this is g w news winds up from berlin not since the great depression of the 1930 s. a bleak economic forecast for the world from the international monetary fund but the coronavirus smothering growth the i.m.f. says 2020 could be the worst year for the global economy in almost a century also coming up tonight turkey releases prisoners to ease overcrowding

amid the pandemic but opposition parties in the country say anti-government critics are being kept behind bars while murderers and rapists they say are going free and for people convicted for smuggling women from nigeria to italy to work as 6 slaves how a g.w. news investigation helped bring those human traffickers to justice. to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and all around the world welcome we begin tonight with a bleak forecast the whites of which the world has not seen since the 1930 s. the international monetary fund says that the global economy is on track this year for the kind of downturn that wrecked economies back in the great depression and it has everything to do with far reaching measures designed to save lives in the

corona virus pandemic. amid lockdowns business shutdowns and travel restrictions due to the covert 19 pandemic the outlook is bleak for the global economy the i.m.f. is now forecasting a decline of 3 percent this year before the pandemic emerged as a grave threat to public health and economic activity the organization was expecting over 3 percent growth in 2020. the i.m.f. chief economist says the current measures to contain the pandemic make a severe slowdown on avoidable remarked but this is a deep recession it is a recession that involves solvency issues it is different isn't that in was unemployment rates going up dramatically and these tend to leave scars and while there are many very strong policy actions being taken some of this will spill over into the end the 2nd half of this year into 2021 the i.m.f.

is optimistic about a robust recovery next year predicting global growth of 5.8 percent the institution is providing loans to nations that need help in dealing with a pandemic. we are actively deploying our one trillion dollar lending capacity to support vulnerable countries including through rapid disposing emergency financing . and debt relief to our porous member countries and we are calling on official credit has to do this thing the i.m.f. cautioned that its forecast is clouded by on certainty about the path the coronavirus will take a 2nd outbreak of a pandemic next year could make the economic collapse far more extreme. a bleak picture there and it's amazing how the forecasts of change in just a matter of months let's talk about that now with a business reporter she talks bandied anything to us you toss which parts of the world stand to be worst affected by the lock downs that we're seeing now.

is clearly the price is this means just not going to will be spared. we'll be actually spared of this crisis but particularly the. emerging countries don't want to be seen lot of capital out through that building mr. eddins and emissions and spread but equally and lots of those countries which are usually dependent on a good time to reason countries like south africa and those are those countries which actually a good piece of the crisis is under way to the front. so that we've got the user countries are particularly when it with. the massively because of this crisis particularly the speed that was hit

a defendant to get some of the. most sweeping. disease. i should judge the i.m.f. has already announced debt relief for 25 countries and how far is this going to go to help 'd these nations that are struggling economically. it's a good beginning it's not enough it's just so i think i'm a physicist and sure that what is needed and that's what the other countries should put how great they should be more and why do you to be this would be a bigger crisis it cannot be good with individual human rights that countries are not really eat trillion dollars how will it be placed under stimulus by different countries the agnus says that's not enough and that's the reason why the need to come up with not without putting there 1st this should be more a discussion it's not going to be coming together the prices for the richest

countries to the rescue of countries this is the kind of effort that the i.m.f. is looking at least so far not much has happened if you look at the g. 20 the only thing they came up with was a shortage that be a ready to do what they might. have expected what that means so few people i do actually measure and steps that would actually head was even the crisis and also ahead we're going to cut the process once disease is going again yeah you're speaking there to a leadership vacuum in international geopolitics that is for sure you know we used to talk spending with the latest tonight thank you. well turkey's parliament has said yes to releasing tens of thousands of prisoners as the country tries to reduce overcrowding in prisons and curb the spread of the coronavirus but opposition parties and other critics they say that the war excludes anyone critical of president everyone's government and the temporary releases do not cover people

jailed on terrorism charges including politicians and journalists who were arrested in the country during the crackdown that followed the attempted coup back in 2016. it's an awkward moment for a group photo members of the once party ignore appeal is your physical distancing from the president of the turkish parliament perhaps not too surprising since they also ignored the opposition's criticism of a bill that commute sentences for about a 3rd of turkey's prisoners excluded from the bill are journalists aligned with the opposition or others critical of the government jailed on what are widely seen as flimsy terror charges. this is a sentence commutation that fits your political priorities. the law introduced by edwin's a.k. party and backed by his nationalist allies the m h p converts some prison terms to house arrest the turkish justice minister says 17 prisoners have the corona virus and 3 of them have since died women's organizations

