i don't get a get with brandy. ah, this is al jazeera. ah, you're watching the news, our live from a headquarters and oh hi, i'm debbie and abigail coming up in the next 60 minutes. thousands take to the streets is who gone to protest against military takeover. several are injured as security forces, fire tear gas,

more flight cancellations across the world to a rise in covered 19 cases throws christmas travel bonds into disarray. 3 migrant, both capsized greek waters and the a g and c. in as many days, dozens killed or smuggler switched to a more dangerous route. lift off from a tropical rain forest to the edge of china itself. and now so launch is the largest most powerful telescope ever built to unlock new clues about the universe and, and sport the french world cup winner insisting the africa cup of nations deserves more respect. ah, welcome to the news. our security forces have used target as they attempt to disperse protests in the capital har tune thousands have been on the streets to rally against the military takeover. a number of people have been injured. there's

been a heavy police presence and internet services have been cut. mama val is joining us from cartoon with an update. so what's the scene like right now out on the streets of cartoon? how much that in practically, that protest is over and the people are returning home. you can still see a small college here and particularly away from the center of the city. that's where most of the gatherings to explain to place and us where also people tend to protest as attempted to cross the bridges, but they couldn't. so they couldn't. mostly they couldn't reach the central area where the presidential policies located. there was 2 or 3 attempts by protest as well or do within the area of central capital. but they were pushed back by police security forces and the president substituted forces this time around these 3 times bigger than any time before. at least the last, the last time, last,

last protest. so that, and also the presence of the military in the streets and the closure of all the bridge is leading to the central area of the capsule. helped security forces succeed in preventing us from reaching the presidential policies. understandably also the cutting of the internet network on the local telephone line is from dawn this morning, a health ultimately this respect. but the us says them and they will come back again in 5 days. and this has been a part on some occasions they, they, they, they seem to be getting the upper handled police making some momentum such as what happened last week when they were able to reach the presidential police. and they spent one or 2 hours there. but they couldn't turn continue in a city because they were not prepared for it. so today they have been also saying

that certainly they will come back and they will come back in a stronger manner. yes, there, and i know my next to me any sign at all that the processors and, and by them coming out in this way, is it, how is it putting any pressure at all on the military rulers? well, i mean it, it's kind of, it's it in a way, it's a war. it's a war of attrition that they are waging against the government. and this is, it's really at difficult for the government to continue to handle the situation if it continues forever, because it costs allotted a disrupt traffic, disrupt services. and certainly the mobilization of these huge numbers of security forces also cost a lot of money or also international lease on time is there. there are comments by international community organizations, humorous organizations and other countries put in more fresh on the military, asking them to her to her to stop the cock down on

for testers. for instance, today, the, are you an envoy to sudan, or he called on this within his government to protect the demonstrators and also to refrain from violating the freedom of speech as a right for the protest as. so the government here, the military leaders, they know that if they continue in this matter, it will be very costly domestically and also it will cause more this satisfaction and more condemnation abroad. okay, thank you so much mohammed route and for that recording from cartoon e now current of ours cases are continuing to climb in europe as the army kron variance spreads across the continent. in the u. k, it's expected that 10 percent of londoners are infected,

while staff at one french hospital say they're near breaking point. andrew summons reports in exhausted french medical staff like last christmas. this intensive care units in law say, is struggling with the pressure the most seriously ill patients. who haven't been vaccinated, like david supper. this and, and his wife esther says she thought she was going to be a widow. a few days ago. davids grateful he still alive. he sees it usually by. he says if he'd been vaccinated, he wouldn't have been at this level of intensive care. while all the crawling infections seemed to have a lower rate of hospitalization, the extreme increases in infection rates mean the sheer volume of cases are quickly put in medics under pressure. while france is breaking record, so too is italy. the u. k. has been running christmas day clinics to give

