bearing the brunt of the disaster, sweeping away anything in their path. these flood waters have claimed homes and lives across west in germany. emergency crews are trying to locate dozens of missing residents. some were trapped on rooftops as the water inundated their homes. but rescue efforts are hindered by roads that have been ripped apart, raging flood waters and debris. the german army has been deployed, clearing park through the mud. you can see here, there is mud everywhere in the houses, the bridge there collapsed water over it. further down, even houses have floated away a victim from a window guaranteed to take 10 years to recover from the people are all right. it's, it's horrible. now. the regions of northrop with failure vine land palatinate,

and saw land have been, was effected. the flood gates on a damn near the city of booth, it'll have to be opened as it threatened to burst. the unusually intense rainfall was caused by warm and cooler and mixing. the leader of one of the worst hit regions warned climate change could mean more frequent disasters like this we will be confronted with such events again and again. and this means that we need the most speed in climate protection measures, european nationwide and worldwide to live. as the weather clears in most of the hot heat areas, some residents have joined the clean up if it salvaging whatever they can from the devastated harm. and d w before kate martyr is in vol port some ports time near bon,

one of the hardest hit areas. i want to ask you, kate, what is the scene where you are for i'm hands, i'll put time and it's a scene of chaos and a lot of sadness. a lot of exhaustion to people have been coming out of that. heard all morning bringing that a few belongings and they've managed to salvage from their homes. there's been lots of rescue and teams here as well this morning as well as the police and firefighters as well. and they've been going in trying to clear houses from all this like really, really fake mark, which has covered the road just behind me as well. so it's a scene of a chaos and sadness and there's a lot of uncertainty to. so i've spoke to many people here and people just still have a clear picture of what's going on and how widespread the damage has been. what the people seem to have been taken by surprise and authorities as well. the residents

not receive warnings. why? why were the authorities not ready? why was no action taken? so i spoke to people here in the village and they said that they were actually warned about that. but what they told me was that they just had no idea that the destruction would be this bad. so they had, they had warnings and they were told that they thought they would would be able to save that because they just never seen anything like this. sorry, that's just a red van gordon, which maybe you might see. but that's just part of the rest of your effort as well . but this is just so people which is so unfortunate that that this will be the central damage. they said they, they didn't know they were aware, but they just hadn't failed. just don't even have the words to describe how bad it's being they just couldn't fathom. in the face. i mean, are these areas more flipped for know than others? what do we know about that?

i would say that i spoke to some of the villages and they said yes and seen about flooding, but they didn't think it where it's at. they didn't think it would reach the far as far up the valley out. that house, so some of them they thought maybe it would just affect the houses which are near this more. you see very small villa. you see very small village river that flows through the village when they thought that that would be maybe just the fact that you houses is usually very useful and a deal. but they, they just had no idea that it would be or so. right. and that would be so much damage to free. everyone precedence is deluge you there. where you are is, are the search and rescue effort still under way. yes, they are still on the way as well. so that has been a helicopter flying over several helicopters as searching for more people as wow, and that has been intimate. and now there's a slightly less police has in this morning. so the rescue efforts and the effort

looks like it's going to continue to take them very long time to clean up after this lecture. and what's the forecast there? are people bracing for more flooding? they don't really, nor, as i said, there's a lot of uncertainty. lots of people have actually moved up the road and they're waiting for more information and they said they're just not really getting any at the moment. they did hear that one of the dams my break, which is kind of a rumor that seem floating around. so everyone has moved away to see if they need to move all the way in case of a 2nd wave in case the 2nd flood waves come to the martyr reporting from the time you're born or one of the hardest hit areas in what some were describing. as a once in a generation flooding or taking place, so thank you so much for your continued coverage, greatly appreciate it. kate martin are reporting while meanwhile, anglo miracle has kicked off a farewell visit to the united states vice president to come. le harris welcomed

her in washington the chancellor due to meet with the president joe biden moment later, and the 2 leaders are expected to discuss the pen, demik, climate change and global security. now, what can we expect from this meeting? every reporter william of glue croft joins me here on the set. what are we going to do? i mean, in terms of you've got a lame duck chancellor going to washington. what's the point of this visit? is it just 11? it's interesting. a lot of people are asking that very question. it's kind of has 2 roles here. it is. this farewell to a steadfast friend to the united states for all, for almost 16 years in power. and she's lead europe and at times been seen as, you know, leading the trans atlantic relation of keeping the west afloat, so to speak, over many years of turmoil. so there's a bit of that appreciation thanking farewell. and there are also both sides are

