Climate emergency in what he says would be the defining task of the 21st century a new report on wednesday found 2020 is on track to be the 2nd hottest year on record. The United Nations has reached an agreement with ethiopia to allow aid into government controlled areas of the te grier region for weeks the un has been warning of a possible humanitarian crisis due to the conflict between and rebel forces tens of thousands of civilians of already fled the fighting and to neighboring sudan. This is d. W. News from berlin follow us on twitter and instagram at the top news or visit our website d. W. Dot com. As the world enters what is predicted to be a long pandemic winter there is a deadly disconnects the euphoria over a Coronavirus Vaccine although no vaccine has been delivered yet see the u. K. And the exploding death toll from coated 19 people losing their lives by the thousands see the United States 2 parallel tracks and there is no guarantee that the vaccines will end this pandemic if we had behaved differently this year the guarantee would have been fewer deaths the guarantee tonight would be fewer people in intensive care fewer people about to die i bring coughing berlin this is the day. This is a monumental step but its no longer this guy were not seeing it when he sees im question pretty good news its very very. But were now it picks the place up to the end of the time look but it is by no means the end of the story it is not the end of our National Struggle against or if you can screw the virus there is no. Excuse or compromise of the safety of that scene for the safety of the public will always come through. Also coming up one of the saddest days yet in hong kongs dissent of democracy 3 prominent activists have been sentenced to prison their crime having the audacity to stand up to china face and never stop me from activism and thinking critically but oh my god why. Happen to it if id rate assume it right its essential to restart democracy off our generation and the generation for telling us. And to our viewers on p. B. S. In the United States and to our viewers all around the world welcome we begin the day with the british cry heard round the world today the vaccines are coming the u. K. Today gave emergency authorization to the Coronavirus Vaccine developed by pfizer and by on tech it is the 1st western country ahead of the u. S. Or the European Union to allow mass an ocular lesions in the fight against a pandemic that has claimed almost one and a half 1000000 lives the fact that the u. K. Was 1st to approve use of a vaccine that was developed by u. S. And german researchers will no doubt raise eyebrows and i or it will also increase pressure on regulatory agencies on both sides of the atlantic to give the green light for using the vaccines and it did not go unnoticed today that the u. K. With just weeks until its breaks it transition out of the European Union ends is about to administer a wife saving bank scene being made as we speak inside the European Union heres u. K. Prime minister Boris Johnson the u. K. Was the 1st country in the world to preorder supplies of this phase of n. Z. Securing 40000000 doses through a week to plan the n. H. S. Has been preparing for the Biggest Program of mass specs a nation in the history of the u. K. Thats going to begin next week. The u. K. Was able to approve the vaccine 1st today because it acted independently if it were still a member of the European Union it would be balanced by e. U. Rules and procedures a brics it bonus some have said today but not the German Health minister he said the vaccine is a triumph of european cooperation. And to my british friends a few remarks on bricks it some bricks it isnt obvious by intake is a European Development from the e. U. The fact that this e. U. Product is so good that britain approved it so quickly shows that in this crisis european and International Cooperation of the best way forward the internets united says im like this where the head of the German Company biotech which develops the vaccine with the u. S. Pharmaceutical finds are today said deploying the vaccine in the u. K. Marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic however by on text chief Business Officer added that being 1st to approve the vaccine has no influence on how much of the vaccine will be delivered to the u. K. We set out to beginning to until if this vaccine to the world and that means fair allocations across to countries that wish to use on how the vaccine so you know all of the tests that we produced got to the k. You cake at like every country a fair proportion. Well joining me tonight is dr David Heymann with the center on Global Health security at Chatham House in london dr heymann has worked for the c. D. C. And the World Health Organization for which he headed the Global Response to the sars outbreak dr heymann its good to have you on the day lets start if we could with the sheer speed that we are witnessing Vaccine Development and now vaccine approval when the news of the u. K. Approving the pfizer buy on take back seen when many were astonished are you worried that this is all moving too quickly well i think that theres been enough were with the regulatory agencies during the studies to understand what the vaccine can do cant do and any of the immediate risks so i think its been regulated in a way that takes into account all this and it will be safe to use but there will be an important factor and that is to make sure that theres post vaccination surveillance looking for any of those rare side effects that might it care curve from a vaccine they wouldnt be noticed in the immediate short term the Media Attention to the brutal process here in europe and in the u. S. Is unprecedented