Along the border with sudan is worsening, and u. S. President elect joe biden is set to announce his 1st cabinet appointments and tony blinken, a former Obama Administration official, is expected to be named secretary of state. An unschooled, the head of african football has been handed a 5 year ban a by the sports world governing body fifa. Ahmed ahmed was found guilty of financial misconduct following an investigation. Thank you very much for joining us. We begin this news hour with a promising breakthrough in the global race to find a vaccine for corona virus. Raising hopes of an end to the pandemic could be within reach the u. K. Pharmaceutical company, astra zeneca and the university of oxford have said they have caught a vaccine for the world. They say that on average have seen is 70 percent effective, but that may increase to 90 percent depending on the dosage at 2. 50 is the cheapest potential vaccine so far with no serious side effects. This is the 3rd Major Company to report late stage results this month. Last week, u. S. Based company medina said its experimental vaccine had proved to be 94. 5 percent effective. And like the oxide vaccine, it can be stored in a normal fridge, making it easier to distribute. Earlier americas pfizer and germanys biotech said their vaccine is 95 percent effective against all the 19, but it needs to be kept at subzero temperatures. Pfizer has already asked u. S. Regulators to allow emergency use of its vaccine thats being in john hall in london for us. So some more exciting news alona join on the vaccine front to what do the 3rd phase results of the oxer vaccine reveal fist well, 1st of all these are interim results from large scale trials. Phase 3 trials, as you say, that astra zeneca, the company, the pharmaceutical company, believes are sufficient to submit immediately to the regulators hoping for approval for initial rollouts take place at the end of december in this country. There is a discrepancy in the results in terms of the dosage regimes that we used in these trials. The overall dosage regime, which was a full dose, followed by another full dose a month later, produced not so encouraging results of around 62 percent efficacies. But a subset of that of, of a different dosage regime a hard dose before a full dose of months later produced much better results up to 98 percent. It will be for the regulators to decide whether that subset produces sufficient data to be deemed safe, usable, and therefore able to be put into production. The Company Believes that it is, but either way, this is a hugely significant product because as they say, it appears to be Something Like a vaccine for the world. No serious side effects. Those who do so slipped through the net as it were, and contract the virus having taken the vaccine, do so only with mild symptoms. So that brings hospital admissions down no deaths at all. And crucially, on a practical basis, its able to be stored at a fridge temperature 2. 00 to 8. 00 degrees celsius. That could be an ice box in developing parts of the world. Where say there is no electricity, its also incredibly cheap to scale up and mass produce. Theyre talking about 3000000000. 00 doses of the vaccine being available worldwide during the course of 2021. Put those things together. And its hugely significant use news for the developing world for poorer parts of the world as they await the vaccine. Just as much as we do yet, as well as we await for this vaccine. Of course, the concern for coronaviruses tale there is a voice. Johnson is expected to announce this afternoon. What is going to happen after the last down and in the u. K. On december 2nd . What bands being considered he run oldest by his cabinet on sunday. Much of it has been leaked when the lockdown in england ends on december the 2nd, it will be replaced by a strengthened version. He allowed plan. The details of this in parliament are still to strengthen version of the tear system of restrictions that was introduced in october. To control the virus at a local level, but the certainly the top tier of those restrictions will be much stiffer than they were before. That will, in turn, its hope give way to a period over the Christmas Period of a few days when households will be allowed to mix with it, be a relaxation of the rules before the 2 system kicks back in. In the new year. They will also be announcements to do with mass testing regimes building on a trial that was launched in liverpool a couple of weeks ago that will help those worst affected part of the country come out of their tears and also reduce the need for 14 day isolation periods if people are deemed to have been in contact with other sufferers, join a hole in london. Well, lets discuss the race for a vaccine for the now with doc to pizza dough brock who is an Infectious Disease medic and i know bill Health Specialist joining us from oxford. Thank you very much, dr. De bach for being with us. Big picture for us. What are your initial thoughts on about how successful, practical, and viable the vaccine will be compared to the pfizer and medina vaccines . Thank you for having me, let me 1st. Just say i was not involved with the development of this vaccine. So my views are independent. Its really exciting news today. The race thats on is not a race against competing companies. The race is against the virus. Were going to need all of these vaccines to turn the tide of this pandemic. Now with regard to the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine, which results announced today, i think theyre really encouraging. Obviously is preliminary data. We need to understand more about the different dosages and of the Different Levels of the effectiveness. But what we do have is clear, preliminary evidence that this vaccine appears to be safe and effective in this large scale trial. And as i was just outlined, there are some really advantages for this particular vaccine in terms of global access. And on that, there was a commitment upfront, not to profit from this vaccine during the pandemic. So the price is about a 10th of some of the other vaccines that there already is a large scale manufacturing in about 10. 