>> this is "dw news" live from berlin. tonight, going back to hell, going back to auschwitz. on the 75th anniversary of the liberation, survivors speak of the past with a message for the future. joined by world leaders and dignitaries to honor those murdered at the camp, they warned not to forget. also tonight, as he welcomes prime minister benjamin netanyahu to the white house, president trump says he has a plan for middle east peace.

details are due on tuesday. and the world mourns a sports giant. kobe bryant, basketball superstar, has d died along with his teenage daughter and seven others in a hehelicopter crash near los angeles. >> i'm brent goff. to viewers around the united and around the world, welcome. they are old and few, but they came from far and wide back to the place they were supposed to have died. survivors of the auschwitz death camp joined world leaders and dignitaries to mark the 75th anniversary y of the liberationf the camp, the day when the killings stopped. >> reliving the horrors of

auschwitz. the agony etched over his face. and yet, despite the pain, these holocaust survivors have returned to this former death camp to remind the world where anti-semitism and racism can lead. >> ♪ >> in front of the gates of auschwitz, known as the gates of death, a commemoration ceremony in which delegates from 61 countries are taking part, and 200 auschwitz survivors, each with their terrible memories of what happened here.

>> naked women driven in trucks from the barracks to the gas chamber. i can hear them screaming. i can hear it in my subconscious when i remember those events. >> elsa who is blind was eight when she arrived at auschwitz. she was one of the thousands of roma people deported here. >> it is an honor for me to be here amongst so many people who have suffered so painfully, perhaps even much more so than i , and it is -- i don't know. i am upset. >> but in spite of the past, anti-semitism is on the rise

again. >> in 2020, we hear the same lies the nazis used so effectively in their propaganda. they said, jews have too much power, jews controlol the econoy and media, jews control governments, jews control everything. we hear this madness online, in the media, and even within democratic governments. >> these brave men andnd women know the cost of a anti-semitis. they cannot forget. but it already seems that too many are not listening. brent: 75 years afterwards, the chief political editor has been following the commemoration. it has been a day where so many --

and for more now, i am joined at the big table by an historian in berlin at berlin's free university. it is good to see you again. much of your work as an historian is connected with commemorating the past. how important are ceremonies like the one we see today? >> i think ceremonies are very important. however, we have to go beyond ceremonies. in particular, i think we have to educate young people with what it means to be jewish. we need to spread knowledge about jewish life, jewish religion, in order to prevent the rise of new anti-semitism as a result of lack of knowledge, lack of experience. brent: do you think that is the

problem, we are not imparting enough history to young people today? does that explain the rise of populist parties and anti-semitism? >> i think it is one of the reasons. of course, we have several reasons of course. but it is one of the reasons. people know too little about jewish life. and there are barriers. there is xenophobia as a result of lack of knowledge, lack of empathy, and lack of experience. we have to equate young people with what it means to be jewish and what it meant to be jewish in the past. in the third reich. brent: survivors and witnesses are always an important part of the commemorations. listen to what a soldier from the soviet red army had to say when he entered auschwitz in 1945. >> as we approached the camp,

there was the smell of burning in the air. of course, we were already used to the smellll of burning. we had come through ukraine and had seen and g gone into burn dn cities and into towns -- first down cities and into towns that were still burning. but the smell was somehow acrid. our comrmrades from m a differet regiment entered the camp from a different side. they told us when they went in, they saw burning and smoldering stocks -- stacks. the camp guards had stacked up timber and then piled on the corpses, and did more timber, and more bodies, all in stacks. they poured gasoline on it all and lit it on fire.

our comrades saw those stacks when they were still smoldering. and the smell of the smoke really was everywhere in the area, even when we left, that smell of burning stayed with us for a long time. brent: you can understand the auschwitz holocaustst survivor elie wiesel said what happened was beyond human imagination, which is true, but how important are these eyewitness testimonies now? there are fewer and fewer of these survivors, eyewitness, to tell us what they saw. how important are they as we remember? >> this may be one of the last major occasions to include these survivors into the ceremonies. this is what makes it kind of unique. i think survivors' memories are

important because they link us to the past. they link the present and the past. we need to keep the memories. this has been done, is being done, through projects such as the show a foundation -- shoah foundation. we also have to preserve the remains of the victims. this is being done in places like auschwitz. the importance is to make history very concrete and comprehensible. the fate of the victims is very important. we need to know the overall policies of the nazi perpetrators. but their impact on human beings needs to be made clear. brent: does it change the way we remember the past, particularly the holocaust, when there are no more survivors? >> i think it does.

