this. tragic i. see. starts december 25th. this is deducted news asia coming up today 15 years old and already seeking asylum . for all right to hong kong pro-democracy activist who sought asylum in the u.k. but how open are countries to providing a safe century to those fleeing beijing's heavy handedness in hong kong. and a filipino family that was on their way out then the pandemic hits now the continent afford to eat what options do they and millions more like them to have.

i'm going to say welcome to news asia glad you could join us a 15 year old girl is believed to have become the youngest ever hong kong protester to seek asylum in the united kingdom told she applied for asylum last week she joins a growing list of hong kong pro-democracy activists fleeing the territory in the wake of beijing's increased crackdown on dissidents did a correspondent phoebe kong met before she travelled to the u.k. carer's her story. junior high school student is packing for a trip of no return. it will be her 1st times helping alone this frock plushy the icon of last year protest as a gift from her boyfriend will be her only companion on her journey to the u.k.

where she is taking political asylum. once a shelter for political dissidents from mainland china hong kong no longer seems safe even for locals a role is among the city's youngest excels the teenage protestor was arrested in may and has been living in fear ever since i was a horse he sometimes i feel like being tailed i'm terrified of knots on a door as police may come after me. all my teammates during protests are charged for serious offenses like rioting and arson. i'm afraid i'll be the next one some day my boyfriends identity makes me feel more insecure. auroras boyfriend. was the 1st protester shot by police with a live bullet last year he is now facing the requirement of charges the 19 year old was among a group of 5 activist who made

a failed bid was silent and assistance at the u.s. consulate in hong kong this october 1 of them former leader of a pro independence group tony jones was arrested before he could breach the consummate gate and prosecuted and the national security. sources told the w. that the other but at the best you couldn't tell to claim but there were other bugs put listen to enter the consulate compound but all were turned away after a brief stay without specific ways that either one of them is it was said as. the u.s. consulate general in hong kong said is unable to comment due to privacy issues you probably don't we're worried about unfair trials and treatment in custody. the 3 protest related. just some cheekiness facing me put him behind bars for 6 to 7 years. he was shocked and hopeless of being rejected by the

consulate hong kong authorities are trying every means to silence the dissidents we are even more fearful under a security law the couple haven't seen each other in a week because of safety concerns a rollover gretz having to leave without saying goodbye to most of her friends so family but she doesn't regret how her activism has affected her life and. my generation is losing our freedoms day by day. that's why i don't see my future. seeking asylum a force myself into exile for the rest of my life which makes me upset and anxious but sacrifices have to be made it's still worth fighting despite repression. otherwise hong kong might be dead a lot sooner. a roar has now arrived in the u.k. where work takes 6 to 10 months to validate her asylum application 2020 marks the

start of a new political era in hong kong but as generation of exiles like aurora hope take insisting that activism from afar. and someone who knows all about sustaining that to resume is a need from the law of. exile he joins me now from london. a 15 year old. young people. stephanie devastating because just in her shoes 15 year old go trying to protect the city's freedom but end up living in exile and has to apply us army in another country is that devastating news and experience for her and it also shows that. if out it's young people and the people in general because well we were just fighting for democracy and autonomy but the city's judiciary system and also government put all the political persecutions on these freedom fighters yes indeed

the political situation is really bad and i think the 15 year old go of feeling imminent danger and make that unfavorable choice how do you serve where you has made it possible for hong kong those who were born before $99.00 to serve in the year of the handover. to british citizenship but that does not include people who were born after 997 do you think the u.k. government needs to rethink its policy. that in italy with being in close contact with the u.k. government and has been proposing that the scheme include individuals who were born after 1907 mostly from 18 to 23 and they are also in the main part of the protest to be able to have a pathway to citizenship in the u.k. so indeed we have very grateful for the b. and o.

scheme which allows through media and eligible b.n. all holders to come to the u.k. but i think it's a foreach in the scheme we work hard to kind of make all the people in need have the opportunity to go to a free place as they wish how confident are you in your dealings with the u.k. government the government is actually thinking of changing this policy. i think the government is considering of course there are lots of factors that the government has to consider and we appreciate that because. it is a big policy so that must be a lot of cooperation between departments and a lot of policy consideration but i think that the government is indeed rethinking about the policy and i read to hope that we can get good news in the coming future not a surge or oh there are many other young protesters who are also fleeing hong kong and seeking asylum in countries like germany canada and the united states how often

have you found the country to granting asylum to hong kong activists i think is quite early to say with court cases in germany and canada and some other paid places. normally the asylum seeking procedure takes months to years so for now we don't have a massive amount of cases for mo review or adequate reference but i think in general. the reception of the countries arrived with the exposure of hong kong to protest and holcombe people we've got better documentation etc so i think indeed there are many countries improving they are policy towards hong kong people who are flat for example in the us and i hope that by communicating with them. and housing they fish and see off the asylum seeking

process that we can let these countries to have a better understanding of what's happening in hong kong and benefit those who have left someone finally what is it like to leave one's life behind where one grew up and be able to go back again. for me i left the city at the age of 10. for 5 to 6 months but locationally i been thinking about home i've been thinking about staying with my parents and my family having dinner together so it's definitely devastating and broken when you. think of these memories and you realize that you are in the able to go back possibly in decades times or even for a longer time frame so i think it's definitely psychological pain for

a lot of people and. it's difficult but i think for as we have great of course we we are pursuing a course that is larger than ourselves and it's for the people phone calling for their basic rights so i think for me i've never regret and i think most of the others share the same feeling with the law thank you very much for speaking to us. the hunger was already a problem in the philippines and then the pandemic struck but as destructions put dooley were journos out of work and pushed me into poverty aid workers are struggling to meet demand for food with millions across the country need here's what one family for use is on a daily basis. volunteers prepare meals at a center in manila they are working overtime to meet their country's growing crisis

