dominant, their britons health minister, has said they will act if necessary to contain the viruses spread the plan b meshes. denmark has already shot theaters and museums, the very end to counts for a 5th of new cases there. with omicron already present in around 90 countries and spreading faust, the world look set to start another year. looked in battle with the corona virus. and for more on this story, i'm now joined by a doctor of wolfgang up tracer ever ologist of from the university of a stellan boss. thanks result. so much for coming on the show. i know you're part of a consortium that 1st detected the omar chron variant. all eyes are on this new variant as it spreads around the world. and as we see, europe is struggling to curb infections. can you tell us what the situation is like in south africa? it may sound as a big surprise because, i mean,

i see from his fault that you know how you're really trying hard to, to control the fate of, i mean, which, which is happening so far. we are relatively relaxed. and the reason is that also our picture numbers shot up from very low and they built, in contrast to most of europe. we had very low levels before we came about 4 weeks ago. and since our in, in the middle of infections are going up. but fortunately, the missions are not keeping pace, so they are lagging behind, and we are actually in a more comfortable situation than we were. we not. so this number is high number of infections in our previous wave. and we think that is due to the fact that many thought african became infected during the previous way. of course, many people also died. that is the truth. we can be lost. many people will belong to the high ridge groups. but those who survive the about of adults who have not been vaccinated,

they probably have some degree of protection against the course of protein fiction . and that is what is so far protecting our health? is it a fair to say that those people do indeed have some kind of protection against omicron? i mean, it's a very different enough that people who have already been infected and have recovered can be reinfected again. and is that in any way affecting total population immunity? absolutely geez, i mean that is the worrying. i picked up a new very into just very capable of infecting people who have some degree of community. and in fact, a recent study of ours has shown that given, visited, even had the bio and take 5. and we still became 50 from so, so this virus is very capable of undermining a preexisting immune response. but we still we think what we are seeing is that a previous community is still pretty sneaking it really these. and this is why when

people say that, even though the vaccines, the current, i do not think protection against me much less so than in the previous period. it is still the right thing to do to come back to did any necessary to also happen. you could strengthen your immune system and that should you become infected, do not to go on to have to be so that is what we think we are currently africa. and this is where europe ulta needs to get to in order to where that the if you can store that, hey, this winter is for many going to be a bad case of days of who what needs to be done so that we don't consider continue to see the development of variance like omicron disrupt life at the scale. so it's a 50, i think for, for europe. and of course, the tough time, i think the degree of locked down in 25 major unavoidable. and that's been

introduced in many countries already. but you can see, i mean, to be way out of be without risking even further of life and health. and even people live in spain. we all had until they develop long covey. they had to have a very rough ride. it's not at home, the picture, it all the way out of the destination. so we all need to get into the new age where we all will be coming with source code to the point to define it probably many times in our lives. but when we enter that phase, which is the demick phase, we need to have good baseline immunity. and the best way to get that without ranking deed is of course, back to me. and in future, i hope also we will have updated back in mood and give it to teach me which will make that better. but at the time, for the time being really i fully agree to the,

to the team, to, to be become vaccinated. if you haven't done so, i get you at the best way to come to me from but don't be ready to become infected because this is very capable of evading. the numerous clear call to get vaccinated there from dr. wolf and private verola just from south africa. university of spell and both. thanks so much for coming on d. w. news. vision. and here in germany, policymakers have ruled out imposing a new lock down before christmas, which is now less than a week away. but many people anticipate tighter restrictions after the holidays. d, w asked people in berlin, what they expected. no, i do not fear another lockdown. actually, i think that would be better to limit the contacts. but i think the german politics will make a good decision about that. i would be devastated, but of course i would just do what i would have to do. stay at home. could be cool

because cold and then i could stay at home and it always my bed and i could like learn from home and nice god restriction. it's fine with me, and i also experienced the last lockdown and all the regulations, and it didn't disturb us much. so we'll have to wait and see how things do develop in germany. but for now, let's take a look at some other developments in the pandemic. israel has band traveled through the united states, germany and 8 other countries due to the spread of the omicron variance. the measures will come into force at midnight on tuesday. the world economic forum, the annual gathering of business and political leaders in the swift mountain resort of davos, has been postponed until summer. and my dentist says that a booster shot of it's covered 1900 vaccine in laboratory testing appeared to offer protection against omicron. sheila has elected a former student activist to become it's next president left us to gabrielle

