best in that, and that's a privilege. as a journalist, ah, a doing the best we possibly can. top us health officials face tough questions at the senate as the country hits a new record for cobra. 19 the hospital admissions. ah . hello, i'm down, jordan, this is al jazeera la you from dough hall also coming. this is the moment to decide to defend our lectures, to defend our democracy. but you as president pushes to change senate rules as he ronnie's support of voting rights before. the trial of 25 man accused of plotting the 2019 east of bombings resumes in shore lanka will have a live update from coloma on fighting between arm groups

escalades on the border between columbia and venezuela. we speak to the families displaced by the fathers. ah, yes, president joe biden has defended his administration's response to a surgeon on the chrome cases more people and now in a hospital with cobit 19 than ever before. and infections are hurting an average of 3 quarters of a 1000000 a day. a u. s. senate committee as question federal officials and how they have been handling the pandemic article haine has the latest another new coded record in the us, more than 145000 people hospitalized with the virus. still u. s. president joe biden is sounding optimistic on top of that. we're on the right track back. hold, show much of the country, disagree. one problem casting. this is boston and here misery.

long lines to get a test and results are taking longer to come back. everywhere we've been, it's been a lot like this is we're testing looks like in most of the country, the other option at home tests. but they are expensive and really hard to find. same with masks, the government says i'm a crown means every one needs better masks. if you can find and afford them. so some local government, you have begun giving en route. i was just going to get the mask. i can't find anyone and was like a 95 just so expensive. take 2 or 3 weeks they did on at this senate hearing the focus was supposed to be and how to make it all better. but it often got contentious with republicans launching personal attacks on the nation's chief cobit adviser, who says he is receiving death threats because of it. so i asked myself, why would sen want to do this? so go to ran poll website, and you see fire doc, devout, you with

a little box that says contribute here. you can do 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, a $100.00. so you are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain. so here's the problem, case numbers are extremely high, but hospitalizations usually follow those by about 3 weeks. and hospitals are already stretched this one several times as i did simply tell ambulance drivers don't come here, we're just quite out of beds. the bind administration says they're ramping up the production of medicines, math test, but those are weeks maybe months away. and the situation is getting worse by the day. and after saying it wouldn't be needed. authorities admit they are working on a vaccine for the amok ron variant and working on others that could work on the next variant that comes after that or i'm a crohn isn't likely not to be the last. all this virus throws at us nearly 2 years

on and once again, hospitals are stretched, lives are being lost and every day, new size that life is far from returning to normal. petty clean al jazeera maryland, quebec could soon be the 1st canadian province to tax unvaccinated adults. the premier from all ago says they're placing a financial burden on the health care system. on tuesday, announce plans for those without a medical exemption to pay a health care contribution. cobit 19 hospital admissions and canada have surged with the spread of the on the cross variance. and more than half the population of europe will have called the on the convent within the next $6.00 to $8.00 weeks. that's the warning from the world health organization surgeon, governments to prioritize vaccinations including boosters. 7000000 new cases of america were detected in europe in the 1st week of january alone. it is quickly becoming dominant virus invest in europe. and this no spreading into the balkans.

at this rate, the institute for health metrics and evaluation for past that more than 50 percent of the population in the region will be infected with mcclung. in the next 6 to 8 weeks, dominic cane is in berlin with more on the situation across europe. on the face of us, a very bleak assessment. indeed, that's 50 percent of the population depending on which numbers you go by in the you more than 400000000 people live here in the you around 700000000 around the you, it's periphery countries. and that sort of thing. so we're talking potentially hundreds of millions of people that this individual from the world health organization is saying might well find themselves falling fowl of the immigrant variant of the corona virus in the course of the next couple of months. remember, it's deep winter here right now. and so all those conditions which militates in

