berlin. the united states says it now supports waving patent protection for covid-19 vaccines. bonn, germany is pushing back. chancellor merkel says this is not the solution to vaccine shortages. despite fears it could further divide society, legislation to exempt immunize people from

covid-19 restrictions is set to become law here in germany. angry french fishermen protesting in the english channel over new rules limiting their access to waters closer to france than the u.k.. more prison time for hong kong activist joshua wong. he will spend 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to taking part in an unauthorized protest. ♪ >>germany is pushing back against u.s. support for an idea to speed up coronavirus vaccinations in poor countries. the biden administration supports waving covid-19 patent protection.

a german stance is in line with pharmaceutical will companies who say it would not limit shortages. wednesday's announcement is drawing mixed response. >>it was a stunning change in policy for the u.s.. the trump administration resisted efforts to suspend patents on covid-19 vaccines. but president joe biden chose a different tactic. word from u.s. trade representative's word extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. the move was welcomed by many. the head of the who describeas monumental. the debt described it as monumental. -- described it as monumental. proponents say suspending patents will boost production in less wealthy countries and fast tracked and in to the pandemic. but pharmaceutical companies criticize the proposal.

they say v decision will lead to more disruption and stifle innovation in the future. the european union is willing to discuss the issue with the u.s., but european commission president ours evolve on the lion -- are still abundant lion -- ursula von der leyen says rich countries can do more. >>we call on vaccine producing countries to allow exports and avoid measures that disrupt supply chains. >>the patent waivers are not expected quickly. un's trade representatives say negotiations at the wto could take some time. >>i am joined by a senior scholar at the johns hopkins university center for health security. it is good to have you on. what do you make of this idea of waving patent protection? is that the way forward?

>>i do not believe this is the way forward. i believe this is the way backwas. patent protections and intellectual property rights are the engines of innovations. when it comes to biopharmaceutical products that our lives depend on. if you do this, you will remove the ability for companies to plan, to invest. because, there will be a worry that if something is successful, all of that could be taken away and the will not be reward or incentive at station. when the next pandemic emerges, what company will want to engage with governments in -- if this is the result? >>companies receive billions of dollars every year to help them do research. that will not change. >>the governments in many countries have crowded out basic science research. when you look at advanced

purchase requirements or agreements for money fracturing, that does -- for manufacturing, that is not the same thing as developing. these countries entered into contracts. now intellectual properties will not be respected after you have already sent an agreement with come -- companies. this is going to something that drags on for some time. what needs to be done is ending export restrictions, ending the supply chain issues. madera's vaccine has not been patent enforced. no other company is making the moderna vaccine. >>i think you would agree that the output of vaccines is not at its highest level. more could be produced, but that

is not happening. >>we are going to get to aoint when we have enough supply. we have to rely on the experts manufacturing this. if you get rid of intellectual property and give accompany the recipe for the pfizer vaccine, ey cannot instantaneously produce it to the lev of qualy that pfizer can do. this will take time. we need to invest in manufacturing capacity. countries like iia are m u -- mor vaccine exporters. they are making their own vacces and t astrazeneca vaccine. thiss an issue of export issues andot allowing companies to sell globally. we need to think about this long range and what will happen if this is going to be the new paradigm. brett: -- brent: we are in a pandemic. if you look at history, the

patent protection of penicillin was lifted during the second world war because we were in a world war. the situation is similar with the pandemic, would you agree? >>you have to remember that, suppose this waiver goes through. it will not change the trajectory of the pandemic. the pandemic will have the supply of vaccine from manufacturers. this is about the future. this is a trial going after the foundation of what allows innovation in the biopharmaceutical companies. people are talking aboutaking this to insulin or other medications. this is an effort people have been engaged in for some time. i think it willill innovation in biopharmaceuticals. i think we could do this much better. i think intellectual property has to be respected if wwant to have these products that our lives depend on continued to be produced. >>if it does not speed up production it will not benefit

people who need the vaccine most. from the johns hopkins university center for health security, doctor, we appreciate your time and insights. >>thank you. brent: german lawmakers backed the easing of restrictions for as many vaccinated people as possible as countries -- country's program gather space. the idea -- gathers pace. >meeting people outside with fewer restrictions, traveling to the hairdresser without restrictive measures. liberties that will soon be possible for those fully vaccinated in germany. the parliament approved legislation granting more freedom for those who have either been vaccinated against the coronavirus or have recovered from a covid-19 infection. the government says it is not about granting privileges, but

reinstating rights. we are talking about people who have been isolated in care homes, restricted to their rooms without contact to others, people who are suffering. they should be allowed to enjoy a meal together. but, germans seem divided over the issue. >>you cannot create too much disparity within the population. you have to make sure you somehow find a balanced solution. i am in favor of giving freedom back to those who no longer pose a risk. it would mean people who do not get vaccinated for whatever reason are second-class citizens. >>experts warned there will be a lengthy transition phase before a large part of the population is vaccinated. >>concerning the contact restrictions in public places, i wonder whether it makes senseo

