this is the w. news live from berlin the news medical regulator tells governments to keep using astra zeneca as coronavirus vaccine the head of the european med since agency says the benefits outweigh the risks of side effects an investigation continues into reports that the vaccine could be linked to rare blood clots also coming up u.s. secretary of state anthony blinken arrives in south korea as washington tries to get asian allies on side in the face of growing chinese it for influence.

and starts paying minimum wage holiday pay and pensions to its drivers in britain the change comes after a long legal battle over the right telling companies treatment of its workers. i'm going to have us thanks for joining us european union's medicines a regulator has urged governments not to stop using the astra zeneca coronavirus vaccine while the pandemic is still in full swing it says the benefits outweigh the risk of possible side effects a number of e.u. member states suspended use of the shot due to cases of a rare form of block clots in the brain in a germany the decision to cause the use of the astra zeneca shots has shaken confidence. every adult in germany has been promised a vaccine shot before the end of september without astra zeneca that will be hard

to achieve the immunization program is about to be expanded including 3 general practitioners like dr saw me in berlin he was getting ready to give the jab to hundreds of his patients every week now he's been put on hold as. we were prepared to start vaccinating we wanted to get going early we've spoken to the medical bodies set everything up here in the practice and alerted many of the patients. and then came this big surprise. the government says it is asking people to get the vaccine it has a duty to inform about potential risks but many doctors say the cautious approach will cause delays. i think they've not done the vaccination campaign any favors but safety 1st i think it was important to put patient safety at the center of things so it was the right decision but then you need to publish the information behind it

immediately. the european medicines agency has to give its verdict about fears that astra zeneca causes blood clots on thursday but even if the vaccine is given the go ahead for a 2nd time confidence in it has been dented from the information that we get is that the value of astra zeneca is greater than the risks but of course having any risk is not a nice feeling for this country i don't know. actually the risk of getting other people taking these back time is worth it or not because we were not being very clear about this situation if i had the choice i would take by on tech but if i had no choice it would take astra zeneca. doctor for he me hopes downs will not get the upper hand with the 3rd wave of covert infections approaching he says that would be bad news. come on one of his months was i can

only say from what i hear many people are still willing to take it almost. germany has a shortage of bank scenes a problem that will be much worse if hundreds of thousands of astra zeneca doses stay in the box. the european union is unveiling its proposal for a vaccine pass to enable continent wide travel during the ongoing pandemic the so-called green pass conceived by the european commission would created a digital document providing proof of the travelers medical status to be shown at airports and border crossings the idea has been pushed by tourism dependent countries like greece and spain but critics are raising ethical concerns saying it could leads to special privileges and discrimination against those who haven't been inoculated and one expert on that we are now joined by the irish foreign minister simon cove ne he had joins us now from cork in ireland mr tony is st patrick's day

ireland's national holiday today so happy isn't patrick's day 1st. thank you thank you very much there are of course many more irish people outside of ireland there are in the army and certainly. in many ways a global celebration for a global tribe of irish people many of them in germany too i'm glad to say that's true talk about global travel you as a foreign minister would normally be travelling the world probably today but travel is limited is now the right time for the european commission to present its vaccine passport plan considering the chaos around the e.u.'s vaccination rollout. well i think i think the e.u. needs to be cautious i have to say and i think a lot of countries will do their own thing when it comes to international travel to ensure that we don't allow in particular a new variance or mutations of the back of the virus into our countries and so many

european countries have struggled to get on top of the spread of covert 19 that i think they would be very cautious not to allow a 3rd or a 4th wave depending on what country you're in but of course at some point in the future we've got to open up again with caution to gradually remove restrictions as the numbers fall and the percentage of people vaccinated increases dramatically over the summer months and i know that there have been a lot of countries that are dependent economically on tourism and people traveling across borders pushing for the european commission to produce a safe way of facilitating international travel but i have to say aren't going to be very cautious in this space we are already requiring mandatory quarantine for people who shot into arland we require p.c.r. tests before people i write into airports and ports in ireland i think many other

