on al jazeera, we understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the world. so no matter where you call home will be, you can use in current affairs that matter to use our diets define who we are. but who are we? if we don't know what we're eating in a disturbing investigation into globalized food fraud, people and power reveals long hidden scandalous practices. the def, infiltrated international wholesale markets, and supermarket chains and asks, what's really on our plates. food in glorious food on, ouch, is iraq. ah, south africa is main opposition holds rallies across the country over power cups that a crippling the economy ah,

bum knee bug. this is al jazeera life doe are also coming up calls for the bangladesh prime minister to resign as the cost of power and basic good saws reinforcements from the u. s. the biden administration looks to approve sending battle tanks to ukraine. and we look at the palestinians and israelis uniting to protest against the countries ultra right wing government. ah, we begin in south africa where the main opposition party is holding rallies nationwide against power cups and elect electricity price increase. most households go with our power for at least 6 hours a day to state our power utility has been in financial crisis for years and dependent on government bailouts. so what impact saw the black house having on the

everyday lives of people in south africa? they reform is say that having to regularly dump a day's production of milk fast food out at kfc says around 70 of its stores are now closed. as it's chicken supplies struggle with constant outages on some smaller businesses say they're unable to trade because they can't afford generators from either. miller joins us now live from johannesburg for me to is lapse of the extraordinary situation. and the impact is really astonishing. in 2022 last year, the country apparently lost 205 days of electricity. why is this happening? willing to add to those because you gave for last year's since the beginning of 2023. they've been power cuts every single day of the year. so far now, the government has said their number of reasons behind these power cuts out and not much of it also comes from opposition. parties like the democratic alliance around criticism. the infrastructure is old, it hasn't been replaced, and even

a new power stations have been both, they haven't yet been completed. and with regard to existing power station, some have been closed. and then when there's a shortage of coal in terms of power generation, they're meant to use diesel as a backup. escalon, the power utility in south africa, the solar power to will, utility state owns then it doesn't have the money to buy enough diesel to keep these generation units running. and so they simply are these blackouts. now the reason for the blackouts, why they do that in terms of, in terms of trying to schedule these are blackouts is because they're trying to reduce their electricity demand. and by doing that, they have scheduled blackouts throughout the day, across the country. and without it, islam is also see if they would possibly face a complete blackout if they don't regulate the amount of electricity they're able to generate or rather than demand for me to this is overseas. judging by the process of taking place,

she usually disruptive for everyone and impacting on people's lives and livelihoods . oh, let's the main thing and why people are so frustrated to weaver south africa just completed that year and exams for those leaving school. many of them will congratulated, for instance, for being able to complete the exams for being able to study while not having electricity. it affects business as the spoken to a number of people here, one man undertaker, who runs an undertaking business, who needs a refrigeration to keep corpses in, and that's badly affected. i'm added to that to the emotional element of having to deal with the burial of people. are we spoken to another woman who has a recruitment agency and she says she has goes through at least 5000 cds every day from people who are looking for jobs. and she says that the direct correlation between the load shading these constant blackouts and the number of jobs that have been lost also because small businesses are forced to close. they simply don't have

the money to get back up generators to buy get diesel. and this is part of the ongoing problems both south africans just the lack of predictability around. ready will be power cuts, but always knowing there will be badly affected. extraordinary stuff for me to miller live, which i haven't spoke when he thinks ah well, for weeks ukraine has been pleading with his west eyes for tanks as desperate desperately needs to defend itself against russia. now it appears instead of to suck to receive advance combine vehicles from the u. s. and germany. sources of toll al jazeera, the bowden administration will approve the delivery of m one abrams tanks. as soon as wednesday that is the reachable had awarded. there is a loss of talk about tanks, about modern tanks that we need and about the way this shortfall can be filled if it's a lot of efforts, words promises. but it is important not to lose sight of reality. but it is not