createuch a visible social division for a certain time. i hope of course that it will only be a short transitional phase. >>after passing the country's upper house is expected to give the bill the green light. the loosening of restrictions for vaccinated people or those who have recovered from covid-19 could be in place as soon as next week. >>here are some other developments in the pandemic. indonesia has band travel. during the popular homecoming celebrating. incidents of covid-19 cases have been falling. the government wants to prevent a repeat of last year's spike in death after the holiday. pfizer and biontech will donate doses of their covid-19 vaccine to athletes in the tokyo olympic

and paralympic games. russia has approved a single dose of its sputnik v vaccine. sputnik light will be exported to international partners to increase the speed of vaccination. here are some other stories making headlines around the world. a ugandan former child soldier who became a rebel mentor has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes on charges including rate, forced pregnancy , and using child soldiers. european union foreign policy chief has asked member states to contribute to a military training mission in mozambique to help the country control a jihadist insurgency. if his request is approved, troops could be sent in the coming months. voters in scotland going to the polls thursday in an election that could decide the fate of its independence movement.

first minister nicola sturgeon says a win for the scott a list -- scottish nationalist party would be a win to break away from the u.k.. around 50 french fishing boats spend the day blockading i harbor on the channel island of jersey. they were protesting against post brexit fishing rules, which the french say unfairly restricted they -- the ability of their vessels to work in waters controlled by the u.k.. the protest ended without incident. >>french fishermen and women pour intthe harbor blocking any lge ship from leang. they are angry. jersey is a self governing british dependency and has become the epicenter for the disagreement over post brexit fishing rights. the island is closer to france than the u.k..

french both use to fish in the surrounding waters. -- french boats used to fish in the surrounding waters. >>we have always fished here. overnight, they take away all of our fishing rights. these are agreements we have had for a very long time. but now, they must apply for a permit from the jersey government. they say the processes unfairly restrict them. -- they say the process is unfaly restricting. >>we should have had licenses to fish as we wished without restrictions on species. >>u.k. authorities have pushed back, claiming they he done all they can to accommodate french concerns. >>jersey has licensed over 40 vessels. they have bn pragmatic throughouthis. they have been clear that they

will pross the remaining 17 or so that have applied as soon as they put forth the data. >>both countries sent vessels to monitor the situation. tensions over fishing rights have been simmering for days after jerseys requirements for a fishing license were published last week. france threatened to cut off jersey pop -- jersey's electricity. the two sides failed to reach an agreement. but, the french boats left after their protest. >>angela merkel is urging the world to focus on the climate crisis despite the coronavirus. she appeared alongside boris johnson at a virtual global climate summit. miracle -- angela merkel said worldwide carbon pricing could be an instrument for curbing carbon emissions. the petersburg dialog is being

cohosted by germany and the u.k. and is focused on curbing greenhouse gas emissions. angela merkel and boris johnson called for international solidarity over climate change and not to let the financial toll of the pandic deter them from investing in the plan. >>in germany, we have resolved not make up financially from the pandemic by contributing less, but instead to do more internationally. >>it is really up to us in the wealthier economies to walk a mile in the shoes of developing nations who are more likely to feel the effects of climate change. >>i am joined by a german climate activist from the friday for futures movement. it is good to have you on the program. what do you make of what we are hearing from the petersburg dialogue? is this enough?

>>it is definitely not. we see two areas where actual climate politics now are not enough. on the one hand, we have germany, which is now saying that while we are a climate leader, by announcing a climate charter for neutrality in 2045, 10 years too late to actually make an impact for reaching or staying below the 1.5 degrees target. germany must get climate ntral by 2035, 10 years before what is now proposed. the second, even more problematic take, as angela merkel says we need solidarity between nations, we are talking about an important aspect of the paris agreement often overlooked as the industrialized countries have said that they would give money to countries most affected by the climate crisis to help them mitigate the impact of the climate crisis and ada to the

consequences. but right now, we only have billions from the actually proposed 100 billion. >>what needs to be done? what concrete steps would you like to see to reach these climate targets by 2035 instead of 2045? >>for germany, the most and protest -- of the most important aspect would be toave cole phased out. germany has the call phaseout plan for 2030 eight, which is at least eight years too late. we must phase out coal until at latest -- subsidizing fossil fuels with 50 billions each year, which is absurd, being amid the climate crisis, and funding fossil fuels through taxpayer money. >>there is a national election coming up in germany in

september. chancel americo will be stepping down. the greens -- chancellor merkel will be lead being -- stepping down. the greens are leading in the polls right now. >>the greens are really good at announcing that they are the climate party in germany. they have the trust from the people who actually want climate politics. when we look at what they actually propose. -- when we look at what they actually propose, they do not have a plan consistent with the 1.5 degrees target. they need to step up their game to be a party which does something for reaching the target. >>we experience -- we appreciate your time and insights. thank you. here are some more stories making headlines around the world. please are targeting drug traffickers rated a rio de