vaccinations. the priority is on boost japs. the government's heavy reliance on vaccinations to try and quell the armor. chrome infection rates is in question. on christmas eve and reco daily figure of a $120000.00 was reached. and now the office of national statistics is morning the one in 10 people in london may be infected with cove it in the coming days. oh, mass christmas queen elizabeth the shore people suffering in britain. they would be alone. this year though, her focus wasn't on cupboard. it was the death of her husband, prince philip, the duke of edinburgh. she expressed her grief on a personal level, talking of how she missed the man to whom she'd been married. the 73 years with christmas can be hard for there. she'll have lost loved ones this year, especially. i understand why that for me, in a month since the death of my beloved phillip, i have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection and the many tribute she,

his life in my egg. at 95 years of age, the queen takes immense care to avoid any exposure to the virus. but for so many people, especially in london, that is the case. and the health services now warning, there's been a 40 percent increase in hospital admissions. this christmas is surreal. for so many people living in the british capital, the government says that it's watching the data before making any decisions on heavier restrictions. that prediction of one in 10 people here suffering from cove . it is a sobering statistic. the government may well introduce heavier restrictions, possibly, before the new year. andrew simmons al jazeera london, or christmas travel plans have again been thrown into chaos by the pandemic. the highly transmissible on the crown variance has forced airlines to cancel more than 4000 flights worldwide. in the u. s. sick and isolating airline employees are

causing severe staff shortages. let's bring in gabriel is on the who is joining us from new york. so what impact are the staff shortages having on, on the flight? cancellations, causing a lot of people to have to change their plans throughout the united states and around the world. quite frankly, changing their plans on getting home are going to see family this holiday season, or just getting around. this ami kron variant is not only affecting people on the ground, it's affecting people that want to get up in the air and fly to see family members . and the cancellations here in the united states are getting worse, not better so far as of a few minutes ago. according to flight aware website. the tracks flights around the world there about 875 flight cancellations, just on flights in the u. s. or flights coming or leaving the u. s. that's quite

a bit nearly as much as on friday. it seems like the cancellations, by the end of the day will surpass friday delta airlines. one of the big carriers here in the u. s. their spokesperson said early on saturday, they hope to cancel only about 150 flights throughout the weekend will already mid day on saturday. they're up to about $290.00 cancellations. that's about 14 percent of the total flights scheduled for saturday. united airlines about 238 flight cancellations already mid day on saturday. that's about 12 percent. bottom line here. this is all being a bottom line is this is all being because of the omi crime variant. and this search in corona virus cases in the u. s. it doesn't matter how many airplanes you have. if you don't have the pilots flight attendants and staff to get them off the ground, they're not going anywhere. and that's exactly what's happening. it's not just staff members that are sick, it's also those that think they've been exposed to somebody who has corona virus.

because if you have, you have to corn teen for 10 days, that means you can't go to work. so this seems like it's going to be going on for days if not weeks, because health officials are saying the peak of the corona virus, at least here in the united states, probably won't hit until early to mid january. all right. ok, thank you so much. gabriel. is on there for that reporting from new york. so let's get some can trusting perspective on how look downs on restrictions have impacted our daily lives or economies and also shape political policies and whether they could have been dealt with any differently. let's bring in our guests. joining us from stock home is johann 2nd. he's a swedish physician. so also professor emeritus at the carolyn sco institute in stock home and we have joining us from the us. dennis nash is a distinguished professor of immunology at the city university of new york graduate school of public health. welcome to al jazeera. thank you so much for speaking to us. so while you're start, when you,

while some nations are re imposing corona virus restrictions including lock downs and the face of this new very and the on the car on variance. others like australia for example are loosening up. so even as the case number spike are in both downs, effective or ineffective in your opinion and slowing down the spread off the current of virus and on the chrome the 3 things. thank you for the question. 3 things that are important concept. lockdown is not well defined, it means different things from different countries. that's one thing when you're discussing. the next thing is how do you measure success or the look on policy is doing any good or is it just the problem? one, the 3rd thing which i think is most important that this damage is not though we're discussing it in the mid stone back in the previous show in the program. and the tables of deaths or cases between different countries are changing by the

