And welcome to the aljazeera news hour live from my headquarters in doha with me and of the problem coming up in the next sixty minutes the number of dead rises in the philippines after a Tropical Storm causes flooding and mudslides on the Southern Island of mindanao. Palestinians stand their ground with more demonstrations against almost trance recognition of jerusalem as the israeli capital. Delays for refugees waiting to join their relatives in germany and the first of a special series one of the biggest stories of the spear through the eyes of one family plus. The latest banish abkhazian influences the Cuban Company thats taking the cancellation of its u. S. Tools at its stride. At least two hundred people are feared dead in the southern philippines following massive landslides and flooding caused by Tropical Storm ten but most of the casualties were on the island of mindanao and dozens of people a still missing and reports flash floods and mudslides brought on by Tropical Storm tendon the towns of two baud n. P. R. On mindanao island the philippines second largest have been devastated dozens of homes are destroyed and rescue workers fear the number of casualties will rise we really want to go straight no and were trying to figure out. What you have so many people that are really. At the height of the storm winds of up to eighty kilometers an hour uprooted trees and triggered torrents of mud and rock from a nearby mountain volunteers are digging with whatever they can to try and recover bodies power cuts and the loss of communication lines have hampered rescue efforts there even though theyre out there not in iraq and the areas pretty wide its not just in one province but in several provinces. Were having a hard time communicating why there are areas that may have been. Last week forty six people were killed in the central philippines in a similar storm the philippines is hit by around two dozen major cyclons each year on average many of them deadly but mindanao island home to twenty Million People is where they hit the region is still recovering from type which killed more than seven thousand people and affected millions in two thousand and thirteen and while the worst of storm tendon has passed it will take a long time before this area recovers indios time which is. A locals have described how the victims of the flooding had nowhere to go you know. Houses were getting flooded but people could no longer exit their homes so they got trapped by the strong waters they were being swept away. Houses the they used to be a hundred and three houses here but when the flash flood happened everything was washed out so thats what happened here all the hollings and livelihoods gone and we have nine thousand families as of today that are affected and listed to be in our backyard centers well lets get more on this now and speak with a david in daly city california via skype she is the secretary general of the u. S. Based National Alliance for filipino concerns very good to have you with us on aljazeera firstly what is the latest that youre hearing from your people who are on the ground on the number of people whove been affected and how. So i understand theyve heard that you know over twenty thousand people have been affected by this Tropical Storm tembin our winter look only over two hundred people have died and actually over one hundred are still reported missing and there in terms of you know ports theres six thousand passengers who are stranded chanted in different ports in mindanao and also two hundred cargo ships are stranded and the number of dead and missing are likely to rice as rescue operations continue and what services are being provided to those great numbers of people whove been affected are they getting the help that they need right now. Yeah im still for relief. In terms of disaster in the philippines its usually been very slow and one report even from someone who were stranded in a port was that you know there was was no working system in terms of the being stranded in ports in the mindanao area so its been a report that there is slow relief and slow help coming to the victims and is that because even though the philippines is regularly hit by deadly Tropical Storms you know this is rare and analogize how prepared was this region for Something Like this yes thats a very great question because im to feel things do and counter a number you know over twenty severe storms annually and it is something that is not shouldnt be a surprise to the Philippine Government and to the philippines so it is also very questionable when the government is not prepared to give relief and to give help to the people in this things happen because they should be ready and there should be you know now there is also we should be asking what really is that precision of the government in having the urgency to save the lives of the people and preparing them in this kind of typhoons and disasters in the philippines and what are the greatest challenges right now especially in regions like little girls who would i know its one of the if not the poorest province and the sort of patience and hundreds of thousands of people were already displaced there were they not from months of fighting between the Government Forces and militants in. Right yes also and and also actually another Tropical Storm hit just the central the science region and as i asked just last week it was also killed fifty people and you know we can see that this storms hit the philippines but also that there is there is a responsibility by the government to prepare the people in this time of need im specially this are the provinces that are poor and doesnt