♪ >> this is dw news, live from berlin. tonight, tallying the loss of life in the u.s., after an unprecedented swarm of tornadoes. a massive cleanup is underway in towns that were completely wiped off the map. dozens were killed. at least 64 in the state of kentucky alone. also coming up, the u.k. prime minister, warning of a tidal wave of new coronavirus infections, thanks to the omicron variant. he is pushing for all adults to be vaccinated and boosted by the

end of this month. and germany begins the next phase of its covid-19 vaccination rollout, allowing shots for children between the ages of five and 11. and the european union, slapping sanctions on a russian private military company, warning of a high economic cost for the kremlin, if it decides to invade ukraine. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs, in the united states, and to all of you around the world, welcome. we begin tonight in the u.s., where president biden has declared a federal disaster in the state of kentucky, where tornadoes destroyed entire towns and left at least 64 dead. 100 people are still missing. survivors are only just beginning to assess the damage

of the region's worst storms in a generation. ♪ >>[-- reporter: surrounded by rubble, members of a church are standing, praying together. the tornadoes have taken their churches, their homes, their loved ones. little is left of the life they knew before the tornadoes. >> i've been through the town a couple of times and saw everything. but it's just upsetting, you know, to know that that is the town that you grew up in. everything you know, the memories are all gone. >> i felt something that made me take my children downstairs, because they were watching tv in the room. i grabbed them and took them down. reporter: one tornado leveled a candle factory. according to the company, the majority of the employees are now accounted for, with christmas around the corner, they were working 20 47.

-- 24/7. where they were at work despite the tornado warnings is still unclear. over 1000 homes have been destroyed in kentucky alone. many more without water and power. the national guard has been deployed and the governor praised federal officials for a quick and thorough response. but it's still a desperate situation. > i was working on getting the confirmed deaths this morning and realized i was writing on the ck of notes that one of my kids took from school. here's what it is. it said -- it's on inertia, in object that is in motion will stay in motion. so we are going to keep putting 1 foot in front of the other. reporter: so far, the youngest victim was only five months old. according to the governor. but it will take weeks to assess the full death toll and damage.

cleanup is underway. but not everything that was lost can be rebuilt. >> i spoke earlier to travis ragsdale from the news in louisville, kentucky. i asked him about the situation in the state right now. reporter: still in search and rescue phase forhe first responders for the state of kentucky. right now we have at least 60 people that are dead, but there are at least 100 more that are still missing, almost three days now after the storms hit. there are firefighters and police officers going door-to-door right now, or what is left of the doors right now, trying to find the people that haven't been heard from pyramid self-service cellular device service has been a problem in the area. so getting a hold of the people that are still missing has been and continues to be problematic here. brent: what are you hearing

from volunteers, rescue workers? what do they need right now? >> the biggest thing right now our financial donations. there's been a lot of corporate sponsors who donated things like water and clothing, hygiene items. most of those things are taken care of. there will be needs, as we move forward in the next few days, specific to those type of things. but what we keep hearing over and over again is the need for financial donations. to provide the volunteers in the rescue efforts what they need to help the people that need it most. brent: give us a sense of exactly what happened. when we are talking about tornoes that went across space with of land that may have been 200 miles long, are people surprised that we are not talking about more fatalities than we are? >> i think so. you mentioned it, this is

unprecedented. if it holds true, this will be the longest tracked tornado ever. it's not something that you can never predict. mayfield was hit particularly hard in kentucky. it's a town of about 10,000 people. so it is hard to avoid thinking, what if the town had been bigger? what if more people had been downtown in the area? if this happened more in the day, more people were at work. who knows what could have happened. it's still an awful situation. tornadoes that strike at night are incredibly dangerous, because people are sleeping. people aren't paying as much attention as they are during the day. you can see it coming, quite frankly, in the day. it is still a difficult situation. but it could also have been a worse situation. we learned earlier today that -- late yesterday that the