2200000 families now face sivia hunger. i believe that the hunger has affected us severely to the point that even those with all means but are living already in that desperate mold would come and ask for mas. the charity says it expects to reach 200000 people this year after the coronavirus crippled the economy sending many into poverty. they don't come more destitute than daniel and his family he lost his painting job when the pandemic hit now he feels hunger and homelessness. i lost my job so my family can't eat when they want to and i can't even buy my daughter milk or diapers because i have no work. on.

the family are able to get some help busy free food centers like this one of the charity that runs it says they're overwhelmed with demand as the ranks of the city's who are swelled nonetheless hope has not vanished. all of them by the way i wish our life would go back to how it was when we were happy when we had a proper shelter when we could well when we could take a bath and sleep i wish we could live life as before. daniel carries his 2 year old daughter back to their bed for the night an underpass where they can finally settle down for something to eat. and since the president began numbers of families going hungry has gone up in the philippines across his 1st forced many to beg and queue up. these pictures the story.

of. the fight against the corona virus pandemic. has the rate of infection in developing what does the latest research say. information and context the coronavirus update. on t w. e n u you know years and years we can hear you and how it all steers german sausage that will bring you an angle out man called and you've never had to have

a surprise yourself with what is possible who is magical really what moves and what . who talks to people who follow along the way i admire those and critics alike how is the world's most powerful woman shaping her legacy joining us from echols lots of the. people with disabilities are used to facing obstacles. as a group they often struggle to access tailored education and are more likely to fall into poverty yet their experience is far more widespread than you might think . 15 percent of the global population has some form of a disability. half of those over 60. among children it is one in 10. for many especially in developing

nations. all the more challenging. health care systems. many of the services they rely on day to day have disappeared. group of people. to make sure there aren't neglected. people in need special care facing extra difficulties time when health care systems around the world are stretched sometimes beyond the limits of the is taking its toll on people with disabilities on several fronts here's one example from. samir khan was just 10 when he was 1st diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy a red disorder that has a crippling effect on his whole body it means he needs help from others for all of

his daily activities. but despite his condition confound it a garment factory in delhi's meant a poor district it took him 3 years to set up the business and to establish trust with his clients. and they had some hesitation in working with me. again but i was confident of others were not. with me on the on for them and likely to win their confidence was the biggest challenge but in order for them me and i hope that what i was coming in here. but then there was another challenge the covert 19 pandemic led to a nationwide lockdown the local markets were can sell his wares shut down and even now the lockdown has been lifted business has failed to pick back up.

people with disabilities are among the worst hit as a result of the virus in india. many have lost their livelihoods and face financial difficulty. particularly those working in the informal sector according to a study by an indian disability rights organization. you're broke you a situation where everybody's impacted right and people with disabilities going to be that much more impacted almost 3 times as much remember disability as well but have been even worse. without intent and without political really it's going to be a conversation that and you know most of us workers have not returned and he was forced to sell off half the machines in his factory confit has a 2nd wave of the virus could mean the complete breakdown of his business. that we risk our lives doing business and they go to the extent that i can sit around doing nothing for

a very long time that i have to work to fulfill my financial needs happening. in the name financially is to make. the garment factory was a means for economic self-reliance the con he wanted to employ and support people like him but today and for the foreseeable future the factory will remain empty. this pandemic is challenging on so many levels let's get more from jane buchanan she is the acting director for disability rights and human rights watch she joins me via skype from new york welcome to the program jane we are talking about a very diverse group of people here now facing a whole array of challenges which part of that group are you most concerned about during this pandemic. we're especially concerned about the most marginalized among people with disability is and that includes people who are segregated and locked away in closed institutions institutions or people disability

psychiatric hospitals as well as the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are chained and locked in prayer camps and other types of institutions. you know i'm able to lever access any service as whatsoever and how is the been impacting the care for these people. people with disabilities around the world all types of disabilities can face a lot of barriers in accessing health care and that includes even just basic things like accessible transportation because if he can't get to your doctor or the hospital there's no chance to even even get care so all of that many of the obstacles that people disabilities are already face in their marginalization are just amplified with a pandemic. is there any indication that people with disabilities face

greater health risks from covered 90. well that can certainly be true for people with certain types of disability is where covert 19 infection could create more complications but again people who are lacking access to health care and people don't have the information they need for about cope at 19 because governments are presenting it in an accessible way so the materials are accessible to people maybe with intellectual disabilities who benefit from a different type of language in communicating about these things sign language interpretation for television broadcasts and messages about the pandemic and how to protect oneself where to get care now you mentioned that you're most concerned about people being locked away and institutions because of their condition do you see

that the danger that the concerns and needs of these people on a state level are being neglected now that societies are eyeing the vaccine and try to not catch the virus in general. or or extremely concerned about people who are basically already forgotten by society ignored as he said locked away. they've been left you know in very precarious conditions for the entirety of the pandemic in close contact with other people and without the opportunity to socially distance and so yes i mean even as societies began to really. take steps with the vaccine ciro. minimize the impacts of kobe and hopefully reduce infections and deaths governments really can't forget those who are most at risk most marginalized. and they

people who are locked away shouldn't be there they should be out living in the community with the supports they need and that would be an end and also a really urgent step that government should take at this time to protect those groups which countries are you particularly concerned about and why. you know there's so many different situations around the world it's it's really impossible to pick one or another country i mean i think at this point where concerned about equitable vaccine death distribution among the lower income countries in middle income countries you know for all of those people but again especially people with disabilities or others who really. may be left out of. the vaccine distribution early on but around the world we see you know people who are already. lacking access to the economic markets are more likely to be

