>> it is 9:00 p.m. in paris. these are the headlines. europe's medicines watchdog says it will release the findings into reports of severe side effects from the astrazeneca vaccine. that report will, later this week. for decades is the start of the syrian conflict we take you to meet some of the millions of people who have been displaced and who have started over in a new country. an archaeologist and israel discovered dozens of fragments of biblical text in a cave. they are thought to be 2000 years old. ♪

welcome back. more than a dozen e.u. countries including france have announced they are suspending the use of the astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine. sweden and latvia are the latest countries to announce they are hitting the pause button because of concerns there could be a link between people have received the jab and who suffered from blood clots. europe's medicines watchdog, which will release results of an investigation on thursday, says these reported incidents are "very rare and there is no indication they are caused by the vaccine." >> reassuring news from the european medicines agency as it investigates any possible links between the astrazeneca vaccine

and serious side effects. >> currently, we are still thoroughly convinced that the benefits of the astrazeneca vaccine in preventing covid-19 with its associated risk of hospital is asian, death, outweigh the risk of these side effects. >> countries across europe have suspended their use of the vaccine after reports that a few recipients developed dangerous blood clots. the ema said it would issue its final report on thursday. choosing caution over speed, france is one of the country that has paused use of the astrazeneca vaccine. however, the health minister expressed optimism they can quickly restart inoculations. >> i furtively hope that we can resume the vaccination campaign with the astrazeneca vaccine as soon as possible. >> the government says it is ready to implement the ema's findings once they are announced. >> if the european medicine

agency says it is fine we can start again, we will resume vaccination at a faster pace. if the ema tells us there is a slight precaution to take and following 24 hours, pay attention to how you feel in your general health. then we will apply the -- advice given by the european medicine agency. >> france had a slow start rolling out vaccinations. and concerns are growing that public skepticism about the astrazeneca vaccine may lead to doses going on used and vaccine shopping. >> for more analysis we can speak to professor lawrence young, a renowned for religious at warwick medical school. thank you for speaking to us. we heard in that report the executive director of the european medicines agency saying with -- we're firmly convinced the benefits of the astrazeneca vaccine in preventing covid-19 outweigh the ris of any side effects. do you agree with that statement? >> absolutely.

17 million people in the u.k. and across europe have received a dose of this vaccine. fewer than 40 cases of blood clots have been reported. in fact, that is less blood clots than you would see in the normal general unvaccinated population. so, i think we are all convinced this is a safe vaccine and we know it has saved lives. >> so, what do you make of this decision therefore, by a dozen european governments, including the french government, to put the vaccination rola -- rollout for the astrazeneca vaccine on hold? >> i find it a rather bizarre decision given that the ema has insisted the vaccine is safe and all the ta we have, and cleated ta in the u.k. from 11 million doses of the vaccine -- including data in the u.k., support the fact that this is a

very safe vaccine. the other interesting piece of information that when you look at the data coming out from the pfizer/biontech vaccine you see similar levels of blood clots in response to people having had a vaccine. of course, we do not believe these vaccines are associated with blood clots. but why single out the oxford astrazeneca vaccine? is essentially irresponsible because people are gng to be hesitant now about taking the vaccine. it is a vaccine which we know saves lives. >> just while you're speaking the french prime minister has given a statement he says he will get the astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine as soon the green light is given by the ema. he is obviously trying to set the scene for, you know, managing public concern and people who will be hesitant to get that jab. let me just play the devils advocate. of course, you know, this is a serious business and governments

and medical agencies across europe are right to be cautious, aren't they? >> yes, of course. when any adverse events are reported for any medicine, they need to be investigated. usually this happens while you are continuing with the medicine or the vaccine. you do not pause. but of course every event has to be seriously considered. its just that you have got to weigh up risks and covid is much, much worse than any side effects. the risks of not having the covid vaccine far outweigh the side effects of the vaccine. with any medicine, with anything you put into your body, it is about balancing risk. every drug we take, even aspirin, carries risk but you have to balance it against the benefits. and the benefit is that the vaccine and the other vaccines are lifesaving. >> indeed. pretty much any medication we buy comes with a list of

possible side effects. quite often death is one of them. what would be your message, professor young, to someone who is watching and who says, "i've got serious concerns about the astrazeneca jab. i don't want to." >> i would say please consider your position. covid is very, very, very serious disease. not only, obviously, sometimes eventuated in death, but actually causing all sorts of other problems. we're all dealing with the long-term effects of covid, the long covid. i would encourage everyone to think very carefully about having this jab and recognizing that any side effects are far less severe than getting covid itself. an that is a message i would say. i also say i've had that jab myself. and i would recommend all my family and friends to do likewise. >> i didn't want to put you on

the spot and ask you. i did not think that was very fair. you have told us now. and, with regard to sort of weighing up any risk associated with any of the other jabs, i mean, how does astrazeneca's risk level stack up against the pfizer, the moderna, the johnson & johnson which presumably we don't know too much about? >> they are all pretty much as good as each other in terms of si effects. these vaccines are very intensely studied in terms of side effects. in the original study with the astrazeneca vaccine, 24,000 people were studied and in that study they found three cases, three out of 24,000, side effects. but they were minor side effects. vaccin are often associated with a slight effect where the vaccine is taken in your arm. sometimes headaches or a bit of fever, translate effects. but long-term side effects are

