we live in a competitive world it's just cold it's cold it's flu cold or teach to me city but the world is changing to the most important commodity and it is. the freezer. water city or commodity starts march 22nd on t w. today texas allowed all businesses in the state to reopen 100 percent and it ended the state wide facemask requirement the number of people infected with the coronavirus is 5 toing it's not going down and only 80 percent of texans have been vaccinated and yet the governor says we've waited long enough a huge risk in a state where the locals claim everything is bigger for the texas themselves let's hope this doesn't apply to the number of people who could soon be headed for the hospital i'm bored golf in berlin this is the day.

it is now time to open texas 100 percent why not. you know the timing doesn't make sense texans have mastered the daily habits to avoid getting covered the last. think you've already had 45000 people there's a lot of the state of texas and now it's going to go up to removing state mandates does not in and personal responsibility are concerned here is on the health welfare well being and survival frankly of people across the country. also coming up a political leaders using the pandemic to put a free press under lockdown the european union today pointed the finger at 3

countries hungary poland and our destination tonight slovenia is absolutely a systematic attempt to control the media to silence the critics and the governments are presented there's i'm not stopping at criticizing the media they are personally attacking journalists they're particularly attacking. to our viewers on p.b.s. . in the united states and to all of you around the world welcome we begin the day taking the temperature in texas today texas lifted its state wide mask mandate and ended all restrictions on businesses texas governor greg abbott saying it's time to focus on saving livelihoods as well as saving lives but in a reminder of how political the pandemic remains in the us the democrat led capital city austin is defining the republican governor by demanding a citywide mass mandate stay in place in a pandemic the actions of

a large state such as texas they have consequences that go far beyond the border almost 20 percent of americans have been vaccinated against the corona virus in texas only 8 percent the number of new coronavirus cases in the state is not climbing but it's also not fall doctors say vaccination levels are still too low the chances of spreading the virus still too high unless everyone keeps wearing those masks before you enter that establishment you need to know what's expected as it gets into office at lines and for employees to know what as guess what and again . sorry you know that the rules you know if you if you want to come into my business you have to be respectful of other people can be ok being here i do that's just what it is. you know what it was you know it's a conversation about this you don't need it. it's just each person has their rights

. and we should all respect that and they may not oh my 1st guest tonight is dr william schaffner he is a professor of preventive medicine and health policy at vanderbilt university in nashville tennessee dr schaffner it's good to have you back here on the day let me start by listening to president joe biden his reaction earlier this month to that announcement that texas and mississippi would end their mask mandates take a listen. i hope everybody realizes by now these must make a difference. we are on across the globe being able to fundamentally. change the nature of this disease because the way which were able to get vaccines in people's arms in the last the last thing that is neanderthal think you know in the meantime her in trying to go to mass produced it still matter. and the chef the u.s. president he got a lot of blowback from his choice of words there and i'm going to ask you is it

neanderthal thinking to end mask mandates while the virus is still spreading. threat i think it is mistaken thinking we're not yet at mission accomplished for sure we're vaccinating more and more people in the united states but this virus is still effecting more people than we want life far we're still at very very high levels and we're coming down a bit but now we've played well most of the country and i am concerned that texas mississippi and other parts of the country are now removing their masks mandates and masks work they're cheap they're very very effective they protect the wearer and they protect people around us and they asked should be the last thing we stop as we fight this outbreak i know i was looking at the numbers 80 percent of the population of texas has been vaccinated so we're not talking about

a lot of people and at the same time the number of new infections the case loads they're not going up but they're also not going down we're talking about this plateau does that give these new viral variants the advantage then to come in and to start spreading again of these face masks or not be warned. well surely what we're concerned about is indeed these variants which are even more contagious and the parent strain the british parent actually is likely to make you more seriously ill if you become infected so we need to do everything we can to reduce the transmission of these variants then asks social distancing good and hygiene avoiding groups that all continues to work while we were vaccinated but we need to do both sorts of things for a period of time until we can relax you know that especially in texas they've not only lifted the mask mandate they've also lifted all the restrictions on business