law. so it's difficult to to okay, well i hear you saying that it might not be a 11 policy for all. but let me just ask you this before, before i move on to dennis nash, let's look at the case of sweden, for example, where, where you are joining us from street and strategy from the very beginning of the pandemic. in fact, relied on individuals taking responsibility under what was called non binding recommendations. but that itself was criticized internally by a swedish commission, which said the government just, the response was late and insufficient as numbers eventually did spike and sweden. so what can you tell us about the swedish experience that that didn't go so well, perhaps when you arrive at just restrictions have not been as binding and not the law as they were and relied more on people's individuals taking responsibility for themselves and others that we can see now

that the this policy as not being bad. if you look at the death tables for europe, example, sweden is somewhere in the middle, not on top. so i think the swedish approach has been detected. thank you dennis. last, welcome to al jazeera. what's your take on this? i mean, when you look at countries like, for example, china right now, or at least one area of china in the northeast, i believe it's announced that it's putting up to 12000000 people under lockdown because of the new, the new very. and to what extent do you think lock downs help and slowing down the spread of the current of virus? well, i mean to be clear that they are very effective, it's low and spread all 100 percent of the time. the question is whether or not it's indicated. and in my view, there have been times in the past where it has been indicated,

thinking about new york, specifically in march of 2020, in april 2020. when our health care systems were overwhelmed. but right now, we're in a very different place than we were at 2020, with vaccines covering a large proportion of the population. we do have a new variant and this causing unprecedented levels of community transmission and services, in case it's here. but i'm not convinced that this is a time for a lockdown in new york. i see what we'll be looking for to make the decision about measures like locked down, include the extent to which it appears that the health system, the health care system, will be overwhelmed with inability to treat new code cases and new other health emergencies that require urgent care when, when we, when it looks like that is about to happen, then i think we need to do things. we do need to be thinking about strict measures . i guess i would also add that there are many, many other measures that should be on the table in

a situation like ours when before we go to locked down, what are those? yeah, so things like masking policies, things like social distance being preventing mass gatherings in new york city. for example, we have a near the celebration that is planned for december 31st where it's very traditional for many thousands of people to come from outside of new york city from outside the us even to attend the gathering. and this, that i think is a bad idea at a time like like we're in right now. and policy should, should dictate how those things happen so that we can, we can use other leaders that we have to limit community spread before we have to be faced with the lockdown. we are seeing some of these measures already in place including the, the ma, squaring dennis, as well as the limiting on the number of people. and yet the numbers do seem to skyrocket, especially in new york. yeah,

well i see that there are masking policies, but we also have situations where it's very easy for the buyer to spread. for example, we still allow indoor dining when we don't necessarily have a situation where the buyers, vaccines when it comes to, to its ability to spread. so there are many situations where there are no matter where war and where, where the buyers can spread. and i think that's why we're seeing cases, including in households, right. it's very infectious and people tend to not wear their math and households and maybe that's reasonable. but it's just to say that there are, there are lots of other things that we can do before we get to the place having to, to lockdown. johan, what do you respond to that? i agree. yeah, go ahead. go ahead. i agree. you sorry. i agree with what profession nash is saying . there are other things that could be tried before we moved to re lockdown. so that is, and let me ask you this because there are some criticism by,

by some people who say, well, you know, locked downs are an infringement on people's freedoms and, and that could be a slippery slope. johan, what's your response to that cause severe infringement on people's lives. and i think we should be careful and watch out for the measures not taking an individual limit is in danger. we have to watch out for that. we are not sleeping. that's a slippery slope. and the government deciding what you can do and cannot do dennis? yeah, i think we have, you know, a view in public health, which is that it is a, it is a community of responsibility in situations like panoramic and of course their

individual liberties. our country in united states is, is very strong willed about this. but in the field of public health, we often say things like private privilege and individual liberties end where public apparel begin. in other words, it's not okay for people to retain their individual liberties when it means that they may be putting other people in society in para and dentist. let me ask you something that the world health organization has, in fact stated. and that is about the direct impact that locked downs can possibly have on a person's income, as well as their mental health. this is what the w h o is saying. it's explaining that such measures can have a profound negative impact on individuals, communities and societies. and it could disproportionately affect vulnerable groups . have you seen any of that's true through your work?

