♪ >> this is dw news live from berlin. france introduces new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus as the country's minister says it is facing the highest number of cases since the start of the pandemic. will get the minutes from our correspondent and there's. israel begins a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but some experts warn additional booster programs could actually prolong the pandemic. we will find out why.

tough talks ahead between iran and major world powers. negotiators gather in vienna, trying once again to keep the iran nuclear deal alive after the 2018 withdrawal of the united states. ♪ i am pablo. . to our viewers on pbs and around the world, welcome to the program. french authorities have announced a fresh set of measures to curb the number of cases in france that include introducing a vaccine mandate for entry into cafés and restaurants. until now, proof of a negative test result was sufficient. face masks will also become mandatory in some areas. over 100,000 new cases were recorded on christmas day, setting a record for the country.

correspondent sonya is in paris following the story for us. good to see you. can you give us more details about these new measures that have been introduced in france? reporter: i went to the press conference this evening, and the french prime minister jean castex announced several measures to tackle the rising numbers that included, for example, on the recommendation of the country's health regulator, the government is advising adults get booster doses just three months after the initial jabs. companies will have to offer work-at-home options for employees at least three times a week wherever possible, and capacity limits will be reimposed for concerts, sporting venues and other large events. one of them being measures announced is the vaccine mandate you mentioned for access to bars and restaurants, museums, and other public venues.

members of president macron's cabinet today discussed legislation that will tighten restrictions on those who remain unvaccinated in france, estimated to be 6 million people. it poses a big challenge given many i see you -- many i see you's -- many intensive care units are filled with people. pablo: there was talk of new restrictions being introduced, which we are now seeing. how have the take into these new measures? reporter: we have seen in france this year, long protests across the country against the health measures introduced in july. that is one reason french lawmakers have been wary about introducing vaccine mandates so far. lawmakers have tended to try to change since elections are coming up next spring.

38% of the population is double vaccinated, i think many of them are accustomed to the restrictions. unlike some european countries, in the last two weeks, france has stayed away from announcing big lockdowns, so life has seemed somehow normal in many places. pablo: we mentioned it before, we have seen huge numbers of cases, over 100,000 in one single day. and we have these measures which we have just been talking about. what is the reason for this explosion in cases? what are they being blamed on, in france? reporter: one of the main reasons, like elsewhere, is the highly transmissible omicron variant, health experts here are saying that has led to the surge in cases. one other reason could also be increased testing.

we have seen people queuing up at labs and pharmacies, trying to get tested before they joined their families on the holidays. that could also explain why we are seeing this huge jump in numbers. pablo: sarnia, and paris, thank you for that. update israel has become. began trying a fourth dose of the vaccine. health workers are being given a fourth shot of the pfizer vaccine, but some medical experts are warning that widespread additional booster programs in rich countries could prolong the pandemic. reporter: this doctor is the first people to get a fourth coronavirus vaccine. he is taking part in what is thought to be a world-first trial. all the participants are medical staff who has had -- who have had three vaccine doses that were found to have low antibody levels. >> i am excited to be the first person in the world who got the

fourth rooster of the covid vaccine. to paraphrase, is a small jab in the shoulder, probably a giant step for mankind. reporter: israel's health ministry is considering a panel recommendation to give additional boosters to medics and people aged 60 and over. some experts urge caution. >> i don't know. if we need the fourth dose. . . it is a big question. that is what it is so important to have research now before most of the world is even thinking about a fourth of those. we need to see whether there is any added benefit to getting a fourth dose. reporter: almost 45% of the israeli population is already triple jabbed, but there is concern about the spread of the omicron variant, with some 2000 recorded cases, and one known death. prime minister naftali bennett has already ordered preparations for rolling out the fourth dose.

