this is the news, live from berlin, germany for a pittsburgh christmas during a pandemic state leaders agree to extend the current limited lockdown and set out a special plan for gatherings during the holiday period. also coming up tile thirty's, target several purchase leaders with challenges of royal defamation. the crackdown comes ahead of a planned rally today. drawing attention to the king's fast personal wealth and us president elect, joe biden announces his 1st key cabinet choices. it's a team that reflects the fact that america is back ready to lead the world. not

retreat from it. joe biden is moving quickly to fill all key positions in his administration now, but donald trump has stopped blocking the transition. i'm anthony, how it's good to have you with us lengthening the lockdown, germany 16 state leaders have reportedly agreed to extend coronavirus lockdown measures into december and possibly into the new year. but exceptions ah, being made for holiday celebrations, restrictions already in place have led to a leveling off of new infections. but germany's case load remains stubbornly high. just last week, chancellor angela merkel had called for even stricter measures, but she was met with resistance. the pressure is on for the german government to

ease restrictions for the most important time of the year. for many christmas celebrations. right, know beilin stand down and market square would usually be packed with people enjoying the christmas market. it's been canceled. people will be allowed to gather at home for christmas, but in smaller groups, many accept the reality. this year is different. there's going to be naturally some of the procession. it's nationally to happen, but it is what it is. you know it's, there's no policy that's ever going to be 100 percent approved. i believe in god, i don't understand why restriction would be eased for christmas. perhaps one should stick to them. but i also see what happens with people when they are lonely, unhappy. so i can't say much about it, but i just talk about it because i also see how it is in hospitals. that's where i work. all. yes, it's sad not to celebrate christmas as usual, but how else the measures taken are important and necessary?

and does always skype's always see the decision on christmas is expected to become firmed wednesday. following talks between state premiers and chancellor angela merkel. the overall situation remains critical. dies for so long as you have high expectations as a parliamentary group. until now we have begun to see a short trend of lower figures in terms of inspections, which means the exponential growth could be stopped. but that's not enough. we need lower figures, especially for christmas. christmas isn't the only celebration that's on the line. many say that the much loved tradition of new year's eve, fireworks needs to be reigned in, but a nationwide ban on fireworks sales does not appear to be on the cards. and for more on this, let's bring in a man or show state police political correspondent. good to see you, emma. what's the situation right now? is the pandemic on the control? well, on sunday, ever since the 2nd of pasha look down here at the beginning of november,

we've seen the number of infections lies. there's no more exponential growth, which is a positive news, but the figures us 2 way too high on tuesday. there were more done 1300 new infections, a recorded, we are nearing the w1w infections here in germany and most 150-0000 people dead. so no to pandemic is definitely not under control. just last week, chancellor merkel called for even stricter measures, but there was pushback from the states. what chance they'll find common ground here? well indeed i'm going to america cold many times for tougher restrictions, but she does have to find a come on line. we sustained premiers now. she backed the draft proposal on monday by the state premiers and the goal is a coordinated answer at the national level. we can see we can imagine additional measures in areas where the high rates, where there is

a high rate of infection that could be introduced, such as gatherings, for example, up until now 10 people from 2 households could meet. that could be reduced to 5 people only a week. and so according to the draft proposal, see next tension of the current measures. shops will remain open, the restaurants will remain closed until you close until at least december the twenty's, which is a situation being reversed. revaluated every 2 weeks and of course people are always encouraged to meet socialising to avoid travel as much as possible and a lot of the civil go one on christmas and the holidays coming up. what are you hearing? will they be restrictions specifically for the holiday season? well, according to drafted measures, the members of one household will be allowed to meet up to 10 other people from all the haas holds between december 23rd and january. so 40 celebrations oddie end of

the year, both christmas and easy. people are encouraged to save isolative before and after the set abrasions. schools may also break up a few days earlier, perhaps as early as need december. so as to encourage these quarantine ready just ceremonies will be allowed. and also like the always are looking into increasing the test capacities ahead of the holidays and also breaking with a longstanding tradition on new year's eve. and here in germany, any to be so void of public gatherings. they will be no public fire both and people will also be strongly encouraged, not to set of their own fireworks this year. the political correspondent, and many, many thanks or let's have a look now at some of the other developments in the corona virus. pandemic francis relaxing its coronavirus restrictions following a drop in new infections. non-essential shops,

movie theaters and museums will be gradually reopened, but large gatherings will remain bands and strikes most populous state. new south wales has eased social distancing measures and allowed companies to bring employees back to work after 3 weeks with a locally transmitted case. and in the us, a restaurant dining band comes into effect today in los angeles, the country's 2nd biggest city, the 3 week order comes as the state of california faces a record number of new infections. well, in finland, restaurants and bars are open for business stores. they in fact have never closed. it's the only you were. you, country brother, that's managed to keep corona virus infection writes under control. in the past 2 weeks, finland has recorded just 55 cases per 100000 people. a few local restrictions have surely taught to keep the virus outside its borders.