unemployed. the economic impacts of cove it will be long lasting and in many places and they'll need their needs to be really. extra effort on the part of governments to ensure that quality accessibility for people with disabilities otherwise they risk you know even greater pop poverty and isolation as the economic impacts go on to begin and of human rights watch thank you for your thoughts thank you. and now it is time to take a look at some of the questions about the pandemic you sent us and as usual our science correspondent there girlie ems says ready with the answer. you get vaccination if you had covert 1000 but we're a friend to magic. the messenger r.n.a. vaccines now being approved for emergency use in number of countries were tested

on tens of thousands of volunteers and and it's thought that between 5 and 10 percent of them had actually had covert 19 before those trials and there were no reports of serious adverse effects among those test subjects also in most other diseases there are mechanisms that would cause someone who had them once to react badly to subsequent vaccinations many experts have said they think that was coded 19 vaccinating someone who has already had the virus will act like a booster shot reminding the immune system that sars co 2 is still around and possibly even strengthening and reinforcing the immune response so if you had the disease already whether symptomatically or a symptomatically the current consensus is that getting vaccinated should be safe

and maybe even beneficial but but that raises another question if you've had covert 19 do you need the shot from what we've seen so far in the vast majority of people a natural immunity to the disease after an infection lasts for a while at least at least for several months and while boosting that with a vaccine makes sense don't forget that supplies of vaccines will be critically tight in the short term that means it's likely that may. the government will probably tend to bump people who've had the disease more to the back of the line assuming that they're simply in less danger than someone who's never been exposed but eventually when supplies of vaccine are sufficient i assume experts will recommend them for almost everyone including those who had copd at 19 and recovered

. do you have a question for derek well just send an e-mail to feedback english add to d w dot com and type expert in the subject line or leave a comment on our you tube channel that's our show thanks for watching stay safe see you back at the mark.

thanks. one continent. 700000000 people. with their own personal. worries. we explore every day life for. what europeans fear and what they hope for. only. 30 minutes on d w. how

does a virus spread. why do we panic and when we'll all this. time for just 3 of the topics covered and the weekly radio show is called spectrum if you would like any information on the chrono virus or any other science topic you should really check out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcast can also find us at pretty dumb dot com forum slash science. guy and i'm james did you knows that 17000000 land on the moves are killed worldwide shit so that we can get into but it's not just be a little subtle suffering it's the environment anyone uninsured to find ways out of the nutrition if you want to know how old weightlifter the priest and the huntress

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this is the the only news live from belgium french president emmanuel mccrory's self isolating after testing positive for covered 19 there are also concerns about his contacts following a recent interview summit some european leaders are now restricting members of months after meetings with the french president also on the program germany's daily covered infection rate tops $30000.00 for the 1st time hospital cases are also skyrocketing we report from a hospital where young and previously healthy patients are battling to stay off. physically and emotionally abused to d.w.

speaks with 2 at leeds german gymnasts who revealed their experiences of bullying mistreatment in the sport. 10 years ago today past which i too dizzy and street band set himself alight sparking a wife of uprisings and rebellions against repressive regimes so what has changed since the arab spring. i'm sure welcome to the program. french president emanuel macro itself isolating after testing positive for covered 19 spanish prime minister petro sanchez is to quarantine for a week after meeting mr macro in paris the prime ministers of luxembourg and ireland also say they'll be restricting that movements the french president met with an array of high ranking politicians at events over recent days including an

e.u. summit in brussels last week. to get more from d.w. correspondent beth regan band riegert who's in brussels welcome back so what's being said about where president macro contracted the virus. the is a palace in paris and many politicians all are over your bono checking that can and does and try to figure out who met whom when there was quite a lot of context that a man or a knuckle head over the recent days in europe he met for example the spanish prime minister the portuguese prime minister and the head of the european council in paris all 3 gentlemen are now inside of isolation and there was a story that doesn't use some a week ago where he also made of course all european leaders up a couple of them also now in south asian although the authorities say this is not really necessary because it's highly unlikely that michael was already contagious

a week ago the german chancellor also attended the e.u. summit tested negative for covert 19 and she wished in america wished him a speedy recovery from lynn there's also some concern about his personal life his family his wife cole is already 67 years old she's also of course a country person and part of a risk group right we can take a look at some pictures of the most recent e.u. summit and we can see that that face mask a woman there's also a lot of touching and heads being lean together as quiet words have you leaders been letting that guards down. but this is this is really hard to tell we were not in the room journalists are not allowed on the premises when the leaders meet for covert reasons then as it seems there were already very in moscow and keeping their distance as good as possible the best some brief encounters like you would have in a shop or in

a public transport they had dinner together but at this dinner they were sitting very wide apart so it's hard to tell if this may be a cause the contagion or not. but all in all the efficiency insist that protocols and hygiene rules here too that every european meeting. now we have a clutch of leaders self isolating and working from home how is that likely to affect the conduct of a you business. but many of them say they just work from home office they are not if they have not fallen ill they have no symptoms and also in monaco is working from home the. palace maintains although he has to cancel some trips he wanted to go to lebanon next week that will not take place now and you have to wait and see how that works our view we had the prime minister of the united kingdom bruce joins know really see really fell and he was not working for a couple of days but as of now nothing has really changed ross's keeps up working

and maintains business as usual thank you for that bad ringgit in brussels germany's daily covered infection rate is facing new records topping $30000.00 in a single 24 hour period the health minister says a new member states a plan to roll out a vaccination program from the 27th of december but as a number of hospital cases in germany skyrockets a leading doctor has told the w of his fears that the coming weeks will see more medics making decisions about who gets lifesaving treatment and who doesn't is a look at the dire situation in one german hospital. a new kind of it patient has a drive by ambulance to try bags university hospital he's traveling in a special isolation pod so none of the transport team gets infected the patient is only in his forty's he's transferred to viviane it's months intensive care unit

with 5 members of a team she turns him on his stomach the prone position is an important therapy for a seriously ill tempered patients the team make sure the patient is well padded as he will lie like this for several hours as. the inflammation sits at the back of the lungs and a lot of fluid collects that the lungs can heal if we lie on them the whole time by turning patients on to their stomachs their lungs get and can heal. can use all kinds. once a day the team turns each patient on to their front and back again it's a big effort but printing and being put on a ventilator is not sufficient for many critically ill patients. need to be connected to an artificial lung to keep them alive. it pumps the patient's blood into a machine where carbon dioxide is extracted and oxygen added.

