you can't reach across the screen and get someone to hug. ali re explores, one of the global pandemic speakers side effects loneliness. everyone who lives alone has been forced to be socially isolated for the 1st time, ever highlighting its effect on physical and mental health. and discovering unique ways of coping, controlling, being alone to get that episode to of all hail the locked down on al jazeera ah. turned down celebrations around the world as people ringing another new year in the shadows of cove it ah, i'm so robin, you're watching out there alive. my headquarters here in doha, coming up in the next half hour. can the rollercoaster up down

a breath taking covert infections be blamed on vaccine, deny is hesitancy or even inequality. ah, the golden girl of comedy, betty white passes away just week shy of her 100th birthday and al jazeera looked back at 2021 and the stories that shaped the year. ah, hello, welcome to al jazeera and a very happy new year to you across the globe wherever you're watching our program . today, it's midnight across much of europe right now. and the content is ringing in the new year under the cloud of all the coronets. go to italy, now there's the coliseum booking stunning at night. time. could have fog there. some public on the street, sir, but public celebrations are actually banned in italy at the moment. i rent parents,

it's the other way round the firework show it's cancelled. but as you see, thousands of revelers should be walking along the shore, the lazy to mark the moment. and of course, people have also gathered to celebrate inputted al sol. it's one of the main squares in spain's capital. many people are looking forward at least to the light show, a limited number of people allowed as a drone, drones in operation. now, please making sure that those numbers remain at the same level and people stick to the rules. a couple of hours ago, musket size were lit up, crosses with fi works at midnight. the traditional gathering with a course red square with some bustles cathedral in the background, making a great backdrop to russian celebration victorian going to be revolt. suddenly scaled back celebrations elsewhere in the world. and how cove it has really crash the party. once again, o thailand welcomed the new year with the fireworks display bangkok on

the heavy cove 19 restrictions. oh it was one of the few places in the country to host end of the year celebrations after other events were cancelled due to the spread of omicron. my mouth at bedtime, today's kind of compensation for the past 2 years that i didn't get to celebrate. that's why i decided to bring the whole family here today. my kids are happy and we will come back again next year. so oh, in hong kong fi works little the victoria hobble waterfront. ah, and the music concept by the cities for the morning orchestra marked the beginning of 2020 to better me better home hall dental visit to go. we hope everyone will be healthy and happy and we hope to find the older food or we all can open the border and travel in north korea that will say fi works

high one to lighting up the night sky ah, hours early and using end had been one of the 1st to ring in the new year. it's neighbor, australia didn't hold that tens of thousands of people gathered around sydney hob, a bridge in a tribute also to the front line workers in the fight against k, the 19. but elsewhere, there were bands on big gatherings in china away 2 years ago. corona virus 1st emerged, events were canceled with the nation on high alert and the city of shan on de locked down. since the 1st reported case, more than 5400000 people have died around the world. and with the omicron variant taking hold, many governments have re imposed restrictions to try to ease the strain on whelmed hospitals. even in those countries where gatherings are allowed, many people have chosen to stay at home. the one wish shared by people around the

world. this new year is that 2022 is better than the last 2 years and sees an end to the pandemic. toria gate and be al jazeera, another united states, as recorded its highest number of cases yet in a single day. more than 6 147000 with just about 1409 debts. let's get more less and john henderson in washington, d. c. quite depressing figures. really, john, i mean, his virus is setting new records across the u. s. and it doesn't really seem to be any end in sight. that's right, but researchers at columbia university say they think they know when it's going to peak and according to their model, it would happen within weeks, not months. that would be good news. they say that they think that the virus, according to their model, will peak the week of january 7th. here's the bad news. they say that during that 7

day period, they predict 2.5 to 5000000 new cases. so an intense surge that would then go down according to their model. meanwhile, we've got 100 thousands of flights being canceled across the us. some of that is due to regular winter weather, but some of it is also due to flight cruise getting covered themselves. and also those refusing to work over time over the holidays, because they don't want to take increased incentives because they're too worried about getting the virus. as all of this is happening, 23 states in puerto rico and the district of columbia set new records on thursday. meanwhile, those vaccines and boosters are blunting the effect. people seem to be getting less sick and that's allowed president biden to focus more on the economy than he has on cove it and setting new restrictions there. so things are likely to get worse before they get better. because if i'm correct, you got what just under 6 hours before new year is celebrated. certainly on the