yes. 100 percent. we've been following a very large cohort of people around the u. s. that is looking not only at the cova pandemic and how it spreads, but also how the, the measures that are being put in place are affecting people's economic outcomes, their mental health and well being many of these dimensions. and i agree that there is a major downside of locked down to some of these other outcomes that you mentioned . and this is the reason why it should be a last resort. really, we have many so many other good tools that we should be leveraging so that the health care system don't become overwhelmed. and we should be able to do that without locked down. however, if we can't, then we have to have lockdown measures on the table and by that i needed restricting people's movement around around the city and country where, where this is going on. okay, final where to jo. hi. yeah, go ahead. johan, i see you want to jump in there and the low income countries is

a disaster that and where you buy your dinner for the money you made during the day . this is not and you will you create more disease, more problems when the locked on them without ok, we'll leave it there. thank you so much for speaking to us. a johan check from sweden and dennis and from the us. thank you so much. thank plenty more, had on the out there, and these are including the why a plan to get visitors to the acropolis, an authentic feeney and experience and dividing archaeologists 30 years since the collapse of the soviet union. we look back on one of the 20th centuries, most moment. covered 1900 continues to impact rural sport as an a challenge for us to delay the return of the regular season. ah, the 1st 13 people have drowned after their migrant boat capsized in greece as

a g and c. it's the 3rd disaster and as many days bringing the combined ductile to $27.00 touch for molnar is associate director of the refugee lab at york university . she says, tragedies like these will become more frequent as immigration policies harden when these horrible tragedies really are a symptom of some of the increasingly hard line, border enforcement policies that we've been tracking and seeing all around europe and indeed the world. and unfortunately, with increasing border enforcement and the way that you know, different contexts across the world are developing, people are sometimes forced to take more dangerous route. we're really talking about open water. and oftentimes people resort to having to take a small boat that is often overloaded with people. and these votes are not really made to carry large groups with people, for example. and also, you know, just the basic kind of navigation that is sometimes very difficult is very hard for people who are desperately seeking safety. really important for us to remember that,

you know, this kind of sharp border enforcement that we keep all around europe in the book called it fortress, europe. it will not stop people from seeking safety. instead, it'll compel people to take more dangerous route to try and circumvent being captured by border forces. and at the end of the day, it's really more about thinking about the humanity of it all. we're talking about human beings that are losing their lives at sea. and instead, it's incumbent upon all of us to think about how we address the root causes that force people to migrate in the 1st place, greece is about to restore a ground entrance to the acropolis and athens without causing controversy. among some archeologist to say the project goes beyond its intended aim of restoration follows that outcry earlier in the year when a concrete pathway leading up to the acropolis was laid down. johnson helpless reports from athens to enter the acropolis in athens. visitor's zigzag up this ramp built in the 1950s, greece as it's now going to give them the experience athenians enjoyed 25 centuries

ago when they came to worship their patron goddess athena. a grand staircase, 25 meters wide envisioned as part of the gateway to the acropolis and reimagined by artists. for centuries, the peloponnesian war between athens and spotter interrupted its completion. but the man in charge of restoration on the acropolis as rebuilding, it would be a celebration of the democracy, but conceived it with the establishment of democracy. the number of citizens was 10000 and all of them had to participate to the festival. it was a duty for thee and sent citizens, they participation and tear. therefore they had seriously and substantially to widen, to increase they weight of their ramp. and finally, to create the staircase once dictated the width of the staircase,

was the width of the entrance to the acropolis behind me. built 25 centuries ago. it was designed to allow at least $10000.00 athenians and dozens of sacrificial oxen on to the open space around the temple of athena, where a great sacrifice would take place each year. goddess intends to open up this gate house so that all 5 of its doorways can be used. but some archaeologists say rebuilding the staircase crosses a line from restoration to reconstruction. or you gonna get these from off there though. i don't say to to, we should necessarily preserve the zigzag ramp, but this is not a decision of on person. there needs to be a wider discussion. it's a huge intervention. or even if we had all the original material that we don't have the right to do it on such a scale, then in and get us get plenty of new marble has been inserted into the buildings of the acropolis as part of a 40 year restoration project. including in the gate house whose restoration, daniela's oversaw. it's