and human rights activists have been campaigning against the legislation. almost all the crimes committed include theft fraud physical assault sexual assault and violence against women all of them $90000.00 inmates will be released from prison. the coronavirus pandemic is keeping turkey's daily life on hold a 48 hour curfew went into effect last weekend and beginning friday residents of over 30 cities in the country will be on lockdown. well earlier you spoke with a green party parliamentarian jim is tamir he is a prominent voice on turkish and german relations and we asked him what does he make of this move by the turkish parliament well turkey is. given the number of the council in europe their country does has most prisoners 65 here say you know all member states of the european council that expresses

a lot sent so it's about 296000 people are in prison in church and the decision of the turkish parliament includes criminals includes people killed other people or a person but not political prisoners so he she make a report about corruption you stay in prison and a guy who was corrupt street so that explains everything out the situation to it he looks like. that was the green party chair misdemeanor speaking to g.w. news earlier today our e-mail to the pandemic while the french remain under tight restrictions germans are waiting to hear what chance so i will say about scaling back the walk down here current restrictions are due to expire this coming sunday and there are growing calls for the country to gradually be reopened. germany has a tough decision to make keep restrictions in place like france or like austria start the country down the path towards normal life the consequences could be

enormous either way easing restrictions could put people's physical health at risk but there are also risks to keeping them in place the kind restrictions are warranted but they have a very high cost not just an economic cost but also a social and psychological cost we need to think about how we can transition responsibly step by step into some sort of renormalizing nation and i think we need to do that quite soon. germany's public health institute the r k i is not against relaxation but wary of how it happens as of tuesday morning the r k i's latest figures for germany were $125098.00 total cases that's an increase of $2902.00 from the previous day total deaths are now at $2969.00 overall new cases have slowed that's the good news the r k i said but they've plateaued at

a high level so any optimism must be the cautious kind macas cabinet ministers weighed in today some are hinting at a rollback on restrictions with caviar. at this we should do it step by step and keep control of the b. outbreak and make sure that we're able to keep treating patients patient and 100 can on wednesday the chancellor is set to discuss the country's option. as with the leaders of germany's texting states as a federal system they have to be on board with what happens next a final decision is expected shortly thereafter a change in social distancing regulations would require all to comply but as this image shows even politicians and doctors sometimes have difficulty following the rules. when you're watching the news live from berlin still to come as colombia's economy crumbles under the weight of the coronavirus we'll meet the vinous wailing

workers who are being forced to return to a country in chaos the country that they thought that's coming up in just a moment. time now for a look at some of the other stories that are making headlines around the world india's coronavirus lock down the biggest in the world affecting 1300000000 people is being extended to at least the 3rd of may in a nationwide t.v. address prime minister narendra modi said that people's lives are more important than the economy the restrictions have left millions of the regular workers depended on food handouts. profits in 2 major u.s. banks plunged in the 1st quarter wells fargo reporting an 89 percent drop in earnings that's as it sets aside almost $4000000000.00 to cover potential losses on loans due to the pandemic earlier today j.p. morgan chase announced a 69 percent drop in quarterly earnings. and former u.s. president barack obama has endorsed democratic contender joe biden in the race for

the white house obama gave his support to his former vice president in an 11 minute video the endorsement comes a day after biden's chief rival bernie sanders also backed the former vice president but. will for years colombia has been a haven for venezuelans driven from their country by the economic crisis in violence nearly 2000000 have found refuge there since 2015 but after columbia impose strict social distancing rules thousands of business where he lives are now returning home many works in the informal economy watch their jobs and cannot afford to stay what looks like a family stroll is really the beginning of an odyssey carrying the few possessions they hold dear and some wearing only flip flops on their feet these venezuelans are on their way home. they came to colombia seeking a better life but ever since the coronavirus forced the country into lockdown it

has become increasingly difficult for venezuelan migrants to make ends meet. my husband lost his job pass and i don't know where he was laid off and we lost our home and that's why we decided to return the minute. i want to leave but i also want to stay at the corner tina's heart even for colombians there's no work and how are we supposed to pay our rent are we supposed to buy food on their way out of the returnees receive care packages provided by the united nations refugee agency. nobody knows when they'll get their next meal with the country under quarantine the unofficial pit stops along the way have shut down it's a dangerous trip they're embarking on for hundreds of kilometers they'll have to navigate adverse weather conditions and armed groups controlling rural areas worried about their well being aid organizations try to convince the migrants to

