o peak wolf this week on d w. ah, ah ah ah ah, this is dw news lie from berlin, a record number of new cove at 19 infections for germany, as alma cron spreads,

the world health organization predict half of europe's population could get infected. with the fast spreading on, the kron waived by the end of the winter. also coming up, russia and nato hold talks and brussels the kremlin wants the alliance to stop expanding eastwards nato. once russian assurances on european security. but there is little expectation of either side getting what it wants. and mr. speaker, i want to apologize. british prime minister board johnson admits to attending a downing street party during lockdown and says he sorry, thought the opposition says he has to step down. plus a rapturous birthday celebration in hamburg who the cities al, kill them on the marks 5 years since it opened its doors to the public. lou ah,

i'm so me so much gonna, it's good to have you with us. the world health organization has warned that more than half of all europeans could become infected with the alma chron variant within the next few weeks. corona virus infections across europe are reaching record numbers. france has just seen a daily record of 368000 infections. italy as seen cases more than double and 24 hours. and germany reported over 80000 new cove at 19 infections on wednesday. that is more in a single day than at any time during the pandemic. and it comes as the government is bringing in stricter rules for those who are on vaccinated. and let's bring in our chief political editor, michelle kiffany. she joins us from the german parliament today. hi, miss ala. as we're talking now, the chancellor ala rhodes is taking questions from parliament for the 1st time. tell us what you've been hearing so far. well,

this was more really asking questions and answering than being challenged by individual issues. he didn't rise to the challenge by the far right a if d, which at the beginning interrupted just as he got going, holding up plaque cards, which is not allowed under house rules and stating of freedom instead of division the far at a fee, of course being against corona restrictions, specifically against the toughest restrictions yet in parliament today, which sees quite a few of its m p's. and basically it's sitting not at the center, but just watching from afar. and he answered matter of fact questions. and most of those, of course, centering around the corona pandemic and the current debate over mandatory vaccinations which he himself is in favor of. but where the government hasn't

really put a proposal on the table up for debate. ok, i think we have a clip of all i shall speaking a little while ago. let's listen to what he said. then detached the dust though that not enough people are vaccinations in germany. not as many as we hoped we would achieve when we began the vaccine campaign. that very fact alone has consequences been the hawkins becomes and out of consequence doth for august for the entire country, for our neighbors. at the top of the large number of resources that we are investing in our hospitals, in order to keep them open to help infected people, means that other patients have to wait for their operations to happen because we have reserved beds for corona virus patience. bye. there are no decisions that apply solely to will individuals keep kate, and that is why the vaccine mandate is the correct way to go to inflation offish. okay, so miss ala, we heard there this appeal for a vaccine mandate from olive shows. at the same time, me or his government is facing criticism for not adequately preparing for their so

on upon waive. tell us more about that. yeah. well that the re depends on where you stand. there was a challenge from angular. michael's conservative party here saying, look, you was as individual may feel that way about mandatory vaccination, but your government hasn't really rallied behind one single proposal, leaving it to m p. 's to really get an initiative various initiatives on the table . and it is pretty much an open secret here that a lot of the covert response fell between the cracks with the hand over of the new government. so will i show it is not getting a 100 day grace period. he has to demonstrate that his government can act and that it can act swiftly. the counter argument is here from the opposition that the debate of, of mandatory vaccination, which is seen as a wave breaker is now going on for weeks since before christmas. so it may not be in place in whatever shape or form in time to really tackle the omicron wave and

that it looks like more contact restrictions could well be on the horizon. yeah, from what you've heard of our, what is the government strategy for tackling the pandemic going forward? why it is targeted contact restrictions we saw during the last meeting a with the state premiers and the chancellor. am everybody running behind more restrictions to and to restaurants? it will be difficult for people who are not vaccinated to take part in public life, increasing the so that so they are feeling the pressure. the next meeting is at the end of the month and but the particular, the conservative seed you party, once the government to once again and decide or parliament to decide on a pandemic situation here in germany, which would allow a lot more and incisive tools for states to really take up. now, once again, we're seeing a lot of political debate about this,

but not one single measure that people will see that could potentially break this wave right now. our chief political editor, michelle a cooper. no, thank you. i'm a chron cases in spain are soaring, despite one of the highest vaccination rates in the u. the government only recently reduced the quarantine period to 7 days, but with long waiting times at family doctors, some patients are cutting their losses and going straight to the hospital. and that's putting even more strain on the health care system. as des nicole reef reports. cuing at the health center. it's become standard for many in spain in recent weeks. most when to pick up sick notes because of a cobra infection. some have unrelated emergencies. they would have otherwise have to wait too long for the doctors appointment. got that before it was better. you just went to your appointment yet, did he dialogue the name of kate on medical board when we had to see the doctor