is 100 percent that means people can go back to restaurants for example for dining talk to me a little bit about how the virus spreads indoors particularly in restaurants. well clearly indoors prolonged contact close contact in bars and restaurants and other gathering places including religious services that's a place that the virus loves to spread and if you have a super contagious virus such as these british variant is that's just an environment where they'll soon be more cases following the cases will come more hospitalizations intensive care unit missions and after that will come the deaths we got new guidelines from the centers for disease control this week about what people who have been vaccinated what they can do now and i was wondering what does

that mean if you have a room with some people who have been vaccinated in some here who have it what rules still apply. yeah that's the more difficult question the easier question brant is can a group of people who jackson a did get together for dinner or game of cards or whatever and then he answers easy that's yes now when vaccinated and unvaccinated people come together the question is who are these only vaccinated people and if they've been careful day to day or are we in danger of having them bring the virus into that environment remember that vaccines at their best are 95 percent effective not 100 percent so he still have to maintain some caution the governor of the state of texas has said that the people should be able to decide what is best what is right for them as

a public health official is it is it wise to trust the public to take the necessary precautions when you're in a pandemic. you know brant it's less a matter of trust then it's actually a matter of this virus be communicable so what you do for yourself what you decide to do for yourself actually involves others the the image i like to have is at a traffic light we go on the green light and stop on the red light if someone drives on the breadline. that that's their own volition that's their own independent decision but they endanger not only themselves and others not wearing a mask is like driving on the bridge it's right there when you drive on red and you're also breaking the wall that's an important point there dr william schaffner from vanderbilt university in nashville tennessee as always our discussion is going to talk with you good to get your insights thank you i pleasure. well

tomorrow march 11th will be exactly one year since the world health organization declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a full blown pandemic despite shutdowns and walk downs these past 12 months our world has changed dramatically one year ago today china reported the 1st drop in new coronavirus cases while numbers here in europe were beginning to explode europe had become the new global epicenter of the pandemic and as you'll see in this look back march 10th would be the last day europe's political leaders would be able to talk about the virus with a smile. today may go down in history as the moment when the corona virus mutated geographically we're at the very beginning of this epidemic we have to keep a clear mind that this cannot be business as usual we are facing an exceptional

situation it's not an end to what sort of methods to be done through that he thinks ain't going to work tonight across europe governments are scrambling to put as much space between millions of people and the virus and those who don't know what this is it's a tissue we haven't used them for sneezing and sure if you don't have one sees you as your elbows you have to striving to do what china just it is that even possible from now on we're stopping shaking hands. should be the saudis are. over. to. former us president jimmy carter says he is saddened and angry about the restrictions on voting while makers in his home state of georgia are considering today the 96 year old carter released a statement which reads american democracy means every eligible person has the right to vote in an election that is fair open and secure we must not lose the

progress we have made we must not promote confidence among one segment of the electorate by restricting the participation of others our goal always should be to increase not decrease voter participation. and voters in georgia turned out in record numbers last november electing 2 democrats to the u.s. senate thereby giving democrats control of the u.s. congress republicans say the new legislation is necessary to restore confidence in the elections but carter says they are misleading the public with lives championed by former president donald trump trump still claims the election was rigged although he has never provided any proof the renowned and respected u.s. television journalist roger mudd has died he was 93 mud was one of broadcast journalism original titans working alongside c.b.s. anchor walter cronkite he spent 20 years covering politics in washington which

brings us back to former president jimmy carter carter lost the election in 1900 to ronald reagan one year earlier it looked like carter the incumbent could be challenged by fellow democrat massachusetts senator ted kennedy roger mudd interview kennedy in 1979 and with one simple direct question the hopes of kennedy for the white house were damaged the reporting prowess of roger mudd is still studied and admired to this very day here is that famous exchange followed by months come in terry years later on the stump had a vacancy dominating imposing a masterful officer and personal interview which he can become stilted elliptical and at times appears if he really doesn't want america to get to know him why do you want to be president.