candle factory that most of those people were able to escape. initially, we thought there might have been as many as 70 people dead and that candle factory -- in that candle factory. it turned out to be eight dead. most of the people, surviving there. brent: that is a ttle bit of good news. the whole world has been hearing on the news of that candle factory at least se positive news. travis, thank you. here's a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. a court in hong kong sentenced pro-democracy activists to jail for organizing a 2020 vigil commemorating the tiananmen square massacre. jimmy lai was one of the defendants who received prison terms of up to 14 months. authorities say they violated coronavirus rules. critics say the charges are part of a crackdown on dissent. south korea's president says the u.s., china, and north korea

have agreed to declare a formal into the korean war and principal -- in principal. the declaration will help revive peace talks with north korea. the countries are still t war and no peace deal was reached in 1953. swiss prosecutors say they are closing a corruption investigation into spain's for marking one car. -- former king juan carlos. spanish authorities are still investigating the case. long lines have formed outside covid vaccine centers across the u.k. after the government "to reduce this to anyone 18 and older -- the government opened up booster doses to anyone 18 and older, as cases of the omicron variant search. he is warning of a tidal wave of infections in the coming weeks, and other european countries are

bracing for something similar. reporter: rolling up their sleeves for a third time. thousands of people in the u.k. lined up for their booster shots, after prime minister boris johnson told the country they were facing in omicron emergency -- an omicron emergency. >> we can see omicron spiking now in london and some other parts of the country. here in the capital, it represents about 40% of the cases. by tomorrow, it will be the majority of the cases. it is increasing. sadly, yes, omicron is producing hospitalizations and sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with omicron. reporter: to combat what he called a tidal wave in cases, the prime minister announced a booster blitz, promising anyone aged 18 and up could get a third vaccine dose before the new year. it is part of a range of measures to combat a surge in

the more transmissible omicron variant. people must now wear and most public places and work from home one possible. as part of the government's can be. -- so-called plan b. the government has announced measures in anticipation of an omicron fueled sixth wave of covid. the first closures and months came into force this weekend, with my club started until at least january -- nightclubs shuddered until at least january. in austria, the mood is much more festive. after a three-week nationwide lockdown, shops and cultural venues like theaters and museums have reopened. the unvaccinated will still have to stay home. covid cases here have plummeted, paving the way to a brighter christmas. but with the omicron variant spreading rapidly around the world, there is still much

uncertainty about what the future holds. brent: for more now, i'm joined by professor nick gilbert, from the institute of genetics and cancer. but to have you on the program. explained to us this high caseload of omicron cases. is it -- is it because of successful gene sequencing or a lack of covid restrictions in the country? >> many the restrictions were lifd back in july. 5-6 months ago. many of the cases we are seeing of omicron now are from this new wave of the virus that is coming through. over the last year, really, the u.k. has been very successful in sequencing many of the positive samples from individuals. and i think this is -- this has

enabled us to get a clear picture of the omicron levels, as they increase across the country. brent: we heard from the prime minister that one death has been connected to the omicron variant. in your opinion, does that justify declaring an omicron emergency? >> of course, it is very sad, when anyone succumbs to the virus. but we have to remember, there are also qui a number of people that also have the delta variant. and i suppose it is too early to tell, but really one of our hopes is that actually may be the omicron variant -- that actually the omicron variant may be less severe than the delta variant. it is contagious and we can see it spreading rapidly all over the country, not only in the

u.k., but other partof the world. we can hope that it will not be as severe symptoms as the delta variant. and with any luck, if people are able to get boosters, this will help protect them from the worst of symptoms from the buyers. -- from the virus. brent: germany is the latest country to offer covid-19 vaccines to children. children between the ages of five and 11 are now eligible for the jab. it's only being recommended for those with pre-existing conditions that could put them at risk of serious illness. reporter: it was last friday, when the 6-year-old got her vaccination at this hospital. with it came a little gift. >> after i got the white mandate, i was allowed to pick a chocolate santa. reporter: germany's vaccination commission has long debated shots for young children. >> we have discussed which kids really need to be vaccinated. those with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at

