profiting from the pandemic 2 c.d.o. german politicians are quitting in a major scandal for allegedly earning hundreds of thousands of euros after brokering deals for face masks. the u.k. government faces claims of financial mismanagement during the pandemic after offering frontline health workers a pay rise of just one percent while it spends millions on a new media briefing room we gauge reaction in london. the story is about these i mean trick people save. for the public is. going to hospital table i think. president biden's long awaited coded relief bill finally passes through the u.s. senate but people face getting less money than they did on.

monday evening at 10 here in. welcome to world news from marty international 1st for you germany standing down over claims they made hundreds of thousands of euros from brokering deals for face masks with more on the scandal here's our europe correspondent peter oliver. make no bones about it this is a big scandal here in germany pandemic profiteering isn't a look any party wants to be tarnished with in this is part of the ruling coalition here including angela merkel's christian democratic union party the representative of the party nicolas lobel has said he's going to step down at the next election this is after his company allegedly made around a quarter of

a 1000000 euro from being the middleman in deals when it came to pee pee and masks during this pandemic that may not be good enough for some some of said he needs to go right now and not wait until the election in the autumn however he said he is sorry for what he's done so far but he isn't the only one that's been involved in this scandal we've also heard that. from the very insistent party the c s u is facing a corruption probe after he's understood to have taken away a 6 figure sum for being the middle man again in deals involving masks he's already said he's not going to run in september he has stood down from his position as the deputy leader of the union parliamentary group but he's denied any wrongdoing what this is prompted is well senior figures including members of angela merkel's cabinet coming out and saying there's no way this can be tolerated in condemning

those 2 politicians it's a collective commission that is to earn money through mediation in emergency situations is not possible that destroys trust in our democracy those who fill their own pockets with essential goods such as masks do not represent the people but the lowest interests it's understandable why the center right block is circling the wagons there's obviously a bundestag election coming up in september but before that just next sunday there's 2. regional elections as well and they want the candidates involved not to be as distant from this particular scandal as possible there's also a want to know more fuel to a fire or frustration to seeing people demonstrate against the way the government has handled the pandemic here in germany and it's not just a german issue we've also seen those protests taking place across europe.

to. a level of hope it will surely only be added to when it starts coming out that m.p.'s that politicians were enriching themselves personally during this pandemic german journalist thomas fassbender says public anger over the issue will damage the ruling party. i think that definitely the christian democrats as a party at the forthcoming for coming elections will take a hit there's 'd no question there is anger about this the interesting thing here is that mr lube it just last year was the subject of a completely unrelated corruption or misbehavior commercial misbehavior case within his own party the man has been known for

a sort of potentially shady behavior is there where allegations and nevertheless the party sort of shut their eyes and that is of course 'd the dangerous thing it's not just a matter of the law as such of the letter of the law but also. 'd about the way it is applied. downing street being criticized for spending millions of pounds on refer bushman's to hold white house style media briefings and in another echo from across the pond british prime minister boris johnson is setting up a charity so the donors can fund renovations of the premier's official resident but for many in the u.k. all this money will be better spent on health care staff working on a covert frontline. should burris's interest the story here is about is this i mean trick could be a poll for us will still be a poll looking after all nurses and doctors and everybody that works in australia people saving lives that's the problem did. you answer peter spoke about out of the

people left. the benefit for health workers since you cannot refute this so i'm not sure we do to be free will 2600000 people a lot of other food so i could remove all the local ocean so making sure the whole population is properly covered but what can you do if they say this is going to ask me yes of course but you know when you when i'm going in to hospital table i think the nurse is an essay for me then you know that's what would be necessary for me to make sure you can have enough pay and they've got enough motivation to work on lies are important decoration. the u.k. government insists difficult economic circumstances mean it can only afford a one percent pay hike the national health service staff but with inflation predicted to reach $1.00 and a half percent this year that would likely mean a pay cut in real terms and this is union says they deserve more than is preparing

for strikes that tickle commentator anthony weber says the government's priorities are completely wrong. but the media companies don't actually need these. facilities one those are sure to cheer a fine or. witnesses shortage of finance money should go in the soup. you know more sensible directions logical direct she was like. giving a nation a start but it doesn't go out. rather a pool message that the government's prepared to spend money on promoting it's only not prepared to spend money on people who've been looking after people who are building a hospital in unsuitable people who like the n.h.s. star would respect even nurses and so on that said the government has extended its