how has finland managed to keep? the coronavirus said, during this 2nd wave, it's not due to harsh restrictions on citizens because there aren't any masks or recommended but not required in most places. all stores are open, restaurants and bars are 2 orders for alcohol and at 11 pm. is director of the national coronavirus strategy. he explains it relies on a sense of personal responsibility. near recommendations wouldn't work everywhere, but here they do in the sense that they are to maintain avoid a lot of gatherings of a lot of parties. many people intend to work with the way. says many finns are working from home and surveys show in person. social contacts have been cut by 2 thirds. so while this issue asian in finland is very good at the

moment, compared with the rest of europe, health authorities warn that this requires constant vigilance. so while they are not making mass wearing mandatory, they put out friendly reminders like this one on city hall. it's a very good idea if fans want to maintain this way of life. but the number of new cases has started to rise. so now the government has ordered students over 12 to wear masks in school, and limited the size of social gatherings in the helsinki area to 20 people. it also ended until at least mid december, a ban on all non-essential travel into the country. finnish officials say in the summer, half of new coronavirus infections came from abroad. that's dropped to 6 percent. now that tourists aren't allowed in. the european union is pressing governments to restore open borders as soon as possible. as finland is grappling with whether it can do that and stay safe or something that a little bit worried

a little bit terrified. also that that we have to have very good model to work with the border if you have through to the situation here in finland. one government proposal is the travel restrictions could be eased by making it mandatory to be tested on a rival is deputy mayor of where the airport is located and he's responsible for security there. he says his city doesn't have enough medical professionals to carry this out. commune communicated to the government that if you lift restrictions and if you make the law that forces our staff to move over to the airport, the situation is so that we cannot treat our finnish people any more aware that like difficult decisions lie ahead for finland as it tries to figure out how to continue blocking the virus, but not visitors or authorities in thailand have revived

a harsh laure against criticizing the monarchy ahead of another planned rally today by students leading pro-democracy protests. 'd for months, demonstrators have been pushing demands for the resignation of the prime minister and his government. and the changes to the market place of now summoned several activists to face charges on the day. the majestical, it forbids insults against the royal family and carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. well, to go a bit deeper on the protests and thailand's future under the monarchy, i'm joined by from bangkok by political analyst, 29 palms. so he had ak good to have you with us, or thirty's, have stepped up their threats against protesters, but it doesn't seen that, that intimidation is having much effect. what's driving the protest as anger here. there are many factors driving to vote tests. you know, basically the young generation, basically out in 1080,

people who are younger than 40 years old, it seemed it stop going in circles. the military coup was constitutions, you lessons crises and it's, you know, the future. so there were a few job i think, into the streets before they won campuses, but now didn't students and i think the final catalyst was the party. so i still wasn't, it was the result. since then you've seen last march, now street demonstrations and it's you know, clashing for the longest. the government is now charged 12 protesters with royal defamation. questioning the monarchy has been seen as almost treasonist in the past . what might this so significant reintroduction of les, the genesis of this has been done away with for the 2 years. but now it's back to suggest that there is an intensification of using legal instruments to

suppress just to let movements by a government authority. think that using this law is a very good con, it really tough law capitated, you know, they can arrest you just to leaders and it all that, that would be enough to undermine this image and put an end to this of this movement. but this didn't protest movement is very far as i'm told, so it will be interesting to see if you arrest or if they arrest these 2 leaders used to fight this movement can still continue. they have other people who are willing to come up to the leadership roles. i think i was political balance. didn't suit him back in bangkok speaking to me earlier. ok. he's looking out some of the other stories making news this hour. and if you happy and rights organization says that a local youth group i did by police and militia killed at least 600 people in a rampage in the teac ride region. earlier this month. if you hope in human rights