to the blood is then pumped back into the patient's body. for patients who are this ill there aren't many options left this is the last trump card we've got. our therapeutic options a sobering we've got oxygen and the artificial lung but they're only gives us more time the lungs have to heal by themselves. in the hospital's pharmacy there's no wonder drug against the coronavirus ram disappear one of the great hopes at the start of the pandemic has yielded disappointing results as have many other drugs medics of the virus for nearly a year now but the odds of surviving a severe case haven't improved much. every 2nd patient who's on a ventilator dies and behind each of those numbers is a human being in the 2nd wave many young and healthy people have also been infected

but that's no guarantee for a milder cause of the illness. this is a young man 45 years old with a very severe case of cave it is a prime example that a young healthy person without any notable preexisting medical conditions can be brought to the brink of death by the virus. he was in the intensive care units really are at their limit we have to be clear about that there may still be some spare beds but every day there's fewer and the patients lie here for a long time for weeks even months and that means that the beds during free up again quickly at the moment they can still fight for every single patients life here but the time after christmas could turn into the intensive care teams was nightmare. well let's get more on this from d.w. correspondent hans brandt welcome hans as we see the dire situation in one hospital give us a wider picture across germany. as seen one hospital today that reported that it's

more cheery was overflowing and that it now had to store bodies in refrigerated containers there's also been some alarm about reports from eastern saxony that's in the far east of germany on the border of the czech republic and poland that's the area where the infections are highest in germany at the moment is pretty remote the hospitals are small their facilities are limited and in that area there are already reports that doctors have to decide whether somebody who is seriously ill can be given survival be given additional treatment so that they might possibly survive or that there might be other patients that have a better chance of survival but also involves transporting people that i was seriously ill for hundreds of kilometers because in this remote areas there is no additional resource available so on paper and germany there are still over $4000.00 intensive care beds that are free and about 11000 in the emergency hospitals that have been set up in exhibition holes and suchlike areas but transporting people to

those places is not always possible so the situation really is getting more and more critical in german hospitals right but i guess the imminent arrival of a vaccine will help lighten the burden yes it will but it's not hospital staff that are 1st in line to get this vaccination 1st and people that are threatened most seriously by the disease people in care institutions and old age and so on 2nd and line the hospital soft but even if the old people get vaccinated 1st that will eventually be a relief to the hospitals because those people will most likely not end up in hospital so that's a nation is going to start within about a week or so so there is some relief on the horizon at the moment ok thank you for that political correspondent hans front. ok let's take a look at some of the other stories making news around the world the court of arbitration for sport has upheld doping sanctions banning russian athletes from

competing at international events under the russian flag the ruling rejected an appeal from russia but it did reduce the ban from 2 years to 4 from 2 years to 4 the russian president vladimir putin has accused the united states of starting a new arms race in is that annual news conference facing hundreds of journalists is to putin said washington's refusal to xtend the new start treaty and the missing nuclear armaments would force russia to respond by developing a new hypersonic weapons. fiji's declared a state of natural disaster as a hit you say no part of the pacific island nation is likely to escape the category 5 cyclone and have set a nationwide curfew experts are warning that the storm could be the southern hemisphere as most intense tropical storm on record a major winter storm has been battering the u.s. east coast much of new york city including times square is blanketed with snow

millions of residents are dealing with heavy snowfall just a week before christmas officials say they're working to ensure there's no disruption to deliveries of corona virus vaccine severe weather warnings are in forms. and to a controller see in and go through in german gymnastics there spiegel magazine reported recently on allegations of bullying and mistreatment by female coach in the city of candidates they dubbed this been speaking with to form an elite gymnasts who say the problem is much wider than previously thought. naomi and ruby vandyke are learning to love gymnastics all over again for many years their love for the sport had disappeared. aged 10 and primed for big things between this move to an elite training center near cologne but when their performances do it they say they were called fat and lazy by their coach that's

slim's the front is the worst thing was when he said he wouldn't come to competitions with us because we were embarrassing him when you're 14 or 15 you need a coach who supports you no matter how badly he always let us down just before the competition saying you're so you have a embarrassed time a reality of let me admit on one occasion during a bar's exercise naomi said she was purposely dropped on her head to teach her a lesson before i had a fight he pushed me 2 or 3 times to go down lower but i knew he wasn't holding me properly that's why i didn't go lower and then i did under pressure but he let go of me and said there you see. mr. they complained to the local gymnastics association but say they weren't taken seriously or believed and made a field day with the problem with devastating affects on their development as if there's another thing that i still remember when i was 14 i just didn't want to wear my gym outfit anymore i always thought everything about me was wrong how i

look where i come from what i do how i talk who i am. so it really hurt me as a person back then. in a statement to the local association the right nischelle turner said it was quote surprised by the allegations adding the r.c.b. takes the allegations raised very seriously and will clarify the facts as soon as possible. at the time naomi and ruby were given 3 options either put up with the coach quit the sport or as they ended up doing move to the olympic training center in penn knicks earlier this month problems there were uncovered by the sheiko magazine a dozen other gymnasts accused the head coaching chemists gabriella fraser of bullying them and making them train through injury naomi and ruby say pain killers and injections were handed out freely without prescriptions and without the knowledge of athlete's parents but the twins felt they couldn't speak up because of the baggage they come with. because we were always told we were annoying

