from berlin. tonight, the bahamas reeling from hurricane dorian destruction. tens of thousands in need of immediate humanitarian aid, but devastation means it's hard to reach them. also coming up tonight, the british prime minister has repeated his determination to see his country leave the european union on october 31. boris johnson also wants a general election n before brexi.

also -- >> i am in pain and i feel we are dying. not only the cininema. we are dying because cinema taught us culture and arart. brent: many of yemen's cultural institutions have been destroyed by the country's civil war. the dw will introduce you to young people determined to give the country's arts alive. i'm brent goff. to viewers on pbs in the united states and around the world, welcome. millions of people tonight have been evacuated from the southeastern coast of the united states as hurricane dorian approaches. despite losing strength, the storm is still carrying dangerously high winds, which threatened to bring flooding to

coastal areas in georgia and north and south carolina. dorian left a trail of devastation in the bahamas after lashing the islands for almost three days. at least 20 people are dead, and it is feared that death toll will rise. >> in the heart of the hurricane, volunteer rescuers struggle to find what they are looking for, but then, dangling from the attic of a home, life, trapped by the storm. one by one, a family emerges from the darkness. the more fortunate are already returning home to dorian's destruction. the island family's house was flooded, everything destroyed. all they want now are photographs. >> that's my wife. she saved us. she turned the power off. she said the window, not the

front door. she said find dry land. >> this was the scene when the islands made their daring escape, clutching their most prized possessions. paradise has been pulverized. thousands of homes torn apart, boats torn up -- boats tossed around as the storm surge, locals distraught. >> my island is finished. everythings gone. no b banks, no stores, n no not. it will take at least four to five years to complete reconstruction. nothing is here. nothing at all. everything is gone. >> for those left behind, putting the bahamas back together is expected to cost billions, and the government says allies have promised a pension. >> i spoke with president trump

who has expressed the support of and pledged the assistance of the united states of america for the bahamas in our time of need. >> back at the island family home, offers of help have been pouring in, too. >> so many people are trying to help. like, 23 people have offered so much. we are all wearing the same clothes that we escape this house in. so -- sorry -- so it's just really good to get that support and know that you can rebuild. >> after surviving the second strongest hurricane on record, he and his family are lucky to be alive. brent: tonight, british prime minister boris johnson is repeating his assistance that the u.k. leave the european

union by october 31, saying today that he would rather "the dead in a ditch" then ask the eu for another extension. mr. johnson has had a difficult day with his brother,r, adding o his local woes by resigning from the government today and announcing that he is leaving politics. jo johnson previously campaigned for britain to remain in the european union. meanwhile, those mp's who oppose a new deal brexit take control of proceedings inside parliament. brexit tears outside growing increasingly frustrated. >> the pro-europeans are out in force, and they are rejoicing. for the moment, it looks like the prime minister needs to bow to their will, but an ac -- in a sea of flags, brexit tears --

brexiteers show they, too, are fighting for their view. >> we are the silent majority. we don't demonstrate. we vote. we did not expect people to ignore our vote, so that has been a bit of a surprise for us, but we are hoping for a general election because then we can vote again and get rid of the remain in peace -- mp's who blocked our leaving. >> for susan and other brexiteers, leaving the eu is more important than anything else. they regard brussels as undemocratic and anything short of leaving on the 31st of october a breach of democracy. they still want this to be seen through almost with any cost and even without agreement with the eu. short of consequences like food shortages, rising inflation, even job losses don't seem to scare them.

pro-eu mp's are determined not to let it come to this. it is her priority to prevent leaving without a deal, and then it should all go back to the people for another referendum. people set for a long time,e, of course we are going to have a deal. of course it easy -- easiest thing in history. everything has turned out entirely different from what was promised in 2016. more than three years on, definitely, democracy has to be practiced and the people have to be asked again. >> day after day, susan nicholson comes to parliament to tell mp's that she and her fellow brexiteers have not changed their minds. >> i think it would be sensible and mature to agree on a mutually beneficial trade deal with the eu. unfortunately, that's not going to happen at the moment. they are using no deal as a means of continually delaying our departure so they can then say there's no mandate for it. >> remainders and brexiteers

both claiming to be the true defenders of democracy and as each side becomes ever more entrenched, there's no compromise in sight. brent: a judge in germany has described two child sex abusers as monstrous and despicable. she said that today as she handed down prison sentences to two men for sexually assaulting more than 30 children over two decades. some of their victims were toddlers. the men carried out the crimes at a campsite in northwestern germany. police are being criticized for failing to intervene sooner. >> severe sexual abuse of children in more than 200 cases. both men were found guilty of abusing more than 30 children. the main victim, when men's own eight-year-old foster child. the sentences are close to the

maximum penalty in germany, but it's likely the men will never be leave releleased. one of the defense lawyers accepted the verdict. >> in the end, it's 13 years. i have s stated at other times, when. >> it was ononly in octobeber lt year that one of the girlsls' mothers reported the crimes to the police that happened at the campsite where he lived. the trial, considered one of the biggest cases of sexual abuse in germany, caused outrage and raise many questions, including how one of them and was allowed to foster a child when he was unemployed and living at a campground. and despite the fact he had been under suspicion of sexual assault. the police also came in for criticism after evidence, a