burridge was just 35 years old. defeated his far right rival was they antonio cast i a wider margin than expected or as victory promise is a shift toward more progressive policies and a generational change. a historic and jubilant victory with 35 year old gabrielle butch chile now has its youngest ever president. he was helped to vote the barricade to take to the stage and recognized the people who have put him in power. the left wing, former student leader, had tapped into their anger at the country's economic model, and the inequality it is brought to when 56 percent of the vote. what do you see me again? and i guarantee that i will be a president who cares for democracy and does not risk it. who listens more than he speaks, seeks unity and attends to the needs of the people daily. i will firmly fight

against the privileges of a few and i will work every day for the quality of the children and family. more likely they'll get from you. his promises range from protecting the environment to tackling chiles, private pension system, and his followers are full of hope. a nameless can wait on a moment. they still legal. i mean, no, no government is no place in the history of chile. surely emotional. more of an elevator made so much progress now we will move forward with social rights and continue to advance and fight against the far right. we're going to like them. c with a high voter turnout, bowditch squarely beat the far right candidate. jose antonio cast, but cast was dignified in his defeat. either mitigate or said a courtesy that earth king i want to do is congratulate gabrielle rich. he deserves all of our respect. he won fairly many children's trust him and we hope he will

lead a good government going and in the ways we can with our legitimate differences we want to hound our nation. the more said when i bought the battle about the that night though, belonged to burridge, who harolds a new political dawn for chile. so let's bring n d w reporter benjamin other s gruber in santiago de chilly. and you've been good to see you tell us more about the new president elect. good morning, claire. he will indeed be the youngest president of chillies, 35, and you have to be at least 35 years old to be in the new president. he was a former student protest leader and 2011 and along with several of his a colleagues there who went to the streets and protested against the education system in chile. many of them made it into congress in 2014. and then as a member of parliament to continue to push for changes and also to fight against this unequal society that we have here in chiller,

we're only one percent of the population owns 25 percent of the wealth according to the united nation. so there's several topics that he wants to push for, and his support as it was really an incredible senior the day here in the sense of the capital of centera with his support as trying and hoping also that his a presidency over the next 4 years will also push forward with this constitutional process that is already in place. and it's quite exceptional if we think that less than 2 hours after the polls close at 6 at a at 6 p. m a local times, the outgoing president as soon as damping yet are congratulated borage on his a win and also the defeated a candidate that far right candidate jose antonio gus also and congratulated him so present a new guests in congratulated him and to what's of a step in your area who in president said, is that it's different to be a candidate, then to be a president of people were really surprised also by the number by the differences.

as polls thought that this could be also neck to neck, raced between boards and cast. and certainly they did call that result quickly or given how polarized the election campaign itself was a does bore it have a strong mandate to govern. now it was really polarized, especially over the past 2 weeks and month. i mean, if we look at that 2 candidates, it could not have more a different, more opposite ideas. he will not have the strong mandate in congress. of course, there will be need a to see and to talk also to him. the right wing part is pretty quickly supported, who say anthony doesn't, he is a lot of ideas, but of course it's different. tough to ideas, to be able also afterwards to implement it. so he wants to tack pension he wants to tackle healthy, wants to tackle education. and of course, the support is where really passionate and also to mrs of what the future brings, but it will not be for in it will not be easy for him to govern when he him beat

what he will be. the new president in march of next year. thank you very much for that update detail the your correspondent benjamin over as group of for us in santiago. and we have some breaking news just coming across the desk that you use regulator has just given the green light to the corona virus vaccine from the us manufacturer. novak's. it is the 5th corona virus vaccine to be given approval for use with in the european union. the regulator said the data showed the vaccine had no serious side effects. it has only been approved for those aged over 18 for now, and requires 2 doses 3 weeks apart. unlike the messenger r n a and vector vaccines, novak's is a protein based vaccine. so now we can bring up to speed on some other stories making headlines around the world. a court in myanmar has postponed its verdict in the trial of ousted leader on san suit. she, she is accused of illegally importing and possessing walkie talkies charges that rights group say,