because of a medical issue other than covered and not all non covered medical issues can be given the required attention as quickly as they should on lab in it was an emergency and we would have needed to wait for many or days in yoga. i thought i'd rather young boston, there's the us, they are younger yet there is a perception of a risks that they cannot treat you properly. because the system is overwhelmed at work in their system or, or maybe they need extra staff. i was here the other day and it was the same. there were a lot of people, although the q moves quickly in which i got obituary. if it was from the study that we were proud, thinking that our health care system is strong and good. but now this pandemic is showing us that we basically have nothing. each wave of infections has pushed primary health care centers more to the limits. including this one here and more studies via madrid, medics like, let out a chilling say that the system was already struggling with a lack of additional staff. and to little funding, the massive spread of the army from varian, however,

has turned out to be the last stroke. and said, there was a video to have been that we should see around $35.00 patients per day. now we're looking off to 70 on some days, even 90 patients every day per doctor. rubbish. you know, it's really difficult to keep up when you're seeing that many patients on many days this really puts us in a situation of almost collapse and a state of exhaustion where we have difficulties making decisions. but that's what our work is like right now. i think that the my, if you finish because how can i look a country sinners with our several health centers in the madrid region confirmed that they had to call the police as some of the waiting patients became verbally abusive. some patients who don't get to see their family, doctors in time attorney to hospitals like this one here behind me, putting more pressure on health care services that are also already overwhelmed. high vaccination rates and the armor chron very, and mean that cases are milder now. but the high number of cases is also spiking.

the admissions in hospitals here. in the meantime, the spanish government is finalizing plans to treat future cove infections, just like a regular flu. this means less tracking, less monitoring, but more projections in an attempt to transition from append amick to a situation where a disease is coming back, but is more predictable. that, however will not happen before this 6 wave in spain is over. and most family doctors here, i'm not going to drop the demand for bit of worked conditions and will funding to ensure proper service. will that patients not to some other stories from around the world, a car bomb in the somalian capital, mogadishu has killed at least 8 people according to local officials and witnesses. the bomb exploded on a road leading to the cities airport. it's not immediately clear who was responsible for the bombing, the al qaeda linked. i'll show bob extremis group often carries out bombings that

high profile locations for people have survived a helicopter crash in a residential area of philadelphia in the u. s. authority say the pilot managed to avoid power lines and numerous buildings before coming down outside of a church. it is believed that the pilot had mechanical problems during the flight authorities in eastern mexico, i've discovered dozens of people hiding in a cargo truck headed to the u. s. police a $38.00 people from central america were found in the truck after it crashed into a retaining wall on a highway. some suffered minor injuries. nato russia talks are about to come to an end and brussels as tensions rise on the ukrainian border. the meeting at naples brussels headquarters is the 2nd stop and a diplomatic road show focused on the kremlin initial talks between us and russian officials. on monday ended and deadlock, both sides remained wetted to their starting position, rushes pushing for britain guarantees that there will be no more nato expansion

towards the east and nato is defending its open door policy rushes defiance stance . going into talks with nato has a long and painful history. as des, emily, sherwin reports a handshake that helped end the cold war, but left lingering resentment. back in the 19 ninety's soviet leader mikhail gorbachev allegedly got verbal guarantees from us officials that nato would not expand towards the east. but there 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 was listed. yet no one knew we were not another inch to the east. they told us in the ninety's. and what they cheated us us has brought its missiles to our home. they're already at our doorstep. i don't know what there

is to understand here. it's obvious. you know, we want to ensure our security when you get your pin, you know, the dispute for you with many russians agree that nato expansion is a threat already around that as on all sides. and then keeping funding and expanding 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 with a few sites human. these talks with nato are important for everyone work for the west. and for russia, the goal, it's better to come to an agreement and not just a verbal one, but a written one with a show. bush and what is a good guy? you must do. you have ukraine trying to join nato basis and things being station directly at the borders. i think everyone should keep to themselves, right. if you live in america, then stay there and don't metal in the affairs of another content. that will continue. western officials have been reporting that russia is massing troops on

the border to ukraine. russia, meanwhile denies planning an attack. analysts say the true build up could be vladimir putin way of flexing his muscles to get what he wants. then you will ross, it's important for potent to go down in history. he wants to be able to say, i created the foundations for russia's national development and resolved the main foreign policy problems. boomer, i stopped to nato eastern expansion and returned russia to its former gloria. good news. i see below it is sure 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. while those hawks are taking place to day and our brussels bureau chief alexander phenomena is covering them for us. hi, alexandra. it. we saw the russian perspective on these talks there. what is nato's response to that view?