a we were the problem we didn't want to be a nuisance we just threw be that acceptance came at a price and she was forced to ignore her constant back pain with one coach telling her it was just pretty competition of. and she would often tell me i was imagining the pain in my back that i didn't know the difference between so muscles and real pain that went on for a year and a half and at some point i believed i was imagining it that's one of those not it no i don't know if it wasn't her imagination ruby having been denied access to her mit scans would eventually need an operation. who's been suspended pending an investigation has called all the allegations baseless and says she never oversteps the mark it was her strong denials that prompted naomi and ruby to tell their story . stating that we can definitely confirm these baseless allegations that the other

girls have made. 2 or 3 of them are with us in canada and we witnessed how badly they were treated like we can easily say it's not baseless. and. these days the twins only compete in the national the no longer dreaming of international success present least now they can perform again with a smile on their faces. was produced by jonathan crane from v.w. sport tours were not well adjusted so how significant are these allegations i think they are pretty significant because up until now we don't really heard about one instance in chemist's was one coach gabrielle a phrase that what we heard for. this was also involving another coach. and also it involved you know the organization the runners attorney but that was

the local gymnastics association who essentially just didn't take the allegations seriously accuse them of lying and then they really were keen to point out they didn't want to single the blame on individuals but rather a system that allowed these individuals to kind of operate in their own. bubble without having any kind of questions asked of them now we've obviously put some of these allegations to the german gymnastics federation this saying taking all the seriously including those made by naomi and ruby they also say it's important that the cases that independently investigate it if the investigation show that structural changes have to be made be will actively address them we do not accept any climates of fear in our gyms now they are encouraging other gymnasts to contact them if they have a problem because i feel like this is going to get bigger this story the more this comes out to be moved to come forward also i have to add the sports committee of

the german parliament is also keeping an eye on this and they will scrutinize the matzoh for the next year and this is been quite a year in the us 6 yeah exactly gymnastics is kind of the latest to have these allegations come out following a wave of other allegations this year in the summer specifically and that coincided with the release of a netflix film called athlete now this was all about the downfall of the disgraced u.s. team gymnastics. the brave gymnasts in the u.s. came forward and accused him of sexual abuse he was found guilty of that abusing hundreds of goes he will never leave prison now and that really translates to me in the u.k. the netherlands australia all over the world really to come forward with allegations not of sexual abuse but other forms of abuse we're talking bullying fat shaming making them a train through injury a real similar pattern that shows the whole culture of the sport is essentially

broken and the medical thing as well that we had in the piece that painkillers and stuff being given out for even on the german gymnastics federation told me you know if you're a minor you need for and some approval for things like that clearly that was not happening and so what sort of response has to have been for there has been that amount of pushback as well because some. always say that this is elite sports it's not going to be easy you going to have to make sacrifices and nobody's complaining when athletes bring her medal with a reward in fact that sums of who's in charge of the center and candidates he said see you there spiegel magazine when they made their allegations gymnastics is no child's tea party he said in other words it's not supposed to be easy he actually went comment to us when we contacted him he said the investigation was ongoing so he couldn't say anything about specific allegations but when i put some of this today i mean really they said yeah we made sacrifices we trained 30 hours a week we were able to see our friends we missed our own social occasions but where

we draw the line is these kind of unhealthy training methods and this physical and mental abuse that's where the line is and so we have to kind of what price this success and this really be told me you know things can change that has to be another way just because things were done a certain way in the past doesn't mean to say that they have to be like that in the future thank you jonathan creigh deeds of useful. 10 years ago a tunisian street vendor sets himself on fire in front of his local town hall this desperate act was in protest at official corruption and sparked a wave of uprisings and rebellions against repressive regimes in the region but while some of the protests during the arab spring did talk a long time dictators they also led to a number of civil wars that are still going on. this man lit the spark that left scorch marks across the entire hour bridgend on december 17th 2010

mohamed bouazizi says some self on fire to protest official corruption in tunisia he died from his injuries a few weeks later but by then his story of desperation had sparked a nationwide outpouring of rage. and soon afterwards the arab spring protests took down their 1st high profile political target. of tunis is vasher an autocrat xeni ben ali fled to saudi arabia with only a few family members and close aides into. the anti-government protests multiplied rapidly be on chin izzie as borders with anger over repressive regimes economic hardship and political failure spilling onto the streets social media was used to spread the word an organize and few of our countries were left untouched by the un vast some of the biggest upheaval was experienced in egypt

where decades long ruler hosni mubarak was overthrown setting the stage for a power struggle eventually won by the military. and libya syria and yemen became embroiled in for trucks of conflicts which are still taking a huge humanitarian toll today. lee international community also played a role in this upheaval in the arab world in the. middle east is a middle east analyst from the global public policy institute and he says a western countries prioritize their own interests over humanitarian issues that sparked the revolts we should definitely look at the western democracies and how they have. developed since 2000 as they have. and publicly claimed and stated that they support the ideas of these revolutions protest movements right and 1st and foremost that you know the european union and its member states and the

united states have actually put their interest in stability in the region over the protection of human rights and the demands of the protesters for the most part at least the basic assumption underlying this is that the autocrats of the region will provide stability and but that is fundamentally flawed in my opinion as long as citizens in most arab how to respects period and high levels of inequality the repression and injustice that has actually sparked the protests 10 years ago. and these are actually the very basis of the author of carrying rulers in those countries they do not contribute to stability in the region quite the opposite. of a from the global public policy institute now a chinese aloon approach has completed its historic mission and returned to earth landing in among china is only the 3rd country to have brought back samples from the moon's surface a feat last achieved by the soviet union and the united states in the 1970 s.

