A truce in the trying to break these elections happening under the threat of violence as well by armed groups linked to al qaida. And i felt an interest has the support from a few years that people on main wont attempt to attack voters on voting day already. Weve seen and weve heard from officials that voting will not take place in hundreds of villages because of the security concerns there. So the vote is going ahead despite opposition, on occasions that its being rigged in favor of president kabila when they were not here win outright in the 1st round. It remains to be seen after todays elections, all voting process. Opposition parties in pakistan are holding a major rally in the city of push, calling on Prime Minister to step down. This is despite a government ban on public gatherings to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases. Theyve been holding these rallies for several weeks across pakistan, trying to keep pressure on the government. A District Court judge in pennsylvania has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the Trump Campaign that sought to exclude millions of mail in ballots. The judge says the lawsuit failed to provide any evidence of social fraud. The u. S. Centers for Disease Control is surging. People not to travel for the thanksgiving holiday on thursday. Due to the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, the United States is the worst affected country in the world, more than 12000000 infections and a quarter of a 1000000 deaths. But millions of people are expected to ignore those warnings at thanksgiving. California has imposed a state wide curfew requiring people to stay home at night. And crowds in guatemala, have set fire to the Congress Building during antigovernment, protests. Thousands are out on the streets, angered by the budget cuts to education and health spending. They say it disenfranchises the poor and Indigenous People of guatemala. Those are your headlines. Aljazeera is next. The American People have finally for poking america as i split when america is off balance, or will become more dangerous. The world is looking at us mixture of sadness and with the election behind us will the Republican Party dump truck the feel we can take on us politics and society . Thats the bottom line will rule. The ability more than 55000000 people have contracted cope with 1000 globally. More than 1300000 have done. And as infection rates surged, governments are imposing measures hoping to buy time until a vaccine is approved for use. A number of vaccine candidates are now in the works in europe. A few days after our contract with bio tech, and im happy to announce a new agreement. If the effect scene has proven safe and effective against covered 90, every member state will receive the vaccine at the same time on a curve a top basis. And under the same conditions, european governments are particularly worried about the alarming rise in infections. The 5 countries, theyre reporting most cases are france, spain, united kingdom, and italy. The European Center for disease prevention and control is an agency with a mandate to strengthen europes defenses against Infectious Diseases. But there are many who question its purpose. Critics say the agency has not been effective in dealing with this crisis, and without any executive powers, its recommendations are not legally binding. So, how will the agency convince its Member States for a more unified approach to the cope with 1000. 00 pandemic . The director of the European Center for disease prevention and control dr. Andrea amman, talks to al jazeera head of the European Center for Disease Control and prevention. Dr. Andrea on. Thank you for talking to aljazeera. Hello dr. Im on. What exactly is the e. C. C. s role when it comes to containment and when it comes to controlling the coronavirus pandemic . So our principal mandate is assessing risk, identifying in them, and also communicating our, our analysis and assessments. So our role is basically assessing risk it providing options for the Member States to respond to dr. Im on is europe seeing a 2nd wave of coronavirus right now, or is this just a continuation of the 1st wave that was paused during the lock downs that happened in spring . Well, this is the philosophical argument. People are having fact is that we are seeing now since 4 months, an increase in case notifications after the rigorous measures in march and april have fried, used the case numbers by 80 percent during summer. So the virus will never go on. We always had cases, what are the factors that have led to europe being in the state that its in right now when it comes to the corona virus . The measures that have been introduced in march and april were very strict. And after a day have been eased, i believe there were a bit of people were a bit too happy and into the asdic in meeting again. And then virus took the opportunity and the cases started to appear again. Doctor, im on the European Commission has been pushing for a more unified approach to combating the pandemic. What would you like to see happen for asked, what is currently making it most most difficult to compare . The situation between the countries is that different approaches to testing, for instance, and old all, we have rolled out parts of coles as to the approach to testing in the countries. Countries have the responsibility to choose their ways themselves out of the options that we provide and the so countries have