o peak wolf this week on d, w. mm. ah ah, ah ah, this is d, w is coming to live from berlin in only krom, tidal wave headed for europe. the world health organization predict half of

europe's population could become infected with a highly contagious corona virus variant. by the end of the winter, also coming up, indonesia kicks off it's booster campaign. it's hoping a homegrown vaccine will soon help get the job to everyone who needs it. d. w, meets the scientists working to make it happen. and cold war sentiments loom large as russia brings it security demands to talks with nato expectations or low that the 2 sides will agree. a common approach to ukraine, plus the toll of conflict and drought in afghanistan as desperation forces parents to consider selling their phone. children, the un launches its biggest humanitarian appeal ever. ah. hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. corona,

virus infections across europe are reaching record numbers. this as the world health organization warns that more than half of europeans could become infected with the army cron. very it. within the next few weeks, germany reported over 80000 new code 19 infections on wednesday. more than, that's more than this in a single day that more in a single day the, any time during the pandemic, the 7 day incidence rate has also increased. it comes as the government brings in strict rules for those who are on vaccinated a spring and our chief political are chief international. have your richard walker here. richard, germany is reporting an all time high in cobit infections. right now. the government knew this all micron wave was coming. could have done more to avoid it. terry, i think with your micron wave it, as we've just heard you mentioning at the top of the show there, the world health organization warning that half of people in europe may catch it.

it's not a way that can really be avoided. it's simply a matter of slowing it down and the chancellor will have health has been trying to target some of the measures that were brought in just before christmas. and some contact restrictions brought in then is having help to slow down the arrival of on a chromebook. but that really is, is no doubt a tool that it is coming. and that could simply be a really, an accident of geography that has been a little bit slower arriving here, given that it's coming to europe from the west and from the north. so gemini, can expect some much higher numbers in the weeks ahead. so what is the german government strategy, richard for tackling the pandemic going forward? well, there have been some new restrictions coming in that were decided in a meeting between the federal government and the leaders of the various federal states just at the end of last week. those are further restrictions, for instance,

on access to restaurants, things like that, but there's a big bazooka that the government wants to bring in. and that is the idea of making vaccines mandatory for everybody over the age of 18. now we'll have shots, the chance has been talking about this for some time. this really a recognition of the fact that the vaccination rate in germany is comparatively low by western european standards. just under 75 percent of the population has had a single jap. that, of course, on an international scale is a very high number. if you go into the detail for certain regions where vaccination rates much lower and also there's a bigger gap among older people over sixty's were very vulnerable of course, than in many other comparable countries. and that of course is particularly risky in an wave like omicron, a wave which is so infectious that is very likely to reach any pockets of people who are not with any kind of immunity. still this is controversial stuff. so we hit the streets of berlin to check out what people are saying about the idea. it's been

a failure. i'm for it. so we can finally put this all behind us. there are testing centers all over the place and i got the booster bugaboo sent as soon as there's another one on offer. i'll do it again. offer mission and spot him. yeah, yes, i'm for it because i think it's an important way to get as many people as possible to get like the native thing, but think it should be compulsory lawyer. maybe not. i think it's a bit too much to move into a toothless garden if i'm not really interested. i'm vaccinated 3 times and asked for everything else, the media and i won't let it all drive me crazy about different views there on a possible vaccine mandate. richard chancellor, all off shorts will face questions from lawmakers in the bonus tag today for the 1st time. what can we expect yet big day for him? the 1st time he's face these questions in parliament. and we do expect this to be quite dominated by the pandemic. and this idea of making vaccinations, compulsory,

well, actually been trying to de politicize this issue of a mandate vaccine mandate as far as he possibly can. i think recognizing the great controversy that it has the potential to unleash, they have been increasing protests on the streets of germany. and this is really likely to be something that will inflame those tensions further. what all are sholtes? he's saying is that he wants this to be a free vote in parliament when it comes up for vote that he doesn't want to go. he doesn't want to go down party lines. he wants the responsibility for, for introducing this to be carried as broadly as possible, the conservative. so a saying it's up to him to take the lead. this is a matter for government, he's in charge, and this dithering could potentially cost lives. richard, thank you very much. shar, chief international editor richard walker, they're well with covered 19 infection rate spiking in many places around the

world. some countries are counting on vaccine booster campaigns to provide relief. one of those countries has indonesia, which launches its booster campaign today with some poor 1000000 infections. and 150000 deaths, the world's 4th most populous nation has been hit hard by, and the health ministry has pledged to vaccinate more than 208 of the countries, 270000000 people did that. we use the old mothers visited one factory in bon dong on the island of java, ramping up production for the booster. dr. indonesia vaccine production in full swing. what you see, these bottles is the chinese, you know, vaccine, the number one immunization available here. and he knew reiney is in charge of the process in a factory and bundled her team assembles components important from china and in the pan demik access. dakota 19 vaccines has been limited. of course when buying,