stay going to get there and go to dinner when they cross the border with venezuela i'll have to quarantine that's another challenge in venezuela the conditions for placing a large amount of people under lockdown that aren't ideal. but. that's why the u.n. hage c.r. and other agencies in ordination with the colombian government are discouraging returns. but not everybody wants to leave helen and her family arrived in bogota 2 months ago on foot. despite the difficulties they face in colombia the young mother doesn't want to risk venturing back to venezuela. and that people could i prefer to stay there what are we going to do in venezuela we may have a house of our own but i supposed to wait for my daughter to starve to death with a little money they had spent on food helen and her family couldn't pay this

month's rent unable to work during the lockdown they risk being kicked out by their landlord desperate helen stepfather pleas for solidarity and the people we have in the. back of the colombian government to help us out with the rent payments. that's why they could assist us. because we're human beings we're not animals. but many of their fellow venezuelans have already lost faith in the authorities coming to the rescue tired of being treated like 2nd class citizens during the pandemic they have to cited to leave. returning to venezuela with a political crisis still underway may not have been what they planned but if they make it at least they'll be at home already having thought about it is what. he's the author of an international crisis group reports on the covert 19 impact on venezuela and. it's good to have you on the program is the colombian government

what can you tell us is it doing anything to support venezuelan refugees. within the region we see that it was one of the 1st countries to announce a look at the resell facilitation for incoming travelers the clever man if there is a nationwide prevented quarantine and then opens her air traffic but what we see is that girl is struggling to take care of its most from ribble populations including from his later migrants and refugees some measures that have been taking note the lowest income classes are eccentric figure that if these people cannot be evicted from their accommodation in these months but we still see some force that makes sense especially in the capital bogotá that. we also see that the government is trying to. get personal aid the risk on them on the phone is going to refugees but it's very difficult and complicated to register for them especially persons without access the internet the computers will brum you know we know the health care system

is on the brink of collapsing it was that way before the pandemic began doesn't it make more sense for refugee refugees to stay in colombia fear. to be honest it doesn't make sense i mean just less that less than a few fragments of people listening in complete and from editing columbia knowing how to failure and how to feed themselves what a situation is not all of better and famous way take for example the column in capital city both of which has about 400000 friends leighton's 80 percent in this living in informatic can make these people struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis but to go back to venezuela means they need to show 1st buy from the 50 kilometers through then this month and range break quarantine and what's preoccupying me government is that there might be huge strain on the houses than in the border before the thing is right and you can raise their country limits and

venezuela at the moment there are no guarantees for his safe return there are risks at the border of course but those of venezuela can go without running water blower power blackouts prevent middle of anabal. from running i think in all countries are only about 200 intensive care units so going back to venezuela as of now is not a good solution mean most they can colombia is also not a good solution so they are in a very complicated situation between a rock and a hard place we know that returning refugees from colombia required by venezuela to self isolate but how realistic is that fair. benson and now you see it try it the self it's elation isn't something the refugees are going to do because they're there they're jordan it doesn't stop at the border they might be even that way through georgia i mean because they still need to go

from the border their respective homes and cities and venezuela what a government is doing is they're putting a full and foreign thing and border agents in venezuela but we've heard greatnesses and we've seen videos of these growing things centers and there's absolutely no senate very controlled people are just being stuck together in the worst out of circumstances and new people and every day so because they give out a car and there's no running water in the centers and there's those in the texas your vote so. it's a terrible situation either way you look at it it's wrong it was for the international crisis group joining us tonight from bogota bob thank you because. well a court in the italian city of florence has sentenced for human traffickers to up to 16 years in prison for smuggling nigerian women to italy to work as sex slaves italy's decision to investigate was the result in part of reporting by d.w. news reporters learned of the trafficking ring in nigeria and followed the trail

all the way to florence rights groups have praised the convictions as a rare success in the fight against sexual exploitation. adrian krishi is one of the d.w. reporters who uncovered this trafficking ring when he was reporting from west africa he is now based in cape town in south africa. adrian congratulations to excellent work there tell us about the report that you co-produced back in 2016 that led to what we are seeing now. well back then brands the number of migrants was going up with we're trying to go from western africa all the way to europe so we were working on a 5 part series for you doubly about this issue of migration and forced migration we went to nigeria niger as well as italy we talked to a lot of victims and then of course we also wanted to talk to the human traffickers which of course turned out to be very difficult we tried that many many times it