suitcase full of dvdvd's of chid pornography and abuse, disappearered. this verdidi should not mean the whole story is over and done with. yes, we have convictcted the two main perpetrators who did this to the children themselves, but in the background, there are people who could have helped save many children from these experiences. >> even though the men have been sentenced to 12 and 13 years, the court labeled them both dangerous offenders, meaning they could be held indefinitely past their sentences. brent: for more on this, i'm joined by our political correspondent. good to see you. these men will not necessarily be released from prison even after their sentences have been served, as we understand it. it's called preventative detention. how does that work? >> the maximum sentences they

can begin by the court are 15 years under german law. the reason they did not get those maxim sentences is in part because of the confessions they gave round the beginning of the trial, which meant that these victims, children did not have to come to court and repeat their evidence, so the judge had to take that into account, but nonetheless, you have this detention which is essentially if the court believes that these people even after they have served their sentences will still pose a threat to children, and that is what the psychologists have said. these people have deeply entrenched pedophile tendencies, and that is why the judge has said they can continue to be held, and they probably will stay in jail for the rest of their lives. print: as long as the psychologist think the threat of them being a repeat offender iss there. dozens of victims, the e childrn as young as four years old at the time that they were abused

and raped, and this was going on for two decades. what is the political reaction to this? >> of course, there is outrage. as you mentioned, the judge described these people as monstrous and repugnant. we have had some other official reactions. senior government officials, sort of government watchdog on cases of sexual abuse said this was an important signal that the state will act in cases like this where children come to harm . the families minister said today it was a good sign but more needs to be done. there are calls for changes to procedures because it is clear that the child protection agencies and police did not really do what they perhaps could have done and should have done to protect children over such a long would of time. print: we understand in the run-up to the trial there were serious errors in the investigation.

how have authorities been reacting to what appears to be a systemic failure that was exposed? >> there are a number of investigations now going on. police but also child services, as i mentioned, are beingng investigated for their failures, as you say, in the investigation as well, the police lost significant amounts of evidence. it was material that these men have filmed their crimes, and some of that has been lost, so there is a p rional state as well because people want to get to the bottom ofof why so many things went wrong at such a political time. brent: thank you. here are some of the other stories making headlines around the world. at least 40 people have been killed in severe flooding in niger. the floods sparked by exceptionally high what are levels in the niger river have swamped the capital. tetens of thousands have fled

their homes. -- sparked by exceptionally high water levels. pope francis has praised mozambique's opposition leader for their role in sigigning a peace accord. the pope called for them to use hope a and sustainable developmt is weapons of peace -- as weapons of peace. you are watching "dw news." still to come e -- culture in a time off war. dw meets people in yemen working to sustain the country's cultural life as civil conflict rages around them. that's coming up in just a moment. german chancellor angela merkel begins a three-day visit to china in a few hours along with a trade delegation traveling with her. german businesses looking for potential openings in the chinese market made possible by washington's trade dispute with beijing, but merkel is also facing calls at home to speak

out about human rights issues. merkel's spokesman has already made it clear that chancellor will not meet with protest leaders from hong kong. >> the people of hong kong have taken to the streets in their thousands, and they then doing this for more than three months now. ththey have also b been protestg more than just the extraditionn law. democratic rights like freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are at the top of their list, and free elections. thesese videos w were made justa few days ago, and this conflict is on the verge of escalating, even though hong kong's government leader retracted the disputed law on wednesday. >> the withdrawal of this bill came too late. it no longer matters. the problem now is the police force. >> in the midst of this internal conflict, the german chancellor

is visiting china. the visit to beijing is not expected to b be easy. politicians, humanan rights organizations, and activists in hong kong expect angela merkel to take a stand. protest movement leader joshua wong appeared to merkel before her trip for support in his push for democracy in hong kong. as in past years, she is traveling to beijing with a large business delegation, but yet again, merkel's visit is being overshadowed by the issue of human rights. not just because of what is happening in hong kong. human rights organizations have been complaining about the situation of minorities in china for r years. for example, how muslim uighurs are being treated. thousands have been moved to huge so-called reeducation camps in the northwest of the people's republic. internet access is blocked, and anyone who reports on social issues might land in prison. >> the situation regarding freedom of the press in china

has deteriorated considerably, especially in the xi jinping. china ranks 177 out of 180 countries and the press and of ranking list. no country has more journalists in prison. currently at least 113 are in prison. what worries us most is that some of these journalists are in life-threatening conditions. >> civil rights lawyers also end up behind bars. like this representative of victims of land expropriation. in january, he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. the fact that the german government stood up for him was not well-received in china. president xi refuses to accept criticism from abroad, calling it unwanted interference. brunt -- brent: from asia to africa, ghana's president says

his country is threatened by terrorists. attacks in west africa pose a growing risk, so the president wants to adopt measures that will prevent extremism. one of these measures is better access to education for young people, especially as more and more young muslims in ghana are being targeted by terrorists groups online. our correspondent met one of them, who almost joined so-called islamic state. >> he was just 22 when he agreed to join the so-called islamic statate. he had r recently finished schol and was unable to find work. we have changedd his namee to protect his ididentity. he was recruited through facebook. he says they told him if he joined their crew, he would be given money and somewhere to live.