if the plan gets approved it would go against warnings from the world health organization. >> blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic rather than ending it by diverting supplier to countries thatlready have high levelof vaccination coverage, giving taveras virus more opportunity to spread and mutate. >> the trial will test the safety and efficacy of a fourth shot, that politicians must decide on the ethics of staying in the face of global vaccine inequality. pablo: let's get a round up of some other headlines. two dams have burst in northeast brazil, causing severe flooding and the evacuation of thousands of people. water swept into this city in bahia state after the dams give way. 18 people have died since torrential rains began pounding the region in early november. sarah weddington, the lawyer who won their landmark roe v. wade case in the u.s., has died at

the age of 76. her victory at the u.s. supreme court give american women the right to an abortion. she died at her home in texas. a u.s. cruiseship carrying more than 1000 passengers returned to port after an outbreak of covid-19. the holland america shape was supposed to dock in mexico but was turned away by authorities. the eighth round at discussions are resuming in vienna. the talks are between germany, the uk, france, russia, china, as well as iran. since the united states pulled out of the deal, tehran has increased its enrichment of uranium and restricted inspectors. sanctions introduced in response have hit iran hard. at present, it is shaping less than a quarter of the oil it did

in 2018, and the drop in exports has meant economic hardship for many iranians. reporter: hope is in short supply in this commercial district of old tehran. as the talks in far-off vienna drag on, even small items on offer here are getting more expensive by the day, to expensive for many. most people we meet don't dare to speak out about politics and those who do are disillusioned. >> if they don't reach an agreement, it will be young people like me who pay the price the economy is in a shambles. there's no work and even if you find a job, everything is so expensive. >> even if they sign a deal, nothing much will happen. i don't think anything in the next year or two will have a

positive impact on my life. >> i think our president isn't even interested in reaching agreement. rouhani wanted one, but did not manage it. the new government is not even pursuing this. it will not work out successfully. reporter: the foreign ministry leading the nuclear negotiations is just across the street. no representative wanted to speak to us. prior to his have shifted since iran's new hard-line government took over. sanctions relief remains a pressing objective, but the willingness to cooperate the west is at an all-time low, this political analyst tehran university tells us. > everybody realizes that we are dealing with a country that is not reliable, because the united states. they left the agreement once. there is this american saying, you fool me once, shame on you,

if you fall me twice, shame on me. so the administration don't want to be fufooled twice. reporter: many ordinary iranians also feel duped not only by the international community, but also by their international leaders. >> the nuclear deal should be made when the basis of the islamic republic is corrected from the very foundation. when the people in charge have gone where they belong. as long as that doesn't happen, an agreement will not be reached . the people in charge think only about the benefits to themselves, not about the 85 million people living in this country. reporter: and so iranians are bracing for the worst. they know that no agreement is

likely to be more sanctions, and even the possibility of a military confrontation, and that they will be the ones paying the price. reporter: our reporter. now a spokesperson from the iranian foreign ministry urged participants in the talks to strive for agreement. here is what he had to say. >> we advise all the participants in the negotiations to come to vienna with the will to achieve a good agreement. what is unbearable for the islamic republic of iran is the fact that some parties are mistaken in their calculations, thinking that they can waste the time and energy of others with their campaigns of false denials or falsifying the facts. pablo: let's bring in an expert on iran and cofounder of the center for applied research in partnership with the oriente and

he joins us here in germany. welcome to dw. telus first, what is at stake for iran? guest: basally, iran's end of the bar gain is to have sanctions reef and to have a proper prospect for economic improvement. and at the same time for the other side, iran's nuclear program is at stake, control over its nuclear program. but right now it is the sanctions lifting, that is one of the sticking price. pablo: iran and the united states aren't actually holding direct talks, but pressure is growing on them. iran wants guarantees that the u.s. will not pull out of any deals in the future, and they also want an easing of sanctions and controls, which is a thorn in the side of the united

states. how much do the u.s. and iran actual want this deal? guest: it's a fair question, because both parties -- to both parties, this agreement it was not as attractive as it was in 2018 when the u.s. pulled out without reason. the sanctions that were then imposed on iran have caused economic damage that cannot be remedied. at the same time, iran has in the past two years advanced its nuclear program to a point where they know how obtained is no longer reversible. so for both sides, it is not as attractive as it was before. yet both sides understand they are better off with a deal than without one. that's why vendor the pace is slow they are both aiming at resolving this issue. pablo: hence perhaps these pressures we are seeing from the other powers, correct? guest: obviously. both sides on the one hand went