minimal. and this is the safer medicine as any any other medicine we take routinely. >> thank you so much for sharing that with us. professor lawrence young at warwick medical school. thank you very much, indeed. the french health authorities have announced the latest covid-19 numbers. there have been 29900 and 75 new cases in the last 24 hours. and 408 deaths. the number of people in intensive care is continued to creep upwards. the total number of icu patients now stands at 4239, a four month high. 20 more patients than yesterday. we are just hearing from the french prime minister, who is saying that the moment has come to think about more measures to be introduced in the paris reg ion. we will find out more for you and get that to you as soon as we know more. scientists are investigating a

new coronavirus variant which has been detected in a cluster in western france. one of the notable features of this brittany mutation is that it might evade testing. for now there is no suggestion the new variant is more contagious or more deadly. >> 79 coronavirus cases reported at this hospital in northwestern france on saturday. but 8 of the people infected had their pcr tests show up as negative, even though they had symptoms of covid-19. >> [speaking french] >> the britney variant of covid-19 is not more transmissible, but experts say it is too early to tell. >> [speaking french]

>> health experts are examining how the new variant response to vaccinations. authorities in brittany have ramped up measures to limit the spread of covid-19 and residents are being advised to refrain from gathering. >> we talked a lot on "france 24" about the economic crisis facing lebanon but the economic situation across the border in syria is extremely serious. yesterday march the 10th anniversary of the start of the country's conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of half a million and the displacement of millions. one u.s. dollar now cost four thousand cerium pounds on the black market. that compares to 700 pounds to

the dollar a year earlier. today this syrian president announced that thousands of public sector workers and soldiers will be receiving a one time financial stimulus. roughly equivalent to a month's salary. up to one million syrian refugees are now living in germany, where they have thrived and learn the language and started their own businesses in many cases. nick spicer will take us now to meet 23-year-old -- who explains that life in berlin has had some serious challenges, notably discrimination. >> speaking german] >> they escaped to germany in 2014. they lost everything because of the war back home. but rebuild their lives with syrian pastry shops in the german capital. soleiman still works a few days a week here. >> even before we came to

berlin, this was our objective. we didn't want to be a burden for the germans in any way and we didn't want to live on unemployment benefits. >> the family now owns three pastry shops in the city and is well settled, but their success is also -- has also attracted the anger of the extreme right. >> here they painted the sign of the ss. in this one, they set fire to the van in front of the shop. >> the attacks hurt soleiman a lot. >> before we got here we told ourselves germany was paradise. then we kind of changed our tune. even though it is still great here. we thought after the world war those kinds of things no longer existed. but, apparently, some germans have not changed. >> despite what happened, he wants to stay in germany.

he has completed a diploma in physiotherapy online because of the pandemic but one day hopes to return home when the war is over. >> my goal one day is to go back to syria and open the physiotherapy practice. i'd like to help people, especial people who were injured in the war. >> for the time being, soleiman hopes to find a job as a physiotherapist in berlin to keep helping his family. >> archaeologists in israel have announced they have discovered dozens of fragments of biblical text. the roughly 80 pieces of parchment were found in a cave in the desert 40 kilometers south of jerusalem. they are believed to date back 2000 years. olivia salazar tells us more. >> precious fragments containing key biblical texts.

this very treasure was on earth by israeli archaeologists who kicked out the words "savior" written in hebrew while the rest is in ancient greek. the extracts are believed to be from the books of zechariah and nahum, both of which make up the 12 minor prophets. >> this is not the first time when such fragments are found in an excavation and brought straight here to our laboratory. which meant that we have better documentation of their condition than any other previous discovery of the dead sea scrolls. >> the artifacts were found here in the judeo desert, along with other key finds like a woven basket believed to be 10,500 years old. it is now a race against time to locate and retrieve similar items safely. since the dead sea scrolls were first discered in the 1940' and 1950's, the region's

cultural heritage has come under attack from looters. >> after a lot of years of that looters coming in the caves to look, all the amazing stuff, coins, baskets, clothing, and scrolls of course inside the cave, i went to survey and excavate in the desert to find these artifacts before the looters. >> the dig extended into the part of the desert situated in the occupied west bank where palestinians have complained in the past that israeli authorities use archaeological expeditions to justify their claims on that land. >> now, belarus is being threatened with disqualification from this year's eurovision song contest because the state broadcaster has put forward a song that mocks protesters taking a stand against president lukashenko. in one verse, the song goes " i

will teach you to toe the line." fraser jackson tells us more. >> what makes a eurovision classic? an addictive beat? ♪ incredible vocals? ♪ maybe a combination of both? well, belarus has different ideas, and it has sparked fierce backlash. ♪ four their 2021 entry, minsk enter the song entitled -- or "ill teach you." a song mocking protest. with lines belittling protesters for demanding change and lyrics such as i will teach you to toe the line, the song has been rejected by eurovision's organizers. they say the song would put the

