such is promising its partners rich profits but in europe there's a sharp morning you could never accept money from the new superpower will become dependent on it. china's gateway to europe. starts feb 19th on. u.k. prime minister boris johnson has told his country to prepare for not one not 2 but repeated vaccinations in order to keep up with the mutating coronavirus the british scientist in charge of monitoring the mutations says the variant 1st identified there is changing yet again and it's migrating tonight that scientists joins me with a prediction about a variant now sweeping the planet and she has a warning the mutating virus may be able to outsmart the vaccines that were developed to stop it i bring out the berlin this is the day.

we're born the virus and it is where we. were battling with a with nature with a disease that is capable of mutating and unchanging becoming monsters missile more deadly and eventually more uses them to vaccines in which case we didn't redesign the vaccine but we're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line but a virus is not going anywhere if we stay with us when we are in a race between a mutating virus and the acts of a 6. also coming up a criminal critic alexina on the u.s. and the european union say that he was imprisoned to keep political opposition in the country weak but president vladimir putin says the west was using nepali to

keep russia weak and that's how enemies and our potential enemies half a century is relied on and he used very ambitious people who crave paua these people we used to further than our own interests and i see that nothing has changed. over . but to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and to all of you around the world welcome we begin the day with a warning about the future of the corona virus pandemic with particular importance for the united states the vaccination rollout in the u.s. is picking up speed and in many states restrictions are being reduced or removed completely the temptation to let down one's guard is growing but the corona virus is still with us and it is changing a leading u.k. scientist predicts that the viral mutation known as the u.k. variant will quickly become the most dominant in the u.k.

and across the globe the u.k. variant which was 1st detected in england appears to be more transmissible it is now responsible for more than half of new infections in portugal and denmark and is expected to do the same in the united states as early as next month easier to catch easier to spread is it just as easy to stop it with the vaccines. and train at the moment the structure of this. like oh you know. that's should be different viruses that you have once in your life. or your own lack what is going to do to us that are not we don't know but you still quite hopeful and we are always able to produce the vaccine that will deal with any virus mutation any virus variant. well my 1st guest tonight is one of the u.k.'s leading scientists in charge of the country's program of monitoring the coronavirus for mutations her job is now one of the most important in this pandemic professor

sharon peacock joins me tonight from cambridge the fessor peacock it's good to have you on the program i'd like to if i could get your take on what we just heard from the u.k. vaccines minister he said that no matter what the mutation or the variant we will always be able to answer it with a vaccine now that is quite a statement to make is it true. rather than answering that directly good evening by the way a rather than answer that directly what i would do is this is take a step through the kind of near history that we're facing now so right now it's really key to recognize that the variant in the u.k. and that spreading from the u.k. is eminently effective against the vaccines that we have right now so that's the good news and we we mustn't consider that anything else than that is true because it could put people off having back scenes so go and have your vaccine because it's

fully effective now what we have seen is that viruses can be take reasonably rapidly and when they do that might mean that of a very into rises which is then more resistant to the vaccine at that stage we have to start to look at how we can what if i that seems so that they change they change so that they can actually tackle the variant so i think it's a bit more complicated them then has been suggested but it's going to be a kind of cat and mouse game as we as we progress to tackle the virus talked to me a little bit about the u.k. variant we have heard that it may be more lethal in there it's more transmissible what were the facts that. ok what the facts are that it is more transposable the range of transmissibility goes from between 30 percent to 70 percent so it's

probably around 50 percent more transmissible than other variants that are circulating at the moment so clearly that yes in terms of efficacy of vaccine we believe that the vaccines that we using in the u.k. a fully effective at the moment and in terms of of virulence only 30 day evidence is growing that this particular variant appears to be slightly more virulent than previous. strains perhaps about around 30 or 40 percent now but in terms of overall numbers is relatively small but it does appear to be more virulent and what that means is that people become more people become seriously ill but when they're going to hospital there's no difference in the number of people who actually die rather than the number of people that survive you know if it's easier to pass on this variant do you see it overtaking against the current strain that you have in