we have to rely on external funds. if we had our own job to supply people, then it would be affordable. that way there's more accessibility and more even distribution of the vaccines and indonesia, down called since the been demik broke out, moraneus been walking around the clock. the state own pharmaceutical company is also hoping to develop it's a very old vaccine and exciting process for a scientist. but reiney says it's also challenging for her as a mother of to, especially if things don't go according to plan. and i think that's what we have this town called the valley of death in the manufacturing process. some products here and up just as a prototype and never make it, you have to bear in mind, vaccines will be given to millions, billions of people. so they need to be affordable to in the end, a key object to this to be cost effective and efficient female flight. it's like no,

no rainy are still in minority and indonesia. despite the fact that at university women in this field, other majority, 8 out of 10 undergraduates of women among students at the medical faculty next door, analyzing, covet 19, swapped us as a much needed skill, the states, but only one out of 3 of these female students will move on to a doctorate degree and i am only thing, it must be been escalated. there are still a lot of stereotypes when it comes to professional science, but many feel a professional teacher or a government employee will just make more money and has done so many women are discouraged from continuing their studies as a scientist young bloom ah, by an american indian, i don't get my gun. elaine mama, we need to work in ourselves if we really love science, but the government should also facilitate and support us in this endeavor. it could be more funding, more laboratories and learning opportunities. i to cease? yeah. audience, ah, city, the level i'm but it never. indonesia has so far,

fully vaccinated, more than 40 percent of its 270000000 people. but with the arrival of army run, even more vaccines are needed. the country now launched a booster program early in an effort to prevent the next wave or join now from jakarta by our asia pacific bureau chief garret matters who filed that report. garrett, tell us more about indonesia booster campaign that's just getting underway. here at this hospital in chicago, terry people have been doing a since early in the morning. everyone basically who received his 2nd vaccination shot more than 6 months ago and now qualifies for a booster. the elderly are, are 1st in line. and what so quite interesting is that the, the price, there's been some debate about paying for this booster shot. and now the president confirmed yesterday that not only it will be free of charge for the elderly,

but it will also be for the rest of the population, are free of charge. what is also interesting is that the government has made clear that there are enough boosters available, but quite interesting enough. only half a dose will be given on top of those 2 vaccines for 40 vaccinated people, and the government here points to scientific evidence. now army kron is hitting indonesia to gay, or what's the current covered 19 situation in the country right now? was he that in a nice i had it's has been hard hit in the summer last year. the numbers are still comparatively low, with a rate of $800.00 cases to day. however, it's a 4 month high. and $500.00 of those cases are related to our mac run. are basically the number doubled since yesterday. and so that is quite a concern. what our thirty's have made clear here is that

a recent study found that 85 percent of indonesians apparently have so called super immunity. so that is immunity, that stamps from vaccination war from natural infection. and the hope is that this will keep the rate off hospitalization lower than in the 2nd wave that indonesia face last summer. now, the indonesian government i understand, has imposed widespread travel restrictions gay arg, a. how effective have those restrictions been in protecting the population against a particularly the army cranberry was over one has to say to has slaughter down the arrival of family chron, at least on some countries like the u. k. france, denmark. but also some african countries have been basically put on a black list. no one can arrive from these countries. for other countries you have, depending on the rate of 4 micron infections. you have a quarantine time up to 14 days here in the capital. if you want to arrive from

these countries, and the really the hope is that this will keep the wave of our micron at bay. everyone looking at india for instance, that also had a high infection rate knows that sooner or later of the american crisis here will increase. garret, thank you so much. are asia pacific bureau chief, georg matters there in jakarta? now let's catch up on some of the other stories making headlines around the world. novak shock of it has admitted making errors as he battles to stay in melbourne and play in australian. open the tennis star released a statement explaining why he was not in isolation after testing paused due for koby 19 and december and saying his agent made a mistake and filling out his australian travel declaration. authorities in eastern mexico have discovered dozens of people hiding in a cargo truck headed to the united states. police say $38.00 people from central

