from berlin. talks that are going nowhere. russia and the u.s. make no progress in their first day of discussions to diffuse the crisis over ukraine. both sides are drawing red lines with european security suddenly caught in the middle. also coming up tonight, classes resume in uganda after two years of a pandemic stop. . some kids say education is no longer on their agenda.

fans celebrate as world number one tennis star novak djokovic wins the first round of his legal battle to stay and play in the australian open, despite not being vaccinated. but it is not game, set, and matched just yet. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. to her viewers watching on pbs and in the united states, welcome. we begin with growing fears of a war in europe. a first day of talks tes tensions over ukraine has ended with no progress. representatives from russia and the u.s. say they made no breakthrough in their discussion of the buildup of russian troops and tanks at the ukrainian border. the u.s. and its allies want russia to send their troops back to their barracks.

moscow on the other hand, wants a promise that the nato military alliance will stop expanding and it will not allow ukraine to join. an agreement remains elusive tonight. both sides say the tone of the talks have been encouraging. here is russia's deputy foreign minister. >> negotiations around russia security proposal were very difficult. long, very professional, deep, and concrete. without any attempts to cause over or avoid any difficult points, we were left with the impression that the american side was taking russia's proposal very seriously. brent: let's try to understand

this language of diplomacy. i'm joined by dimitri, he is a u.s. information and cybersecurity expert and chairman of the think tank silverado. it is good to have you on the program. despite the diplomatic niceties, russia and the u.s. have said they made no progress at all today. what is your reaction to that? dimitri: i think that's right. the situation has not changed on the ground. we still have troops on the border of ukraine poised to invade, if putin does not get his way . ihink there have been a few positives. one, the rhetoric that we have been hearing for weeks and lead up to the summit habeen lowered dramatically by deputy foreign mister. he talked about how productive the conversations have been. he talked about the need for further conversations and mentioned the potential treaty

that russia is looking for will not be done overnight as they have been insisting in the weeks prior. and it may take as much as eight months or more. the russians cannot keep their troops on the border of ukraine for that long. i think it is positive in lowering tensions, but face the reality that warm might -- war might be possible. brent: we are talking about a situation similar to the cuban missile crisis, for example. the only difference is we are not talking about the threat of new we are war. but we are living with the threat of cyber attacks coming from russia. how big of a threat do you think cyber attacks are moving forward? dmitri: the russians have enormous capabilities when it comes to cyber. some of the most impactful attacks in cyrspace against western targets like the attacks in 2017 that took down so much of theestern infrastructure and we launched by russia against ukraine but then leaked out, they have been done by

russian intelligence services in recent years. it is concerning. i do think if there is an invasion of ukraine, and hopefully there will not be, the russians will have their hands full managing that crisis that they will not want to aggravate the west any further with direct attacks. brent: let's say putin does agree to bring his soldiers back to their barracks. and we still don't have a resolution that would be appealing to both sides. wouldn't that give the kremlin carte blanche to launch new cyber attacks? that would be its most effective weapon. dmri: i think it could be a weapon. i think the invasion of ukraine would be t preferred solution for him to get what he desires, which is keeping ukraine forever out of nato. if he can't get that, and it is

a political nonstarter for the u.s. government to do, then he believes he has that option to invade. and ukraine wouldhen never be allowed to join nato just by being occupied by russian troops. brent: we are in winter now. the ground in ukraine, frozen, which makes it easy for russian tanks to move into ukraine if they want to. that will not be the case come march and april. does this short time window, does it put pressure on both sides, in geneva, to find a path forward? dmitri: that was always the concern, thaputin ses to have been working on this short timeframe where he needed to act realistically by mid-march. or pull back troops because he cannot keep them there forever. if russians are now acknowledging that they will not get any resolution in that timeframe, which they did today, i think it is a positive development, because it could