are we desperate for a vaccine because the pandemic exhausted us or are we desperate because we never exhausted our means in fighting and controlling the virus. Well i think its a bit of both were very happy to have a vaccine and this will have a great emphasis to the other tools that we already have to fight this pandemic but many scientists believe that this disease will become endemic like the 4 other human groan of viruses and if that does occur then it will be very important to have a vaccine along with other therapeutic agents to treat people who become sick because we know that everyone will not take the vaccine or cannot be vaccinated especially in countries outside of europe in north america where hopefully there will be an equitable distribution of vaccine but where there are other tools that are also equally as effective in dealing with the very doctor i mean there is this great disconnect when we talk about the pandemic and vaccines i mean we have so many vaccines ready to go because of operation warp speed which the trumpet administration launched back in may and yet President Trump refused to heed the warnings from Public Health officials about the virus i mean do you agree that there is this disconnect here in the public arena. You know in many european inner and in north america in the u. S. In particular there have been very difficult discussions between the Public Health leaders and the political leaders and many times the political leaders wanted to just make a promise of a vaccine in the problem would be over whereas the Public Health leaders clearly understood that a vaccine is just one tool against this pandemic and we have many good diagnostic tests we have some therapeutics and drugs which are coming along including monoclonal antibodies and theres a whole war chest that will be available shortly to deal with this pandemic as it probably becomes endemic in human populations in the United States the death toll could double between now and march thats what the latest models are forecasting but we have to remind ourselves that it doesnt have to be this deadly doesnt have to be this way does it know in models are really the final solution models are just estimating what might happen but what needs to happen now is that countries need to follow some of the examples for example that germany has put up with its excellent Contact Tracing or where Asian Countries have actually done much much more and avoided these blunt lock downs the European Countries have done and they have cost the economy so much so there are many things to learn from many countries around the world and hopefully all that can be assimilated into a good response in all countries you have dealt with outbreaks and pandemics before and you know how quickly the world can forget what needs to happen in your opinion to ensure that we are prepared for the next pandemic mean what can be done to make us not forget this pandemic as soon as we get that vaccine injection. Well one of the 1st things and needs to be done is the political leaders need to understand that Health Security is not just stopping diseases it borders Health Security means good healthy populations because if you look at this pandemic its those populations that have become morbidity is their greatest risk of serious illness so we need to make sure that Health Security includes Health Promotion for Healthy Lifestyles and also that it includes resilience in our Health Care System so that theres access to health care by all people who need it so broadening the politicians understanding of how security is one way to move ahead another way is to make sure that they understand that security is not just arms its also Public Health dr David Heymann center on Global Health security at Chatham House in london or to him and we appreciate your time and your insights tonight thank you thank you well still to come on the day a call from the u. N. To humanity we have to end our war on nature before its too late. 2020 is on track to be one of the city warmest years on record globally to put it simply the state of the planet is broken. When you look back on the recent history of hong kong and its struggle to resist beijings ever tightening political news what happened today well it seemed inevitable almost unavoidable a Hong Kong Court has sentenced a leading prodemocracy activists joshua walang to more than a year in prison for charges related to last years antigovernment protests wang and 2 other prodemocracy protesters pleaded guilty to charges including inciting and illegal assembly. We are with you supporters of hong kongs prodemocracy movement turned out to cheer as buses took just one fellow activists agnes chow and i havent allowed him to prison there was criticism for wednesday sentences from young and old. Doing a sentence is too harsh a its not right for the court to hand down such sentences to young people with a future is ahead of them have a good idea thing and then. On july 2020 things went from bad to worse the prodemocracy activists china passed a new security law for hong kong that made wongs demister Party Illegal the party disbanded and one went to trial for his activities in last years protests. Undeterred he told t. W. In a recent interview that he would not back down. Grayson boss never stopped me from activism and thinking critically even if such difficulty timing what and and vows and all of us were arrest this is last summer and 2000 people including me where prosecute it is still important for us to stay and fight off the wednesday sentencing wong one small renewed his commitment to the cools in a statement on twitter released by his lawyers he vowed that this was not the end of the fight