this is news coming to you live from. the election rallies with the balance of power in washington at stake joe biden tells voters in the state of georgia they can chart the country's course for a generation by electing 2 democrats to the senate and repeating unfounded claims donald trump urges what he calls republican victories so big the democrats can't steal it. in germany readies to extend its law down as leaders seek

a safe path through the pandemic. also coming up british prime minister boris johnson puts england back into a hard lockdown as corona virus infections surge he warns hospitals are under more pressure than at any time since the start of the pandemic plus the bookseller who crosses continents just to replenish his inventory is a labor of love richard. hello i'm terry martin good to have you with us u.s. president donald trump has repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud on the eve of a crucial senate runoff election taking place in the state of georgia trump made the claims at an election rally in georgia. 2 republican incumbents trying to fend

off a strong challenge by democratic rivals u.s. president elect joe biden also campaigned in georgia he told voters they could set the country's course for a generation by electing 2 democrats to the senate. while tuesday's special election will determine president elect biden's chances of pushing his agenda through congress democrats will soon hold the white house and the house of representatives but if republicans hold control of the senate they will block biden from pushing through many of his policies here's the balance of power in the senate right now where republicans currently have 50 of the 100 seats the democrats and 2 independent allies hold 48 seats democrats need to win both of the georgia seats with vice president elect harris's tie breaking vote in the senate that would affect of lee create a majority of $51.00 for the democrats well let's take

a closer look at the contestants in that georgia runoff we've got 2 democrats john also and rafael wanna they are up against 2 republicans david produced and kelly. over celtic reports now from georgia on this crucial vote. and. it's people like julius hall who the democrats are now pinning their hopes on these among thousands of activists getting out the vote across georgia. african americans might be the decisive force in this runoff. and they're trying to get there by the get out and vote we've been behind so long in this country and so when you get a sense of you're own the rise and things are happening where we are there is some inclusion and then you get a clown that takes office for 4 years which is donald trump now we get rid of him and we feel like we can. again. john ourself is one

of 2 democratic candidates it's a race the 33 year old senate hopeful must win for the democrats to gain control of congress. in american history the stakes are high and so are his goals. establishing health care as a human right in the united states investing in clean and renewable energy to create jobs and solve the environmental crisis passing a new civil rights act to secure equal justice for all regardless of the race the run of his a big corporate unity full democratic hopeful john in his attempt to unseat the republican incumbent david per june but the runnels remain a neck and neck race in georgia has been a republican stronghold for decades and john also knows the fate of the biden presidency lies in his hands. on the republican side senator ted cruz wants to

stop congress from certifying biden's victory he's under fire from democrats for his push to throw out the election results and he's rallying for turnout in georgia . and. i've got faith and confidence in the many women of georgia i think the people of georgia believe in common sense values they believe in low taxes low regulations and lots of jobs and i think the people of georgia want to see a check and a balance on the extreme left wing. former tromp campaign manager cory $11.00 he took the stage among several other big republican names like former senior white house advisor kelly and causally. spaces remain half empty after weeks of baseless claims about voter fraud some conservatives are skeptical about the ill . carol process all of us are concerned that is our event going to count doesn't

matter because i really do believe that that just like with the national election there's a chance that they are going to be able to manipulate the dominion software machine again here in gwinnett county georgia right now i've lived here for 30 years and there is no way on god's green earth that this county when democrats in the general election. less republican turnout more democratic turnout a scenario that activists julius hall is hoping for on election day. spring is stacey bivins here from our u.s. elections team stacy this runoff election in georgia is happening under extraordinary circumstances not least because president trawled is still seeking to overturn the results of the presidential vote what impact is donald trump having on

this election race in georgia donald trump's presence and his rhetoric is problematic for republicans in georgia right now he's been attacking the secretary of state and tried to bully him into coming finding 11000 votes he's attacked the governor and promised to campaign against him in a year and a half this is forcing democrat republicans to decide or are they going to stick blindly or trump because he has such a strong base or are they going to say enough is enough we've had enough lection the election is now over it's time to move on and it's time to focus on this and this race but in this rally donald trump was really focused still on himself and on trying to rewrite history which was the election and he cannot do it and it's causing problems but it's also his rhetoric it's also a boost to democrats who are more than happy to listen to him talk about trying to