america were found in the truck after it crashed into a retaining wall on a highway. none of the migrants were injured in the incident. a vigil has been held in new york city for the victims of a deadly high rise apartment building fire in the bronx. residence brave the cold to remember the victims. fire officials believe a malfunctioning electric space heater cause sundays blaze. it killed 17 people. nato russia talks kickoff today and brussels amid rising tensions on the ukrainian border initial talks between russian and us officials on monday ended in deadlock. russia is pushing for written guarantees that there will be no more nato expansion towards the east and that ukraine will never ever joined the western military alliance rushes defiance stance. going into talk with nato has a long and painful back story. as d w's. emily sure. when reports

a handshake that helped end the cold war, but left lingering resentment. back in the 1900 ninety's soviet leader, michelle got a bunch of, allegedly got verbal guarantees from us officials that nato would not expand towards the east. but they were never put in writing. some historians say the story is a myth, but vladimir putin insists it's real. and his press conference last december showed nato's eastern expansion is certainly still a real source of anger for him to know we're doing. we're not another inch to the they told us in the ninety's and what they cheated us. she will not do only the u. s. has brought its missiles to our home. they're already at our doorstep. i don't know what there is not to understand here. it's obvious, we want to insure our own security. many russians agree that nato expansion is

a threat. he talk with them or they've already surrounded us on all sides and they are expanding and expanding. but when we carry out military exercises on our own territory, and that's some sort of catastrophe the end of the world. and you'll see that with a few years up with these talks with nato are important for everyone for the west. and for russia it's better to come to an agreement and not just a verbal one written ones. so boucher good guy. you know, you have ukraine trying to join nato bases and things being stationed directly at our borders. i think everyone should just keep to themselves if you live in america, then stay there and don't meddle in the affairs of another continent. good, isn't that a working tinian? western officials have been reporting that russia is massing troops on the border to ukraine. russia, meanwhile denies planning and attack. analysts say the true build up could be

vladimir putin way of flexing his muscles to get what he wants, then your war. i wish you, well, it's important for pu, tend to go down in history, and he wants to be able to say, i created the foundations for russia's national development and resolved the main foreign policy problem. i stopped nato eastern expansion and returned russia to its former glory, good mercy bellwood isha. putin is hoping russia can come out on top in the latest tug of war with nato even to day cold war divisions into east and west, still shaped the thinking in the kremlin. are brussels bureau chief, alexander phenomena is covering these talks, alexandra, when russian officials met u. s. diplomats on monday to talk about security concerns. they've made no progress . why should today's meeting with nato be any different go, terry? i don't think that the meeting today is going to be so much different after all. no one he expects a break through a solution to the crisis here in brussels. however,

we have to say that the fact that old 30 nato members states are coming together with russia is very significant because the nato, russia council, a body created to have such a kind of dialogue, has been dead for almost 2 and a half years. so now they're ready to come to be over and to talk about their grievances, who has the better negotiating position right now? alexandra, is it russia ordinator? i would say, it said, definitely russia, russia seems to have the upper hand. because nato has already made clear that they are not ready to go to war over ukraine. and to russia is sir ready determined to do whatever its tag, sir. and russia has already made clear that they are not ready to compromise. they want their demands to be mad fully. they want anita to give them written guarantees, stare to the alliance is not going to expand further east and stare to ukraine.

will never ever become a member of nato. and i spoke with the expert sir and russia, experts from moscow, and he told me that the kremlin is ready to not to back down. they are ready to walk away then to father escalate the situation. and then maybe to come back to the negotiating table. you mentioned alexander, the, all 30 nato countries are represented there are those nato partners poly united in how to deal with russia. well, they want to present themselves as united, and they all agree that they have to be severe consequences if russia uses force against ukraine. and they said state they were, they are ready to impose political and economic sanctions on the kremlin. in

that case. however, when you take a hard look at all the members, you see that they are not all on the same page. france and germany has been in the past reluctance to inflicting to inflict too much pain on russia. and a new german government is quite ambiguous. when it comes to the new, not stream to gas pipeline is so you see not all the allies are really on the same page here. alexander, thank you so much. our brussels. we're chief, alexandra from here's some other world headlines to day. north korean state medias say leader kim jong an over saw the successful test of a hypersonic missile. the report comes a day after authorities in south korea and japan detected the suspected launch which drew condemnation around the world. nearly 3 quarters of a 1000000 people are without power in when osiris after a fire damaged power lines on the cities outskirts. argentina's capital is going

through a summer heat wave, with temperatures rising to $39.00 degrees celsius. the united nations has asked the international community for 4400000000 dollars to help afghanistan is the u. s. largest ever humanitarian appeal for any country, but it came with a dire warning as well. this is a stock gap, an absolutely essential stop gap measure that we are putting in front of the, into our strategic today. without this being funded, there will be a future. we need this to be done. otherwise they will, they will be outflow. there will be suffering. will afghans suffering is already severe? more than half the countries people are facing acute hunger in places such as bug deece province in north western afghanistan, years of drought have added to food shortages. and the freezing of the country's

