. christmas under a blockade christianson garza say they are denied access to the holy sites. milky pied territories by its radio sovereignty all set for the launch, the world's largest,

and most powerful telephone promises to offer new clues about the universe. ah, welcome to the program, christmas trouble blends, have again been thrown into chaos by the pandemic. the highly transmissible article variance is false downs to cancel more than full 1000 flights worldwide in the us, sick and isolated allen employees are causing severe staff shortages. gabriel is under reports not from new capital in new jersey. the surge of the army kron variant and not only affecting people on the ground, but also those trying to get in the air to visit loved ones for the christmas holiday, 100 to flight cancellations in the united states united in delta, 2 of the largest carriers accounting for the most united sending out these alerts to passengers, your flight is canceled due to an increase in cobit cases,

limiting crew availability. have a really concern last night when i saw on the news that they had cancelled 100 twice and i'm like, oh my god, we won't be able to get home. but luckily we kept checking the flight that a 2nd the flight that had got here and everything was fine. so we were really grateful for that. had new jersey, newark and liberty airport passengers. mostly we're trying to remain calm a little bit worried about cancellation. so we see what happens. i hope not for the campus. i got the, the, you know, all the vaccines, 3 of amanda, i got a math. doesn't worry about. we're ready to go. all good. well, be cronies searching so too. it's holiday travel. officials say more than 2000000 people passed through airport security screening in one day. more than pre pen demick holiday travel with 2019 airport workers. say they are feeling it is non stop word. other times we get along. great. you did not stop

was non stop holiday season. yes. out of the craziness. i never knew it was like this. aside from the check encounters, the longest lines in your work airport, where the cobra testing facility and their lines in the us are already starting to cancel more flights for the days. ahead and with the army kron variance, and not expected to peak for at least another couple weeks. it likely will mean more cancel flights, especially if the flight attendants, a pilot to operate them, continue to get infected. gabriel's on doe hodges in newark, new jersey. under 79 force in london with the latest travel disruptions across the u. k. and europe. let's just start with that where you are a bit of bar humbug going on for many travelers really globally. most certainly this time last year there were major problems with travel that was

a surgeon locked downs as well as a surgeon virus. this time is different. it's as goober was pointing out, the shortage of flight cruisers affected things. and in europe, the main impact has been those trans atlantic flights. so many people hoping to see their relatives christmas are ending up stranded in various us airports. so there has been a big impact. there's no doubt about it. and also in europe, not only that problem but also at the different restrictions on travel is now getting quite confusing for the average traveler around across europe, particularly those in the u. k. who are finding that because on the chrome is such a surging rate with this variant rest of europe is trying to move away from the u. came in in many aspects. and this restrictions, for example,

the latest ones from austria, spain and sweden, not particularly heavy restrictions, but in france, a restriction there on anything but essential travel. so yes, this, this christmas and seen a big divide in families and a lot of people were in, not just about seeing their relatives, but also because of the outbreak of across here, the u. k. and other parts of the europe. and it's also under about the sort of the coven trend, because in europe, the numbers are incredibly high and seem to be getting higher day in day out. unlike what's going on in south africa, where those numbers, it started to pleated down very slowly. it's not looking like that. is it across europe? and what one does, is it a trend? it certainly looks that way. the situation now is the france, italy, and the u. k. have the highest increases in the on the kron variance in the u.

k. is higher than anywhere else. $122000.00 cases reported on christmas eve friday christmas eve. that figure is a record. and not only that on, on the 16th of december, one in 20, in london had cove it. that was a blunt statistic put out. and now we of is, the national statistics is saying that that figure could become one in 10 in the coming 24 hours or so. that is quite an extraordinary figure. the government saying that the data has to be started before they consider any extra restrictions. the pressure is on the government to take more action. now the reliance is on people to take their own measures for safety. but the, the point of our kron is that it does appear according to all the reports. so far, not to be a serious in its effects, which means that the hospitals may not be as affected as heavily as,

as many had feared. but the national health service is warning that already, and it's been a 40 percent increase in the past week on hospital admissions. so in other words, the sheer scale of the on the chrome variant, the extra infections and scale will relate to the number of admissions. so the pressure is on no doubt about the admission rates in hospitals because of not only the, the cases, but also staff shortages. for example, many staff being involved in the roll out of the booster vaccine, which is being administered on christmas day. right across country schools. will continue to monitor those numbers with you and our broadcast center from london. thanks andrew simmons there for us. now, at least 13 people have drowned after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the g and c is the 3rd such disaster in greek waters. as many days bringing the combined death doll to 27 smugglers are

