this is e w news live from berlin a fresh step back for europe stalled vaccination campaign germany halts astra zeneca corona virus vaccine for people under 16 the move follows new cases of blood clots. also coming up italy's baby bumps the country's birth rate falls with the lowest in over a century is locked out stressed to plane for more couples having fewer children and myanmar's violent crackdown on protesters intensify security forces have killed

more than $500.00 civilians in the last 2 months germany becomes the latest country to tell its citizens to leave as soon as possible plus pakistan's 1st ever religious school for transgender people it's a safe space for those on the margins of society where some are finding comfort in face. i'm sorry kelly welcome to the program germany is halting the use of its astra zeneca corona virus vaccine for people under the age of 60 there's still the option though to decide to take the shot but only after a medical consultation now a new concerns over unusual blood clots in a small number of patients led to the suspension our coverage begins with this report. more bad news for germany's troubled vaccine rollout the government

says it has made a tough but necessary decision. i believe that taking everything into account this is the path we need to follow in order to provide confidence in. i can't explain all the uncertainty surrounding it though. earlier berlin's shocking to hospital decided as a precaution to hold vaccination of its staff members with astra zeneca a decision is expected in april over how to proceed with those who have already received their 1st dose. citizens can rely on the fact that substances permitted in germany are meticulously monitored the results are transparent and openly discussed public opinion on this latest u. turn was divided at this berlin vaccination center only those aged over 60 can get

their astra zeneca job everybody else is turned away. there are a lot of rumors and headlines in the news about it i wouldn't get vaccinated with it but for leslie. this talk about people getting a thrombosis in the brain is very scary i'm going to wait until i can get by on tech or. i have no problem with it it's not a positive effect in england and they've all been vaccinated with astra zeneca. this latest blow to germany's sluggish and occupation campaign follows new guidelines from the national vaccine commission you know. we're going to from a regulatory authority is that younger women but also men are suffering from severe cerebral varying thrombosis. and have died from it. and the number exceeds what we would normally expect at that age. and we conclude

that it has to be related to the vaccine therefore we have to act. without. the bavarian state premier marcos favors taking a flexible approach. but some point with astra zeneca we're going to have to operate with a lot of freedom whoever wants to and whoever dares to should have the opportunity to take it almost 4000000 doses of astra zeneca will arrive in germany next month but another dent to public confidence in the vaccine means using them up could prove difficult. and to be are trying to now by chief political correspondent linda crane melinda what is this need for the vaccination campaign. as the health minister said it is an absolute setback for a vaccine campaign that was already lacking only 11 percent of germans have

received a 1st shot so far that's well behind countries like the u.k. or the u.s. or israel and the fact is astra zeneca was a linchpin of germany's back scene strategy the other vaccines by in tech pfizer down are still in short supply in this country tens of thousands of younger people people under 60 have been scheduled in coming weeks for astra zeneca vaccinations and they include people like teachers and people with preexisting illnesses who are in risk categories and they presumably now will not get the shot in may not be able to get one of the other back scenes either in the next few weeks so so a real glow here to a country that is struggling in the midst of a 3rd wave of coated with very high infection rates so what is german think of this how badly is it impacting trust. we don't know yet how this latest decision will

affect public opinion but we do know how a similar decision a few weeks ago affected people's views of the vaccine namely in the beginning of march and germany along with other european union member countries did suspend use of astra zeneca for a number of days while the 1st reports of cerebral thrombosis were being reviewed and at that time surveys recorded a sharp drop in trust here in germany from 55 percent say they no longer lived trust the astra zeneca vaccine that had been only at 44 that suspension so i think we're likely to see a similar reaction going forward although as we heard from the chancellor in the report she says the only way to ensure trust overall in the vaccination process is to review every case where there seems to be a question of danger how about other vaccines well and.

well interestingly enough chancellor merkel had a video conference yesterday with president macross of france and russian president vladimir putin in which they talked about bringing the russian back seen sputnik via online in europe but the chancellor has made it clear that she will only do that if the european medicines agency e.-m. a approves use of make fun of the it is currently reviewing it the russian vaccine but the approval process is going to take a while. even 8 days have to go to russia and look at production sites now there are plans for production here in the area in germany starting in june or july but all that rests on the e.u. approval and that could still take a while so that's not going to be a quick solution chief political correspondent belinda crane in berlin thank you.