>> the message was accommodation, money, and everything would be provided for you. i was not forced, but i was revealed in -- reeled in. you get what i'm saying? i was not forced. >> he changed his mind. he says is saved him. >> is education that we are lucky.y. one day, all this will be solved globally.

>> the program was made by the west african center for counter extremism. itit's leadeder -- its leader ss that in just two years, they have stopped more than 50 young people from joining i.s. community engagement and talking to young people is also part of their initiative. >> somomeone is swayed by negate religious idealsls, we use religious ideals to help this person regain their lenses and positive place in society. > so far, the terrororist grp has reachched nearly 1000 yououg peopople, but it wantsts to d d. counseling and more job opportunities will help, he says.

he wants to help, too, although he still cannot revere -- revevl his identity for fear of stigma. he hopes soon he will be able to use his story to discourage others from being radicalized. brent: cultural life in yemen has nearly come to a standstill since the start of the civil war there five years ago. in a place where so many people struggle for the basics like food, housing, and health care, cultural -- culture probably does not seem that important, but dw have met people in yemen seeking a semblance of normality through the arts. they say more culture could lead to less conflict. >> most people here are struggling to survive and young people are fed up with the limited opportunities they have due to the lack of security.

quest they have not a lot of places to go here -- >> they have not a lot of places to go here. i'm reading some books and watching some movies. >> the only museum in town was partially destroyed in the civil war. cultural life has already been quite limited. with civil war in 2015, itt basically came to a halt. this place right here is just one example. >> this is the oldest cinema in yemen, but not much is left of its former glory. >> we have 150 volts of power, and this screen plate color and black and white movies. ititas beautififul. it wasererfect >> abdullah used to be responsible for these theaters.

he still has the k keys to showe around. for him, ththinking about life before the war is painful. >> p people came with their wivs and others with their families. you could find culture, education, and respect. people were dressed in their best clothes. >> it is not jusust because of lack of fooood that yemenis are dying. people's souls with her away wiwithout cess to culture, he says. >> i am in pain, and i fear we are dying. not only the cinema, but we are dyingg because cinema taught us culture and art. if the c cinema still existed, there would not be any chaos..

>> but these young people want to revive cultural life in yemen. they are rehearsing at play to be performed in public with the first time in more than four years. with basics like electricity hard to come by, the theater is a way to vent. >> turn the power on from the other line. >> is it your hobby to make my life miserable? >> what nonsense talk. just go. >> the d director belilieves tht art iss nececsary to c channel peoplele's emomotions about thte difficulties in their lives, but is it the right time to talk about arch -- artrt? >> people say it's not the proper time for art t or sport, but that's not true. we'rere all stuck in the same bd situation. >> real life expressed through art for artists in yemen. it is a way to promote dialogue and peace in their country.

>> in a country where they cannot even get food, you've got people thinking about the arts and culture. how is that possible? >> you may wonder, but if you talk to people on the ground who are so frustrated that nothing really is changing, that there's violence, food shortage, or in this report, we have seen people are rehearsing a play about the shortage of electricity, for basic things, they want to unwind and criticize the situation that the yemeni government or whatever is left of it is just unable to bring about peace. neither is the saudi led coalition. they are really frustrated, so culture is a way to vent, to unwind and to criticize ultimately between the lines, something less a dangerous thahn doing it very directlyly. what we see here in terms of theater plays, they are rehearsising underground. it's just now that a group of people is trying to get out and

say they are going to perform publicly, no matter what. brent: it's fascinating, too, that you say they are using the arts as a way to cope with realities outside of war would most people would think that in civil war, cultural arts would be a luxury. for these people, it is almost a necessity. >> it is a necessity like life itself. it's the way they can breed, the way they can go through their daily struggles, by participating as actorors and actresses. cultural life did not cease to exist. it did cease to exist publicly, but not on the ground. this rehearsal, for example, took laced with there is a coffee shop in a bakery. the performance today is going to take place in a wedding hall. recently jihadists were attacking. there is a curfew -- not an official curfew, but everyone i spoke to knows it's not a good idea to go out in the evening,

but still, you want to go out and talk about the problems. a play, for example, is one of these things where you can do it. brunt: we have about 30 seconds. were you surprised, though, to even find this story? >> i was surprised, but then again i was not because i know coulter a life did exist before the war ended did not cease to exist. brunt: thank you for sharing. you are watching "dw news." after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day . stick around for that.

. about you as you live from paris and for us to do for the headlines this hour. boris johnson says he'd'd rather be dead in a ditch then go to brussels to ask for anonother brexit e extension fresh from losing several votes in parliament the british prime minister. says he wants a general election on october. turkey's president warns the in use that he will open the floodgates and allow millions of syrian refugees to have. unless a safe zone the displaced people is set up inside the war torn country. and argentina's economic crisis worsens protests in buenos aires is the country's most vulnerable a hit by soaring