berlin. gemini becomes the latest country to announce data coronavirus restrictions. authorities warned that omicron will become the dominant variant in a few weeks. . but on social contact going to effect after the new year. the world food programme sounds the alarm over yemen. the u.n. agency says it might have to cut food aid in the new year.

in the u.n. human rights office condemns what it calls the appalling situation of migrants stuck in freezing conditions on the border between poland and belarus, as both countries refused to allow you and staff to enter the area. ♪ i am phil gayle. welcome to the program. gemini's infectious diseases agency has warned omicron will become the country's dominant variant within weeks. the country's health system and critical infrastructure could be compromised if the latest wave is not stopped. the government responded by stepping up vaccination efforts and putting restrictions on gatherings. they will also be limi on social ctacts, but not until after christmas. reporter: e festive preparations might be continuing across germany, that the

country's top public health of body has warned people not to let christmas be the spark that lights the omicron fire. there are no official restrictions on festive celebrations, but small gatherings are being encouraged. >> the most important thing apart from vaccinations, is reducing contacts. the less people come together, the smaller we keep our social context the less the virus will spread. everybody's behavior is crucial in this instance. reporter: on tuesday, german chancellor olaf scholz said the limits on the number of people who can meet will come to force on december 28. large public events will also be banned, including prohibiting fans at footll matches. the new german health minister has needed, and nothing should be rolled out in the fight against covid.

>> i believe that with the measures we agreed on, we can master the pandemic in the coming weeks. that we don't want to categorically exclude anything. we will consider everything is necessary. currently, that is not the case. reporter: well protests against mandatory vaccines and covid measures continue, many germans support the new restrictions. >> i will be honest the numbers are actually going down again, little bit. but i have to say, in order to finally end the whole thing, it is good that we have another lockdown so that everything comes to an end, so that maybe we could celebrate again afterwards. reporter: vaccinations will continue during the festive season, as people hope this is the second and last covid christmas. : let's get more from simon. yesterday the robert koch

institute wanted maximum contact restrictions immediately, but the government has voted for some restrictions but not until after christmas. people are bound to suspect that politics is trumping science. sandra: if the question of where you put the emphasis. of course, politicians don't even want to sound like they're even thinking of canceling christmas, they prefer to rely on appeals to people to behave sensibly and responsibly. and also on the fact that christmas itself is a de facto lockdown, a lot of schools and businesses are closed. people tend to stay home, many of them, anyway, for two or three days. so they are just keeping their fingers crossed. the medical advisors, on the he other hand, they are looking at omicron and its advance in germany and simply

saying that more restrictions, the better, and the sooner, the better. so it is a question of where you put your emphasis. it probably would be better if everyone was saying the same thing. but in terms of the analysis of the situation, everyone is saying it is pretty serious. phil: so if things get worse, every likely to see further restrictions in the new year, if this doesn't get turned around? simon: what we could do, opposition politicians have said much tougher measures are needed. even some on the government bra benches in fact. nothing has been ruled out. the government are very keen to keep schools and businesses open. but they are in a race against omicron, that is why they are ramping up vaccination in particular the booster campaign. the vaccination generally is going pretty well, again, on

tuesday, germany managed more than one million vaccine doses. so nothing has been ruled out in terms of possible new restrictions. the chancellor has said that he and the state leaders will meet again on the seventh of january, but he didn't rule out bringing that forward, because they know this is a very fast-changing situation, in particular, to keep the pressure off the health care system, they may have to take more certain measures. some states can press ahead earlier, and some have announced that that is what they're going to do. phil: there will be vaccine mandates for some workers next year, and there is the likelihood of a fourth jab raised. how is that likely to go down with the public? simon: indeed, the health minister said today that he has already ordered 80 million doses of the biontech vaccine adapted for omicron.