. channel imaging shows the capsule with its precious contact touching back down to earth. helicopters then spot the lunar probe in the icy wasteland support staff quickly move in to recover the spacecraft china hopes the contents will help scientists discover new information about the geology and history of earth's satellite. 5 was one of the most complicated and challenging missions in china's aerospace history. when the rocket was launched on november 23rd it was a source of national pride. the probe was made up of 4 modules one was the land which has dug for rocks and soil the materials were then transferred into a return capsule for the journey back to earth it's the 1st time in 4 decades that

material has been brought back from the moon. china's space ambitions are no secret and have been growing for years. in 2003 it secured a major breakthrough when it became the 3rd country in the world to launch a crude space program. 10 years later china hit another milestone successfully landing in unpiloted spacecraft on the moon it was the 1st soft landing since the soviet union success in 1976. more chinese chairs in january $29000.00 in a global 1st a lunar pro touching down on the far side of the moon boosting china's space ambitions mars is also in its sights this year beijing launched a probe to the red planet.

and in july china put the final satellite into orbit for its chinese navigation system the country's arrival to the us own g.p.s. . beijing now has its sights set on building a moon base cementing its role as a superpower in the news face race. just tons of money story at this hour french president emanuel macro has tested positive for calls with 19 i will self isolate for 7 days e.u. leaders who've had recent contact with him a concern spain's prime minister is already in quarantine leaders of ireland to luxembourg also restricting that influence. germany says it plans to roll out its set coronavirus fascination campaign from the 27th of december but leaving doctors in the country more than intensive beds often fast on the 1st day german health officials reported a record high number of infections more than 30000 cases in 25. years

at the top of the hour focus on europe is next good to. the.

continent. 100000000 people. with their own personal stories. we explore every day life for. what europeans fear and what they hope for. some good spoiling your. own d.w. . passionate

drama competition wife marketing numbers those here called by the time and traditional. money. fans friends find stamps and fun. because we love. to go off on you tube joining us live right now and germany with. any time any place. video never. have i got the benefit of. songs to sing along to download to come from super fun seats to. have varied courses into active exercise is hard talking about that deep down you don't come to ash don't

plan on facebook in the uk still. jammin for free but w. hello and welcome to focus on europe with me liz show something that a few years ago most europeans never thought would be possible but now brags it is really happening how will trade between the u.k. and the work the uncertainty is palpable at the ferry ports and the channel tunnel connecting england and france. this could be a taste of things to come near the french city of cully tracks form kilometer long queues to cross the channel drivers wait for hours and there's no sign of things

improving. and what are things like on the other side many people in southern england wanted to leave the e.u. for example in cannes known as the garden of england but now residents are afraid that their region will turn into a massive holding area for trucks near the town of ashford the hour reading some signs of that's happening. once upon a time there was a quaint 13th century church in a sleepy part of kent southeastern england. but ever since cracks it the tranquility is gone. noisy construction work has begun on a vast customs clearance center near ashford to the dismay of locals called the idea here is that the various will have to present their paperwork both going out and coming in from the opinion and the government belatedly realise that 80 percent

of the tip of the traffic with europe does come through. and that cause there is no space to set up a customs station in dover it is being created near. the plants $25.00 had our site will process up to $1700.00 lorries per day. lizz wright who was a green party city councillor in oxford opposed to breaks it from the start. some people who voted for breakfast a problem probably regretting i said we weren't told anything like this would happen in fact it was a completely denied wasn't it they were told that would be paid for less access and computers would deal with the toll but in reality countless customs declarations will have to be processed and information booth at a nearby petrol station is supposed to offer help on what paperwork will be necessary but the stuff won't tell me much we're not really allowed to own so any questions and that's kind of thing i can tell you but we're just here to help and basically just to support just to make sure that the guards that the. don't get

stuck helpers don't actually know what the future holds in store which is why most of the truck drivers don't even bother asking them. your mommy for there is very little information. for mark the little we get is dished out bit by bit people ship nobody here knows which custom forms we will need here the birth of. a german lorry driver has had it with this uncertainty we'll do one more run to the u.k. and then never again. that's definitely it for me then i'm only open to meeting halfway and meeting an english truck and taking the trailer back and filling it up again but heading over there in this situation of definitely not it's a bit sad isn't it is where parting ways it's a cut option my. pager just not want to experience the border chaos again. things are complicated by the fact that the region around ashford

often floods as more ground is seals of the water flows elsewhere obstructing construction work. long pools like the cox heads could have worn to the bricks administered but nobody asked for their advice. and no one had the foresight to all ask the local machine what happens with the watch where it goes what a state they've just gone and done what i think is roy and he's trying to do wrong right now start work on the sunday to do a catch up i still don't believe it every time in time so when to rely. on the votes i think if people don't vote i would talk to stephen. push to right. local conservative politician paul bartlett agrees even though his party was in support of brecht's said now he is trying to find

a silver lining in the project so little church. transporters spending about half a 1000000 pounds on improving the church that putting in the community cafe which will be a wonderful asset for local people choose a new car park so that it's more accessible. even more parking spaces for kent county that the british once proudly call to the garden of england. if no post breaks the deal has been struck by january 1st authorities will have to improvise. and so the british departure brings destruction just like these noisy construction vehicles. some people go to a church when they want to pray others go to a mosque in eastern turkey him all of these like cannon to go to the source of a river in the mountains the elevated sect is not officially recognized as

a religious community in turkey and is now one of its holy places is under threat in the months or valley in at the river where canon and others come for pilgrimage as there are plans to build a huge recreational area. the moons of valley national park is an area of spectacular natural beauty and of great spiritual significance to al of ites like canada get but the landscape around the eastern anatolian city of 2 jelly could soon be radically transformed. what is happening here is making us our levees despair cannot accept this. he shows us what he means at this construction site near moon's or river. dozens of stalls have already been set up. for plans to build a kind of amusement park right here this valley with government backing.