furlough scheme until september which pays 80 percent of people's wages for hours they can't work during the pandemic with leaders predicting that the cash will get the economy back on track but talking to artie's going underground british economic historian robert skidelsky questions the numbers. they think there's a lot of pent up demand that there are a lot of savings that people haven't been able to spend and that as the shops and entertainment places reopened people will flock to these places with their extra spending power and that'll make the whole thing revived but if you look at it realistically i'm very skeptical about this because national income has fall or it's fallen by 10 percent cent in 2020 that means savings of all there as you know some people will have extra savings but what about all those whose incomes have fall they're not going to have extra spending power we're talking about people who

are being made unemployed because small businesses are closing going bankrupt and or cutting down on their start and rather than keeping that population on 1st. then i would try and provide work for them and especially young people. italy's last year a region which includes the capital rome is calling on the government to start producing the russian sputnik the kovacs thing as the country's health minister says he's in favor of the russian job in my opinion if the vaccine works in the safe i do not recant about the nationality of the scientists who developed it therefore i'm open to sputnik v. as well as to other vaccines should the european medicines agency in the italian medicines agency give their approval we are ready to cooperate with russia even very soon it's been a great already been approved in 2 e.u. countries hungary and slovakia it comes as the bloc criticized for the slow pace of

coronavirus inoculation in member states a lot here regions health chief told us about the approval process for sputnik. it's necessary to produce vaccines in house in order to be self-reliant and avoid the problems we've recently faced including the difficulties with job supplies and on time deliveries autonomy will benefit everyone in this case we always treated the sputnik vaccine with great respect paying particular attention to the scientific evidence behind it therefore we had no reservations about it off we saw the in the explanations of its validity in the medical journal the lancet and by the laws there are only national institute for infectious diseases in row we've always said that the efficacy and safety of vaccines are the main thing whereas the origin doesn't matter to us. unfortunately we can't

say decisions absolutely independently and always have to wait for the approval by regulators will so hope for a fast track process so that it doesn't get bogged down in excessive red tape because we're in emergency and in great need of doses in italy we don't expect to see any disputes around the sputnik vaccine because we believe it will contribute to the common good and protect the health of our citizens. joe biden's coated relief bill has finally passed through the u.s. senate after last minute negotiations but while $1.00 trillion dollars sounds like a lot of money people may actually get less than they did under donald trump we've been delving into why it may just be a drop in the ocean for american taxpayers. bunker in america especially for children has soared to historic levels unexpected medical bills have created a serb just families desperate for in america the richest country in all the world we have incredible hunger what ours is possible as the u.s.

continues its brutal battle with one invisible enemy an old one house of ram just poverty but for those one in 10 americans who lost that job and same never recovered all those 3 in 10 low income families who worry while the next meal is coming from good news joe biden promised you a helping hand no one should work 40 hours a week to live in poverty and it wasn't just higher wages no biden was also going to rip open the government's wallet and hand out those support checks the american rescue plan is going to keep the commitment of $2000.60 already gone out $1400.00 checks to people who need it. this is money directly in people's pockets and with control of the house of representatives the senate and the white house the only trinity nothing could stop the democrats puffing that kind of bill no out of

touch little greedy republicans not even trump no it was a done deal right we obviously are now alternately sending. money to less people in the administration this is not the promise that we need. conservative democrats have fought so the biden admin sense fewer and less generous relief checks than the trump admin did so not a done deal biden promised one thing with his $1.00 trillion dollars aid package the house and took a stab at it and the senate's now taken a not the stab at it and it's wounded 4 almost $12000000.00 few adults will get the relief by dint pledged unemployment benefits are finishing a month earlier than planned and as for raising minimum wage to $15.00 while cut to see have some democrat senators who vetoed it that won't be happening and if you're wondering what an elected official last thing in the face of the people they saw it

looks like wow hey you go. the cinema cinema. no i'm sure though it's a big thumbs up from have for $174000.00 annual salary but if you thought biden himself brainchild this bill was as devastated by all this well think again he is comfortable with where the negotiations stand he is controversial and knows there will be tweaks at the margin so if these tweaks mean that americans struggling to stay afloat amid the biggest recession in the u.s. in decades aren't getting the money who it is what national democrats particularly nancy pelosi and chuck schumer have chosen to do is crimes through a 1.9 trillion package that includes things like funding on the national endowment for the arts and national endowment of humanities and the subway in silicon valley to help nancy pelosi constituents and while the washington elite did eventually

