Capital and casts a shadow over christmas celebrations in the palestinian territories and beyond. Im not matheson this is al jazeera live from doha also coming up the reverberations of trumps Jerusalem Move are being felt worldwide we examine what christians in the west and the u. S. Think of his decision. The philippines unites to help after a Tropical Storm leaves more than two hundred people dead and forces tens of thousands from their homes. Russian president Vladimir Putins most high profile opponent wants to run against him in next years president ial election were going to tell you why his name may never even get on the ballot. As billions of christians around the world celebrate christmas the impact of u. S. President Donald Trumps recognition of jerusalem as israels capital reverberates around the world pope francis is presiding over celebrations in the vatican hes been a vocal critic of trumps move and hes calling for the status quo to be preserved palestinian leaders were among those attending services in bethlehem where there was also a message on jerusalem. Well francis said repeating what many other said before him hes not you that jews im a city of peace. Theres not peace if someone uses crude. It was an end to it includes not exclude. All the moves also being widely denounced by the International Community the Un General Assembly has voted to declare trumps jerusalem recognition as knol and void are a force that reports now on a city united and divided by faith. Founded by its ancient walls this tiny patch of land has for millennia borne a power that has spread far beyond the. Want. The stories of the three abrahamic faiths have jerusalem at their heart and the history of their sometimes tolerant often bloody relationship has soaked into the stones. And walk westward along the via dolorosa where christ carried his cross brings you after some twists and turns to the church of the holy sepulcher its here where jesus said to have been brought down from the cross his body cleaned and in tuned with all his resurrection three days later George Gently and took over from his father a secretary to the armenian patriarchate one of three denominations that manages the site hes had a bond with the place since boyhood but this is the central wonderment of the christians in the world i think the billion christians whether they are protestant or orthodox and catholic see in this place as the most important place where rightfully so because the defining moments of the last week of cries took place within this building but he says its part of a larger religious monument to the city itself one that shouldnt be politicized suddenly this signature or. Makes the issue of jerusalem contest the been so its our duty and our mission as the residents of jerusalem both israelis and others. To link this issue of jerusalem outside contestation in his recognition of jerusalem as israels capital the us president spoke of continued freedom of worship for all faiths with final political borders to be decided but many here see in the president s unabashed backing of israels claim a cementing of israeli control over islams third holiest site. So this is one of the main entrances to the al aqsa mosque compound the mosque itself is run by the jordanian backed islamic work but the entrances to it are guarded by Israeli Forces and they can restrict access at their will palestinian academic marty ago heidi likens it to a roof being let out and withdrawn on a whim a feeling magnified by the trump declaration that he had a thing which is my nightmare if israel today is going to translate such a declaration to implement what they claim solvent the over the city meaning to take over the site and to abort my presence and. Kick us out of the of the city was. For the muslim faith this is the most closely connected place to heaven prayers made here at the shortest route to god thats because its from here that the Prophet Muhammad himself is said to descend to have we believe the Prophet Muhammad came all the way from mark extend to heaven the received his evaluation coming through jerusalem is experience historical religious message to us and to the world we belong here its part of us its really when you get up to the level of the skyline here in jerusalem you get a full idea of just how concentrated of the markers of the hundreds of years of religious history here those great domes behind me are the church of the holy sepulcher where jesus christ is believed to have been laid to rest in just a few hundred meters walk away you can see the gold of the dome of the rock which is in the al aqsa mosque compound where muslims come to pray every friday and just beyond that is the western wall. For jews the dome of the rock sits upon the temple mount site of the first and second jewish temples the western wall is the closest point in which they can pray it stones themselves said to be vested with divinity and rabbi and former opposition member of the Israeli Parliament the knesset lippmann says this place embodies the jewish connection to god and to jerusalem after two thousand years we would exile went from country to country cut at the continent but three times a day jews turned towards to receive them to pray twice a year in the most important moments we said next year in jerusalem since seizing East Jerusalem in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven israel has been trying to cement that connection with archaeological work that it says proves the temples historical existence which the United Nations has ruled illegal in occupied territory. Its a necessity to counter rejections of jewish history here what we hear president trumps that collaboration we celebrate