nato officials have rejected their kremlin claims. dad's ne toys, posing a threat to, to russia. there are saying need to isn't defensive alliance, whose main purpose is to protect its members. they're also saying that the 2 rounds self and lodgement in 19992004 was not meant to, to threatened russia because nature is not seeking confrontation with russia at bad to. they say it is a right the right of every independent nation to decide for themselves whether they would like to joint nieto or not. and we also have to add that actually after the and of the cold war, nato started to reduce its troops in europe. and it was russia's increasingly aggressive behavior that changed at, for example, after russia's illegal annexation of crimea in 2014, only then in nato's ta to it's to strengthen. it's poor shown it's eastern flank.

well, if we look at what's on the table to today, a russian officials already met with us. diplomats on monday there was no progress there. so why should this meeting with nato be any different? well, so me, i'm not sure that this meeting here is going to be much different after all. no one here really expects at breakthrough. however, of course, nato is front and center on the agenda, and it is the significance that 13 natal members states are coming here together with russia because the nato russia council that was designed for such a dialogue was dad for almost 2 and a half years. so now they have a chance to talk to each other and to express therapy, but grievances and what about within the alliance are nato partners fully united on how to speak with russia while they want to present themselves as

united. and they have agreed that there will be severe consequences, political and economic sanctions. if russia use of force against ukraine, however, we have to say that they are not old on the same page when it comes to the question of how severe those essentially are going to be france and germany, for example, have always been reluctant to inflict too much pain in russia and the new german government is sort of ambiguous when it comes, for example, to didn't, you know, stream to gas pipeline. and the question whether that will be canceled if we will go on as we would see another aggression against ukraine or brussels bureau chief, alexander, phenomenal reporting for thank you. british prime minister boris johnson has apologized for attending a party during lockdown in may 2020. after days of speculation,

johnson admitted to parliament that he had spent 25 minutes at the bring your own booth gathering and the downing street garden you. but he said he believed it was a work event to say thank you to staff at the time, locked on rules and england band, outdoor gatherings of more than 2 people. with hindsight, i should have sent every one back inside. i should have found some other way to fight them and i should have recognized that even if it could be said technically to fool within the guidance, there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it. that way. people who suffered terribly, people who are forbidden from meeting loved ones at all, inside or outside and to them and to this house i offer my hot vote. apologies. let's go to our correspondent target masters standing by 1st in london.

she's been following all the latest developments for us there. hi berrigan. give us your impressions of how the prime minister has handle these questions and parliament fairly unusual for him to apologize and he did look a little bit sheepish. i would say, however, as you've heard, it wasn't a full apology. many of his phrases were somehow in the passive mistakes were made . and he even sad as you've just had that he believed that this was a work event. and that it was with in the guidance so not really the full apology that many people in britain and is his own. i am, he's would have demanded it was matt was ridiculed by a lot of abbot opposition. m p. 's and his own. and he's, i think we're rather quiet when are they heard him? were? they listened to him. now it's really up to them to decide about his future. it's really up to them to decide in the next day's ward,

they want him to do whether they are pressing on him to resign. berg, this story really has been splashed across the headlines in the u. k. i mean, how much is it really resonating with people in the okay, it's definitely all over the papers also all over those papers that are normally very, very supportive of boris johnson. it's everywhere and social media and there is real anger in the u. k. people have come forward that have remembered how they have lost family, how they were not able to sit with their loved ones who were dying. there is a lot of emotion really are regarding this topic and you have to remember it's a crisis that's still going on. so there is still a lot of emotion at present here in the u. k. when it comes to this crisis. and i am that the general feeling, i think is that it's this one rule for, for us and the different rule for them. so the, the government politicians not sticking to their own guidelines that really

resonates with a lot of people. and that makes them very, very upset. so the approval ratings of boys johnson's where already pretty much rock bottom when the 1st scandals, the 1st talk of parties are, was brought up in late december. i haven't seen a very recent one because this is a really new development, but i would assume that they are really fall and falling. did have his burger mass reporting for a stay or from london. thank you for that update. novak ciocca, which has admitted to making errors in his travel papers that allowed him to enter australia to play in this year's 1st grand slam tournament. the tennessee has also admitted to a failure to isolate after a claim, to corona virus infection. last year, the new information has been given to the australian government, which is considering whether to cancel his visa a 2nd time joke of h one, a legal battle on monday, allowing him to stay in the country for now or see pierce has been