00 countries around the world. Particularly a very Large Manufacturing partnership in india, in the fact that the, the Cold Chain Storage is pretty typical for a lot of vaccines. That this is the sort of vaccine that could get into fairly wide sister abuse and be administered at a primary Health Care Level rank just about any setting worlds. But what about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines ochs what is said and said to be about 70 percent. But, you know, last week we had madonna and pfizer talking about 95 to 90 percent of i think a sea of rates. Why, why theyre not of the same level . Whats different . Well, the different mechanisms of action we have to remember all we have now are sound bites from press releases. No, and none of us have actually seen the data from any of these trials yet. With the oxford vaccine, there were actually 2 different trials within the trial and at different dosing levels and 11 dose regimen produced a 62 percent effectiveness rates. And the other was about 90 percent. So we really need to understand the details about how large that seconds cohort wasnt. You know, if indeed that, that lower dosing actually produced a higher effectiveness, even 60 percent is a nuff to make a significant difference. Obviously 90 percent would be much better, right . Theres one other thing thats really important that most of these vaccines have actually been looking at whether you can prevent symptomatic infection. But thats, theres a difference in preventing illness and preventing infection in actually the oxford results. They were the 1st to report that they actually prevented or reduced asymptomatic infection. That has big implications for how we control the terms of it. Thats very interesting and important to point out because until now we thought that this would just be to protect the vaccine, would be to protect you from getting seriously l. And not necessarily from being infected. Many. Just ask you one last question. If we can doctor the question of immunity, of course, how long will immunity last with all these 3 vaccines . How long will people remain protected . How you know when and where they need a 2nd boost, maybe quickly that thats still everything going question as well . Absolutely. The answer is, we just dont know, this is all too new. Were learning a lot about how long immunity last for people who have recovered from infection and their mixtape, to be honest, but so far, the signs are encouraging that it appears to last. Hopefully for at least 6 months, more recent trial, probably longer than that. Its definitely possible that this may be a situation where we need to be revaccinated yearly or periodically. But only time will tell what we need to focus on right now. This trying to save lives, control transmission, get this 1st wave of vaccines out. We also remember the 1st vaccines may not be the best. There are over 150 vaccines in the pipeline now. And so theres a lot, i think, of opportunity down the pipeline. Dr. Peter de brock, thank you very much for talking to us about this. Thank you. As lots more ahead on this aljazeera news hour, including frustration grows in latin america over the economic devastation caused by the calling of endemic vast. He was known as the bling bling president. But now frances Nicolas Sarkozy is facing corruption charges in courts. And in sports, this 39 year old swedish strike, every manes and stoppable family have the story coming up in the israeli public broadcaster has reported that Prime Minister net Benyamin Netanyahu has made an unannounced visit to saudi arabia to meet with the crown Prince Mohammed bin solomon. The Saudi Foreign minister has just tweeted, denying such a meeting has occurred. Lets bring in Harry Fossett live for us in ramallah in the occupied west bank. So the saudis are saying the meet and it didnt happen. What are these ready say . Thats right. Its curious and curious of this secret meeting which was not very secret and is now being denied ever took place at all by the saudis were all read you a tweet. This is from the Saudi Foreign minister. Ive seen press reports about a port of meeting between his royal highness, the crown prince and israeli officials, during the recent visit by secretary pompei of the u. S. Search of state. No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were american and saudis. So that is now the official saudi line. While at the same time, there have been all these reports from political journalists in israel, suggesting very direct leaks from the netanyahu administration, senior israeli officials being sourced that indeed, Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of the mossad, your c cohen, both flew on a private business jet from tel aviv to the would be saudi red sea resort of naome on sunday evening and had this 3 way meeting between netanyahu. The saudi crown Prince Mohammed, bin salman, and the u. S. Actual state might pompei or not only have these reports been cited to senior israeli officials. There have been ministers whove been talking about it as if it had happened, the Education Minister saying that that it had happened even though did only been announced in this semi official way benny gantz. The alternate Prime Minister and defense minister chiding netanyahu saying, use irresponsible for this meeting to be leaked in this way. So we have 2, entirely competing narratives now as to whether this meeting took place or not. How fast that in ramallah. Thank you. Or as you heard there, the saudis are denying this meeting between netanyahu and the saudi crown prince. At base a i spoke to our senior political