it's an economy where the gyptian stage receives a lot of revenues from the suez canal and some of the revenues obviously. not generated at the moment. some of the efforts a period of the gyptian government themselves so they will do face some costs this will certainly damage their reputation and to some to some extent perhaps but this is again yet too early to to quantify exactly the damage is all with egypt an economy that's if we look at the bigger picture of shipping here these ships keep getting bigger the canal is not getting wider as we now are shipping companies going to have to try to rethink the routes that they take. well i think continue shipping companies reevaluate the risk of certain routes every day you know they do that as weather situations come up and so forth now zeus' canal is a massive shortcut on the trade route between asia and europe so i don't think that

this cannot can be replaced easily i mean the the roads from china to to to europe if we went around africa would be 30 percent longer for example. so it's not easy to replace those can all those can go up actually extended some parts of the canal to to do fish why are ships going to mentor it easier now then section where the earlier than was stuck was actually one of the that is actually that was not extensive or all right economist vincent starr joining us thank you so much for your insights thank you for having me. now thailand's government says it is preparing for an influx of refugees from me in march some 3000 people are reported to have fled the country already and more are on the move it follows a weekend of deadly violence that's drawn international condemnation and that violence may have reached a new level there are reports that the military has launched air strikes in current

state home to an armed resistance group. and these villagers have found refuge in a jungle clearing. they fled their homes at the weekend when they say the military launched aerial attacks on their village in the end of. the night we weren't aware that jet fighters were coming and suddenly they randomly bombed and left. late at night the jets came again. and afterwards we heard gunshots. we heard that the jets will come again. an activist group the free burma rangers also reported airstrikes saying they were

the 1st in karen state in 20 years in neighboring thailand preparations are being made for an influx of refugees. how many refugees are expected we have prepared an area for them to stay 1st after they cross over we can talk about numbers later. it was a weekend of carnage in myanmar the military junta killed more than 100 people in cities on armed forces day while general celebrated with a military parade security forces opened fire seemingly indiscriminately on the streets. it was the deadliest day since the coup on february 1st but it didn't stop demonstrators from returning to the streets. the united nations has accused the army of mass murder and germany has joined

a long list of nations condemning the ongoing violence. this is a shoot it's distressing to see the almost daily death toll from such violence by the security forces in myanmar including children the threats of the rulers against their own population are also shocking. calls for action by the international community are starting to grow louder but they come too late for those who have already lost their lives standing up for democracy in myanmar. reporter a minturn has been covering events in myanmar and joins us now from neighboring thailand welcome to the show we're talking about a new level of violence in the in march and we heard there that a lot of people are preparing to flee the country you also fled yourself a few days ago he tells us more about why and how. so i left

because quite a number of my family as well as friends ellen generalist including as well activists have been arrested and you know they have been targeting journalists a number of people have been shot who are journalists over it's nearly 50 journalists have been jailed and they have come for journalists in their offices they've raided the offices as well as people's homes to try and arrest people and i wanted to make sure that i was able to continue doing my work even at a low in the past that i think in the country i decided to leave by airplane which you know is still the easiest way out of the country i am a u.s. national which makes it more likely that they want me out of the country better than wanting to rest me an asshole of that but i do know that there's a number of people who have now skate into i think our country areas that are

trying to cross over into countries like thailand and india don't have land border right now what we saw over the weekend is being described as a massacre how did you feel watching that unfold from thailand. it was very difficult. i was trying to leave before armed forces day i had a. feeling that something big what happened on forces day either from the military side because this that they where they generally celebrate themselves and the protest that they're seeing and the rebellion that they're seeing now from the general public to their border and you know would be seen as an affront to them or from the side of the i think armed groups or the protesters and unfortunately we start a massacre that we start. and you know my family is from the angle of this from mandalay and that's where the highest number of casualties were recorded and it's very difficult to see you know the neighborhoods i may have been kept like this. i

want to ask you about the reports that we've mentioned that the military has started conducting air strikes in one part of the country what information do you have about this. so as the report was saying earlier this is the 1st strike that this area has seen in 20 years this is. the. national clicked we're going to get to since then the pendants of the country but they had breached a cease fire agreement in 2015 and for the most part this area had while had seen smaller skirmishes it hasn't seen any of this so indiscriminate violence against civilians which is really what's the bombings where it's quite likely that the by the jets and the bombings were about how he should for the canyon command national union attacking a military outpost and killing according to the 10 soldiers when they took over

this outpost and stole a number of their guns and other weapons we'll have to leave it there reporter and in time joining us from thailand thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us today. let's get around to some other headlines government data in mexico suggest the coronavirus death toll there is likely at least 60 percent higher than previously reported revised numbers so more than 320000 mexicans have died with cope with 19 that places mexico at the 2nd worst hit country in the world after the united states. and international team investigating the origins of the corona virus says it is extremely unlikely that it leaked out of the lab they were port concludes the virus probably passed to humans from abaft through an intermediary animal the researchers visited the chinese city behind earlier this year where the virus was 1st detected. islamist militants have killed dozens of civilians in northern mozambique and an armed group is holding the town of palma