building it as a look toward the future without angle america, of course. but the 2 countries, whoever may be leading germany after elections in september, what is the tone, what are the issues and what are the solutions of the 2 size? are really going to, to come to over the next many months and years through the next german government and the rest of the biden administration 1st term possible. second term, how much is this about building bridges? because a lot has been broken in terms of transatlantic relations and specifically the german us bilateral relations. it has. and we should remember that that angle america has a lot of experience with having to reset relations. donald trump seems to have distracted us from a lot of history of the last 101520 years. and my uncle america came in in 2005 in the aftermath of the iraq war. the, the 1st bit of the iraq war with germany. then under get hodge quarter was absolutely against. there was a lot of tension in the relationship between germany, united states. then when i go to medical came in, then in obama 2nd term,

we have whole spying surveillance scandal where agular medical found out that us intelligence agencies are actually spying on her personal phone. on her communications on government communications. there was a that debacle to, to, to clean up and repair. and then of course donald trump sort of set a new bar for retentions in terms of between the relations. so. so yes we are, we have all focus on the post trump years, but this is certainly, you know, relations. it's not always, it's easy to look back historically. but when you're actually in the moment and you look at the historical record, you realize that actually relations is something you need to keep going and keep working on. it's not always just a love fest all the time until 11 person might, you know, throw it all down the drain before on it. is it purposes we're expecting a very warm welcome, warm words being exchanged between these 2 leaders, but they don't see eye to eye on every issue. there's so much separating the transatlantic relationship more than just the ocean between the united states and europe. and specifically germany. you have many acute issues like the north spring

to pipeline, like the ongoing corona pandemic, and the question of cove it vaccine wavers patent wavers the united states. joe biden is for it, angular michael is against it. and then you have, and of course the travel, the travel, you know, americans can go to germany and the european union but, but, but the reverse is not true. and angle america and the european union more, more widely speaking. we like to see that change and of course the big issues, number one being climate change. and of course china, russia hash, the state of democracy in a very kind of last the big picture sort of way. so there's a lot of issues both in the near term and an acute sense and long term going forward, you know, looking at the next many years, in fact, beyond angle, america and even beyond. joe biden. no matter how many terms, one or 2 he might serve, and i just want to let you know, and our viewers know that we'll have a lot coverage of the event to add johns hopkins hopkins, that coming up later this hour. but william, of course,

a lot will depend obviously on who becomes your next chancellor when it comes to foreign policy to the thorny issues. can you talk us through very briefly in terms of like the 2 main containers or maybe the 3 make a dentist for it's interesting how german politics is going to align with biden's agenda, depending on who actually runs the german government. you know, polls are showing lots of things to have. the polls are showing. it may very well be either the conservative angular michael's party or the union between the c d. u and the c s. u which is fronted by army lashes from nor tango valley where we just saw these horrible floods are happening that may or may not be linked to climate change. so there's that kind of political issue right there. you have lena bear bach for the greens, which of course has an environmentalist party very much pushing a green agenda, a climate change agenda, and in many ways, far more aligned with joe biden's vision on climate change on russia, on china,

on human rights. then i'm going to miracles, natural air, i mean lash at the conservatives. so it will be very interesting to see who german voters pick and how that at like, like a puzzle piece fits or doesn't. with the bite an agenda going forward, they've got their work cut out for them. well, do stick around because like i said, we'll be carrying that event to alive. and of course we'll have lots to unpack after that for now. thank you so much. let's the pivot now to some of the other stories making headlines around the world. lebanese politician side how he says he's abandoned efforts to form a government deepening of political crisis in the middle east nation. then mister hetty was asked by parliament to form a cabinet back in october. he says those efforts failed due to disagreements with lebanon's presence. michelle, her own a black hawk helicopter has made an emergency landing amid residential buildings in the romanian capital, bucharest,

the american military aircraft was taking part in rehearsals for an evaluation day . fly by when it had technical difficulties. apart from a couple of bent street lights, no damage was done. yet no turkeys commemorating the 5th anniversary of a field military crew. some 250 people died and thousands were injured. when a military faction tried to ask the president a sweeping political crackdown and mass arrests followed and breaking developments, the top crown reporter in the netherlands that has the died of gun shot wounds, bitter air. the free was the gun down in the street more than a week ago. after appearing on live television and central amsterdam, he was the confidant of a key witness in a landmark drug trial. 2 suspects have been arrested. the police was famous for his recording on the criminal underwater program. ok,

