♪ >> this is dw news. for the third time, france is going to lockdown. president macron says the shutdown already in place in some regions will be extended to the entire country for at least one . schools will close and domestic travel will be banned. france is close to losing control of the pandemic. also coming up, more mixed messages. the e.u.'s medicine regulator

backs the astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine for all age groups a day after germany stopped the used of astrazeneca in people under the age of. 60 and pakistan's first ever religious school for transgender people. it's a safe space for those on the margins of society where some are finding comfort in their faith. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs in the united states and all of you around the world, welcome. we begin with the latest evidence of how severe the third w has become for europe. franceave -- france has extended its lockdown for one more month. president macron says we will lose control if we do not move now. coronavirus cases have risen sharply in recent weeks in france with only 60,000 new

infections reported in just the last 24 hours. intensive care units are in dangers of being swamped. here is the french president. >> i know how difficult the effort i am asking of you is. i know what the consequences are for our country and for our lives. and you also know that we have done everything possible to take these measures as late as possible and at the time when there was trickling necessary. these -- they are strictly necessary. i want to tell you tonight that thanks to the vaccination the end of the crisis is finally in sight. because at this hour, we are more than 8.5 million to have received a first injection of vaccine. 3 million received two. brent: thatbrent: was president emmanuel macron speaking earlier tonight. our corresp@@dents in paris has been following that address. i astor which of the measures

announced by the french president will have the biggest impact on the french people. >> well, basically as he said, he is extendg the measures arnold -- that are in place in a third of france to the whole of continental france and non-essential shops will close in france because of that. and as he said, schools will close. that will also have a huge impact. there are two weeks of holidays ahead anyway for schools. so, basically all schools will close for one week. and then another two weeks of holidays and one week of another online classes with many people staying home apart from those going to primary schools. now, that will have a huge impact for parents, but this is still a lockdown lite. people will be allowed to go outside. there is not that one kilometer radius rule in place that france had to in lockdown number one and number two last year.

so, t governmenth is banking one of people -- is banking on people not meeting up with people outside to spread the virus. brent: the measures will last at least a month. and he said there is light at the end of the tunnel. is this going to reassure people in france that the government will keep this pandemic under control? lisa: well, as i said, it is a lockdown lite. ny people fear it is too little t late. in late january, there was a moment where mccrone seemed to be hesitating -- where macron seemed to hesitate to imposter to measures and then he said, no, we are not going to impose anything other than the curfew in place for a few month we are controlling the pandemic. many people here in france are now angry that he did not take stricter measures, because now

the weather is getting better and everybody feels like hing more freedom and thewe have not minded so much to stay home for two months the last two months when it was raining really. many people fear that this is not enough. they are hoping it will be enough. and that by mid-may as macron promised tonight, life will gradually go back to normal in france. brent: i said there are 5000 patients in french hospitals in intensive care. give us an update on the severity of the coronavirus situation in france. lisa: it is very severe. especially compareto neighboring countries. here the incidence rate across france is about 330. that is the number of infections per 100,00 inhabitants per week. that figure is it about 130 in germany and lower in the u.k. in other countries such as spain and portugal. in france that figure stands at 550. one intensive care doctor told

me that just a few days ago that he feared that the number of intensive care patients in the paris region would reach 3500 based on the current infections already. and that would be 800 intensive care patients more than during the first very severe wave in spring 2020. so, looks like-- have been asking for stricter measures for a while now. brent: what about vaccinations? we know that france has vaccinated a large percent of the population. now there is concern about the astrazeneca vaccine. lisa: well, that's right. according to polls. 62% of the french are skeptical of that vaccine. however, when you look at the figures, emmanuel macron tonight announced 8.5 million french people had already received their fit jab. that is 200,000 more than a day

ago. the vaccination speed is quite fast. and the skepticism of astrazena seems at least for now not to be slowing down that speed. brent: lisa louis with the latest tonight from paris. thank you. turning now to astrazeneca. the vaccine which -- backing of europe's drug regulators for use in all ages. that came off the back of news yesterday by germany and other countries to restrict the vaccine for younger people over reports of blood clots. that decision becoming possibly another barrier in germany's already problematic vaccination rollout. >> getting a jab in germany has hit another snag. overall vaccine supply still short. now shots of astrazeneca that are available cannot get into the arms of certain age groups. there is concern over blood clots reported in a small number of people who got the shot. so, the federal vaccination committee chose to suspend use