realize that splashing $100000000.00 on a subway in the richest town in america wouldn't fit well with those people standing in line to food banks when will it realize that it works for we the people and not me myself and i. the mainstream media were delighted by the bill with the washington post initially branding it a defining move by biden but they are later changed his head live with the initial variance part and the online mockery as users on the internet saw no reason why it was a. show or just money on the americans could washington post exaggerated by density of events in the more square a problem not shameful. well who make it rain with a check that still doesn't cover a whole month's rent soak up all of the money shallots my fellow pulls the amounts are being paid are just a drop in the in the bucket the payments are proof that their faith and they bite

administration was well founded and the reality is of course that much more of the covert relief bill is going to other causes no other interest groups in the us you know we have a constitution and the government has grown by leaps and bounds beyond what the original intentions were at this point the number in the duties of the american federal government have. the number of tourists arguments over laughable you know the last coded stimulus package had billions and billions being sent to foreign countries this one has everything from money for amtrak which is a perennial loser of public money. $3000000000.00 in aid to aircraft manufacturers almost $300000000.00 for the national government for the arts and all while the more suffering and i would add that while there are clear signs that the global appetite for u.s. treasuries which is u.s. debt seems to be waning this is a heck of a time to be incurring a lot more debt. this is out say from moscow still ahead as brazil reports disturbing new covert think as the president also tells the country to stop whining

about the disease it's had on our. the binding ministration is still young but its foreign policy particularly in the middle east is an echo of past failures this ministration simply just not a learning curve also does washington really support democracy in the world ukraine's crackdown on independent media. the world is driven by shaped by.

the day or thinks. we dare to ask. join me every thursday on the alex i'm unsure when i'll be speaking to a guest of the world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you then. welcome back to the successful vaccination program under its belt israel is easing more of its kind of a lockdown restrictions but only for the holders of a so-called green pos for those who've been fully inoculated for the 1st time in months restaurants and bars reopen i told on sunday there was still restrictions on cuban say and also social distancing still very much in place but while many were delighted by the long anticipated reopening of this race security concerns over the

green pos system and the fairness of the whole approach. i say live now to former israeli defense minister and candidate for prime minister enough tell me about it welcome to the program could have you with us on a few subjects want to cover with you in the next few minutes 1st though do you share the security and privacy concerns expressed by some in israel about the green pus no i don't the. wonderful tool it allows folks who have been. meaning vaccinated the twice. you know roam around freely and it also encourages those who did not yet go and get vaccinated to go do it because. this green person can do more stuff go to restaurants etc so it's a it's a great idea there's no security issues that i'm aware of you know we have to move forward what about the folds of it creating

a hierarchy after all israel is stealing a macho areas and it's by far the most successful in vaccinating the grunts wave of the population that is so in effect as would any effect a limited number of people wouldn't. affects anyone any israeli citizen jew arab. any religion any. sexual inclinations whatever there's no. discrimination whatsoever every israeli citizen from the age of 16. is required in ask to come and get vaccinated and we don't force it but everyone is invited to anyone who comes in and can get vaccinated immediately while he would like to get your thoughts on another topic as well so to switch from public health to military matters and the strategic flyby of 2 american b. 52 bombers discourses by israeli fighter jets and the military both countries say the show of force was pivotal in maintaining security in the region and it was held to deter aggression and now despite not mentioning aggressive directly it all comes

and it's a pretty highly charged rhetoric towards iran mr bet it given how highly charged things are right now why antagonize iran even more. oh come on. guys in iran we're talking about the most radical islamic regime in the world is out to acquire nuclear weapons so the issue is not. going to it's and it's sort of like you ask him why are you out to entice bin ladin these guys wake up in the morning and their goal is to kill people their goal is to export terror and there's no way to antagonize the these massive murderers but what we need to do is deter them and i'm very happy about the you know the show of strength and lions between the united states and israel israel though i might say will always defend itself by itself we never asked for anyone else to go out and defend ourselves and will do it here as well if necessary but the threats against nuclear sites sound also israel

still being blamed for the murder of a radian scientist it's likely to get a tit for tat response and you can be surprised by that. well you know it's actually pretty simple if iran wants peace it just needs to do one thing stop the pursuit of nuclear weapons stop terror. you know you might imagine that they've taken care of their education system their health system everything is messed up it within iran and this terrible regime that's hijacked these people these good people for so many decades now all they need to do is focus domestically like any good country does instead they're out to create a regional hedge a morning. of terror and we're not going to allow them to do it by the way it's nobody's interest tello iran to go nuclear but if the best opportunity in a generation to contain if you will iran's nuclear ambitions was the j c p

