berlin. back in the suez canal, operators failed in their bid to free a stranded cargo ship. hundreds of ships are now struck in a maritime traffic jam, causing a major headache for global trade. also coming up, tragedy on the tracks. at least 32 people killed and over 100 more injured in a high-speed train collision in

egypt. plus, the worst wave yet. health officials sound the alarm over the country's covid-19 search. they warned it could prove deadlier than the previous two. and heartbreak in boulder. in the united states, a colorado community comes together in grief as authorities struggle to find a motive for monday's deadly mass shooting. to our viewers on pbs in the united states and everyone around the world, a very warm welcome. experts are warning it could take weeks to dislodge a huge container ship egypt's suez canal. more than 150 ships are waiting to get into what is one of the world's most important shipping routes.

the suez canal opens up a 7000-kilometer route from asia to europe. around 30% of the world's shipping volume transits through the canal daily. the stuck ship is costing the global economy billions as trade is delayed and desperately needed goods cannot be delivered. >> they are doing what they can, but the 400 meter long container ship won't budge. diggers are at work alongside a vacuum excavator, which could suck up to 2000 cubic meters of sand per hour. experts on when the vessel could be freed vy fr a few days to a few weeks in the worst case. >> what i uld exct to start seeing soon if they are not successful, the next best optn

is to lighten the vessel, which is to move other vessels next to the ship and start offloading cargo. >> a lengt salvage process would have wide reaching effects. oil prices have already risen due to the many oil tankers caught in the traffic jam. supply chains could also be affected because of missing parts. >> it is an aolutely essential part of our modern life. this webcamould not be able to reach me without modern shipping and this computer and pretty muchverything on my desk because shipping still brings us 90% effective, and we are absolutely fundamentally reliant on it. >> the nasa container ship has beentuck between the suez canal's banks and's tuesday, blocking the waterway which is critical for trade between europe and asia.

the incident is now a historic event for the 150-year-old canal. layla: let's get more details on this developing story. we would like to welcome a maritime historian and former merchant mariner. a very warm welcome. so far, attempts to re-float this massive giant have been unsuccessful. besides the obvious problem why is this such a complicated mission? >> is complicated because of the position the vessel is in. she hit and rammed herself -- literally impaled herself -- into asia, and her stern is hung up on africa, and she is hanging between them in the suez canal. puts her in a vious -a very precarious position. you have to beareful about what's called longitudinal ress, bu basically, you don't want to cause the mide of the vessel to sag, crack, begin to leak or flood or -- worst-case

-- catastrophically failed. they want to be careful about minimizing further damage to the vessel. layla: i understand you believe there are signs that dislodging the vessel might take longer than initially thought. why is that? >> well, we saw the parent company, evergreen, begino route vessels around africa, so that's a clear indation they think this may take a long time. even if they were able to clear the canal immediately, it would stl be days of backlogs of vessels to get out there. the egyptians have bun to dredge along the forward section of the vessel, the nth section of the vessel, but the survey company, smith, would probably want to do a full survey of the vessel. there is a danger of going too fast and pottially endangering the vessel. they don't want vessel to shift. they don't want it to roll. as i said before, they don't

want to cause further damage. like i said, the egyptians want to get this vessel out. officials talked about the canal will be cleared within 48 to 72 hours. i think that's a bit optimistic. layla: the cargo industry has been trying to dispatch bigger and bigger ships. was this a disaster waiting to happen? >> in many ways, this event was brought on by the last closure of the suez canal. when the suez canal close in 1968, the maritime industry had to run around africa, and they started developing these larger vessels, what we callconomy of scale. let's put more cargo on a single vessel. the suez canal was expanded in 2015 specifically to handle a vessel like is. in our economy, we demand low

cost transportation, and the way to aour that is by creating these larger and larger vessels. the question is -- was this passage through the canal prudent at the time? if they had concerns about high wind, as the company is saying, pilots on board should have been aware of that. theyhould not have taken the vessel into the canal. layla: very complicated stuff. thank you for enlightening us. we stay in egypt where at least 32 people have been killed and scores more injured in a high-speed train collision in central egypt. authorities say the crash was caused by people triggering emergency rates on the train. authorities take anyone from responsible will face serious consequences. >> twisted steel and mangled carriages -- grim proof, the deadly impact of two trains

colliding in egypt. one passenger live-streamed the immediate aftermath of the crash. the train has been in an accident, people are dying. help us. help us. where's the help? people are dying here. people will die. people will die in the train. the train was turned over with people in it. when help did arrive, it was too late for many. ambulances quickly filled with lifeless bodies lifted from the wreckage. authorities say the collision happened after someone pulled the emergency brake on one of the trains, causing at least two carriages to overturn. egypt has been marred by train accidents in rent years.