about 5 or 10, or 15 tags. the need is larger machine marable, of session of heat in the shop discussions must be concluded with decision decisions on real strengthening of our defense against terrorists are less. dig into this bit more, some a bon jovi takes a closer look at the top of military hardware. there's been promised to ukraine and how that could affect developments on the battlefield. this is the leper to a coveted german battle tank. the 55 to 60 tons stealth war machine, known for its fired power, mobility and armor, has a 500 kilometer range. the tanks have been in production for 44 years and currently around 2000 are being used by 13 european armies. but the arrival on ukrainian battlefields is still problematic. in addition to the modern lipper twos considered to be the most agile in their class, other military equipment has also been promised to ukraine. that includes the

challenger to which are coming from the united kingdom. france has not decided yet, but it is considering sending the la clerk battle tax as well. germany has promised to send its mud infantry vehicles and on its part the united states has promised in the military package, which includes the striker combat vehicles. green is pleading for more advanced military equipment, including a fleet of $300.00 battle tanks. there are pros and cons of tanks in warfare. instead of the jet fuel powered american tanks, the german leopard diesel engines make their operations easier. with ukranian, troops will need extensive training to operate and maintain new tanks. in addition to all the other military hardware, then there is the challenge of transporting tanks while real or on rule convoys, logistics, fuel expertise and security to reach the battle arena are major question marks. crucially, for ukraine, how many tanks would it take to change the dynamics of territory?

it's trying to protect or reclaim, and where the tanks being hardware in use for 70 years have reached their limits as practical fighting vehicles. germany has been reluctant to provide the tax the ukraine because of the anti militarism position it adopted after the 2nd world war . in addition to entry european challenges, russia has warned of what it calls an extremely dangerous escalation. if nature were to deploy high tech weapons, russian diplomats have said moscow would retaliate. if you green were to use western supply weapons to target russia or the crimean peninsula. some of the jobs are there. oh, sorry bother you. credit capsule. kira and sasha butler natasha. i think what's confused so many people who is why it's taken so long for the u. s. and germany, to reach this decision on sending time well, yet germany has been hesitating for weeks now and whether or not to send his

leopard tanks or allow other countries that have them to send us some of their stock or berlin has long said that what really concerns it is sending the wrong signal to moscow and possibly escalating or the conflict. all this tied and linked to germany's past, particularly in world war 2. and berlin has also made it clear in the past weeks that if it was to send tags, they would want to do so as part of a white, a coalition, particularly with the united states. and what we're now seeing is the united states, likely to announce that it will send some of its abrams tanks. it had been reluctant to do so in the past because it said they weren't necessarily suited to ukraine concerns over the fact they need. for example, a lot of jet feel, but it does seem now that we have momentum, the both berlin and washington are looking to send some of these tanks. of course, welcome news for ukraine. welcome news for you crate. absolutely,

and how is the ukrainian government responding to the possibility of their being actually, finally, some movement when it comes to these tongues, was ukraine's president of laudermill zalinski in his nightly address said look, he still is waiting for decisions. because of course, there are reports of these tanks will be sent, but no confirmation yet am zalinski said look at we are possibly here in ukraine preparing for another russian offensive 10. 15 tanks is not going to cause a cave. once many more, it is said for a long time, they would like at least $300.00 tanks is unlikely to get so many for now. but nevertheless, what some military experts say is the least of his stars. to receive some of these western sophisticated tanks, it will at least help bolster ukrainian forces as they fight russian forces. they won't be a game changer alone, but they certainly will change something because they'll be used along side to some

of the heavy weapons that are also being sent by the west. natasha mary. thanks for helping us through that. i touch about the live in q. now people in bangladesh are facing the own energy crisis with fuel costs and power cuts increasing the main opposition party call for nationwide rallies to demand action on the soaring cost of living. once prime minister shake a siena to resign and a can't take a government to take over until the elections are held. let's go to tanveer chowder who's live in dhaka and tom via when it comes to these anti government protests that they gathering pay. so they just concentrated in the big cities. what's the latest there? oh wow. it is a gathering space. this is ongoing for. this is the 3rd one in this mind that it's been going on since august. the more and more you said 10 to 11 gather here and just say no. appleton in the capital dot com that's going on in other parts of the