countries would be very cautious they would of course look at this proposal with an open mind but i can i just interrupt before we talk about this is an important issue i think before we talk about vaccination possibles we need to have people vaccinated and many new citizens including an island looking at the much much fosamax in rollouts in the u.k. and the u.s. and wondering what's gone wrong in the e.u. so what's your on saw. well look i mean up here the we haven't started as well as we would have liked and the u.k. and the us and countries like israel had really pushed ahead with rapid thrown out of vaccine and they've managed to purchase more vaccine earlier and the the advance purchase orders particularly from astra zeneca have now materialized. on the basis of the numbers that were promised and that has been a source of enormous frustration i'm sure within the european commission but also

across the european union i still think though by the way it is an awful lot better than if we didn't have a collective approach within the european union and each european country was competing with others to try and get their hands on as much vaccine as possible and so at least we had some order to the rollout and i think the european commission needs to be credited for that the pace of that roane i was i think we would all like to be faster than has been the case but i do think as we move through the summer that you will see the vast majority of e.u. countries providing vaccines for all i don't see them in their countries mentioned but i'm sure that people do not want to see where done until the summer when they last but not far behind well on the other hand you pointed to delays in deliveries but figures when these last weeks show that you as exported 30 full 1000000 vaccine doses doses outside its borders well while the u.k.

and the us are not exporting any and 9000000 doses are going to the u.k. of all places why isn't the e.u. keeping these vaccines for its own citizens. well i think you know there are a number of answers to that question but 1st of all the e.u. isn't a country you know it's not like the u.k. or the u.s. it's not a united states of europe we are $27.00 sovereign states that agree to work together and coo sovereignty in certain areas the e.u. is a platform for international trade and export for many many companies. are that is a good example of that i mean we have one of the largest clusters of pharma and bio pharma companies in the world here and it is a platform for international trade so i think it would be an extraordinary decision if the e.u. were to simply prevent any exportation at all from the e.u. even in an area as sensitive as vaccines that being said i think we have to ensure that when we are. when we have signed a contract for

a pre-purchase order with a company we need to ensure that they follow through on their commitments to the e.u. 1st if they're based in the e.u. rather than actually fulfilling their commitments outside of the european union but not often fulfilling their commitments to the e.u. and that has been hugely problematic particularly the astra zeneca but you know i i have to say i think it would be a dangerous precedent for the e.u. to simply prevent the export of products that are being manufactured in the e.u. for the global market but won't stand i think what european citizens and i be a good number of vaccines that we can get can i also say because i think it's important you know this is not just about vaccinating europe we have to ensure that the e.u. contributes to the world finding a way to vaccinate everybody because on until the smallest and most remote countries vaccinated none of us are truly safe because of the way in which this

virus spreads and the way mutates and the way new strains of the virus can develop so the e.u. needs to yes. focused on vaccinating its own people but it also needs to ensure that there is a global response here that protects only communities in countries that don't have the wealth or influence that we have to be able to store stock seeds and the challenge i think has to be in both of those areas to get it done as quickly as possible. irish foreign minister simon calmly thank you very much for your time i think any time i present patrick's day. let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world today. is the final day of voting in the general election in the netherlands polling has been spread out over 3 days to avoid crowds one tactic to help boost social distancing voters who cycles of polling stations can bring their bikes right up to the ballot box. news as government says gunmen have killed at least 58 people near the border

with mali the attack started at a convoy returning from a market and a nearby village no group has claimed responsibility but several armed groups are active in the region linked to the so-called islamic states and to al qaeda. at least 8 people have been killed in a shooting spree had several massage parlors in the u.s. city of atlanta 21 year old male suspect was taken into custody most of the victims are reportedly of asian descent it follows a recent wave of attacks on asian americans. u.s. secretary of state antony blinken and secretary of defense lloyd austin landed in south korea on the 2nd stop of a tour to reset relations with asian allies the u.s. officials are in seoul to shore up support for the biden administration's agenda to keep a lid on the growing power of china blinken reaffirmed washington's commitment to

the complete denuclearization of north korea but head of the trip powerful sister of north korean leader kim jong il on war washington not to interfere in the region . let's walk over to correspondent frank smith who's joining us from seoul frank what can we expect from this meeting well i was at the ministry of national defense here in south korea and there were a number of demonstrations taking place there one was in favor of a strong u.s. so alliance other demonstrations were against it saying that the u.s. was causing greater tension in the region in its efforts to contain china and and rein in north korea with pressure and sanctions. the u.s. secretary of defense lawyer to austin met with his counterpart. in seoul earlier

