they are the only faction in lebanon that has that much support in lebanon. that also counts, if we come to an agreement, can the taliban count on such strong outside support while everybody else does not have that support. that is a question you need to ask. and if you are telling the taliban that the americans are here, and the basis of this negotiate is the argument between the taliban and the americans, so what are you telling them? what are you telling them then. you are telling them to wait until may, and then you will talk to your brothers. but in a totally different framework, so you see all of these things, it is easy to get outside powers, even as strong as the united states, it is easy to get it. it is complicated to get out in the right manner. i think the united states and the murders serration would have to think very, very seriously before walking in there. for themselves, they have to think about this. but also perhaps to give a little bit of bought to what happens to the afghans, the afghans did not invite them. they came in, they helped a lo

ain, trying to learn from the experience of lebanon. and also counterproductive to the state survival in some ways once you said to the structu in motion, i think it becomes the norm even if it is temporary it would perpetuate itself so for me rather than a temporary solution, we should be building elements that are part of the ultimate concept were the solution. conceptually speaking rather than procedurally, i think that entering these arrangements tend to satisfy the interest and the mindset. it was inclusive and in reality it catered to the moment you have an arrangement that breaks down the nation to the identifiable group. disempower those and i say this because in particular it represented the progressive middle class and cosmopolitan class. mai jump in with a comment of what we are suggesting here. one of the things we have known in the case of lebanon. this is more a comment about the lebanese system but the idea that they have to think about themselves as christians and sunnis have to think about themselves as sunnis and so fo

they are the only faction i lebanon that has that much in lebanon. so that also accounts, can the taliban, if we come to an agreement where the agreement is not really -- can the taliban count on such strong outside support, why is everybody else does not have the support, is a question you need to ask. and then if you're telling the taliban that the americans are leaving in may, and the basis of this negotiation is the agreement between the taliban and the americans. so what are you telling us? what are you telling the taliban? you are telling the taliban wait until may, and then you will talk to your brothers, but in the post levitical framework. so it's easy to get in or outside powers, even as strong as the united states it is easy to get. it is complicated to get out in the right manner. so i think the united states and the administration would have to think very, very seriously of what is it that one in afghanistan for themselves before thinking of the countryman, but also perhaps give a little bit of thought to what happens to the afghans, you

sectarian tensions it was known as mr lebanon but at the end. end of the day who was the leader of the sunday community and the man who was found guilty as a member of a group and there has been so nice tensions in lebanon and across the region and so those tensions have not really subsided in fact many people feel that the senate community has been marginalized since that day february 14th 2005 so divisions will not heal the sentencing yes many will say this is an important day for international for international justice ok say no to join us live from beirut thanks very much dana. a bill to legalize abortion in argentina has cleared a major hurdle in the last hour it was approved by the lower house of congress. the. protesters waited all night for the decision and celebrated when they heard the news the bill now goes to the upper house which is the senate to raise a vote joins us live from buenos aires it's raising the bill passed all those celebrations behind you all the people have now gone to get some sleep what were the numbers in the lower

still ahead on al-jazeera a sentence eminent for one of the men found guilty of killing lebanon's former prime minister. and we'll look at the palestinian israeli man's legal battle for equal education rights for his children. we've got plenty of showers across southeast asia the stock looking pretty active at the moment more heavy showers just slide in the way into the south of vietnam west the weather though coming back into southern parts of thailand into the malays peninsula and then the usual rough this shower was wrought across malaysia and down into indonesia joining up with the west the weather that we have also affecting the funnel west of australia a 2nd tropical storm and now making its way through the troubled stubbins that's just rolling its way just to the southwest of broome some more very heavy rain coming through here with some flooding but i'd like to draw your attention to the other side of the country high pressure down towards the southeast and around high the winds are traveling in an anti clockwise direction so quite a rush of on social showers just rolling into th

lebanon is still involved -- is still in a difficult crisis. the prime minister of the country was appointed in october, but he has yet to form a new government. 25 people have been arrested in connection with the explosion, but the investigation has made little progress. there's has -- there's been increasing public outcry for change. >> this is not a state. this is not a government. lebanese people want to know the truth. we want investigation, and we want the truth. >> lebanon's economy has been in shambles for more than a year. the situation is so dire the world bank said the country faces an arduous and prolonged depression, grackle -- grappling with hyperinflation and the effects of coronavirus. small businesses are struggling to stay open. >> we hope the economic situation gets better and that people from abroad come to visit during this holiday season. we hope for the best, but it's a very small hope. >> in order for lebanon to access financial aid, international donors are demanding that an audit of the central bank be carried out, but