nonpolitical nature of the contest in question. belarus's president sees it taking part in a biathlon competition in minsk, lukashenko saw the decision as another example belarus being besieged by outside forces. >> you can see that we are pressed on all fronts, even at eurovision. what about that band? by blocking the song the eurovision organizers have just increase the band's popularity. it was a good promotion for them, but we will make another song. no problem at all. you can see this is all politicized. >> protests started after the credibility ofugust's presidential election was called into question. as they grew, the man dubbed europe's last dictator responded with police tactics internationally.ed six months later, protests continue and lukashenko seems unfazed. the result of his biathlon competition unsurprisingly, he

came first. >> let's go check now in the top business news stories. kate moody is here. now, the vaccination program here in europe hasn't got off to the best of starts. but still the bloc is considering the so-called vaccine passports. >> the whole goal is to get travel happening within the european union and around the world. the idea is proof of inoculation against covid-19, which could set the stage for those restrictions to be lifted or at least eased. this wednesday the european commission is due to outline his vision for a digital green certificate which would colate vaccine and test information. even as countries around the world watch -- launch their own versions of the passport, the world health organization has warned that government should be exceptionally careful. >> this is what could be awaiting german tourists this easter.

they removed -- the islands from a list of risk zones. while spanish citizens are still facing travel restrictions, he was updabeat, with tourism 12% f the nation's gdp before the pandemic. covid travel passes waiting in the wings. >> [speaking spanish] >> greece has said it would welcome vaccinated tours. with their vaccination program still gainingace the world health organization has not yet think -- said covid passports are justified. >> right now we are dealing with internet or both situation and the world where the likelihood of getting a vaccine is very much to do with the country you live in, very much to do with the level of wealth. >> other nations are moving on

in their only. -- their own way., with the u.s. hoping for a return to trevor about july the fourth and china shut to most travelers easing up. > >> beijing has for now only approved four of its own vaccines for domestic use while struggling to have them accepted in the west due to transparency -- lack of transparency. >> the united kingdom and the european union and norway have signed an agreement on fishing quotas in the north sea. the deal establishes limits on fish to be caught by fishing boats from those parties in 2021. norway is outside the e.u. but it is part of the european single market. it negotiates those north sea quotas with the bloc every year

and has to include the u.k. and discussions. catch limits where key stiing point in brexit trade negotiations between london and brussels. this deal is a step towards resolving some outstanding issues. retail sales in factory output each slumped around 3% in the u.s. in february. as cold weather and winter storm swept the nation at consumer spending accounts for three quarters of american economic activity. economist to expect sales to pick up with the latest round of stimulus checks included in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package becoming law last week. the federal reserve meanwhile has kicked office today policy meeting. it could issue new forward guidance about the economy think it's an indication of how its monetaryolicy wi look in the coming months. a chicken on the days trading action. -- let's check in. investors waiting to hear what kind of an outlook the central bank will give paris we saw a

mixed picture for the closing bell, the dow jones lagging after monday's record close was down 130 points by the closing bell on tuesday. the nasdaq only slightly above the flat line. the volatility index meanwhile hitting its lowest level since last february. the major european markets closed higher. the ftse 100 eight tense of 1%. -- eight tenths of 1%. shares of astrazeneca rose 3.5% in london despite the wave of european countries suspended use of its covid-19 vaccine. investors focusing instead on the e.u. medicines agency which has suggested the benefits of that vaccine may outweigh the risk for now. volkswagen is to open a six new electric car battery factories in europe. as it expects sales of electric cars to jump by 2-030. after a difficult 2020 the carmaker is seeking to cut costs and boost its profit margins.

>> playing ■catch up with teslas new german giga factory under construction outside berlin. volkswagen is planning to take on elon musk's company, building or opening six battery factories across europe with its partner. the german carmaker wants more control over its electric car supply chain. and no longer rely on other battery producers. it says it is moving to a more efficient next generation of cells. >> this will make e-cars even more affordable and, as a result, even more -- charging will be as easy as refueling. we are raising the number of fast charging points in europe by five times over the next four years. >> the company expects that by

2030, the majority of volkswagen car sold in europe, china, and the united states will be electric models. this drive comes after a difficult year for the car industry. sales were sluggish since the covid-19 crisis hit the global economy. volkswagen said it sold 15% fewer cars than the previous year and is cutting costs to boost profits. >> in 2021, we will recover from covid and speed up the change once again. >> the company is also trying to move on from the diesel gate scandal, where the carmaker fitted 11 million diesel cars with software to cheat emission test. the former of volkswagen is set to go on trial over the scandal next month. kate: that is all for now. tom: thank you very much, indeed. kate moody, r business editor. thank you very much. that is it from us. i will be back in a couple of

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03/16/21 03/16/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> in particular, we will push back necessary. >> i know japan shares our concerns with china's destabilizing actions. amy: in their first overseas trip, defense secretary lloyd austin and secretary of state tony blinken ramp up the pressure on china during a