ah ah, ah, current of ours cases are inching to to 1000000 globally with the u. s. alone accounting for nearly half a 1000000 infections? ah. other income vanelle, this is algae. they're alive from doha. also coming up. we report on the flight of thousands and northwest me and mar, fleeing, unrelenting attacks by the military. 3 protest is returned to the streets and sir dan's capital prompting police to fire tear gas to contain them. plus a popular congolese dance music. it special

recognition. i've united nations the number of daily covered 19 cases globally is approaching 2000000, and that's nearly double the number seen in the last week. the u. s. is the worst affected accounting for nearly $1.00 and $3.00 cases in the world. but even though delta and omicron variants are surging, hospitalization and death remains relatively no. my cameras live for us now in washington dc. mind just talk us through the situation then in the us. well, throughout the us as a massive increase in the rate of infection and also a massive increase in the rate of a positive testing. so certainly that's a great concern to health officials as ami kron and the delta variance pushed through the us population. the cdc says though that the death rate is down somewhat

as both as $1100.00 americans are still dying each day. but the cdc says that the death rate has dropped by some 7 percent over the past week. this a direct result of vaccinations says the c d c are very clear the one detail that is clear at this particular point given so much that is unknown about the berries variance of the virus, is that those who are vaccinated and those who have a booster shot at suffer far less side effects than those who are not vaccinated. the hospitalizations largely across the united states are of those who are not vaccinated. so the cdc and the biden administration repeating its call for all americans to get vaccinated, remembering as well that some 35 percent of the country's population are still not received any shot of vaccination. okay, my, what about testing men? because obviously, tracking are the new variance requires testing. so are there enough tests?

well, the short answer to that is no. there aren't enough tests. there's been a supply chain issue in terms of getting tests the bite and administration has said that it will be providing free tests for all americans to be able to test at home. this appears to be a way off, although it says it's now a matter of weeks. the plan for the biden administration is to cooperate with chemist, for example, to ensure that free tests are available to all americans. so that testing can be done at home. but here, there is a, another issue is that some anti gen tests do not recognize the, on the chrome very. and so once again, this is another thing that health experts are having to look at. put simply, there is simply not enough detail about the variance. in particular, the ami crump variant to be able to define exactly what tests are going to work and what do not. it's very much a question of trial and error at this particular point. health officials struggling

to keep up because that point about testing is critical in order to be able to determine how the variance are moving through the u. s. population that cannot be done without the data that can only be collected through a coherent and widespread testing program. i, mike hannah, thanking for that san washington, d. c. ask herself now to mexico officials there have warned about a new wave of infections. more than 4000 new cases have been reported. mexico detected its 1st case of the on the con variant earlier this month. and her apollo jones is now live from mexico city manual. so mexico and other countries in latin america really preparing for another wait that's right, him. the warnings are clear, not only here in mexico, but in countries across a latin america region. prevention needs to be taken seriously. as this new wave of

coven 19 continues to, to make its way into the region. there's been a spike in cases here in mexico link to the holiday season. but there's also a lot of concern over the spread of the con barion, which continues to reach new areas of the region. as you mentioned there in your introduction, and again, it's not only mexico we're seeing this happen in several countries in the region in origin. tina just this week, the country registered the highest number of cases of cobra in 1900. since the start of the pandemic, again here in the region, the delta variant continues to be the dominant variant. but we are now seeing cases of the current, at least at least 10 countries where it's now been confirmed. we've also looking at an alarming rate of hospitalizations in the u. s. territory of puerto rico, which just yesterday registered 307 hospitalizations, 84 of those hospitalizations were children. there is also much concern over the rate of medical professionals that have been hospitalized. so that's the case of

