this is the news live from berlin the world health organization calls an emergency meeting to tackle new variants off the code to corona virus as its scientists arrive in china to investigate the potential origin of the. it's feared that the latest mutations transmit more easily then the original strain and could make current vaccines less effective also coming up uganda goes to the polls after a complaint marred by violence and a shutdown of social media presence here where he is seeking to 67 office he's up

against a cross match a form of pop star walk. and donald trump becomes the 1st u.s. president in history to be impeached twice congress charges him with inciting supporters to attack the capitol building last week calling it an armed rebellion. and why the coronavirus is failing to deter pilgrims from attending a giant hindu festival in india honors of thousands gathered for celebration by the river ganges trusting in faith rather than face mobs to protect them from the bottom. welcome to the program the world health organization is holding an emergency meeting to discuss new variants of the corona virus there are concerns that they may be more infectious than the 1st strain that emerged in china and it's also

unclear if new variants could potentially reduce the effectiveness of current vaccines. at this london hospital doctors are treating 3 times the usual number of patients in intensive care units. they say they are struggling to cope this is going to be with me in in the cold i think the thing is that if. someone from the very. start quite weak with that. or why are you god if we're ever going to work you know for a shopping increase in serious kovan $1000.00 cases and record deaths come a month after a new variant of the corona virus was detected in the u.k. many countries have since restricted travel g.h. the british variant but it still spread to at least 50 territories according to the world health organization are the new variants have also been reported including in

south africa and brazil the consequence of an ever changing virus. is that. being in them or their more it spreads magnet in many places across the word the chances we're getting back to you. here really empty streets again a feature of countries worldwide as governments extend all ramp up restrictions to try and limit the spread of the virus variants while authorities say there's no evidence the british and south african variants make the virus more severe they share a common trait that's believed to make them much more contagious. and for more on those new strains let's bring in biologist professor peter crimes now from the german it's a center for infection research professor process what exactly do we know about the spread of the new koran of

a coronavirus variance where is it now. well we know that it is reading urgently or a little sense starting from the u.k. heads taking over more toward the other there in it's an issue being the dominant strain more and more and it is also patterned in the whole of continental europe however still if there is a low prevalence sell on it in next week's will actually tell us that it is more traction as if it is still need see it very quickly over the next week or 2 but as you say these varian's appear to be more contagious how are they achieve in that . well if it is not good but it isn't alone for an hour from war or viruses and other microbes that sound can get more infectious and have other advantages and whatever the advantages it's treacherous

ness or other ways of to establish that and who live to go visit the horse. it isn't it found it then these new turns with these variants militate over and become a dominant variant goods in about this or british area and is that it does not look at all would be more lethal or apathetic. this needs new strains are not really new they've been around for a couple of months now why do we know so little about these mutations. we're not even saying all of us. are trying to $9000.00 molecules he should sequence all the time which we do not will be to only protests old p.c. artists and then we don't know what close it is but if you could see one small or

we would know more about different variants this is the now in the sense of no sentence and we know who or more about spreading off different or better it's what your county a leading clinical study of the cure of a vaccine how effective do you think is that vaccine against these new coronavirus variance we cannot say this is. true however there is good evidence for only b. took a for instance abolition that the neutralization karasu to follow antibodies roxanne aged biotech boxing. equally effective. comparing the violence with the overt variance to the british area. so do you in your opinion will these

vaccines that we already have how likely is it that they will also protect us from the corona virus variance in my opinion it is very very likely they will do their job. in your opinion how long will it take before we can say the pandemic is under control. that is it very difficult on notifier speaking it will take a very long while in europe i very much hope that in spring a lot is a chief and in summer we can see more and more contract in the latter. professor peter grams of aurora just from the german center for infection research thank you very much for your time. scientists from the world health organization have meanwhile arrived in the chinese city of one to investigate the origins of the corona virus pandemic the international team of experts will 1st