for groups under 60 with so exceptions. >> hav to reacto our german population. i am nott all happy about this decision. you can believe me. but it could not act in a different way in the moment. >> but t eurean medicines agency disagrees. >> according to the current scientific knowledge, there is no evidence that would support restricting the use of this vaccine in any. population. >> ems chief says there is no link to the vaccine and clotting. and the benefits outweigh its risk. that is not enough to convince the chairman of the german vaccination committee. >> we have our own very solid data on this point, and i must say are not aware of how -- it's performed. in other

european countries this is one of the problems we have. >> ema hopes to reach a scientific conclusion on the vaccine by next week. brent: in brazil, president bolsonaro is facing one of the biggest crises since he took office, one that challenges his very authority. in a move, the heads of the navy, army and air force have all quit at the same time. that, as the country just recorded his highest daily number of covid-19 desk. -- deaths. the pandemic is exacerbated an economic crisis feeling millions of lost jobs and their homes. >> in brazil come along queues for the vaccine are common and increasingly so are -- read queues. -- bread queues. these people are putting their lives on the line to get something to eat. with three months gap between government and financial aid packages putting food on the

table is becoming increasing difficult and with a more contained his variantwimming to the country increase in a dangerous. >> look at the situation. if it was not for the church handing out this food, i do not know. where what i eat? i have no money. >> the pandemic has forced millions into unemployment and homelessness and hunger. those living on the streets facing increased risk of catching the disease. because of this, people who are homeless are being offered vaccines in some follow -- sao p aolo. this second wave came with greater severity, increasing the cases. we believe the new strain is further aggravated the health of people who already have underlying conditions. people living on the streset already have diabetes, syphilis, hiv, and other diseases besides alcohol and drugs and are more vulnerable. >> brazil's response to the crisis has drawn criticism from around the world. president bolsonaro is consistently opposed lockdown measures and downplay the

seriousness of the virus was describing it as a little flu. with the heads of the nation's army, navy, and air force resigning, a political crisis has been added to the mix. while the nation is facing 3000 coronavirus related deaths a day. with the death toll rising, as the virus continues to spread, it looks like the worst may still be yet to come. brent: correspondent -- in rio dacian arrow. -- rio de janeiro. good evening. do we know why the three heads brazil's armed forces resigned today at the same time? >> it was mostly because of huge frustration among them. because bolsonaro had sacked the defense minister on monday. they were frustrated about that decision and when they met the new defense minister, neto, they were really furious. they showed this.

they think, and it is true, that he's a strong ally of president bolsonaro. they are not happy about that. and they see at risk their independence from the brazilian government. and that is why they resigned. brent: president bolsonaro is a former army officer himself. he has aligned himself closely with the military. what does this rift tell us about his relationship to the military now? it showshat tthe next weeks are really decisive, and it is decisive of who will succeed on the top posts on the, in the army and in the military. that's decisive to say how it will go on -- the relationship between the government and the military forces and how the new commanders will react to bolsonaro's attempts to pull the m into politics, into that arena. the army is still really keen to not be one big political player.

so, these upcoming weeks are really decisive. and we are not sure how it will go out. and there is a lot of support for bolsonaro on lower ranks in the military. bodies. but the commanders and the higher ranks are still more critical towards bolsonaro. brent: we know this is happening against the backdrop of a pandemic crisis that is just getting worse. we understand now the p1 variant of the coronavirus has been detected across all of brazil. tell us more about that. >> yeah, this variant is the dominant one here in rio de janeiro and in every state. that is why all of the states in brazil, all the regions, you see simultaneously growing numbers. in many areas and in many regions, the health system h collapsed he in rio de

janeiro. we have around 90% of the intensive care units full of patients who are younger than the last month. due to the ongng slowly ongoing vaccination campaign. the numb of old people in these units is decreasing slowly but there are younger patients there. i had been there today. in such an intensive care unit and i saw, for example, patients with severe cases, patients around 38, 40 years. brent: we hear the numbers of the patients getting younger and younger. reporting from rio de janeiro. thank you. >> thanks. brent: let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. myanmar's military has been carrying out airstrikes on its own citizens, forcing thousands to flee their homes and seek medical treatment in neighboring thailand.

