revealed unparalleled beauty. ah, a special look at a special country. he loan from above starts december 27th on d, w. ah ah. this is dw news live from berlin. germany expects alma cron to become the dominant cobit variant within weeks. that's as contact restrictions are set to tighten and officials plead with the public to get vaccinated. also coming up, madagascar is police ministers survives a helicopter crash and

a 12 hour swim before being rescued by fishermen. my time to die hasn't come yet. he says, ah, in spain, the prize money is flowing in the countries traditional christmas lottery ah, trees dominant variant within weeks. the hobbit co institute says germany's health system and critical infrastructure could be compromised. the latest wave is not stopped. the government has responded by stepping up vaccination efforts and tightening restrictions on gatherings, but also bi limits on contacts, social contacts. it is, but not till after christmas. ah, the festive preparations might be continuing across germany. but the country's top public health body has won people not to let christmas be the spock that likes the army on fire. there were no official restrictions on festive celebrations,

but small gatherings being encouraged a mystics. the most important thing apart from vaccinations is reducing contacts. but less people come together, the smaller we keep our social contacts, the less the virus will spread. everybody's behavior is crucial in this instance. and try on tuesday german chancellor o la schultz said the limits on the number of people who can meet will come into force from december 28th lodge. public events will also be banned, including prohibiting funds at football matches. the new german health minister also said it's likely that a 4th vaccine don't will eventually be needed and nothing should be ruled out in the fight against cove it when the government in i believe that with the measures we agreed on, we can master the pandemic in the coming weeks, but we do not want to categorically exclude anything. we will consider everything if necessary. currently, that is not the case. it says that only stevie ah,

while protests against mandatory vaccines and cove, it measures continue. many germans support the new restrictions as a, i'll be honest, the numbers are actually going down again a little bit. but i have to say in order to finally end the whole thing. it's actually quite good that we haven't the locked down so that everything just comes to an end of it so that we can maybe celebrate again afterwards. vaccinations will continue during the festive season. as people hope this is the 2nd and last covey christmas. did you put a correspondence? simon young told us more about the current situation in germany and just how tight the restrictions could get. well, we could do opposition. politicians have said much tougher measures and needed to even some on the government benches. in fact, nothing's been ruled out. i think the government very keen to keep schools and

businesses open up, but they are in a race against omicron, the weather massively ramping up a vaccination, in particular, the booster campaign to vaccinations. generally it's going pretty well. again, on tuesday, germany managed more than a 1000000 vaccine doses. so nothing has been rolled out in terms of possible new restrictions. the chancellor has said that he and the state leaders will meet again on the 7th of january, but he didn't rule out bringing that forward because they know that this is a very fast changing situation. and in particular, to keep the pressure of the health care system, they may have to take out more sudden measures. of course, some states can press ahead by the way, earlier, even before christmas. and some of them have announced that what they're going to do. the united kingdom has logged 100000 new daily cases of coven, 1900, for the 1st time ever. the new record comes as the countries struggles with its own

fight against a crime. the fresh wave of infection has also begun affecting the economy. is no christmas rush in london this year. the number of shoppers and tourists down dramatically on even a few weeks ago. on microns rapids spread an a record number of infections. keeping many people at home, britons newspapers, summing up the mood but the u. case. health minister gave weary britons a glimmer of hope by announcing the purchase of millions more anti viral pills to combat omicron alongside the booster program. these sup, pharmaceutical defenses, you taken together are a huge new way to defend ourselves against cove it, there's no need for any further restrictions before christmas. we will certainly keep the situation under review, but across the u. k. conditions very while england has reduced the number of days people with cove it have to isolate from 10 down to 7 wales scotland. a northern

ireland are introducing restrictions after christmas. what they do agree on is that vaccine boosters and reducing contacts are the best ways to reduce pressure on a health care system stretched to the brink. so we know there's lots of cases in a community that actually people are not getting say fake, but there are still people being admitted to hospital and they are still getting very unwell into private pneumonia and and that's testable for us to be looking after world. i think the much better now that we have more caitlin most alpha. another holiday season overshadowed by the coven, 19 pandemic. another new year on the horizon filled with uncertainty. well as alma cron spreads, countries around the world are urging their populations to get vaccinated. but the world health organization has taken a firm stance against rich countries, offering 3rd or even 4th shots, while much of the world's population has yet to get their 1st one. the w. h o's