such a target attraction right here along the springs was seen as a threat by the l a v community. can i get who heads the local cultural association is outraged by the project to talk about order to get. to us water is something holy you want your daughter stands for purity these construction works are meant to assimilate us if they want to make our spiritual sides disappear. you know our shared live with. the idea is to build parking lots restaurants and picnic areas here pilgrims wishing to visit their holy sites would have to pay entrance a range of dams are planned as well which would cause large parts of the national park to float. for hundreds of years i'll avoid surveyor these springs on the untouched nature as holy pilgrimage sites. and as it has to the sick will be brought here to people who are convinced that there's

an area would heal them that's all building here shows us that they don't respect our religion they also like goodwill for months locals have been protesting against a construction project last summer thousands gathered in the valley and formed a human chain but the authorities refused to back down. asked for comment the regional governor refers to a statement he made in august. it claims the construction work will protect the region. and that social media is rife with misinformation. he also shows his plans of the finished project without any mention of elevates pogrom insights can i get and many others from turkey's elevate community distrust the turkish state. although one in 5 turks belongs to disregard just community it

is not officially recognized in the country. these days their places of worship are tolerated. the televisa are still not allowed to offer their own religious instruction in schools. resentment is growing either way we pay taxes in this country. you know turkish religious authorities have built thousands of mosques with our money. so we're justified in demanding our constitutional rights. by a sudden tell me not. unlike so many muslims and a viz focus on the prophets rather than muhammad they see their faith as a mandate to work for equality among people including between men and women as illustrated by their commute times and even alcohol is permitted. this makes them apostates in the eyes of radical sunnis. again and again all of these have been

attacked or received the death threats and their homes have been vandalized. so if you could google those d.v.d.'s we should be we are constantly worried about our security. and what we know that it doesn't just stop at threats we've experienced it through of these have already been killed in this country. for gingrich. the mayor of the town of 2 jelly has also spoken out against the amusement park project. is turkey's only communist mayor and is under observation by the state. but speaking to a camera he formulates his criticism carefully. inside. get used to being the entrance to the area will become a commercial design in principle the idea of renewal may not be bad on the bench but we don't like having such an emphasis on come a little less mad or be done to your boss not your own life. a living say that the

soul moves or river is the soul of the people the turkish government's project would desecrate one of the holiest places on the boat on the v.a.'s aren't ready to give up on the moons or valley yet. if you have ever been in a skill lift you know that it's pretty hard to keep one and a half meters distance between people but despite the coronavirus endemic the ski slopes in switzerland are open while some neighboring countries are more restrictive the swiss are determined to do things their way and the ski instructor leaning in the tunnel then divided is quite pleased about that. so i said then do so if you go this way fast these are people going what is going downhill that's where you should you wait ok let's try again yes my little sienna is facing

the challenges of the snow instead of being one of the crowd she's getting an individual lesson this is what the start of the season in green devolving and looks like the snow is perfect the slopes mt love bravo arms nicely forward lenny honda has been a scheme struck to put 3 years she doesn't know if she'll have enough work this winter the north feel we're hoping for a lot of kids like sienna and i think it'll be fine but it doesn't look that way at the moment the swiss government has told foreigners to cancel their ski plans and stay home the ski school has 90 percent fewer bookings than in previous years for the most part guests from germany elsewhere in europe and asia i'm missing. all along he's everything ok with distancing. must go runs the ski school he make sure coronavirus safety measures are being observed on the slopes. when we. talk to people who

were not counted social distance when we take a break together and of course we pull the mask of. people scribble while skiing lives are at a standstill in germany france and italy things are expected to be booming here over the holidays and the protective measures are not all that strict inconnu as in all other swiss ski resorts mosques and social distancing are compulsory gondolas can be up to 2 thirds full that's a cause for concern to some. it has i'm afraid of the gondolas when they're too crowded i get concerned and there are lots of people around. they are getting on. these were the crowds into march at the beginning of the season also in sas fayne 5 year no sign of social distancing railway operators say these were isolated incidents. so this wasn't worth much for being. made

a mistake we were sorry and it won't happen again. but. throughout the can't on a valet so called slope angels and now ensuring that everything runs smoothly. they're also rethinking how best to protect ski is with rule breakers facing harsh consequences. hopkins stop the list and report the person. first we're trying everything to make sure the korona safety measures are being implemented. there's no place ski socializing you need a reservation to enter a mountain restaurant good picnicking spots are in high demand. the pandemic is having drastic effects on the industry must sell home bad guy has never had so many job applications from skin struck his especially from austria for the time being he can't hire anyone. we usually have

$35.00 employees in peak season around christmas and new year. currently planning for 17 and of course we're hoping the whole season goes ahead whether one is or employees won't have work out of i thought the young ski region is relying on the appeal of its legendary i go north face hopefully at least the swiss themselves will visit. thank you enough over the holidays there will be a lot of swiss guests they definitely won't let us down. but infections mustn't be allowed to rise any further or swiss ski resorts could spend the rest of winter in complete hibernation. the islands of the a.g.m. sea with their turquoise waters and beaches and bright white buildings are not just beloved by tourists investors have also set their sights on them greece and so

xpand the wind energy production there the plan was of renewables sounds environmentally friendly but it has residents of the islands of tinos and it worried they fear that giant wind parks will destroy their natural and cultural heritage. it is said that the greek island of tinos says handmade because of its centuries old walls and paths and the architect you want to do is absolutely determined to protect this unique cultural asset so here we can see if it becomes food but for the most made out of dr stone was before us used to give access to all be on their soups. and it's something that we are trying to take a band that's now in order to develop working towards the windmills and the so-called pigeon houses built by her ancestors 300 years ago are now supposed to give way to winds turbines. they want to shows us the sites where private investors have just completed the foundations for 3 large turbines with another 15 planned.