argentina, the u. s. territory, puerto rico. but what's interesting to note, however, is how varied the attitudes and policies by different governments or across the region. on the one hand, if you look at where we are here in mexico, this would argue, arguably, be one of the more extremely relaxed countries when it comes to contagion prevention policy. travelers entering mexico are not required to present cobra. 1900 tests. there are no mandatory policies being enforced. you compare that to countries like sheila, where travelers, form travelers entering the country, have to present a negative test the p. c. r tests less than 72 hours before they're right. there are mandatory quarantine and isolation periods. and if there is a silver lining here, if there is any good news coming out of the region, it's the rate of vaccination south america, specifically, is now considered the most vaccinated a continent in the world where you compare latin america to where we were just a year ago, brazil was considered the at the center of the pandemic,

not only for latin america before the world registering the highest number of deaths anywhere else to day. major cities in brazil like so. paulo and rio had vaccination rates, upwards of 99 percent. one of the most successful vaccination drives in latin america, but there are still many challenges. health experts are talking about vaccine accessibility and vaccine in equality. on the one hand, mexico and argentina had this joint program to produce more doses of the astrazeneca vaccine. but there are many other countries in the region that haven't even reached 40 per cent vaccination, not even to say the 50 percent vaccination rate necessary to curb contagion and to reach cope 19 immunity. and thank you for that. and they, their menu or our panel live for us in mexico city. let's get more now on the u. k . 's preparations. and i chess england to is opening temporary field hospitals. at the moment, the number of people admitted to hospital is significantly lower than earlier in

the year. about $1816.00 were admitted on wednesday compared to 4 and a half 1000 last january. but the number is rising, that i just figure shows that hospital admissions are at the highest level since march. however, despite arise and hospital admissions, the number of people an intensive care is dropping. or a talents is falling developments in london. in the average of face be given a ball park figure of about 10000 hospitalizations at any one point when things start to get ready tricky. and they are just creeping over that benchmark for england at least. so the plan is to set up for their calling a hub, the various hospitals around the country. they'll be temporary structures put up in, you know, car parts, etc. and each one will have about a 100 beds capacity. it doesn't sound much, but the hope is that that will be enough to deal with any over spill from

the main hospitals. if it's not, they all looking at other sites to set up around for thousands more beds to deal with sucrose events now hoping that none of this is needed like the nightingale hospitals weren't really needed earlier in the panoramic. but they want to have the safeguards in place just in case 3 protests have been killed and at least another 10 injured in norman as protests against the military government. once again, romped across saddam thousands of people have rallied nationwide demanding return to civilian rule. phone and internet services have been shut down aimed at disrupting the latest protest since military coup in october. mohammed vall has more now from call to me a 100 to seeing these protests, obviously where you are in the capitol. but tell us more about what's happening and dorman. yeah, partly the heaviest classes have taken place in on domina. that's because her

usually protestors gathered in on demand and in cotton barry and also south of cotton, the central low part of costume. and they all they try to march to was a presidential polish. that's a pattern. but whenever you occasion, security forces try to to disperse them before they reach the presidential police. this time around the heavy security around the around the central captain, the closure of bridges, and the doubled or tripled number of security forces used to confront the protest as have it kept them at bay, kept them in, undermine itself. but apparently the numbers were huge. be gotten began to increase as the day progresses, to put more pressure and security forces and security forces apparently used life bullets according to, according to medical sources and also according to the year to the resistance. so are committees, are both sources confirmed the death of 3 protesters and the are that are more than

10, at least have been wounded in the clashes, or in other parts of sudan, particularly in port sudan. her big numbers also for testers took to this 3. so we don't have much news from there because of this cutting off of the internet and the phone lines across the country did throughout the day and even a since so very early in the morning. and that's a strategy the school forces and the government tapped. i've been using to reduce the capacity of the protesters to coordinate their efforts and to know what's happening ah, in other parts of the city or other parts of the country. okay, ma'am, and again, you kind of answer an answer my next question. i mean, if they're using live bullets, should we expect their military response to protested just to become more and more violent, because this is what the 11th day of protests and even so demonstrated seem to be very steadfast and then really putting themselves in a lot of risk yes,