today and they reaffirmed the alliance with the usual rhetoric that it was never more important in the linchpin of of peace and security in east asia but there are some outstanding issues definitely between south korea and the united states to outstanding issues with we've got to china the interests of america and its asian allies fully aligned. well you know that is definite problem in relations between so korea and the united states china is so through its largest trading partner by far and previously when the u.s. and the south korean military deployed an american n.t. ballistic missile system here in south korea called fat in the center of the country china retaliated with unofficial sanctions against so korean entertainers and against so korea's tourism industry causing some serious financial

losses in that industry south korea doesn't want to see that again and so getting so 3 to sign on. to participating in that containment effort to washington is going to be difficult and so can president mungy and he wants to pursue peace building and engagement with him for any sign. somewhat you who have called untouchables it's almost. like work in the n.f.l. to book him for me that also morsi quite as many most of these folks are based at the bottom of. a food that looked older but i hope in getting to resign yes. again who had no food little done so look say son use since when you as a got a superficial man don't know the how other than a lot it's not always every turn on the motor dampening when midi closeable kita at

that is he will ignore or cancel the worst song. for the if you pay me a cut or say on us they don't have a listen to cannot ask or something like obvious or journals are beyond me now via keep us audio response to discard any fact i was going to get nasty cold you know they missed us you and i said i kept on in football you have a bit of a hooker for the truth. can you did our bia nice little league has a year on the problem s. so for me a lot bozo is simple to see endodontic is a poker. if you so can see what have you that you go by the salary of a. floridian and dalin also to look at a combined younger than him of those he commands at them when he says he get them going to we don't get the sad case with man a 1000 families phone able to move the i am 50 states idea. floating up with the

echoing at. the side of the devil as he knows to look at the middle of the sun on set back. but it's all of it is for. gradual there's bronzer case top court last month after judges ruled that bar must provide workers' rights to thousands of drivers. i'm just so delighted thrilled and relieved that the state has a right and we've got the right judgment. no one has implemented that ruling offering to pay minimum wage holiday pay and pension contributions today is an important day for all drivers in the u.k. and the reason for that is because from today any driver who earns on the uber platform and that's over $70000.00 drivers in total will be able to be paid for holiday time they'll be enrolled in a pension and they'll be able to earn at least a national living wage as a floor and not

a ceiling. critics however see the benefits are based on time driver spend paired with a customer no time spent waiting for work despite this from the court the driver also owns the funding of employment rights group says the legislation the claimants working touring was not limited. to periods when they were actually driving passengers but estimates. it also included any period when the group was locked into the room. on a list say the ruling could have huge ramifications for the exploding gag economy not just drivers but cyclists too not just the u.k. but farther afield as governments wrestle with interesting shit between workers and contractors. for now though it could be taking a trip back to court soon over claims its new changes still don't comply with

employment law. now for a look at some more stories making headlines today a court in japan has ruled the country's ban on same sex marriages is unconstitutional the landmark decision said the failure to recognize gay unions denies couple their right to equality japan is the only country in the g. 7 group of developed nations that does not permit same sex marriage pro-democracy protesters have defied a curfew in myanmar to hold a vigil for those killed by security forces the u.n. says $149.00 demonstrators have now been killed since the military seized power last month's many more have been detained or gone missing the ruling military junta declared martial law in me a mass largest city young gone. u.s. vice president carla harris has vowed to fight to improve democracy and women's rights the pledge came in her 1st speech to the united nations in new york america's 1st female vice president said democracy should be strengthened by

involving more women in decision making you know. human rights groups some of the alarm about germany's deportation of refugees back to places they say on safe unlike several other western nation nations germany regards pakistan as a safe country of origin the w.'s lose a fall is too often met one family from the ahmadiyya religious minority they say they face persecution in pakistan. every time an osama does the odd time here in leipsic it feels like a small victory in pakistan the call for prayer would land him in jail ahmed and his family are members of the ahmadiyya community and islamic minority which faces persecution back home 2 years ago they fled to germany. we live in freedom since we came we've been able to wear whatever clothes we want and when we want to veil ourselves no one tries to harm us my husband goes to the