increasing the using a dangerous route from turkey to italy to into europe. are trying to avoid patrols around the g and see, well, we have some breaking. he's got a sudan, ny, where protests are taking place in cartoon by critics of the country's military rule. the reports of internet services have been suspended. the to dollars reinstated, prime minister to handle has been trying to point to new cabinet for more than a month. but without success, ahmed, well, correspondent in khartoum and monitoring event for us, just tell us a little bit more about where people have gathered and how large these crowds really are. so people are gathering in the outskirts of come to them in several places because they were not allowed to reach the central cartoon area. so they parted, gutting in the outskirts. and we know now that at least in $3.00 to $4.00 places, they half already thought to build them stations out in the east,

in the south and in the western capital is made up of 3 cities. people are finding their demonstrations off the most places are finding it easier to gather in on doorman. that's one of the 3 cities and also in battery, but they're not being able to reach cartoon, the capital, the central, the center component of the, of the, of this type of city. and the security forces are visible almost everywhere. all the bridges are almost all the bridges leading to central custom are closed at and the expectation is that there will be some very powerful confrontation between the 2 sides. because last time the same situation happened, the bridges were close. visibility was high of police and security forces, but at the end of the day, the demonstrations, the more status, were able to break into the lines of those security forces and reach the gates of

the presidential policy. they would like to repeat that experience today, but we noticed that the amount of security in the streets and on bridges has been doubled almost 3 times, almost 300 percent. and that's what people say, that's what we have seen driving to the office here. and the expectation is that either they will be they will manage not to let any protesters rece central call to them. or if the demonstrations don't status, try to push. there will be vital confrontations later today. but we will come back to you for an update to hello bob adela, in cartoon. thank you. the gambia, the truth and reconciliation commission is called for form of present jo shami to face trial for human rights abuses. it spaced its investigation on hundreds of testimonies from people, spending decades of violence. alexander lurch has more a 3 year long investigation in the gambia has recommended former president ja jam

may be put on trial for murder, torture, and sexual violence. yeah, johnny, this responsibility for the kid in both my more money on moment to me where the former president seized power in 1994 and for 22 years over. so a regime that has been accused of committing hundreds of human rights abuses in 2017, john may was forced into exile, inequitable guinea after losing an election to adama barrow under president barrow . the gambia as government set up the truth reconciliation and reparations commissioned to prob allegations of jeremy your abuses. the panel heard from hundreds of witnesses who offer testimony about alleged human rights violations. their stories were broadcast on radio and t v for the country to hear. the government now has 6 months to decide it's next step. we are hoping that got me to give me a commitment and i've made

a commitment to implement the recommendations of becoming something been mixed on actually and as i head right now, the article in december supposedly on. but of course the, i just got this on the chinese have not just have not been profile against anyone sort of, i guess on that. but i guess many at home and abroad hope to see the former president on trial though he remains in exile. that gambino weren't the sole targets of the regime j. a jam is victims include over $44.00 ghanaians who were massacre. they include nigerians include senegalese. and the thinking is that if all these countries got together and help gambia to create a court, it would also provide the political impetus. i'm for equitorial guinea were j i, jamie, is living ah, the commission is intended to promote healing and reconciliation for victims and

survivors. but ya may still retains considerable support in the country. the possibility of his return from exile was a key election issue. earlier this month. on the rock concerns, his political supporters could hamper efforts to put the former leader and his associates on trial. jamie has yet to reply to the commission's findings. in the past, he's promised to return to the gambia, but he's been barely seen in the years since his exile. the report may make him question whether he would even want to alexander lurch al jazeera. well, still had hill now, is there a why rich nations are still resisting coals to lift vaccine peyton's and how that could risk prolonging the pandemic? praying for betty her head is toby 19, duncan's christmas celebrations around the world?

