well, the only criteria is what we'll hook people. we shed light on the opaque worlds who is behind them. benefits and why are they a threat to whistle o peak wolf starts january 5th on d w. ah, ah ah, this is d w. news coming to live from berlin covered 19 cases, surge to record hobbs around the world, omicron is quickly becoming the dominant variant. while delta is still heading hard, also coming up. delane maxwell found guilty of helping sexually abuse young girls

for a decade. the survivors say it's a step towards justice for the victims of jeffrey epstein and ah, self africans pay tribute to nobel peace prize laureate and human rights activist desmond tutu. ah, hello, i'm terry martin. thanks for joining us. searching code 19 infections are worrying governments around the globe. here in europe, france has posted a record number of infections, 200000 in a single day. italy, ireland, and portugal have also what else record numbers of new cases. officials say the skyrocketing infection rates are being driven by the highly contagious omicron

barrier. a new national record for france here, every 2nd more than 2 people are testing positive for the corona virus. your police patrols have stepped up in response. there was in bars and restaurants, checking people's vaccination passes, and for the still unvaccinated french authorities have a grim message level patrol through pretty, there is really very little chance you can escape at this time. the virus is spreading too fast and unvaccinated people are more likely to get infected or very sick. but actually germany too is putting more pressure on the unvaccinated leading to several protests across the country. in munich, police initially banned a rally, but protesters came out any way by the thousands saying they're just out for a walk. there is also concern that germany is under reporting cases due to staff shortages during the holiday season. it with her fossil,

the under reporting is probably of the order that the actual incidence is currently 2 or 3 times as high as the incidence. we are measuring all, smithson, the u. k is facing a surge in omicron cases, and that is frustration that rapid test kits aren't available when to pick them up and there's none in the pharmacies. illinois is non they will got the signs outside the run outside. many people need a negative test to be allowed to work. i'll gather to celebrate the start of a new you or countries are still grappling with rising case. number's health authorities are also under pressure to reduce the isolation requirements for people infected or in contact with a positive case. the u. s. recently shortened its quarantine period, and germany's health minister says he's considering a similar move. d, w reporter joel delroy explains what's behind the race to reduce warranty. until recently,

health authorities around the world have mostly followed the scientific recommendation that people isolate for up to 2 weeks after testing positive or coming into close contact with an infected person. but now, as the army con variant kicks off, new ways of infections around the world, more people are finding themselves stuck at home. tracking data shows over 19000000 people have tested positive to coven 19 in the past 28 days. and that has had an impact on the economy. some hospital schools and businesses are finding themselves short staffed recently, thousands of flights were canceled. us airlines demand a shorter isolation period to get people back to work. and this week, the u. s. center for disease control, cut the recommended isolation period down from the previous 10 days to 5 days for people without symptoms, spain, the u. k, and others are also reducing isolation and other countries may follow, including germany, france, and italy. but how risky is this strategy?

the cdc is own modeling, found that after 5 days of quarantine, there was still a 35 percent chance that a person could pass on the virus. now that risk reduces to one percent after 10 days. so why shorten the isolation period? well, previous variance, they had an average incubation time of around 5 days. however, some studies are showing that all me current has a faster incubation period. around 3 days infected people may develop symptoms more quickly, and some are arguing that that could allow quarantine to begin and end earlier. but other scientists are urging caution wanting that there is still much we do not know about. the impact of ami kron, the decision to reduce isolation periods, may be welcome news to millions of people stuck at home. but it's a calculated risk that is being made to get people back to work. sketch up on some

other developments in the pandemic. south african researchers have found a booster shot of johnson and johnson's code. 19 vaccine is 84 percent effective at preventing hospitalization. turkey, his launch is domestically developed, vaccine turco back amid a rapid surge in new cases. let's roll out, was beset by the lays for months. and new york city will ring in the new year in time square. despite record numbers of covered 90 infections, the event will be scaled back with smaller crowds and visitors will have to be will be required to provide proof of vaccination. a jury in the u. s. has found british socialite gillian maxwell guilty of helping the late sex offender jeffrey epstein abuse under aged girls over a period of years. after 5 days of deliberations, the new york jury found maxwell guilty on 5 counts, including recruiting and grooming epstein's teenage victims. the burden could see

the 6 year old spend the rest of her life in prison, recruiting and grooming teenage victims and trafficking a minor. these are the heavy charges of which british socialite galle maxwell was found guilty by the new york jury. the road to justice has been far too long, but today, just as has been done, no one, no matter how powerful or well connected it is above the law. jolaine maxwell is the daughter of british newspaper. baron robert maxwell, in court accuser showed evidence of maxwell's close relationship to late financier and convicted sex offender, jeffrey epstein. epstein was child and 2019 based on charges of sex trafficking miners, but he committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial. in the current court case of killing maxwell, she was found to have helped epstein systematically procure young girls some as young as 14. the charges against maxwell were brought forward by 4 victims,