mosque and prays there and we don't have to ask ourselves whether he will come home or whether someone will come to the mosque and hurt us. the family only has tolerated immigration status here which means they have few rights and it anytime can be arrested and deported back to our life in fear they have heard that a mass deportation is due to take place soon. sania it is not easy to leave your country and now that we have done this that we are here we're being told that we can't stay so where do we go. to use believe the movements founder was the messiah they are considered heretics in pakistan there persecution is well documented well how many shows a school books which tell children to fight the infidels signs at the shop entrances that prohibit entry for mahdi's photos from attacks on a commodity mosques still unlike the u.k.

in the us germany considers pakistan a safe country of origin leaks says that the government has stepped up deportations . i believe that there is a lack of knowledge or political will. but unfortunately this is to the detriment of the many persecuted people who live here and who are now being deported in large numbers or are still in custody awaiting deportation. for these people it is a matter of life and death to. escape. because. mark knows this well he says a mob killed his uncle when he returned to pakistan from the u.k. . achmad in costume are desperate to protect their family but they have exhausted all the eagle remedies for now there is little they can do just wait and hope they won't be on the next plane. oh as for a loser from the. reporter who filed that report luisa we understand

a plane carrying deportees left germany for pakistan today without the family you've been in touch with them doesn't mean they can stay well exactly as you said the age left. by this time here in 3000 people who were deported from the family you could wake up in the whole of dance say has just landed a few hours and lives. but what a family it's just another round of weights in. the states is greece its basis in germany is still only tolerated it means they don't have decided yet and they can get the order and quiet and that's the situation that many often does face year around 550. from your research how likely is it that the ahmadi or deportees all those from other minority religions will experience serious homme

upon their return to pakistan. only when you research the topic to the front it doesn't take to it so long to realize it and it's like being persecuted in pakistan according to amnesty international they say so far this infant child isn't targets of killing cyber malton on hate speech the u.n.h.c.r. says as well that pakistan is not safe my just in turn. so it's not only what they say it's also been documented by international organizations that was my face their situation upon return no i've witnessed so what i've heard from the family of uncertainty is that many of their family members are actually inches into the new ground and that's basically being the court of fact by this line makes you very visible in the community it's in the spotlight you're there while in the village was was it drugs back and that's for says or what

they say here they don't want to be in the spotlight it's they want to this city they've won no one to know that he's what do you see any signs of germany my to change and stomps on this issue. it's this circle to say there's definitely been an outcry now that there's that british media to go oh that took place this morning applied to sonic christian was due to be on the plane and asked if there was a public outcry that most notably by the link to this tuning party in saxony was actually released yesterday. but then it's difficult to see how germany or when germany would change that stance if in the vast amount of information about persecution that is available given the stance of the u.n.h.c.r. that i just mentioned living the way that i live country is that true thing of my

views that means or other countries actually not deporting them back to fight or. hey let's and so forth but germany is still doing that so the only. solution that's not for the unity they've sent is to place public awareness about their persecution but. did only report on it is a place to go from that thank you ladies. so sports news now in sailing team new zealand retain the america's cup off the beaten italian side lou not also 7 to 3 in the best of 13 series and they did it in dominant fashion finishing 46 seconds ahead of the challenge of the race 10 new zealand's 4th america's cup triumph their team enjoyed the victory in from the a and the exciting to home crowd in oakland and while the trip to was for the locals the city only just emerged from a covert 19 locked down 2 weeks ago. that's it for me and the news team don't go

away coming up next our environment magazine africa taking a look at saving kenya us marine ecosystem. in berlin for me and the team thanks for watching.

the scene under scene karl resign kenya's constant disappearing in a mining raid the marine conservationists are trying to stay ahead of the decay and preserve what's left. they are counting on the support of local fisherman. caught africa. next t.w.r. .

what keeps us in shape what makes us sick and how is a mistake on. my name is dr carson the i talk to me the case let's. watch them at work. and i discuss what you can do to improve your health. state use and let's all try to stay good shit. on the job. i'm sure that of us are aware of where they must search. in support of. what's what's able. to bring about.