a compromise between 2 schools of thought. conservationists believe in preserving the historical record interventionists would rebuild the temple of athena to its classical glory. and it is that high classical period that tourists come to mark and celebrate to day. so it would appear that goddess is merely giving the greeks and the world's visitors what they want. but critics say his view favors some parts of the archaeological record over others. jumps are hopeless. al jazeera athens, the largest and most powerful space telescope ever belt has launched from south america decor lodge lifted from a tropical rain forest to the edge of time itself. james, where begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe. scientists helped james web telescope to help humans better understand stars and galaxies that are over 13000000000 years old. manuel rap low has more from the long side and french guiana. mission control

here in french piano has relinquished their control to mission specialists in the united states in the state of maryland who are now in fully in charge of the spacecraft of the james web space telescope on its way one and a half 1000000 miles away from earth is going to be a long journey, but it's been a long journey already 25 years in the making. that's 25 years worth of delays and set back. this is a launch that was supposed to take place in 2020. what was delay due to the coping? 1900 pandemic. just this month. this launch was delayed at least 3 times in part due to implement whether there was heavy rain this morning. a lot of nervousness from the, from folks who are showing up at the launch site worried that may be the rains would possibly cause another delay. another postponement in this launch, but that certainly wasn't the case. the conditions were at the end of the day optimal for the launch to take place. that is to say, it's still going to be a nail biting. 30 more days before the spacecraft itself reaches its final orbit at

the la grunge, 2 point or l to one and a half 1000000 kilometers away from earth. and then another 6 months before all the different components. more than $300.00 components at the say, more than $300.00 possible points of failure that have to unfold perfectly for the mission to be a success. we're talking about a solar array, a large solar shield that pretty, that protects the spacecraft from the heat of the sun. it's about the size of a tenant score. and then of course, those large gold plated mirrors that allow the spacecraft the observatory to take in light from our cosmos and see further back in time into the early stages of the universe. further back than any other space telescope before it. still ahead on the news, our a dying profession. there's only 6 light housekeepers in south africa. we've spoken to one of them about technology replacing manpower, but i'm solid in job it in northern pakistan and i'll tell you how changing weather patterns are having an impact on the lives of millions of people head and sport we

hear from british cyclists mar calendar says he reflects on a remarkable yeah, ah hello, thank you for joining in the rain risk is still there for us on sunday, across some of the golf. let's go over those details right now. all has to do with this ribbon of cloud. the could very well generate some showers. let's go in for a closer look. try and pinpoint where this will be. and i also wanted to mention this risk when coming down from iraq is shamal. so we'll see when gus and go i to about 50 kilometers per hour. there are some of their showers could work into re add into bahrain into northern portions of cats. or these could be some thunder downpours as while and temperatures in riyadh. well below the average of $22.00 degrees, thanks to that cloud cover. really putting

a cap on things. lot of clouds and also showers working across the pakistan. the hor, at 16 degrees, islam abad. 17. and off we go to turkey. those winds will be winding up through the boss for about 50 kilometers per hour. is stumble has a height of 14 degrees storms once again, bubbling up around kinshasa into congo, a gab on southern portions of cameroon, lagos, exceptional heat, at $36.00. pretty closer record you may get there. so we'll keep tabs on that. also seen storms through botswana, zimbabwe, eastern portions of south africa, cape town at 29 degrees, but prepare for your temperatures. are on the way down. that's it soon. ah, the, from the al jazeera london broadcast intact to people in thoughtful conversation with no haste and no limitations this decade is a most consequential decade in events is up for too many companies that are doing

bad things in the front. in part 2 of human rights activist q me 19 and environmental if we known and the team the systems.