have been contrived by the military to discredit her charges. could see sushi jailed for the rest of her life. voters in hong kong have mostly stayed away from a legislative election in which all candidates were vetted for their loyalty to beijing. the hong kong electoral affairs commission said voter turnout was just over 30 per cent. many opposition candidates have been silenced, jails or have fled in the territory in an interview with a chinese newspaper, tennis star punch. why has denied saying she was sexually assaulted by a top chinese leader on says her pose from november was misunderstood. but the women's tennis association association says it is concerned about her ability to communicate freely and to ethiopia. now, where government troops have been regaining territory, it was last to try and force is based in the countries north. is the latest chapter in a conflict that has caused enormous suffering in the horn of africa. ethiopia has been

fighting a civil war for more than a year. now. forces from the t right region are battling government troops and a conflict that has drawn a neighboring eritrea as well. both sides are accused of committing atrocities and have taken and retaken territory with no cease fire in sight. meanwhile, tens of thousands of civilians have died and millions have lost their homes. for access for journalists has been very limited, but our correspondent visited the government controlled am hara region embedded with local authorities. from there, maria garrett and nicholas grew, has sent us this report on some of the people who've been affected. this is all that is left of i you but hans house to it. it was demolished by artillery fire when the tube in army and to grand forces clashed in the area of amazon. hey, this is where the table was a whole. it's all broken now. we'll look at it. it was a nice house. it was beautiful and wonderful, but she hid in the forest for 9 days. well to gran rebels. occupied her village on

their way to the capitol hill about it and what we feared for our lives. we didn't know if they were going to kill us. we had children with us, we were scared or whatever. i was with my neighbors at night. it was very cold. and the conflict has not spared civilians. them endless village residents that received 21. people were killed by a romo antiquarian, rebelar but you, la mcgovern, in this mass grave. we buried 4 people per hole, that they weren't soldiers yet. they were honest civilians. local people borrowed them. we collected the bodies after they left and there were some bodies, which is how you know, had started to eat. hundreds of thousands of people have fled the violence my, me to ability to and her children sought refuge in this makeshift temp inevitable hun. but she says it lacks everything parallel as another child. there is nothing to eat. we have children, and there are no clothes. people left their homes without their belongings. if

we're being told it's safe to go back. but what we have to go back to, they burn down our houses. it's not just people's homes. public infrastructure has also been destroyed. this hospital in this year was heavily looted and the i curricular weird antibiotics here and now we have nothing around here. we had medicine to treat hypertension, mental health issues. here moment i hook the hospital was a referral center for 8000000 people there with our group, its weight material. you see here they just through there, the below this is trasha, but among are there also medicines which we could have used almost at the amount of that on. but the medicine in the people in m herrera already had difficulty accessing food. the war has made that worse, the un says armed men and local communities looted 8 warehouses such as this one. and the government accuses to grand forces of disrupting the harvest. canada they

came on the crops from a short and ready to be harvested, so they destroyed them. not only the crops it had been harvested, but also though said hadn't been collected yet. melissa, one who love what i go bold. jim, with the conflict has affected everything, least people and i'm her are the ones we can see in the neighboring to gray region . a great humanitarian crisis is also unfolding, but no one is allowed to go there and report on it. so for more, let's talk now with patrick you said he is the regional director of the international committee of the red cross in africa. thank you so much for taking the time to come on to dw knows what are the most pressing needs in ethiopia right now, and which areas are you primarily addressing in your work with the red cross? greg, good morning. thanks for having me. indeed this, this crisis has affected and only people in the north, but only as a whole where needs are rising very rapidly. conflict lines are very much still

evolving and the needs of the most acute needs are seen in displace civilians. community which are these are acute notably, and i'm hot and gray regions in the children's are separated sometimes by from their families the precarious conditions they're exposed to many forms of violations. and indeed, we're also very much concerned over the food situation in the north of its merrily, but also in other parts. where indeed as your report has mentioned health care in the wrong conflict areas remain under enormous change. children separated from their families, shortages of food. we've seen how much death and displacement has come from more than a year of war. as you say, the conflict is spreading. so how exactly has the fighting affected your efforts to help people on the ground? you know, as i said, conflict lines are still evolving very luckily, even in when we count only 13 months,