the fact that someone somewhere in the world is getting recognition to the capital which is going to our capital for three thousand years the heart and soul the jewish people are right as an independent country to declare our capital but he left room open for those negotiations to figure out what exactly that means when we say jerusalem is the jewish capital the thousands of years drusilla has changed hands the subject of a continuing struggle for control this latest chapter in that history has had its narrative shifted by the us president its eventual resolution seeming only to slip further into the future in this holy city are a force that aljazeera occupied East Jerusalem or just over a thousand Palestinian Christians live in the gaza strip malcolm webb went to meet some of them to find out how theyre celebrating. This is all of rosettes sires extended family and gala this christmas. Her son went to the occupied west bank three years ago and never came back he took his two sons worried for their future hearing. One of her daughters moved to canada six years ago a family that. Life is very difficult in gaza we live under siege and we cannot move anywhere gaza has become a big prison weve witnessed many was during the bombing we had to sleep in the church for safety the the story of rosettes family is typical among has a Small Community of christians because theyre in just three churches congregations are shrinking. Their populations just over a thousand it was more than double that ten years ago when the blockade by israel in egypt began they suffer the same daily struggles as the muslim majority sociologists a christian families tend to have more means to get out of family. Usually. Are you. Look lovely. And i think the more the human being has options and the more has money and you look to the to the to the life and good life and this is good life is not available in gaza even your money in gaza but you can have a life. And adding to the strife is the u. S. Recognition of jerusalem as the capital of israel. Here in this Community Center christians are holding a vigil in solidarity for jerusalem as palestines capital the feeling among Christian Communities very much the same as it is among the muslim majority everyone weve spoken to see here is it off position to the u. S. Move and they say it only adds to the frustrations of life here. There are many muslims here too the communities care exist. Its a somber runs a center he says they do everything they can to try and provide support for young people. To do what they need to do what they must do in their lives as young do you do what you can see a lot of them want to leave and i know that you believe this is more secure more comfortable for them to come for sure many young people here say they like gaza just that on the seat there are no opportunities here almost anyone who can leave and so this Small Christian Community is getting smaller malcolm web al jazeera in gaza. More than two hundred people are dead after a Tropical Storm which has devastated the southern philippines tens of thousands have been forced from their homes and a state of emergency has been declared in several areas more than one hundred fifty more people are missing as rescue efforts get underway in the cross the region of mcbride reports from the capital manila. Digging through the devastation caused by Tropical Storm tembin these rescue workers use whatever they can to find survivors but hope quickly turns to anguish as one of the youngest casualties is pulled from the mud hours after unleashing flooding and landslides that has left dozens dead on the Southern Island of mindanao ten been slammed into another set of Philippine Islands late on saturday Officials SayPeople Living in the area ignored warnings to leave and were swept away. By the flood was already close and the people were not able to get out of their homes the flood was so strong that it swept away houses Emergency Responders say rocks and boulders summers biggest cars were washed down from the mountains and buried schools of homes in the town of p. R. Capo more than seventy thousand people have been displaced in a region already ravaged by the governments fight with ice a linked groups aid organizations have criticised the governments response is something that is not shouldnt be a surprise to the Philippine Government and. So it is also they question will when a government is not prepared to give relief and to give help to the people then these things happen because they should be right. Tropical storm tembin is the latest to hit the philippines which is battered by about twenty major storms each year making it one of the worlds most disaster prone countries and while the storm is now heading out over the South China Sea towards vietnam the devastation its caused will continue to bring misery rob Mcbride Al Jazeera manila. Perus former president Alberto Fujimori has been pardoned on Health Grounds hes been serving a twenty five years sentence for corruption and human rights crimes committed during his ten year presidency the seventy nine year old was taken to hospital from jail on saturday after a severe drop in Blood Pressure russias best known Opposition Leader alexina vali has cleared the first hardball towards running for president against a bloody me of putin he submitted the documents needed to be a candidate in the election in march with the support of thousands of people across the country but it seems unlikely hes going to be allowed on the ballot or a challenge reports from moscow. In twenty cities across russia from blood of all stock to moscow alexina value supporters turned out to endorse him independent hopefuls must gather at least five