east coast. and of course, americans want to gather in large crowds or small crowds or in family groups to bring in the new. yeah, it's not really a great idea, but people will gather whitley they will indeed maybe not in the same kind of crowds that we've seen in the past, but they are gathering enlarge numbers. and there's a lot of criticism of that in new york times square. usually pre cobra days, we had as many as a 1000000 people squeezed into that small space. well last year during covey. they were just dozens of health care workers there. but this year may or bill de blasio, whose term ends with the new year, has allowed 15000 people still to gather they have to wear masks there. but even though they're going to be outside, they're still a lot of criticism of that because people count down the new year. and when they do that, they expect to rate. and those masks only have limited effects. or there's a lot of criticism of what's going on there,

but it's going to go ahead any way you can hear more later on as our own. gabriel elizondo will be there reporting for us later tonight. but like last year, this time around kissing strangers at midnight. is probably still a bad idea. i'm sure it is john from the joe hall team. wish you guys over in the u . s. and early, very happy new. yes, actually distance one. anyway for that. now the u. k. report is another record number of daily infections on friday. more than 100. 89000 people tested positive. the coven! 19 british prime minister boris johnson, is encouraging people to get tested. i'm vaccinated if they haven't already. the people who think the disease can't haute the look at the people going into hospital now that could be you look at the intensive care units and the miserable needless suffering of those who did not get that booster. that could be you. so make it your new year's resolution far easier than losing weight or keeping a diary. find

a walk in center or make an online appointment. get that job and do something that will make 2022. a happy new year. russel, where we challenge, has more from london what any normal new is a this embankment here and there will be absolutely rammed with people coming down to watch the big firework spectacular. well, for the 2nd, the running, the public events has been cancelled. people are being urged to stay home and watch whatever does happen on tv. now, despite the fact that every day that seems to be new infection record is being broken and hospitalizations, and now over $12000.00 because on chrome looks to be less severe than delta boris johnson is hoping that his lights touch approach will pay off the bars and restaurants, the cafes, the night clubs are open. people can still gather a party in england,

in other parts of the u. k. scotland wells in northern ireland. that is not the case. and it does seem as if there are concerns that people are going to be coming from those parts of the country into england. because this is where you can party that of course is being actively discouraged. argentine was feeling the impact of the new cro virus very and reporting records 50000 daily cases. people waited in long lines to be tested for the virus that centers in the capitol. born as iris on new year's eve. argentina recently reduced the number of quarantine days from 10 to 5. it recorded its 1st case of abra chrome 3 weeks ago. he has to meet with you if we can do it. i have been heading for a month and a half and confidential case exploding and did you expect him not to happen here? you 30 should have foreseen all of this. had people come to tit ought to give him the vacation period and the end of the prisons were coming in for him. we are here because we want to gather tonight with the family. we came from the coast and we want to be sure we don't have covered. now,

thousands of runners took part in one of brazil's oldest races. the sounds, the vest road race traditionally held on new year's eve. now it's a historical event. in san paula that brings together runners from all around the world. the 15 kilometer run was held with strict health measures, including showing proof of vaccination. it was council last year because of cobra. 19 restriction still had here on out there was soccer finding one of the one to save the rest house. i'm asking time is forced to settle our daughters just to be able to ins on the moment, flames and gulf. another city in the us said, colorado's thousands, please. holmes. ah hello, here's her headlines for the america on the 1st day of 2020 to happy new year.

everyone will begin in california. this is actually in the past too much rain to fast. los angeles, broken, 85 year old daily rainfall records scooping up about 60 millimeters, so flashed lighting not only outside, but inside at union station. it's energy raced across the rockies, and it's now going to spark some severe storms further toward the east. we go, we'll pick up the story there, texas arkansas, tennessee right in to kentucky. we could see some tornadoes here. one of the main ingredients we've got high temperature is here, so that could flare up storms with very little notice. this is a cold front, it's working across submitted by a ticket going to drop temperatures eventually in dc. but look at this temperature divide. we've got minus 19 in minneapolis and plus 20 degrees in d. c. few flurries hanging around for vancouver. temperatures have come up also coming up across alberta, but still that deep cold across the canadian prayers in the northern plains, to central america, some showers, kosta rica, and panama, and still in that zone from brazilian to rio de janeiro. we've got some orange

alert. we could scoop up to a 100 millimeters of rain and then south of all of this high heat. so by jablonka has got a height of 32 degrees on saturday. that's it. see said, ah, a sun ah father, ah, a mutual love of the ox. the stage is set to immortalize freezing memories or in a magical race against time. witness our time mission on a jesse yo, lou.

