>> tonight, france is a nation in shock. a part of all this is burning, a mental macron said. -- emmanuel macron said.

dw news starts right now. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. to our viewers on pbs in the u.s. and all around the world, welcome. notre-dame cathedral, and paris is burning. -- in paris is burning. a fire is still raging out of control l and officials say they are not sure the blaze can be contained. the delegates buyer at the center of the roof and the roof itself have collapsed into thehe center of the 12 century gothic church. the fire has spread to at least one of the cathehedrals'two gret towers. french president emmanuel macron says the blaze was taking a part of all of france's people with it. inititial reports s suggest the blaze may y be related too renovation work that wasas ununderway at notre d dame.

we want to go live now to an eyewitness. he was watching the fire from his balcony a few blocks from the cathedral. hi, this is spread in berlin. can you hear me? >> yes. brent: we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. what are you seeing right now? >> i see the blaze. it is still burning. there is no end to the fire for now. there doesn't seem to be -- it was like it will be burning for a long time. that's the impression i got. brent: give us an idea, how far away are you from the cathedral? >> about three or 400 meters.

i'm about two blocks. brent: about two blocks. when you go outside, can you smell anything? >> no. i can't smell it. i see the smoke. at around 7:00, i parked my car and there was yellow smoke that went up. that smoke is not spreading here. i can't smell anything. brent: you are very close to the cathedral. what is going on around the cathedral right now? can you see the firefighters? >> no. at first i was in the car, i parked my car close.

there were people with phones that havave realized what was going on. it was a lot of smoke. the first experience was hundreds of people standing there. everybody was talking about it and filming it and watching it. a lot of them could not believe it was happening. the smoke was so small, the people cannot believe it was spreading, that it was getting so big. what dominated that moment was a silence.

the people were in a state of shock. brent: people are glued to their computer screens or television sets. what information are you getting in paris right now about the situation? >> i have it in front of me. i see the firefighters. it is burning big-time. brent: the french president, emmanuel macron, is at the scene. are you hearing anything about what he has said? >> i was stopped by reuters. i read this and saw what he said. i have no more information.

brent: what have you heard about a possible cause? i'm sure when people were sitting there, they were trying to comprehend what they were seeing. people must have asked how this began. >> speculating would not be appropriate. a few weeks ago, there was a fire that started at another cathedral not far from here. that was two weeks ago. i will neverer allow myself to speculate, because i have no knowledge. alall i see is smoke and the reactions on the street.

that's all i can say. brent: one of the first things you thought of, was you see this happening at notre dame, and you also think about the series of attacks on churches, which has happened recently, correct? >> yes. it was recent. i not only sought, but i read about it. it's a big cathedral. i saw it. i have no idea what happened. also, the smoke was really big when i spoke -- parked the car. i saw part of the scaffolding. i thought maybe the construction that i saw on the news, i got information that may be some construction.

i have no idea what was the cause. i can only speculate, which i don't want to do. brent: what about the speed of the emergency services? >> i spent a half an hour on the car among the people. there were people in the café, gathering and watching. it was 20 minutes when i heard the first helicopter. brent: did you hear sirens from the fire trucks? >> i heard sirens. i cannot see the fires.

i'm sure they were responding to it. i have no doubt. the first noise from the helicopters, i heard at 7:25. i'm no expert of firefighting. i would wonder if they were showing something from the air to put the fire. i don't know that happens. i haven't seen that. brent: we are watching live pictures of the cathedral. it is still in flames. you can see it even more now that night has fallen. how do you feel when you think about what has happened? you must be devastated. >> from my personal experience,

i was born christian, and i would say this is a sad day for humanity, not only for christianity. when i parked the car, i saw a big--the fact that it was this day, it helped me to realize what i said, when i watched the reaction of the people who were watching it, when they were talking, but paradoxically, the silence dominated it. the book -- the disbelief that it was happening. that reminded me that my experience was what the twin towers falling must have been like in america. i'm ever watching coverage for a week. it took me a week to realize the magnitude. this is huge. it's centuries of christian

heritage. not only for france, but for christianity and all of the globe. it's a huge symbol. that going up in flames is very vague. -- big. i might have deeper feelings some time from now. brent: we certainly can appreciate the feeling of shock is still very fresh. an eyewitness in paris. we appreciate you sharing your experiences with you tonight. all the best to you. >> thank you. brent: joining me here in the studio is my colleague william noah glucroft. you have been following what we are seeing on social media, but also international reaction. william: everyone is shocked.