higher risk for severe covid-19 infection. these kids really need to be vaccinated quickly. for our other children, we added a clause to the advisory enabling oxidation's of parents and the kids wanted for -- want it for whatever reason. reporter: five to 11-year-old kids wl not be vaccinated with a lower dose of the biontech-pfizer vaccine -- now be vaccinated with a lower dose of t biontech-pfizer vacci. experts say data from other nations shows the vaccinations are safe. >> the u.s. has used this vaccine longer than we have. just this weekend, u.s. health officials announced that in the data gathered for more than -- from more than 5 million vaccinated children, nothing stands out, no side effects, complications, or risks ha been reported so far. reporter: according to germany's health ministry, more than 2.2 million vaccine doses for kids will be distributed, with additional doses at the ready of

states need them. brent: the european union has announced sanctions on the russian private military company, widener, as well as several individuals and entities linked to it. have accused the mercenary wegner group of acting to destabilize ukraine. also discussing larger packages of potential economic sanctions against russia to act as a deterrent against the threat of moscow invading ukraine. . here's the eu foreign policy chief speaking earlier today. >> the european union stands united in supportive ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. we have been very clear today, that any aggression against ukraine will come with political consequences and with a high economic cost for russia. brent: joining me now is our correspondent, in brussels,

monitoring the stocks among eu foreign ministers. when we hear joseph talk about high costs, what exactly is he referring to, and are the sanctions dts of things to come -- a tease of things to come? >> when he is referring tare the severe economic sanctions and measures that the eu would impose on the russian economy, in the event that there was an invasion into ukraine by the russians. we don't have the details. they didn't sit and discuss the granular details of what exactly the measures would be. today's meeting was about keeping up the pressure. this is language we have heard -- we heard this at the recep summit. -- recent summit. it would come at a high cost for

the russians. it would be some sort of sanctions, we don't know what they would be, but the idea -- -- and we have heard this from the chair, in the meetings today, is to deter moscow from any possible invasion inside ukraine -- into ukraine. brent: we know there's a new german government. there's also been talk of sanctions possibly being connected to the nord stream 2 pipeline that connects russia to germany. where do you see this going? could the project to be impacted by the worries we are seeing right now however russian meeting? >> that is certainly not off the table. we know the nord stream 2 pipeline, the pipeline underhe baltic sea, that wld transport gas from russia to germany, it's been brought up by the u.s. president, joe biden, when he had a phone call with the russian president, putin, he did

say that and wonder russian president thathat could be done, that this pipeline could be ud as levere. the new german foreign ministe sort of hinted at that, she alluded to that in a recent interview that she gave. it is certainly one of the bigger sort of playing cards that germany does have in all of this. this is a very important project for muska. a lot of european partners to feel that it -- do fe that it would ma russia more -- that it would make europe more dependent on russia. it is something the germans would make the decision on. it is not clear what exactly the decision would be. the pipeline has not come online yet, but it is pretty clear that it could be affected, if we did see some kind of a russian invasion into ukraine. brent: ourorrespondent tonight, with the latest in brussels. thank you. hear more stories we're following for you this hour. time magazine has named

elon musk as its person of the. -- of the year. saying he represents the technological shifts shaping society. the magazine says it awards the title to people who embody "what was important about the year, for better or for worse." the dust off a gas explosion on the italian and of -- italian island of sicily has raised to seven. buildings collapsed in the explosion on saturday. people are still missing pair with the former danish immigration minister has been sentenced to 60 days in prison for illegally separating couples who were seeking asylum. in denmark, prison sentences of up to six months can be served by electronic monitoring. so it is unclear if he will spend time in prison. migrants in france, hoping to claim asylum in the united

kingdom, often try to crush that -- cross the english channel and overcrowded boats -- in overcrowded boats pair they live in makeshift camps. but conditions are becoming intolerable. o -- our correspondent has this report tonight from a migrant camp. reporter: in the jungle, people are busy organizing their daily life. the cold wind is blowing from the seat. the dry spells between the endless hours -- in between the dry spells between the endless showers, people cook a warm meal. offering some brief respite from the misery. he arrived in the camp a week ago. he fled persecution in iran. but the long road north took him much longer than expected but when he didn't plan to spend the winter in this camp. >> the place is crowded. it's filthy.