, lebanon has almost 1 million syrian of only 6.8 million, lebanon has almost1 million syrian refugees registered with the un. most of them have fled the ongoing civil war in syria. it's unlikely that they will be able to return anytime soon. rhal ssan, bbc news. back now to one of our main stories — the row over donald trump delaying signing america's unemployment benefits legislation. the us president—elect, joe biden, has warned of "devastating consequences". mr biden will become the 46th president in just three weeks time. tackling the coronavirus pandemic will be his biggest challenge at home, but in foreign policy he says he wants to in his words "restore america's leadership on the world stage." with his assesssment of the challenges, here's our world affairs editor, john simpson. america is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it. once again at the head of the table. now thatjoe biden is about to take over the white house and donald trump's moving out, governments right around the world are heaving sighs of relief. i'm not actually walking into the real oval offi

relationship to influence the government and whatever it is and now lebanon so then for the history for example and with the orthodox to russia it with the ottoman empire and that is basically that is ingrained into the psychic generation of the country and it is continuing. and so the region is having a lot of difficulties. if it's not having a lot of difficulties. and then to hear the different powers and then so it is the solution level lebanon. >> somebody asked. >> but it is not only because of that. remember what happened. >> and that is during the pandemic and then to have the fun downstairs. >> yes. >> actually i expect you. >> but i will ask you talking about us leadership, what about non- us leadership looking for allies around the world the middle east or elsewhere are there crews that would be strong leaders to help restore a world order that values stability and democratic values? >> and that they are doing something. and then with lebanon it's always on a small regional scale and for what exists today is the american and world order. and then with the soviet union. chi

and in our signature segment: an incoming biden administration gives lebanon's refugees a glimmer of hope. next on "pbs newshour weend." >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: sue .d edgar wachenheim iii de the on family fund. bernard and denise schwartz. the cheryl and philip milstein family. barbara hope zuckerberg. the leonard and norma klorfine undation. charles rosenblum. we try to live in the moment, front of us.what's right in at mutual of america, we e of tomorrowng c can help you make the most of today. mutual of america financial group, retirement services and invests. >> for 25 years, consumer ceofllular has been fering no-contract wireless plans, designed to help people do more of what they like. our u.s.-based customer service am can help find a plan that fits you. to learn more, visit www.consumercellular.tv. additional support has been provided by: d by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> sd eenivasan: gening and thank you for jo

the 2nd conference which completes the emergency response cannot replace the involvement of lebanon's political leaders and its institutions they must form a government to soon as possible and implement reforms without which the international economic aid mechanism cannot be triggered. nearly 4 months after the bay report blasts investigators have almost completed their task but the families the victims survivors and human rights groups fare high ranking officials will escape blame opponents who are in the front line of the explosion and from 4 months ago nobody helped us on august for a powerful explosion believed to be caused by ammonium nitrate that caught fire rips through beirut port its impact was felt kilometers away 200 people were killed thousands were wounded and tens of thousands made homeless. extended family used to live in this 8 story building who are still displaced how can we come back in the states i didn't believe thousands of lebanese have been struggling to rebuild their homes the cash strapped government has largely been absent and geos can only do so much piers

there are a burden on lebanon and any other country they live in they should go back home. they need to go back lebanon is in a huge crisis we also don't have jobs and money for food there is nothing eyes and nothing but that and so for those sentiments off felt in the bekaa valley many syrians here are afraid of being attacked and are scared to leave the camps at night. which it's awful after 5 pm i don't go out even not to the pharmacy or the market. looking. for most people here a return to syria is unthinkable. houses destroyed and he fears being arrested his name is on the regime's wanted list and so he'd rather stay here than risk being put into a torture prisoners. it's in football paris censure monster champions league game with istanbul bashar was abandoned after players left the field in protest they accused a match official of using racist language the incident happened in the 1st half a member of istanbul's coaching staff was sent off after which players reacted to the officials choice of words the game we played on wednesday with different preferences at the tu