the u.k. in what about the rest of the world. well the variant that we have at the moment regionally detected in kent sometimes called the 10th variant has spread across the entire country in the u.k. so it causes around 90 percent of all disease in the u.k. so it spread widely that when we look at it elsewhere we can only really detect it in places that have done sequencing or tested tested for particular circulating and it has spread to 82 other countries so what happens when it reaches that country will depend what other very interest and whether it can compete is a bit like kind of running a race if you like with another very to see which one of the fittest and if if it is more transmissible than other variants that it's likely to spread and i believe that that's where the predictions have come from other countries that this could become a dominant strain in their particular country and make it

a little bit about your job with the u.k. sequencing the viral genomes more viable genomes than any other country in the world we looked at some numbers 27000 genomes are now sequenced in one day one year ago it was $50000.00 in the year so that is quite that's quite an explosion in comparing city. it's absolutely huge isn't it so so far we've sequenced around $280000.00 genome to which is about half the world's genomes in the global database and as you rightly say a year ago before the pandemic public health england was producing about $50000.00 genomes a year so we're doing that in about a week and a half but it's going to get higher actually because our aspiration is that we'll be able to sequence a higher proportion of the virus particularly as the the number of cases come down and at the moment where we're heading upwards of 3035000 and so and so we're going

to keep pushing that boundary to see how far we can get but it would be a remarkable feat if we could sequence you know all of the arses there infecting people in the u.k. professor because when the variance became a news story there were 2 points that really stuck with that is that the u.k. leads the world in sequencing pathogen genomes and the 2nd point is that the united states was hardly doing it at all which was were you surprised to learn that i mean we were surprised. well i wasn't surprised that the u.k. was ahead of the game because we started thinking about it back in march when there are only 80 or so cases in the country and i think we have a long history of pathogens you know it so we were already thinking about the value of sequencing for public health and so we were in some ways prepared or primed it was in our thoughts that we could do this so i'm not surprised that we were we were ready when we really needed it i think that in the u.s.

they certainly have the machines capability the expertise and i'm looking forward to see how they scale up the sequencing i believe there's a lot of discussion going on and i look forward to them contributing genomes from the u.s. where he's going to be a very important population to to better understand i want you to take a listen to why the immunology professor danny of men said at imperial college last week take a listen you know i think with the news getting somewhat scary with the variance we've all just got to really raise our game you know the game is still the same one but we've got to get more people vaccinated they've will be more stringent to here to lock down and we've got to take it all even more seriously if that's possible so is he saying we're in a race against the virus and against the clock that the only way to stop this pandemic is to vaccinate so many people that we get ahead of the virus is that the right way of thinking. i'd like to think that we'd want to do that no matter

what their areas are circulating and so i would want to vaccinate as many people as possible drive down the number of cases through a combination of vaccination and the usual hands face and space and following the rules so it's incumbent on us to do that whatever there is circulating as variants arise that could reduce the efficacy of of vaccination then that's going to become what challenging but i do believe that that scene developers will overcome that and are already looking at vaccines that will ever come that but clearly as soon as we get on top of this particular virus the better we know the u.k. the united states along with israel lead the world in vaccinations in this pandemic the european union is under watch of pressure for the slow role well how worried should we be here in the e.u. . well this is

a global pandemic and and and people say no one is safe until everyone safe i would be particularly concerned that there's equitable vaccine across the world and not just and so everybody needs to vaccinate their populations as soon as possible also the e.u. will be able to load up vaccines because there is a capability to fund that but what concerns me more is that there are some countries that are behind the curve in their vaccine program for other reasons and so i'm keen that those countries get a really clear support as necessary before we wrap up our verse or because let me ask you do if you could look into your crystal ball when do you see this pandemic in the end do you see it in being this year. i think it's it would be difficult to say that it will end on a particular date that's