mean that we can go into prolonged discussion on broader european security issues, addressing russia's secure -- russia's concerns, that could take years potentially. in the meantime, we would avoid war. that, i view, as the best outcome we could get out of the situation, to delay, by time for diplomacy to work. brent: dmitri alperovitch, the chairman of the think tank silverado, we appreciate your time and insights tonight. thank you. dmitri: thank you. brent: let's get a roundup of the other world headlines this hour. an explosion in eastern afghanistan has killed nine children and wounded four. officials say a stand selling popcorn hit a mortar shell. some reports say it was a gas cylinder that exploded. after decades of war, afghanistan is littered with unexploded ordinance and children are often the victims. a military court in myanmar has sentenced the ousted leader to

four more years in a. she was convicted on several charges including possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies. last month, she was found guilty of incitement and of breaking coronavirus rules. . critics say the charges are politically motivated. authorities in new york are investigating the city's worst fire in three decades. they are questioning how thick smoke was able to billow through a high-rise apartment block in the bronx. it trapped many families. the death toll has been revised down to 17. . . several people are in critical condition. the united states is in the throes of an omicron wave, reporting the highest daily infection rates of any country in the world. with so many workers forced to isolate, supply chains are breaking down, and products like breakfast cereals, soups, and eggs, they are not making it to the supermarkets.

>> supermarkets across the u.s. have been ruggling to keep full stocked throughout the pandemic. so many key staff are in isolation, either because they have contracted the omicron variant, or have been deemed a close contact of confirmed cases. these shortages are also felt in the nation's capital, where they are dealing with the impact of some heavy snowstorms. meatpacking plants have been a major focus because large outbreaks in 2020 led to shortages and there are signs of decreasing productivity, according to official data. >> i'm making a miso based soup. i have all my vegetables i needed. i had no problem getting ything. >> there was quite a few things missing. but you make up for it here and there. >> carver one is respectful and doesn't try to hoard anything, we should not have any issues. >> it's annoying sometimes when

you can't get the food, but it is not too bad. >> my office is down the block. ia typically get something for lunch. things were -- where empty. i got something else. it's frozen. i will heat it up in the microwave at the office. >> one thing about the past 18 to 20 months is being able to roll through it day by day. that is kind of what we are doing. >> maybe it is the american optimism, but people here don't seem to be too worried. brent: children in uganda are back in school for the first time since march 2020. that was when rising cases of covid-19 forced the government to impose some of africa's toughest coronavirus restrictions. many students say they have lost complete faith in the education system and they will not be returning. uganda's government is warning an entire generation could be about to lose their opportunity for a good education.

>> repairing motorcycles, this is his daily life now. he was 14 when his school closed due to the pandemic. after nearly two years, they are finally opening again, but he is not going back. >> here starti to lose per. -- we are starting to lose power. schooling is just sloping down. everything is going stagnant. and we nd to look for a better y to live. reporter: his father left. now at 16, he has to take care of his two brothers alone. >> i had an idea that everything will be easy. when you have your books here, but not even life -- reporter: he had already picked up his school supplies in preparation for his return. now he will not need them. the government estimates a good 30% of ugandan students will not come back to the classroom. this elementary school fears that number could be much

higher. teachers prepared together to start school, creating class books. >> children of five years, moving around, selling those cheap things, eggs, bananas. it is a lost generation. reporter: an existing learning crisis has gotten worse. according to the united nations children's fund, up to 70% of 10-year-olds in low and middle income countries cannot read. nearly 20% more before corona. >> if youave dropped out of school and have not returned, but will have lifelong implications for you. globally, it is estimated trillion dollar impact on economies globally, as a result of a learning loss because of the pandemic. reporter: many experts say more support for global education is needed to help young generations break free from cycles of poverty. >> our reporter is in uganda,

and he asked students how they felt on their first day back in school. >> you can't come and say hi, friends. it feels bad. >> it was closed down. right now, not even 20 have turned up. >> the classes are finally opened. two years later. this is the longest. the government of uganda wanted to stop the spread of covid-19. that decision was widely welcomedt that time, until it got criticism. . many ugandans started questioning the rationale of keeping our schools closed, went elsewhere in other countries, others were starting. now the schools are open but kids are nowhere to be seen. the government expects three out of 10 to not return to school. across the country, teenage

pregnancies are at their record high. many girls may never return to school. most families are facing big financial challenges. some breadwinners who support kids did not survive the pandemic. when it comes to institutional labors -- being out of business for two years has forced them to close indefinitely. and some experienced teachers have also quit their profession. now some are analyzing that what we see today may lead into a bigger impact. a generation. brent: two years lost. many schools across germany are resuming this week after the christmas holidays. but the omicron coronavirus variant causing a sudden spike here, the move to go back to class is controversial. >> media and the new.