here's some other developments in the pandemic china says there's no basis to accusations that it did not share data with researchers looking into the origins of the virus the world health organization has accused beijing of not giving its scientists full information to avail full access to available information excuse me brazil has recorded another daily record in coven 1000 deaths with 3780 people dying in 24 hours brazil currently accounts for around a quarter of all deaths worldwide on any given day and australia's vaccine rollout has got off to a slow start with authorities saying that the country has fallen well short of its march targets only 16 percent of the target was met. italy has ordered a mandatory 5 day quarantine for travelers entering from other european union countries travelers from outside of the e.u. already have to quarantine much of italy remains under tight coronavirus

restrictions as the country battles a wave of factions the whole country faces a 3 day lockdown over the easter weekend italy has reported more than 120000 deaths so far the highest toll in the e.u. . and the pandemic also seems to have affected many people's plans to have children over the past year italy has seen a significant drop in its birth rate with numbers reaching their lowest in over a century next sanda reports. the children's playground eerily quiet the numbers are out italians are having far fewer babies during the pendency . they too have had to put their family planning on hold more in admin chancel just bought a new home in a suburb of baghdad a big step for the young couple and everything is ready for the next. comment i made my meaning this will be the children's room that has yet to be set up we want to put in one or 2 beds depending on the. we also have some space downstairs in

there which could become another room for the children. or their mothers get i'm going off and have. been chainsaw motor and they were planning on getting married last summer before their but they had to postpone because of the pandemic and having kids before marriage for the 2 devout catholics was not an option they could ask. for us marriage means union and creating a family of our own marriage home family and children moving was supposed to be after the wedding but we had to switch. while the individual reasons differ of the situation is. emblematic for hundreds of thousands of couples across the nation wanting to have children. exactly 9 months after the start of the lock down in december here in italy the birth rate dropped by more than 20 percent

compared to the previous year with many couples calling off their plans to have kids the birth rate in italy has reached a historic low but even before the pen demick italy was left trailing behind most of its neighbors on average women in the e.u. had a 1.55 children 2018 in sweden this number was 1.76 in germany 1.57 and italy 2nd to last in the e.u. with just 1.29 births the per woman. it is too early to determine with certainty what exactly is causing italian numbers to drop even further says sociologist julia the pandemic is likely affecting couple sex life but more importantly financial security seems to be the driving factor in the decision not to have kids. i think a tad young a young call posts are becoming much more economic rationale the than the emotional convenience that it's important to have another child so there may be

more worried about the future of children buying a house postponing marriage while working full time for the moment when chance went morena have a lot on their plate but that hasn't changed their wish to start a family of their own as soon as the time is right. and let's take a look at some other stories making headlines around the world in the united states a minneapolis firefighter has testified on the 2nd day of the trial against eric shall ven the white former police officer accused of murdering george floyd the witness who was a bystander to shelf and kneeling on floyd's neck said that she had been prevented from using her emergency medical training to help him other. divers in indonesia have recovered be cockpit voice recorder of a passenger plane that crashed into the java sea in january all 62 people on board

the. air boeing jet were killed shortly after takeoff from jakarta it's an area report found the plane had problems with engine thrust. although violence in myanmar is escalating as daily protests demand the restoration of democracy facing an increasingly brutal crackdown more than 520 civilians have been killed since the start of february on tuesday the military junta used missiles on their own citizens forcing thousands to flee their homes and seek medical treatment in neighboring thailand protesters have to 5 strict curfews to hold funerals for those killed in the violence myanmar has been in turmoil since the army ousted elected leader aung san suu kyi detaining her and reimposing military will. and tintin yo is managing director of burma news international joining us now from bangkok what have you been hearing about the situation on the ground in myanmar