it is not how human should live. it is really bad. reporter: he has family in britain and is determined to cross the channel. even if it means getting into a dangerous small boat. >> there is no legal way. te -- the u.k. is refusing to help yr. they should consider something. these people someday will pass. if they let people come, they should let them come in a better way. reporter: but things could get worse. the british government is looking to change th law, in ordeto push back all migrants to the french side of the channel. but so far, the situation is unchanged. local charities and organizations keep on offering help to those living in the camps. >> the main needs of the migrantsre for shelter. so we distribute many tents and coverings. but it's difficult, because every day, the police take a lot of these away. we need to renew everything.

we can't sometimes replace it all. reporter: this morning however, the police arrived and left the tents alone. they are just taking a short stroll in the jungle. but the daily struggle continues, as winter bites. this piece of wasteland between the highway and the railway tracks is a hostile environment. he came here two years ago. he was lucky and was granted asylum. now he's working for one of the local organizations and has taught himself how to be a photographer. abdul has seen many pple arrive in the jungle, trying to reach eat britain, before they disappear without a trace. >> some people are dead, we don't know what happened to them. reporter: the young afghan is looking out for migrants trying to cross the channel in the rain and wind. >> i speak to people and say,t

is danrous. they say, we n't have the choice. reporter: but the migrants' big dreams is big business for smugglers and the secret journeys show no sign of stopping. brent: the volcano in la palma has been erupting for almost three months, a record for the spanish island after a period of low level activity, it resumed throwing ash and lava into the air over the weekend. no deaths or injuries have been recovered but locals are beginning to ask, will this volcanic activity and rent -- ever emd -- ever end? reporter: it's been 86 days but has shown no signs of abating. the eruptions might be mesmerizing to say, but thousands of residents have been forced from their homes. the emergency services are

locked in an ongoing battle to clear the town. for some local residents, the record-breaking eruptions is turning their once land paradise into an ongoing nightmare. >> the fact that it is now the longest eruption is hard to take. because we didn't expect this to last so long. they said it could last up to 80 days, but it's gone beyond that. we are breaking all records. and there are people that cannot take it anymore. we are doing what we can. you start getting used to it. but every day that goes by, it hits you again. and it is all downhill. it is complicated. reporter: eerts initially predicted the eruption could last up to three months. but with 24 earthquakes over the weekend, and a resurgence in volcanic activity, the island's longest eruption looks set to ramble on.

-- ramble on -- rumble on. brent: a dramatic final race of the season in abu dhabi. fans at home in the netherlands went wild as they celebrated a nailbiting victory. the last lap win was one of the most dramatic finishes in formula one history. he overtook lewis hamilton on the final lap, snatching the title from the british driver in controversial circumstances. mercedes appealed the result, without success. [cheering] reporter: he is the first dutchman to win in formula one title, but for so long, it looked like the celebrations were not going to happen for max. until, with five laps of the race to go, a crash that changed the course of an entire season. lewis hamilton's reaction was on broad castable -- un-broadcastable. hamilton was in the lead, with

many cars between them. >> why are we getting these cars out of the way? >> because christian -- just give me a second. reporter: officials that eventually decide to let the cars throw, which was protested by a furious mercedes, because it allowed max to get right behind hamilton and eventually pass him. the dutchman then holding onto his final lap lead, to take the checkered flag in the championship title -- and the championship title. >> i kept fighting, that opportunity in the last lap, it is incredible. i am still having a cramp. it is insane. reporter: after the race, max celebrated with his dad, a former f1 driver. he managed when his father didn't. a new era in the sport has begun. brent: the golden globe awards

has announced nominations for its next ceremony honoring film and tv despite allegations of sexism and corruption. leading the nominations with seven nods. belfast tell the story of directors' childhood in northern eland whe the per of th dog a western psychodrama aboutwo warrg brothers. the musil west se storylso made it. ♪ you are watching dw news. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." tenant, the omicron emergency -- tonight, the prime minister's omicron emergency. we'll be right back. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

anchor: welcome back to the france 24 newsroom. thank you for joining us. these are the headlines. the eu imposes sanctions on a russian private military contractor that brussels accuses of carrying out secret operations on behalf of the kremlin. british health authorities announced the first death from the omicron variant of covid-19, set to become the dominant variant in london in the next 48 hours. and following a series of errors, and embarrassing redraw for the champions league of 16. anger f