this is deja vu news live from berlin germany's coronavirus numbers take a worrying turn for the worse the head of germany's disease control agency raises the alarm as new infections hit another record high and the death toll mounts what is next after decision makers leading the response also coming up germany brokers a compromise with poland and hungary over the european union's budget billions in coronavirus recovery funds could soon be on the way but still no brakes

a breakthrough and brussels now prime minister of course johnson and leader on the left on the line say negotiations have until sunday to close the gap on a deal. plus what goes up must come down that was a plan for this space x. test flight the starship prototype made it miles up into the air but the journey didn't quite and as hoped. i'm serious oh misconducts good to have you with us a worrying development that is how the head of germany's public health institute has described a spike in corona virus infections and deaths in the country i don't use conference this past hour the president of the op ed koc institute lot of vila said the situation had deteriorated over the past week he stressed that the country needed to do everything possible to prevent another expo. then shal rise in infections and

to protect vulnerable groups like the elderly in care homes with the number of outbreaks has doubled since the spring when his comments come as the number of daily infections hit a new record of more than $23000.00 and the total coated 19 death toll surpassed $20000.00. in country the infection activity we are currently seeing can quickly rise back into the exponential phase again if you extra cases could be enough to spark that. and ladies and gentlemen this we must avoid the virus has spread widely across the population. but we are also seeing large regional differences within germany. this shows us that the prescribed measures are working if they are implemented effectively this is also something we have been seeing in other countries outside germany this means we can prevent the spread of infections . for more on this story and we can speak now to toby s quite he's an

epidemiologist and director of the charité institute of public health here in berlin toby yes thank you for joining us there robert cock institute is saying that the infection numbers are alarming do you agree how worrying are these numbers these numbers are absolutely alarming i mean we see these numbers since days and weeks in germany so while the lockdown light was able to flatten the curve the numbers don't go down the health care system is on its limits we seeing these numbers not really being affected by anything we do right now so we definitely have to acknowledge these numbers are absolutely alarming and we see the virus spreading very widely among the elderly as well to o.b.s. why is that why is there such a spread in this part of the population i think there's a very diffuse it away and in germany also including now the elderly holds including the nurses homes and other institutions so this is really alarming so not just a number but also the age group that is affected right now. you mentioned lockdown

like there has been some frustration with a leading lawmakers here for taking this kind of piecemeal approach revisiting measures regularly and also not deciding to go with a tougher lockdown do you think that was a mistake. i think it was a mistake at the beginning because we tried really to flatten the curve and then to hope that the numbers will go down so we flatten the curve that's happened but then the numbers didn't go down and we know this since weeks that we should have acted now and really increased the measures and we definitely have to do it now and not wait until after christmas this will be too late because the number of infections in 2 or 3 weeks we see the hospital again being filled with new patients and the i.c.u. bads been filled with new patients so we have to act now because the health care system is on its limits you say we have to act now what exactly should be done what do you recommend i recommend to conduct

a heart lockdowns really close down as much as possible recommend that people stay home over the christmas holidays otherwise we see the same thing as with thanksgiving in the united states with the peak about 2 weeks after thanksgiving that the numbers will increase we cannot afford it and the numbers go up again or that we have another exponential rise of the numbers. there is has it been see of course to lock down over christmas because it is such an important holiday for so many people to spend time with their family so what is your message to people to germans in particular why it is important to go into lockdown right now. i very much understand that people like to see families as the same true for me i would love to see my family but it's just not possible this year so i really recommend people stay home and doing as much online as possible and to limit travel not just seeing the family but also traveling across germany which will be an issue because of the broad spread and they brought infections in a way to right now and i'm going. to be escorted director of the institute of

public health here in berlin thank you so much for sharing your insights with us thanks for having won the southern state of bavaria has imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in germany our correspondent visited a city there are known for its festive christmas season but soaring case numbers and shuttered shops mean spirits are dim this year. this is christmas eve as it gets back in 2020 usually the central market square is bustling with the city's famous christmas market at this time of the year but it was cancelled weeks ago and now the city center has become almost ghostly. only fruit and vegetables on offer but no one comes to buy them. been working here for 3 decades he says he's never seen his city so empty. it's all full for us there's no christmas here no no tourists it's terrible just

look the market square is completely empty at all. and it's the same all over the city the state government has asked variance to only leave their homes if they have valid reasons like going grocery shopping visiting the doctor or going to work wearing a mask is compulsory in most areas of the city center partial school closures a ban on alcohol in public places and a nighttime curfew complete the strictest lockdown in germany. police have increased their presence in the city center to remind people to stick to the rules but for now this little resistance they tell us. not to listen to all of course there are people who intentionally defy the rules there have been incidents of people refusing to cooperate when police tell them to wear masks but luckily those people are really the exception on the fellah bones you know and i guess i'm very