a really tough question that you've asked me there and i don't see that there's going to be a difference between one day and the next it's going to be a gradual process of of getting the pandemic under control so it could be that we have that went to some better some less like we do with flu so i think over time we're going to be continuing to see the virus causing some issues in the human population but i think it's got to be a gradual reduction and getting it under control as we can grow to live with the virus as we would influenza rather than a day at which everything changes professor sharon peacock with the university of cambridge professor because we appreciate your time and your insights and all that you do to help all of us thank you thank you very much well of course all the hopes being pinned on back scenes depend on getting enough people immunized to reach herd immunity but what if people refuse to be vaccinated

that is a question people are posing in belgium public health officials there say they are noticing that in the french speaking part of the country resistance to the vaccine is higher even among health care workers who are threatened with an infection every day. this is a moment to remember. colleague photographs care home worker christina retreats as she receives her 2nd dose of the biotech pfizer vaccine. for months and rarely i really hope to encourage my colleagues but also my family and even the country to come and get vaccinated. fredricka. as vaccination drives in nursing homes like this one in the french speaking part of belgium draw to a close many stuff still opting out. almost half of all care workers and private institutions alone in the region are hesitating even the director of this

home is among the more. kids ski rob one of the side effects i'd say in 20 years nobody knows today it will be so it's a bit like buying a car you feel like you could be safe to feel but i want to see the crash test results so personally i am a bit skeptical but for the older people it's not clearly that it's a good thing it was kind of excess well put it to some. this caregiver is also one sure he prefers to wait because he's heard some rumors get. ahead yes some production in it that can be used. to can be opposite of from this stunt because of those production them like it's kind of a stock you know. and this is just the tip of the ice book false claims that the vaccine causes infertility or even death are spreading like wildfire across social

media. the french speaking part of belgium appears particularly receptive to these ideas. the head of most in home federation thumb a bell thinks making vaccinations mandatory may be the only option so far training sessions or online campaigns have failed to convince stuff i did not understand i do not understand that it was so awful then this so a lot of rate of other people who died there so. the loss of life and it's unbelievable odo's people do not understand that they can protect themselves it's a big question experts say part of the answer is that the anti vaccine movement can spread fear faster than mainstream media can spread information. so does

the leaves do not we make you a hesitant. make you even reluctant to think vaccine that he doesn't mean you and it's a conspiracy theory and so when you stigmatize people like that by thing well you are 90 facts seeing. it dr lee would have to the negative effect of of ostracize them them and putting them in the hands of these movements. to move move move. back at the nursing home this local doctor is trying his utmost to demonstrate that vaccines are safe but is this and that's why i tell the staff here you need to get vaccinated not 70 percent if you but 100 percent of you all of you in order to win this fight. many of christina rodrigo's colleagues are also taking to social media to encourage others. she hopes each photo will make a difference. russia says it

remains open to better times with europe but has again blamed the european union for strained relations foreign minister sergei lavrov said monday that relations have been deteriorating for several years but he added that moscow still has plenty of friends among individual european nations lybrel made those comments during a visit by his counterpart from the e.u. member of state finland the finnish foreign minister repeated the e.u. use demand that moscow release jailed opposition leader alexei devolved in court and he criticized the crackdown on his supporters. russia and europe going from band to worse to discuss this i'm joined tonight by country leak a senior policy fellow with the european council on foreign relations she joins me from right here in berlin this evening it's good to have you on the program this meeting between the finnish and russian foreign ministers i know you watched the

press conference tell me who stood their ground the best i found that the harvest a very impressive he was very care very cool craig said though and the necessary 6 said it gave however all of course his very experienced diplomat so his performance is never a failure either but what i found i think he had to explain himself he had to explain why he say it early yet in a russian into the about russia's right to severe times that the european union and basically it came across as if he was backtracking call that were not live at those of aggressiveness but but stated so my impression was that moscow understood that they had gone too far by treating the thought and the way the 10 may try to limit the damage grimly critic alexei devolve me to europe sees him as