the me talk about what's going on there with me, the whole long the reminder of all the help stories, much of europe has just running in the new year on the part of alma from celebrations on news of the cross the world with some of these counseling that traditional fireworks display opening large countries. okay, that remains one of the main issues in the world right now. and the fact that we're all entering our 3rd year of pandemic bags and lots of questions specifically why a lot of it has to do with vaccines and why many people aren't vaccinated. let's discuss this with august. st. efficient is associate professor of micro biology and immunology, georgetown university medical center join me now live alexandria virginia by scott . good. have you with a son professor jonathan berman is the assistant professor in the department of basic sciences at and why it. com, arkansas,

and the author of mt faxes. how to challenge a misinformed movement, joins me from change in arkansas. good. have you been with us professor berman? i just start with you. that obviously the main concerns of many anti vaccines that you might have interviewed in your book. and the concerns to have the speed of how the vaccines were made. what's in them, and the way that the vaccine information has been presented globally. they the main concerns of anti access, so to speak. i think the ultimate li, if you take a step back, a lot of what they express is concerns. speed with which they were made. those things are, are rationalizations they're using. that are expressions of much, much deeper fears, concerns they might have about the role of government government overreach, about public health officials, authorities. and the fear goes to the idea of putting

a non materials into your bodies. so even if you address those concerns, you explain how the vaccine was developed and how safe it is. sometimes it can be really hard to get through to people. the professor fisher would you agree with that is a, is a valid point that to be made. i certainly agree, and i think the important thing to recognize is that fears about vaccination and hesitancy existed long before the cover in 1900 pandemic. and so a lot of the fields we're seeing now build on those earlier the beliefs, many based in this information that has been recycled again with the cobra, 1900 vaccines. so making that concern about the, the novelty of the facts, seen the speed with which they were developed already built on a foundation of concern and, and conflicting beliefs and information that many people have had a just transferred during the pandemic to the new vaccine. before i get back to

them, professor bet press official. is there a point then to the way that should have been managed by respective governments the way the message should have been told to the public at large. i mean, one of the things that in retrospect, i think we can all see is that while the speed of driving these vaccines was indeed incredible, faster than any vaccines we have ever tested, completely safely and brought to use before helping people understand that the new vaccines particularly at the m, i n, a vaccines, even though they are, these are in a vaccine to new. they were built on, on decades of care for research. so, you know, talking about rapid operations and is, is true in one sense that on the other hand, these will really built on over long a period of care for scientific testing and understanding. so i think emphasizing

that up front and what have been really useful in an ongoing discussion of if that would have been useful. professor berman and where do cultural sensitivities. and in some cases, like in africa, for example, our tribal and worries and fears about whether these vaccines offered by various governments and authorities break religious traditions was at any part of your research. was that part of the conversation? um, historically, yes, there have been a concern. some, some vaccines might have materials made from cow or, or pig or are there other animals that concern people again and you do have to be sensitive to that. um, but really what's, what's bothersome is how have hazard. the messaging has been over all

um there, there really hasn't been a large scale vaccine confidence projects, urban small projects here and there. but yeah, my government and the other governments of the world really need to invest in persuading people and, and talking to communities about what their concerns are. if i just jump in that professor berman than if the, if they're not be able, companies are able to give people the message than where are they getting their information from one presumes. it's from either the media in all shapes and forms all from the internet via a range of websites where is dare i say it the guilt to be proportioned out to you say guilt? i think if you're trying to make a decision on who do you go to, you say what, what, what car do i want to buy? well, you ask your friends, you ask your family. maybe you ask you,

you look at some of the advertising materials. and so people are going to their friends and family and they're, they're getting pat information there. and that's sometimes that's on social media . but they're also now sometimes going to seemingly legitimate news sources on the internet or on television and, and getting misinformation, professor. so, oh, go ahead in a good bring in professor fisher here on this. i mean, is there a point to be made here about where p and i'm putting on taxes and in a bracket air. but those that are hesitant to have the vaccine where they're getting their information from. absolutely, and i think what most people don't appreciate is that there is an entire echo system of just information and misinformation. some of it is deliberate disinformation sewn by by, in some cases, even by government to exacerbate political stresses. and then those messages get picked up by those who are willing to amplify them,

who believe very strongly in anti vaccination messages and are echoing those. and then they are being picked up as professor berman said, being picked up and echoed to people's friends to their families, through their intimate circles or their, their social media. and giving the impression that these, this information is false, measured message is a widespread. so a lot of this is just, you know, again, all of us taking responsibility for paying attention to the sources of our information and applying common sense as well, and reinforcing that message in our communities. but cohesive messaging has been a real challenge, encountering the often far more appealing disinformation before good, but again, but to professor, but profess official, we're entering off now of the pandemic itself. people are talking about the end demik. what do you expect the message to be? and who should be giving that message the scientist. so the politicians,