but thus this is not the 1st time in life. bullets have been used is not the 1st time. protesters have been killed by the security forces. at times, during the last several weeks or months of half a dozen were killed at one in one occasion. so, i mean, this is just a part of this is just a repeat of what has been going on. sometimes a protest as die before because of the year tear gas sometimes because of her life bullets. we understand that security forces have been, are increasingly using a force and the more heavy handed tactics against the protest as they were even rumors during the last few days. or that the authorities have actually decided this time around not to use tear gas only to use life bullets. i know that is rumors, but you know, what we saw today confirms that yes, this strategy, the tactics used by the government or say by the military or military authorities,

particularly the security forces have been on the increase and they are using more and more or more and more a person m and a more various types of ver, a weapons to argue to, to crack down. and the protest us. i'd tannenbaum there lie for us across the situation in sudan from cartoon. thank you. still head on al jazeera, dying to protect the land environmental defenders in columbia, appealed to the government to help and british socialized scott maxwell is found guilty, and her high profound sex traffic in trial will happen. details ah ah, look forward to brighter scully's, the winter sponsored boy cattle airways. hello, sunny no,

let up in the winter whether such a pan at the moment. lots of cloud just rolling through here, winds coming in from a cold, nor the direction tucked in behind. this cold front there will be further spells of extensive and disruptive snow, maybe 50 or 60 millimeters, so centimeters of snow coming down for some as we go on through the next couple of days more widespread as we go through friday and on into sad stay. so we end the old year moving to the new year. with more of the same, we have got to some slightly dry weather there across the crib peninsula, less cold temperatures in solar, around 2 degrees celsius issues. they largely dry across a good part of china. meanwhile, we got that dry weather coming down across much of indo china or heavy showers coming in across sir the philippines on chain of cloud. here that is the, the northeastern monsoon driving further showers. member, we're seeing flooding recently in to the malay peninsula. rephrase. that wet weather will continue as we go on through the next few days, you can follow that same line of cloud and rain into southern parts of the bay have

been goal. well again, the ne monsoon just popping up once again as we go on through the next couple of days for the heavy showers coming back into under pradesh. pushing down into html now do. and we'll see some heavy downfalls. also returning to sri lanka blue, whether sponsored by caraway's, step beyond the comfort zones, were assumptions or challenge traveled to the ends of the earth and further experience the unimaginable of the people who live it. witness award winning documentaries on a just a year in 2002 coins and bank notes mark the launch of the euro today is the official currency of 19 of the $27.00 members states of the european union on the 20th anniversary of the euro entering circulation al jazeera investigates how the eurozone benefited from having an official currency. ah

ah, watching on his era, reminder of our top stories, this all the u. s. as reported daily, half a 1000000 karone of ours infections as nearly twice the amount seen during the last week. but hospitalizations and deaths are relatively low. u. k is setting up temporary field hospitals to deal with the crone of our research. the government is concerned, the system could still be overwhelmed despite the madness of the new varied 3 protests as have been killed in saddam. it was shot by security forces and abdomen . thousands have been rallying across the country against the recent military takeover or human rights group. is accusing government forces in northwest me and mom of killing civilians and destroying their homes. the military has and commented on the allegations. drone video, which matches satellite images,

show smoke billowing from the town of pant long and chin state. tony chang reports from the me and my border fires burn in the hill, top town of ton to long and chin state northwestern myanmar. the destruction caused by artillery shells and fires set by mere mas military appear part of a concerted policy of scorched earth. most of the towns, $10000.00 residents, have fled across the nearby border into india, powerless to do anything to save their homes. others flood chin state for the simple reason. they couldn't find anything to eat the creek about what i mean, but especially in mighty p, there was a, he is food shortage. the people couldn't access their farms also asked the military had placed minds on no way. no transportation was available and people couldn't go from one be left to another internet access and for lies were shut. satellite photos show how starting in september,

systematic and coordinated attacks destroyed 580 buildings in the town. these are tactics often associated with mia mars military and all because the residents had shown resistance to february's military coup. even in the berman heartland, home of mia mars majority, ethnic group opposition has been brutally put down in sir gung, this woman shrieks with grief. after finding the body of her grandfather, one of 12 villages reportedly murdered by the military. mia mars government. politicians in exile, condemned the alleged war crimes that military every day committee crimes, terrorist act against the people. the better to die and is, is compromise comprised that international crimes against humanity. still thank you for making stay meant. thank you for your concern. but the current situation. remind you archie, in our more actions of concrete actions,