commission said, members of a group called sam, carried out the massacre in the town of mike, how drop protesters have gathered in central paris to oppose a security bill. francis lower house of parliament approved the changes that will, in some cases, make it a criminal offense to post photos of police officers. online legislation has been criticised by activists and journalists, scotland has become the world's 1st nation to make period products freely available to all its parliament, unanimously, unanimously approved legislation that makes free access to watch him such as tampons and sanitary pads. illegal bryson. it aims to end women's period poverty, that being the inability to pay for basic cemetery part products on a monthly basis. international donor countries at a conference in geneva have pledged more than 10000000000 euros a night for afghanistan. the money will be delivered over the next 4 years,

will be partly conditional condition on, on progress made on human rights and peace talks with the taliban. well, in formal walls ons, around the world. landmines light in white, designed to inflict one of the worst affected countries, is a rock with vast quantities of munitions seated of a dick, eyes of conflict. iraq has joined an international coalition that i am still banned and clear landmines in just a moment. we'll hear about a board member and i'm about why a limb and i think they use is so difficult. but 1st is a look at the iraqi village of butan. when most residents have lost limbs, by stepping on them. it's a life without hope. money come, he lost a leg, he has no and no money. but somehow the 34 year old has to provide for his 5 children . they amputated my leg 6 months ago.

we asked the government for support. i haven't had an income since. i can't care for my children. last spring, monic left his village for iraq's desert. he scavenged for debris on the battlefield of the gulf war to sell to scrap metal dealers, a desperate attempt to eke out a living in a wasteland. i was picking up pieces of metal when it happened. i stepped on a landmine. when i moved my leg it exploded. and then it was gone. turn was in a combat zone in the 1st gulf war. the iranian border is less than 7 kilometers away. the region was heavily mined in the 1980 s. . it's still littered with unexploded bombs. almost everyone here has been hurt.

300 villagers have lost limbs to mine and they feel abandoned by their government. the region is not saying it's mines and explosives. we've pictish and the government to give local authorities the money they need to remove them. one and a half 1000 square kilometers in southern iraq are contaminated with unexploded ordinance. the legacy of 2 gulf wars sleeping time bombs. no other country in the world has more. 7 bomb disposal teams aim to free the country from this deadly burden by 2023. but it seems like an impossible task. iraq's oil revenues vanish amid bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption. there's no money to pay for mine clearing staff or equipment. in basra province alone. we have 9000 victims. this year i saw

a record number of incidents. 40 children were wounded. some of them 67 even 4 years old. for many victims, the village prosthetics center is a place of hope. 200 patients come here every week for help. prosthetics offered the chance of a new beginning, even if those chances are slim. and the waiting times are long monica to make do with a plastic stump for now. it's not his fault. he says that a mine ruined his life. it's the government's duty to help those like him who are suffering. i'm joined now by my very officious. she's a board member of the cluster munition coalition which fights against these deadly weapons. she's also works with the handicap international gemini. good morning if we just know how deadly these weapons are and how tricky they are to doing install, why is it so difficult to ban land mines?

i think today we also talk about cluster munitions and landmines and the good news is both weapons are banned. that means we have international treaties, the same on land mines, an interest in the missions and the majority of states of the world have joined these treaties, that news is specially focused diminish, and that there are still states who didn't join the treaty and will still use these weapons, which countries are the most affected by all the existing landmines, if you like, and cluster munitions as you say. and which countries are they devise is actually still being installed. there are different cases of autistic munitions. we saw that in the last years they were regularly used in syria, and of course we will have a heavy contamination there for the next 2 years. if we also use now in the recent

conflict, not going to karbala, but you also have countries such as laos, laos, which was bombed heavy by cluster munitions in the vietnam war many, many years ago and still is highly, highly contaminated country. that means the people living with the legacy of these weapons, which means that there are an exploded or exploded ordinance, is lying everywhere. and like in the story you just showed, somebody can be just killed or heavily injured by these munitions any time the new cluster, munitions monitor for 2020 is going to be released today. how much progress is that going to show has been night? the progress is going step by step. i said, told you the bad news is that there's still states that enjoying this treaty. so one of the yeah, biggest challenges is that to get more and more states on board because the big

progress is that most of the state parties, that means 99 percent of the stockpiles of this parties of cluster munitions are already destroyed. so this is a great progress that we can see in this treaty that the states joining this treaty destroy the stockpiles and the test munition that doesn't exist, cannot kill syria easy, but also the clearance. you see affected countries such as gracious and montenegro this year will, will till in order retail in the, in this report. but will also tell the states parties conference in the days after that they finish their clearance and this making progress. so step by step, we are really moving forward. even mary official from the cluster munitions coalition and handicap international. thanks so much for your time. and heat of us many reports say president donald trump plans to pardon his former national