its poor safety record is blamed on a crumbling infrastructure and insufficient maintenance. this is unlikely to be the last tragedy to unfold on egypt's railroads. laila: these are the other stories making news around the world -- france bears more responsibility in the rwandan genocide. that's the conclusion from the french government. the report found that france was blind and too slow to respond, but it clear france of any complicity in the slaughter -- it cleared france. myanmar has onerotests are at risk of being shot in the head. activists against the coup are calling for a large show of defiance.

u.s. president joe biden says china's xi jinping and russia's e pugin are -- pressure's vladimir putin are -- russia's vladimir putin are among leaders he has invited to a summit. german officials worn that the third wave of covid-19 currently gripping the country could prove deadlier than the previous two. they are urging the country to limit contact over the easter holiday to slow the spread of the virus. more than 21,000 new cases were reported friday. the head of germany's disease control center says the highly contagious u.k. variant is now the dominant strain. >> we are facing some very difficult weeks. we are at the beginning of this third wave, which we know is even more contagious and even

more dangerous and therefore even more difficult to contain. there are very clear signals this wave could be worse than the first two. laila: that was the head of the robert cope -- robert koch institute. a chilling message from germany's top disease specialists. why now? >> the situation is very worrying. germany is in a third wave of infections. case numbers are on the way up. the current variant spreads much quicker and spreads among younger generations. that combined with tentative listenings of restrictions have led to a spike in infections. almost 22,000 new infections,

another 180 deaths today, and a nation-wide seven-day incident rate of almost 125,000 inhabitants. this prompted the warning we heard just before, and this really shows why there's tough weeks lying ahead of us here in germany. laila: or more cases being detected because free rapid testing is more readily available? >> more testing is bound to lead to more positive results, but regardless -- and this has been confirmed by the chancellor -- we are witnessing the exponential growth of infections. they warning as if things keep going that way, the hospital sector could reach a breaking point if nothing changes. laila: this is a bit of an

incoherent week for us here. we heard chancellor merkel saying we are not going to do that five-day lockdown. today -- or yesterday, i should say, the chancellor called on germans to be more optimistic. now we are hearing from the top doctor that, you know, brace yourselves. what's the message? >> i think this week has been confusing for many here in germany. what angela merkel said was there is hope in the form of a vaccine. she also said if the entire german population or european population was vaccinated, it would not mean the end of the pandemic because by definition, this is a global issue and if other countries do not have the means to vaccinate their own people, the virus could reappear any time, anywhere. there is a slow rollout here in germany of the vaccination. only 10,000 people got their first shot here in germany.

angela merkel said there was help with people kept observing social distancing and basic rules of hygiene, but at this stage, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. laila: thank you. is this third wave of covid-19 tightens its grip on germany, there appears to be little prospect of lifting lockdowns any time soon, so ho have cooped up germans been coping? dw news spent some time with a fami here in berlin to fin out. >> everyone is at home. everyone is busy at their computer -- well, almost everyone. leandro was struggling with his math homework. sometimes he has to force themselves to keep up with his tasks.

you just get sad. you don't have any energy. you almost get a little depressed. that's a heavy-duty word, depressed, but it's true. you just don't feel like doing anything anymore. >> his mother also spends her days homeschooling. she's a teacher and looks forward to the day when she can finally teach inside the school again. covid-19 vaccinations could make that happen. >> i got message from my school yesterday that invitations for all teachers to get vaccinations are in the mail. that's very good news. now i know i will have a vaccinatioappointment. >> germany's vaccination rollout is taking a long time. so far, only 10% of the backs -- only 10% of the population has been vaccinated. the first to get the job -- the

jab were over 80. paola is looking forward to having rapid testing introduce at her workplace. self tests people take it home well make the school a little safer, but in germany, these are not available everywhere. she worries about losing connection to her students. >> you don't hear anything from them. not a "no, don't feel le it" or "yes." just silence. and you wonder -- where are they? >> the father of the family has set up his home office. in a europe-white comparison, germany only comes in at average when it comes to working from home instead of remaining at the workplace. less than 40% of german employees work from home.

mark is finding it quite a challenge to work in this environment. >> is hard for me to combine my working world and the atmosphere that normally surrounds me with working at home with my child, my dog, my wife. it's quite challenging at times. mark is trying to imagine what the future will be like after the pandemic is over. he is in charge of a start of developing ideas for a new kind of tourism after covid-19. after all -- all in all, the bergdorf are very grateful they have made it through the pandemic healthy -- so far. laila: germans' frustrations with the seemingly endless lockdown comes at a time when pressure is growing on the european commission to step the distribution of vaccines. after a virtual summit on thursday, eu leaders announced they will be implementing stricter controls on vaccines leaving the bloc.