this is why it is so important to focus on the victims and preserve their memories. as i said, this makes history very clear and concrete, quite apart from the overall policies we have to talk about as well. brent: historian with the free university here in berlin, as always, we appreciate your insights. our coverage of the auschwitz ceremony continues later right here on "the day." you can watch it here or on demand on our website at dw.com. here is a look at other stories making headlines around the world. u.s. officials have confirmed a small american military plane has crashed in afghanistan. the aircraft went down in the taliban-held province of ghazni. the spokesman gave conflicting statements over whether it

crashed or was shot down. the incident is still being investigated. pakistani police have arrested the activist and critic for disturbing public order ahead of a planned rally on monday. his group, the ptm, have accused security forces of conducting extrajudicial killings. italy'ss right-wing party has failed in its bid, losing to the left democratic party. he had hoped a victory in the north would help him bring down italy's fragile national coalition government. u.s. president donald trump says he has a plan now to solve the israeli-palestinian conflict and plans to unveil it on tuesday. it is expected to be firmly in israel's favor and has already been rejected by palestinian authorities. today, trump welcomed prime

minister benjamin netanyahu and his main political rival to the white house e to discuss thehe e plan. >> the jordann valley in the occupied west bank, the area borderining jordan,n, is stratetegically portrtant for bh israelisis and palesestinians. the fertile area is home to israeli settlements. palestinian villages, and many farms. at this israeli farm, he is waiting to hear more a about president trump's way forward. > we do not n need anyone t y out a peace plan. having said thatat, we trust president trump and prime minister netanyahu that they will strike a good deal. >> expectations are particularly high amongng israeli officials that the trump plan could lead to the annexatation o of t the n vavalley area. ththat means it t would officiay become p part of the state of

israel as s the prime ministerr promised during the last election campapaign. >> i thinknk it is a dramamatic momoment foror the state of isi. ththe adoption of israeli law in the jordan valley will give security to o the residedents oe coastal plain and the people of israel. >> for d decades, israeli politicians have demananded the jordan valleley remainin with il as a security buffer is the eastern border with jordan. today, is already controlled by israel as a result of the oslo peace accords. this area makes up about one ququter of thehe bank. israelis say they cannot give up the jordan valley for strategic reasons. palestinian's say there cannot be a palestinian state without the jordan valley. in the palestinian village, people are waiting to hear what the trump plan in tales.

the leadership was not consulted becaususe it has cut diplomatic relations with the trump administstration. >> he doeses not havave the rig. he does not havave the right to hand out land that is not his. it is not the property of his father you can just hand out. >> skepticism also prevails among palestinians in the part of the city palestinians would like to see as the capital of a future state. in 2017, trump recogninized jerusalem as the capital israel. many have no hope you will take their interests into account. >> this deal brings fear. it is a humiliation. sincnce 1948, we have tried to establish ouour presence that we arare humiliated and do not have any say in decision-making.g. >> this deal of the century is being imposed on us.

ananything imposed does not inve peace, it i invites war.. as a human, i ask for peace and you impose peace in your way so you are saying to me no. >> while people are counting down the time until they know more about the trump plan, one thing is all but certain, that it will cause further tensions in the region. brent: china has extended the lunar new year holiday to keep people at home and contain the spread of the new coronavirus. the death toll has jumped to more than 80 with at least 2700 people infected. the virus has also surfaced in 11 countries around the globe. travel bans have put several chinese cities under lockdown. life for tens of millions has come to a standstill. >> wuhan drained of life. traffic arteries swept clean.

the city's main train station shuddered and deserted. checkpoints are everywhere measuring the temperature of the few drivers still on the streets. this is a city in the grip of a deadly disease. while transport has come to a virtual standstill, these images from social media show hospitals crowded with people desperate to be treated. as the official number of cases keeps rising, beijing's response has been hands-on. hospitals are being stamped out of the ground in wuhan to be completed in little more than a week. but intervention from the top is likely not enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus. officials say local efforts are momore important than ever. >> the epidemic prevention and control efforts are at a

critical moment. it is necessary to mobilize grassroots communities, including rural communities. we need to implement management and ensure every household and individual fully exercises prevention and control measures. >> in a country usually managed from up high, the evolution of the disaster response in china is a sign of how serious this public health crisis is. >> our correspondent is in beijing where people say they are frightened and increasingly frustrated with the authorities. >> this area is a major tourist hotspot in the heart of beijing. it is unusually quiet, even for a new year's holiday. people avoid going out. people try to stay at home as much as they can and try not to meet other people in order not to catch the disease that has many people here worried.

what is worrying the people is we still know little about the disease, and people have the feeling they cannot trust the information they are getting. nobody knows how widespread the disease already is. there is a lot of criticism of the government in social media in china, unusually widespread and blunt. people feel the government could have stopped this epidemic if it had reacted earlier. brent: mike askar -- madagascar is in the midst of an intense rainy season wreaking havoc on the island. dozens have died and thousands displaced after a week of torrential rains and floods. the government has called on the international community to send emergency aid. >> these are desperate times. villagers cast their net into the filthy floodwaters.