strong arm the secretary of state so it might boost democratic support but his rhetoric with republicans might suppress the republican vote because of the woman said in oliver's piece can we trust that our boat is going to count this is how republicans are feeling some of them these senate races in georgia are hugely important everyone agrees on the tell us exactly what impact they could have. in the u.s. political context well they'll determine how effective joe biden is going to be as president. if it's a white house run by democrats and a congress run by democrats will be easier for him to get things done when it comes to. cove it health care the economy the environment it'll be easier for him to get his his cabinet picks because those aren't set in stone just yet these are people he's nominated but they have to be approved by the senate and so if these congressmen the democratic congressman when senators prospective senators writ when

their race then it will be easier for them because the democrats will will have the majority with kamel harris casting the the type breaking vote course the democrats have to win both of those seats in order to. control it is a big yes in georgia is traditionally a republican stronghold what makes democrats think they have a chance of flipping those seats this time i think hope i think when you look at also at the map of what happened in the election that some states that were red turned blue including georgia and i think that these candidates give them hope and also was a protege of the late great. i've just from forgot history of the late great john lewis who risked his life fighting for civil rights for all of his life and reverend. raphael warnock is also important because he is an activist he's well

known in georgia and he's a minister at the same church where reverend. dr martin luther king was minister so there's this hope by this grassroots organization that's been registering more black and brown people that these 2 candidates will attract more voters to the polls very exciting race we'll keep watching as stacey begins from our u.s. elections team thank you so much you're welcome terry. now to some of the other stories making news around the world today the head of the far right group known as the prowl boys and recreate taria has been arrested in washington police say he was involved in torching a black lives matter banner taken from a church during protests last month he was also charged with possessing illegal high capacity firearm and i guess he has. police say at least 4 people have been killed in flash floods that swept through the streets of the bolivian city of supra . torrential rain and hail hit the city media reported that the storm lasted only

about 30 minutes 30 arabia is opening its air sea and land borders with qatar it's a 1st step towards ending a diplomatic crisis that has deeply divided u.s. allies in the region since 2017 the lifting of the embargo paves the way for cantars ruler to attend tuesday's summit of gulf leaders in saudi arabia. and schools in kenya have opened for the 1st time in 10 months the government closed them in march due to the coronavirus pandemic students had their temperatures check before entering school but there are concerns that social distancing won't be possible in classrooms due to overcrowding and the lack of desks. chancellor merkel that germany's regional leaders are expected to extend germany's coronavirus law down as infections remain stubbornly high in the country schools are currently closed because of the restrictions which were originally due to expire next week now parents are bracing for yet more home based learning.

monday was meant to be the 1st day back at school after the christmas holidays but classrooms across germany remained empty most students saw their vacation time extended until january 10th well others attended classes virtually calls are growing across the country 1st schools to stay closed even longer or to only open partially in berlin opinions on the matter very. thank you i have 2 children myself one in high school and one in elementary school i think schools should remain closed a little longer even though it's difficult for us parents. perhaps we can find a good balance with some learning at home and others allowed to be in school. i think that as long as the lockdown stays in place and i expect it will be extended children should stay at home. hope for a return to normal lives with the vaccine germany has so far administered almost

266000 jobs but the government is coming under pressure its vaccination program has been criticized for being slow and chaotic but act the man who coordinated the construction of berlin 6 vaccination centers says he would like to see more doses available. we clearly don't have an effect scenes for all vaccination centers to be operational my hope for my expectation is that we'll have a lot of vaccine doses soon on the one hand though it was also good to be able to phase in the vaccination centers in phases one after the other but if you initial problems are to be expected new cases and deaths have remained high over the holiday period and the situation in germany is hospitals is very difficult all signs point to an extension of the current lockdown. spring indeed of you political correspondent julia so delhi here who were gave us that story so julia our lockdown