security advisor michael flynn. twice pleaded guilty to lying to the f.b.i. during the investigation into russian meddling into the 2016 presidential election . in may, the justice department moved to withdraw its charges. but that if it has since been stalled in a federal court, trump reportedly wants to issue numerous before he leaves office. and that transition process is picking up speed us president elect joe biden has introduced 16 members of his cabinet. each of them with decay of experience in their particular field. he said the plan, the see and multilateral laughter of the back and that his new team will lead by example. the truth transition to a biden white house is on to why after delays encouraged by president trump 3 weeks after the election, the trumpet, ministration has finally given president elect joe biden,

the green light to begin the transition process. president donald trump personally directed his administration to cooperate in the handover, but he has yet to officially concede defeat. instead, he pardoned it took in the white house rose garden as part of a thanksgiving tradition. i hereby grant you a card. he also used the opportunity to remind americans what he stands for. as i say, america 1st should go away from that america 1st president elect joe biden's nominations for the top posts of his cabinet point in a very different direction away from trump's america 1st doctrine and towards diversity and multilateralism work. it's a team that reflects the fact that america is back ready to lead the world,

not retreat from it. once again sit at the head of the table. biden's choices are policy veterans like his longtime adviser, anthony blinken, named to secretary of state. we can't solve all the world's problems alone. we need to be working with other countries, we need their cooperation. the best known of the nominees is former secretary of state john kerry, poised to become biden's climate change. and boy, to end this crisis, the whole world must come together. you're right to rejoin paris on day one. i expect that with great form of federal reserve. chair janet yellen is to serve as treasury secretary. she's trusted in the financial world. and if confirmed, she would be the 1st woman to take over. this pivotal role with optimism about new coronavirus vaccine spreading and political uncertainty, seemingly diminishing. the dow surged past 30000 points for the very 1st time on

tuesday. so i think people like the cabinet post we're seeing from biden, they like the idea that this sort of long period of uncertainty about how much difficulty weak see and outgoing tromping ministration make. i think people like that that's over i think people like janet yellen as an idea for a new treasury secretary, she's a known quantity, was pretty able set of hands and a tough moment for everybody. president trump quickly claimed the latest market rally as the fruit of his own administration's work. but the markets seem to be banking on the current us leader, being on his way out to some sports news now and choose those champions. league fixtures boss alone to became the 1st team to qualify for the last 16 of the forney, a win of a gina moki. if in other results dortmund they bruges. 3 no meaning they are still top of the group. meanwhile, 2 german coaches went head to head as p.s.g. . they be lopsided one nil, they group rivals, manchester united, sealed

a 41 win of a ticket champions, ystem bull. elsewhere you, ventus were nearly held to a draw by hungary and club. frank photos with marotta getting the very light when a in the 92nd minute. now before we go, the mysterious block of metal has been found deep in the remote red rock area of the us state of utah. a helicopter crew spotted the object while counting because sheep, the block stands at about 3 made his high and appears to be firmly planted in the ground. there's no evidence of how it got there, but the pilot believes it was placed by an artist and not a knight of the local police say it's illegal to instill such structures without a permit, no matter what planet you're from. and a reminder of the top story we're following for you this hour. german regional leaders have reportedly agreed to extend coronavirus lockdown measures into the same to and possibly the new year of destructions will be listened to allow for

holiday gatherings. you're watching to double the news. lot from building close up is next asking if coded 19 will spell the end of catch more news coming up at the top of the out. in the meantime, there's always the web site d, w dot com. and you can also follow us on instagram and twitter as well. i'm anthony out from in the tain here in berlin. thanks. watch the

current forecast. up until now with germany's has a lot of cash because at 19 is fundamentally changing match. how was it in other european countries? and what are the consequences of this development card? will cope with 19 cash close up. next,, t.w.

indiana. turning misery into hung in 28 team and devastating damage destroyed to dana's cameraman lever villages. the survivors started creating dolls from damaged cloth, giving up was never an option. and a story of success. in 60 minutes, t w we know that this is a scary time for the coronavirus is changing the world, changing our lives. so please take care of yourself. keep your distance, wash your hands. if you can. stay at how we are d.w.p. press here for you. we are working hard loosely to hear you informed on all of our

platforms. we are all in this together and to gather and while making sure you stay safe, everybody stays in the series, so stay safe. please stay safe. what do you always carry with you? your smartphone keys and some cash. or keys, a smartphone and credit card. germans are increasingly split on this one. cash was long came here, but more and more people are switching to credit and debit.