this is the w.'s line from that of the german chancellor c.d.u. party called for a heart a coronavirus lockdown in la sure says tougher restrictions are needed until the fascination campaign reaches critical mass and this then leading quickly to slow a 3rd wave of the pandemic also on the program such as batters indonesia and east timor dozens are killed in flash flooding and landslides forecasters warn that

heavy rain will linger for days. the pressure mounts on it's ready prime minister benjamin netanyahu 1st witnesses a cold in his corruption trial as the country's presidents launches coalition talks that could see mr netanyahu sidelined. the sitting coach helping the long cope with patients to breathe again. but what it does is it just. doesn't tongues. i'm filled gail welcome to the program. more german leaders are calling for a return to a hard lockdown easter weekend has seen a slowdown in vaccinations in several german states vaccination centers have been

closed and appointments restricted local health officials blame a lack of vaccine supplies federal health minister has promised that the program will pick up pace in april supplies increase and local doctors take part. his head of germany's most populous state north rhine-westphalia and leads angela merkel's conservative party. with this up. and invites why i think we need a bridge lock down we have to build the bridge to the point in time where a lot of people are vaccinated. i know that a lot of people are tired of the pandemic. but also that a lot are ready to go a step further and then i may or june to enter a new phase. in a large majority of citizens are willing to take this step so that we have a better outlook and more planning security. reasons it

meets. the bridge to a breakthrough success in testing means we need to double down on a lot of areas and move towards a lockdown. let's get more chief international editor richard welcome richard what do you make of that score. this is definitely increasing fill the likelihood of a tough a lot down coming at this you say it's just silly he's not the only voice clearly for this but he is a very important voice so he is the leader of that important states in north rhine-westphalia and the the main thing is he's also the leader of uncle a medical's own party the conservative c.d.u. but really what he seems to be reacting here is the reality of the situation that germany is in but wave of the code in 1000 crisis is being driven by the british

variant that emerged in the u.k. at the end of last year cause many deaths and is growing very rapidly around europe . and the number of infections is reason rising very rapidly slight blip downwards around the easter holiday is the health authorities a close not registering everything but the trajectory is very serious and one key number was just announced today of the number of 4000 people in intensive care with coded 1000 significant number of those people will die and that number is also increasing rapidly and then there is the brutal truth of the matter that germany has only vaccinated to give the 1st dose of x. nation to about 12 percent of its population that is nothing like enough to slow down this 3rd wave so i mean russia talking about what he calls a bridge knock down a bridge to a time when more people of x. they see it but at the pace of vaccinations right now it's probably going to have to be pretty bridge. when you much of what you've just told us 3 weeks ago when

the german chancellor angela merkel announced this strict ace to lock down a decision she then reversed and then apologize for so what changed. yeah i felt well how much time have you got i mean the reality here in germany is not just about the pandemic it's about the politics and of what we have what we've been witnessing of these last couple of weeks is really a power struggle happening on 2 separate levels in the very heart of the policies on the one hand you have a kind of power struggle between the federal government led by angela merkel and the individual states which all have their own leaders like common lash it in north rhine-westphalia angela merkel has generally been pushing for tougher national line to deal with this 3rd wave the individual states who have different views but what unites many of them is that they want to defend their own turf it's up to us to

decide what goes on here last it is that is at the center of that struggle and has even been openly bickering with his party clearly angela merkel so that's the one power struggle the other one is about who leads uncle americans parent party into the national elections coming up this september angela merkel has said that after 16 years in power she's not going to stand again is the new leader of her party with this cd you have been plunging in the polls amid the you know the slow pace of the vaccination campaign corruption scandals and many other things and he has a more popular rival emerging into the limelight marco souter who is the leader in the state of the various so all of these politics all of these power struggles going on at the same time as this relentless wave is moving up maybe it's it's no wonder that germany is in such a muddle elliptically over what to do but what's interesting is that the public

don't seem to be in such a muddle so and this was referred to as well that a majority of the public do seem open to taking a tougher line they see those numbers they see those people in intensive care so that the public seems to support this is partly that the politics has to catch up with that. richard walker chief international editor thank you. we'll take a look now at some of the latest developments in this pandemic starting an ngo which is reported a record increase in corona virus infections and new daily cases of past 100000 for the 1st time as recorded infection rate is now higher than anywhere else in the world thailand's most popular tourist resort of poor cats has begun its mass vaccination program 2 months ahead of the rest of the country it's hoped that most of the island will be vaccinated before overseas travelers arrive in july and bangladesh has begun a week long lockdown closing non essential retail and public transport services. i