janeiro's slum. one officer and 24 suspects were killed. men were seen fleeing onto rooftops. real police killed more than five people a day during the first quarter of this year -- real police killed more than five people a day during the first quarter of this year. the former maltese president was injured in a last near his home. the 53-year-old is being treated at eye hospital and has urged the public to stay away from the area. a leader of thailand's pro-democracy movement has been released on bail as she awaits trial. she has been on a hunger strike for more than a month. she faces up to 15 years in eáprison. earlier this week the g7 group of nations wrapped up a major summit by officially accusing china of human rights abuses against his minority uighur

muslim population. some countries say china's actions about to genocide. beijing has created a public campaign against the critique including films set in the home of the weaker people in china. >>critics called this chinese movie a whitewash. they say the chinese state sponsored musical is designed to diffracted -- deflect criticism of the government policies in dacian zhang province. a weaker and i had chinese man -- -- a uighur and a han chinese man come together. the reality for uighur muslims look different.

more than a million have been detained in camps across the chin zhang province. the majority of the population in chin zhang has included harsh prison sentences for simply sharing muslim religious material. china at first denied the existence of the camps but later defended them as training programs and part of counterterrorism. in mid april, china's state owned media released a documentary about life in chin zhang resenting prosperity, freedom of choice, and opportunities for musls. ch zhang activists have condemned it as a gruesome distortion of reality. >>he is one of hong kong's most prominent pro-democracy advocates.

joshua wong will be spending even more time behind bars, sentenced to a further 10 months in prison for participating in an unauthorized protest last june. wong is already serving a 17 month sentence. >>when joshua wong was brought to court, he most likely knew his jail term would be extended. hong kong authorities have been tightening their grip on freedom of expression. he has already serving jail time for his role in pro-democracy protests. now, he has been sentenced to an extra 10 months for participating in a vigil last year that commemorated the victims of the tiananmen square massacre. >>we are disappointed in how our court has been failing to secure our right to peaceful assembly and free expression. >>for years, hong kong was the only place in china where people were allowed to mark the

anniversary of beijing's crushing of the chinese democracy movement, until it was banned last year. wong and other activists have fallen victim to beijing's suppression of dissent beginning in 2019. wong was due to be released in november. he is now likely to be behind bars well into 2023. >>d durham you -- dw correspondent cb kong has been chosen as a winne by ng kong's foreign press club. phoebe was selected for this report filed last october about hong kong protesters shot by police. democratic rights including press freedom has been -- have been rolled back in hong kong following china's crackdown in response to mass protests.

congratulations to her. spain administered millions of coronavirus vaccines in a bid to fight the pandemic. elderly residents in the country are finally getting the chance to go outdoors after spending months inside, stuck in doors. >>it is an outing this group of elderly residents in spain could have only dreamed of after months of living in isolation and cooped up in a nursing home. it has finally become a reality. around 15 residents and staff are newly vaccinated. now, they embark on a journey of a journey of fresh air and the wonders of madrid's zoo inhabitants. spain's first wave of the coronavirus pandemic tore through the country's care homes, killing nearly 43,000 elderly people last year. many residents faced tough restrictions on movement and visiting rights. authorities have launched a nationwide campaign to inoculate

all front-line workers and the elderly. >>it is good to leave, to break the monotony of the nursing home , especially as we have been confined there for so long. it is nice to get outside. i decided to go out and see the world. >>the first stop i meeting the giant panda waing for lunch. next up, flamingos got the dozens. -- gathering in dozens, and an elephant getting his daily wash. for residents and staff, the outing was a delightful change to what had long been the new normal. >>i feel as if i was in my village many years ago, in the

middle of nature, listening to birds, which i have not heard for a long time. for me, it is a great day. i am a bit tired, but it is compensated by the pleasure of seeing and hearing what is around us. >>today was a very exciting day. they were really looking forward to going out again on getting back to normality, to being able to do this activity in the open air, enjoying nature, the animals, and the zoo. it is really good. today, we forgot about pain. >>as spain looks to relax lockdown laws, some of the most vulnerable have relished taking back freedom and look forward to venturing out another day. >>you are watching dw news. here is a reminder of our top story. germany is against the removal

of vaccine patent protections. it says the protection of intellectual property is necessary to spur innovations. this comes after the u.s. publicly backed plans to temporarily suspend patent protection. the eu says it is willing to discuss the idea. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. to protect the patents. to protect the people. what is the ethical way to vaccinate everyone on the planet? we will be right back.

>> ebola on this states of bogota in cali angry about police inequality. the government does not convince observers. and germany refuses to back calls to drop the waiver of intellectual property rights on covid jabs. president macron has added his voice to that of joe biden, supporting india and south africa's callsor