any hopes of a feast soon fade. in the end, they catch more acks than n sustenance. >> our cattle were carried away by the water.. our chairs and covers,s, the ba, the mamattress, and even the bed frame. and our stock of rice is gone. >> meanwhile, young men take priced furniture to safety. theieir minds remainin aware thr next meal will come from.. >> our fooood was taken n away y ththe water. the price of food has gone up. that is w why we are suffering. >> the s suffering is widesprea. dozens h have died and thousands have been forced to flee their homes. for more than a week, heavy rains have drowned this low-lying farming region, wiping out rice fields, destroying

roads and critical infrastructure. people expect floodods, but this year, the levels are extreme. >> i'm begging you to help us. everything we have has been destroyed, even our house, a house made of bricks which we only recently built. on the other side, it is totally destroyed. e bricks a are broken. we a are begging you, come and helplp us. >> as victims here try to salvage what they can, the government has declared a national disaster and calls for international partners to help out. brent: fans and fellow players are mourning the death of the american basketball star kobe bryant. he, along with his teenage daughter and seven others, died sunday in a helicopter crash.

the retired la lakers player was using a private chopper when it went down near los angeles. the victims included his teenage daughter and other young athletes and members of their families. an investigation has begun. authorities say other local air traffic was grounded on sunday due to the fog. his death has triggered a h huge outpouring of grief. >> he was the smiling face of the nba for two decades. kobe bryant dominated as the centerpiece to the formidable los angeles lakers his entire career. his death has shocked fans around the world. many of them say his influence expands beyond the basketball court. >> it was more than basketball. it was the mentality to get through life. he got me through so many struggles of my life. it is one of the hardest losses

i have ever dealt with and i never met the man. >> and 45 years of living, i have not felt this much grief and love for one man. >> bryant was the shooting guard that went straight from high school to the nba. he was in 18-time all-star that won five titles and olympic medals. he was accused of rape. the case was eventually dropped and a civil suit was settled out of court. his daughter also showed on court talent and was aiming to follow in her father's footsteps. branch credited gianna after he earned an oscar for his animated short, "dear basketball." >> my daughter gave me the best piece of advice. i was a little worried about turning this into a film. i had never done anything like this before. we were talking about it as a family.

my little 11-year-old gianna said, dad, you always tell us to go after our dreams, so man up. man up. so i had to man up and go for it. >> bryant and his wife had four daughters. and after retiring in 2016, he became a vocal advocate for female sports. even outside of sports, people around the world are mourning the loss of a longtime icon. brent: to talk about that, i'm joined by anthony howard from our sports desk. it is amazing the reactions we are seeing to the news kobe bryant has died. it is not so much because he was a basketball player, it was because he transcended the world of traffic of all, right? >> yeah, i think would allow him to do that was respect.

the message was respect for it did not set out to be liked all the time. he was not liked by all of his teammates because he demanded everyone pursue success and winning with the same intensity he did. there was no room for anyone else with any other intent other than that intensity that translated into his other businesses. he built a venture-capital company that invested in alibaba and dell computers. they exited and still owns a stake in fortnite games. he was across a broad church, entertainment, music, a lot of other things. whatever he did, he demanded that single-mindedness. i think that is what allowed him to touch people from different walks of life. that is what gave him the respect of so many, as we are about to see. >> as an athlete, he used his

platform to o do so much good. we need more of that. i feel horrible about the loss. >> he had his own style of the way he played ball and everything. just like everybody wanted to be like mike, there was a lot of people that wanted to be like kobe bryant, too. >> everyone thinks of kobe is this incredible basketball player, but he was such an incredible human being and would help anyone, anytime. brent: it was a mentality that made him so likable. like he said, i would rather be a lightning rod than someone who is happy-go-lucky all the time. the crash of the helicopter, do we know anything 24 hours later about why it crashed? >> the federal aviation authority and the national transportation authority will sift through the wreckage for mechanical crews.

this will likely begin and in and with the weather conditions, the thick fog. the lapd air support when chose not to take off, as you mentioned in the intro. they go for two miles visibility and a ceiling no less than 1000 feet. they did not have that available in mountainous terrain. they are going through the records what air traffic control said to the pilot. brent: we know los angeles is not a place where pilots have a lot of experience flying and fog --in fog. thank you. tributes were paid to kobe bryant at the 2020 grammys in los angeles. there was sadness and joy, especially for the 18-year-old pop sensation billie eilish and her brother. they took 11 honors for a record they produced in the bedroom of their los angeles home. she also became the youngest artist ever to pick up four top grammys for best artist, best

album, and song of the year. >> ♪ brent: is a reminder of that top story we are following. holocaust survivors were centerstage at auschwitz today to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the nazi extermination camp. many used their personal memories to warn against today's anti-semitism and xenophobia calling on politicians to do more for people under threat now. this is "dw news." after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around. ♪

on france twenty four. france twenty four .com. kennedy to smoking to live from paris world news and analysis from france twenty four i marco in these the world news headlines. survivors of world leaders in poland to mark seventy five years since the liberation of auschwitz. in paris french president emmanuel macron's condemned the rise of anti semitism saying it's not just a problem for jews it's a problem for all of us. the death toll in the- corona virus outbreak has risen to at least eighty two. on the chinese city of eleven n million and sourceef the infection remains a lock down the fate of foreign nationals inside