anchor: hello, you are watching princeton before with me, thomas waterhouse. here are the headlines. it could be more deadly. british governments say certain evidence suggests the new variant of covid-19 is more dangerous. prime minister boris johnson makes it clear that both vaccines being rolled out there are still effective. with the coronavirus still present, the e.u. strongly urges the residents of its member states to avoid all non-essential travel. the governments in brussels and helsinki announced stricter

restrictions for their borders. joe biden's cabinet starts to come together, with lloyd austin picked as the first black american to ever hold the post of defense secretary. this as congress moves into action with the former leader's impeachment trial set to start next week. ♪ ♪ it is not yet strong, but it is evidence which is already sounding alarm bells in the u.k. the government's chief scientific advisor says there is now some proof that the new english variant of covid-19 carries a higher risk of death. it is yet more sobering news in a land where over 1400 people

have died from the virus come making the overall death toll in the u.k. the highest in europe. the prime minister says with the infection rates still ballooning, with doctors and nurses under mounting pressure, and with new variance circulating, the current lockdown there cannot be lifted. mr. johnson: in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears there is some evidence that the new variant, the variant first identified in london in the southeast, may be associated with a higher degree of mortality. it is largely the impact of this new variant which means the nhs is under such intense pressure. we have 38,562 covid patients now in hospital. it is 78% higher now than the first peakn april. thomas: our london correspondent is covering this in a country --

in a city under lockdown and county hospitals buckling. this is what benedict bobbio -- benedicte paviaut tolus. reporter: the government was cautious in what they said, but there is some evidence, they say, the new u.k. variant m be linked to a hher degree of that is worrying because the degree of mortality is already over thousand deaths a day. today, we had 1000 -- more than a thousand people die. when you hear the prime minister say there are 38,000 people in u.k. hospitals and 78% more than at the peak of the first wave last spring, we know that this is worrying news indeed. the great majority of people are

complying with the very stct les across all four nations of the.k., other here in england, in scotland, in wales, or in northern ireland. in england, we are in a national lockdown. there are too many people about. quite a few of the questions from the journalists were after this statement from the prime minister, very much asking, should the rules aually be tough? one of the things that comes to mind is that police have been saying the last hours they are going to give more fines, enforcement rather than dialogue with people is gointo be stricter. there were 400 people in a party last night, a wedding party, in east london. that is worrying. thomas: if you were planning on leaving or entering belgium this coming week, you better make a --. in a freshttempt to pe with spread of the coronavirus, the prime minier there h nounced that all non-essential list -- journeys will be banned

until march 1. on thursday, after a four hour video summit, the president of the european commission and the president of the european council issued a joint statement urging residents of the block to avoid non-essential travel, adding that stricter restrictions on their movement could be in the pipeline in the next few days. with more from brussels, here is our correspondent, dave keating. dave: the leaders had agreement last night at the video summit. nobody objected to the idea of starting to talk about restrictions across borders. i think the trick is they just don't want to get into a situation again like we had last spring, where you had unilateral closures not coordinated with neighbors. there was a major disruption in trade, but also in the ability of essential workers going back and forth across borders. borders within the e.u. area are invisible. you walk i can forth.

a lot of people live in one country and work in another. that was disrupted. they are going to try to do this in the most nondisruptive game possible. it will be done through quarantining and testing requirements. elgin will require two tests for anyone coming in even for essential reasons. you will have to have a test before you leave and when you get back. i think belgium is going to first try the testing route so they do not risk the disruption. they may also go the same route as belgium. we will see what the commission proposes on monday, how that can be done in the most nondisruptive way possible. thomas: it has not been given the all clear from the e.u., but hungary has gone ahead with a deal to get enough doses of a russian drug to protect one million people. our reporter picks up the story. reporter: ranking ranks --

breaking makes oncegain, hungary is turning to russia for covid vaccines, with an order of the jab, even though it has not been approved by the e.u. regulator. >> [speaking hungarian] reporter: under e.u. rules, a national regulator can grant a temporary license for a vaccine in an emergency situation. goodpaster used this loophole to approve the sputnik jab and the oxford astrazeneca vaccine, although there still has to be a sign off on the russian drug's use, and the organization has set mandatory testing could take weeks. polls co. -- show only 7% of calm variance want the vaccine. the prime ministers that he is pleased with its progress.