conscious of the risks the city faces right now and they're willing to play along all the people we speak to think the authorities should be even tougher. is in the monitors that we think the lockdown is absolutely justified there's just no alternative at the moment the restrictions should be tightened even further for shift and so will the mystery man matter that this was very much needed and the fact that everything's been kept open for all the business in the run up to christmas that's a very corporate driven attitude even the numbers are higher than ever so in fact i think we'll need even tougher measures like in spring i mean just when and we're going to suppression of no money in free i think i'm totally fine with it because there are so many people suffering and people not taking this seriously should see what it looks like in hospitals. and that discriminate and getting worse every day at the moment more than 180 people are being treated in hospitals for cope with 19

and while that doesn't sound much it means that hospitals are working at capacity over the past weekend for the 1st time ever patients had to be moved to hospitals in surrounding areas to make sure they get the treatment they need to survive that scares people including those who are suffering from the effects of the lockdown that is already in effect like market trader on the 2 things are hard lock down is the best option now there are 3 and we've just got to get through this and maybe things will get better that gets better. maybe even in time for christmas for that number girls a willing to make sacrifices in the weeks ahead. now to some other stories making news around the world u.s. president elect joe biden has nominated retired army general lloyd austin to be his defense secretary if confirmed he would be the 1st african-american to lead the pentagon but he faces resistance from some democrats who have

a preference for civilian control of the military meanwhile the president elect's son hunter biden has confirmed his tax affairs are under federal investigation president donald trump has often accused hunter biden of corrupt to dealings in ukraine trump's only pursuit of these allegations resulted in his own impeachment after he pressured the ukrainian president to investigate hunter biden's work in the country. authorities in the spanish city of barcelona say at least 2 people have died in a fire at an abandoned warehouse occupied by homeless migrants witnesses said more than 150 people may have been sleeping inside the building when the blaze broke out the cause of the fire is unclear. and ghana is electoral commission says president none of though has won a 2nd term in office officials say he won over 51 percent of the vote putting ahead of his predecessor and old rival john muhammad the results follow a contentious poll which led to widespread protests and some violence. today marks

human rights day and this year it is no surprise that the united nations theme for the annual occasion is linked to the coronavirus the focus is on rebuilding a better world by ensuring that human rights are central in the recovery process the social and economic toll of the pandemic has hit the poorest members of society the hardest inequality and discrimination on multiple levels have been exposed as some governments have also used the pendennis to curtail basic rights. for more on this we're joined from geneva by kenneth roth he's the executive director of human rights watch ken thank you for joining us here on d.w. as we mentioned the pandemic has certainly exposed inequalities in many countries across the world and you have talked about how it's important to respect human rights and that is the best public health strategy where have you seen this borne out i mean what examples of that have you seen working during the pandemic 1st i

think you're correct to point out that the the pen democrats really spotlighted the social and economic divide it's poor people have less access to health care they tend to be the frontline workers who cannot work from home and so they're more exposed to the virus and they also tend to suffer more when there are lock downs the economy has stopped and that's why you need a strong social safety net to pull them through periods like this but we've seen many governments you know cite the pandemic as a great opportunity for them to entrench their power they claim you know i'm the dictator i can solve this better than anybody else and so good example of how that tends to work is i say egypt's president sisi who has has really crush any dissent in the country he's been arresting doctors who criticize how he responds to the pentatonic in the meantime he's spending gobs of money on the military and egypt's hospitals are decrepit and you see this pattern over and over in europe you see it with hungary and prime minister orbán who also sees dictatorial powers

citing the pandemic and now as you know fighting with i'm going medical to try to maintain european union subsidies even as he flouts the basic values in the rule of law and which the european union's don't so you're saying there's a risk that some countries are or governments are using this pandemic as an excuse to censor more of to curtail rights what about a country like germany where there is a movement here against lockdown measures becomes because some people say that their rights are being trampled on do they have a point. but if you look at international human rights law it allows proportionate reasonable limits on say the rights to travel on the right to assemble in public for legitimate public health or public safety reasons and so you know i think if people are entitled to protest against a lockdown it's important to respect that right at the same time the government is

entitled to curtail our ability to travel our village you do to congregate as in this case a very appropriate response to a very severe public health threat and can last question what opportunities do you think the pen to make give us gives us to promote more human rights i think we've learned you know 1st of all that we need to strengthen the right of access to health care and we needs to i mean sure that there is a strong social safety net but it also really reinforces the importance of just basic right to freedom of expression as and freedom to criticize one government as a critical aspect of public health if you will if we look at how the pandemic began it was the fact that china sensors doctors in groupon for 3 weeks they were trying to alert us to human to human transmission and beijing was saying no no no although all the cases are just linked to the market and that 3 week delay before finally china shut down groupon millions of people fled to honduran that period about