ah, ah, look forward to brightest galleys. the winter sponsored by counsel at ways and away we go with your weather story for asia. hello, everyone. good to see. you will begin in japan, a lot of snow for these western areas. pretty powerful winfield as well. we'll see . guess you're up to 80 kilometers per hour. you're driving. that's going to whip the snow right into your windshield system. dangerous conditions there. but the colors on the dark or the purple, the lower the temperature. keep in mind where this purple is, because this is about the worst of it as we go into monday, look at that soul will go to 0 and beijing, 6 degrees. that's actually above average for you. now across that areas of indo china, a lot of rain falling along that coast of vietnam. so between being and denying but toward the west, some sunny's falls. this includes 4, bangkok, where i think, actually for the next few days, we've got sunshine on top in your temperatures. ok

a little below where they should be for the year and nothing major though. i have seen some major rainfall on indonesia as popular island, picking up more than a months worth of rain over 24 hours. and we may see some rain sneak in to the northwest of india. this is out of season rainfall for new delhi. so we take a peek at the next 3 days. looks like about a 40 percent chance the chance is up to 60 by monday with the high of 21, which is pretty close to where you should be. that's it soon. as the weather, sponsored by katara ways, ah, mother nature's gift of colorful landscapes. a strong infrastructure governance arising were investments are waiting to flourish, were greeted, even flied by tradition.

where beautiful possibilities are offered me ah. the book about killing children with means the whole wrong reminder of all told stories will protest all taking place and thought to me by critics of the countries military rule report, the internet services that people spend them on reinstated, prime minister abdullah humbug. i've been trying to poison the cabinet for more than a month without success. at least 13 people of round after about carrying migrant cups sides of the house of greece in the c. it's the 3rd such disaster in green waters and as many days bringing the combined depth told to $27.00 balls and 4 tons

of lights have been cancel worldwide. think christmas travel plans into calles, the highly transmissible from barion to the virus effective flight cruise. major airlines, a new of some reports as a says, the residence of the inequitable distribution of vaccines. rich countries have received more vaccines in the room to christmas. the african countries have all year report says in a 6 week period, the u. k. a u. s. receive 530000000 doses. and the 500000000 went to the entire continent of africa. throughout the whole of 2021. 59 percent of africans fully vaccinated the current rate of delivery. it'll take until april 2023 to get everyone a 1st dose. g 7 countries will have a 1400000000 surplus of doses by march 2022, but a failing to deliver on donation pledges. germany is also one of the country's

resisting calls to lifting vaccine, peyton's, which would allow poor nations to produce jobs for themselves. journal reports, not berlin. 2021 has been a tale of 2 pen democrats. one in the global north where recovery became possible with the widespread delivery of vaccines. and one in the global south where lock downs have hit poor economies, harder with vaccines in much shorter supply. and the virus allowed to circulate more freely. the result by year end of variant that threatens to turn the whole world back to square one. then overwhelming need for urgency to ensure that that same supplies are immediately and to countries in africa that i'm desperately waiting for sufficient supplies on back scenes that are not about to expire. campaign his talk of empty promises and of vast profits being put before lives. like here in germany,

where the start up beyond tech partnered with the american pharmaceutical spend, pfizer expects to have made $18000000000.00 in 2021 with much more to come. that's not point 5 percent of growth added to germany's bottom line from just one company. thanks to the domestic production of vaccines and sales to rich countries, while just 7 percent of the whole continent of africa have so far been vaccinated. if there is one thing we have learned, it's that norwegian, no country, no community and no individually save until we are all safe. the arrival of the oma from variant should be a wake up call. the things need to change, but will they? let's not lose hope and put a lot of pressure on governments so that they change their position and that they realize actually now with armstrong, that this is also going to to last forever for germany,

because they're going to be new variance. there needs to be new vaccines that needs to be new booster shots for forever. if we don't just start this pandemic everywhere. a 100 countries have joined the call for vaccine patrons to be temporarily waived. so the developing countries can produce their own britain and germany are among those firmly opposed with the g 7 instead pledging to donate a 1000000000 vaccine doses to the developing world a pledge that has not yet been met. so as the world battles, the micron variant or the next one that comes along, it becomes clear that those vast profits are secure. while the health of the least well off remains at risk. and the pandemic looks set to roll on unhindered into 2022 and beyond. jonah whole al jazeera berlin. now head of the roman catholic church. francis is delivering his christmas blessings to the world. in peter's square in the vatican during christmas eve mass on friday,

francis urge the world to look beyond the lights and decorations. and remember the poor. during the festive season. christians in the besieged gaza strip. say that they are unable to celebrate christmas freely, some resident, se israeli security has blocked them from accessing the sites in jerusalem and bethlehem. make it impossible to mark the festive season with family human elsa. it has all a little more reset. sorry i was trying to create some christmas cheer at her home in godsa. the trees up and her grandson is helping with the decorations. for his sake, she's trying not to let her disappointment show. she'll not see many members of her family and hasn't seen some for years because of the blockade and garza some had to leave home to find work overseas corners. amanda and his grandma was in the past.