favor of further transmission are in place. it's cold outside people tend to congregate together inside if they're not wearing appropriate masks as we were hearing from the w h o. in another part of a statement made by the individual concerned that it's masking vaccination and that sort of thing in the absence of those. and it's very clear that the world health health organization is making pretty difficult and dangerous suggestions here. hundreds of millions of people might find themselves as a se falling fall of on the kron in this deep winter phase of 2022. that's the really fundamental question here, right now has or me crohn managed to dislodge the delta, very of the preceding, particularly dangerous variance of covey that had been running right. what like wildfire across the continent, here in germany, the latest estimate suggests somewhere around 50 percent of all cases are of ami

chrome. but in other parts of the continent then on the crohn has really taken hold and is starting to really push delta to one side. yes, president joe biden says the united states is at a turning point on voting rights, cesar's the senate to pass legislation to protect the right to vote. allen, fisher reports now flatland to georgia before this important speech to bite and took time to pay tribute to civil rights icon. he stopped at martin luther king's grave site, a man who fought for rights. the president no believes out at risk since the election that carried him to the white house. 19 states have changed the rules of voting. an attack on the people says joe biden, an attack on democracy for the right to vote. and that that vote count. it is democracy's threshold liberty. without it, nothing is possible, but with it, anything is possible. while the denial of fair and fair elections is on democratic,

it is not unprecedented. he made the speech in georgia, one of the places where the laws have changed. a cut, the number of drop boxes made it harder to ask for a meal and vote even made it illegal to hand water to people waiting in line to vote. joe biden wants to change the rules in the senate to push legislation through against republican opposition. but he knows 2 senators from his own party, are dead set against that idea. he threw down this challenge. well, you stand against voters suppression? yes or no, that's the question they'll answer. what do you stand a lie against elections aversion? yes or no. we stand for democracy. yes or no. there is one thing, every senator, every american should remember. history has never been kind to those of sided with voters oppression over voters rights. joe biden rude to election victory with the

overwhelming support of black voters in many experts believe that's who would be most disadvantaged by the change in the legislation. advocates who support a national law didn't attend. we believe joe biden should be in washington, getting things done. not here, talking about getting things done. this is york hardy, mister president. these are your soldiers. you need to find a way to get them in line because we deliver or you to leave is party and now you need to leave this party. so help me, god, congratulations, mister ha, joe biden. like every president had an ambitious agenda when he took office. he hasn't spent a lot of time on voting rights. this speech signals, it's no a priority. supporters of had the words? no, they want results. alan fisher, al jazeera atlanta, georgia. well to talk at it is a political analyst. she says voting reforms are vital to expand access to polls. i

thought today the president of the united states and the vice president of the united states in a very strong message to the american people, to the united states senate. that was a very clear message that democracy is before us. and that we have a choice, are you going to be on the side of the martin luther king junior and get a bit inside of george wallace? and it was clear that he outlined a case for voting rights. why it was so important for us to pass the federal legislation the freedom to vote at and john lewis voting rights act, that it was imperative that congress needed to do it now. and he also laid out a pathway that we needed to adjust the filibuster in order to make way for there to be a focus on this issue. any also made it very clear that adjusting the full buster heads taking place before with the debt ceiling. and there is no reason why i should not happen again for us to deal with a fundamental right in our country, which is democracy. but other say it's that decision for individual states,

not the federal government, current walk as a republican strategist and found a black, conservative truth. as a republican, when we do not support the voting rights bill is not because we don't support voting rights, we absolutely support it. we believe that it is best for the states decide what is best for our individual states. what happens is if the filibuster is eliminated, which they don't have the votes to do so right now, then any party that's in power can change the bills for the entire country. but just a simple with just a simple majority. everything that the, that the voting rights bill that i didn't want to have passed, for example, i live in the state of georgia. we just passed the voting law, sb 2 o 2 in it. it addresses many of the items that they speaker, it is best for this to be done on a state level at that of