that is the topic in today's english class at a school in burlington. contrary to last year, lessons are given in person in most parts of germany, and not online. politicians have agreed that for now, things will stay that way. but the danger of getting infected is high. >> i'm a little scared of being in school because of the coronavirus. there are a lot of people here and we change rooms all the time. every day, i'm together with at least 100 people. that is no good. especially when you get home and think, i could have easily learned this at home and be much safer. reporter: the phillips family is relieved the schools are remaining open. despite the omicron variant. the parents are in charge of helping with homework. the weeks of learning from home last year were frustrating. >> i don't want to watch my own children all day, help them, feed them, and also do the

laundry and shopping. don't want to go back to that. it is not the right thing for our family. >> learning from home was not a good option. i did not learn very much, and i don't want to do it again because it just was not any fun. reporter: many children feel that way. they have gotten behind and now have the chance to catch up and see friends every day, deciding factors ineeping schools open despite rising case numbers. local teacher ride -- this local teacher would prefer a compromise from last year. he liked flipping back and forth between life and online lessons. >> working in half groups and alternating between learning from home and learning from school can be a compromise between epidemiological needs and the needs of the students to learn. between the safety of the pedagogue's and the safety of the children, but also their need to learn in school. reporter: the schools will remain open, despite rising case

numbers, is up to germany states to decide. as far as education goes, they have the final say. brent: here is a look at some of the other developments in the pandemic. chile has become administering a fourth dose of the vaccine for vulnerable groups. it follows a sharp rise in infections in neighboring countries. israel has seen its infection rate nearly quadruple in the past week, reaching new record highs. and experts say an allegedly new covid mutation that was dubbed delta cron discovered in a cypress lab is most likely the result of lab contamination and not a new variant. let's get a roundup of the other world headlines. israeli pre minister says israel will not be bound by any new year deal with iran, and will continue to consider itself free to act with no constraints against its arch foe, if

necessary. indirect talks between iran and the u.s. on salvaging the 2015 iran nuclear deal resumed a week ago in vienna. the new dutch cabinet has been sworn into office by the king. it's prime minister marked its fourth government, and is taking office at a record 10 months after elections. 10 months, because the negotiations were so difficult. the new government has pledged to invest heavily in measures to prevent climate change. germany's foreign minister says italy has a key role to play in creating a greener and more fair europe. she is in rome meeting with italy's foreign minister. the two countries have developed a joint action plan which includes cooperation on the migration. tennis star novak djokovic is likely to play in the australian open following his release from immigration detention today in melbourne, australia.

a judge overturned the government's decision to cancel his visa over coronavirus rules. tournament organizers granted him a medical exemption from vaccination, but the government rejected the exemption. a judge said that was wrong. djokovic's family and supporters have celebrated the decision, but the government could still cancel the visa for different reasons. reporter: they were so happy that their hero is free for now, they mobbed any car. even if they could not be 100% sure that novak djokovic was inside. outside his lawyers office, they celebrated into the night. somewhere -- some were pepper sprayed in the chaos. outside the court, fans cheered the decision of his visa being canceled. >> i want to thank the

australian government. reporter: the judge ordered djokovic's release from immigration detention, calling the australian government's decision unreasonable. he ruled that djokovic had not been given enough time to respond to that decision. the serbian had arrived in australia believing he had a medical exemption toules requiring a coronavirus vaccine. this, it emerged, was due to a december 16 covid-19 infection. . but the australian government argued the exemption did not apply to people entering the country from overseas. that contradicted what djokovic had been told by tennis australia, the tournament organizers. >> i'm not going to blame anyone. the conflict and information that he received is because of the changing environment. we are in a challenging environment for everyone involved. reporter: djokovic tweeted he