usually already receive the got the government help and whats also worry worrisome is that i mean the not itself already is under martial law at this time. Under the Philippine Government so just lastly again to stay with water one of the greatest rains and the greatest challenges right now. For the people for a partner of musicians the philippines they are calling for in the if the people do need food and medicines and of course they will go for them and Evacuation Centers so our partner going to the philippines are calling for relief and for an afghan in the United States you are going to be collecting when i tell you donations we have found in our experience over years of providing the nations that are philippines in time of need that monetary donations are down most efficient and that we cannot wait to get help to definitely no people so we are collecting those donations you can go to our website an afghan usa dot org to donate david thank you very much for your time on this that for every day for joining us live from daly city california thank you you thank. But lets move on to other news now russia says the u. S. Is encouraging new bloodshed and Eastern Ukraine by providing weapons to kiev the u. S. Says it will give care of and home defense capabilities to fight the separatists but the conflict in Eastern Ukraine has claimed more than ten thousand lives since two thousand and fourteen tom ackerman upholds the. Missile strikes hit a small town in Eastern Ukraine damaging homes a school a Medical Clinic in ukraine blame the attack this week on pro russian separatists civilians caught in the middle of a three year long conflict. The us has strongly opposed what it calls russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine blaming the moscow government for violence that has claimed more than ten thousand lives and displaced one point seven Million People. Now it will provide weapons to help ukraine defend itself the state department announcing the u. S. Has decided to provide ukraine and hands defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help ukraine build its long term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to deter further aggression the forty seven Million Dollar weapon faggots which congress is expected to approve includes more than two hundred antitank missiles and thirty five launchers as well as light arms. U. S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson has said russias occupation of crimea which the u. S. Wants to return to your grain is a major stumbling block in relations between moscow and washington the issue that stands in the way is ukraine. We can have differences in other arenas in syria we can have differences in other areas but when one country invades another that is a different set its hard to look past. Or to reconcile and weve made this clear to russia for the very beginning that we must address ukraine that saying it stands as a single most difficult obstacle to us renormalizing a relationship with russia which we badly would like to do he blames russia for continuing violence in the done yet region the Trump Administration decision marking a reversal from Barack Obamas resistance to supplying lethal equipment deal crane i think its a lot to call in size zero. Zero. Zero zero russia. Rival. Segments of the public. Want. Anybody russias response a warning that the u. S. Decision will embolden key have in the conflict and only increase the use of force tom ackerman aljazeera washington Robert Hunter is a former u. S. Ambassador to nato and he says on ukraine is a positive step and sends a strong message to russia. I think its about time there was an effort under president obama and under President Trump to see whether russia would stop where it was. And stop whats going on and and the dumbass but unfortunately russia and its satellites the people who would do its bidding have constantly violated the cease fire constantly escalated their own military actions and i think it got to a point where the United States was saying all right we tried one thing we tried. Sweetness now were going to have to show a little bit of steel to russia and maybe with a look at that mustnt message but this does show a willingness of the United States to stand up to the russians in an area where the agreement that is supposed to stop the fighting called means to get. There lewis will sign the russians and their people are just violating them and i think this sends a very good signal that yes we can have negotiations on this and other things but at some point you cant just have it all your own way. Now the russian president says moscow is not seeking conflict with anyone but will stand up for its interests that even a person spoke at a conference of the violent United Russia Party which has pledged its support and next years president ial election has registered as an independent candidate is expected to win it would be has to this president. I see in. If. Russia is a clone tree with a one thousand year history we must not treat her like our beloved grandmother just giving her pills to relieve her pain not at all we must make russia young and aimed into the future. Palestinian protesters for the Israeli Security forces in the town of bethlehem just two days before christmas theyre angry at u. S. President Donald Trumps decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital Israeli Forces fired tear gas to try and disperse the crowd human Rights Groups have called for israeli authorities to stop using excessive force. Well three palestinians have now died in the past two days after being shot by Israeli Forces a total of fourteen people have been