a federal level. also to come here and i'll just here include in criticism of ethiopia. government is growing as more civilians are killed and military instruments on the humble noodle becomes the latest korean friend to spread globally. joining the popular drama paper and came to me this morning. ah but it's time the year to watch out for rain and the baby and peninsula, the pop from unlimited cloud, the few showers. we don't see much of it yet, but we do see something very obvious. around turkey in the eastern met, storm system has been circulated for a day or so. it's gathering a great deal of warmth and then for rain potential will flow into cypress and sudden turkey bit of height and a bit of cold injected from the really cold north cross. the black sea means huge amounts of snow seem liked in the mountains of north and particularly eastern

turkey. and just over the border as well. this systems can be around for a couple of days. spread its largest south was in the east was so showers down through 11 in northern egypt, and probably libya are running, crossed and all, and syria south of that looks relatively quiet, but there will be an influence. i think this is friday's picture, which might bring showers into key. wait, and then it links up and regenerates. a shower about running from mecca east was through red towards the gulf. it's likely that dough house stay warm and quiet at 25 degrees. it's likely that most of iran, afghanistan and pakistan will stay equally fine. the summer thunderstorms produce yet more flooding the eastern cape of south africa. and that could be a repeat procedure. ah, the listening post cuts through the noise, we're talking about competing narrative,

the modern day tools being used to perpetuate there's competing narrative separating spin from fuck all 3 versions of the story and some element of the truth . but the full story remains and content unpacking the stories you're being told, it's not a science story at all. it's a story about politics. the listening post your guide to the media on a j 0. lou . ah, welcome back. a quick reminder, the top stories here. this are you as president joe biden has called for voting rights. speaking in the battle ground state of georgia, democrats alleged republican states to try to suppress black and other democratic

voters. and president biden has defended his administration's response to the surgeon. omicron biden says he's confident the countries on the right track. us senate committee has heard the federal government's view on how it's humbling pandemic, and the world health organizations warning of an approaching tidal wave of infections across europe. it says more than half the population is likely to be infected by on a chronic, over the next 2 months. now families of those killed in sri lanka 2019 east, a bomb attack say they continue to live with the pain as the government and opposition trade blame for the college. a special court set up to try $25.00 men charge and connection to the attacks has resumed hearings. michelle fernandez reports from a capital columbus delicia. fernando her husband, anton, and their 3 children were attending easter sunday mass at st. anthony's church. when a suicide bomber struck, now pulling the end of it with a long look, valera napoleon in a moment then to with

a loud noise and fire started raining down from the roof. i told my girls to head out, my son was thrown by the impact. he's the one who found my husband, dad. a total of 7 suicide bombers struck 3 churches and 3 hotels, all within an hour. 270 people were killed and more than 500 injured. the government blamed an obscure local group, the national town. he jermarta. but many people don't accept that explanation of position in b. r in fernando is one of them. biggest suppression for me, or who benefited out of these. and why can't the goldman, when we are as christians on sir philander says vital information uncovered by both the parliamentary committee and presidential commission has not been investigated. the catholic church has been scathing about the investigation cardinal malcolm runjun, the archbishop of colombo as frequently criticized the slow place of the investigation

and implied that people now in government may have been involved in the attacks. government representatives and the police denied those allegations. they point out that hundreds of suspects have been detained. an indictment issued in a dozen cases. the 25 men appearing in court wednesday, face over 23000 chargers. lawyers for some of them have told al jazeera that their clients had no involvement with the bombing. meanwhile, elisha and dozens like her. this long wait for justice. now i know that i will clear the globe back gardening at vanity, though neither i've told god only you can show me the way to secure a justice, because people keep exchanging allegations about who did us while the years go by. we can't live with peace of mind unless dating a got a gun and they can only hope their prayers are answered.