there are a burden on lebanon and any other country they live in they should go back home. they need to go back lebanon is in a huge crisis we also don't have jobs and money for food there is nothing eyes and nothing. and so for those sentiments off felt in the bekaa valley many syrians here are afraid of being attacked and are scared to leave the camps at night. which it's awful after 5 pm i don't go out even not to the pharmacy or the market. looking. for most people here a return to syria is unthinkable. houses destroyed and he fears being arrested his name is on the regime's wanted list and so he'd rather stay here than risk being put into a torture prison. a small indian town in the states. is swarming with investigators after a mystery illness made hundreds of people sick including children officials in a loose a blood test on some patients have now will reveal the presence of nickel and lead all they have now identify possible sources of what appears to be a mass poisoning. more than 500 people many of them children have been hospitalized with the mystery illness sin

and in doha with the top stories on al-jazeera the man convicted in the death of lebanon's former prime minister rafik hariri has been given 5 life terms salim i ash played a leading role in the bombing that killed 3 and 21 other people back in 2005 he was sentenced in absentia by the special tribunals for lebanon a court base in the netherlands saying a quarter has more on that various acts from beirut. many will say that this is important but it is not the ideal in the sense that yes. and the other defendants who were later acquitted were tried in absentia guilty verdict was handed down in august but the man is still on the run and is affiliated with hezbollah a group which wields political and military power in lebanon a group which has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the international tribunals saying it's not concerned with its very sick said it will never hand over the men to face international justice a since the killing of the prime minister in 2005 it was killed here behind me a massive explosion 2221 other people were killed it was a political earthquake it shifted the

dozens of syrian refugee families are forced to leave a makeshift camp in lebanon after it was burnt to the ground during a dispute with local residents. unemployment benefits lapsed overnight for millions of americans struggling to make ends meet across the country, after president donald trump's refusal to approve a $2.3 trillion financial package. the package in question was finally approved by congress after months of negotiations but had to be signed into law by the president by midnight on saturday. freya cole reports. this is america in 2020, long queues at food banks made up of families in desperate need. thank you. do you want me to put it in the back? oh, you got it? have a good day. according to the organisation feeding america, more than 50 million people experienced food insecurity this year, including a potential 17 million children. the food crisis is linked to record levels of unemployment triggered by the outbreak of covid—19. and now millions of americans have lost their next welfare payment because president trump refused to sign the covid relief bill into law. w

we are still looking at some rainfall in lebanon. so be careful of more flooding. we have this storm system. this system is expected to dump heavy snow, plus heavy rainfall in and around northern india as well as portions of afghanistan. temperatures are in the middle east. rainy weather and beirut could see a chance for thunderstorms once again on your tuesday with a high of 24. this area experienced flooding two weeks ago. so whether has been pretty rough in the middle east. meanwhile, japan is experiencing calm weather in many places and we saw the first frost of the season in places. snow is falling across the northwestern portions of japan at this moment. a snow will taper off as the day goes on on tuesday. snow is expected, though, later this week and temperatures will be warmer than normal in many places inclauding tokyo during the week and also into the weekend. but next week it's going to be exceptionally cold. meanwhile, we are looking at dry conditions across the united states, but there's a possibility of more thunderstorms across the florida peninsula.

dozens of syrian refugee families are forced to leave a makeshift camp in lebanon after it was burnt to the ground during a dispute with local residents. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first... britain's prime minister, boris johnson, is promising "big" changes are on the way for the uk, following his brexit trade deal with the european union. in a newspaper article, he says he wants to focus on "leveling up the country" , and "spreading opportunity" across the uk. mps will vote on the deal in parliament on the 30th of december. our business correspondent, vivienne nunis has more. glad tidings of greatjoy. 1,200 pages of detail spelling out britain's new trading relationship with the eu. mps and others are poring over the fine print. this morning, the chancellor tried to dispel any fears the uk might be worse off under this new trade agreement. for those who were anxious about the economic implications of leaving, they should be enormously reassured. the free trade dea

un backed court sentences a fugitive has brought a member to life in prison for the assassination of lebanon's former prime minister rafik hariri. argentina moves one step closer to legalizing abortion after the lower house of congress approves a landmark bill. i didn't got a more students are in rolling in public schools but with long waiting lists some kids have too much time on that. after more than 10 hours of the go ca sions european union leaders have reached a deal to try to slow climate change and tackle the most pressing issue of our times the block has agreed to cut carbon emissions by at least 55 percent by the end of the decade good to chill with. a reduction of 55 percent by 2030 means that our 2050 commitment is credible it means that we in europe would have a leadership role to play very soon we will be celebrating the 5th anniversary of this commitment made in paris the paris agreement and we have been firmly can. it is the european union from the beginning this is a very positive saddle in the field of climate and diplomacy to bring in other parts of the world to get the jump