hundred people in such meetings as a criteria for full candidate status. Easily got that in moscow alone where he had this message for the man he wants to run against. It was leaving my senior who didnt but its you who turned a country into a source of personal enrichment for yourself your family and your friends but why should not be president any more you are a bad president you dont have opposed the program. Then it was off to the Election Commission to hand in his application but its no valley is unlikely to make its own to the ballots for the elections in march hes always said his two thousand and fourteen fraud conviction was politically motivated but the kremlin is using it to bar him from the race the goal has always been to demonstrate that putin is a leader with no alternative uncontested and what they say can take advantage over anybody else and it is very important to keep this super majority this super advantage to demonstrate that putin has so much more power than anybody else another Opposition Leader was trying to test the system on sunday Didier Yashin an ally of the valleys was unexpectedly elected head of a moscone a simple district in september but his efforts to use the power of the role to approve street events was struck down by Moscow City Court a few hundred people showed up anyway the election is just three months away now and as per usual the storage fees are making it very clear that even a very small demonstration like this is completely unwelcome they want to allow to put up a stage show or have any bad as here in the police loud speakers are telling everyone that this is an unauthorized rally. Over the kremlin is confidence novell me yashin and company dont have the mass support needed to challenge putin but its not taking any chances rory chalons aljazeera mosque are. Still ahead on aljazeera though head of the Worlds LargestChristian Faith criticizes the u. S. Leader over his recognition of jerusalem as israels capital. Bring your Pope Franciss christmas message to the world about the issue. By the springtime flowers of a mountain lake. To the first snowfall on a winters day. Welcome back the weather across much of southern eastern china and taiwan is looking fine at the moment plenty of sunshine all the way from shanghai down to hong kong not particularly warm shanghai struggling to reach double figures more close to come further south across much of it now as vietnam under all that cloud it will be a rather murky picture but no we could just be on the edge so bright conditions perhaps with highs of twenty four fine conditions extending across the rest of indochina as well say for that cloud which does become more extensive with time we also see the showers popping up across more central parts of vietnam stage so heading down into southeastern parts of asia it still remains all about typhoon tembin which is moving towards the me kong deltas and affect southern parts of vietnam and cambodia over and they said twenty four to forty eight hours so there is the forecast for the next twenty four hours with that heavy rain pushing towards the minh city and some very strong winds will be a category one hurricane equivalent by the time it makes landfall but we can rapidly but that could still be some very heavy rain here the more this circulation encouraging more showers across parts of borneo in particular java looking somewhat dry jakarta there thirty three degrees and then for singapore and kuala lumpur its likely were going to see some heavy showers at times the weather sponsored by cat time release. Forced to flee from syria to lebanon many refugee mothers risked childbirth in terrible conditions delivery is very difficult here in lebanon its costly i cant go back to syria now because of the war but one lebanese woman is committed to helping them. Become friends. She is important to me. There are a few g. s midwife at this time and how does the world. Youre watching aljazeera a reminder of our top stories billions of christians around the world are celebrating christmas through mass a short time ago jerusalems highest ranking woman a catholic cleric said the city should be a place of peace that excludes no one its comments follow u. S. President Donald Trumps recognition of jerusalem as israels capital. More than two hundred people are dead after a Tropical Storm which has devastated the southern philippines tens of thousands have been forced from their homes in a state of emergency has been declared in several areas. Russias best known Opposition Leader in the valley has cleared the first hurdle towards running for president against Vladimir Putin it said that at the documents needed to be a candidate and the election in march but there are doubts if it be allowed to run. The vatican is criticizing the trumpet ministrations recognition of jerusalem as israels capital pope francis is calling on u. S. President donald trump to respect the status quo because shock reports from the vatican. On this the most holy day of the year some Peters Square was starting to fill up a full twelve hours before pope francis will take Christmas Eve mass a traditional event taking place at a time of extraordinary up evil at the vatican for many here the controversy surrounding jerusalem dates back decades and is centered on israels illegal occupation. Because he i think its difficult for the pipe to intervene directly in politics but he is clever enough to persevere if the free access to jerusalem for everyone. By the chairman and general very major to the pope speaks well jerusalem has to remain free and not before. The pope can talk to regular people as well as World Leaders and say jerusalem belongs to everyone but its time for