spend 14 days in quarantine before researching how the virus may have moved from animals to humans early on and was traced to this west markets now shuttered up wild animals was sold as food it's suggested it was here that the virus made the leap from animals to humans delayed trip of the experts follows months of diplomatic wrangling china initially denied entry to the scientists arguing that the virus may have originated elsewhere. and we'll have more on that story in news asia right after this news bulletin well germany's public health agency for infectious diseases the word cock institute reported almost $1250.00 deaths in a single day that's a new high it its president is calling on employers to allow more stuff to work from home. especially to do research possible that the situation will get worse

that's why it is all the more important that we consistently it here to the current measures we must prevent the new covert 19 variant from spreading really from reading most are going to siri travel should be avoided all cases of the strain that we're currently aware of in germany because of travel. and others have a look at some of the other developments in the pandemic british study has found that people who have had covert 19 are highly likely to have immunity for at least 5 months but there is evidence that those with antibodies may still be able to carry and spread the virus in australia queensland state president is considering using remote mining camps to quarantine international arrivals pope francis has received the coronavirus vaccine the 84 year old pontiff part of a long removed due to an illness in his twenty's so he would be a high risk patient if he were to contract the virus let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world today if

you try a has swept through into a refugee camps in southern bangladesh it's destroyed hundreds of shelters and has left thousands homeless the u.n. refugee agency says no casualties have been reported authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. north korea's 2nd party congress in more than 4 decades wrapped up with performances from military and civilian groups leader kim jong un and senior officials gathered others stadium in the capital pyongyang for the closing ceremony the show honored kim's leadership. endangered indian rhino has been born in a zoo in poland's welcome news in the push to save the recreate just the indian rhino was close to extinction but protection program helped increase their numbers to some 3600. polls of opened in uganda as election veteran president a leader. who's been in power for 35 years is seeking

a 6th term his main challenger is the single lawmaker will be why the campaign has been marred by violence against the opposition and there are fears the unrest could again flare up on election day. long lines of people waiting patiently to cost their vote and riot police out in full force after an election campaign that seen almost daily violence that ugandans remain undeterred. we're. used. to this. and of to mit student. it's a clash of generations in one of africa's youngest countries incumbent veiny is one of africa's longest serving leaders the film a guerrilla leader has spent 35 years in office in

a country where the average age is less than 30. ugandans because. we have to see our economy's strong the army is strong. and experienced. before position. thursday's election pits him against opposition frontrunner bobby weiner who voted me a compiler with his wife on thursday morning the former reggae artist has managed to channel the frustrations of a generation into a viable challenge against most of a nice ruling national resistance movement the n r n has crackdown on opposition candidates banned social media and messenger apps and cast off all access to the internet pre-election violence has also taken the lives

of dozens of opposition supporters one recently appeared at one of their funerals. was. not preparing for the election we are rushing her for her credit for the group that brought the right by the military and the money to. the n r n promises the elections will be free and fair but without the presence of many outside observers the international community says the vote will lack accountability and transparency. presence donald trump has become the 1st u.s. president to be impeached twice republicans broke ranks to join with democrats in the house of representatives charging trump with inciting insurrection following the storming of the capitol by trump supporters the president now faces a trial in the senate that will not be he will not be removed from office before

his term ends next week this was the moment that made history donald trump became the 1st us president ever to be impeached twice on this throw the eyes are $232.00 the nays are $197.00. there is a resolution is adopted without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon me . and this time it wasn't just democrats who were in favor 10 members of trump's own republican party also voted to impeach the president the president took a no to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic last week there was a domestic threat at the door of the capitol and he did nothing to stop it that is why with a heavy heart and clear resolve i will vote yes on these articles of impeachment.

the impeachment proceedings moved to breakneck speed the result coming just a week after the violence the capital democrats were hoping to remove trump from office just days before his term ends but that would 1st require a trial in the u.s. senate and their majority leader mitch mcconnell has rejected a quick process saying there is no chance of a fair or serious trial before the president leaves office donald trump denies his fiery speech last week incited his supporters to storm the u.s. capitol building shortly.