and manella joins us live now from shall anchors, capital mill. so what are we expecting to happen in court today? then we'll see that the charges, obviously those $23000.00 charges against each of these $25.00 suspects. the procedure is that they need to be ready. nope. and court. now there was an issue about the framing of those charges. it had all been done in sing kalese the majority language here, but most of the suspects are primarily tamara speakers. and they had asked through their lawyers that they be given translation. so they know what they're being charged with. and this request was made through the court. the, the lawyers are hammering it out in the building. you see, just behind me, that's the actually that, that's the actual courtroom. so as to whether this has been done, there's also issues like within the 25, almost half of them when the trial started

a few weeks ago, did not have any legal representation. this, this lot sort of is drawn from all walks of life. there are pavement hawkers, there are essentially id analysts. there are taxi drivers and some of them just cannot afford legal representation. we have the bar association are offering to to help name are some lawyers that would help with this legal representation. so it's a little bit of housekeeping at this stage, but all of these things need to be done before the case can proceed. now, obviously there are dozens and dozens of people who are in detention or who are in judicial custody, or who haven't been charged as yet. but it is these 25 and a few others have taught live about 40 that have actually been named as suspects. and the will sit in motion for their trial salmonella. you are filling in your report. the catholic church has been highly critical of the investigation. why is that? yes,

the archbishop or cadillac has runjun has really led this campaign from the front. he is absolutely fed up. judging from the statements he has made, he says that the government has failed to take action on the grounds on the areas that have been listed out. recommendations by presidential commission of inquiry that had a wide man did the did call in a evidence testimony and that there was recommendations. according to the cardinal, have not been implemented, he has said that the government is sort of picking and choosing what it chooses to implement or pursue. but at the same time, there are stark and glaring areas which you know, the dots do want to add up. he has said that basically the government needs to look into these areas better allegations, for example, that are one of the masterminds behind these bombings had been war king with

military intelligence in previous years, as an informant in the east and things like that. so as much as some members of the government, as have admitted this, there are others who have denied it so that a lot of years that the catholic church says this is all smoke and mirrors. that the trial is not really about the actual masterminds behind. ok, this carnage that they are calling one for the presidential commission of inquiry to be implemented, the recommendations, but a broader investigation. all right, michelle fernandez live 1st there in challenges capital manella. thank you. north korea has released images of liter, kim joan, observing the countries latest missile test. it's the 2nd firing of an apparent hypersonic missile there in less than a week. on tuesday, japan and south korea condemned the test after detecting it's launch. at least 30 people have been killed and fighting on the border between columbia and venezuela. the colombian government says rebel l. n fighters are battling a different group,

a form of fog rebels, alessandro pantry reports from boca where he met a farmer displaced by the ongoing banners. and we'll come back to our store a little bit later. now the latest strike, and if you have to grow region has killed at least 17 people, dozens of others, a wounded in the southern town of my separate. it follows an attack on friday that killed at least $56.00 people in a camp for the displaced the government's denied targeting civilians. and the 14 month conflict. malcolm webb's and ny roby. he says, if you use use of our power, it's been controversial. the pin federal government air power is widely seen as something that turn the tables in this conflict. in recent month, the conflict began just over a year ago. now, just a few months ago,

the t p l. f and allies were advancing towards the capital, addis ababa than last month. the government successfully fought them back in a lot of observe as a tribute to drones that the government has recently bought a combat. drones, which is certainly proved effective militarily, but the death of civilians in the asteroid is at the same time attracting, growing citizens from the international community. us president joe biden spoke yesterday with the prime minister abbey. i made the statement from the state department said at biden, was critical about the strikes. also expressed concerns about the human rights situation in ethiopia, including the very many people have been detained under the state of emergency. people have been detained for long period without trial in large numbers that bite and did say that he was pleased with the recent release of political prisoners,

but certainly with released vertical printed on one hand, but then it continuing conflict, even escalating conflict in the case of the civilians being caught up in the strike . on the other hand, that's gonna certainly leave a lot of people thinking that these extensive mediation efforts maybe aren't necessarily bringing this conflict any close to close. so let's go back to that story now with the ongoing fighting on the border between columbia and venezuela. out of sandra, pitiless for the 2nd time in less than a year, colombian store owner height organ miss, and his family had to flee, escalating violence between norm groups. last march, they left venezuela for columbia alco region. they're now here in the capitol hill . gotta searching for help and shelter. got any idea. a small sewing venezuela and at times we sold things flock, dissident that was enough to be targeted and supported. when the killing started last week, the brother of a commander arrived,