were right to make the announcement to run the reasons that i would run is because what was interesting about it was how how really discouraged we were. at the results of the interview but once you. i took it into a screening room if you saw this the sort of sculpted irish face on the screen of able. to articulate why he wanted to be president airbus caught almighty he doesn't know. the right to report it something many journalists in the united states and here in europe take for granted at their own peril today the european union called out 3 of its eastern members poland hungary and slovenia saying they are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to clamp down on the work of reporters we want to take

a closer look at slovenia where the prime minister is accused of waging a war against the media with a campaign to label journalists as spreaders of fake news observers say his attacks are creating a climate of fear in newsrooms across the country our correspondent barbara visa will travel to slovenia and met one of the journalists targeted. journalism is really a walk in the park but being regularly attacked by your own government should not be part of the job description that is why i have a board slovenian reporter on the daily experiences when she publishes critical articles right now so on a personal level i'm just fed up but on the professional level i'm just very worried because i don't want to be living in a country without a press or without a vigorous press did she was targeted by a prime minister young team as distinctly biased and leftwing other journalists were compared to prostitutes most attacks on launched on twitter ranging from

personal insults to condemning the whole profession he was basically attacking. journalists from the public broadcaster this is something that he's been saying for ever if you repeat the lie often enough it becomes journalism i mean that's what he's been saying in many different ways you know about journalists and about media and delicious the barrage of smears and personal assaults has become markedly worse in the past year it doesn't play it this time around. and as i said took the gloves off even the very thin gloves that he used to wear and he doesn't care anymore even slovenia's national news agency is known for its independence and impartiality finds itself under attack the government is questioning its legal basis and threatening to pull funding. the fact that s.k.

is facing really a serious of attempts to destabilize it this instability financial stability and or saw this let's say this credit they show which are going on especially on social media and especially from the strength of stakeholders that are really worrying and there are also about 90 people who are war jobs. so this is a really tough situation slovenia has largely been seen as a success story among the ex-communist countries of central europe but experts warn that under this glossy the new year the current government is moving the country in the wrong direction. she's absolutely a systematic attempt to control the media to silence critics who wish to regain control of relevant media and discuss. during the last year day became much more aggressive much more and to get mystique and the government representatives are not

stopping criticizing the media they are personally attacking journalists there particularly attacking female journalists so i would say that this is really a behavior to the schools is not in line with the standards of the union and of course they also feel that there will be some repercussions or that the e.u. will have to make up its mind whether to take a stand and defend press freedom in slovenia as long as there still is a free press to protect in this country. and my colleague barbara billingsley his return from she'll be nice she's back in brussels tonight you need to you for brooke so what do we make of these 3 countries you've got a pandemic going on in all of them and you've got all 3 of them basically targeting journalists that's more than just a coincidence isn't it. absolutely i mean the using the pandemic there have been throughout the last year to tighten the screws even further but let's not forget this has been going on for years particularly in hungary and poland and sylvian is

see viktor orban the hungary and prime minister oneness as the godfather of the how to abolish press freedom in your country and they're really following his playbook how do you do this you 1st threaten journalists you poison public opinion against them then you start throttling them by new rules and regulations and then you get your supporters and your political cronies to buy up those media step by step and after 10 years of the hungary we see today there is simply nothing left and that is what the others are more or less emulating it's like the godfather redux for the journalists that you love to hate let's take the country that you visited. the government is personally attacking individual journalists they are why. they're attacking them because they can poison public opinion against them this way and it really goes to unbelievable extremes younus the young the prime minister

himself a couple of years ago called 2 journalists 2 women journalists who had done a report about right wing tendencies in the countries and groups in the country and the neo nazi groups in the country he had called them cheap prostitutes on twitter in writing and that really is that drive you know takes it to a point where you just sort of wonder how is it possible that in the midst of europe somebody like this can be prime minister so what do you do if you poison public opinion you denigrate people you denigrate their opinions and what the ruling party in slovenia hopes to do somehow is to really get rid of any free media any free journalism that will sort of criticize the government and we know what's at the end of that it's a sort of attack recy and this is not a slippery slope the seems to really be really a steep hill that things are sliding down there and you hope the public is able to

recognize this when someone is is hitting someone below the belt what about people in slovenia i mean what what do they think about the media. some of course i mean who are following the more right wing populist the mindset they they they by this i mean you you have the the usual echo chambers in on social media and so those people who follow this they will believe it and it has to a certain extent already poisoned public debate people started to stop believing in politics at all they think all politicians are somehow just nasty people and have a bad character they're lumping the one side together was the other side this time a lot of people also well fighting back against this so our media who report freely or if you try to defend themselves but they would need help from the outside of and if they don't get it and if you can continue on this way it's not going to take