right now. the situation in myanmar is getting worse because like at the military coup increase their crackdown against the peaceful protest or by using different kind so what forms deadly weapons and now you have spent they have killed like i'm paragraph 50 people and this is only like i be the case that we can document there will be many other like at his ass at death that we cannot document yet so not only lanka. you know cracking down it is the peaceful protest but also they have bernie like i have people properties and a house says and also like at their increased search and also attack on the media person become more intense like i just 2 days ago to meet after 2 media reporters a rest at the apis and you know so that is not so good to what they were sent there

really restrict like and you know people have to report and also do the news coverage at the same times you know that in the korean state especially you know the military stat renu in the air strikes and also shelling against the civilians that is like a more than 3000 already become i t p s and they have nowhere to go have the moment so everything has become really really in a bad situation sam people in libya with real devastation and also fear so that that is really really in like a present regime that needs help let's talk more about the people who have been fleeing against that backdrop that you are painting right now we understand the thai government has been allegedly forcing back people fleeing across the border what's happening. yes i am actually did that is that true that that the people who post aid to people to return back to their conflict so that the kind

government the kind of shows that in fact every jacked these accusations that this that that they didn't post but their deaths and acts that if there's a fight scene in your place and they're there when it has said that there's no fighting and that the deaths at the village just to return that it is it is not a nightmare you know that for right. because america has so many documentation and photos showing that they were fighting and people have fleeing and also like you know if there's not evidence that paint governments and local governments help you know some injuries people what you do have from these shelling and also homey saw that that is that the the evidence actually showing that there is a fighting in the korean states that's why they're asking refuge from thailand but now absent the tenant did not accept this refugee i.d.p. so they have to stay somewhere between you know that you know the actual fighting take place and also like at home is in it and the border is a pile and do not accept them so they have been just hiding in between areas so it

is really nice of all sort of like a support including humanitarian aids tintin you know joining us from bangkok with the very latest on the situation in myanmar thank you so much well transgender people face stigma around the world and in pakistan an overwhelmingly muslim country it can be difficult for them to attend religious schools or join prayers that mosques on the international transgender day of visibility we visit an institution aiming to change that the country's 1st ever madrassa or religious school for trans people founded in october last year. a step closer to finding peace for the soul. behind this door pakistan's 1st transgender madrassa over a dozen students learn about the teachings of the qur'an here every day. founder ronni kahn decided to open this religious school after she herself spiritually lost

. and went around begging for 5. then one night i had a dream i saw that a transgender friend of mine who had died was in a state of great agony that changed my entire life and that's why i made this turnaround. can also teaches a student's to sue quotes and hope that one day they can sell them to cover the operation costs she has used her life savings to open up the much. the 34 year old was determined. a life on the margins of society. most families do not accept transgender people they threw them out of their homes. they start dancing and begging and doing other things i was one of them a. car now ventures to distribute bring help she tries to

convince other transgenders to become her students. those who started to learn the qur'an say religion gives them comfort. whenever cite the qur'an instead of leading a life of it's better to improve my life. khan hopes to connect many more transgender people through islam in the future she encourages others in the community to do the same. take that of they can also come to want to get a life they can also designate a room for prayers and recitation where they can remember a law and make atonement to gain a better life after that. rights groups a pakistan may have well over 300000 transgender people in the country just a fraction of them are practicing islam in this school but for the students it's already a milestone to watts greater acceptance and a safe haven. now votes are being counted one of america's most significant labor

relations battles in decades the outcome will determine whether a trade union can gain a foothold at the internet rechelle giant amazon organizers are promising union representation will improve the lives of nearly 6000 workers amazon is expected to push back in the hope of keeping the union out for. welcome to bessemer if you have never heard of this southwestern suburb of birmingham alabama you are not alone at least until recently bessemer home to roughly 28000 residents has become a daily news headline a beacon of hope for many but for others it's now a symbolizes a vicious attack on the good old capitalism. bessemer is now at the center of the biggest and most important labor fight the united states has seen in decades thanks to amazon so here we are at the amazon fulfillment center right behind me

here in bessemer alabama. this place year or better 5800 workers who work here could make history yes history but only in the united states why is that because amazon was successful for the last almost 20 years to fight off any union effort to put cracks in the house of the sauce this is the 1st time that a union has a real chance to get labor organized at amazon local union organizers work for months on getting amazon workers into the flock flyers and posters rallies and shit like work and this all came about because of this man darrell richardson. richardson felt things are not all that great at the bessemer amazon fulfillment center if you're late a minute. 15 minutes