>> [speaking russian] reporter: hungary has clashed with brussels over its vaccination rollout, accusing e.u. authorities of being sl to approve and procure jams -- jabs. the agency has so far only rubberstamped the biotech and moderna jabs. it is currently evaluating the astrazeneca oxford vaccine, and has set approval could come as early as next week. thomas: it is joe biden's second full day at the white house. today, a further confirmation, 93-2 in the 100 seat chamber. the senate showed near full support for the retired general lloyd austin, who will be heading off to the pentagon as secretary of defense. charli james has the details. >> see you around campus.

reporter: lloyd austin arrives at the pentagon for his first day as america secretary of defense. the former army general was confirmed by the u.s. senate in a near unanimous vote. a bipartisan decision that made history. sen. schumer: he will be the first african-american to ever helm the defense department in its history, a powerful symbol of the diversity and history of america's armed forces. reporter: he was approved despite concerns he had not been out of uniform for the legally mandated seven year period. he was granted a congressional waiver to get around the law. during his 41 your military career, he rose through the elite ranks, breaking several racial barriers in the process. president joe biden nominated him to restore stability across the defense department, which went through six leaders during the trump administration.

austin said he will also emphasize inclusivity. >> we owe people a working environmentree of discrimination, hate, and harassment. if confirmed, i will fight hard to step -- to stamp out sexual assault and throughout the ranks of racists and extremists, and to create a climate where everyone fit and willing has an opportunity to serve this country with dignity. reporter: austen wrote on twitter he is especially proud to be the first black secretary of defense. now he says it is time to get to work. thomas: he might be out of the white house, but he is not out of the woods just yet. after making history as the first u.s. president to be impeached, donald trump is set to be the first to stand trial after leaving office. the house will be delivering the impeachment charge for inciting insurrection to the senate this coming monday.

the democrats rejecting the republican senate minority's leader request that the proceedings should be delayed. we -- this is what e majority leader in the upper house has been saying. sen. schumer: the fact is the house will deliver the article of impeachment soon. the senate will conduct a trial in the impeachment of donald trump. it will be a full trial. it will be a fair trial. make no mistake, there will be a trial. when the trial ends, senators will have to decide if they believe donald john trump incited the insurrection against the united states. thomas: earlier here, we spoke to our correspondent in washington. she had this to say about trump's looming trial in the senate and what we can expect next week. reporter: nancy pelosi and house democrats have not confirmed --

have now confirmed the article of impeachment will be transferred to the senate on monday. this means that technically the senate trial is supposed to get underway officially 24 hours later, at 1:00 p.m. on tuesday, unless the senate republicans and democrats agreed to delay that process. that is not really clear just yet. but if things go according to plan, the senate trial will begin on tuesday. thursday will be some housekeeping, swearing in the senators, setting the rules for the trial. you will see the first arguments. the length of the trial is not clear just yet. there are questions about how many witnesses they will call. some suspect it will go faster than the previous trial, which lasted three weeks in january of 2020. the other question is, will they delay or not?

senate minority leader mitch mcconnell has said he wants to delay the trial into sometime in mid-february. also, joe biden is hoping the senate, if they overtake -- undertake the trial, be able to split time between passing legislation and doing the senate trial at the same time. thomas: next, i don't plan to hang myself from a window grill or cut my veins or throat open. the words of the russian opposition figure, alexe navalny, who released a new video. he has no plans to commit suicide. this message comes as dozens of russian towns and cities prepared to stage protests in support this saturday. our reporter tells us more.

reporter: in the days after alexey navalny's return to russia, a quick crackdown on opposition allies. we spoke to a nepali spokeswoman. >> they issued an order. they have given her nine days jail time. there was a very speedy court hearing. no sprise all motions were denied by the court. reporter: navalny return to moscow from germany, where he had been recovering after being poisoned in attacked people and on the kremlin. after the arrest, his team made an investigation into a property they claim belongs to president vladimir putin. the youtube video has been watched more than 50 million times. the crackdown on navalny aids comes ahead -- ahead of planned demonstrations on saturday. many russians have taken to social media to voice their

support. any protests will be immediately suppressed. >> undoubtedly, we see certain action related to calls for unauthorized illegal events. it's absolutely natural that there are warnings of possible consequences about respecting the law. thomas: in august -- reporter: in august 19, the biggest rally against the kremlin in nearly a decade. saturdays demonstrations will be a major test of the opposition's ability to mobilize amid increasing pressure from the kremlin, and the ongoing pandemic. thomas: in london, four defendants have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 vietnamese nationals. they were discovered in a refrigerated truck east of the

capital in october 2019. beginning his final statement, jue nigel sweeney said they must've died what must've been an excruciatingly painful death. the person believed to be the ringleader was sentenced to 27 years in jail. that 24-year-old northern irish man who drove the truck will now spend 18 years behind bars. governments across the world have been battling to get their citizens to abide by covid-19 rules and regulations, but the indian nation of bali is ordering those caught without a mask and without any cash to pay a fine to get physical. reporter: it looks like a punishment dished out of high school, but here in bali, authorities are resorting to a unique discipline technique for

not wearing masks -- 50 push-ups for perpetrators without face coverings. 15 for those not using them correctly. for officials, it is obvious who most of the offenders are. >> foreign tourists have barely won their masks. 90% of the violators are foreign tourists. when we see them breaking rules, we sometimes feel they are not respecting us. if we implement these, hopefully they will obey the rules. reporter: normally it is a seven dollar fine for failing toear a mask, but physical exercise comes with residents and tourists who do not have cash on hand. although the mint terry -- also the mandatory rules are respected. >> it is important to wear a mask. reporter: bali, which has been hammed by an evident, has been officially closed to overseas visitors, but has many long-term