measures about to get even tougher in germany or will we just see an extension of what's already in place there is certainly consensus for an extension at least till the end of january but we've seen today ahead of the meeting between chance of the american and the state leaders that the chancellor lee is apparently going to put forward a proposal to also limit how far from their homes people can go especially specifically in areas with the high incidence of 1000 cases this proposal comes after the chancellery spoke with health experts here in germany and we expect some debate in the meeting between the state premiers on this topic another issue is schools the meeting is going to have to decide how to move forward with schools whether they will stay close also after january 10th or whether they will partially go back into service tough questions well infection rates that are still longingly high in

germany is it safe to say that the government's strategy so far in tackling the 2nd wave of the pandemic has failed. well one criticism point of criticism against the government that we've heard in the last few weeks is that the current tough lockdown that came in place. came too late some members of the government especially chancer america have pushed for harsher measures to come into place earlier regarding the current law the current lockdown it has been in place for 3 weeks and experts had warned that we would continue to see high numbers also during the holiday period which has occurred with some fluctuations the reports today are of almost 12000 new cases and over 900 deaths so the next few weeks will be crucial to see whether the current measures are going to work also considering that people have gotten together over the christmas holiday have to see what impact that will

have on the numbers with these high infection numbers how serious is the situation in german hospitals at the moment the situation has been defined as very difficult of the over 26000 intensive care beds in german hospitals only around 4000 remain free that still gives some leeway but doctors expect the numbers to intensive care to remain high and another issue is a number of specialized medical staff and specially nursing staff there was already a shortage of nursing staff before the pandemic and now with specialized nurses getting sick the situation is becoming more problematic especially in certain areas of the country where hospitals are reaching capacity. thank you very much political correspondent julie. take a look at some other developments in the corona virus pandemic around the world indonesia will begin

a nationwide vaccination program on january 13th it's president djoko with dodo will be given the 1st shot of the vaccine by a chinese firm well down to says israel has approved its vaccine and has ordered millions of doses israel has already given shots to more than a 10th of its population but is facing a new outbreak and brazil is reporting at least 2 cases of the new more contagious corona virus variant one of them after she had contact from travelers from europe and mexico has granted approval to the astra zeneca oxford vaccine that makes it the 2nd vaccine to get the go ahead they're wealthy in the u.k. prime minister forrest johnson has announced a new nationwide lockdown for england lasting until at least mid february the country is grappling with a new coronavirus variant that's more infectious and is spreading fast england's chief medical officer has warned the country's health system could be overwhelmed

in the coming weeks. desperate times call for desperate measures with boris johnson announcing england would move into its national lockdown similarly strict to the 1st one that began last march that means the government is once again instructing you to stay. you may only leave home for limited reasons permitted in law such as too short for essentials to work if you absolutely cannot work from home to exercise to seek medical assistance such as getting a test or to escape domestic abuse. with england experiencing a 50 percent jump in the number of patients in hospital with covert 900 since christmas day scientists hospitals teachers unions and opposition politicians have all called for decisive action in recent weeks many parents support

in the coming days because the schools are shut businesses will need support because they won't be able to operate that package needs to be put in place the soonest possible because compliance needs you know clear messaging but also support for people to make sure that they can comply. in wales where patients were among the 1st to receive the u.k.'s 2nd approved vaccine produced by astra zeneca tough lockdown measures have been in place since the 20th of december. hours before johnson's announcement scotland's 1st minister nicolas sturgeon imposed similar restrictions while northern ireland's executive are expected to follow suit. british hospitals now have more covert 19 patients than at the height of the pandemic in spring with resources low and stuff overwhelmed. it's been water wash it's of my entire life. intent on knocking off though many more sick.

cough though. this is overwhelming the whole situation and. things aren't expected to improve immediately in spring it took nearly 3 weeks after the introduction of the lockdown for hospitalizations to reach their peak. the u.s. will appeal a british judge's decision that wiki leaks founder julian assange cannot be extradited to the united states a judge said son would be a suicide risk if handed over to u.s. authorities to face espionage charges songe could still face a long prison sentence if if the appeal is successful his lawyers are asking that he be released on bail. with news trickling out of the courtroom came chance of celebration from julian assange just supporters the static that after 10 years of legal fights they finally had some form of picturing. this protects him from