daily protests demanding the restoration of democracy facing increasing brutal crackdown. more than 500 civilians have been killed since the start of february. the jailed critic alexei navalny has announced he will go on a hunger strike. it follows a demand buys doctors that the dissident receive immediate medical treatment for a severe back problem. navalny has been detained at a penal camp since february. he survived a poison attack last august. the international criminal court has upheld the acquittal of ivory coast former president and the former minister. they were both acquitted two years ago. of cris including rape, murder and persecution following disputed elections in 2010. prosecutors need to prove their case. in a telling navy captain working at the defense ministry has allegedly been called -- caught selling documents to a

russian official. in response, italy has expelled two russian diplomats. the navy captain has been arrested and russia's ambassador has been summoned to italy's foreign ministry. the kremlin says it hopes bilateral ties will not be damaged by this affair. votes are being counted in one of america's most significant labor battles in decades. the outcome will determine whether or not a union can be at amazon. organizers are promising union representation will improve the lives of nearly 6000 people who work for the internet retail giant. amazon is expected to push back, trying to keep the unions out. dw's stefan simons went to alabama to find out more. stefan: welcome. if you have never heard of this southwestern suburb of birmingham, alabama, you are not alone. at least until recently. it's home to roughly 28,000 residents. it has become a beacon of hope

for many but for others it now symbolizes a vious attack on good old capitalism. it's now at the center of the biggest and most important labor fight the united states has seen in decades thanks to amazon. so, here we are at the amazon fulfillment center right behind me here in alabama. this place here, or better 5800 workers who work here, could make history. but only in the united states. why is that? amazon was successful for the last 20 years to fight off any union efforts in the house of jeff bezos. this is the first time that a union has a real chance to get labor organized at amazon. local union organizersork for months on getting workers into

the full. flyers and posters and rallies and leg work. and this all came about because of this man. darrell richardson. richardson felt things are not all that great at the fulfillment center. >> if you are late a minute, 15 minutes, they automatically take an hour away from you. why? i wasn't laid an hour. why taken out? just a lot of things needs to be changed. >> last year, darrell contacted the retail warehouse and department store union in birmingham and a representative met with him here. at the dreamland barbecue in tuscaloosa. over iced tea, a plan to unionize amazon was set in motion. fast forward to today, almost 6000 workers voted for or against unionization. now the votes are being counted.

union activist alex gould says that will not be the end of it. >> what is it? >> it is a prounion leaflet. >> ok. >> if the workers when this te, it is going to be a big struggle before -- to force amazon to come to an agreement with them. the law says that amazon has to bargain with them but we all know it is a question of power. stefan: and there is also the other side, of course. amazon employees who do not want the union. >> we are against it. and we are very happy with what we a getting as far as benefits. we'reappy witour working conditions. we're happy with advancement opportunities. stefan: speaking of advancement, whatever the vote tally will be, amazon is sure to face more pressure for unionization in the future. brent: transgender people face stigma around the world and in pakistan and overwhelmingly muslim country it can be

difficult for them to attend religious schools and join prayers at mosques. on this transgender day of visibility, we visit an institution aiming to change that, the country's first ever madrasa or religious school dedicated to trans people. >> a step closer to finding peace for the soul. behind the store, pakistan's first transgender only madrasa. over a dozen students learn about the teachings of the koran here every day. he decided to open this religious school after she herself felt spiritually lost. >> i danced for 15 years and went around begging for five years. one night i had a dream. i saw transgender friend of mine who had died was in a state of great agony. that dream changed my entire life. and that is why he made this turnaround. >> he also teaches his students

to sew clothes. in hopes they could sell them to cover the operation cost. she used up her life savings to open the madrasa. the 34-year-old was determined because she has known the life on the margins of society. >> most families do not accept transgender people. they throw them out of their homes. they start dancing and begging and doing illegal things. i was one of them. >> he now ventures to the street offering help -- she now ventures to the street offering help your she tries to convince other transgender's to become students. those who started to learn the koran say religion gives them comfort. >> i feel peace when i recite the koran. instead of leading a life of degradation, it is better to improve my life. >> she hopes to connect many more transgender people through islam in the future.