$3500.00 a day went internationally and that's how we have a global pandemic so it shows the importance of free speech of fighting censorship as an essential element of any public health strategy we'll have to leave it there kenneth roth executive director of human rights watch thank you for joining us if you. now a dispute over the european union's budget and coronavirus relief fund appears to be over poland and hungary had blocked the passage of the nearly 2 trillion euro package over a clause linking funding to respect for the rule of law brussels accuses both governments of rolling back democratic freedoms but a seasoned crisis manager apparently stepped in to find a compromise. it was them against the rest of the e.u. . polish prime minister. and his home garion counterpart dicta on. both opposed a clause linking the release of e.u. funds to the rule of law and we made bush one yet we say arrest sounding to all the

mechanisms that punish us here like naughty children is which 3 year old in another member states of her opinion you know is funny quickly and that the race will go through when you're ok for. a power move that put a lot at stake specifically the carefully crafted 1.8 trillion europe package on the blocks future finances that includes a trillion euro e.u. budget for the next 7 years and they 750000000000 euro rescue fund to boost ailing european economies something vital for member states hit hardest by the pandemic like italy. hungary and poland have repeatedly been called out for rolling back democratic freedoms that had vowed to veto the entire budget a crucial test for the e.u. can do for it we must be determined very vigilant very committed but now it looks like a last ditch attempt by the german chancellor to resolve the issue has succeeded just in time for the new budget to kick in for next year with the current of our

spending make far from over. and we can speak now to our brussels bureau chief alexander phenomena high aleksandr it's good to see you can you explain this to us why are hungry and poland so opposed to this mechanism that links money to rule of law. hungary in poland described this mechanism as political and slaves meant and radical. limitation of sovereignty there argued that the only purpose of this mechanism is to force them to bow to demand such as legalizing gay marriage or accepting migrants this is of course not the case here because the purpose of this mechanism is to make sure that you funds are not going to be misused but it's also true that poland and hungary have been under e.u. investigation for backsliding on democratic standards or all of law or fundamental

rights so when the mechanism is in place they could be in trouble because if there are any bridges of the rule of law there are funds could be reduced with the qualified majority of e.u. governments ok now there is this last ditch effort for a compromise that seems possibly to be at hand will it work well we expect you leaders to approve this compromise because yesterday the u.n. ambassadors already talked about that and they seem to be quite positive front and center of this compromise promised that mechanism would only go into action after the european court of justice has ruled on its legality so this is a concession to hungary and poland and there are concerns but it's also it's likely to delay the whole mechanism by year or so but it means that there is no change in substance and that's why germany is hoping that even countries like the

neverland who have been fighting for the rule of law will be able eventually to approve this compromise so what happens next will this mechanism be implemented. well if improved it will be implemented eventually with a delay as i said but we are already hearing from polar titian's in the problem and that there are happy with that that they think it's a victory for the 1st time the european union will have such a mechanism and they also say that hungry and poland have lost our brussels bureau chief alexander phenomena there in brussels thank you. well britain and the e.u. have been given themselves until sunday to decide if their regs that negotiations are worth continuing a 3 hour dinner on wednesday seen as a last ditch attempt failed to bring the 2 sides any closer to a trade deal the british prime minister travel to brussels after an earlier phone

call between him and the e.u. chief failed to break the deadlock disagreements over fishing rights business competition rules and policing or keeping the parties from hashing out a deal on the brakes a transition period expires on december 31st. on wednesday boris johnson told the british parliament he thinks there is a quote good deal still there to be done however he went on to say that he would not accept any agreement at any cost. i must tell the house that our friends are currently our prince in the e.u. are currently insisting that if they pass a new law in the future. with which we in this country do not compile don't follow suit then they will be automatic right mr speaker to to punish us and to retaliate and secondly they're saying that the u.k. should be the only country in the world not to have sovereign control over its

fishing waters and i don't believe it's because if those are terms that any prime minister of this country should access. let's go right to london our correspondent back at nasa standing by outside parliament back itself it does not seem that we got that breakthrough that many had hoped for. no them are just pretty downbeat so it wasn't a jolly pretty grisman get together where differences can be resold it's really about 2 principles it seems to be at that opposing and where they don't find a way forward this on one hand is the principle of force johnson who after all was one of the leading city is in the country and he says it's all about also ministry in a way what's the point of red states if we need to align ourselves imperfect as bricks of his would interpret this to e.u. principles and on the other hand states the european union as well as the integrity