for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong Well our next guest is a member of the Hong Kong Protest Movement he has asked us not to reveal his identity or his location so we are calling him conor tonight conor its good to have you on the program your reaction to the news of this 13 in a half month prison sentence for joshua wall right i think the sentence was quite harsh but for the court system in hong kong this has become the new norm. Obviously hospice and insists have been the should have been dished out to many other less and 9 protest is not under the law not that thousands of them names that on on the Mainstream Media and. Yeah. Along with the beijing crackdown very recently sorry just. Along with the beijing crackdowns recently that i think this kinds of high sentencing will only go on so if. These sentences were certainly meant to send a message how worried are you as a protester yourself about your own safety moving forward well i think as much as anyone else living in this new atmosphere in hong kong. Protest is x. Especially the ones. It is smith and being freud fearing for their lives and this is hindering their movement of it and novel but that said we still have to move on the especially for the comments that have already been captured and put behind boss not only people like joshua wall right aside from them there are still the 12 detainees in china that were trying to. Arrested in the open seas so people like them and they are the reason why we move forward i spoke with joshua wong sometime last year and he said to me that he was hoping that germany and the United States would come to the aid of the prodemocracy movement in hong kong that has not happened yet so how do you think it will be possible then moving forward to continue fighting for democracy in hong kong. Well this has become a thank you for your question so i think joshua was very right in saying that and that that has that statement its only become more true as time has passed so emphasis on the International Stage and how International Actors will act has a more significant in the problem as the hong kong problem becomes an International Problem so that while im saying this is. Firstly asshole call us that being exiled from their home. And and that and looked and continue to move this movement to what they will have to seek help in other countries in the west melt they can continue to fight this thing and another thing is some countries around the well suffering countries western countries they have to stand strong and to resist this chinese expansion this is to protect your own sufferance east at best late to help hong kong in protecting hong kong is a swell i think its not about assisting them now we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us tonight and we certainly wish you all the best thank you thank you so much thank you. To put it simply the state of the planet is broken the friends you many think hes waging war on nature the zs suicidal nature always types back and hes already doing so were going force and feuding hes starting to freak the greens which we have a chance not simply to reset the World Economy but sometimes for me. Well that was the un secretary general antonio good terrorists today urging World Leaders to make the fight against Global Warming a priority in 2021 the data from 2020 is already alarming to major you had reports published today say this year is on track to be one of the hottest ever recorded and they say human caused Greenhouse Gases are to blame now there is some progress 127 countries are considering or have adopted net 0 emissions targets but the un says too many governments are still expanding their fossil fuel industries. Are for more now lets cross over to stanford in california and bring in noah different boss whos a climate scientist at stanford now its good to have you on the program the words today from antonia good to have us assume will sidle war on nature of the some of the strongest language that we have ever heard from a you when leader is this sense of urgency is it being matched in policy. Well the core of the climate challenges really that. You know the Climate Change is a side effect of Energy Consumption. Fossil fuel Energy Consumption and you know that that Energy Consumption is really critical for him and well being and the reality is we dont supply as much energy as we need to globally right now so the real challenge is how to ensure that all people on earth have access to the energy thats necessary for a well being while simultaneously stabilizing the climate system and in order to stabilize the climate system you know we will have to reach net 0 emissions thats just the fundamental physics of planet earth the rhetoric thats been coming from the incoming Joe Biden Administration sounds good hes hes given the form to john kerry to be the special envoy for the climate. Isnt the u. S. Though too far behind here to play catch up. Well you know the the whats key about about Global Warming and Climate Change is the really you know that cumulative total emissions of the Global Warming that we get are sent sensually proportional to the total global emissions the u. S. Has been around a quarter around 25 percent of Greenhouse Gas emissions historically the largest single contributor to the total Global Warming to date. And the u. S. Has also been a driver of innovation california for example where i live has you know has has been a real leader in. Being a test bed for Climate Policies for technologies for showing that its possible to decrease Greenhouse Gas emissions well also continuing to have Economic Growth to have have a vibrant economy we have a lot a long way to go here in california to continue to address inequality