a number of different religions its a limited or. They spoke with one voice the vaticans links with jerusalem go back centuries this is the church of the holy cross in jerusalem consecrated in rome in st hundred a. D. On a foundation of soil and relics taken from the very hill where christians believe jesus died a little sliver of wood said have been taken from the cross draws pilgrims every day to walk in this church is to walk in the holy land the popes with response to what theyre describing here as israels land grab has been unprecedented. It is true slim is a unique city holy to Jews Christians and muslims who worship in the city i pray to the lord that its identity will be preserved and strengthened for the benefits of the holy land of the middle east and the entire world. The vatican may be the smallest city state in the world but that hasnt stopped it vigorously disputing what is seen here as israels claim over jerusalem to be brought up at the United Nations forums across europe and the message has always been the same uncompromising and wavering jerusalem belongs to no certain people it belongs to us all or jimmy enrico is a vatican historian familiar with its relations with jerusalem it is the Global Center of christianity as specially for the catholics here because of the vatican and jerusalem it is the location of the holy places was sacred to the christians muslims and jews so this i seen this big similarity because it is an issue of identity whether the National Identity prevails or the religious global event prevails for the worshippers from all over the world christmas in some Peters Square will be remembered not just for the religious experience but also for the grim reality that one of christianitys holiest cities remains under occupation peter shop al jazeera in rome. Well in the west some christian groups are also voicing concerns about the fate of a city which has a special place in popular and religious culture from london not in baba reports. Carol concert in londons Trafalgar Square but its also a fundraiser for the amos trust a Human Rights Organization which supports projects in the occupied palestinian territory. They recently did a walk from london to jerusalem highlighting britains unkept promises to the palestinians in the hundred year old Balfour Declaration they direct an ordained anglican vicar says they are one of a growing number of faith based groups supporting palestinian rights jerusalem is a couple of homicidal. Gersons meaning is far more than just the capital city its a center three faiths and a sincere woven with the identity of three different people groups so anything which happens to houses wide scale ramifications so for us to walk from london to jerusalem what other place could there be to finish especially a call for a full rights following president trumps decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital one of the strongest responses came from the religious society of friends the quakers who called the action morally indefensible this action in east jeopardizing peace and justice and human rights by making it more difficult to continue with the Peace Process we work with human rights observers who are on the ground in history islam and in the west bank and they are already telling us that the situation is more tense and there are higher levels of violence Cardinal Vincent nichols the senior catholic representative for england and wales has said i fear for jerusalem and its people today i pray for its peace while the Anglican Church is also stressed the unique nature of jerusalem were very mindful that we cant be sentimental about jerusalem we have to think about the realities on the ground today by jerusalem is a place where christians muslims and jews live side by side but sometimes when a cause of tension id wanted to be a cause of hope. For many people the politics of the holy land may seem daunting but these musicians hope they can change that perception of course many popular Christmas Carols reference the palestinian city of bethlehem but it seems more and more people are taking an interest in whats happening injuries. A willing to get involved. And by doing so they say theyre pushing the message of peace that so central to christmas. Zero london well evangelicals are the Largest Group of christians in the us and the campaign to align the u. S. More closely with israel from washington tom markham and explains the influence of old beliefs in todays politics of america. Thank you polls have shown that no other american Demographic Group not even jews stand behind the state of israel more staunchly then event jellicoe christians support grounded in their reading of the bible especially those passages regarding jerusalem christianitys holiest city its fitting that it should be the capital of israel again as it was many many years ago and has been in the hearts of the jews for millennia some avenger even believe jewish domination of jerusalem must be the prelude to the Second Coming of christ the messiah is the future of the prophetic vision of a New Jerusalem where god will create a new heaven a new earth and a New Jerusalem and he will inhabit his throne though many palestinians are christians to avenge jellicoe those who make up one quarter of the u. S. Population place their faith in israels promise to protect the pilgrimage to the holy places its an untenable part of the Christian Faith and christians cant have access to an under jewish israeli control thats not guaranteed when there is a form of government in control of jerusalem. Donald trumps recognition of jerusalem as the israeli capital has only reinforced his broad backing by of angelical regardless of what they may