she encourages others in the community to do the same. >> they can also come towards a good life. they can also designate a room for prayers and meditation where they can remember the love and make atonement to gain a better life after death. >> rights groups say pakistan may have well over 300,000 transgender people in the country. just a fraction of them are practicing islam in this school. for these students, the madrasa is already a -- a milestone towards greater acceptance and a safe haven. brent: thousands of plaques and sculptures onceom ofenin. present-day niger. then they sect palace taking the bronzes. for over a century, the benin bronzes have been displayed in european museums. pressure is mounting on those

museums to return the bronzes, including two dozen new resumes -- museums in germany. >> they have come to symbolize art looted from africa. debate has gone on for years. now the matter has gained momentum in germany. the foren minister has called for them to be returned. the culture minister wants a conference aimed at finding a solution. is this a turning point? >> what's happening is something sensational. you can even call it a paradigm shift. suddenly, the restitution to africa oppression objects from africa is no problem at all anymore. that's something really new. it's electrifying. the restitution's will happen. i'm convinced of it. >> the benin bronzes were meant to be displayed in the humboldt farm in a few months. the prussian cultural heritage

foundation that holds the bronzes does not want to give up the idea completely. >> i'm optimistic that the original objects can still be displayed here. some could be returned and come -- some could remain here. there could be a continual exchange of items on luna and it was clear that the context in which they were acquired, the contacts of injustice would be explained. >> the fact is that in 1897 in benin, british colonial forces looted 4000 sculptures. germany bought 1100 of the stolen goo. there is blood in these objects. trophies from the colonial era -- do they belong in an exhibition in the heart of berlin? >> they can be seen in many museums around the world. the bronzes are exceptional art and when they came to europe they highlighted complete a new image of africa as a continent steeped in history and culture. the benin bronzes are part of

the cultural history of nigeria and benin. but they have also become global. >> nigerian authorities take a different view. a new museum is planned where the bronzes are to be displayed, as the country's legal property. >> seems to be gravitating more towards -- which is totally unacceptable. on the nigerian side. towards international best practice. it does not comply with a rules based international order. >> the bronzes are a legacy of conquest. a french historian is one of the most important voices when it comes to looted art. her research has revealed that for decades museums have deliberately covered up the provenance of their collections and hindered investigations. >> it's obvious that museum directors tried to put off having to take action before they retired. and simply passed the problem

onto the next generation, which is us. now it is clear we cannot and must not burden the next generation with this. we have to act. >> there are still no definitive decisions, but a general tendency has become clear. in germany, calls for restitution of the bronzes are growing louder, both within the public and among politicians. >> when we were in africa, the culture minister of the republic of benin says he did not think there would ever be any restitution's. and if it did happen it would be as important as the fall of the berlin wall. and i think we have reached a cultural fall of the wall. brent: a spanish kayaker in chile has accomplished something that has never been done. the first ever double kicnk flip over a waterfall. take a look. ok.

he started with a 25 kilometer dissent down a volcano before entering the regions forest. but the icing on the cake? it was still too come. he topped off by nailing the world's first double kick flip in a kayak over a waterfall. and the spaniard nailed it on his first attempt. no word if you try to do it a second time. all. i will be back to take you through the day. stick around. we will be right back.

on france 24 and france24.com. anchor: you are watching france 24 live from paris. french president emmanuel macron takes to the airwaves to announce new coronavirus restrictions. schools will close their doors for three weeks and there will be a month-long ban on the mystic travel. -- on domestic travel. international concern over the violence in myanmar. the deadly violence inflicted by the military junta starting with a coup on for jury first. -- on february 1.