been told you have 2 options. you can come with it, meaning become part of the guerrilla forces, where you're going to have to leave because e, l, n, u, d, a land is columbia, the largest remaining rebel group after 5 meet peace with the government in 2016. but they sit in factions of the fire car since appeared, and in recent weeks violence in the lawless region. along the border with venezuela's been growing. some 30 people have been killed since the beginning of the year, while others have been kidnapped or forcibly recruited or displaced the fighting create the not beer in the population. many people fear that the region is going back to be the call that they live between. and then between the and the far back then i'm the human impact has been really, really to be the violence has reached new level since

a long standing truth between the arm groups broke down the last word between the den 5 gravels in the land. less than a 1000 people that and this place to almost 60000. the colombian government now blames have been a swell for the current violence, accusing the venezuelan government of sheltering the on groups in their territory. something the government in cut out has denied people from towns along the border of peak into the streets, demanding peace. colombian president, divan duke as deploying 2 battalions to regain control of the region. but some experts believe more troops won't solve the problem. and that guy, you know, to make awfully, a rica still has a huge unresolved conflict, and people have no confidence in the state. it already has the highest amount of soldiers per square meter in columbia. sending $600.00 more trips will not make a difference. what's needed is to restart patient negotiations with the l in that ok. and until the troubling that can be contained,

the humanitarian crisis will only continue to grow spreading here to the capital and beyond. allison, their impurity. i just gotta tennis, don't know that junk of it. is apologized for incorrectly filling out an australian immigration form the well number one said his agent had incorrectly stated he hadn't troubles of 14 days before arriving in the country. social media post show him in serbia and spain. south korean food has become the latest exports in the country to see a rise in popularity. it's anymore. and music industries have already stripped the globe. but now the pandemic is pushing sales of korean instant noodles, especially in the west, nor above, manly reports in the street market. and so all these spicy rum, your noodles pack, a punch, a stable, the south koreans, the now winning over pallets around the world. since the pandemic demand oodles of

the spicy noodles have food leading south korean manufacturer, a non shim says a pandemic helped us be a, had a k food wave in america, canada, and europe. and that expanded noodle sales by 24 percent last year over 2019. ah, the noodles has become a latest trend in a growing western appetite for all things south korean. that's including cape hot, k drama, and k movies. non shem sales went up after the oscar winning film parasite presented a made up dish. could jeff a gory using its product? green brown, some young roman saw sales reached new highs after it was used in the popular netflix show. with game and caper band btn pushed international sales of monday or dumplings by 90 percent of

the 2 members got into a fight with food, a korean wave. how you play a huge role in the popularity of korea noodles and things like b t. s. like the world wide sensation b t s, and just seeing rami in, in korean drama, has played a huge role. people see it and they see that it's not just something that we eat out of convenience or something that broke college students each. they see that it's something that people really enjoy. the humble in the new door isn't new to american society. it's the main se in prisons as much as it is on the students plate. but south korean foodies claim their brands taste better and say there's only one way to eat it. that brings out that spicy flavor. i think it goes to the satisfaction of eating the noodles when you hear a good sleeper whose western has gone on korean food and culture was able to take

up this experience widely shed on social media who are about manly al jazeera ah, for check of a top stories here on al jazeera. yes, president joe biden has defended his administration's response to a surgeon on a cron cases. he says he's confident the country is on the right track. a u. s. senate committee has meant to hear the federal governments take on how it's handling the pandemic. more people are now in the hospital with cobit 19 than ever before. the world health organizations warning of an approaching tidal wave of infections across europe. it says more than half the population is likely to be infected by.