under siege the town is a hub for international gas projects worth some $60000000000.00 the most of the government says hundreds of local people and foreign workers have been rescued and the french energy group total has suspended work on a huge construction project was a big defense ministry says it is working to restore normality as if there is referred to plan and security forces reinforced their operational strategy to contain the terrorists criminal attacks and restore normality in palma. then. carried out over a show of actions in the last 3 days focused primarily on the rescue of hundreds of national and foreign citizens protection of citizens on their property. but this. is the. let's get more on the story now we can go to talk to speak to the night emma chando from the africa division at human rights watch thanks for joining us

what do we know about why this has happened now. we don't know much. i think at this stage anybody who do not have to hear more from the gunmen themselves and understand what it. means and. and their plans but that being said so. i think what is important also distain just means that those living mainly in palma and they're still facing the danger of being killed or injured or attacked by these gunmen by the local known al shabab. find safety and the government has not been very good at communicating in the last time they did as well as last night after 3 days of silence and there are many people at this stage you don't

know the whereabouts of friends and family members or their walk or even and we know the communications with palma have also been down for days so how is that making things more difficult. it makes things kartik just to give me an example of the government the pattern hasn't been able to evolve where you thought about 1300 people at least that was the number by yes that the morning if up with them by board outside the port in bend but there were dozens of people waiting for elective there are still there is more news to day in the morning this afternoon people are still waiting to be and they were hoping and praying that their friends and family had made it to duck block in that boat and unfortunately it wasn't the case and it's not clear where is the government planning to skew the main in people that stayed in power at this stage i can't really provide the real

number of many people we need in power much many never get there but 1003 and it is way below the number that you would have expected to be in the palm of by them remember palmer was also now and have every jannot for years that were fleeing. around england so they were moving to promise area of safety and then on top of that they were told zones off by the. other walkers in the town so a lot of people outside him by an outside prominent just in pain by not just in my want to but then in south africa have been contacted by people in south that's the one looking for their woman for example was looking for a sign that people were looking for their clothes or that if they haven't heard from jim since wednesday it is extremely troubling what implications do you think this instability this attack could have for the country. i think the many implication is that there are questions that were raised at that parliament on whether the country is able not only to look at its c.v.

and but also to make sure that the investments that the country as safe and i think the muslim think and government that these things needs to come need to be forthcoming in explaining that was the policy was what it sounds like from what that was. seen that let you live to be back to make the right call it on the up of the government is able to provide those answers that one can judge whether more of them and i've been in mozambique under the mental health the ability to receive the damnation of the moment but not only that 10 years all still has the ability to protect its own people against the building itself and have to leave it there and so now i'm a charter from the africa division of human rights watch thank you very much. german chancellor angela merkel says regional leaders need to put an end to the chaos plaguing germany's fight against the coronavirus crisis in a virtual summit last week federal and state leaders failed to agree on decisive measures but case numbers are rising sharply and mechelle says she'll be forced to

take drastic action if states do not backtrack on their decision to start opening the economy. german chancellor angela merkel on wednesday had the awkward task of walking back a government's newly minted pandemic guidelines for the easter break this unexpected u. turn prompted confusion added to criticism of her handling of the crew and a great risk crisis that's put all these 2 pieces i deeply regret this and would like to apologize to all german citizens. on sunday americal appeared on one of the country's most popular talk shows to make her case directly to the german people she said germany needs a turning point and criticize federal state leaders that haven't yet grasped the gravity of the situation then bit me that when the state leaders conference convenes again which is why i'm not for holding an early conference it has to be clear that we have to achieve a consensus. merkel says many federal states are being too lax the small state of

zoolander is experimented with easing restrictions and the leader of germany's most populous state north rhine-westphalia has a very lax interpretation of the corona god lines. the distribution of roles and that's what i meant by a turning point it's no good because we've all got the same goal i'm convinced of this and that is to guide the country through this pandemic. currently hundreds if not thousands of german vacationers are taking their easter break in majorca while at home infections continue to rise german health experts are demanding decisive action. busy till now only curfews of effectively stem the spread of the b one month 7 variant in portugal ireland and england i think we also need to take this approach with you all i thought some of the speaking as a doctor the new data shows that infections are increasing so fast that rates of 100000 which our experts predicted seem all too realistic this should be a warning to us to quickly implemented safety measures.