very long another couple of years and so the new will have been go it will have been going the way hungary has known in the 1st place yeah this is a cautionary tale of what happens when you take a free press for granted. in brussels tonight barbara's always thank you. tomorrow japan will poles to remember the natural and the manmade disasters that forever scarred the people and their country exactly gin years ago a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami the tidal wave slammed into the coast and set a chain reaction in motion a nuclear meltdown at the fukushima nuclear power plant more than 18000 people died the land around the power plant contaminated with radiation uninhabitable to this very day we have this report now from inside the exclusion zone now me it's a ghost town situated just

a few kilometers from the fukushima nuclear power plant the only thing left here is memories from march 27th. samuel cano grew up here. nowadays he rarely visits the family home it lies in the exclusion zone. where it's been too dangerous to live ever since. to call it what i don't find the time missed it still he said i feel more that everything has gotten worse. now there's just silence here. but sammy o'connor is still haunted by the sound of the tsunami. and the image of the wave destroying everything in its path is stuck in his mind. already there. have to respect nature these are nature's warning signs that you must treat the earth with care if you are on your part of the good with your. sammy

i used to work at the power plant now he wants nothing more to do with nuclear energy. one look at the area explains why the banks littering the ground are filled with radioactive soil an entire city has been eradicated and almost no one wants to live here cleaning up the damage will take generations thousands are busy on the site of the nuclear plant but the toughest work is yet to come west. there's no blueprint for the work here and even though we're making progress you still come up against problems you didn't anticipate. you can be much. the workers recover spent nuclear fuel and make sure the reactors a constantly pumps with cooling water the water is purified but it's still contaminated and it may have to be dumped into the ocean at some point. the area is

still in a state of emergency according to greenpeace. we're only in year 10 of them because austin will be going on for at least the rest of the century. japan has invested billions of euros rebuilt sounds or constructed entirely new ones but they are mostly empty filled only with those who work at the power plant or the elderly semi o'connor who hates the word reconstruction he says nothing will be like it was before. the gravesite of his family lies in the exclusion zone no sure of the lot over but just look at what i have to put on the kinds of annoying things i have to put up with just to visit a grave site it won't be over tomorrow or in 10 years or even decades from now that's why sammi o'connor feels compelled to talk about what happened on march 11th 2011. and that is our world

tonight the day it's almost gone but the conversation continues online you'll find us on twitter me during the news you can follow me of golf t.v. and remember whatever happens between now and then tomorrow is another day we'll see you then everybody.

blacks you know in southern siberia looking for environmental activists it's further proof of the consequences of an air pollution increase almost. they're demanding the relocation of endangered. but from any tree that's responsible is also a major source of reliable income focused on europe. 90 minutes on d w. who

all. of the more. sleep because you know for using love. for. endless war was slowly over. the years mostly. there's no use no love for the wicked. doesn't. work using the word the. can't sleep. couldn't sleep. our current form.

more than a 1000 years ago europe witnesses a huge construction boom. christianity from established itself. both religious and secular leaders are eager to display their power. to trace began. who can create the tallest biggest and most beautiful structures. stonemason builders and architects compete with each other. this is how massive churches are created. contest of the cathedrals. 12th d.w. .

this is d w news live from berlin tonight the u.k. and the european union and claims a vaccine nationalism british prime minister boris johnson has denied that his government is blocking the export of vaccine european council president charles the show says other walks of how this latest round was affecting relations between london and brussels also coming up behind the walls of china's a so-called reeducation camps for weeks we speak to one of the authors of a new report that says what's really happening inside the. camps amounts to

genocide. i'm burnt goff it's good to have you with us we begin tonight with another diplomatic route between the european union and former member great britain this time over covert 1000 banks seems british prime minister boris johnson says that his government has not block the sale of covert 1000 back scenes to the e.u. and this was after london summoned the e.u.'s envoy to explain the accusations made by european council president charles michette shell accusing the u.k. of imposing a ban on exports of vaccines produced in its territory this latest span comes as the european union faces increasing criticism over its slow vaccination role well. let's have a listen now to what boris johnson said earlier today in parliament i back to wish