condolences and really, shock coming in from around the world. the vatican has said they are absolutely shocked and saddened to see one of the great cathedrals going up in flames like this after 1000 -- nearly 1000 years. angela merkel saying this was a symbol of europe, not just france or paris or catholics, it is a symbol of europe. most people who visit europe or think of europe think of the notre dame. brent: it is the most visited place in paris. and paris is the most visited city in the world. william: 13 million visitors a year. almost 30,000 a day go there. huge renovation repairs were needed to keep the church standing. they are looking for as muchch s $180 million to repair this church.

brent: which is a lot, but it's not astronomical when you consider we are talking about a millennium. william: but compounding the difficulties of what is doing -- doing what is necessary to keep the infrastructure going, it's not that these -- that they just built this 1000 years ago, it has been going through renovations and repairs, previous damages, attacks and fires. constantly renovated. you have layers and centuries of different technologies and materials. you then have to figure out how to fix it. it's a daunting task, even if you have the money. the renovation project is not right now. brent: i want to parliament journalist -- paul in journalist john laurenson -- pull in journalist john laurenson from paris. it's been burning for about three hours now? john: it just gets worse and worse.

the towers are on fire. the north belfry, they are saying they're not sure they can say that. -- save it. the left tower seems to be under threat. i have seen pictures from a drone that managed to get over the cathedral very recently. there wawafire everywhere. this fire is blazing out of control still. the structure, can it survive this? no wall has fallen down yet. perhaps it is just a matter of seconds. brent: it is safe to assume that we may yet even because -- not even be close to the halfway point of this place - -ba- blaz.

john: as long as there's still something to burn, it could keep burning. while the walls are still up, is it possible for the firefighters who have ruled out the use of planes? is it safe for them to get water down into the flames? i'm not sure it is. we're not seeing jets of water flying hundreds of meters of into the air. brent: we have heard from the deputy foreign minister that it may be impossible, or not certain to save this cathedral. authorities have information that we are not privy to. about the severity of this place. -- blaze. john laurenson if you're not --

john: if you arere preparing pepeople for bad news,s, you wod do what the deputy minister is doing and saying we got the -- might not be able to say this. brent:t: i don't know if -- save this. brent: i don't know if you heard the first gas. -- gas. -- guest. would you say that the feelings and thoughts running through his mind is something that is shared by a majority of people tonight in paris? john: all french people will be feeling intense pain. the mayor is on the other side of the water, and it was like having an armor like cut off -- are more like cut off -- ar-m m or leg cut off. this is stone that has been a

tangible monument to france's past. the greatest piece of stone, which is a tangible monument to france's past. it's on the verge of collapsing tonight. it's a terrible thing to be happening to paris. brent: john laurenson in paris. thank you very much. we appreciate you staying on the line with us this evening. william: we know two things according to reports that the firefighters are trying to save invaluable, prices, a replaceable artwork that is at the back of the cathedral and they're trying to prevent the towers from collapsing. not only would that be a historic loss and a cultural loss, but that is a lot of material to come down.

we know that the area around the cathedral has been evacuated. we are looking at a dangerous scene right now. the firefighters have themselves said there is very little they can do. the fire is burning so hot and the -- and such a huge structure, that they could not possibly get in there. we need to have a lot of sympathy for the firefighters trying to contain this fire, who are putting the lives at risk to save 1000 years of french history. brent: we also heard from john, saying that the authorities said that in order for the firire brigades to move in, would mean risking their lives. william: there comes that question of, yes this is an extraordinary part -- extraordinarily important part of western civilization, but at what point do you risk other human lives after everyone was out of this building john laurenson there is that balance to strike. brent: william noah glucroft,

thank you very much. here are some of the other stories that are making headlines around the world. the ininternational rered crosss ended a a media blackouout to sk information about a nurse from new zealand who has been mimissg in syria for five years.the organization said it was acting on reports that she's may still be alive. she and two syrian drivers were abducted while delivering aid supplies in 2013. in japan, the fukushima nuclear plant operator has begun removing fuel rods from a cooling pool. it's a milestone in the e slow process to decommission the plant,, w which sufferered a men after a tsunami in 2011. removing the rods is crucial to avoid a further disaster if another earthquake hits. activists s have been dedemonstrating at the londodon offices ofof oil giant royal duh shell, calling for action on glglobal climate change.

