shed light on the opaque world who's behind benefits. and why are they a threat to whistle? oh, pete world starts january 5th on d w. mm. ah ah, this is d w. news coming to you live from berlin. authorities in europe tightened restrictions to slow the spread of the latest corona virus barrier. the netherlands heads into a christmas locked out closing pubs and shops and putting a tight lid on family gathering. meanwhile, cases in germany are rising again. also coming up,

voters in hong kong turn their backs on the territories. first election since sweeping changes were imposed. only 30 percent turned out for poll, open only to candidates betted for their loyalty to beijing. and in buddhist league of football, fryeburg leapfrog libra cruz and to jump in to 3rd place in the last match before the winter break. ah hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. european states are scrambling to slow a highly contagious variant of the corona virus. the german government's new expert council has coal for tougher contact restrictions as the only cranberry it spreads . the demand comes a day after germany puts strict limits on travel from the u. k. where the variance is increasing exponentially, that says other european governments clamped down on public life to battle,

or may kron, the netherlands became the 1st to impose a strict lockdown over christmas. so many across the netherlands. it's the very end that killed christmas. thanks to the highly contagious micron, the government has ordered all non essential businesses to shut till mid january christmas gatherings have also been curtailed. people will only be allowed for guests around the tree on the holidays. the some the new measures were a surprise. all at all today doesn't available all the we thought we had in the control that we done everything. we could live auctioneer with fully vaccinated. you do everything you can to support society a bit, but in the end it all goes wrong. anyway. i then called, unable to get a hold of denmark to has brought in new restrictions and its surgeon cove at infections. the variant already counts for a 5th of new cases that germany has also taken steps to slow americans race across the continent. severely searching travel from the u. k, where the variant is rapidly becoming dominant. the country's health minister has

said me restrictions can't be rolled out before christmas. eve meshes who, pug beyond europe, america also poses a threat. micron is increasing rapidly and we expect it to become the dominant strain in the united states as it has in other countries. in the coming weeks. in new york, the epicenter of the u. s. is 1st curved wave. the variant is already thought he behind record increase in cases authorities urging people to get vaccinated and boosted to avoid a repeat of 2020. but with their micron already present in around 90 countries and spreading fast the world look set to start yet another year locked in battle with the corona virus. oh my god. let's bring in peter chin hong. here he's a professor of medicine at the university of san francisco in of california in san francisco. good to see your doctor general. we're seeing rapidly rising on the crown infections here in europe is the rest of the world on a similar path. the rest of the world, terry is definitely on a similar passive,

not worse. we have to fastenal seat belts for water will be a, a tremendous ride if you think about 3 things that will affect transmission and population previous immunity. we know that omicron is 5 times more likely to be to cause re infection than other variance vaccines. i have not had high uptake in many countries, owner round the world as low as 6 per cent, which may not protect and don't even think about boosters. and the 3rd at risk mitigation, lot of pandemic fatigue, lot of mass, not where it. so i think we're in for right here in europe, at least, and in the us as well. most governments are pushing people to get their 3rd vaccination, but will a booster be enough to get on top of this here? it wouldn't be enough for terry. you'd still need the extra risk mitigation factors

like wearing mass doing diagnostic tests, but it does give us the best armor. if you think about some of the initial studies, 20 percent protection against infection. if your presentiment omicron, if you get a boost, say you can go up to 55 to 80 percent, but again, not a 100 percent, so you need the other stuff. but we do believe that even with 2 doses you will be protected against serious disease hospitalization. death perhaps, unless you're older in 65 or immune compromise. and you mentioned the risk of reinfection earlier with all micron to eat. do we have enough data yet to know how dangerous only cron is compared to the delta variant? well, i think the study from the university of hong kong or hong kong is instructed in this regard. they found that army kron produces 70 times more virus in the airways . but when you look in the lungs, there isn't a lot of virus. they're suggesting that it's very transmissible without causing

a lot of information in the organs. we do know that in south africa, in delta, you get about 20 percent hospitalization, with only crohn to 2 percent. a study in u. k showed no difference. but even if you do think that it's causing fuel hospitalizations, when you have a turbocharged, transmissible virus or even a small percentage of a large amount of people could potentially strain hospitals. what advice would you give people going into christmas week? well i think about the a, b, c, d ease is assess the destination. you're going to high amount of virus or, and assess yourself, your immune compromise on boxing. in all your old and 65, you may worry, be definitely getting a boost served from what we discuss. i see vaccinate via children if they're eligible. d. do diagnostic tests like rapid testing before going in and any