think about his actual religious convictions was a promise that he made on the campaign trail and he has delivered as president i think for American Christians this is one of the reasons why we elected him but not all christians agree zionism is a rebellion against judaism itself a perversion of it Stephen French is an episcopalian who says muslims along with the other faiths must share control of jerusalem the very seat of christianity not to mention the prince of peace stand with the utmost clarity against any kind of possessiveness towards jerusalem one protestant denomination the presbyterians has gone so far as to support a boycott of israel and divest ing from Companies Involved with the jewish state so this would be really really your card so theyre sure to take over the whole state its all right. But for most of angelical sympathy for the state of israel remains an article of faith tom ackerman aljazeera washington turkey says its hiring more than one hundred thousand new Public Servants next year comes a day after almost three thousand Public Servants on military were sacked by decree over the ledge links to socalled terror organizations in total one hundred fifty thousand people have been dismissed or suspended from their jobs since the failed coup in july last year while in kabul on is the director of policy analysis at the Doha Institute he believes president out of one has gone too far. Well i think at the very beginning his the action was fully understood because that was an attempt on the life of the president and an attempt actually to overthrow a democratically democratically elected government but i think after that he went too far by using that as a pretext actually in order to belch not only the military in which he actually used. In fact he seized on that called an opportunity for him in order to bring the army and that hes going toward because for the past fifteen years of. Actually the military has been in the past of secularism in turkey and it was very much the party which has resisted so many reforms that the president has suggested in order to bring the whole state. Apparatus and that his so i took that opportunity actually to bring the army and the pontiff but as i said he went too far when he actually theres also the state bureaucracy he fired out hundreds of University Professors i know for sure that some colleges in Turkish University dont have teachers actually to teach the courses he also the judiciary so he went after almost all those he was suspecting of posing him without actually they had links to the movement. Or or not. The United Nations has passed a resolution criticizing me and mas treatment of the hinge that calls them to be given for full Citizenship Rights and to grant access for aid workers and allow refugees to return it was passed despite opposition from nations including china and russia as u. N. Ambassador said it was subjective and politically motivated the emir of qatar is in ghana as part of his tour of six west african countries check time and been hama dattani is there to expand it call it cannot make ties wakata remains under a blockade by four arab countries since june. Economic support to six west african nations already amounts to an overhaul for trillion dollars chynna zia has banned all airlines from the United Arab Emirates from landing in the country the decision comes two days after the u. A. E. Reportedly banned tunas in women from flying to or transiting through its territory neither country is given a clear reason for the decisions. This is aljazeera these are the top stories christians around the world are celebrating christmas during mass a short time ago jerusalems highest ranking Roman Catholic cleric said the city should be a place of peace that excludes no one is comments follow u. S. President donald trump is recognition of jerusalem as israels capital well francis repeating what many others said before is not that. Peace. There is not peace if someone uses clue that. Would include not exclude. More than two hundred people are dead after a Tropical Storm devastated the southern philippines tens of thousands have been forced from their homes and a state of emergency has been declared in several areas. Perus former president all about him who is your money has been pardoned because his health is failing hes been serving a twenty five year sentence for corruption and human rights crimes committed during his ten year presidency seventy nine year old was taken to hospital from jail on saturday after a severe drop in Blood Pressure and russias best known authorization needed alexina volumnia has cleared the first hurdle towards running for president against Vladimir Putin he said mitta documents needed to be a candidate in the election in march with the support of thousands of people across the country last week president Vladimir Putin announced he will seek a new six year term in march his vote United Nations has passed a resolution criticizing me and last treatment of the hinge and it calls on the government to give them full Citizenship Rights grant access for aid workers and allow refugees to return cinesias banned all airlines from the United Arab Emirates from landing in the country the decision comes two days after the u. A. E. Reportedly banned chin izzie and women from flying to or transiting through its territory neither country has given a clear reason for the decisions and those are the headlines the news is going to continue here and all dizzy after inside story ill see in about half an hour of life. As the year winds down donald trump describes moscow as a threat. Of aggression to global power is on a slippery path to mold tension in two thousand and eighteen