medical shares this view and says stricter laws could be necessary possibly including obligatory tests for companies she also floated the idea that germany's lawmakers might pass new legislation faster than the conference of state leaders i in the mood to peddle but one possibility would be to revisit the infection protection laws and make changes on a case by case basis we're bound by law to curb the spread and currently that's not happening all nick is the stop this remains the case now as it did a week ago let's bring in our chief political correspondent linda crane for more on this story hi melinda it's good to see you the chancellor definitely doesn't seem satisfied with the current situation. no absolutely not she made it clear in that conversation that she agrees with those very troubling assessments of leading edge of the molly didn't just say that the case numbers could go up to 100000 new

infections a day and she said this is very serious we don't have much time and we need to take this seriously and then she said with characteristic angela merkel understatement that the fact that some regional state leaders are not doing so does not fill her with joy she also went on to say that and we heard that also at the end of the report that she views the obligation of all political leaders at both the federal government level and at the state level to protect people from infection as a binding obligation and that she is not going to simply sit by and watch as the case numbers go up and regional politicians fail to act on that obligation ok but what does she want to see the states do that they're not doing already. she says that the agreement that the state leaders came

to with the federal government on the 3rd of march which includes a phased plan for loosening restrictions but also an emergency break if infection numbers go up that this emergency break already prescribes all of the necessary measures meaning further limitations on contacts between people curfews during the evening hours and she like some of the as we heard in that report says that in fact curfews in other european countries have proven to be the only effective way to flatten the curve on these massively infectious new mutations of the virus so she says all the measures have been clearly defined and it's simply now up to the states to act and she made it very clear that strategies like that also being followed here in berlin of testing strategies testing and shopping as

they call it here the throws do not meet her criterion for serious action and just very quickly melinda did she offer any hope on improving the slow vaccination rollout in germany. as she did last week she said we actually need to be optimistic when we look further into the future because the fact is we will see a lot of deliveries of vaccine coming online ready to be to be administered in the 2nd quarter in other words starting in april what she didn't do in her remarks was acknowledge any failings on vaccine procurement and and distribution i think a lot of people will have been looking for more from her on that our chief political correspondent linda crane good to talk to you. now a little less than a year ago the death of george floyd a black man at the hands of a white police officer in minneapolis ignited a wave of protests in the u.s. and around the world today the trial of derek the officer accused of killing floyd

is due to start could be sentenced up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge 2nd degree murder. this video shot to america and the world the death last may of george flowing to an unarmed black man pleading i can't bring as a white to minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. the killing sparked weeks of violent protests nationwide setting off a wave of global demonstrations as part of the black lives matter movement. the city of minneapolis says since settled a lawsuit with the payment of $27000000.00 to george floyd's family. derek chauvelin sitting here on the right is the white police officer involved he's now going on trial accused of murder and manslaughter. the case is finally set to

begin after weeks of legal wrangling over the selection of an impartial jury in such a highly charged case the judge rejected a request from the defense that the trial should be moved chauvinist lawyers said media coverage in the financial settlement would make it impossible to hold a fair trial in minneapolis and as far as a change of venue. i do not think that would give the defendant any kind of a fair trial beyond what we're doing here today. i don't think there's any place in the state of minnesota that has been subjected. to extreme amounts of publicity of this case. the hearing is expected to last around a month even before it begins the trial of derek chauvelin for the murder of george floyd is being called one of the most important in american history. to sports now in formula one fans were treated to

a thrilling season opener in bahrain but there was no surprise over the winner the fending champion lewis hamilton came out on top a great start for the mercedes driver as he looks for his record breaking 8th world title. lewis hamilton started formula one season opener playing 2nd fiddle to pole sitter much for stop and for the pair took turns but calling the choosing in bahrain. hamilton's team mate fell to report us was also in the mix until up $31.00 when a disastrous pit stop put him out of the running the finn had to be content with the bonus point for fastest lap. with bought us gone a jewel in the desert was on between hamilton and fished up and. the dutchman went in front with just 3 laps to go. but the street outside truck limits in doing so and how to return the lead to the briton. how milton held on to

squeak home by 7 tenths of a 2nd and he sounded like a relieved. pushed up and made a swift exit stage left but it looks like hamilton will face a stiff challenge this year from red pools precocious dutchman. all right let's get a reminder now of our top story and we have some breaking news on that ship that was blocking the suez canal well engineers have now succeeded in setting that ship free that's been blocking the canal for nearly a week now with the sad that the ever given vessel is now on the move. for and that in the next hour of that coming up next on news asia could india and pakistan be looking to overcome their differences we look at a possible thawing of relations between hostile neighbors. and a paradise of purple one very distinct island in south korea is attracting locals

looking for a holiday close to home. the chance of some stories coming right up on do you have a news asia.

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check out our podcast if you get it wherever you get your podcasts you can also find us at dean w dot com look for it slash science. the free j.d. compass for us and for our planet. little ideas is on its way to bring you more conservation law how to make see the screen. how can we protect habitats. we can make a difference to. the ideas the environmental series of movies for me cause i'm going to double down on my. sleep. b.c. carefully. don't move the soup. to the. discovery

. documentary. you're watching news asia coming up today we take a closer look at india and pakistan improved relations what's driving it how genuine is it and for how long will it hold especially given the tensions over the past 3 years. plus if you paint it purple they will come to south koreans with no overseas travel opportunities because of the pandemic has found a holiday spot.