director general. explain why. blanket wooster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic rather than ending it by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of function, nation coverage. giving the virus more opportunity to spread and mitigate. it's important to remember that the vast majority of hospitalized ations and as are in and vaccinated people not on boosted people. here's a round up of some of the other developments in the panoramic. china ordered 13000000 people in the city of shyanne to stay at home. after 63 new cases were reported on thursday, an official said the beijing winter olympics would likely see some transmission of the virus. a new study says south africans diagnosed with um, a kron very, and were 80 percent less likely to be hospitalized than those who contract at

a different strain. this autumn and u. s. regulators have authorized the 1st pill to treat coven 19, but the white house says it will be months before the treatment is widely available . let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. monument to the victims of the 1989 piano mon square massacre has been dismantled and removed from the from the university of hong kong. the area around the 8 meter high pillar of shame, as it's called, was boarded up and workers wielded away in sections late on wednesday, the city authorities have been cracking down on the fence and the chinese territory for intent. african media outlets have had to close since the taliban to power. a new survey by reporters with our borders reveals thousands of journalists have lost their jobs since august. female journalists have been hardest hit, with nearly 85 percent. no longer working,

govern minister and madagascar is being hailed as a hero. and an example to follow. after surviving a helicopter crash at sea, a series of jellies swam for some 12 hours before he has rescued. the police minister had been helping search for survivors after a cargo ship legally carrying $130.00 passengers sank off of madagascar as north eastern coast. fishermen who sit out before dawn spotted some one in the water exhausted and still in his wet uniform, madagascar, police minister recorded message, oklahoma. it didn't. i'm alive and well. in 24 hours. i can be back at work and i'm not injured, but very cold. my doctor, i'm thankful to the people of mumble for saving my life and taking care of me. she went in and figure. the fisherman brought the 57 year old, safely back to shore. after he spent 12 hours at sea. and others of either an air

force mechanic managed to swim the entire way to the beach. the body of one of the men and the helicopter has been recovered, but the pilot remains missing and is presumed dead authority say the cause of the helicopter crash has yet to be established. the minister says something suddenly destabilized the helicopter, potentially causing it to go down and eat and me so name. i didn't leave you. my omission was over 30. we saw the accident and we were about to go home. but like all accidents, something unexpected happened. did on our helicopter, may have been caught in a gust of wind or something and fell. the helicopter was one of to taking part in a search and rescue operation. after a small cargo ship sank on monday, an official says the ship was overloaded from carrying too many people of pandemic, a health restrictions dampen christmas celebrations for a 2nd year in

a row. people in spain are taking heart in a 200 year old tradition. the l gordo lottery top prize, a 4000000 euros is paid out to anyone with this years when a number. but there are many other smaller prizes to with almost 2 and a half 1000000000 euros paid out each year. overall. i. 2 2 think they think me vianza went into yardage. oh wow. oh. c 86148 these years, winning number and go to the as the top prize is known, was sung by 2 people from madrid. santa defrances school, as tradition dictates across the city. the celebrations quickly got under way of madrid, a torture train station. spain's busiest rail hub. the majority of the winning tickets were sold by base lottery center. ah, he went to go. it's a very widely distributed number. i'm pretty sure people from all over spain of

florida here i think it's everywhere at about the lucito thing to you from the region of kentoria on the north coast. and under lucy, undecided all the way to the canary islands, off the african coast, and order those spark celebrations by the lucky winners. and what is a fee like to win one of the many they prizes? i don't know where the my haven't processed it yet. oh, i was in the mountains with the dogs and i came here because i received a call. my wife didn't believe it. she began to scream, turned the t v on look to the number and checked that it was correct. we're just not used to winning anything with them on a sheraton. and i'm really happy and how many people have won a prize? well, that's almost impossible to know because if the complexity of the dural but a total of 2400000000 euros was given away in prizes both big and small. in the centuries old and world's richest christmas lottery drove this year. oh.