country, as well as in the city are not just a lot positions active, it's about people from all walks of life. we spoke to our cab drivers or fisherman, richard polars. we asked them, why are you taking part in opposition? party rallies. that said, we are here to shaw at this time that grievance against the government because they really haven't been able to pull down. the price of people are struggling here for people with fixed income and low income. i really been struggling. the full price has gone up since last year. 50 percent. the industrial gas price had gone up, electricity, electricity price have been high last month at least by 5 percent. and the essential commodity price has been rising, at least for a year. and now inflation is high. the reserve is law. the businesses are having trouble to input goods. yeah. so that is that wider discontent among the public sphere among the business community. aside from the election,

which is scheduled for this year, december all by january, 2024. so there is also a wide spread demand for a free and neutral election. 10 coin demand by that opposition allies which is 32 party democratic alive, which wants to reform of the election commission dissolve of the government all men and to form an. electoral can take a government to conduct the election, the government on the spot, say that that's against the constitution. this still writing on the fact that the economy was doing well before the pan that made it was one of the fastest growing economy. and along the did a lot of infrastructure and development war, so they're still counting on but, but since the ukraine price is spot in, things have been expiring and probably will. and opposition is trying to gather public opinion in the momentum before the election to against the government, and that's been gaining ground more and more reasonable across every day. across

the city. i need neutrons in the country, not just the main nationalist party, but other party was well demanding to lower the food prices and to create an environment for free and fair elections. a 10, very briefly have the authority has been responding to all of these demands, especially given allegations of past police brutality there. ah yes, that has been a major issue for the past 3 months at got into at least the opposition to at least 15 people were killed by police firing that been tracking darlene opposition rallied by and find this relatively well. unfortunately, we seem to have lost tanveer chowdhury in dachau. let's move on. so the news i'm still ahead on al jazeera presents prime minister to face parliament as more strikes by health workers loom ah

the hello. that will start in southeast asia and heavy rain has caused further flooding across parts of indonesia, as well as the philippines. now flood advisories remain across will central areas. you can see those heavy falls pushing their way further west. we are also going to be some heavy rain pull into the malay peninsula thursday into friday. and we could see that flooding continue across smarter island for indonesia. heavy rain as well for west pile that feeds into moisture that's putting down into northern areas of australia. well for a straight here, it's a bit of everything everywhere. all at once. we got funded storms up in the very north. we're not expecting to see that area of low pressure turn into a system, but it's going to chuck a lot of rain into kimberly, for path still thing a lot of heat. but as that rain starts to rolling across the bite,

the temperature dipping down to 26 degrees celsius. but a lot of heat gonna come flooding into that southeast corner with a change in the wind here. adelaide seen the temperature pick right up. it's going to be rather baking friday at $37.00 degrees celsius. heavy rain. however, on saturday and for new zealand, christ church just continues to see those temperatures picking right up 30 degrees celsius. but some heavy rain to come from the north of the north island that to weather update. ah ah ah, ah

ah, ah ah, welcome back here watching, i'm just here a reminder of our top stories this hour. south africa's main opposition policy is holding rallies nationwide against power cuts and the electricity price increase. most households go without power for at least 6 hours a day. businesses have been forced to rely on expensive generators, bangladesh, his main opposition policy was cool for rallies across the country to demand action, to curb high fuel and food prices. he was prime minister, shake a siena to resign, and a can take it government to take over until elections

a health ukraine is set to receive advance combat vehicles from the u. s. and germany sources have told al jazeera, the washington is ready to approve the delivery of m one abrams tanks. but it is expected to authorize exports of leopard to tax the ongoing strikes in the u. k. national health service, the highlighting pressures that have been growing for years, workers won't better pay and staffing levels, but a senior conservative politician has called for means testing fees for those using the n h s. the d baba looks at the debate on the future of free health care in the u. k. i with strike spreading and talk of a system on its knees is britain's reverence for its national health service looking much needed reform. such javits certainly think so. the conservative for my health secretary and finance minister wrote recently the 75 year old model of the n h. s. is unsustainable?