to correct the suggestion from the european council president that the u.k. has blocked vaccine exports and let me be clear we have not blocked the export of a single coated 19 vaccine oh vaccine comparatives this pandemic has put us all on the same side in the battle could global health we oppose vaccine nationalism in all it's all are for more let's take the story now to london. until joins me good evening to you charlotte boris johnson says there's no ban the european union says we're talking about a de facto ban what is it. well let's 1st will be clear on what we're talking about here this is in relation to the astra zeneca vaccine that's the bank seen that is produced the only vaccine that is produced here in the u.k. and this is the latest installment of a spat about the supply of that vaccine to the e.u. now the e.u.

is painting a picture here of the u.k. essentially benefiting from a britain cruel as whereby a kid has a priority to recess to for it to vaccinate its population with doses of the vaccine produced in the u.k. and the u.k. here for its part is pushing back very hard on any claims that there is an outright ban on on the export of vaccines from the u.k. z. mentioned just now the pushback is so strong that it's hope e.u. diplomat was summoned to discuss the claims that such a ban existed the e.u. pointing out that the data just isn't there at the moment to so look at how much it is exporting the vaccine meaning that it's muddy waters in the u.k. they pushing back very hard in britain has had a very successful back solution draw the european union and vaccination rollout remains very slow is this because britain has more vaccines or is there more to

this story than there. i think that it is a bigger picture that you need to look at that goes beyond just supply i mean 1st of all i think britain would see would point out that the banks a nation program started earlier here since december in fact it's now banks unaided or that given the 1st dose of vaccines almost 23000000 people it was so it started a different dosing strategy it decided relatively early on that it was going to separate the doses by up to 12 weeks meaning that more people could receive the 1st dose of the vaccine faster it was a relatively controversial strategy at the time but is something that is since seen to be supported by the data that emerging even in over 60 five's in the older population we know that there was a get to season in other parts of europe about the efficacy of the oxford astra zeneca vaccine in over 60 five's no such debate was had in the u.k.

so the trust levels as well when it comes to the arts with astra zeneca vaccine are higher w.'s short chosen pill with the latest tonight in london charlotte is always thank you. one year into this pandemic many teenagers are struggling to cope mentally and emotionally after months of misc disrupted social lives and the heavy responsibility of protecting their loved ones in belgium mental health services for young adults say they are over well you know you visited one hospital to see how the pandemic is impacting vulnerable young people. long months of locked up and have been of battle for many young people. teenagers in acute mental distress come to them in hospital for psychiatric care often after traumatic events or suicide attempts among the residents is this 17 year old we're calling alexandra covert it was an extra thing that just made me kind of collapse it was the one thing too much

to have in my high risk so i had to be. kind of isolated from my family i had to. stay very most of i could hug my parents alexandra is not alone in struggling to cope with covert but she's one of those fortunate enough to access this hospital's help director sophie marks says new admission requests for troubled teens have skyrocketed since january. maass thinks that's due to exhaustion exam stress and dashed hopes for a return to normality. although makeshift rooms were added there are no places left and no even the waiting list is closed. can you choose between a societal 15 year old and a suicidal 16 year old it's impossible with a doctor must believe the authorities could save lives by prioritising teens as

society reopens to this best and poor we need to create spaces for play for joy and for conversation so all young people can once again be part of the social fabric of life something so crucial for teenagers. if not there's a real risk their mental health will keep deteriorating and i'm truly afraid to see suicide rates increase what it feels like we're at the edge of that tsunami and urgently need to build flood defenses. the only homes as the young people living here build up their emotional defenses to reenter the outside world alexandra hopes sharing her story will give strength to other teens who are suffering. we're all struggling with this situation. the fact that we're also hearing or we're all still fighting against is something very positive and something that will make us grow and will be able to look after and say wow i've