of the single market is one of the really fundamental principles of the union and they are afraid that the u.k. could in the future be this competitive on the doorstep and could undermined the the standards of the european union and at the same time have very close access to the single market say so they are afraid of that and at the moment it doesn't seem that there can be some technical solution because negotiators have really tried to following on on this point of principle have to find some sort of way forward and it hasn't been possible and now there's a new deadline which is sunday is what the leaders have said is going to be the final that line and well then a decision is supposed to be made and what's the feeling there in london how much pressure is there on the government to avoid a no deal. boris johnson is probably putting himself under a lot of pressure we know that his cabinet is full of pragmatism people who really

full to him will break the referendum that they quite narrow to be a one on the other hand there are backbenchers here in palm and here in the end there are rumors that so much telling the prime minister you're toast if you're giving in too much these are the hardliners. quality on the other and of course there are a business interest country knows that and reglued that doesn't have a deal with the european union is going to hit an economy reburying very hard we know for example that because of trees at the warning that the mass production cost could be wiped out be a $1000000.00 jobs. than really has a very very severe decision to make. reporting for us from london thank you so much a space x. test launch on wednesday completed the highest and most elaborate slight yet for its prototype starship rocket the spacecraft nearly reached its goal altitude of

1212 kilometers but engineers still have a few kinks to work out before their hoped for mission to mars and back. every. picture perfect starred for starship number 8 the rocket is the most ambitious space x. test yet in the company's audacious quest to make human travel to mars possible. and climb for several kilometers before leveling off its slick stainless steel hull glinting in the sun. after 4 minutes and 45 seconds of flight the starship switched off its engines and began its descent. but just as a flawless journey seemed within reach the ship was engulfed in a ball of flames. and. despite this dramatic finale the test is considered a success by space x.

the company believes that the data collected will help to develop a spaceship capable of reaching deep into the universe space x. founder even musk was enthusiastic tweeting mars here we come. there will be more test soon here in the texan desert construction of star ship number 9 is almost complete. football now round the dread have avoided a scare in qualified for the champions league last 16 the record 13 time winners beat mention glad to know despite the defeat gladbach also reached the knockout stages for the 1st time since the 1970 karim benzema scored the opener early on to settle reales nerves and the french striker netted the 2nd before half time defeat what has knocked the spanish giants out in the group stage for the 1st time. is actually here and match officials have made

a major statement against racism they all took a need before the restart of their suspended match the game was halted a day earlier after. allegations that a match official used a racial slur a new referee team was in place as p.s.g. won 51 thanks to a neymar hattrick they go through as group winners atalanta beat i.x. to book their last 16 spot and atletico madrid also progressed holders by munich were already through but stayed undefeated with a 2 no when over local motif moscow. polo rossi the star of italy's successful 1902 world cup campaign has died at the age of 64 the former you ventas and ac milan striker who later became a t.v. pundit won the golden ball and golden boot in 1982 rossi also won to syria charles one european cup and the copa d'italia but he will be remembered most for his time with italy he scored 6 goals to lead italy to a world cup victory 38 years ago his family didn't disclose the cause of death but

it's been reported that he died of trouble dizzy it's. coming up next on new business stephen beardsley will be looking at a landmark lawsuit facing facebook in the us will the company be forced to break up that's coming right up.

journalists want to make good on the side but. just. brutal crimes are commonplace in the west balkan countries. drug lords a biased legal system and corrupt politicians are responsible from the move the new

government trying to surround. us and boost. them 60 minutes to. where the real trial it resides. i come from there are lots of people in fact more than a 1000000000 years of blood nonsense democracy to me that's one reason why i'm passionate about people and aspirations and they can send. the money to finishing the book is fried chicken blood and after the for the fun $1.00 and i remember thinking at the time feast of blood in broken foot what happens if people come together and unite for a call. but i do the news i often confronted difficult situations for conflicts being discussed out i see despite my job to confront good speeches on qana scenes and development to put the spotlight on issues that matter most congo food security

oppression marginalisation. a notch has been achieved so much more needs to be john and i think people have to be at the heart of solutions my name is a mcclatchy and i work at the delta fields. on. facebook faces its toughest battle yet u.s. prosecutors accuse it of. being a monopoly and asked the courts to break it up will examine what's at stake for the tech giant and just how the tables turned against it. also in the show europe rushes to keep the money flowing leaders across the block out there on thursday to discuss how to cushion the blow of ongoing lockdowns. and you'd never guess that air b.n. b. was one of the hardest hit companies by the pen demick it's now poised to have the biggest i.p.o. of the year.