this amid growing acrimony over vaccine supplies. u.k. reports over 14% of its population has had a first jab compared with just 2% here in the eu. the european medicines agency has given approval to three new vaccine manufacturing plants. germany, the netherlands, and switzerland will boost european production of the biontech-pfizer, astrazeneca, and moderna vaccine's. kenya has put its capital nairobi and nearby counties into partial lockdown amid a third wave of infections that has seen case numbers rise to their highest level yet. a city in sao paulo says it has developed its own vaccine that is "100% resilient" and expects to start using the vaccine in

july. at least four people have been shot dead between -- in clashes between police and demonstrators. in bangladesh. critics accuse the prime minister of stoking anti-muslim sentiment in the eu. >> a vision that has inflamed passions at bangladesh. worshipers tighte their frustration toward narendra modi, who they see as anti-muslim. ugly confrontations follow with supporters of bangladesh's ruling nationalists. leaving parts of downtown dakar ablaze, in the end, police subdue crowds using rubber bullets. one group chanted embarrassing slogans against the indian prime

minister. the other group protested these actions. the clashes broke out when they tried to stop the protesting group. the unrest and unwelcome backdrop to prime minister modi 's visit to his bangladeshi counterpart, one that aims to bind the two powers together. india helped bangladesh when independence. keeping iamabad at bay has remained a key strategic objective for deli -- for delhi ever since. both the governments of bangladesh and india will recognize the importance of working together and are moving in that direction. right now, bangladesh needs india's help to escape the pandemic. it is relying on its giant neighbor's pharmaceutical sector to supply vaccines.

any talk of india restricting vaccine exports causes jitters. >> sending vaccines for prevention of coronavirus to neighboring countries must be a reflection on that policy. >> too much is at stake for both nations. the tension on the streets could disrupt the diplomacy in the suites. laila: in the u.s., police say they are still looking for a motive for the shooting rampage in boulder, colorado. the 21-year-old suspect shot 10 people in a supermarket before police arrested him. the shooter is being held without ale, charged with 10 counts of murder.

-- the shooter is being held without bail. >> a community comes together to breathe. 10 lives lost in a shooting at a nearby supermarket. hundreds have gathered to mourn and to comfort each oth in boulder, colorado. this was the seventh mass shooting in the u.s. this year. the last one not even a week ago. the religion of theuspect in boulder brings additional fear to the muslim community. >> i have spoken to some who are afraid to leave theouse, others who are changing up the paths of their daily walks, women fearful of wearing their head jobs -- their hijabsuspectt the muslim community. he does not represent islam. he just haens to have a muslim

name. >> politicians also paid their respects to the victims and their community. >> 10 precious lives lost o soon and remembered by so many. tonight, we are keeping them each in our prayers. >> this is not the first time the people of colorado have had to come together to commemorate the lives that have been lost during a shooting. columbine, the aurora cinema -- these are all familiar names. the big question is -- how many more times will the people of

colorado have to do this? >> we are just deeply saddened by the gun violence, and it needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. i can't take it anymore. i'm tired of people dying for no reason. it's just sad. their lives cut short for what? laila: a french artist has set out to create the world's largest human chain of interlaced hands reaching around the globe. while the artist says his aim is to create a symbol that bridges people and cultures through his art, his latest creatiowas recent unveiled at a special location. >> not the usual canvas, but a sandy beach in benin. the project isitled "beyond walls or co-the -- "beyond

lls." the artist has made it his mission to create giant works with the purpose. "i always say i really believe that only together can humanity respond to the different challenges it has to overcome. it was from this conviction this project was born." his creations are done with biodegradable paint so there's no pollution. start -- the project started in paris and traveled around the world. in benin, for the image to be striking, one must find an aesthetic and also a story. the two histories have

unfortunately in my opinion been marked by the period of slavery, but they are also sites that are incredible in terms of aeheticsso i thought it was a good mix that would create something special. there was also the fact that besides the deep meaning attached to it, i believe it also allows us to raise the profile of the uighur in the country, and i think this is interesting for the local people. his message of friendship and togetherness seems to resonate with the people here. "the artwork taught us it is necessary to be united, to go hand in hand, and to love one's neighbor. god advocates these values, and that is why we accepted this work here." the work he is doing will have positive repercussions for us because it will help our community grow.

after almost two years, he has visited three continents and spray-painted 37 pairs of hands on nearly 80,000 square meters of land. laila: you are watching "dw news." here is a reminder of the stories we are tracking this hour. operators have failed in their latest bid to refloat the ship stuff in the suez canal. experts say dislodging the ship could take weeks. it is forcing many vehicles to reroute around africa. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." hope to see you then. ♪

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>> welcome, 9:00 here in the french capital. a report conducted by historians finds paris was not complicit in the 1994 rwandan genocide but does bear heavy responsibility. we will get you the latest reactis to that report. "france 24." is standing by and kelly. -- in kigali. the message from eu leaders as they ramp up pressure on the anglo-swedish manufacturer astrazeneca. also for you in the program, beijing slaps sanctions on british