we used to get together and gather all the family at christmas, but to day there's no one left. they've all gone abroad and christmas has no flavor . we can't even travel from here to meet them because of the restrictions. ah, those christians left in the gaza strip, had to abandon any hope of celebrating christmas and the holy cities of bethlehem and jerusalem because of israel, the security restrictions in 20192020 no permits were granted. and although this year israel said $500.00, the $1000.00 christians in garza would be allowed to go there still a major problem. yeah, i hear people here say israel only grant the permits to one or 2 members of the same family which would mean entire families being split up at christmas if they traveled above. llamas alone possibly a her permits could be granted to half of the same family after we all apply either just the parents or just the kids. but either way it means that we can travel,

our sense of joy is missing. we wish is real good. give us our right to visit our holy sites like everyone else in the world. ah muslim sim garza had long haired christmas celebrations with the minority christians lighting the tree and sending christmas greetings to each other. this year. we are ever for dorothy, angry and hooker though it, it's the sambal for love, please freedom and we will continue doing this. we hope. next year, we will go farther to have the union freedom for the senior coupon is unjust and peace. and we hope that we long for the sin and people live in such a freedom across palestine. prayers are held in the soul orthodox church in gaza. but there is a feeling christians here are missing out on the experience, enjoyed by others of their faith. chris is for christians in gaza,

remains incomplete, but they pray and hope that next year they would be able to reunite with family and friends in bait, lohan or elsewhere. unit c, l g 0 god, there are the largest and most powerful telescope ever built is jews. go to space in a few hours time. scientists hope the james web telescope will help us better understand stars and galaxies, but a 13000000000 years old. marie palo is live for us that the launch site and crew in french guyana manuel. excitement really building surely for what this telecom telescope could uncover in space. that's absolutely right. there's a lot of excitement here. we'll set the scene for you a little bit because we are at the area and space control room with a great view of the control room outside, just above the control room at the guy in the space center in the city of korea.

and like you said, there's a ton of excitement here. this is where all of the area and 5 rocket component sequences will be operated from from the moment. that rocket lifts off with the james web space telescope sitting at the top of that rocket up until the telescope separates from the rockets ferry at around 27 minutes after lift off, there's a lot of excitement here in the room today. there's this also a general sense of nervousness, i would say maybe a little bit of tension, which is completely understandable. this is a historic and monumental mission that's 25 years in the making. we're talking about 25 years worth of setbacks, 25 years of delays and funding cuts. this mission was supposed to launch in 2020, but it couldn't because of the cobra. 1900 pandemic, just this month alone. in the in december, the mission itself has been delayed 3 times in part due to unfavourable weather conditions. but it really is just the beginning of this mission. it's still after

lift off. we'll take, we'll take a month for the telescope itself to reach its orbit in the garage point somewhere around 1500000 kilometers away from earth and then another 6 months for all of those components to unfold. busy and for the mission itself, to begin, but again, it for scientists, for thousands of scientists, engineers, everyone who's worked on it and for the viewing public, the excitement is palpable. have a look. 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 speech 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 on 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. now as you can see, that rocket is now sitting on its launch pad waiting for lift off. lift off is scheduled for $920.00 local time. that is 1220 g m t and it has been pouring rain outside of the space center all morning here in the city of crew. but it's really

those high level winds, not so much the rain. it's those high level winds that mission specialists are paying extra close attention to, but it does appear as the weather conditions are favorable for this christmas day launch. but we have to remember this is only the beginning for this mission. it's still going to be another 30 days to reach that we're bit at the l to point the look ranch. point 1500000 kilometers away from earth, and then another 6 months for all those different parts of the telescope to unfold . that's that solar array, the solar panels, the actual mirrors, those gold plated iconic now mirrors that have to unfold like the wings of a butterfly on that telescope. before we even begin to get to the point where scientists start to calibrate be the telescope, and at some point 6 months later, we can expect those 1st images, those that promise to revolutionize astronomy. but for now, everyone is holding their, their breaths collectively, crossing their fingers and hoping that the launch today goes well. and in doing so,

opens a new chapter in the history of astronomy. thanks so much, ma'am. well, of course we'll monitor the take off with you throughout the i'll just every day. i your challenges there with me to hill rama hall reminder of old hope stories will protest to taking place in cartoon by critics of the country's military rule. their own report that internet services have been suspended, reinstated the prime minister de la handle has been trying to appoint a new cabinets a more than a month without success. more than 4000 flights have been cancelled worldwide throwing christmas travel plans into calles behind the transmissible on the home barrier to.