what secrets lie behind these walls. discover new adventures in 360 degree. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. w world heritage 360 get they are now. cut. do you love coral and fascinating on the water worlds then you've come to the right place welcome to eco africa there vironment show co-produced by n.t.v. in uganda china's t.v. in large area and d w in germany i'm priscilla i'm sat with me today as always is why co-host sandrock you know we'll hi sandra and how are you today. very well crease thank you and

a big hello to all of you all of us out there coral is not the only thing we'll be talking about let's take a quick look at what else we have coming up we'll visit a company up 2nd we're screwed into stein it's funny. we would learn how an entire region is fighting over a national park and would hear how before a station could bring tons onion island back to life. horrors of vivid and colorful when they're healthy but these small marine on the most the live together in corporate colonies are not only beautiful to look at they play on it's important role in the marine ecosystem some thief spawn in coral reefs and it is also wed they find food now scientists on the coast of kenya are taking a closer look at the different ways these marine creatures call exist. the reflux degrade it was at least there is still fishes here.

joanne kalac and her colleague peter hamby visit them some way need coral reef every 2 years to check up on this fragile ecosystem the coral reef is a fascinating object of study for the to marry biologists. and. that is where the life or. so that is where you find the breeding it has. a lovely feeding area. and. so these are. used in the like. we have before for declining fish. to 3 decades and probably.

as local fishermen know all too well to my other son was born and bred in some way in the fishing has been his main source of income for years. not only wants to get the catch was still good when i started but over the past 4 years the number of fish has been declining i mean. the kenyan coast is lined with 620 square kilometers of coral reefs an area only slightly smaller than the capital nairobi in some way nice taking part in a project overseen by the research organization called you which monitors coral bleaching and mortality the causes of coral reef degradation are all manmade such as rising water temperatures. the major threats to. change. we're also seeing. going

and then we're also. another threat that is coming from. sage by. means of course there is overfishing the marine biologists have enlisted the support of locals in their efforts to protect the coral reefs they've taught fishermen how to count fish stocks and species in marin conservation zones and how to interpret their findings for example high numbers of clown fish in the coral reefs is a sign that the habitat is doing well. they've also taught them a simple method of keeping juvenile fish out of their nets the fisherman still use their traditional basket traps but now use different mesh we want ensuring that the kind of mesh size that is being used is big and that is 3 inches sizes and that

is the thinking around that is just to ensure that the kind of fish that is being captured by the basket traps i did not juveniles part of the reef is also been declared a conservation zone it covers 18 hexes an area equivalent to $25.00 football piccies. fishing is prohibited there and together the fisherman make sure the ban is respected my youngest son has been using the new kind of mesh in his traps for 2 years now. and that idea about them. i hope i'll be able to catch more fish in the future and so take better care of my family my parents. zedillo. considering the challenges we now face i also wonder if this dream will ever come true. the scientist estimates that it will take up to 20 years for fish stocks to recover completely but at least children might

benefit. now what thing and sentenced a doing in the field the dutch scientists are trying to do in the lab in arc of soup biologists a breeding coral in a giant r.e.m. and optimal conditions. like you know c s or tons of lighting equipment are used to put the spotlight on. the real stars of the show. this research project and splashes of wondrous color unfolding here underwater bright green orange and yellow corals are striving here on europe's biggest artificial reef. marine biologist not stance and his team has created a sensation. see it is just here we are doing the best we can to build the corals

were using technology knowledge and scientific investigation to create the best habitat we can for the corals best and gave them schumacher pretty. nice eating them for example to defeat researchers don't even know the half. so exactly how corals function and this coral reef ecosystem at the zoo is giving many scientists hoops he can discover much more. we can learn a lot about species with d.n.a. testing but it's not just about the coral itself there are many more factors and that makes it very very complex. the biologists in arnhem are trying to gain better understanding of the corals they want to find out how to help them survive long term in the wild. and both it's like a forest without animals if there's no forest then there's no forest animals it's the same with a coral reef if there are no corals then you don't have the other animals either