a chance for a more democratic russia at the same time he is a thorn in vladimir putin side couldn't evolve the become the single biggest dividing force between russia and europe. he has. he. has ended up in fact situation i am not sure it was anyone's intention but i think why moscow israelis taking care of the in criticism live such sensitive it. they feel that europe is intervening in russian domestic politics and trying to tell russia how to behave the paradox here is that europe probably would not have. taken any strong positions or made any astro statements had russia not rested them while they the

way they did it as soon as he stepped off the plane so i find it a little bit puzzling i think that if europe wanted to keep sorry if russia wanted to keep europe away from its domestic life from making comments and saying things then they should not have done that i mean they must have understood but if not live in a flawless in from their main mean attention when they banned if they arrest him then there will be western reactions deliberately done and that's and why i don't know it's a very good point that we've been asking the very same question there's also the nord stream to natural gas pipeline between russia and germany it's almost completed and it has become politically very explosive the german government as you know stands behind the project the united states says the pipeline threatens european energy security this is what the white house said today about the pipeline

take a listen. president biden has made clear that nordstrom too is a bad deal to bad deal because it divides europe it exposes ukraine and central europe to russian made russian manipulation and because it goes against europe's own stated energy and security goals we're continuing to monitor activity to complete or to certify the pipeline and if such activity takes place will make a determination of the applicability of sanctions all right so they're going to wait a while do you see the united states living up with its pressure on germany to kill this pipeline. let's see i think actually in about statement that many things lump together to me raise out all different things your accent is just that carry you crave military security from russia and european divisions last frontier is very complicated it's not just about

security it's not about russia or a political instincts and commercial interests intertwined so the way i see here in berlin i think german establishment is uncomfortable with it it's like you know versus saying it's lake's huge case for how to handle you cannot abandon it but carrying it with vo is is very uncomfortable but they don't know what to do because it's hard to get rid of it either didn't i see it largely as a relationship management issue in the sense that i think it that the bad if will strain gets cancelled against germany's wishes by brutal american sanctions i think likewise if that be bad for europe if it goes ahead it against older wishes poland and germany ends up being seen as a selfish country by poland and also italy that was forced to give up on on south street so i think of the best thing that could happen before germany and america to

discuss joint strategies around much the snow will stream but gas and energy trader the russian general jensen america have said something going on greece lines us to her phone call live to fight them and i think if they manage to come to agreement both of actually heated many of the divisions in europe as well you know that final question for you we have about 30 seconds russian president putin says that the west wants to contain and restrain russia do you think that putin really believes that or is that just is that the narrative that fits best impudence russia. i think he believes a lot of what he says thing sometimes he uses it for a birthday mystic purposes but by and large he is where the 0 is different ok well said their country league senior policy fellow at the european council on foreign relations we certainly do appreciate your time in your insights tonight

thank you again. and finally tonight today is mardi gras but this year no parades no parties just plenty of pandemic in america's mardi gras capital new orleans some people have decorated their homes this year a substitute for parade floats this hell stick down as the little shop of horrors even features one horror that we've all become to you see it familiar with some residents said it was their creative way of celebrating the city's trademark tradition while adhering to a pandemic restriction. maybe next year well the day is almost done but the conversation continues online go find us on twitter either at u.w. news or you can follow me at t.v. and remember whatever happens between now and then tomorrow is another day we'll see you then everybody.