was really difficult but then when our research was almost done we were sort of lucky and we finally found a victim who was willing to talk to us about her human trafficking or let's have a look. in 2016 d.w. reporters investigated along the human trafficking route between italy and syria starting in been in city when i jerry and girls are recruited. it is here that traditional priests forced them to pledge loyalty to the traffickers. the migrants then pasta the dangerous desert in niger on their way to libya. from there they crossed to italy with tens of thousands of nigerians and as prostitutes selling sex for as little as 10 rooms after a long research one nigerian agreed to talk to us about this is what they call nigerian

traffickers here on the one condition she wants to remain anonymous the mother trafficked her to italy to force her into prostitution. wish you well con do sometimes. it's so we can't let it we can't. see the way. we trace down the mud in the suburb of florence in the dark and. and i call. and just 1st with a hidden camera and under false pretense money with money. and power you do not honor. the meets in all my it on one rare and 6 female young nigerians insides. afterwards we confront the legit madame she denies all allegations of trafficking but constantly contradicts herself the girls she says are 10.

and then they have to do prostitution to get money to live here. on the move maybe more help to work out how one local big no matter what will do the movement so it's a lie when they say that they are integrated. even though we talked to the state prosecutor about our research who then starts to investigate and finds proof it is no lie because of the corona virus pandemic she is only able to send us a written response after the conviction i would like to thank you for you invaluable cooperation in the opening of the investigation which led to the identification of the significant number of victims. humanitarian organisations are taking care of the victims now it is not clear what their future will look like or if they will be allowed to stay in europe permanently but their time in slavery has come to an end. to their time in slavery

has come to an end is a rear story that we can report that has maybe it's a good ending adrian tell us a bit more about how these girls were exploited. well the young woman you have seen in the reports told us a story that we've had many times from nigerian women she was living in been the city in she didn't see opportunity for the for her life there anymore and then she was approached by a contact person of the my dom of the human trafficking you have seen in the report who promised a better life in europe and they took care on the journey they arranged all the transportation by land and by sea to bring all the way from nigeria to europe but once she arrived they told her that now you have to pay back $45000.00 euros a lot of money for the journey and they basically that way forced her into prostitution and it's not only this case of this one woman you've seen in the

report the prosecutor later found out that this very human trafficking was involved in various cases even all the way to germany and france she brought many young women from nigeria to europe and exploited her they had to start working at 5 pm every day they were not allowed to come back home until 3 am they had to work even when they were in their period and they had to a lot of extra money ridiculous prices for example $100.00 euro's per month for the pavement space where they had to prostitute themselves we've got about half a minute left why is it so hard for prosecutors to convict people like we saw in your story. 1st of all the woman the victims had to speak out they came to the country illegally and of course they have kind of afraid to talk to the authorities additionally of also seen that in the report many of them swore an oath back in nigeria which counts a lot and the culture in this particular area of nigeria but there's

a little bit of reason for optimism at the moment been in the highest traditional authorities now say that the oath is related to human trafficking and not valid anymore so people are hoping that this might be a game changer in the future important reporting from our very own a huge increase joining us tonight in cape town adrian thank you very much. well you're watching the w. news live from berlin after a short break i'll be back to take you through the day stick around for that.

italy during the corona crisis. team of reporters braved the lockdown. churning through abandoned cities. where public life has come to a halt. and they meet people who are afraid and full of worries. about how things will be after the crisis. close up. in 60 minutes on d w. in

the us of climate change. is a massive. what ideas do they have of their future. teetotally dot com for comical series the multimedia. click cutter. i was here when i arrived here i slept with 6 people in a room and. it was hard. i even got white hair. language. this keeps me and they don't push me to be to interact with the face you want to do their story my friends are fighting and reliable information for margaret. how does

a virus spread. why do we panic and when will all this. just 3 of the topics covered and the weekly radio show is called spectrum if you would like any information on the chrono laroche or any other science topic we should really check out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcast you can also find us at. corinth slash science. today barack obama officially endorsed joe biden in his bid to become the next u.s. president in november presidential powers of persuasion now compare that to the imagined power work of double truong in a tie rate on live television last night the president seemed confused about his own powers and their limits now there has never been a presidential chris.