reefs or the nurseries of the sea. that's why they're the main attraction of the underwater world at birth to. the corals here grew more quickly and are healthier than in the wild. look i've got a big pussy a colony of corals actually thousands of animals living together in a kind of enormous stately inside a common skeleton of this but no one really understands it because everyone looks for the eyes and mouths but you've got to explain these tiny animals with one or a fast and little tentacles. there are more than 14000 species of corals in the world most of them are threatened with extinction nevertheless sans still kidnap and smuggle them customs officials from all over europe bring confiscated animals to max you answer like this way or soft corals must really push 1st had to go into quarantine. as shocked as shame that we still receive

carl's taken from natural environments because to some corals it's not a problem but there are other carl species that have a really tough time in nature. returning the painstakingly revive corals back to the sea isn't an option at the moment because the conditions of the oceans are too poor to try ever eventually become possible when the water quality improves. until then in our him he'll keep mixing 16 gradients to make artificial pacific watchers in the corals will continue to fascinate this is hers. it is a really amazing to be able to smile such beauty without getting it all in its report is also a bold muti on the environmental protection that's right sandra butts achieved politically different fortune in egypt a start up as far away or. would into new furniture the results give no indication of the awful big events.

furniture making in egypt is expensive. the country has no wood resources. everything has to be imported. normally scrap wood gets thrown away but that's changed in shareef alcohol use workshop. together with architect sarah. he founded the move on start up. to make luxury sustainable furnishings using scrap wood. and mohammed then understand the upside it's very important that the absent will i'm not only the cycle we ve used and refurbish the scrap wood and incorporate it into a new project that also helps raise people's awareness these products are made with actually treatment and prevent any harmful chemical. yet know what may yet.

they've made more than $120.00 pieces since moved and opened a year ago selling them in egypt and as far afield as paris and london. and how about you if you're also doing your bit tell us about it visit our websites oh send us a tweet. hash tag doing your best. we share your still race. we now go from egypt to europe north of macedonia in the balkans to be precise this is a location where the iron curtain used to divide east from west these days there is a green belt running along the form of the vision this corridor is supposed to be on nature reserve but as our report from the sharm mountains shows the situation is

not that simple. sharp planning lies near what was once the iron curtain of the ribbon of land in some areas nearby have been designated the european green belt by an association of the same name. its mission is to protect the natural landscapes there which have been shielded for decades from major developments such as farming and construction. the association promotes eco tourism renovating mountain huts and building new ones should entice more hikers to come and explore. the association also seeks to counter illegal logging which is a serious problem here the timber mafia has carved this track through the forest without permission it extends for several kilometers and s.u.v. blocks the path behind it heavy equipment they're often armed and it would not be wise to go any further with a camera rolling normal for the conservationists monitor changes in the forest with

the help of an app and satellite imagery your job on boston all ski is a mountain guide and also active in friends of sharks to go with them he says the timber thieves sometimes felled trees that if they want a bit of money. and they just leave them lying around in the forest. there was a lot of. shepherds are natural allies of the conservationists as they have a vital interest in preserving the forests and meadows and keeping an eye on illegal logging. the friends of sharp platform emphasizes the importance of monitoring. miley is a sheep farmer. and. he used to take visitors on hikes. until the pandemic hit. on the terrain up here 4 wheel drive vehicles are of no use . friends of great potential in gentle tourism.

miley and his brother have 5000 sheep. the use milk cheese they make is famous throughout the region. their entire business depends on the preservation of the natural habitat. i would totally welcome a national park and shop that's why i support the initiative. and his brother inherited the farm from their parents and have since expanded its operation and. they employ 25 shepherds during the season they spend 2 weeks at a time up in the mountains living in huts like this. the only source of power here are small solar panels enough to light the hut with a new hydro power plant that would change the shepherd explains. it would be good

they know a little villages would finally have electricity. these small high the coal mines are promoted as a greener energy good for people to have you around than in them in reality you don't have the money that they've struck this ecosystem to reverse. the conservationists promote traditional ways of life but most people want at least a few modern conveniences. pandoras could lead us down into a valley. because. this is where one of the new hydro plants is to be located. it's the plan is to build 11 in charge. not everybody.