gathering. like a family reunion and e. everything else where? well fitted mass and get your flu shot. dr. peter chin. hong thanks for talking with us. that was professor peter chin home at san francisco university, california, san francisco. my pleasure, cherry. thank you. say look down some of the other stories making headlines around the world. the leftist candidates, gabriel burridge has one chillies presidential election after an early concession from his are right rival, jose antonio cost. the former student activist has vowed to increase taxes and social spending in a country with one of the world's largest gaps between rich and poor. at $35.00 borders will be chiles youngest, ever present. the death toll from typhoon roy in the philippines has risen to 208, making it one of the deadliest storms to hit the country. in years. rise slammed into the philippines last week, leaving

a trail of destruction and forcing 300000 people to evacuate. doesn't have been injured in sudan after security forces fired stun grenades and tear gas of protesters and cartoon, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the city to reject the october 25th military coup protesters from outside the capital travel to join the march on the presidential pounds and japanese fashion billy in there you sucka me as our has returned to earth after spending 12 days on the international space station as our became the 1st space tourist to travel to the international space station in more than a decade. as our is also set to become the 1st private passenger flying to the moon on a space x rock it in 2023 letters in hong kong have mostly stayed away from a legislative election in which all candidates were betted for their loyalty to beijing. the hong kong electoral affairs commission said voter turnout was 30.2

percent. that's a record blow for the chinese administered territory. the legislative poll is hong kong 1st since beijing imposed a sweeping national security law and reform the electoral system. many opposition candidates have been silence, jailed or have fled the territory. tanya is the editor in chief of hong kong, free press, and independent english language newspaper in hong kong and join. just now tom, less than the 3rd voters even bother to cast their boats in this election is staying away from the polls. the new way of protesting and hong kong. after all other options have been banned. in a scheme that may have backfired trans buses and metro journeys books free of charge yesterday. and they were packed on congress seem to be off on hiking and shopping. most most polling stations were very quiet. none of the color drama,

or even debate. we used to seeing that at this time, we witness a trickle of mostly senior votes. i was going to pass that ballad during these newly restrictive holes. 10000 police office on the street, 9000, and the corruption officials and all 153 candidates. if you said were vetted with several layers of probation committees, each undergoing a national security for some hopefuls who defined themselves as centrist moderates or non pro establishment. none of them were able to appeal to voted. it seems only one got into the chamber because as you say, most of the traditional pro democracy figures are right behind. balls in self that fall abroad have quit politics on they plan from running. isn't this a huge embarrassment for the administration in hong kong and for beijing for that matter? i mean, how can the hong kong leadership sell 30 percent voter turnout as

a popular mandate? well, the chief executive carry lamb saw this coming and said a week or 2 ago that a low turn it might suggest that the government is doing well and the credibility is high. but this morning, moments ago, she both questions about the record low turnout figure saying that she was very satisfied and that the campaigns were beautiful. and the chamber was widely representative, despite the fact that there is less democratic representation. the truth is though they were very concerned about turner special cues for the elderly covey tracing up we've been using here, was suspended, holding stations. banners, posters, ads just plastering the city. and they made it illegal to boycott with the 10 to rest. so they wanted it to look credible today, having to now spinet as executive harry lam, escapes to beijing. tom, thank you very much. that was tom grunted. they're the editor in chief of hong kong,

free press. ah, in the bonus league it was last round of batches before the mid season break on sunday for top 4 hope false labor. susan traveled to this season, surprise package, fryeburg, who end of the year with a win to keep them on course for a champions league. finish fryeburg fans could toast to have fantastic 1st half of the season with their side consistently in the top 6 since matched a 2 in front of a limited crowd of 750. the hosts have be early chances, but couldn't convert and to leave accusing. jeremy from pong, handled the bowl in the area, gifting the hosts. a penalty having missed from the spot last weekend, vincenzo veto stepped up again and was almost to come this time. his cheeky chip gave lucas rabinski the slightest hope of saving it. ah visit his leave

accusing. we're looking to turn the tide off to 2 windless matches, and on the stroke of half time they equalized defend the unit. santa's unexpected overhead kick teed up childless at on geese to level the schools. after the break neither side got to close until the 84th minutes. when substitute kevin shot, a grab the late winner that sent his side up the table into 3rd place. pushing labor cruising down to 4th, a disappointing end to the year for the visitors. but a happy stop to the holidays for fly book, which coach kissed and life was already celebrating, perhaps a little too vigorously for this staff members comfort switch, checkout once lea, a table at the midway point of the season by a munich are on top, followed at a distance by dorman fryeburg and leave a cushion and the bottom half things are incredibly tight with also spoke

b lafelle and shrugged. mired in the relegation zone. you're watching database. there's just a reminder of the top story we're following for you this. our european states are tightening credit virus carbs. to slow the spread of the ami kron buried. another lens has shut restaurants and non essential shops ahead of christmas. and germany is eyeing fresh curbs to now, how fac wales have made their way back to mexico's coasts, to the delight of tourists and locals, boats transported visitors to get a glimpse of the groups of wales appearing briefly on the surface of the ocean. we leave you now with these pictures will be back at the top of the next hour. ah

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