chosen different paths leading to the friend denominators from which the figures that we are comparing come from. And that would be in our. 2 opinion the something where we would see a progress if Country School agreed to a common approach. Do you believe that a more vigorous test and trade system will be put in place to try and control the coronavirus Going Forward . Since so many months, countries in you have actually beefed up their testing capacities and the Contact Tracing capacities. And we said that this is an element that has to be put in place all the time regardless how many other measures are present. Because that is one of the basics that allows you to see and get a good overview of the situation, but also to evaluate whether the measures that are put in place or east, but that they have an effect with much of the e. U. Now in lockdown again, lockdown, fatigue is once again setting in. Do lockdowns actually work . I mean, if other measures arent in place, wont infection rates just rise again once the lock downs are over . I mean the, what we have seen in march and april was actually a very, very good effect of the package of measures that have been put in place. The infectious case notifications have decreased by 80 percent after these measures were put in place. Now, besides to good effect on the case numbers, these measures, of course, have also an effect on the economy and on society. So it was now the aim for off Health Authorities to find ways how to balance the 2. So keeping the case numbers at bay, but still allowing some life in society and the economy, not tramon. What is the position of the c. D. C. When it comes to the issue of School Closures . We have said very clearly that although not everything is known yet about the role of children in transmission, it seems that they are not a major driver of infection. So we said that if a certain measures are put in place in school, in schools, that it is very important that the children get actually educated and go to schools. So we consider that the advantages outweigh the risks when certain measures are put in place. Brussels is going to sign a deal to secure up to 300000000 doses of pfizer and by on tax experimental coronavirus fact seen this is a vaccine that has shown thus far promising results. When is the soonest that you think this vaccine could start appearing in parts of europe . When do you think vaccinations could take place and how will it be distributed . This is very, very difficult to say that trials are for some of the big scenes in their final status, but still not concluded. And its very difficult to say when the big scenes will be available regarding that this trip you should, its very clear that the, at the beginning, the amount of doses will be limited. And to saw that prioritization prioritized groups in the population have to be defined. And that is what were working right now on with technical advisory committees in the countries dr. Own will a vaccine that prevents covert 19 be able to stop the spread of the virus. That this one of the elements that is important for a bike scene that it prevents getting infected and infecting someone else. But it is also a question how effective to make scene is meaning which percent each of the ones that are actually vaccinated are also protected. And these are figures that we dont know yet. There is a lot of vaccine hesitancy. There is a lot of anti Vaccine Sentiment in the world right now in parts of europe. What are the challenges that lie ahead for you and the e. C. D. C. In ensuring that you can educate the public in europe, that a vaccine would be safe. One thing that we know from the surveys is that there are 2 factors that are most concerning for, for the population, and that is the safety of the vaccine and the fictitious ness. So we are now working with our colleagues from the European Medicines Agency to put a system in place for money touring safety and the effectiveness of the civic scenes as soon as they are actually on the market. And that is to ensure the population that these 2 aspects are closely mourn it toward also our colleagues in the Medicines Agency are reassuring that they will not compromise the safety off the vaccine compared to the speed of the authorization. There are critics of the c. D. C. Who question the purpose of the c. D. C. They say that the c. D. C. Was specifically created in order to be able to tackle a crisis like the coven 1000 pandemic. But that it has not been effective in dealing with the crisis. What do you say to that . It depends on what the expectations were compared to the mandates that we have been given. What i have seen sometimes east, that the expectations towards us were far outside the legal mandate that we have been provided with. And that of course then can lead to well disappointment in the expectations if they go beyond what we have been basically permitted in the legal base to do so. The c. D. C. Doesnt have any executive powers. Your recommendations, as i understand, are not legally binding. So how can you be sure that countries will follow your advice . We cannot be sure we can only ensure that we have a close contact tool to colleagues in the countries that to be are open to their questions that we consult them in preparing our guidance. So that it is not a priori, infeasible for dam. And otherwise, we can only a mat being asked, been seeing scientifically as possible. Do you believe that the c. D. C. Advice