to start that kind of military action said to stop that illegal military daria's. and as recently as christmas eve, 38 civilians killed and burned to work. as for the charity save the children, now confirmed to be amongst the charred remains. in the past, month alone, there have been credible stories of mia mars military perpetrating massacres in saga district and kaya state. in the past week, thousands of civilians have poured into thailand, telling stories of air strikes that have targeted civilians nearly a year after the military coup. it appears all the fears about an unchecked military rule in so myanmar are coming to fruition. tony chang al jazeera on the me on my board. the damaged boat carrying we're hanging migrants near indonesia is being towed to shore. the boat of mostly women and children was left the drift of the coast of anti province for days while attempting to reach malaysia. indonesia

government decided to give them shelter on wednesday, saying they were facing emergency conditions. hundreds of the most minority fed me and mall have reached indonesia over the years after a perilous journey, often lasting months of us and russian presidents are due to a phone call later on thursday, they're expecting to discuss ukraine. the white house says that i'm approved and requested to call with joe botton, the 4 talks in geneva next month. the grand denies war grain wargames rather than their ukraine border are a printing pre route to invasion. algebra has been told that an agreement to revive wrongs. nuclear deal with wild powers is still far off. the ground of talks between diplomats commenced in vienna on monday. forces close to the negotiation saying there's a disagreement surrounding around the mom for us sanctions to be lifted immediately . they say the talks are going in a good direction that they lack the momentum to achieve results within

a reasonable timeframe. as those talks take place around, launched a satellite carrier rocket into space. the u. s. has complained about previous launches, because affairs that the technology could advance around the ballistic missile program. environmental defenders are calling on the colombian government to protect the human rights watch says more than 150 were killed. last year its criminal groups try to get their hands on lucrative natural resources. president yvonne bouquet says he's doing all he can to ensure their safety. the critic strongly disagree. that's our sounds lumpy people pools to does in community leaders of the magdalena made the region in central columbia have secretly gathered in this hotel conference room. their meeting with the government officials to ask for protection . some leaders have been killed for speaking out against criminal elements in their communities. others have received death threats. most people do and we've seen

a fair increase in violence for at 2021 from residual rebel group to near paramilitary group that we politicians, business men, public officials, 3 faith clashes and targeting of leaders with killing us, especially in my area is where fracking project underway the oscar told us that he's been threatened by criminals. he claims are responsible for dumping toxic waste in every cultural or protected areas near the city of butler. better me. her the government has provided him with a daytime bodyguard, a flat jacket in a panic button. but he says the security measures there are no match for the arm groups who operate with impunity, which has a folder, we escape the government institution. they should be recourse like the regional attorney, general inspector general number many, often away because they have been collected by the criminal group to see human rights organizations say, a 160 so called social environmental leaders have been killed in columbia in 2021

hold oh, the government and duke. he says it's doing all it can to protect him. well, if we're supposed to go. but despite what the government's claims, critic say, it's simply hasn't done enough. that corruption and violence in the countryside is directly related to the 5 decades old civil war that officially ended in 2016, but still reverberates throughout the country. has to do more in terms of protecting communities that are more of the month. the rules that are responsible for these these 2 point b, r o b has been ignored. it has been forgotten, ministration, columbia, the national ombudsman recognizes. there are difficulties in the implementation of a toro protection system. i will think that we can't hide. there have been issues

with the implementation of the 2016 pace, deal with foreigner that offered more protection. and the pen demik is my things which are the protection of leaders, especially in remote areas. but this is the 1st government to introduce a public policy design exclusively for social leaders. so we hope things will get better. but experts believe only a profound transformation of the institutions task with protecting these communities could really make a change in the life of these leaders who are the last line of defense for their people and the environment. allison that i'm 50, al jazeera barranca bitter mesa. and terry in new york has found british socialized collect maxwell guilty on 5 counts and a sex trafficking trial charges against the former associate of american financier and convicted pedophile jeffrey epstein include sex trafficking of underage girls, gabriel. and as on the reports, it took the jury 5 full days more than 40 hours of deliberations. elaine maxwell