to show there is no real pressure on them and that they will not bow down to pressure. at t same time, everybody at the table knows that the more he take the less meaningful its agreement will become because iran will obtain more nuclear knowledge, and the other side will create more economic damage for iran. pablo: let's talk about the religious and military leader, only,, and president raisi, known as a hardliner. what role are they playing in this? guest: for the supreme leader, khamene this isi,. been full of words -- he has been fooled once already and he wants to make sure that the new

administration doe't enter intonother fallacy. here is the difficult part. they ask for guarantees that can't beranted so they'll have to wor on alternative for the face-saving strategy that the supreme leader is conducting. pablo: adnan, thank you for your analysis. guest: my pleasure. pablo: now to somalia, where it long-running political crisis has escalated. that is after the president said he was suspending the prime minister. by the prime minister has refused to go, and is calling on the military to support him. there are fears the country could once again descend into armed conflict. reporter: tension on the streets of the somali capital mogadishu. armed forces are being asked to showheir royalty to the prime

minister, in the face of what he called an attempted coup by the president. >> i order all forces to take direct oers from th government and the prime minister's office. >> we shall urgently prosecute anyone who opposes this order. reporter: a day earlier, president mohamed abdullah he mohammed issued an order declaring the prime minister had been suspended from office. the president accused of the prime minister of stealing public land and interfering with an investigation. it is an escalation in the long-running feud between the two powerbrokers, seen together in 2020. both accuse each other of delaying elections, which were due this year, after more than three decades of conflict and instability. residents are hoping for a peaceful resolution.

>> we are sorry about the conflict between the leaders. this will affect us, since we have a government that was progressing. we don't want a setback. we regret the -- we request the president and the prime minister to solve their conflict. reporter: the u.s. embassy in mogadishu has called for immediate de-escalation, and for both sides to avoid violence. pablo: the polish president has vetoed a controversial media law saying he couldn't sign the bill in its current form. it would have banned companies outside europe from holding a controlling stake in polish media companies. demonstrations against the law attracted thousands of people, with critics saying it would have curtailed press freedom. reporter: parlance president put his foot down. with a veto, he has halted the government's plans for a new media law and sent the issue

back to parliament. >> i appeal to the parliament to find better solutions with the opposition so that shares of fallen owners -- of foreign owners can be reduced in the future. but in any responsible society, contracts that have already been assigned have to be respected. reporter: so the only private tv station that remains critical of the government will be allowed to continue broadcasting. it belongs to the american media group discovery. both the u.s. and the e.u. had criticized the law. after all, americans would have to give up their majority shareholding. it could even lead to a hefty lawsuit. on the streets, tens of thousands of citizens have in protesting. they feel the law curbs media freedom. for them this is a win. >>. >> the president does not want to sign up to a project to the government and decline, he wants to preserve good relations with the americans.

reporter: as the president cast his veto he also said that many polish citizens don't want more conflict, they are already facing raising prices due to inflation, and setbacks from the pandemic. but the media law could be back in parliament, to be debated all over again. pablo: you're watching dw news. still to come. south africans begin a week of mourning to honor and anti-apartheid icon and nobel peace prize laureate who helped shape the country's history, archbishop desmond tutu. as the year draws to a close, we're looking back at some of our most memorable reports from 2021. the covid pandemic has left health care workers around the world sick, exhausted, and in many cases, traumatized. the sheer number of patients and the inability to save some of them created a second silent pandemic of devastated hospital staff. our reporter visited a clinic in

spain and spoke to health care workers there. reporter: the atmosphere at this corona ward in this hospital in madrid seems almost relaxed right now. many beds are empty at the moment. for this internist, the days have become more bearable. she and her colleagues lived through the worst of the pandemic. it has left them deeply traumatized. >> i fell into a big hole. i cried in the corner. i couldn't take hearing anything more about covid vaccines, because in the end they were also my victims in a way. last february and march 400 people would die every day. that was devastating. many were already dissented sized. but of each of these 400, and could give you names of children. from me, these weren't numbers. reporter: it also weighed on her that for months, she couldn't see her daughters, to avoid possible infections. she is now in therapy.