javits suggested people could pay for consulting a family doctor and price island system where patients must pay around $81.00 to access the equivalence of the you case accident and emergency departments a n e, unless referred by their doctor. now that's the sort of idea most british politicians run away from because it means scrapping the doctrine that healthcare should be free at the point of need. the prime minister has distance himself from the comments for which you see like did before taking off it, talk about issuing fines to any as patients who missed appointment. he then backtracked, the opposition labor parties also stepped into the debate shadow hill secretary west street and has suggested the growing waiting lists could be tackled by the nature sending more patience to private hospitals. louise irv in a retired family doctor, an anti privatization campaign. i think that's a bad idea, isn't an infinite pool of doctors, nurses, and a lot of doctors, nurses go to that into private sector because they get paid more. and furthermore,

when something goes wrong in the private sector, the patient is then, you know, red light, it straight into air, and then it has andy. now, if we what we need is we need to build up our an hfs. again, louis says she did see real improvements in patient experience in the 2 thousands on the labor when annual increases in nature's funding were higher than they are now. since it was created, spending on the n h. s is increased by an average 3.7 percent per year in real terms, but from 2010 to 2018. when the conservatives governing coalition and that on their own annual n h s funding growth, slow to 1.4 percent is rising more quickly now, but an aging population, an increasing demand for expensive treatments means nobody's noticing. if we look at the energy as compared to other o e c d countries, we have fewer doctors and nurses per to population. we have fewer hospital beds for had a population. we have low levels of investment in things like diagnostic equipment . and all those things are not about the way in which the system they,

they are not just is organized and funded. that's about the, the fundamental decisions we made about the level that we want to spend on health in this country. so the challenge to the politicians is this dealing with the crises? heating the health service right now planning for the long term and avoiding a 2 tier system. nadine barbara al jazeera london rescue as they're searching for 8 people missing of their ships, sank southwest of japan. the vessel was carrying a 22 crew crew members. when the captain sent out a distress call during a storm on tuesday night. it sang 3 and a half hours later, a 160 kilometers from nag. a starkey patrol boats and search aircraft were delayed by the bad weather. the us and israel are holding joint military exercises involving more than 100 fighter jets in the eastern mediterranean. they say the army say the maneuvers will include training pilots, the hit targets, what they call complex situations. the pentagon says the drills are not directed

against any specific country. israelis and palestinians living in israel have united in protest against the new far right government. there. they saw 80 critics, a it's agenda is a threat to democracy and palestinians, free injustice and discrimination. i'm at my her reports from jaffer near tel aviv many protesting for palestinian rights and as well say they are fast becoming further marginalized. major protests against the new, far, wide government and it's passed to change the judicial system or occupying the minds of many in the country. these demonstrators and jaffer argue that tens of thousands protesting inter levine against the government are white to feel the worst. and want to save gov democracy. but the few injustices and discrimination against the palestinians are worsening. and that's being overlooked. this issue, it's the main cause of conflict and beat business between both sides. and it's

totally against my personal value on order for, for my point of view against the jewelry, these in value. okay. or is it that if you was really jewish cities in agile, as you see who are supporting outreach together, some of them are, i'm kids. i own is i those are a liberal democrat. oh really look for a woman like mess, equality, they are calling themselves the camp of equality. they are calling for equal rights for both these ranges, opinions alike. and they believe that paul successive governments and israel have not addressed the root cause of all problems, which is as the se, occupation a, the protestant until a, the accused prime minister benjamin netanyahu,

of plotting with his new partners to dismantle democratic checks and balances. but for this is really peace activist. there's one big missing piece in the political. jake's whole meaningful college, the deep or the quotes of the problem which are not only these government, but the whole zionist regime. we're talking about decades of indoctrination and of, of concealing the historical facts of what has been going on here from 48 and even before ha, for these protestors, discrimination against the palestinians is growing and be say that will get worse in israel and the occupied territories as long as its people are treated differently, i'm mad under sierra job. a series of powerful storm systems are swept through the southern state of texas. are tornado damaged electricity lines and houston leaving about a 123. and people without power. torrential rain and strong wind schools flooding