is in beirut for us and as international donors meet the peak need for people in lebanon could not be greater. more than half the population now for the beirut blasts it happened last august but before that the economy was already collapsing 40 percent of the population unemployed businesses are closing this was once a vibrant commercial district as you can see behind me it is so quiet many of the shops here have now closed so people really are struggling now this aid conference is about emergency assistance this is what the french president made clear time and time again that this is for recovery efforts to help the people who are affected by the beirut blast and no way is this aid conference about bailing out the authorities a political class that has lost legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of many lebanese as well as the international community the french president saying that there will be no international bailout from the i.m.f. or international donors unless the political class and act reforms reforms like fighting corruption and state institutions and if they don't do that

there are a burden on lebanon and any other country they live in they should go back home. they need to go back lebanon is in a huge crisis we also don't have jobs and money for food there is nothing nice and nothing but that is so for those sentiments off felt in the bekaa valley many syrians here are afraid of being attacked and are scared to leave the camps at night. which it's awful after 5 pm i don't go out even not to the pharmacy or the market. looking. for most people here a return to syria is unthinkable. house is destroyed and he fears being arrested his name is on the regime's wanted list and so he'd rather stay here than risk being put into a torture prison. while many of the more than 300 schoolboys kidnapped in northern nigeria and now free the boys who were abducted from their school in the northwest state of katsina have arrived in government buildings the students will undergo medical examinations before we.

america with the headlines here on al-jazeera the man convicted in the death of lebanon's former prime minister rafik hariri has been given 5 life terms was found to have played a leading role in the bombing that killed her area and 21 other people in 2005 he was sentenced in absentia by a special tribunal for lebanon based in the netherlands said the holder has more from beirut since the killing of the prime minister in 2005 it was killed here behind me a massive explosion 2221 other people were killed it was a political earthquake it shifted the balance of power in this country in the favor of the syrian government and their allies by extension hezbollah and that is why the trial chamber repeated time and time again that this was a political motivated murders that. wanted to get rid of a political opponents and highly likely a state actor was involved because it was a very intricate operation so at the time it really heightened divisions in lebanon sectarian tensions. the lower house of congress in argentina has voted to legalize abortion protesters waited all night for the decision

a very difficult situation there in beirut in lebanon and joining me is my colleague melissa holroyd melissa give us a bit more of a visual idea of the of the real extent of the destruction on the ground well this was a massive massive blast that to pass on the 4th of august some 300000 people were displaced half the city was effect is. thousands and thousands of buildings were damaged we're just looking at the images now. they are it's just they're just awful $640.00 historic buildings were also damaged. and many of those were built on the autumn and rule or during the french mandate colonial period. so that you have the damage across the sea was just immense so what's what's being done to save that i know this just looks almost where do you begin and what are the major concerns obviously in the in the immediate yes in the winter well in the piece where they talked a lot about the weather they concerned a lot about about the rain the about the rain season coming but there's also another concern and that will and that's to do with developers coming in and buying up the damaged buildi

this makeshift refugee camp for syrians in northern lebanon was set on fire late on saturday night. at least three people were injured in the blaze which left the entire camp burnt to the ground. more than 300 people live here. they've lost everything now. authorities say the fire broke out after a dispute between refugees and some local men turned violent. translation: the dispute started here. a lebanese man hit a syrian and his son fought back. then the lebanese man called his relatives to help him — that's when they all ended up in the streets and began fighting. lebanon's army said it has arrested six syrian nationals and two local men over the alleged dispute. although tensions are high, some residents nearby offered their homes to the fleeing refugees. translation: it's shameful to burn tents with children inside. if it wasn't for locals from nearby villages taking them in, they would be sleeping on the streets or in the wreck of the camp. tensions have been rising between locals and refugees fuelled by a deep economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. despite having an

this makeshift refugee camp for syrians in northern lebanon was set on fire late on saturday night. at least three people were injured in the blaze which left the entire camp burnt to the ground. more than 300 people live here. they've lost everything now. authorities say the fire broke out after a dispute between refugees and some local men turned violent. translation: the dispute started here. a lebanese man hit a syrian and his son fought back. then the lebanese man called his relatives to help him — that's when they all ended up in the streets and began fighting. lebanon's army said it has arrested six syrian nationals and two local men over the alleged dispute. although tensions are high, some residents nearby offered their homes to the fleeing refugees. translation: it's shameful to burn tents with children inside. if it wasn't for locals from nearby villages taking them in, they would be sleeping on the streets or in the wreck of the camp. tensions have been rising between locals and refugees, fuelled by a deep economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. despite having an