ones through these tough times i made. her priority is getting better as soon as she can which could open the door for another young person who needs help. or let's get you up to speed now on some of the other stories that are making headlines around the world the u.s. congress has approved the sweeping pandemic relief package the 1st troyer for the biden administration because the $1000.00 bill now set to be signed into law by president joe the measures include relief payments for most americans a bill you. of dollars for schools local authorities and businesses. ivory coast prime minister biker yoko has died at the age of 56 in southwestern germany he was receiving medical treatment in the city of fribourg mr aka yoko was a former media executive who went into politics and was seen as a possible successor to his country's presidents at least one person has died in

clashes between students and police in johannesburg south africa the protests were held over college tuition fees thousands of people have been unable to register to study this academic year because of money owed from 2020. china is under scrutiny yet again for its treatment of muslim we got a report from a u.s. based group of experts says china has violated every part of the united nations genocide convention activists say china has detained 1000000 we are in detention centers like this one seen here in change on which china says is a vocational training center beijing controls all of valuable footage from these sites but the report describes them as extra judicial centers where we suffer torture rape and forced labor china has denied these allegations claiming reeducation programs have helped fight extremism in the region. if

a more now i'm joined by azeem ibrahim one of the report's authors it's good to have you on the program talk to me a little bit about or describe if you could what is it that the we are in jewry. so. enduring essentially what his agent would say to this report indicates that's the report that we undertook as probably the most comprehensive and detailed report on changes beach of the general convention viewed over testimonies of all worth 15000 former detainees and we could all but he could that would change as only laws as tatts and his man use and it seems very clear that over 50 experience global experience and international law in general sayed and net chain of policy have all come to the conclusion that chain as in clear breach of the genocide convention of 1988. you said you conducted interviews how were you

able to gather information and analysis beyond that because we know this region has been cordoned off for years it's almost impossible for even reporters to get into. yes so we didn't have access to the individuals died a plea in the camps we did take a look at the evidence all former detainees many of them of given testimony was and is due to bases all these testimony was out in the globe and so we utilize that much you are known with publicly released timoteo you know much of it satellite information and much of cheney's government's own documentation and terms of who they want to be how they want to treat this they want to treat the eda so if i can just mention a few that can and can't to destroy you know the white the most completely destroy them root and branch breathe the air lineage the roots of. audience so it's very clear exactly what the chinese government is trying to do with the beakers it essentially trying to. get identity music is

a horrible accusations that are being made in your report wondering can china be held accountable at all for the. well this is the new the general state convention is 152 party states are pocky to it including china and so so the onus no falls upon the other 151 to change into and if they do not do so according to the convention in the complicit with the general state the convention was set up to prevent genocide there's also the heir to punish those those parties engage in this kind of behavior so business as usual cannot continue for the countries are a signature to the general convention how concerned are you that geopolitics there will be a part of the equation here and prevent the international community from doing what it needs to do to stop these human rights abuses well obviously that's a deep concern you know change not as a global superpower no as not one small poxy country in

a corner of the world that you can isolate and punish countries that are in the global and complete ally on change now for the economic growth particularly poor school that you know many european countries are looking to china what it says. so many of them are reluctant to call a chain which is why the use all sorts of all position in computing mechanisms to try to avoid responsibility for example saying that we need a commission of inquiry we need a court to make this determination even the facts aren't straight except for these i don't believe in tactics for countries that don't really want to step up to the sponsibility under this convention as a member here with the latest on these reports claiming attempts at genocide against the weaker minority in china as in we appreciate your time your insights tonight thank you thanks for having me but in. thomas bach has been reelected as president of the international olympic committee the german ran unopposed for a 2nd term since taking charge of the i.o.c.

in 2013 off has had to navigate the doping scandal with the $24980.00 games and corruption investigations of the 2016 rio de janeiro games now the olympic fencing gold medalists is trying to make the tokyo games happen after a one year delay due to the code of it and. thailand's prime minister ended a news briefing in bangkok by leaving the podium and spraying the media with hand sanitizer because that. reporters were ready to question try to china. about a possible cabinet reshuffle look at that spraying of the reporters instead he showered the former journalist with disinfectant and continued his sparring frenzy as they cornered him for questioning. that's what he called trying to get to the dirt in the story you're watching the news tonight was up next with your

business stick around she will be right back with the sport. and. video. every day counts for us and for our planet.