was pleased and grateful with the decision after the court's ruling, going on to say he is focused on the tournament. but the saga is not over yet. the australian government could still cancel djokovic's visa on the grounds of public health. for now, djokovic's family is thrilled with the rather atypical victory. >> for me, this is the biggest victory in his career. bigger than all of his grand slams. [applause] reporter: winning on the court is second nature to djokovic. winning in court, however, has proved a lot harder. brent: yeah. and the story has long legs. to talk about that, i'm joined by a sports journalist for tennis connected.com. she is host for the tennis channel podcast network. good to have you on the program. i have the feeling we may not

have seen the last serve in this story. what do you say? amy: well, the australian immigration minister still has the leeway to cancel the visa again. it is quite possible this is not over yet. but if i were the leaders or the powers that be in australia, i would want this saga to be over. brent: that's true. it will eventually have an end. then, i guess, the investigation will begin into how this disaster took place. where do you see the biggest mistakes? amy: look, we are in a pandemic. every sgle government of every single country on the planet is struggling with policy, and it is changing so fast with the variants coming, and masking and distancing and the medical advice. i think that is where the disconnect was.

and was an old-fashioned federal versus state argument going on, and then you throw in the nnis powerss well, and there was sort of a power struggle. and there was not a lot of clarity among thousands of pieces of correspondence between these powers. brent: let's assume he gets the visa, he gets to stay in australia, and he plays in the australian open. this is a country where 92%, 93% of all adults have been vaccinated. when he walks out on that court, the reception could be frosty. is that going to rob him of his tennis mojo? amy: frosty is a nice word for it, i think. with the atmosphere in australia right now, i'm concerned about security. and i think if they do allow him to play, precautions will have to be taken. australia has been through a lot

in terms of the lockdowns they have had, they are stricter than most countries. austlia has been sicter, stricter than a lot of countries in europe. the people arnot really in a mood to accept someone who is skeptical of the vaccines and has been able to enter their country unvaccinated. brent: rules are rules. don't you think this speaks to something we have seen that goes beyond tennis? high-profile athletes and the public's perception seem to operate in a bob -- in a bubble with different rules and standards. hasn't this confirmed that? amy:amy: in some way it has. here in the united states, we have aaron rodgers who is an american football player who has alluded to getting a vaccine. and chi ray irving who is an nba basketball player. sometime sports can hold up a

magnifying glass for life. and can really show us what is going on in the larger picture. brent: that is a good way of putting it. amy, we appreciate your analysis, thank you. amy: thank you. brent: football now. can they keep the boom does league status by the skin of their teeth as they survived a relegation playoff. . things improved this time around. they made light work of head of berlin on a chilly night in the german capital. reporter: colón arrive in berlin hoping for a third win in a row for the first time since march 2020 as they look to bolster their ambitions. after beating dartmouth last time it, they found themselves chasing the game here. anthony modesto finished a sweeping move on 29 minutes to make it 1-02 the visitors.

three minutes later, it was 2-0. andrzej duda's shot was not the cleanest, but it elevated to keep her. a touch of fortune brought her back into it after the game after the kick missed everyone nestled in the far corner. but the joy turned to despair, as he -- as another wrapped up the points for them. substitute stillman skipped a way to seal the 3-1 win. jubilation for colón coach stefan baumgart as his man moved up to sixth, while herder remained four points of second bottom. brent: if your head is in the sand, get it out. there have been many great escapes throughout history, but few as unusual as the one you are about to see. . a group of more than 80 ostriches were called on camera running through a chinese city.

after escaping from a nearby farm. it happened in the middle of the night, that is usually when they run. the birds way more than 100 kilos each. imagine running into this gang on your way to work. local media say the ostriches were returned to the farm. they can't fly, so they took an uber. you are watching dw news. i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around. we will be right back. ♪

♪ >> u.s. and russian diplomats begin crucial talks in geneva. the two countries making little progress over the situation in ukraine. we will speak to gulliver cragg in just a moment. the economic and political isolation of mali continues to deepen. western african nations impose stringent sanctions and close their borders. fans of senegal are breathing a sigh of relief after their team