the election of gabriel burridge. as chillies next president over the weekend marked a break with the past in several ways. he hails from the left and at just 35, burridge will be the countries youngest ever had of state. but the former student organizer is turning heads for other reasons as well. for example, as tattoos, which he displays proudly. when rising political star, gabrielle burridge wanted some tattoos, artist, you, mel gongora, came up with strong images. a tree standing steadfast in the wind. and a lighthouse in arranging c bartch, his body art sets him apart from the bearded 35 year old. leftist is an unconventional figure who represents a break with tradition in chalet. he won the largest majority ever recorded in a chilly and election where he ran on a platform of ambitious changes in a country reeling from inequality and corruption. gongora never thought she would be inking her country's future president. nor did burridge back then

out on now, and it's strange to think really remembering the present that moment when i thought that maybe i'm to, to, in the future president or whatever. in fact, i asked him, i don't remember when, but the law burge was already a congressman that i think i asked him something like, i you, are you going to run for president uncle? and he said, no, it was too much of responsibility. a lot of things and whatever he, i am, which i will say, with the economy battered by the pandemic, a widening gap between rich and poor, and under pressure to rewrite a constitution written during the era of dictator. august opened o'shea for a chest to prove he can face those responsibilities. even if it means hiding his adorned skin every now and then you watching d. w. news up next, doc fil riding the rails across mongolia. don't forget, you can always get all the latest news and analysis on our website. that's d w dot

com. you can also follow on instagram and twitter at dw news. i'm armina ease of thanks for joining us. ah. an interest in the global economy? our portfolio. d w. business beyond. here's a closer look at the project. our mission to analyze the fight for market dominance . step ahead with the w business beyond on you tube for

ah, they call me al tundra, with openly my ancestors with no man's head waiting for 20 years. i have lived with my own family in the staff, hurting our capital, attend. ah . ought to be it would be especially our music is about mongolian history and our custom. so these are our never ending sauces in those on with mr. po boshra on that i am a at the status of my sharman name is not a citizen, but an ever since i was a child,

i've had visionary abilities day and could sense the spirits of nature ah a journey through mongolia and its capital. lombardo will start in the mountainous north of the country, will follow the tracks of the transmission galion railway south crossed the vastness of the step. and after about 800 kilometers, reached the gobi desert and the buddhist huh monastery. ah. a dozen station 1st stop us from a communist pass merges with contemporary advertisement. planned economy once held

sway. here, today, it's the free market. dar hon is the 3rd largest city in mongolia. it was built in 1961 with massive support from the former soviet union and its name. as no coincidence, darkhan means blacksmith and reflects the importance of the city for metal and heavy industry. tourists are rarely seen in this big cities train station. the no frills building was designed for commuters and traveling merchants in the metropolis with its hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. dar hon is a transport hub that connects regional routes with the transmit galion railway towards the lawn barter and further on to the chinese border. anyone taking this

train to the capital however, should allow plenty of time. the train takes over 7 hours to cover the almost 250 kilometers because of the many stops along the way. moreover, the railway infrastructure is not up to european standards. oh, the train attendance where crisp uniforms, they are responsible for checking the tickets directly at the carriage door and they take their jobs extremely seriously. a mongolia, respect and authority are important principles that must be observed. meanwhile it's announced over loudspeaker that it is strictly forbidden to take any moments including dead ones on the journey. because the fur of the mongolian delicacy usually hobby's fleece which are regarded as carriers of the plague,

only about 3000000 people live in mongolia. a country more than 4 times the size of germany. it's huge distances and vastness can be sent through the train window. you also physically notice mongolia is altitude. a quarter of the country is between 2003000 meters above sea level. travellers should therefore allow themselves a little time for acclimatization. halfway between the han and milan, bottom, the foothills of the 20 mountains begin. the mountain range is considered the birthplace of the greatest mongolian of old times, genghis khan. abroad the name jenkins con, is mostly associated with conquests, brutality and virility,

but human mongolia. it mainly stands for political savvy. the founder of the mongolian empire is considered to have been a patron of trade, education, art and culture. for him of religion is one of his most important legacies. even to day christians, buddhists, muslims, and adherence to mongolian shamanism practice. their religions peacefully side by side by shamanism is the oldest religion in mongolia. ancient symbols such as the swastika or sun wheel ornaments are supposed to pay the way for the sharman to reach the spirits. this religious decoration, which was hijacked by germany as a symbol of the nazis,

can be found in its original sense as the spiritual symbol of luck everywhere. mongolia that, that the meaning day of dela, down through my transfers, i made contact with the spirits of the mountains and the water till it that there found my ways to be good. i'm just a little they had who's have that with their husband, that therefore they do me the honor of showing me the right path. ludwig isn't our didn't go quickly. edgar took some butter. mongolian shamanism. combines madsen and the worship of nature. and ancestors is sharmen is responsible for the welfare of their tribe to contacting the spirits and speaking with the voice of the deceased. while in trance, they try to show their community the right path for the future. ah.