lebanon's caretaker prime minister has refused to cooperate with the investigation into the bay report explosion which happened in august ascend the up and 3 former cabinet ministers strace charges of carelessness and neglect victims' families are welcome the charges but say many more people need to be held to account so to reports now from. the rule of law is what these people are demanding they came to the palace of justice to show support for a judge who is facing a political backlash for charging the caretaker prime minister has stand and former ministers with negligence over the baby port explosion fadi so when it was supposed to question them this week but the defendants accuse him of violating the constitution by overstepping his powers and are refusing to comply it says me either he takes a decision that shows that he is truly working for justice in lebanon or he don't do that and the sure that the whole decision that he took and everything that happened in the past few weeks was just another scenario that case is now politicized leading politicians and religious officials frie

but for some of the men found guilty over the murder of lebanon's former prime minister has been sentenced to 5 life terms saleman i ash was tried and sentenced in absentia was found to played a leading ball in the bombing that killed rafik hariri and 21 other people in 2005 the sentence was handed down by the special tribunals for lebanon court based in the netherlands saying the hotter has more from beirut. some would argue that this is a symbolic sentencing even the guilty verdict which was handed down in august because the man who the tribunals found guilty of executing this assassination was tried in absentia and he remains at large and many feel that he will never face justice because hezbollah this is the group that he's affiliated to has repeated time and time again that they're not going to hand them over to the international court they consider the courts a political tool that is being used against them and in the words of the hezbollah secretary general we're not concerned with the verdict so at the end of the day has a lot controls political and military power in this country i

backed court sentences and on the run hezbollah but to life in prison for the 2005 assassination of lebanon's former prime minister rafik hariri. that argentina moves one step closer to legalizing abortion after the lower house of congress approves a landmark bill. the head of the un's refugee agency says that he has received an overwhelming number of reports about eritrea and refugees integrate being killed abducted but the ethiopian government insists that it is safe to send refugees back to the region that has been forcing them to return thousands of them fled to the capital addis ababa during fighting in tikrit between local forces and federal government soldiers at least 4 aid workers have been killed in the tigre a region international rescue committee of the danish refugee council announced the deaths i spoke to chris moyles a who is the spokes person for the un refugee agency in the ethiopian capital at this he says that there are numerous challenges for thousands of displaced people. the main problem is that the refugees were brought back to a region where they just left a couple of

saving lebanon from economic ruin is the focus of an international donor conference being led spy the french president emmanuel and my crew and the unsexy general antonio good 10 ish virtual events is being hosted by france send its participants include senior government representatives as well as non-governmental organizations. the 2nd conference which completes the emergency response cannot replace the involvement of lebanon's political leaders and its institutions they must form a government to soon as possible and implement reforms with that which the international economic aid mechanism cannot be triggered. let's get more now from santa hauteur who joins us from beirut this 8 conference just tell us how important then necessary it is for the people in lebanon who've been faced with such incredible hardship over this past year. yes it has been a difficult year for many lebanese more than half the population now in poverty unemployment at 40 percent people losing jobs businesses are closing it's really the worst economic crisis this country has seen in decades but mccall made it cl

and one of the men found guilty in the murder of lebanon's former prime minister will be sentenced in absentia will have all the latest. i'm johnny gosch or else go with the sports as possible star le bron james is named time magazine's athlete to begin his work off the court against voter suppression. european union leaders meeting at a summit in brussels have agreed to count carbon emissions point least 55 percent by the end of the decades the reduction compared. in 1990 levels is seen as a big step up from the previous school now there's been a record 7 percent dip in global c o 2 emissions this year according to preliminary figures from the global carbon projects the group of sciences says the drop which they see as temporary is largely because of the coronavirus locked ions that shut down industries and transports emissions files of 12 percent in the u.s. and 11 percent in europe but only marginally in china well let's get more now from paul brennan he joins me live from brussels paul let's start with that i can ching pledge on emissions as a very ambitious target sells more of.