covering the australian open for more than a decade and he joined us from melbourne for the latest on the story. hi steve. so he mentioned there that no back joke of which has given new information to the australian government. can you tell us more about this information and what it could mean for his prospects of playing in the australian open? just say me, well, i mean that the funny thing is that it was, it was information that the strong government really had already. because you know that is such a, a public figure that it wasn't really in any great doubt that he had traveled to spain and serbia in that 2 week period before he traveled to australia. and yet he's travel documents which obviously border force in the government and which will release just recently to the general public. you could clearly see where he marked that he hadn't travel. so this is more of a public exercise coming out today and trying to, trying to get on the front foot where again, he's found himself on the back. so he's, he's come clean if you like, all that,

he did blame, he's agent for the mistake saying a member of his team and his agent is truly sorry for the human error. so in a sense, not really taking ownership of that. and you also alluded to the inconsistencies around his kind of 19 result, the positive result which, which he received when he was back in europe. and then there's these images of him attending a kid's function and other things during that period when he supposedly infectious . and when exactly did he get that kind of 19 result, that doesn't a huge amount on his these replication, but it's not, doesn't look good. the joke of it, certainly the travel document era does. and of course, the original kind of 19 infection in the last 6 months, which the government still hasn't tested as to whether that would also be canceling . is there? well, the stand off seems to be continuing between no actual convention, the australian government. where do things go from here?

really interesting to say it's been sitting with the minister for immigration, alex hope nasa what 3 days or so. he seems to be going to be the prices. he's saying that this new information means that even more time and detail needs to go into his decision. but you know, the optics are really awkward here for the federal government in australia. they've got an election coming up. is the sitting well with the public? is it not? is it sitting well on the world stage? is it not what they do the sort of damned if they do damned if they don't, but if they want to stay true to their concept of keeping the board is for fair and equal for everyone. keeping out those who they believe shouldn't come in. then they really should cancel his baze of whether it goes that we'll find out in the next 2440. i asked him, steve, they're speaking to us there from melbourne. thank you so much. thank you. to hamburg now, where the landmark l filament concert hall is celebrating its 5th anniversary. it has been held as an architectural masterpiece and it's popular with concert goers

despite the spiraling costs, it ran up during construction on tuesday, the venue markets birthday with a special concert. with the health, the money in hamburg is more than a concert whole. it has become a symbol of morton germany, a cultural landmark of the 21st century. it's celebrating its 5th anniversary with a whole week of concerts ah, the main and virtual concert features the n d r l film ony orchestra led by ellen gilbert's with contemporary classical music composed by among others, john adams. the words have been selected to make the most of the unique spatial and sound properties of the venue. ah, the elfin,

the money opened to much fanfare in 2017 angle america attended his german chancellor. as did current chancellor, left schultz, then mayor of hamburg. the planning in construction was fraught with difficulty in the end. it took more than 10 years long. let them planned. costs exploded from 77000000 to 789000000 euro over the last 5 years, 2900 concerts have been staged despite cove it over 3300000 guests have been able to enjoy the unique elk the la money experience. tuesday's anniversary concert was another night to remember. ah,

so reminder now of our top story here, and d, w. germany has reported 80000 corona virus infections in a single day. that's a new record. meanwhile, the world health organization says over half of the population of the european region could become infected by the end of winter. if tighter measures are not put in place coming up next on dw news, asia, china doubles down on it's 0 coven strategy ahead of the winter olympics. but at what cost to with people, beers, banners, you will have that story and more coming up next on d, w h, i stay with with

diapers. a no mountain is too high and no road is too long. in search of the extraordinary we are the specialists of the lifestyle europe, your lomax on d w. b to sleep. ah. listen carefully. don't know how with today. ah, feel the magic discover the world around you.

subscribe to d w documentary on youtube. ah, the internet knows all sheets creators want everything and digitize everything, the hot commodity in this global experiment. our data smart devices are embedded in our daily lives tracking i work every day. are we headed to a futuristic utopia or a digitized nightmare? the internet of everything starts january 17th on d, w ah, visit the w news asia coming up today. china is 0 cobit policy with the winter olympics, approaching millions up, wanting to lock down,

and millions more tested to stamp out coven 19 from the country.