but thats something that has been prioritized in the latest state Climate Policy so within the u. S. And and with even within the federal government there is a lot of leadership and you know theres potential to continue to accelerate that leadership in the years ahead. We know that this is one of the hottest years on record and im sure where you are youve seen or smelled the smoke from the California Wildfires this year mean were even talking about heat waves in the oceans now 2020 the warmest oceans have been in recorded history that was part of the report that came out today is in on a source of deep frustration to you that the u. S. At least on a federal level has sat this one al for 4 important year. You know as scientists who are trying to understand the way the world works weve learned a lot about the climate system over the last decade in particular. About how the Global Warming thats already happened is impacting people and ecosystems the wildfires that you mentioned here in california which absolutely have been nearby in the bay area and envelops not just the bay area but but so much of california and the west coast of the United States in smoke you know our our Research Shows that you know california you know is now experiencing about twice as many extreme wild fire weather days as 4 decades ago the area burns in the western United States has increased around 10 fold in the last 4 decades about half of that is attributable to long term Global Warming so we have a much clearer understanding of the impact of Climate Change here and now. Compared with with a decade or 2 ago we also have clear understanding that those impacts will accelerate as Global Warming continues so really were in a situation where the more Global Warming we get to the greater the risk the more intense the impacts of reducing the level of Global Warming will reduce that intensification but we already know where were experiencing impacts from the 1. 00 degree celsius of warming weve already had even at 2 degrees of warming or even a one and a half degree of warming will have more more intense fixation of risks relative to today so its its a challenge its a solvable challenge it will require increasing energy access. Decarbonize the Energy System and adapting to Climate Change professor in this imbalance Stanford University professor we appreciate your time and your insights tonight thank you very much. Thank you. Tonight a german man is in custody suspected of driving his car into a busy shopping street in the western city of tree or police have confirmed that 5 people were killed in tuesdays attack including a baby no motive yet been established the driver faces charges of attempted murder. The day after candle some grief as a makeshift memorial under the famous Puerto Niekro monument a sad day in clear today where the city is mourning the 5 victims of tuesdays car rampage including a 9 week old baby and her 45 year old father the babys mother and an 18 month old sibling are injured and currently in hospital hundreds of people have been coming to mourn the victims bringing candles laying down flowers saying a silent prayer many with tears in their eyes. Is to me its painful yesterday i heard about the instant on the radio and feared that something might have happened to my relatives im shocked and you just. Asserted im confident i cant believe what happened tria is such a small city people know each other i would never have thought something so horrible could happen here. If you try to deter its a huge blow for the people of weve never experienced anything like this and now its happened just before christmas and its really hard to stand heart on choose say a 51 year old german man drive an s. U. V. For around one kilometer through the citys pedestrians are hitting people at random Police Arrested him immediately afterwards and hes been remanded in custody investigators say theres no evidence of a political motive the reason behind the attack its still unclear high levels of alcohol were found in the suspects blood the husband takes my voice away. There will never again be the loft of the father and the childs. Hundreds of those who have to mourn the dead feel the same way they will never again have their loved ones around them. The city has opened a helpline for the relatives of those killed and the 18 people enjoy it as well as the traumatized eyewitness says. Well the day is almost done the conversation continues online weve all seen you tomorrow everybody. Monks without a sign of life. The crew of 2 italian fishing boats. Disappeared after a cost of the libyan militia. They were off to sea to earn a living and got dragged into a power struggle which is about a lot more than just filling the fishing nets some goods. Next d. W. Truck ministration a composer crushing new sanctions on iran in a bid to topple the regime. But the strategy hasnt worked and the radiant people have paid the price. For someone whos the political point of the sanctions and who is benefiting. Embark on. Sanctions. In 45 minutes on t. W. Give us your country. Will make you rich people will provide you with jobs. Well take good care of macys and. Well see for took hold on the west coast of scotland in 2007 in the stars made big promises but years later reality looks very different. But tricky for sure i. Just got a dream of black gold. Oil. Starts december 4th on d w. A low and welcome to the program liz show for a long time russian authorities acted like they had the coronavirus and then make under control they issued relative low infection rates and even developed the 1st vaccine against the virus but now the numbers have skyrocketed and many russian city is hospitals have reached their limits even the government