across the city. no serious injuries were reported. the u. s. department of justice has sued google accusing it of illegally stifling competition. and online ad revenue prosecutor say the company has been taken to monopoly through anti competitive behavior. and want it's ad business broken up, google's parent company alphabets as the lawsuit is based on flawed argument symbol, slow innovation. for 15 years, google has pursued a course of anti competitive conduct that has allowed it to halt the rise of rival technologies, manipulate auction mechanics, to insulate itself from competition, and force advertisers and publishers to use its tools. in so doing google has engaged in exclusionary conduct is severely weakened, if not destroy competition in the ad tech industry. l. u. s. in canada have so no interest in deploying security forces to haiti loss despite renew calls from the

un and the haitian government issue was discussed by the un security council. on tuesday, haiti has spiraled into chaos and political unrest since president jovan on luis was assassinated. 2 years ago, people are facing a color outbreak and severe few shortages made worse. my wides by gas mileage and increasing poverty. robert re canada's ambassador to the un told out, is there any intervention would need to help develop haiti, security forces. we're engaging very directly with the police, were sending more equipment and also making sure that the, the, the military that the police force has the ability to deal with the gangs in terms of the level of support that we can provide. anything we do will also be based on the learned experience that a, a massive external intervention just on its own that says to the, to the, to the haitian police were taking over here. thank you very much. we'll just do

this isn't, isn't, this doesn't have a sustainable impact. it doesn't last. and the key thing is to build up the haitian institutions. so they have the capacity in the justice system. they have capacity with police. they have the capacity on the ground plus the other political things that need to happen. because there is not at the moment a, a government that, that is elected that has this, the constitutional support of the people. so those are things that need to happen and together countless, we're, we're doing that now we're engaging politically, we're engaging in terms of training and assistance and equipment. and we're going to continue to do that and, and with respect to additional forces or whatever. i think that that all remains to be to be seen. another new security forces in peru have fight tear gas of thousands of protests in the capital. oh wow. that about the president, deena boulevard, a resignation and new elections. a has called for

a national troops following weeks of unrest. one and 50 people have been killed. the crisis began in december of the form of president pedro castillo, trying to dissolve. congress was arrested. chris hipkins has been sworn in as new zealand. prime minister follows the surprised resignation of just into our durned last week. he faces the task of reviving the government's waning popularity ahead of october's general election, adrian brown as more from wellington. this has been a quick and orderly political transition. on wednesday jacinta rod left parliament for the last time mob by colleagues and supported the gathering was a reflection of this country's wide cultural diversity. the transfer of power was completed when chris hipkins was sworn in as new zealand. 41st prime minister. his deputy is carmel zeppelin, the 1st person of pacific islander descent to hold the position. the post confirmed

by governor general dane cindy kiro, the 1st mary to hold that position. hipkins, who led the government's response to cobit 19, has promised to focus on what he calls bread and butter issues. when just inter, are them became prime minister. a popularity was undeniable, but a rating slid on a backlash against cobit 19 restrictions. increase food costs, rising mortgages, concerns over crime. analysts say people simply want someone to blame and that person seems to be just inter arden. yes, i think she took her absent at every stop. i haven't covered an inch, the shootings and all that. so the thing that she's dish last hit my jo towards cmj . i know what this job takes and i know that i no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. last thursday's announcement was one that few saw coming. an unusual

acknowledgement from a world leader that she was burnt out vicious abuse oh. on the streets and online res, concerns over her safety. she's received death threats and so her child, the next election will be in less than 9 months, which means hipkins may not be in the job long, especially as opinion polls show labor now trading the conservative opposition are dirtiest leading office at a time of her choosing although she'll remain in m p for 3 more months and at 42, she still has plenty of time to ponder. a new career and the one she's left, who he from the bottom of my hand. the greatest privilege of hon. adrian brown, al jazeera, wellington, ah.