let's get you the latest. now. what do you have corresponding visual is covering. these are breaking developments for you. a barbara, you've got more details that. what can you tell us? now the family of faded freezes, said that he had lost the battle against his injuries, they were really grave. we immediately knew that after the attack against him, and so his chances of survival might have been quite slim. so many also said they wanted to grieve in peace and solitude at the moment and not to be inundated with political statements from all sides. and they reminded the family reminded everyone in the netherlands and beyond of the motto of peter to freeze that you couldn't be free on bended knee. and that means that he was all was ready to stand up against what he saw is injustice that he took up many cold cases, for instance, in the netherlands. where people and after murderous with butter, as for instance,

had not been to brought to justice. and that was, of course, the point here, he had not wanted police protection. that states had offered him that because they knew that he was in danger because of this gangland trial that you already mentioned. but he denied it. and he said, i don't, i want to live as a free man. i don't want policeman in my back all the time. and so he is come now to this attack against his life barber. as you know, of course, the entire nation was in shock when he was got down in a central amsterdam what have been the reactions to his death. now of course, the dutch prime minister mark richie said that he was deeply saddened and shocked. and he reminded the country of the courage of peter, the fries, who had all the sort of gone out and really looked for what he saw, where the problems was the dutch criminal,

and the dutch justice dutch criminality and the that's the justice system in the country. and of course, also in the rope, the reactions, because peter de freece is the 4th investigative reporter to be killed within the last few years. it all started was malta and then went on and was still vakio. and then a greek investigative reporter was don't just last year. and so peter freezes, the 4th victim, offer violence against reporters. and the european union also said that countries have to do more to protect their journalists because this is the main til of democracy. and of course of the openness and fill european justice system that have to be held account. barbara briefly, where are we in terms of the investigation? we understand 2 people are in custody. currently, 2 people are in custody and 21 year old and dutch person,

and this man has connections to this and the gang land group, the trial that is now underway and a and he's supposed shooter and a 35 year old polish man who is supposed to have driven the getaway car, but we know nothing so far about the motives either the both of them have not talked or the police is not inform me the public. so we'll have to wait for further clarification on that. bob of a reporting on breaking developments are renowned, sure, crammed, or unless peter reese has done it, thank you so much. thank you. you. why should need every news is still ahead. when the police, she has been given a top us award for empowering women to speak up about domestic violence. but 1st, the south african government is sending in an extra $25000.00 soldiers to help curb unrest and days of looting. violence has begun to subside, allowing the clean up to begin more than 70 people have died and supply chains for

food and fuel have been disrupted. let's go and now to christina, i wonder, she's in the johannesburg township of johannesburg. christine, what are people are telling you? hi, layla, that's right. i am in alexandra township and i'm actually at the last mall standing in this particular part of town. this is the one more that was not looted and i just want to bring in the most managed mr. lucky my be let's just to answer the question, please come into the frame. so, i mean it's, as i was telling all of us. now this is the last more standing here. we did see long queues throughout the day to tell us a little bit about what that was about. well, after the glue didn't opened, in the 2nd, it was assessing the damages and stuff. then yes, that it was started over to because we felt we were fought for this model for 5 to 6 hours when our tech. so we had,

we had to put our lives in it. so we decided that we got to open, we want people are sitting there, no food, no medication and stuff. then we thought then our company is, or it could come back and be a tech was that we need support from you and the company said fine, go ahead and few of them. okay. i don't see any police. i did see soldiers earlier patrolling there. there's nothing here now, are you worried about the situation? the security situation? no, we, we, we run them all with the security and we coordinate and we know that police can always be here. they have to go to other places that affect it and don't call this . so that's the situation at this more. thank you so much. i miss them. i believe that this is, of course, the last most standing people have been flocking here throughout the day to stock up on the centrals because there is the fear that they're all going to be food shortages. and that even places like this were run out of supplies, layla right now, lots of damage done. lots of material damage done a christine, how difficult will it be to restore inter communal damage that's been done in the

past couple of days? well, you know, layla right now in that wasn't and that's how province of course is one of the effects provinces. you have a situation where communities are up against each other, particularly the indian and black community. we heard that from the looking who addressed his people yesterday as well for the coming of tension. essentially, they've been retaliatory attacks. you've had people from the indian community burning down shacks and, and other infrastructure in the township. saying that these are the people that have posed threats to us, and this is our way of defending property. so it's an escalating situation. one that of course, the authorities are certainly worried about and the number of positions getting involved in asking people. so just quality attentions. and in conclusion, i mean how much has, has this, this unrest put mr. rom opposes, well position under duress, basically. he layla, i saw