guilty on 5 of the 6 charges she faced convicted of grooming young girls, her sexual abuse by her former boyfriend, jeffrey epstein. and even sometimes joining in the british socialite remained calm and whispered to her lawyer and drank a sip of water. as the verdicts were read out, outside court maxwell's friend, lee, saffron, a regular throughout the trial, and he left with our comment to chance to give a reaction to the verdict for the prosecution. the verdict was a welcome relief. the road to justice has been far too long, but today, justice has been done. i want to commend the bravery of the girls now grown women who stepped out of the shadows into the courtroom. their courage and willingness to face their abuser, made today's result. and this case possible, the trial attracted enormous global attention,

wealthy and influential. epstein and maxwell moved in elite circles counting the rich and famous even former presidents and britons, prince andrew, among their friends and associates. max was lawyers argue that she'd become a scapegoat for epstein crimes. he committed suicide while awaiting trial. in august 2019 defense lawyers attempted to poke holes in the testimony of the 4 made witnesses and even brought in memory experts to undermine their accounts. but to no avail, we firmly believe and go less innocent. obviously, we are very disappointed with the verdict. we have already started working on the appeal and we are confident that she will be vindicated. delaine maxwell turned 60 years old during these jury deliberations. the sentencing will be at a later date, but she's now facing up to 65 years in prison. gabriel xander,

alexander new york. more is in south africa all paying their final respects to anti apartheid icon. desmond tutu. the archbishop's body is lying in station saint george's cathedral in cape town. before saturday. funeral south africans are observing a week his national morning for 22 who died on sunday aged 90. now at the dawns borne deep in the heart of africa, which is spread worldwide. now, the colleagues room has been recognized by unesco. the united nations cultural agency has added the downs, moves to its list of what's called intangible heritage. him on con has more don't blow in full flight as the rhythm of the room, but brings joy to that. but this is just a distraction, ultra hard day's work. the song, the band plays, is called the peace and unity which came about after the congos independence from belgium. ah,

for the last 50 years has become an anti colonial anthem across the african culture . and this month, unesco recognizes the start of music as a living cultural tradition. and there were intangible cultural heritage for the ban. lita, it's a recognition of a life playing music. me no more but got a bit a bit. it has many characteristics. it's existed for more than 50 years. i've lived my whole life with rumba. if you look at the rubber now, we elevated and developed it. although we've kept our references to the icons like le grand cali, pub webber? semarino, marcia tuggle, a new modem. ah, the start of music in some way, tells the story of one of the biggest crimes inflicted upon africa, slavery. the music's origins can be traced back to central africa, but it was bought to atlantic ocean between the 16th and 1900 century. and was

particularly popular among the slaves of brazil and cuba. cuban zuba in particular became big and african countries on approved by the time recorded music writing congo congolese artists began to recognize their own rhythms and history in cubans and took that and the music came a full circle becoming rhumba knows all said, did depot our ancestors deported to the americas in the 1516 century and went to either north america, central america or south america. but the focal point was cuba and central america knew, well. so in cuba there was a surprising mixture from those who came from africa. but also from whom the slaves have encountered one stare, the sickness of renew on the recognition is also important to foster and industry. to not just only recognize talent, but to develop and nurture. oh, well,

it is our creation. rhumba is rhumba is our life. rumba is our vision, so room, but is us. that's why we want room, but to be recognized as our own. it is our identity. rhumba is congress. ah, one of the things you and recognition does is highlight the room, but sound is a totally just as reggae is jamaican. another awful recognized by the you and cultural agency the, the music plays on louder and more crowded. iran costs are i you watching algebra reminds now of the top stories. the u. s. has reported nearly half a 1000000 corona virus infections. that's nearly twice the amount seen during the last week. but hospitalized ations and deaths are relatively no. mckenna has more from washington dc, the cdc.