14 months onto the crisis in the north and other parts of it, we try and manage somehow to adopt our operational aid response to urgent the most urgent humanitarian needs, but indeed, as i said, the delivery of humanitarian assistance continues to be hampered by fighting by insecurity, but also by constraints imposed on organizations, local or international to get access to the most needy civilians. and here, we need to call on all those who are fighting to allow such a delivery of assistance because they're not only vital on their urgently needed to save lives and not only to help people cope with the ongoing fighting imperative. today that we knew in that direction and is your acts as a currently being prevented by both sides in the fighting. where we are,

where we need to be when it comes to having physical presence in mckelly. and she had a in the aroma regions in the south and east. but indeed what needs to be done is a full scale of an, a very urgent scale. in other circumstances, we would have been able to reach every, every person who requires assistance. there are no absence of organizations to do so, but indeed what we need is to be next to those who should not be disappointed today by the humanitarian community, by those fighting to get what they need most is to get the water. it's not a luxury to us for health care in such situations, and that's what we're really calling for. and that's what we're trying to increase by the minute negotiating in having and transfer and dialogue with all those weapon betters who have a direct impact on people's life today. and it's patrick, you, some of the international committee of the red cross. thanks so much for taking the time today. thank you. was returned to the issue of the crone of virus pandemic. it

is taking a toll on tourism around the world's bethlehem, revered by christians, as the birthplace of jesus is usually festive and colorful this time of year with israel having closed its borders to most foreigners and bethel had located in the occupied west bank residence, are getting ready for a new day holiday season. christmas and bethlehem with the palestinian town revert as the birthplace of jesus. here on munger square, the tree is once again the center of attention. there are fewer restrictions than last year, but life is not the same as before. the pandemic with i have elected by i love bethlehem. i love coming here later. it's the 1st i know actually the 2nd time i've been during the holidays last year with corona, it was impossible. i said this year i'd come with my friend lemonade had that issue . might have been this mega span. it's great to be here. oh, i'm quite surprised. there are so many decorations, stickle, because i didn't expect much ashlynn the that the money marked in the field. once

again, this year, visitors from abroad will find it difficult to visit the occupied westbank. israel has closed its borders to foreigners with few exceptions, for at least 4 weeks because of all me gone, most visitors foby are up, is re lease and glucose palestinians. global situation is not so rude. rehab, news about these a new vaviante over covey 19. but despite these bad news, we hope that makes whose town would be possible for the figures to comp. you bet. lamb 2 syllable 8th grade will read the locker key skills. the church of the nativity has been well coming visitors for centuries. the building has been completely renovated over the past decade. the leaking roof, fixed and precious mosaics brought to light from under centuries old plaster.

christmas is usually the busiest time, but it's quiet. i know. even here in the grotto where the silver star marks the supposed actual birthplace of jesus. all the same rehearsals for the traditional scalp parade. i in full swing palestinian scout troops like this one from the lutheran church and bates a who will open the festivities on december 24th and festive scout uniforms. this year we are moving forward for christmas. we just looked at march last year, due to the current update. this year we have been creating hard remembered as our grid day practicing almost daily. now to march, i'd bought take it christmas, and we are. we're hoping that things will go on as planned. this 2nd pandemic christmas. many in bethlehem see it as more important than ever to spread the

message of peace and goodwill to all your watching dw news coming up next in d. w. news asia, the accuser who is denying her own accusations more on why chinese tennis star punch. why appears to be walking back allegations of sexual assaults and how hong kong is voted with their feet to reject an election. it's seen as completely controlled by beijing. that is coming up next with a garage banner g. i'm clear. richardson in berlin. that's all from the for now from the entire team here. thank you so much for joining us. ah ah

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time, it can be measured precisely. and yet every one experiences it differently as if there are different forms of time. time. ah, the phenomenon a demit? if we know we won't live forever and illusions about time presenting future's past starts december 31st on d, w. 57 years, asia coming up to date, chinese dentist off on choices. she'd never claim she was raped by a senior chinese politician. so is that the final definitive was on her allegation? not quite. the women's tennis association remains unconvinced and that have been a c.