>> it hes me to understand that no one outsid our field can really understand what we have lived through in here. it wasn't taught, and we also don't want to talk about it. reporter: many colleagues in the hospitals in madrid share that opinion. the experience was too dramatic. studies show at least 40% of medical professionals need a psychological assessment, and some experts think there is already another pandemic that will soon spread worldwide. the one that affects mental health. in this hospital 500 out of 8500 professionals require extra help. in the psychiatric ward, they ha set up support groups. >> [speaking in spanish] >> we already put preventive groups in motion before it escalated. these are groups where people can talk about the experience. we have doctors, nurses,

helpers, and one of our psychologists who share what they are worried about. between the frustration of not knowing how to use their expertise under normal conditions, and not knowing what to deal with, a huge scar has developed and it is putting a strain on medics. were more, this strain forced her to leave her job -- for laura, the strain forced her to leave her job. she contracted covid and went back to work in the icu, despite suffering from lung covid. >> we are not superheroes. you are used to 24, 48, 72-hour shift without a break. you are strong. you can do that. all of a sudden, you can't anymore. then it time to look for help. i went to work cryin then at work i saw h the nurses would cry in the kitchen or where the patients were. the situation was desperate.

i found them like this i cried with them. and then i cried on my way back home in the car. at some point i said to myself, it ca't go on like this. reporter: is a decision she doesn't regret. many of the affected medics are now processing what they have witnessed. they hope the long queues at the vaccination centers will keep the hospital beds free so they will have time to heal. pablo: south africa has begun a week of mourning honor archbishop desmond tutu. he will be laid to rest on new year's day. the anti-apartheid icon is being remembered as a champion of justice and civil rights. he was awarded the nobel peace prize for his rights against -- for his struggle against apartheid. >> many are paying tribute to a beloved icon in the struggle against apartheid. here in cape town's monument,

many had warm memories. >> he was one of the guys who stood up for our people. the legacy of desmond tutu must go on. >> we will never forget the archbishop for his contribution, for his loving, jful attitude and peaceful attitude. he spoke with a very nice way so they wouldn't become offended. reporter: others noted his sadness over south africa's political path in recentears. >> he a new south africa with a better life fo all of and many years later, he was rather disappointed. reporter: the city of cape town is also paying its own tribute, illuminating landmarks in purple, the color of his old robes. >> we hope in a small way that when this image of these cape town icons go around the world,

that it helps everyone to remember this remarkable man and remember his life. reporter: he was regarded by many as south africa's moral compass. it will be laid to rest on new year's day. until then, bells are set to ring out in his honor at midday, with the listeners asked to pause in tribute. ♪ pablo: you're watching dw news. the remainder of the top story were following for you. france introduces new measures in the fifth wave of the coronavirus as a country faces the highest number of cases since the start of the pandemic. new restrictions include limits on compulsory out of home working. the forget you can always get dw news on the go. just download the app from google play or the app store. it will give you access to news from around the world as well as

notifications. you can also use the dw app to send us photos and videos of what is happening if you are part of a news story. you're watching "dw news." coming up next is "global 3000," the globalization program. for me and the team here, thanks for watching. don't forget, you can keep up-to-date on our website, dw.com, or follow on social media. see you in the next hour. ♪

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♪ anchor: the french prime minister says the incidents of covid-19 at the highest level since the start of a pandemic. new measures announced this evening, including no more standing in bars and restaurants, and vaccines will be obligatory to enter bars and restaurants from 15th january. a victory for freedom of the press in poland. the president has vetoed a law that had already been much criticized by the eu and the united states. and a week of national