a photograph of the president, i guess today he had, had attended a meeting with some of the other parties in the country. the man looked like the life had been taken out of him. it is certainly taking a toll lots of things as being pointed at him, a lot of dissipated satisfaction. south africans have criticized him for not showing it up. leadership that did he not anticipate this? people are angry at the government to the fact that all of this damage has been done. people thought that that could have been averted if the government had responded to what the threat was because it was pretty clear something was going to happen in this country. if the for the prison jacobs had been incarcerated, so a lot of people directing their anger specifically at president throat and his government officials to the w. christina monday. and joe hannah's right in front of the only mall was not loaded. thank you. next united nation has commanded

a police chief in new here for her work and keeping women safe coming has and hasn't a he's aware or has been named the 2021. you and population award laureate. while the recognition honors individuals for improving people's lives due to renew caught up with where in the share of their most powerful female police officer in the j. she's in charge of tons of police offices hitting the national police division to protect miners and women each morning. she views reports of violence against women and children from across the country. why does it a fair think of them then? she guys had a p t to she out the work fighting domestic violence. underwear we shouldn't be leaving like this is no woman, no child should accept the injustice and violence isn't just,

i've made domestic violence. my person will because it's that's no more normal. not all the women who is men beat and terrorize them, feel safe enough to make a complaint to the police. but those who come to commission as well as do find a sympathetic welcome from and the women of wife a mother and the sister. i'm in the right position to understand the situation of women. i'm in a good position to understand issues facing children because of my experiences. she visits women at the safe house for domestic abuse survivors. india may. she paid a part in getting men of these women away from the men who were abusing their model . comission as we are, our team sometimes have to intervene, right of discard of someone's life. sometimes they end up bringing children into

dis, orphanage, identity. kids are vulnerable and they find themselves in traumatizing situation that can, i think they're all life. so it's important that i make time for them. play with them. i think full commission as we keep the survivors she meets in mind. when looking at the big picture. she's often involved in training. the next generation of for you sophie says when she's out of uniform, the children commissioners will take care of all. she's the generation of her family to the police officer. even with husky ended cation. there will still be what to do if one of her children decides before and how footsteps

impressive lady there. and we return now to our top story, the miracle farewell visit to the united states. where she is going to be honored with a doctorate from the world renowned johns hopkins university. while let chance america is one of the longest serving world leaders and we'll sit down after the general election in september, but she's not running as a candidate. she began her visit with a working breakfast posted by vice president. come harris is due to meet with president by halley me. and those were scenes from the ceremony that is getting under way. what we have team coverage for you with william blue cross here with me on that set. and our washington bureau chief in its pull right outside the white house. and guys, i just wanna preemptively apologize, i might have to interrupt you, shoot at the cell when you get underway in earnest,

but want to go to you. in the meantime, 1st events in washington, slightly overshadowed, obviously by the catastrophic flooding taking place. here in germany, i understand the chancellor spoke about it. what did she say? exactly. she spoke about it and i just talked to some sources in the medical kam, and they said, you know, if this would not be her last visit as chancellor to the united states, it's very, very possible that she would be on her way back to germany. she gave her the deepest, deepest sympathies to the families of the victims really shaken by this horrible, horrible catastrophe in germany. and it is kind of taking away this joy of this last visit of hers. because as we know, she has a long and deep connection to the american president. and this should have been

a celebration of the us, german, the trans atlantic relationship. but as you said, layla, it is overshadowed shadowed by the catastrophe happening in germany right now. right? casting a very dark cloud indeed, in the meantime, just a few moments from now. johnson america will receive an honorary doctorate from johns hopkins and we expect her to also address the audience there and make a speech a what do you think? she'll say while she's a scientist right. and she got several doctoral honorable doctoral decrease, but she also wrote own kind of a real one. and as we hear that really means a lot to her. it's not just a gesture that really means a lot to this woman who has spend so much time in science, and some people even say she mode might go back to signs after she leaves the chancery in germany. so it shall be interesting to hear. i'm sure sure that she

will address the big topics like fighting the pandemic. she still is a big, big advocate to be very, very careful of spreading the virus. that's also something we experience here. we got tested again before she comes. she's, she's really, really careful. when it comes to cobra, now we're reading i, we're also showing in a small screen right next to you, a live pictures that were waiting for that ceremony to get underway at the johns hopkins university where the chancellor will receive an honorary doctorate. this is for arlington, intents and purposes, and for the purposes of this conversation, probably her final trip to washington. she'll be meeting with president joe biden, shortly. do they know each other? well, how would you characterize their relationship? yeah, sure. i mean, they have met a couple of times, obviously when joe biden was the vice president obama,

they were very warm relationship, joe biden. and his administration con stress. the fact enough that germany is one of the biggest, biggest.