depending on the fact that now governments are telling us we might need a 2nd boost to a 3rd booster, blah blah blah, goes on, doesn't to you know, i think that you're absolutely right. and part of that is that consistency of messaging from the scientific community and from our political leaders are on the part of scientists. finding those clear voices that can speak from knowledge and authority and, and have the, the, the courage to say, we don't know what we don't know. we may need to have a 3rd dose. ah, we obviously are looking at multiple doses. and as we learn as we go along with building that scale of knowledge, so we really, we need that frankness and to build on it coherently profess above. and finally we're a building on from that answer from professor fisher. how does the messaging have to change in 2022? ah, i think we need, or if we want to persuade the remaining unvaccinated and,

and persuade people to get boosters. i agree completely. um there's, there's too much space in between scientists and the ability to speak to the public and to their communities and, and, and to have a coherent message. so i think one of the things the scientific community needs to do is be more proactive and seeking out opportunities to, to speak to the public. um, even if it's just add on there that the local level at a, at a, at church him ask a synagogue at a community center and, and then to as doctor fisher said, be honest about what we do and don't know that we'll have to leave it i'm afraid it's been good speaking to you. professor johnson berman and transfer arkansas re professor julie fisher in alexandria, virginia. thank you very much for your time and a happy new year to both of you. happy new year and thank you so much.

miss hopkins are ending 2021 in a far worse position than when they get began. normal families are so desperate for money that they're forced to sell of children as young a 6 into marriage. agency say the taliban on false marriages has failed to stop the practice. lot of fact there has more in this sprawling settlement camp in western afghanistan. live people displaced by drought and war. but as these go, suffering doesn't, and there she's now trying to save her 10 year old daughter after her husband sold her into marriage without telling her. though she though i started fighting with him and my heart stops beating, i wish i could have died. i told my husband, i'm not going to give away my daughter. such a young age. aziz's husband told her he did it for money to feed his 5 children and that without it, they would starve. he was in his word sacrificing one to save the rest. but his

ease, married off her self at 15, refused instead securing a divorce for her daughter. it cost the equivalent of around a $1000.00. that money, they don't have barely douglas new york. now we are not only struggling with hunger . we also money to the man, if we can't return the money and he comes to get my daughter, what will happen? i would rather die than let him take her. despite a taliban ban on forced marriages, the practice is continuing with many afghans unable to afford even basic goods. a payment from a perspective, grooms family can amount to the difference between life and death. in some cases, families are now also giving up their sons break. so it's the right time for the humanity in community to stand up and stay with the people of abandon was led in another part of the camp. her meet abdulla says he too is desperate for money to treat his chronically ill wife pregnant with their 5th child. 3 years ago he

received a down payment for his eldest daughter. now 7 to be married when she's older, but he needs the money. now. what's the dear do now while our affairs, i have another daughter, i'm even willing to sell her because i need to buy food and medicine. i don't have any other choice, and it's likely other afghan families will feel they'd to have to do the same. according to the united nations, more than $3000000.00 children under 5, a facing acute malnutrition, more mothers like aziz facing the unthinkable. laura frick burge out a 0 as 2022 begins. it's time to look back at some of the biggest stories al jazeera has covered over the past 12 months . let's walk down pennsylvania avenue ah, the u. s. capital building under su. cannot however, tara,

from our responsibility to validate with joseph robin bye. your new songs were notions of what just is known to go to is cherry always just me, a mazda n aquatic re elected leadership retained, as the military staged, a bit of a general thought of a bit less qu, they couldn't be more wrong with the taliban. has taken the final departure of the u. s. military officer. 20 years. i believe this is the right to switch a violent day over dangerous days, still ahead. nowhere in gaza feel safe,

right? i'll just 0 will not be silenced. about him is reaping around the world. you see that right. and that by the tragedy of the lack of political will selfishness and music about the new all mccomb very in to spread it 20. $22.00 must be the year we end the funding for the code read at emerge pro no planet. there is no plan and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah, i'm deeply sorry. ah, the philippine government does call the fight against that security levels and like

the social the down general have a say they don't want military who's there is always like only we're brave enough to see only we're brave enough and the legendary us actress and comedian betty white has died less than a month before a 100th birthday. now she was named the female entertainer with the longest television career by the guinness book of records in

a career that spanned 9 decades. but he white began acting as a child in the 19 thirty's and worked right up until 2019 with a voice pot in toy story for. but she was best no were why for plain rose nyland in the 1980s. tv show, the golden girls. and of course you follow everything we're covering on our website on that dot com. of course the world is ringing in 2022. in the shadows, the cobit 90. more. mat oliver. i don't, you know, just with me to run the reminder of all top stories, much of europe has just rung in the new year under the cloud on the from celebration on muted band across the world with subsidies canceling that traditional file. it displays all bending large gasoline. tears, after october 19th, the pandemic was declared on the situation in many countries continues to decline

with reports of reco daily cases fuel mainly viable contagious berry and shawl. henry has more from washington d. c.