a automatic on the way from you. i want to wait so why take up so we're just a lot of stuff need to be changed last year darryl contact at the retail warehouse and department store union in birmingham and a representative met with him here. at the dreamland barbecue in tuscaloosa over rips and iced tea a plan to unionize amazon was hatched and set in motion. fast forward to today almost $6000.00 workers voted for or against unionization now the votes are being counted union activist alex gould says that won't be the end of it likely for what is it that's a pro union leaflet. right back here if the workers win this vote it's going to be a big struggle for sam is designed to come to any agreement with them you know the law says that there is not have to bargain with them but we all know it's

a question of power. and there's also the other side of course amazon employees who don't want to you know we are against it and we are very happy with what we are getting is far as benefits we're happy with our working conditions we're happy with the advancement opportunities. speaking of advancement whatever the bessemer vote tally will be amazon is sure to face more pressure for unionization in the future on massive protests wept all garia last night with thousands of protesters of all ages taking to the streets demanding the resignation of conservative prime minister boyko parse off and his cabinet over corruption allegations but more than half a year since then or soft remains in power a correspondent for the charge reports from sofia as bulgaria gears up for parliamentary elections this coming sunday april 4th. this figure is turning heads

in bulgaria's capital sofia a new opposition party called rise up mafia out ridiculing prime minister board itself many here consider him in corrigible corrupt as does dimiter dimitroff an activist in his twenty's we meet him in front of bulgaria sprawling and building which used to be the house of the communist party that iran is long gone but autocratic rule is still present he says fortunately area is a captured state institutions and the people working inside them do not serve the interest of the citizens but the interests of. the all the guards around us dementor joint thousands of others in nationwide and to government protests last year they took to the streets to express their frustration over politicians when rich themselves disregard the rule of law and protect powerful tycoons at the

center of the corruption allegations of head of the ruling party he survived the protests. and the protesters the protests energy dight of both the protest short europe and the world the real face of our prime minister who sleeves next to a pile of gold for hundreds of euro and a good on his bet now bulgaria is gearing up for an unprecedented election with new parties and alliances. but according to the polls all of them fall short of a parliamentary majority and then there is voter apathy only 45 percent of all bulgarians who are eligible to vote have indicated their willingness to do so. whom to vote for a debate over a cup of tea and thomas they too called for the resignation of body self and his cabinet last year they too dreamed of change but there was an all direct outcome

from the protest so it's like the whole. lake for change is there but like nothing immediate happened and also when disappointing the moment and also a lot of people from the political parties go to protests and. try to take convention. bodies off and his party get reelected they say they've consider leaving bulgaria for good the country has already seen many of its educated youth leave in the past and the method he says he wants to stay he decided to turn his anger into politics and he's now running as a candidate for an opposition alliance called democratic bill gary are hoping to reenergize the protesters that no longer come to this square. and with that now you have to date on d w news coming up next it is eco india with a look at logging what's that you say it happens to be

a trend that combines collecting garbage. into stay with us if you can for that there's always more on the web site to go beyond dot com i'm sorry kelly an interesting.

the latest trend if you. jump up picking up. the monday once you reach the country upstream and you want to go making up i don't think those little knick listening to. the people over eddie plugging in nothing

a lot of fun and the phrase that he took. off to go. been robbed of their soul that's what the people experience is when their heritage is taken from them. countless cultural artifacts were brutally stolen from africa by colonialists and carted off to europe. left to have yet to feel what should be done with the stolen north from africa. stolen souls. in 45 minutes on d w. how does a virus spread. why do we panic and when we'll all miss them. just 3 of the topics covered and we couldn't read your blog. if you would like any

information on the coronavirus or any other science topic you should really check out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcast you can also find us at. science. always does every way it is not industrialized it's a part of our everyday life like this plastic bottle in my hand for example hundreds of billions of them are produced from crude oil every year many of them are more to recycle and end up in landfills or. it takes 400 years for each one for decomp.