a way which began frank at the edges and there's very little left of it now the idea of trying to get that back on track to try to at least have some kind of peaceful resolution to this multinational problem like this is going to help it making direct threats against iran. actually quite the contrary what i've learned from my military service this is that when you want to deter bullies you have to be strong if you're soft the bullies begin using violence iran is a bully it's a regional bully it's got no business in lebanon in syria and gaza and they're messing around with the entire region creating havoc and all they need to do is stop but we're not going to pine and sort of wait for them to attack us and pray that they meet this some some of us you know imaginal or fictional goal of not progressing these guys are serious about created

a bomb and they're serious about using it so i actually tend to believe these people and we're not we're not going to let them do it the military solution in some ways sounds like the sledgehammer in this but the political solution will be out of 4 but it sounds like you're already ruling it out not at all quite the contrary we definitely want a political or diplomatic. solution worse bad i thought worse i've lost my best friend and war war is a bad thing there's one thing worse which is tell out how the radical islamic republic of iran acquire a host of. nuclear bombs and turn the entire region into the most lethal and. you know dangerous region in the world we're not going to let that happen we have to stop that and you only stop it by a credible threats not in terms of the international help all this prime minister

netanyahu praised the presidency of donald trump as being in the best interests of bilateral talks what about the future now for u.s. israeli relations not just over iran but generally in the biden era. well you know relation ship and the friendship between the u.s. and israel goes beyond you know a certain administration a deep bond of interests and values. israel israel's might in the middle east is a national security asset to the whole free world because we're out fending these radical islamists who are creating terror so i'm quite confident that we'll be able to form a warm and ongoing relationship with the bite in a ministration and continue to restore in retain quiet in this area and stephanie politically but the time when you know i mean i really appreciate your time former israeli defense minister and prime minister kind of and i thought

he bennett thanks for joining us on the t.v. thank you very much. actually the brazilian president has called on people to quote stop whining about the country's covert catastrophe that's despite brazil registering its highly highest daily kind of a death rate it also has the 2nd highest number of deaths in the world more than 260000 victims. sugared you for this quarter do you mean enough with the pretentiousness enough with the whining how long are people going to carry on crying for you we have to confront the problems obviously we need to respect the elderly those with conditions but where is brazil heading to if we live in fear. meanwhile health authorities say that just over $7000000.00 have so far received at least one vaccine doses since brazilian hospitals are struggling to find room for the sick and the health systems overloaded to highlight this point this is a container that's been placed outside a clinic in the north of the country to hold victims of the disease residents give their reaction to the move. but i think people are panicking and this container

shouldn't be out in the open this doesn't help. that it has a huge impact i think it makes you more careful and more inclined to protect yourself it's only when you actually see it that it has any impact when you realize that our people in their lost loved ones were all to blame the people but also the government because they should set the example the editor of a brazilian news site told us that the president must take the blame for the worsening situation. i think it's. a strategy. is old applied trying to prove to brazilian book relations that he has this situation the control over food the situation is completely out of control i don't feel that presume he's going to have that the situation before may or june because we have a very. good lay is in the old best the nation we don't have any more

income to protect people and to unload them to stay and i think the next 30. days i'm going to be even worse than the situation we have a levy through at this moment and that's the way it looks from moscow so far this monday and thanks for checking in with us some color brian back with your next update in just over half an hour say that. seems wrong. but also. to me you will get to shape out these days because etiquette and in detroit equals betrayal.

when so many find themselves worlds apart. just to look for common ground. the imaginary 1000 you're watching another lockdown edition i'm going underground on the anniversary of the release of david bowie's album the next day in part 2 will be talking to his photographer mick rock refers to a country portrayed in the bowie starring film merry christmas mr laurence meehan maher has seen scores killed up of the wrath of on thanks to jeanne the daughter of its communist independence leader around fan who fought british colonialism in the region joining me now from washington d.c. is the un special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in myanmar tormenters

pressure on her welcome to going underground what do you understand is the situation in myanmar right now. it's bad it's getting worse. the generals are systematically very methodically trotty peaceful protesters are being shot and killed and injured and alarming rates on the streets of milar. there are people are are terrified but they are relentless despite the sheer they continue to protest they continue to engage in their civil disobedience lou but it is absolutely. are aspiring to just to watch and to see. what's happening in the and more right now you see. the very best and the very worst of our humanity unfolding as we speak now you know the generals will be quick to say to you that. he was arrests.