they are expecting that to be delivered in april or may. they have also ordered more moderna. that will be offered in many cases to people who have already had three jabs. as to public acceptance, i think the numbers speak for themselves. is clear that a lot of people think vaccination is the way out of this. 70% of germans have now been double-jabbed. the vaccination campaign is moving forward quickly. i think if a fourth jab, particularly one specially adapted to omicron is offered, a lot of people will take it up. phil: same when young, political correspondent, thank you. britain has reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, its highest ever daily total. the country is one of the worst affected in europe by the omicron variant. the government is urging adults to get booster shots, and has

announced the purchase of millions of antiviral tablets. let's look at the british experience with this professor, a public health expert from imperial college in london. welcome to dw. more than 100,000 cases in a day, it is not a record anyone would want. what is your reaction to that figure? guest: it is not a record anyone would wan it is the highest gure we ha ever had in the u.k.. good news is the vaccines are working well. our serious cases in admissions to hospital remain fairly flat. if the ces are very hh, that will p pressure on the u.s. economy. buthe seris cases remain fairly flat bause of the high levels of vaccinations, particularly boosters in the u.k. population. phil: do you think an increase booster campaign will be enough to contain this spike? >> we need boosters plus something else. have reached the end of the

face mas mandate in the uk which was abandoned in the summer. i suspect they will probably adopt for christmas or the new year, more measures in england. it is good news that the vaccines are working. so i suspect next week or the following week, we will have more measures to help control these numbers. phil: the speed with which omicron double plays -- duplicates the number of cases is increasing. you really have to act sooner rather than later. his leaving it until after christmas a mistake -- is leaving it until christmas a mistake? prof. mad: less time they had measures broht in they had a hard time to get there measures

through parliament. so they're thinking they can delay the measures for a couple of weeks at which time it is possible that cases may wl peak and begin to come down. but it is a gamble, i agree, because t virus spreads quickly, and it has already become the dominant strain in a matter of weeks. phil: the idea that it will peak and then come down seems odd when so many people will be getting together during the christmas period. are you expecting a spike in januy? prof. majid: schools and colleges close during christmas for tw weeks. peop have been more cautiou. so many have canceled external events lik parties. lotsf events he been canceled, museums and theaters are closing wn. so we expect fewer contactshan

would normally see our christmas, which will help contain the spread. phil: how concerned are you about the well-being of health care workers given the pressures they are facing? prof. majid: as a health care worker myself, there is a lot of pressure on us. a high level ocovid-19 infectionsmongst health care workers. it is further strain on the people who work in hospitals and surgeries. the workload is very high, particularly in london, where there has been an increase in cases. so there is more pressure on the health service in the u.k. and on health care workers. phil: well, we thank you for your time and we wish u well. thank you for joining us. prof. majid: thank you very much. phil: more stories from around the world now. we start in afghanistan. 4 in 10 i've got media outlets have had to close since the taliban took power. a new report reveals thousands

of journalists lost their jobs this august. women have been hit hardest, with 85% no longer working. ukrainian military forces have tested anti-javelin missiles. 120 thousand russian soldiers stationed near ukraine's border, where they have been carrying out shooting drills. with the european commission says it is taking legal action against poland for undermining e.u. law and the independence of the judiciary, amid the ongoing route between brussels and warsaw over the rule of law which began when poland's law and justice party took power a 2015. libya's long-awaited presidential election has been canceled. a parliamentary committee said holding the vote would be impossible. they proposed postponing it to the 24th of january.

the world food programme has issued another dire warning to the international community about the ongoing conflict in yemen. this time they suggest millions could be pushed into starvation because the world food programme will have to reduce food rations for 8 million people. that you and donors have failed to fulfill their pledges for assistance. >> it is mealtime for this mother and her three daughters. the family's village was destroyed by airstrikes. now they live in a camp for internally displaced people, relying on a the world food programme. seven years of fighting between houthi rebels and saudi-backed government forces has created at many consider the wld's worst humanitarian crisis. food and mical shortages are causing millions to suffer,

including many children. in the children's award, in this hospital in sanaa, the suffering is plain to see. dangerously malnourished, their bodies bear the marks of war. and this is happening even with the current levels of food assistance provided by ngo's. 's wound, families will start getting barely half of the daily minimum ration. you and agencies, including the world food programme, received only two-thirds of nearly $4 billion requested from donors this year, and food prices have more than doubled in yemen. currency devaluation and hyperinflation are driving the economy to near collapse. that is as fighting continues to force families to flee their homes for camps like this e. if donor countries don't step up soon, these people with nowhere to go will be left with nothing to eat.