there are a burden on lebanon and any other country they live in they should go back oh. they need to go back lebanon is in a huge crisis we also don't have jobs and money for food there is nothing nice and nothing about the un so for those sentiments off felt in the bekaa valley many syrians here are afraid of being attacked and are scared to leave the camps at night. which it's awful after 5 pm i don't go out even not to the pharmacy or the market. looking. for most people here a return to syria is unthinkable. house is destroyed and he fears being arrested his name is on the regime's wanted list and so he'd rather stay here than risk being put into a torture prison. joining us for more from the bekaa valley on the syrian border went up to la he's with the aid organization and narrow that what works with refugees in lebanon as well as with other come in other countries in the region. how has the coronavirus pandemic impacted refugees in lebanon. oh because well actually the. virus has impacted everyone who worldwide comes to refugees we're talking about access to books

laura: so much anger and sadness there in lebanon. before we go tonight, a bit of hollywood history has a new owner. the hagun used by the late sean connery ithe first james bond film has sold at auction. the pistol went for256,000 in beverly hills. bought by an anonymous bidder. bond's semiautomatic made its det in the 1962 movie, "dr. no." i'm laura trevelyan. ou for watching bbc worl narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... laguage specialists teachin spanish, french and more. raymond james. the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. d by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. thank u. girl: we are the curious. ♪ woman 1: wow! man 1: the adventurous. man 2: oh! daniel tiger: woman 2: those venturing out for the first time. all: blast off! [rocket explosion] man 3: and those who have nendr lost our sense of . man 4: whoa! man 5: are y seeing this? ♪ [quacking] vo: we are the hungry. cookie monster: cookie!

a very difficult situation there in beirut in lebanon and joining me is my colleague melissa holroyd melissa give us a bit more of a visual idea of the of the real extent of the destruction on the ground well this was a massive massive blast the $2.00 price on the 4th of august some $300000.00 people were displaced half the city was affects is thousands and thousands of buildings were damaged we're just looking at the images now. they are it's just they're just awful $640.00 historic buildings were also damaged. and many of those were built and autumn and rule or during the french mandate colonial period. so that you have the damage across the sea was just immense so what's what's being done to save that i know this just looks almost where do you begin and what are the major concerns obviously in the in the immediate yes in the winter well in the piece where they talked a lot about the weather they're concerned a lot about about the rainy and about the rainy season coming but there's also another concern and that was and that's to do with developers coming in and buying up the damage

they're a burden on lebanon and any other country they live in they should go back oh. they need to go back lebanon is in a huge crisis we also don't have jobs and money for food there is nothing nice and nothing about the young so for those sentiments off felt in the bekaa valley many syrians here are afraid of being attacked and are scared to leave the camps at night. which it's awful after 5 pm i don't go out even not to the pharmacy or the market. looking. for most people here a return to syria is unthinkable. house is destroyed and he fears being arrested his name is on the regime's wanted list and so he'd rather stay here than risk being put into a torture prison. let's take a look now at some of the other stories making news around the world a category 5 cyclone yasi flattened entire villages in the pacific island nation of fiji the storm caused landslides flooding and power blackouts as it swept across the island of manuel level with winds of up to 345 kilometers an hour authorities say the cyc loan has now weekend. the northeastern united states has been hit by

lebanon is one. lebanon is going through an economic crisis. these are countries that it is important to continue having the international community provide assistance so that the refugee burden can be alleviated. but, not at the expense of removing that voluntary aspect of refugee returns. again, also trying to push forward the single greatest thing that could make refugee returns to syria possible, which is if assad and his regime ends the were against his people and goes through a political process --ether political solution to get a political solution to the problem. >> what do armed forces in syria expect from the united states? what are they looking for us to do? >> the main one you are talking about is syrian democratic forces and also other local partners. i think what they expect and what they can count on is that the global coalition to defeat isis is going to be maintained and the campaign to defeat isis by, with hand through local security partners will continue not just in syria, but iraq. it is a problem that spans both countries.

lebanon's caretaker prime minister says he's done nothing wrong after being charged with negligence over the beirut port explosion sunday happened 3 foreign ministers are the highest profile figures to face charges over the disaster reports from beirut. it's been 4 months since a massive explosion at beirut's port this story didn't damage surrounding neighborhoods killing 200 people and injuring thousands and investigation has yet to provide an explanation on what caused nearly 3000 tons of ammonium nitrate to explode. but for the 1st time senior officials are being charged. the caretaker prime minister has along with 3 former ministers are accused of negligence deep says his conscience is clear and that he has no intention of being questioned again he's now the 1st prime minister in lebanon's history to be charged. dad was forced to resign days after the blast but later returned as caretaker he was only in power for a few months when the explosion happened that's why some are questioning the judicial decision that the state is protecting itself and the clearest indicate your truth out i