protesters a also briefly blockd severaral key locations in the britishh capital. the events began two weeks of, change protest, organized by a group calling itself extension rebellion -- extinction rebellion. sudanese protest leaders have blocked an attempt by the military to set up a sit in outside its headquarters. they're calling on the country's military to handover the government to a civilian administration. they depose longtime omar al-bashir last week. they are applying pressure to the military council that replace them. >> military atattempts to o brep a protest t that has lasted four days -- for days. despite army efforts to remove them, this group is standing firm. >> we will not stop here until

we finish. we cannot leave this place. >> they are some of the thousands in sudan's capital, demanding power for the people. it follows the military's decision last week to overthrow the country's unpopular leader of 30 years, omar al-bashir. althoughgh it's what the massess wanted, they are angry that the army has taken power for itself. >> the new government must be a civil government that has people with qualifications. we don't need military people. military people must only protect our country and protect our environment. >> we are here to remove the entire system. a system that does not give service equally to the people. a system that leaves people in poverty. a system that does not allow

sudan as a country, a rich country with human and natural resourceces, to act as any othtr cocountry t the world. >> the new military council held its first meeting on sunday. over t the weekekend, it alsosot wiwith sudanese opposition leads , promising to rule for a maximum of two years, while democratic elections are organized. >> the opposition forces are in charge of appointing the prime minister and his cabinet for a civilian government and we are calling on them to have a united voice. >> the crucial decision of who will become preresident is one e mililitary cancel what -- councl was to keep for itself. >> back on the streets, there are demands that bashir'ss associciates face jujustice. while the protests continue, many are painting and new

picture of what life in sudan could look like. >> freedom. yeyes. >> whether that vision will last, depends on what the military decides to do next. brent: from africa to the middle east, the dire conditions facing palestinian refugees following a policy change in the trump white house. last year, the united states cut all funding to a united nations relief agency that provides services for about 2 million palestinian refugees in jordan's sprawling camps. the budget cuts have had severe impacts on the refugees lives as dw reports. >> a 27-year-old aimlessly rose the refugee camp where he was raised. it was once his job to clclean e strereets are, butut now the g e is left t uncollecteted.

he was one of around 40 sanitation laborers employed by the united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees to keep the camp and jordan clean. in 2018, trevor administration announced it would cease all funding to the agency, so it has had to let employees go, including saninitation laborers. the human agency was able to raise new funds from some 40 other countries. it still needed to reduce its whole budget by 92 million u.s. dollars last year. >> my fifinancial situtuation is difffficult. when my elderly father need something, i cannot give it to him. my gym is to go back to working full-time. i was so sufficient then. the campus is truly dirty and in the coming summer months, it will get worse. >> ali has asked us not to reveal his identity. his refugee status does not allow him to work outside the camp.

this job was his only source of income to support his family of six. there arere now only 1010 workes left to clean a camp at the population of 30,000. as a result, the camp is experiencing a garbage crisis. of jordan's s tent refefugee cas for r palestiniansns, this one s the poorest. and asked -- an estimated 8282% live under the poverty line -- 52% live under the poverty line. >> t the camp is lacking in everything. > the cemetery situation is very bad. every day, i have to clean the street myself. >> we moved to a different camp. it is the largest refugee camp where palestinians in jordan, with a population of over 100,000. many families have been in the camp for generations. here, sanitation is not the only problem. residents of houses with makeshift rooms like this one,

are specially vulnerable in the winter months. mohammed, of other two, says he hoped they would help with buildiding expenses, but they always cited a lack of funding. it was forced to go into debt to pay for this metal cover. >> i'm a grown-up. i can handle this. i must work for my children. all that, i would carry thehem from one room to the other, so that the rain but not fall on their heads. i had toto put buckets a all ovr ththe house. i had no other solution. >> the solution he found is by no means sustainable. water still gets through. the house poses many health hazards and the children are at risk of electrocution from uncovered wires. mohammed says that when the summer months hit, the group will make temperatures inside house unbearable. he says he feels abandoned, with no other option but to hope for a better future. brent: you are watching dw news.

after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. our continuing coverage of the fire in paris at notre dame. that covers continues right after this. -- that coverage continues right after this. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪ c .

shock and sadness in paris as the eye clininic not too dumb to fedederal goes up in flames. firefighters are racacing to sae the twelfth century landmarkk afterr a blaze erupted on the roof monday evening. onlookers were horrified at the seveven hundred d f fifty tons y of the f famed catathedral colld before they're always. everyone in the crowd here very emotional. very upset. burning down at this very momen. there are no words. even describe what's happening right now h harris is collapsing [inaudible] horrible hororrible. by collapse my home. the