extradition in the united kingdom. but it doesn't protect you from execution elsewhere around the world there isn't it is time for the united states to shut down this extraordinary prosecution which has massive free speech implications and i certainly hope that this will be the end of this case and. really a scientist team began the day with a low expectations. for. his fiance called on donald trump to pardon the father of their 2 children. has not yet asked to ensure suffering in isolation as if i'm fixed prisoners march prison as long as our children continue to be proud of their father's love and affection. for the great. people celebrated aged. oh. inside the courtroom the judge dismissed most of the songes defense but she

conceded that his mental health was such that to extradite him would be oppressive . piece of lengthy legal battle began with a videotape that shocked the world the sondra least classified footage of u.s. apache helicopters killing iraqi civilians and journalists. more shade an understanding of what the posix use of oil is being why. the u.s. accused him and to wiki leaks of being enemy combatants for the past decade through thick and thin always maintained that he was a journalist. the saga is not over yet the u.s. government has said it will appeal that decision. now you're about to meet a man whose passion for books leads him back and forth between europe and africa it's all in the name of bringing literature to the people his mission is full of challenges but his loyal customers make his efforts worthwhile. other

ramadani carefully sots and packs the new gems he's picked up here in belgium the bookseller and his family have plenty of extra baggage all of it crammed with books but that's not the only challenge. this is. one thing it's an 8 hour flight preparing all that it's really a personal investment especially over there when i arrive it's a bit complicated at customs. and. d r c is a poor country so it's of little interest for publishing giant the gap in the market has become amazon nice to fill. the latest big name novels from europe alongside me shell obama's memoirs some treasures from a zine he will put on sale at book express his tiny shop in kinshasa. here a title can cost nearly half of the d.r.

sees ever edge wage an average people earn about $35.00 euros a month his customers as diverse as the volumes on his shelves. don't let me 1st there are the intellectuals politicians university professors who come to buy political theory books then there are the mothers who come to buy children's books. but as far as general politics is concerned there is a vacuum there's no demand but. there's also this thriving market in 2nd or 3rd hand books in kinshasa. with a dog at times on normal cookery. street fellahs have everything. is a huge may people have the courage and love to set up bookstores in our country to strengthen us the books and as. you move. from

a sunny believes is the fittest for reading in the country and the books. already has plans for a book festival. some sports news now and in football the uruguayan players' union has called on football authorities in england to overturn edison companies 3 match ban for using a racist term on social media the manchester united striker posted the message after he was congratulated for scoring the winning goal in november come on he later deleted the post when he was told that the word in spanish could be considered racist the union said he's been discriminated against the culture and way of life your line people. japan's top ranking sumo wrestler hole has tested positive for corona virus just days before the start of the new year grand tournaments in tokyo on sunday well it's not clear yet whether the 15 day event will be postponed on goalie and born hockey both and is the

longest serving top ranked wrestler known as the yokozuna was tested after losing his sense of smell earlier this year 28 year old sumo. wrestler who she died after becoming infected with coverage 19. to 12 women have joined the ranks of moscow better drivers after russia lifted controversial legislation that banned women from certain jobs sensibly because of health reasons women began working for the subway system on new year's day previously women were employed as drivers for decades until the metro stop hiring them in the early 1980 s. the profession was listed among jobs with harmful or dangerous conditions recent legal challenges the changes rather also allow women to work as long haul truckers tractor drivers and boat skippers.

you're watching t.v. news coming to you live from berlin up next close up where you can experience how sled dogs master one of the toughest races on earth with them a young woman who's determined to take part of course you can always get all the latest news and information anytime you want to our website that's. and you can follow us on twitter. as well at news i'm terry martin thanks for watching.

the toughest interests raced in europe. 1200 kilometers with a dog started. in the far north of norway. and with practically no sleep. any more questions and off we go to him

mark slow but close up. next on g.w. . is something lurking in the hallways products. the chinese tech giant is incredibly successful. installs data networks more and more suspected of espionage you better vices have a back door so if they were open to the ball way up to most of us. in 45 minutes on w. . look closely. carefully. don't know if this suit. is to be

a good. match. discover who. subscribe to. documentaries. every year the extreme north of norway hosts an epic 1200 kilometer race in which competitors find a way that you icy wasteland was celebrated as. the same local race is kind of like my birthday in. receive all round one for 8 stakes the competitor has all.