phil: let's get more on this from annabelle, the head of the communications office for the world food programme in human. she joins us from london. welcome to dw. explain to us more about why the wf. p is cutting food aid to yemen. guest: we are in a difficult situation right now wreby we simply don't have the funds to maintain assistance at the current levels. sohat we're doing from january is cutting to 8 million people, 8 million out of a total of 13 people that we support. they will receive hf rations. that allows us to maintain full rations for the 5 million people who are the most acutely food insecure, those at immediate risk of famine. but really, it is an impossible situation to be in, because we

are being forced to reduce food assistance to the hungry in order to feed the hungriest. phil: right. and this is because countries haven't followed through on their pledges of money? guest: this year, actually, wf p received $1.4 billion, and with that we were able to resume full rations, because in 2020 unfortunately, we had also been forced to cut. at various moments this year, it was looking like you might have to cut, and donors came through, allowing us to maintain food assistance. but now, the money has run out. from january, we have no option but to cut. at the moment, these 8 million people. but if more funds don't come very soon, in the next month or two, we will be looking at even further cuts, potentially also to malnutrition treatment

programs for children and mothers. phil: so you have a 25% shortfall of pledges. if it was matt, would the wfp still have to cut food aid? guest: from january, yes. it is not just a question of us gettg the money today and being able to feed people tomorrow, we have to get the food into yemen. there is a complex apply chain to maintain. that is why it is so important that donors maintain a constant flow of money so we can do that. yemen is an incredibly difficult place to operate. it is an active war zone. infrastructure is poor. we are having to deliver to every corner of the country, to over 13 million people. we have to maintain a constant supply line to be able to do that effectively. phil: barely a day seems to go by without ngo's, or the u.n. morning that firmware is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. how do you attract the attention

of policymakers or the public, especially during a pandemic when there are so many other calls on their attention and their money? guest: you're absolutely right, it is tragic that i have been on error saying these kinds of things for years now. here we are at the end of 2021 and we are looking at some of the highest ratesf hunger all around the world that we have ever seen. aid budgetare absolutely stretched tohe limit. yemen is not the only one. and it is difficult to maintain the attention of somewhere like yemen, which has become now such a protracted crisis, but it is getting worse. just when you think it couldn't possibly, it is getting worse. . we have half of all families with inadequate food consumptio food prices are soaring. thousands of people are being displaced, 70,000 have been displaced just in the last few months by the conflict. so it is important today as it ever has been.

phil: we thank you for your time and be with you well. pigot so much for joining us. the united nations repeated its call to belarus and poland to address what it says is the appalling situation of migrants on their joint order where hundreds of people, mainly from iraq and syria, remain stranded. poland and the e.u. accuse the belarussian leader of encouraging people to travel to belarus to try to gain entry into the european union. belarus denies this and says the e.u. is to blame for the humanitarian crisis. reporter: belarusian authorities say almost 600 people remain at this warehouse on the belarus side of the border. despite the cold weather and the terrible conditions, they swear they can't go home, and they have to move forward to have a future. >> my plan is to stay, because i can't go back to the forest or back to syria. i don't have anything. no house. food.

work. i don't have anything. >> we came here to europe. we want to go to germany, that is where we want to go. reporter: that that path is blocked, and many migrants say, so, too, is the way back to minsk. the u.n. human rights office accuses both poland and lovers of pushing migrants back-and-forth across the border. it refers to statements made by migrants interviewed a u.n. in early december, describing human rights abuses on both sides of the frontier. >> the majority said that while belarus, they had been beaten or threatened by security forces, and also alleged that the security forces force them to cross the border. our team also heard news reports of people being automatically returned to belarus from poland.

