intrinsic to my long into i'm not maltese i'm. not i. i was it's were. my choice to be scottish because even the way to transmit the truth. and in the question how much and i will. do to you. this is d w news and these are our top stories. german foreign minister who has rejected a french request to send additional troops to the african side held region saying more development projects on the ground what's needed instead he saw how is struggling to contain an insurgency by islamist terror groups france has more than

5000 troops stationed there to assist security efforts. france's lower house of parliament has approved a controversy a bill aimed at curbing islamic extremism legislation expands the state's ability to close places of worship and the banned individual preaches but critics say the bill stigmatizes muslims and limits free speech it still needs to pass the senate. thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of boston wanted to demand the release of a popular spanish police arrested public hostle after he was given a jail sentence for glorifying terrorism and insulting royalty in his songs last friday he missed the deadline to surrender to police. this is the deadly news from berlin you can follow us on twitter and instagram at the doubly news opens that website to be found at the w dot com. 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 broke off in berlin this is the day. we're worried the virus. and it is reward for people who are battling with a with nature with a disease that is capable of mutating and changing becoming martyrs means to kill

more of that lead and eventually a lot of resistance to vaccines in which case we didn't redesign the vaccine and we're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line ok piracy is not going anywhere if we stay with us when we are in a race between of you taking virus and vaccinations. also coming up a criminal critic alexina of all 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 what enemies and our potential enemy is half a century is relied on and he used a very ambitious people who crave paua these people we used to further that our own interests and i see that nothing has changed is this natural no we need to.

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. like polio. that's sure different bidets that you had once in your life. or you lacked what is going to be true or not i just don't know but you still hopeful 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 professor peacocke 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 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 very it 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 interested which is then more resistant to the vaccine at that stage we have to start to look at how we can what if i vaccines 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 talk to me a little bit about the u.k. variant we have heard that it may be more lethal in there it's more troops miscible what are the facts there. ok what the facts are that it is more transmissible 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 the 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 go into 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 now when we look at it elsewhere we can only really detect it

in places that have done sequencing or tested tested for the particular circulating and it has spread to $82.00 other countries so what happens when it reaches that country will depend what other variant is there and whether it can compete is a bit like kind of running a race if you like with another variant 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 viral 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 in the year so that is 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 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 sheens 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 have it 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 set relating as variants

arise that could reduce the efficacy of of vaccination then that's going to become one challenging but i do believe that vaccine developers will overcome that and already looking up axes 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 roll 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 roll out 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 hold up that seems 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 that vaccine program for other reasons and so i'm keen that those countries get a really clear support as necessary before we wrap up perverse or because let me ask you do if you could look into your crystal ball when do you see this pandemic ending and do you see it 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 been to some better some less like we do we through 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. 4 months is rarely i really hope to encourage my colleagues but also my family and even the country to come and get vaccinated. like. as vaccination drives the 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 kirov one of the side effects on let's say in 20 years nobody knows today 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 have clearly that it's

a good thing that once was kind of excess well put it sounds as if. this caregiver is also one sure he prefers to wait because he's heard some rumors get. ahead yes some production it that can be used. you can be observed from the stand because of those production them that is pure nice kind of stuff you know. and this is just the tip of the ice book false claims that the vaccine causes infertility or even death or 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 about things 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 for them there's so a lot of rate of every people who died they 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. the leaves do not. make you a hesitant or make you even reluctant to take the vaccine but he doesn't mean you and that's a conspiracy theory and so when you stigmatize people who are like that by thing well you are 95 x. seeing. it dr lee would have to the negative effect if 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 is because you give up 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 states finland the finnish foreign minister repeated the e.u. use demand that moscow release jailed opposition leader alexei 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 clear very concrete said olive a necessary 6 said a gate overall 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 into severe times of the european union and basically it came across as if he was backtracking of that were not with it 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 they date and may try to limit the damage grimley critic like same evolve 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 he become the single biggest dividing force between russia and europe.

he has. he. has ended up been backed 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 ostrow statements had russia not arrested 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 that if you

live in a flawless in from their main mean attention when they banned if they arrest him then there will be western reactions illiberal to don and units and why i don't know you 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 russia and it may 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 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. ok let's see i think actually in about statement that many things lumped together to me raise out all different things europe's energy security ukraine's military security from russia and european divisions last winter is very complicated it's not just about security it's not about russia or a political instincts on commercial interests intertwined so the way i see it here in berlin i think german establishment is uncomfortable with it it's like you know versus saying it's lake's it 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 the big bad if not all stream 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 sent fish cantrip 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 would be for germany and america to discuss joint strategy around clutch just normal stream but gas and energy trade with russia in general terms in america have said something going on greece lines us to her phone call it will show by then and i think if they manage to come to agreement but that 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 and things 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 thank you. 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 then you see it familiar with some residents said it was their creative way of celebrating the city's trademark tradition well with hearing to 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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the economics magazine made in germany. next on. the day a great. game in trouble as it is done but it's not a question of if. it was up to the bitter truth is that it will cost you my. life and seismologists and disaster relief officials do now to limit the destruction is stenberg claim a risk and the warning. of 45 minutes on d w. people knocking for coverage. there are many answers.

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