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this is. is a list militants in west africa. disagree. to be sent to the sawhill region. groups affiliated with. continue to stoke tensions also coming up if you can't. after complaining about the european union. has become the 1st e.u. country to accept doses of the vaccine from china.

i brink off it's good to have you with us we begin with the fight against islamic extremism in west africa after a summit with 5 countries in africa sahil region french president emmanuel mccrone has ruled out an immediate reduction in the number of french troops stationed in the region he hopes additional forces from european allies will allow france to reduce its contingent but germany does not agree with this strategy. and this roads leading through the sparsely populated sahil desert this remote part of the world remains chronically underdeveloped and under policed. the western side is plagued by a violent islamist insurgency the jihad is threat is particularly acute in the

region bordering mali needs and blocking a fire zone prompting france and other european countries to deploy troops there during a regional summit a turn a bit chilly by man where. the french president committed to keeping over $5000.00 soldiers in the area until at least the summer. i consider the year of 2020 to have paid off we have had one victories and we have seen the results we were working 2 words given the results the important reengaged bit of mali but you know fires are in need both are military issues and are no recommitment to a policy of developed bent i think that france withdrawing a significant number of troops which is an option i've considered it would be a mistake and. so it. might calm hopes that european countries will in time increase their presence in the region allowing the french to

draw down their contingent. this was rejected by germany whose foreign minister stressed the need for development aid instead. it is obvious only where governments are functioning a tangible way and offer their citizens the prospect of development and a better life we will be able in long term to eradicate terrorism. but the german and the french positions are not at all and assad will there will be no development without security and no security without development. of more now i'm joined by garrett chords he's a research fellow with the german council on foreign relations with a focus on conflict prevention and stabilization in africa it's good to have you on the show mr cordes and i daresay that a lot of our viewers even if they were they watch the news regularly have maybe not even heard about the conflict in west africa tell us why is france involved

yeah good evening indeed. the conflict in the south. is a very important one france has been involved since 2017 militarily when the 1st rebellion and it struck mali and then a coup. struck the government and. you know whom who let government in and bottle wasn't ready to deal with certain islamist and separatist insurgency in their own country and they asked for help and it's ever since then. francaise supported on a different mission 1st mali and now also the 4 other governments are that make up that you are stuck in the states you have these so how region is a vast region how have they decided where the troops should be based.

well in general the french troops based where they see their most sense and they are based in these 5 countries but they are focused mainly on the tri border area between the discrete countries of mali media and book enough also we have currently the most there's the most violence and most instability we know that france has been in the region now for 8 years 5000 troops on the ground germany is pleading for a more nonmilitary solution to this situation i mean does this solution does it have to be either or. well this is certainly a simplistic way of putting it and i think. both germany and france as well as they european partners wouldn't put it in that way and i don't suppose i just wanted to

hear them so that using stay all emphasized military civilian means and development m.s.s. but but indeed this illusion doesn't lie. what has been so far dominance of a military approach so what would you say is the german approach then to helping basically get rid of the terror threat in the sahil region. well i mean their main focus is on strengthening governance and strengthening their security institutions in the south and especially in mali at the moment so germany is one of the most important to contribution countries to the e.u. training mission u.t.m. in mali. and that mission trains in mali and security and defense forces and has been doing so since i turned the search team. and so the

hope is that the mali and forces will be able to. protect their populations from our own troops and us threats in the future was that kind of support is to go and you know that there have been french troops in the region now for for several years and the threat of terror is still there so it is impossible to say that maybe we need to recalibrate here maybe a military solution is not the solution i mean is there that kind of thinking going on right now you know absolutely and i mean in deep. summits and i mean that's close today that emphasizes a somewhat civilian search at this is of course close to the heart of the german government but it's been there all come documents off the whole earth summit so also that the 5 saha states and france support this so off civilian sterilization measures and especially bringing basic services out to the population so i think

indeed a different approach is needed at focus on the protection of civilians and not primarily on the elimination of students. here at courts with the german council on foreign relations mr gross we appreciate your time in your insights tonight thank you. thank you well from west africa to the middle east in yemen the united nations is warning that an offensive by who these to take the city could displace hundreds of thousands of people and hamper diplomatic efforts to end the conflict there 6 years of war a devastated economy and the coronavirus pandemic are all contributing to a worsening humanitarian situation leaving parents struggling to feed their own children. 13 year old a humvee away just 11 kilograms or 25 pounds when she was brought to this hospital 2 weeks ago she's still in critical condition when the man i never know it's not