but many more feel they have been served justice. this is a victory for all of the victims of miss maxwell and abstain. moreover, i think this is a victory for all young children, boys, girls, women, and men who are victims of abusers like this. it will give them the needed push to step forward and to speak their truth and to hopefully get justice like these young girls. how with respect to miss maxwell, the defense as to 60 year old is being used as a scapegoat for other people's crimes. i. we firmly believe in glens, innocence. obviously we are very disappointed with the verdict. we have already started working on the appeal, and we are confident that she will be vindicated. everyone be healthy, have a happy new year. how you doing,

maxwell now stands to spend the rest of her life in prison. if she receives the maximum possible sentence of 65 years. sketch up on some other stories making headlines around the world to day. thousands have taken to the streets of khartoum and other sudanese cities to protest against october's military takeover. the demonstrators brave tear gas and defied orders to disperse, as they called for a transition to free elections. local journalists say the military has cut internet and phone mobile phone services. european union has said it supports an international arms embargo on me on mars military regime and says it's toughening its own sanctions on the country. is comes after humanitarian groups reported, the military killed and buried 3030 people last week in a village in the conflict torn chaos state. police in hong kong have formerly charged to senior editors from the online pro democracy news outlet stand news with

sedition. they've been identified in court documents as former stand whose chief editor chung week when and patrick lum. the announcement comes a day after authorities rated the offices of stamps. the body of south africa's archbishop desmond tutu has been brought to a historic cape town cathedral where it will lie and stayed for 2 days. mourners have been streaming into saint george's cathedral to pay their final respects to the revere cleric. before opening up to the public, the church conducted a private service for the family to to will be cremated and his ashes buried on new year's day inside his former parish, where he had preached against racial inequality and in support of l. g. b t q writes, or many south africans his legacy will live on. it's an honor and a blessing who me to be at to day to say my final goodbyes to the arch was done so

much with the scanty, in terms of founder the nation. and speaking to the, to power a true leader of the soil actually quite said actually that we losing such great people in this time became yet to express our high or deep sorrow. because in the passing of the arch, i was a man of great faith person that we at my it greatly a true yet. oh oh, struggle just yesterday to pay my very last respects to this most amazing great man. i will just remember him for his love and his ha, eyes outspokenness between right and wrong. he was always the voice of the voiceless. and always the voice of reason. we talked to love, you told me how to cry. and he told me one thing he talked to how to pray the anti

apartheid icon and nobel peace prize laurie it died last sunday at the age of 90. here is more on desmond to choose lasting impact. aah! every day at noon this week, the bells of saint george's cathedral and across south africa had chimed in remembrance of the former archbishop flowers, the mass for desmond tutu. though he wanted no grand display of mourning, his daughter on tom b. thank to people around the world for their support. it has been such an out story of love and support and that we, we, we don't have enough mouth. there are times when we are lawson sharing stories. there are times we are crying as we come to to life without dead

cape town. city icons are eliminated in the purple of 2 tooth clerical robes. south africa, the president added his words to the chorus of tributes because he was the voice of the voice that he was the one person who paid for justice for people living with a b as for the l g, b, t, q i, community and for they did jacketed and the oppressed people, not only in our country footage from 985 shows to, to coming an angry mob who had been beating and accused apartheid collaborator. he was one of the strongest voices for peaceful resistance against the system. a pricing south africa, black people, we know we know, we know we got over. he lay to travel the world containing human rights

against homophobia. israel's treatment of palestinians and climate change. one of his last public appearances, receiving a covert 19 vaccine, sending a message of social solidarity right to the end. saturday's funeral will be limited to just $100.00 guests inside the cathedral, but will be followed by countless more outside and around the world. in china there's a tattoo ban of forcing footballers on the national team to rethink their inc, the days of sporting tattoos. our over says china's sports authority considered a controversial decision by many. china says it's an attempt to set a good example for society. players already with tattoos are advised to remove them or in some cases, cover them up. and new tattoos orinoco. with

2022, just around the corner of suite new year's tradition in japan has taken on gigantic proportions a rice cake, weighing 700 kilograms has been offered at a shrine, into a ged prep, prefect, or north of tokyo. it's an annual tradition, marked by prayers for a good harvest. rice cake will remain on display until january 20th, then broken up and given to visitors. you are watching dw news from berlin, coming up next. we've got business with rob watts. i'm terry martin. thanks for watching she's up to date, don't miss our highlights. the d w program on line d w dot com highlights.