residents from abroad. the government has warned those breaking regulations could be thrown out of the country, but so far, there are no reports of anyone being deported for failing to wear a mask. thomas: time to get an update on the latest business news. the u.s. president, joe biden, has signed another set of executive orders aimed at helping the americans struggling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. reporter: president biden said the government needed to act decisively and boldly to help americans struggling to make ends meet through the coronavirus crisis. executive orders to speed up payment of pandemic relief to millions of families, and increase food aid. these are stopgap measures. the neadministraon aims to push a much bigger stimulus package through congress. republicans in congress are worried that biden's relief package, as well as the other

investment plans for infrastructure and green energy, will run of the national debt further. with passage of the bill as well as other spending plans, it is far from guaranteed. he signed the latest executive orders. pres. biden: families are going hungry. job losses are mounting again. we need act. i don't believe people in this country just want to stand by and watch their friends and neighbors, fellow americans, go hungry, lose their homes, and lose their sense of dignity, help, and respect. i don't believe that, especially in the middle of a pandemic. it has weak so much havoc -- wreaked so much havoc and caused so much pain. it is not who we are. reporter: the vote approving

janet yellen as treasury secretary was unanimous in committee. the full senate vote will come later on. if approved, yellin would become the first woman to head the u.s. treasury. let's take a look at how the week ended on financial markets. wall street ended trading on a mixed note, with stocks falling back from record highs. the dow and the s&p reached highs earlier this week around inauguration day. with concerns over the fate of coronavirus, losses mounted. the tech heavy nasdaq timed back into positive territory to end the day up about a 10th of a percent. it is a vote of confidence in the u.k., according to the british prime minister. boris johnson fails the decision by japanese carmaker nissan to keep making cars at a plant in the u.k. the decision comes as a result

of the trade deal reached between the u.k. and european union at the end of next year. nissan makes about 30,000 cars there, and says it will source more batteries from britain to avoid tariffs. >> a massive side of relief for britain and the more than 6000 people employed at the nissan factory in the northeast of england. japanese company says it continues to see its future in the country, things to the recent brexit deal with the e.u., to create for the local economy. >> the impact throughout the northeast is absolutely incredible. it is not really possible to overstate. some new businesses directly have benefited from the impact of the expertise that this plant has brought. we know that the longer-term future of this whole region does really get impacted by what happens. reporter: the automaker has

decided to source more car batteries from the u.k. to end tariffs on electric cars, made possible by the brexit trade deal. according to the company's chief operating officer, the deal has given a competitive advantage inside and outside the u.k. -- boris johnson calling it a great vote of confidence in the country and the future of electric vehicle manufacturing. the company says it will then be up to consumers to decide how quickly they make the switch from traditional vehicles. reporter: german auto manufacturer volkswagen has reported profit of 10 billion euros for 2020, almost half its profit in 2019, but so much

better than what analysts had expected. european car sales plunged by nearly a quarter last year because of the pandemic. at the carmaker says deliveries picked up toward the end of the year. volkswagen shares hit their highest in 11 months after this earnings report. thomas: thank you very much. it's time now for our daily focus report. the french government recently agreed to a 10 point charter with muslim leaders, a text which stipulates that the values of the state and of that faith are compatible. the goal is to stop foreign interference directed at muslim communities. but a strain of independent and well integrated islam already exists in france, on the overseas island of lower union -- of la reunion. reporter: in the middle of th indian ocean, the remote island may have found the answer for islam's future in mainland

france. calls to friday prayers resonate across the main city as the faithful gather inside the mosque, paintedince the 19th ceury with colors of the french flag from stained-glass windows. prayers are carried out in arabic and french,nd the mosque is managed by committee elected for three years -- not imams, but employees. a stark change from mainland france, where many imams are in charge of ruling the mosques. >>[speaking french] reporter: the imams or graduates for the stitute of islamic the elegy, which trained 60 students at a time, some of whom will go on to preach in mainland france. here, they learn arabic and get

a deep understanding of the koran, but civic education and french history are also part of the service. the students agreed the training , which they follow for four to seven years, is absolutely essential. >> [speaking french] reporter: the goal is not just to cnge future imams, but to put the koran into ctact wit french society. >> [speaking french]

reporter: the institute relies entirely on donations. initial contributions are also crucial for the mosque, which has a yearly budget of 3.1 million euros. it is entirely self financed, unlike certain places in the mainland which are maintained from morocco, algeria, or turkey. foreign investment is out of the question here. >> [speaking french] reporter: the city is also home to one of the few private islamic schools under contract with the state.

the education officer says the ideas offered could be beneficial to the mainland. >> [speaking french] reporter: a structured and coordinated framework which has now remains unique in of france. thomas: it's time for a very quick break but i'm back in a few minutes' time with another round of news. stay with us. ♪ ♪

[captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now. >> our national plan ramps up production to protect energy, syringes, you name it. as i said last night, 400,000 americans died. that is