reporter: the human rights office is calling on both nations to address the crisis in line with their obligations to international human rights and refugee law. phil: more stories from around the world now. one person has been confirmed dead and scores are missing after a landslide buried a jade mine in myanmar. jade worth billions is mind in the country's woerle related industry every year -- is min ed in the country's poorly regulated industry every year, and accidents have frequently. this country's minister survived a chopper crash by swimming 12 hours. protesters in the georgian capital have demanded the release of former president mikhel saakashvili. 's supporters have pledged to go on hunger strike until he is

freed. he was imprisoned when he returned from international exile in october. back to the u.k. when this family lost their son billy in a motorcycle accident three years ago, they decided to start a project to ease their pain and keep his memory alive. they created a new currency, to help local people help homeless people. that billy chips can be used by the homeless to purchase a drink and hot food and hot drinks. in the u.k., homelessness is on the rise, with charities estimating up to 80,000 people don't have roofs over their heads. in report from the southwestern england city of bristol. reporter: not simply to walk on by, but to help others. that is one thing this family learned from her brother, billy. >> is there anything i can get you from tesco? reporter: she often stopped to talk to homeless people, like laura. >> i think you need a bit of

courage and a bit of humanity. because it is just like having a chat with anybody else, and i think the fear and worry of approaching people is what stops the love and the transaction of empowerment. reporter: for meghan and harry father john, it's a way of channeling their love for billy to others when need it. he was only 20 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident, but he was already concerned about those with nowhere to go home. >> billy said, why don't they just invent a token that you could buy and then exchange for food and drink? and i think he saw that that would reduce the barriers because people would know it is a safe thing to do, and then people would also communicate more with homeless people. reporter: after billy died, john and megan decided to go ahead with the project, creating tokens which could be exchanged in cafes for food entering for the homeless.

dozens of outlets in and around bristol have joined the scheme,. using the tokens known as billy chips they cost to pound each, enough for a hot drink -- they cost two pounds each. enough hundred. >> there is something about the reassurance of how they drink. reporter: charities say the number of homeless people in england has doubled in recent years. many of them in bristol have come across megan and john and the billy chips. >> they are really good. reporter: what you like about them? >> get a free coffee. >> it is absolutely vital to have one drink through the cold nights. >> if you want to feed someone, feed them. why do you need another kind of money? reporter: people will still give

money, but john and megan hope the billy chips will reassure homeless people that they, too, are part of the community. >> we poured our love that was our grief. we could no longer pour it into billy, so we ordered it into billy chips. we created a legacy. we have in no way immortalized the key values that billy had as a human being. reporter: his father and sister know that if billy was still alive, he would be proud of the scheme named after him. phil: north america's national hockey league says it will not allow it bears to participate in the beijing winter olympics in february. of the decision comes after the regular season schedule was disrupted the coronavirus outbreaks. in the league has postponed 50 games this season. nhl players are part of teams of 11 out of 12 countries that qualified for ice hockey at the games, the only exception being the hosts, china. one of the best-preserved

dinosaur embryos ever seen has been discovered inside a fossilized bag in southern china. the at least 66 million-year-old specimen, which belongs to a toothless birdlike dinosaur has been called "baby yinglia." scientists say the embryo was in a talking position, long thought to be unique to birds. with the pandemic, restricted travel this christmas, organizers in moscow have come up with an idea to bring international flair to the festivities. designers, musicians and even ballet dancers have been commissioned to adorn christmas trees with themes representing entries around the world. it is part of a festival spread across a 27 sites throughout the city each representing seasonal traditions of many countries. there are 18 free ice-skating rink's.

this is dw news life from berlin. a reminder of our top story at this hour, german chancellor olaf scholz announced sections of the spread of the omicron variant. the measures, which will come into force after christmas, include limiting public or private gatherings even for vaccinated people. other european countries are taking similar steps. more world news at the top of the hour, but i will be back in just a moment looking at the top stories of the day in "the day." stay tuned. ♪

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♪ >> teeters on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. the u.n. and u.s. clear the way for some humanitarian aid to be restored. we will get an update from our correspondent in washington. a court in tunisia issues a your prison sentence after he heard sized foreign government. france starts rolling out covid-19 vaccinations to children.