analyst who said that if this indeed happened, its all about the legacy of the Tramp Administration in its final weeks. Certainly its part of the race with time. I think everyone understands the spiked his trenches and the trumpet message and will come to an end january 20th. And i think that Top Administration is trying to cement whatever legacy hes leaving behind in the middle east, especially in terms of the socalled deal of the century. That basically underlines potential normalization between arab states and israel. Now, despite all the hoopla about the hurricane or the u. A. E. , normalizing relations with israel, everyone understands that without saudi. This is all just thin air, hot air in the end of the day without riyadh coming into the fall. This will be true or this will remain shaky and weaken, and i think its important for circle to bumper. You and the Top Administration to bring in the neo and the conference in order to see if there are ways by which to convince that ambitious crown prince that it is in the best interest of. So youre abia to normalize relations with israel. d before january 20th and israels cabinet has approved a mutual vs, a extension agreement with the united arab emirates, menaces ratified the treaty, which was signed in tel aviv last month. Prime minister netanyahu says he hopes the development will strengthen economic ties with the u. A. E. The emirates normalize relations with israel in progress. Yemens, who the rebels say they fired a missile at and number aamco fuel distribution station in saudi arabias western port city of jeddah, video 2nd meeting on social media appear to show a notch fire in the city. Saudi arabia has not commented on the claims of the Spokesman SaysForeign Companies operating in the area. d should exercise caution warning. Military operations will continue. Ethiopia now and Government Forces say theyre closing in on the Northern Tier grave regions. Capital may kelly, the government says its within 50 kilometers of the city. A spokesman also says t. Grace forces have fired rockets at the city of by here. But we cant independently verify this information. Now, despite the Prime Ministers warning for the tea, great Peoples Liberation front to lay down their arms by wednesday. The group is so far is using to do so. Developments from nairobi, kenya, with a refuted demand for them to lay down arms. Theres certainly no sign of that and neither sides have been talking to each other for months now. And that was part of the issues that led up to this conflict. The completed breakdown in the breakdown in communication, the total refusal of both sides to to recognize the others legitimacy. Now for the 300000. 00 people that live in the town of me, kelly, if theres to be heavy fighting or a battle there, itll certainly be quite dangerous for them. Now the federal troops have insisted that theyre only targeting to gray and leadership in the to grain military and aligned militia, but certainly hundreds, possibly thousands of people have been killed in this conflict so far in fighting in an airstrike. And certainly the movements of people show that people, disability living in the area certainly dont feel safe about 40000. People refugees have already crossed to neighboring city. Don and sudanese authorities have opened 2 camps to cope with the influx of refugees from ethiopia. Has he been morgan before some god, every state, some have experienced life like this before. A refugee camp in sudans got out of state is need too many refugees, but not that has this fight. Her parents fled to the camp in 1085 to escape war and famine back in their home country. Shes back to the same old camp. This time with her 10 day old child who she gave birth to while fleeing conflict in ethiopia, stigler a region of the more lida. I went to america to give birth to my child, but then the fighting started and we had to flee. I gave birth to my child while i was running away to come here. He was born on the road. Now im back to the camp where i was born as a refugee and my new born is at the same camp. Also, refugio was closed in the year 2000, following the return of most of the refugees who once lived in the capital back to ethiopia. But 20 years later, the camp is open again to cope with an influx of ethiopian refugees who started arriving to sudan. 2 weeks ago, all here have escaped from various parts of degree. Nearly 40000 refugees have fled to sudan altogether, following a government offensive on the to great Peoples Liberation front. The offensive was a response to an attack by the front on a military base, which came after months of tension between the Regional Government and the federal government. Taking a dash of hope not to come back to the camp. When he left here 2 years before it was closed, but he says the fighting has left him with no option. Has a home and how to theyre killing us, integrate. There are people being killed, our own children, bombs are being dropped on buildings. Its sad that many of us are displaced again, but we want to live. We dont want to die in war. More than 6000. 00 refugees now live in the camp. Its opened less than 2 weeks ago. Even though receiving refugees isnt new for the owner of the number of those arriving here has been increasing so fast that many of them are still without shelter access to basic services such as clean water, food and healthcare is also challenging. For many, this place is once again providing them with a refuge in the United Nations says it expects 200000 refugees to arrive to sudan in the coming months if fighting, integrate along with lack of humanitarian access continues. So these Authorities Say the camp has a limited capacity and more camps need to be established. And were urging donors and International Organizations to help us cope with the situation because its very dire. Some organizations are providing aid, but theres too many peopl