a un backed court sentences and on the run has to life in prison for the 2005 assassination of lebanon's former prime minister rafik hariri. argentina moves one step closer to legalizing abortion after the lower house of congress approves a landmark bill. scientists from russia and the u.k. are joining forces to try a combination of the oxford astra zeneca and sputnik the coronavirus folks years. basketball star le bron james is named time magazine's athlete. of the chords against protests oppression. after more than 10 hours of the go see asians european union leaders have reached a deal to try to slow climate change tackled the most pressing issue of our times the block has agreed to cut carbon emissions by at least 55 percent by the end of the decade good sure but. a reduction of 55 percent by 2030 means that our 2050 commitment is credible it means that we in europe would have a leadership role to play very soon we will be celebrating the 5th anniversary of this commitment made in paris the paris agreement and we have been firmly committed as the european union from the beginning thi

so much for living that its own dog and joining us from manila let's head across to lebanon where all to syria's seen a hoarder joins us from outside a hospital it would seem in beirut seeing that lebanon has had a terrible year really mean it can't be home for city since many people are struggling to secure food to put on the dining room table what chances there of the government securing enough vaccines to to protect the population at this awful time . well it has been a difficult fight the battle is not over and even when the vaccine arrive it's not expected to be a quick solution according to doctors there is a community infection the positivity rate is high the number of critically ill patients is high as well and this is one of the main public hospitals in beirut that has been treating coronavirus patients and the public sector really has been the gluck that for decades there it's funded. ill equipped ill equipped and underfunded really up the public sector so they've been struggling and only recently the private hospitals which really have been the backbone of the health sector

at the moment hitting crisis point in lebanon what we hearing from people. will send communities that we help assist in that anonymous that these are desperate desperate times waiting for months now the day to last an explosion devastated the city and 4 months later the international funding appeal is less than hall. and that's really atrocious because right after the crisis we saw an outpouring of solidarity and support from the international community that was very much welcome but unfortunately the one thing that was pledged has not hit the ground running and has not been discussed in the numbers and the levels that we meet at the moment lebanon 2 is facing multiple crises it's facing of course the aftermath of the beirut explosion with shelter needs and homelessness rising it's facing a refugee crisis as well for many many years now of course that went on has been generous enough to host syrian refugees for years but that requires more international assistance and of course all of this is coming in the middle of this pandemic where we're seeing not only

vulnerable from the impact that the devastating impact of i give you an example we're talking about lebanon and we say that 90 percent are under the extreme poverty line however the u.n. agencies are only able to help almost 49 percent with and only 31 percent of those with other kind of assistance like cash assistance now this is unacceptable ok or has to be a sustainable significant increase in the support to the humanitarian agencies and to the host communities in order to really afford at its best understood rule i mean good to talk to there from ramallah we do appreciate your time. 10 years after a certain cell phone fire triggering what became known as the arab spring still protesting. was one of the demonstrators who rose up against the government in 2011 here's a story. my name is while it castro when i was injured during the revolution and i live in the suburbs of kenya. ben ali's police shot me on january 13th 2011 and that led to the amputation of my right leg because of those of us in the and. i am married with 2 kids and unemployed so every time i needed to get some treatment f

prime ministers who've been an hour since 2014 when the mighty very ammonia and shipments came into lebanon so it's very clear that this has been a very selective accusation by the state which includes the major 6 women to comport fuz and their leaders. deb repeatedly acknowledged receiving prior warnings about the dangers posed by the ammonium nitrate but he wasn't the only one. so far though and mid-level employees at the port and custom authorities have been charged and that is why there has been so much public anger official correspondence between various branches of government so the president the now caretaker prime minister former and current ministers as well as security officials and judges knew that the large amounts of explosive material were at the port and fail to take action. it was one of the world's biggest non-nuclear explosions and for many it was the direct result of corruption encouraged by political class that governed for decades . this is not enough all this destruction in beirut is due to a history of corruption before her son and after him they should question all o

arrive in lebanon in february according to officials who work at the ministry who i've been talking to they're saying that they're ready they have enough centers across the country this is a relatively small country and they feel that. they will be able to deal with the logistical challenges and they say that health workers of course the elderly the vulnerable people they will be given priority just like what is happening in other countries across the world but they're saying it will take at least a year or a year and a half before they're able to vaccinate at least 35 percent of the population and it's still not clear who's going to pay for the for the vaccine and in this country where more than 55 percent of the population are now poor because of a very deep economic crisis this is going to be another challenge and the economic crisis is only worsening by the day more and more people sink into poverty so yes a lot of talent. it's ahead levanon may have secured those doses and they're hoping that it will arrive in february but it's just the beginning on a long road to recovery well