assets means people have no cash to live their daily lives. the situation is forcing people to take desperate measures some have resorted to selling their children to survive. with fama walks across his parched land. these once fertile fields in afghanistan begged his province. a now dry and barren, 2 years of drought have left farmers destitute and force many to abandon the region . bordering the, there's no rain, there's drought, almost every one of these village has left for iran. court on for those who remain limited aid from the red crisen is a fight lifeline. local speak of times when there was ample rain and snow here. but ever frequent a dry spells has made water

a scarce commodity. the economic crisis following the television takeover has any worse than the already dire situation. and the new provincial rule is say, there's no money to help. well, the to the is we weren't prepared for the situation because the previous government left us with nothing. here with the pot and all that and from an economic perspective, we have nothing to offer either because we're trying to help 38 groups. we just, we've had meetings with them and told them that the problems here. we didn't get as many people now living camps for the internally displaced like this one outside the provincial capital homeless and pushed to the edge of starvation some here returning to desperate measures. these parents say they're at the point of selling their 8 year old son for food. mon. well, i don't know. i know the children want bread,

but i don't have any. i'm helpless and have no option other than to sell him to someone else. well that was than we would then we would, he wasn't and we wouldn't. i kept him with a company who the yeah. that it's been, it's a bleak choice now facing these poverty stricken family. wanted them who like many others, have become casualties of drought and conflict. with right now to the united kingdom and british prime minister boris johnson is facing growing public outrage. he's under pressure over allegations that he and his staff flouted locked down rules in 2020 to hold a garden party. this, after the media obtained the leaked email invitation to the gathering sent to more than a 100 people, it was particularly warm and sunny in britain in may. 2020 presenting, a stark contrast to the troubled times. as the 1st corona virus wave brought death lock downs and social restrictions, the u. k. it depends all last the entire country to follow the advice,

there will be penalties for those who break these mandatory measures. this public service announcement made clear that residents can only meet with people. they don't live with outside and individually. ah, then there's what happened in downing street on may 20th martin reynolds born. johnson's private secretary invited with a 100 employees round for drinks and the garden in order to enjoy the sunshine during these troubled times, as he wrote, attendees must provide their own beverages. 30 came, including the prime minister in his wife, that's according to witnesses. and this isn't the only pandemic party that's putting johnson under pressure several christmas parties. and this meeting for wine and cheese, for example, are raising eyebrows. and the open alcohol consumption is blowing holes and the claims that they were work meetings. i think he should go, i mean is no,

it's no excuses and it would come as no surprise the i don't think barsh johnston is up for the job, but more importantly, i think he's lost the confidence of the british public now with his lies is defeat and his breaking of his almost ha, johnson is also losing support in his own party, after series of scandals, mistakes, and course corrections. this idea that you know, the people are telling us about all these restrictions on our lives. we're all having, you know, gin and tonic in the back garden. it's, you know, it is beyond lisa is indispensable. johnson is a prime minister who loves headlines with the last several weeks if only brought bad news. and it's getting uncomfortable for him now that many britons have started to turn their back on, the jovial johnson i quite like boris on. very disappoint modest me. i don't believe most of the things is as now because again,

i even sniff codes down and he speaks on the news. i just think it's live you and harry, when asked if he was at the party himself, johnson remained k g o o. that as he knows the subject of a, a proper of investigation by chagrin, the lead investigator will publish her finding soon. and will know if this was one party to many forbores johnson. you're watching dw news from our lives up next. we had to china where robots are being used to help the elderly. all that and more in close up. i'm terry martin. thanks for watching. with

keeping an eye on grandma, china seniors are well monitored by robots. what are they also? well taken care of?

it's a matter of perspective. china is using robots to help the elderly because many of them live alone in need contact. but is this model the right solution? close on? connect on d, w. eco, india. how can a country's economy grow in harmony with its people and the environment? when there are doers who look at the bigger picture? india, a country that faces many challenges and whose people are striving to create a sustainable future clever projects from europe and india. eco, india in 60 minutes on w. o

is increasing every and many im gonna working on landfills because the thing we weren't very holiday destinations and drowning interested wife, we rewind at the closet with every year. europe exports over 1000000 tons of plastic waste. is there another way, after all the environment isn't to recyclable? make up your own mind. d. w. made for mines in caring for the elderly and china. this is the vision of things to come. the data

of 160000 seniors is collected.