killed since protests began all of that u. S. Decision its the certain kind of demonstrations in the occupied palestinian territories against the my. Web has more from gaza. This is the fear. Bassin. Was the latest people to die any other. Declaration on the six of the same by the jerusalem will be recognized by the west because. He was among the protesters who for three fridays either way the consumer is the good always right all the friends in the woods around. To demonstrate try to pounce palestinian flags throw stones and the price just is. The stuff in the jerusalem deserves sekret fires from our people and we confirm that its our eternal capital and that neither tribal or anyone else can change that our people will continue fighting for our rights until we stablish our independent state of palestine with jerusalem as the capital of photos and they also nickel to show that. Its no move for the political factions an arm wings to sponsor the funerals of the people that are being killed in the protests this one sponsored by the armed wing of fox but no opportunities lost to make a political statement at a show of strength. The ministry of al says moon in ten people are being killed since the onrush began oh and no need is the opposed to any infractions of course for the price s. To continue speaking just a short while ago here in gaza the leader of hamas. Was. The Palestinian Resistance in the was on side so theres no sign of the any of the political factions getting up anytime soon. And as we mentioned earlier the political chief of hamas spoke about the us decision when it does you know no matter we have in summation from well informed sources that the American Administration could take new decisions on jerusalem and the palestinian cause for example acknowledging it as a jewish state and recognizing the antics ation of settlements to jerusalem and to the socalled zionist entity they could also reject the palestinian demand for a right of return now liberians would go to the polls on tuesday and i ran off to choose the next president that follows weeks of uncertainty about whether the vote would actually happen following the Supreme Court hearing the former International Football and chill which way is taking on the countrys Vice President joseph bloch i muhammad the reports from the capital monrovia. Streetcar raids on Colorful Campaign rallies in the liberian capital monrovia as the complaint season draws to a close kind of dates in liberias runoff president ial election i know last minute hunt for votes for my International Football a drug that will hold going to most polls in the plus round held it to the gathered his supporters a previous some world stage. Im supposed to go out because when you change. We are almost twelve years. Your job not knowing after sitting for the furniture. His opponent is just a block like b. D. Is Vice President for the past four seasons hes come failing in google life hes seventy two year old was complaining when a platform of continue to taking credit for months of the government of the flushed elected president in africa and then josel salif who he served under four to thomas the outgoing president has however chosen not to endorse her deputy and candidate ruling unity pedi and his state chosen to back george way most liberians hope the board dont choose their water they are from peace and democracy investment if there is also hold it will be the First Time Since my default default but that would be a pistol hundred ball of power and i believe the elections are also the first vote organized without the help of the United Nations says the civil war ended in two thousand and three but theyre not just that they also bought the numerous needles liberias four point five Million People from fixing roads and building new ones to improving the quality of education and health care liberia is still recovering from a Diverse Teaching civil war thats right between one thousand nine hundred eighty nine and two thousand and three more than fifty percent of its population also live in abject poverty its no surprise therefore the medias expectations from the next president aha. I graduated. I graduated in one thousand nine hundred three from the technical school. For the last twelve years that this government was in power. As always all i have to eat every day and tired of it. They say to good times in the years to come. Some bob was nearly the amisom on god why hasnt the former army chief as one of his two deputies in the boarding party. Which ended Robert Mugabes thirty seven year the appointment to see him as the First Step Towards becoming Vice President biden has already appointed several. To his cabinet since he took office on the twenty fourth of november. We have plenty more head on the news hour including look at how characters from sesame street are helping children traumatized by conflict in syria. No room to move. A railing against the citys overloaded train system and coming up with. Real madrids hopes of retaining title. Seventeen comes to an end well be looking back at some of the biggest stories of the year through the eyes of five families in the first part we meet a family of refugees waiting to be reunited with their relatives in germany lawrence live reports from the near camp in northern greece. Compared to the squalor of the camps on the greek islands refugee life on the edge of this lake in northern greece looks bearable because al is desperate with worry she lives here with her youngest son and her husband her oldest boy mahmoud is in germany with his nine year old brother. Hasnt seen them for two years and the best she can do is see their faces on