saw indonesia where all forest is there and the nice team all say dozens of people killed in flash floods and landslides triggered by tropical cyclone serota i mean wins interventional rain pounded a cluster of eastern indonesian islands as well as neighboring east timor emergency teams are struggling to reach some of the affected areas. a human chain to escape the raging waters rain storms have triggered landslides and overflowing dams leaving small communities inundated. rescue workers use whatever resources are available to bring survivors to safety. the water has risen up to my head and it's still not stopping we need help right away. your village is cut off yes the waters reach the 2nd floor the military police and disaster agencies are helping coordinate the emergency response indonesia's president has offered his condolences for the dead and called for vigilance. i urge everyone to follow the directions of

local authorities regarding the danger of floods and landslides due to extreme rainfall. in neighboring east timor government offices were beset by the storms effects. asked for the moment we are cleaning the mud because of the flood that happened in the vicinity of the presidential palace. rescue efforts in both countries have been slowed by damage bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment the remoteness of some affected areas is also complicating operations to fully assess the damage. i hear small stories are making headlines around the world as protesters in min ma continue to defy military rulers malaysia and brunei say the leaders of the countries in the ass in the region will meet to discuss developments activists say 6 more protesters were killed at the weekend ministry has tried to stop the uprising using lethal force. the launching back in february. at least 25 people have died in bangladesh after

a ferry capsized on a river south of the capital dhaka the vessel collided with a cargo ship on sunday night and sank people on board were heading home after the government turns a week long coronavirus lockdown. palestinian president mahmoud abbas is heading to germany for what officials have described as a routine health check the 5 year old is a heavy smoker though there isn't been no indication as he sat ill he received his 1st dose of a coronavirus vaccine last month. according to israel is calling its 1st witnesses today of the resumption of the corruption trial of prime minister benjamin netanyahu mr netanyahu has appeared in court where he faces multiple charges including bribery and fraud he could be jailed be found guilty of a trance expected to last years israeli politics is in chaos following another inconclusive general election last month president reuven rivlin is holding talks

with political parties to work out who will be asked to form a new government. straight to d.w. correspondent tanya kraemer in jerusalem welcome tanya how will those efforts to form a coalition government be affected by the fact that mr netanyahu is also in court on trial. well it all hangs still in the balance and you know these 2 major events today are basically a coincidence they show how many problems this country is facing some the one hand as you said the evidence phase of this trial that started last year has now started that's considered to be very important prime minister binyamin netanyahu was in court today he listened to the opening remarks by the state prosecutor and then he left on the other hand the consultation process has started to present rivlin is since the morning he's meeting with party delegations those party who have made it

into the knesset the israeli parliament and they will recommend who they would like him to task this morning the next coalition government so you know on the one hand you have to political stalemate because none of the 2 blocs has really a direct or clear past to form this coalition and on the other hand you have a sitting prime minister who is now standing trial again in a busy court phase and how serious are the charges against him. well there are 3 cases and in israel the known according to their file name so it's case 100-200-4000 mr netanyahu has been indicted for for fraud to preach of trust and in one case privately this pertains to case 4000 that alleges that mr netanyahu olson is position as communication minister has

provided regulatory benefits in return for favorable media coverage and we heard one of the key witnesses today speaking about how the owner of one of the major websites in israel who is also a defendant has pushed for favorable coverage the state prosecutor had said in her opening remarks that she things that mr netanyahu and mr netanyahu has missed has abused his power by strong words from her but netanyahu benyamin netanyahu has always said he denies all the charges and he has called it a rich hand against him and his family from his political opponents ok so he certainly got his hands full the court case and hoping to form the next government how does he how does this long serving prime minister manage these 2 critical events in his life. well he certainly about to clear his name but at the same time he wants to be the one to 4 in the next government but i'm not sure if

that is really in his hands now because the trial or the pace will pick up now the judge just scheduled 3 hearings per week it will take a long time at the same time now the consultation process is in the hands of the israeli president he will have to decide by wednesday who he thinks has the best chances to form a coalition now this person will have 1028 days and even an extension to do so but it will be some more weeks until we know whether there will be a government or not in the coming weeks time here in jerusalem thank you. to jordan where the former crown prince. been hussein has said in a voice recording that he plans to defy army orders that restrict his freedom of movement and speech from homs or was ordered under house arrest amid charges that

he and other high level officials were plotting to destabilize the kingdom he denies being part of a conspiracy and says he's being silenced according to jordan security officials the king's half brother bin hussein had been under investigation for some time the country's foreign minister said the former crown prince will he will including a former advisor to king abdullah and another member of the royal family were arrested the military initially denied arresting hum's up and hussein.