you want to and many other islanders fear tino's could lose its typical character. turns and mary. has to decide what to do and we're going to preserve it to pass it on to next generation we are going to be more use most of the 4 modern constructions that builds it's like the wind turbines are the army not far from the plant turbines is home to sculptor mater valley os and his family he fears for the future of greece's cultural heritage. terms used to always be the seat of the gods but now they have been supplanted by money and everything is about making money. he shows us videos of protests he helped to organize

a special police unit beach demonstrators including him with nightsticks a shopping experience. i lived in a dictatorship for 7 years and i was in the army from 1972 to 74 and never did i experience anything like this story it was almost more democratic back then ok i'm exaggerating said dictatorship is a different kettle of fish of course. 2 hours away by ferry the island is best known for its unspoiled nature and its mountains include protected areas teeming with rare plant life. here to the a tillich's scene pretend. the private. group is planning $110.00 wind turbines to supply electricity to athens and byron mentalists are alarmed. it is all in the. protected. areas.

this is really a disaster will be a disaster the whole mountain is going to be leveled so it is really. forming. although the plans are not yet final ileus yana d.s. is already informing the island's residents about their potential impact it has had its share of bad experiences with other large scale projects a once lush valley resembled a moonscape like this after a hybrid power plant was built. erosion on the island is already extreme again and again entire hillside slide off especially in areas where the large roads are constructed. the mountains are home not only to goats but to many. beekeepers as well. if wind turbines are built here then given small have to move away with this piece. would be bad for the billions. i couldn't put their boxes near the wind turbines

because of the electromagnetic radiation. which could make them lose their orientation. knock on the side of the mayor's office is aware of the concerns it met with farm investors 9 years ago to little avail the activities on neighboring islands worry the mayor a few small wind turbines might be tolerable but 110. would protest and that's not just my own personal opinion. it was in the municipal council and local administration agreed. the 1st turbines are standing and by 2025 it is meant to be connected to athens via an underwater cable now the investor is supposedly revising the plans to make them environmentally friendly but few believe that. they fear that landscapes like this could soon

become a thing of the past when's the last time the saw someone this happy in a hospital bed well anasazi a b. func had a reason to smile that photo was taken after the surgery that changed her from a man to a woman what's also special about her story is that she is a commander in the german army the buddhists via for years it was really difficult for openly gays or trans people to pursue a career as an army officer and a 1000 years coming out story as proof of how much has changed but filmed her path was far from easy we met her at work we talked. inspecting a truck is a routine task in the military and traditionally considered a man's job. and that maybe some honest. is transgender but that she's been living as a woman for some time and no longer identifies as

a man. the reason. why from ok before long is responsible for $700.00 soldiers in the boom just there she took the major step of coming out after 20 years of military service. coming out as being transgender for me was a very easy transgender was something in the early ninety's it was there was going to school with a topic that was discussed and they were. you couldn't do anything yet it was something that was always connected to my own feelings with shame don't do that it's wrong i don't think there was very much acceptance in society in the ninety's for transgender people at all. back when do you found it as a man she was married to a woman and led a seemingly ordinary life but she felt tremendous emotional pain because her male body simply wasn't right for her. like probably look for flight into

a typical male world the motor probably helped in that sense as well to perform to male standards but my inner self was always. crying after that you know almost 20 years of struggling i was a part of my life where my emotional stability my emotional wellbeing and wellbeing had a point where i said i don't want to live this way anymore to. be found underwent sex change surgery. she continued in her old job after coming out as a woman putting on makeup is now part of her everyday routine. second wife samantha. before undergoing surgery has supported her from the start. i met her as a woman already. one can say she was just the moon the pianist actually the

same person stated. i knew that she wanted to get rid of the paris and i think when you love person who. you support the person. coming out as a transgender woman wasn't just stumbling block in her career even in the military . sergeant major dietmar schroeder made anastasio be found after her sex reassignment he says the initial novelty quickly wore off even as transgenderism became a hotly debated issue worldwide. just accept that people love the way they are on the coast be on transgenderism through the city where both are more every day things like what party they vote for hundreds of cars they like to take a more one of the mill example you just have to accept people the way they are so to you and this is this is. now on a star is climbing higher up the career ladder come the head of a division in the boot is there cyber and information domain service in parallel to

her military career it is her mission to stand up for transgender people in the german armed forces promoting diversity and greater tolerance for what is an unusual path what i know from my experience is what is definitely certain if you are true to yourself and live the way you are open you will have a better life. seems to be finally having. to. and isn't that what we all want to be happy well that's it for today's show as always you can find more information on our website and you can get in touch on twitter and by email from me and the rest of the team thanks for watching and see what next time. you.

people are looking forward to coming. there are many answers to a subject there are many members of. the band there are many observers of. the book. the big make up your mind to the book. double. for minds. in these challenging times it's

especially important to us to wish you a happy and healthy home. the current a virus has kept us apart from family and friends all here easy to feel loved and especially during this holiday season we go g w we're here with you we will keep you informed going all over town for someone to remind you we're all in this together we wish you happy holidays merry christmas everyone a very merry christmas season merry christmas and stacy happy holidays everyone happy holidays to you and you see everybody's in the way it's fish fish. in the far north. beyond the inhabitable world it's lonely. barren. and breathtakingly beautiful the arctic powerful

expanse of bitter cold. and the sound of global warming. may take a journey around the north pole meet profiteers and talk with people experiencing a changing environment the ice disappears earlier and it keeps retreating to chase years the last years have been smelting russian. banks that are. our future depends on what happens here in one of the most fragile ecosystems on earth. northern lights within the arctic circle starts december 21st on w. .

this is the dublin years live from but lender french president emanuel mccraw itself isolating after testing positive for coverage 19 there are also concerns about his contacts following a recent a new summit some european leaders in that restricting ban movements after meetings with the french president also on the program germany's daily company infection rate to tops 30000 for the 1st cod hospital cases are also skyrocketing forth from a hospital where young and previously healthy patients of battling to stand up.