needs to be officially adopted across the e. U. Bloc to be effective in the fight against covered 19 . In other words, if theyre not listening to you, are they going to be effective in the fight against the pandemic . Well, there are elements in our, in our advice where its more crucial that every country does it, then for other elements. And there is also the, the fact that the epidemy logical situation is not the same in all the countries, even within the country day are sometimes differ. So there is also a need to for, at the patient off measures, according to the local or are separate national. It became a logical situation. What is the top of the list for you when it comes to, priorities . The priorities being listed by the c. D. C. For the e. U. , and are those recommendations being listened to at this stage . Can i just ask you priorities for culvert or in general for Infectious Disease already is right now for covert and then if you could also answer priorities also for Infectious Diseases other Infectious Disease so far for coverage. What we need to do now is to ensure that we can, im morny tore in the winter, influenza and cold to sleep because both viruses may circulate. And we have to keep track of both of them, both in the population and in hospitals. And the 2nd part is that we need to prepare for 4. Then its a set priority that we now the tools really learn lessons and prevent the 3rd wave off of quit when we come over to peak off the current. Wait, let me ask you this. How is the latest rise in infections in europe different from the 1st . Is it a more violent form of the virus or are people just less compliant when it comes to the recommendations . I think in the 1st rise that we saw in july and august was mainly due to inset intensified testing. And we could see that the population where in the h. P. Groups, off the cases notified indecent months where different then in march and april. So we had more cases with year disease and only now in september or october, since this period, it starts all sorts to get in the older age groups. Again, the hospitalizations, riots and the deaths rise the term. And let me ask you specifically about the logistics of potential vaccine coordination and distribution. How to challenging will that be . I mean, do you believe that that is going to go smoothly in the various countries or do you think there are serious logistical problems Going Forward . Well, we dont know yet, which of the big scenes will be licensed, but we know that some of the big scenes will require to does this. So sticky disable require a good system of free coal. Those who have received the 1st dose that youll make sure to get the 2nd dose and are fully fully immunized. So that is a logistical requirement. And then we know that at least one of the vaccines has a requirement that none of those existing maxines has, that it requires a storage with a minus 70 degree. But they may need it in the end, it will depend on which of these vaccines will be licensed and on the market. Definitely, it is something that countries need now to think about how they would organize campaigns. And do you think that the countries are actually thinking about this . Are they going ahead from now and looking at the challenges of distribution, where is this something thats going to be dealt with later . Well, the thing is, i believe certain scenarios are discussed. Dr. Ramon let me ask you, did europe in your opinion, miss the boat when it came to containing the corona virus, when the 1st cases were discovered in europe and confirmed in january . Well, you have to see that, or its respective uss situations differently. Because we know now much more than we knew in february and beginning of march a retrospective at the city situation in february, at least before you started to need to leave. We had very few cases that were very few cases that we knew about and were detected because i am sure now that we had many more cases actually already in the population that were not tested for because the testing rationale was targeted towards returning travelers. Im going to ask you to expand of that a little bit more because i want to ask you about the fact that in late february, the e. C. C. Said there was only a low to moderate chance that covert 19 would spread across europe. That governments in europe had solid preparedness plans and adequate testing capacity. And that was at a time when case numbers were spiking in italy. Why make an assessment like that at that particular time . Ok, so regarding the Laboratory Assessment that was made after we did a survey where dementor states replied to us, what kind of capacities they had that was done beginning of february and was geared towards the fact that each country had the possibility to diagnose the virus. What turned out to be decays . Was that the Laboratory Material . The testing kits that was there was a shortage, but at that time that was not considered in the, in the reply i saw thats the one thing regarding to prepare this, we do not have the possibility to check each member state on their prepared unless they invite us, so we had to rely on the feedback from the Member States when we have, we have actually started asking them in january regarding looking at their preparedness plans and they have said they have looked at their preparedness plans and so forth. So again, there is a discrepancy between what is expected from us and what we can actually do. Where are