okay, let me, let me go through where the ancestors really speak through the shellman remains. the question of faith was hung like with every religion. so that the bus home but on the bus for were not every one can be a sharmen out. davonte. if you do not appoint yourself as a sharman and just do something for all this would send people on a wrong path and detach the soul from the body. we are all false. shamanism is therefore even harmful megan's al, tailored order. but unfortunately, it happens quite often that they will beg july genius. they said to him to him that in sequin. sacrificial rituals such as the milk sacrifice are men to appease the gods who shamanism balance between man and nature must be preserved and the growing economic interests in

mongolia are a dangerous aberrations. monarch, poor ha. that then at present, people are digging in the earth all over at the shadow that they don't even care about sacrificial mounds. borderline, they're not respected and they're not even being rebuilt. warranting days people are drilling, digging, and destroying things. it's very difficult everywhere. a while ago i traveled through western mongolia ira and saw that many creeks and rivers there have disappeared. that dried up his. this is because people do not respect the earth that which is probably why we shamans are also there to save nature. so that in at least that's my belief that thou got fastest soon, but thorny hood sympathetic wealth of tin. bob ah, we follow the line sir, that towards lunch. but i

the train is usually the faster and more comfortable choice and mongolia roads here are not comparable with asphalt streets and europe. vast areas of the country have not yet been developed at all. on the other hand, there is a very good chance of meeting herds of free range cattle over distances of several kilometers. the animals often alone, without their nomadic owners search for the best grazing grounds in the barren landscape, they have to build up their body weight as much as possible during the few summer months. the hard mongolian winter often begins in august already when the 1st snow frequently falls. ah,

travel times the mongolia are very long, even on the train. the railway infrastructure and many of the vehicles are decades old. despite the beautiful landscape, after a good 7 hours ride from dar han to the capitol land batter, passengers tend to be pleased to finally arrive the big city, lackluster concrete buildings. welcome the guests. even locals say you can't help but love mongolia, but you can only endure will on bus r o will. and barto central station is the largest railway station in the country and was opened in 1938 to this day. it remains an important hub for national and international traffic in the heart of mongolia. the train is the

most important means of transport in the country. not only for tourists and commuters. local retail is also used, the affordable rel, connections to neighboring countries, such as russia and china. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha. with after very long shopping trips, hundreds of them arrive with new goods in milan, but are every day. from here they transport their purchases to the shops and kiosks in the capitol where they will sell them. almost half mongolian population. about 1500000 people lives in orland bato. the economic center of this land rich and natural resources is currently

experiencing an enormous boom. the metropolis is considered as symbol of a wealthy growth oriented mongolia. with in recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have come here to try their luck. few have become successful. and yet, mongolia is experiencing the greatest rural exodus it has ever seen. young people in particular don't want to be inferior to the west, but they also don't want to be inferior to their asian neighbors. she is considered traditional nomadic life as a viable future food to her own. this started

a big nintendo. no, john, good to. so we have a song that deals with rapid technological progresses and in particular, reflects the moment when too much technological optimization has occurred. it today, it her bathroom pitch in that group. at this point, what humans look for a place to slow down and return to nature and the origins of life. mr. chic. this is an important message that we want to give to the people he says, and especially to the mongolian youth, nasa. but if or talking to joe bellanca, most of cemetery in the middle of lombardo, for the band down on it's a backdrop that symbolizes an entire generations fears for the future. this sounds deal with environmental protection, unemployment, and also the dangers of runaway technologies ation. however they

find their musical muse in the old legends, traditions, and characteristic sounds of a mongolian culture. ah, some noodle, the name john on his closely connected with a history of the horse, had federal ha mongolian national instrument. and he told me this with fine metal. the mongolians have always said that there was a very kind hearted man who owned a black horse.