often we got no money to feed our children no one wants to help us there's nothing to live for now. half the children under 5 in yemen are suffering from malnutrition the united nations estimates that that will be 2300000 children by the end of the year more than ever before hundreds of thousands could starve to death their plight is the result of 6 years of war a collapsed economy the pandemic and falling donations food medicines and doctors are all in short supply the u.n. says the number of homeless and helpless is rising by the day. we have 80 percent of the population which cannot get by without support without human it and soup bought and then with a range of needs its growth farms food lack of should you cation household their heads i see it is have been destroyed there is little prospect of an end to the war

with the rebels have just launched a new offensive against government troops. they appear to have pushed back the rebels with the assistance of saudi airpower it's a war in which the weakest suffer the most. here's a look now at some of the other stories making headlines france's lower house of parliament has approved a controversial bill aimed at curbing islamic extremism the legislation expands the state's ability to close places of worship and to ban individual preachers if alos a series of islamist attacks in france critics say the bill stigmatizes muslims and that it would limit free speech and bill still needs approval by the senate so iran says it will reduce its cooperation with international nuclear inspectors beginning next tuesday the foreign ministry has already warned that it will start restricting inspections if it gets no response from the united states tehran is seeking to pressure the biden administration to rejoin the international nuclear deal without

preconditions as well as to lift sanctions a winter storm has brought rare snowfall to texas and other southern u.s. states millions have been left without power in temperatures as low as minus 18 degrees celsius that's 0 degrees fahrenheit texas is bracing for more icy storms later today. back here in europe hungary is one step closer to becoming the 1st european union country to administer the chinese coronavirus vaccine and russia's sputnik shots that after the arrival of a special flight carrying around half a 1000000 doses of china's sign of farm vaccine the government in hungary bypassed e.u. medical regulators by approving these vaccines after it criticized the pace of europe's immunization efforts. budapest has granted emergency approval to the chinese vaccine the hungary and government allows any vaccine which has been

administered to at least 1000000 people worldwide to be used without being reviewed by hungary's medicines regulator. prime minister viktor orban said hungary is taking matters into its own hands because the e.u. has been too slow. to note new york or numb to do we can't stop the virus without vaccines because it will always come back in new ways that's why our country's most important task is to get as many vaccines as possible. not later as promised by brussels but quickly. on endorse on. 5 different types of corona virus vaccine are now available in hungary hospitals in budapest began administering the russian sputnik the last week like the chinese vaccine it hasn't been approved by the e.u.'s medicines regulator i doubt the hungary and opposition says that all ban should not be operating as

a vaccines expert and more unsung carians about being vaccinated with the sign a found vaccine but neighboring serbia which is not an e.u. member has been using the chinese jab for weeks the country has the 2nd fastest vaccine rollout in europe after the u.k. and the hungary and government wants to catch up prime minister orbán claims the additional vaccines from russia and china will allow his country to vaccinate millions more people per capita by the end of may then other european countries hungary receiving vaccines from china and russia earlier we spoke with right hard a german member of the european parliament for the green party he gave us his reaction. well how could you possibly argue that a government should do its very best to get the people back so they the question of

however is of course where there hungary is really doing its very best and when you listen to the hungary and medical chamber that how humans do advise using the russian or the chinese vaccine that is i guess a predominant question and you get the impression that what will bond us here i sense will be the other cases is rather motivated by geo political posturing then by really. health concerns and that's of course something that makes you a bit sad our here's a reminder the top story we're following for you at this hour germany has rejected a french request to send more troops to the african sawhill region france wants more e.u. support in fighting terrorism in the region cells of these ahora desert. you want

to take ferguson is up next with business news stick around she will be right back . why are people so forced to hide in trucks. there are many reasons. there are.