things now when it comes to the cooperation of Member States when it comes to Member States, allowing the e. C. D. C. , to look at their preparedness plans, coordinating with the c. D. C. , making sure things go forward in a smoother manner. We have right now. I think our colleagues in the Member States are quite busy with dealing with their epidemics, but we have an understanding that we would like to actually do all in action reviews with the countries we have published a protocol for diesel ready in july. So that those who would like to learn lessons, so to improve now already during the pandemic, can do this and b, how to have them support dr. Ramona, how much do your budgetary constraints hamper the ability of your team to do the kind of work thats necessary to perhaps more effectively combat covert 19. I mean, right now its not the budgetary constraints, its a staffing constraints that sets our limits. And where do you need to be when it comes to staffing that you would feel that you would be able to more effectively combat covert 19 and where are you now . Well we have right now 280. 00 started, tory staff, and any increase will be part of the nickel she ation that will now take place in the coming weeks and months. Dr. Ramon, theres been animal to human transmission in denmark at mink farms. How concerned does europe need to be about this development . We have published a Risk Assessment on this and then mark, its only one of the countries where a transmission is, have occurred. Theres still a number of investigations that need to be done, of uncertainty off the implications. But in our assessment, it warrants very much scrutiny and attention. And furthermore, natori dr. Im on starting on november 23rd, spain is going to be demanding a negative p. C. R. Test to be taken within 72 hours of travelers going to spain in the case of European Countries and those in the area, spain is going to rely on the east c. D. C. Risk map is the e. C. D. C. Ready to take on this responsibility . Well, the risk that the map that we have is based on the numbers that the countries are reporting to us. And i think it, there was say, an agreement how to scale the mops, how to color the differend categories off of a case notifications. And that is what we publish, what these situations the Member States based on this is their responsibility to take. Is it frustrating to you if i can verge into a little bit of a personal questionnaire . Is it frustrating to you to be hampered in not having more authority . When it comes to trying to get e. U. Member states to really take on these recommendations from you and your team. When i took up the post here, i knew what the mandate would be, so its nothing that has surprised me. This is what we can do, or we do all what the best with the means that we have. And we are committed to provide the best Available Evidence so that the Decision Makers in the countries have to best basis to make their decisions. Do you believe that Member States are being fully transparent with the data theyre providing you with . I have no reason to think otherwise. One of the biggest factors from your point of view as far as when it comes to the spread of coronavirus. Now, one of the biggest reasons why the spread continues, i think that one of the things is stat, either measures that have been put in place are not effective or dare not completely comply with. And 2nd is steps. The testing and Contact Tracing can still be further developed. Final question for me, how much longer do you believe society is going to be living with coronavirus . I believe this is a virus will not disappear. The question is, how we will adopt tooled up virus over time. The question will be, what additional value can provide . I know there are also Research Going on for a specific medicine against the cold be it. So the, the way how we will have to live with the virus will depend on all these factors. Head of the European Center for Disease Control and prevention, dr. Andrea, im on. Thank you for talking to my pleasure. The kuna faso is heading toward elections, but spiraling insecurity is overshadowing the vote. Hundreds of thousands can register and much of the country is off limits. Thanks to roaming groups. So what real change can these elections bring . Join us as we assess the outlook for want to africas most troubled states. Do you feel validated in some way . Is a type of performative activism. Lets go back to specifically you calling donald trump a white supremacist. The lights are on and theres nowhere to hide. Join me richelle carey, is up at the front questions to my special guests and challenge them to some straight talking political debate. Front returns on aljazeera an outspoken writer killed in a car bomb outside the spirit. In 2005, accusations, speculation, and denials. Al jazeera was the life and finally, dan said hed see a journalist i could to make and political activist to see killing the journalist on aljazeera millions of people head to the polls and became a fast. But the threat of violence and voter fraud hangs over the election. Hello from doha everyone. Im come out santa maria, this is the world news from aljazeera. And its another defeat for u. S. President donald trump, a lawsuit challenging pennsylvanias postal votes this time is dismissed. To set fire to the Congress Building new guatemalas capital demanding the president was signed and greece is betting on a digital revolution to help the