lebanon's judiciary long accused the big politicized there's also little faith in the political class accused of decades of corruption and negligence now some accuse officials of wanting to bury the past by demolishing structures at the port that have come to symbolize what happened to beirut and its people the state says the grain silos risk collapse an assessment dismissed by some experts who say the structures should be kept as a memorial there is a similar situation that happened in hiroshima when the hiroshima bomb explodes. organized a sort of memory park to recall the the memory of the tragedy in lebanon we used to raise all the way 'd to the memory of to richard the grain silos are credited for absorbing the brunt of the explosion and limiting the damage to the western half of the city there also evidence of a crime many fear may go unpunished in a country with a legacy of impunity that it could there be 2 and a state of the planet is broken and humanity is waging war on nature that's the warning from the u.n. secretary general who says human activity is having a dire impact o

hizbollah fugitive convicted in the assassination of lebanon's former prime minister rafiq hariri has been given 5 life. was sentenced in absentia a special tribunal in the netherlands. a bill to legalize abortion in argentina has cleared a major hurdle after it was approved in the lower house of congress supporters waited all nice and celebrates his when they heard the news the bill now goes to the upper house where it's expected to face more resistance pharmaceutical company astra zeneca will start to test a combination of its experimental covert 19 vaccine with russia's sputnik v. shows russia's sovereign wealth fund which is bankrolling sputnik 3 made the announcement the move is likely to be viewed in russia as a vote of confidence in its vaccine but could prove controversial elsewhere as moscow has been accused of rushing it. moroccan king has told the palestinian president that he stands by a 2 state solution to the israeli palestinian conflict on thursday morocco became the 4th arab nation to agree to normalize ties with israel the u.s. brokered the deal from acing in exchange

or we mentioned lebanon which only has enough to vaccinate around 15 percent of the population was in a holder is in the lebanese capital beirut she says it could take years to control the outbreak there. according to doctors there is a community infection the positivity rate is high the number of critically ill patients is high as well and this is one of the main public hospitals in beirut that has been treating coronavirus patients and the public sector really has been the gluck that for decades ill equipped and underfunded really pumped the public sector so they've been struggling and only recently the private hospitals which really have been the backbone of the health sector in this country have started to treat coronavirus patients so it's a difficult task and now we're hearing from the health ministry that they managed to secure 2000000 doses of pfizer vaccine which is enough for 1000000 people and they're hoping that will be 11 on arrive in lebanon in february according to officials who work at the ministry who i've been talking to they're saying that they're ready they have en

the 2nd conference which completes the emergency response cannot replace the involvement of lebanon's political leaders and its institutions they must form a government to soon as possible and implement reforms without which the international economic aid mechanism cannot be triggered. 3 prominent hong kong democracy activists have been jailed for their role the last day as protests joshua long challenge to either learn wasn't guilty of unlawful assembly or received a 13 and a half month sentence while towel and lamb were jailed for 10 and 7 months respectively adrian brown has more from hong kong. it's become an end of the day ritual outside west magistrates court a crowd chants defiant slogans as prison vans take away those convicted on trial over last year's unrest but the throng was bigger on wednesday so it was impossible to see which of the vehicles contained the 3 high profile activists among the more than 2000 people prosecuted since last you joshua one agnes char and ivan lamb avoided a heavier sentence after pleading guilty last week the trio's detractors celebrated with cha

lebanon's caretaker prime minister has sent the head. being charged with negligence over the devastating explosion of beirut sport 3 other foreign ministers have also been accused more than $200.00 people were killed in that disaster with thousands injured and many more left homeless say in a hall the reports from beirut. it's been 4 months since a massive explosion that they were its core of this story did damage surrounding neighborhoods killing 200 people and injuring thousands. and investigation has yet to provide an explanation on what caused nearly 3000 tons of ammonium nitrate to explode. but for the 1st time senior officials are being charged. the caretaker prime minister has sat along with 3 former ministers are accused of negligence gibbs says his conscience is clear and that he has no intention of being questioned again he's now the 1st prime minister in lebanon's history to be charged dad was forced to resign days after the blast but later returned as caretaker he was only in power for a few months when the explosion happened