berlin, german politics shaken over a scandal involving the far conservative end liberal parties under severe pressure after breaking a decades-long taboo. new developments unfolding as angela merkel visits on gola to forge economic ties. outrage is brewing over the death of the doctor who first sounded the alarm over the coronavirus and was then

threatened bipolar lease. chinese this -- chinese authorities laununch an investigation. plus, protesters in delhi being targeted by the indian hindu national government. our correspondent explains why activists have taken center stage and achy city election. ♪ helena: i i'm helena humphrey. glad you could join me. scandal and a far-right election has plunged chancellor angela merkel's party into crisis. some regional conservatives sided with the populist in germany to install a liberal premier in the eastern state of thuringia. it broke a rule among mainstream parties to shun extreme next --

to shun extremist politics. correspondent: it is where a member of angela merkel's party comes under this much scrutiny, but this politician was surrounded by news teams after promoting far-right populists on the national agenda. the party chief had a clear answer. >> for the party in thuringia and across germany, there will be no direct or indirect cooperation with the afd. there is no voting for a candidate that relies on support from the afd. correspondent: but that is what happened in the thuringia state parliament this week. a candidate from the party with fewest seats, the free democrats, was elected premier with only support from angela merkel's party on the far-right. this kind of collaboration sets a postwar president -- precedent. the outcry was immediate.

channel land -- chancel -- chancellor merkel said the move was an unforgivable mistake and is calling for new elections in thuringia. but merkel has been getting pushback, so the party chief headed straight to the eastern state herself to deal with the rift between official party pencils and thuringia's christian democrats. crisis talks wentthey continuedy headquarters the nextthe party r counterparts in thuringia acted against her will. >> another mistake, and we mamae thisis very clelear, was ththate cdu in the range he supported this client -- this candidate against our recommendation, although it should have been positive -- obvious for everyone that was an opportunity for afd

to play manipulative games. correspondent: party leaders are in full agreement with their boss, no cooperation with the far-right. the crisis came to a head while on gola merkel a visit to africa. our correspondent is in angola, her second stop, and the political situation in germany is very much on the chancellor's mind. correspondent: developments are following the german chancellor all the way her to angola. we understand from her delegation that she is in contact with leaders of her political party undistracted work out a solution, but she did not want to talk about it here. although jouournalists triried o ask her questions. during a news conference she refused to address issues in germany and said this would happen tomororrow. she tried to divert attention to the real reasons why she came here. she wants to intensify cooperation between angola and germany. especially since the current government has been in power for two years now and has been

trying to pushh a cause of refom , going against the trend of massivee corruption the country has seen.. they'rere trying to go after the very peoeople who used to be in their own party andndtole money from the couountry. thee leaeader was asked at a prs conference whether he wouould le to have more international some port in freezing assets of people l like the daugughter ofe former president, and he said yes, he would appreciate it, but he would appreciate it more if the international world would help bring these assets back to angola. helena: lorenzo comes from the same political party is angola's previous leader. corruption under that administration devastated the economy, so many in angola arere skeptical about lorenzo's promises. correspondent: luanda, the capital of angolola, on displaln the city center is evidence of massive oil wealth that poured

into the southern african country in recent decades. but just a few kilometers away is another angolaa, one of poverty and mass on them limiti. we asked locals, has the new president chanand anything? >> there is a change, but it is all happening g much too slowly. for us, nothing has changed yet. we don't even have drdrinking water. >> the government should at least deal with waste removal. when it rains, there are floods that sometimes drag away our children. our houses are ruined too. we have many problems here. >> we want the new president to think about us. things are very bad for us here. our country is rich, but we

don't see any of it. some people have a lot of money, but we are suffering here. correspondent: lorenzo took office two years ago. his predecessor had been in power for 38 years. lorenzo's earnest attempts to confront rampant corruption h he surprprised manany. he h h even confnfronted former party allies. >> it is precisely because i have seen these high levels of corruption, and because i must -- and because i think it must be stopped him at that we are fightingng what we have witnessd for decades. it might be comfortable for us to leave things as they y were beforere, but would that be correct? we have a chance to make a chchange, and this is the right time to do it.

correspondent: lorenzo is eveven going after the formrmer prpresident'ss c children, espey isabel desantos. she is africa's richest woman and is accused ofof illegallyly diverting g hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers to her companies. has the e era o of corrupt eleln angola passed? residents of angola have doubts and want to see concrete results. helena: let's look at other stories making news. the french army says it has killed more than 30 islamic militants, writing on twitter the army said three separate operations targeted groups linked to al qaeda and the so-called islamic state. france has about 4500 soldiers in this region and is announced plans to boost its military presence further there. the u.s. says it has killed the leader of al qaeda in the

arabian peninsula. qassim al-rimi was reportedly killed. the terror network has not claimed responsibility for the killing. he claimed responsibility for shooting in pensacola, florida that killed three american sailors. in the u.s., the democratic party declares to judge the winner of the iowa caucuses. the monday contest was the first to choose a democratic candidate to run against president donald trump in the november election. buttigieg came in with just zero point 1% difference with senator bernie sanders, and both were awarded the same number of delegates. authorities in china say they have launched an investigation into the death of the doctor who first sounded the alarm about the coronavirus. li wenliang warned fellow medics about the virus and was then threatened by police and reprimanded for quote spreading rumors.

tragically, he became infected himself. correspondent: dr. li wenliang. on the first of december he noticed a virus similar to stars -- to sarsrs, the k kler virus, and poposted a warning on a grop for doctors. three days later r he was reprimanded b by officials at forced to sign an apology. wuhan shut down its food and wildlife market, the origin of the virus, the same day, but city officials delayed a citywide lockdown in the virus spread. weeks later, the city announced the virus and the official lockdown came, but according to statistics, that was too late. the virus is now spreading rapidly in china, although has only cauaused a few hundred cass worldwide. and it is killing people. dr.. li, one of many. in life, he sparked a national conversation about freedom of speech in china and in death, he has become a national hero.

>> i deeply regret his death and feel very sad. we need to see if hiss death canned changee anything, and i hope he did not die in vain. correspondent: china says it is now effectively dealing with the spread of the virus. >>xi jinping emphasized that the chinese government and its people have been making great efforts at fighting the epidemic. correspondent: but many people feel otherwise. for them, dr. li's story shows chinese officials' priorities are about political control and self-preservation. helena: the world health organization says the death toll from the coronavirus out rake has risen to 630 people, with 31,000 confirmed cases in china. the agency is staging an

international research conference next week to fast-track promising drug and vaccine projects in the race to contain the virus. in other developments, u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo says america is ready to spend $100 million helping china and other affected countries. one company in germany is hoping that its technology can help make a breakthrough. >> the pressure to produce a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is high. and given worldwide competition, time is of the essence. in the german city, a company has been awarded about 7 million euros, thanks to a vaccine initiative, the german government, and investors like bill gates. the fund is also backing companies in the u.s. and australia. >> clinical trials will tell us which t technology is most effective. we are glad other companies have different approaches to deal with this virus. we are relying on our technology. correspondent: here is the

difference. with current vaccinations, it is the weeknd virus that is injected, after which the human body of alps antibodies to fight it. the german researchers want a vaccine that bypasses the virus. their process aims to get the human body to stimulate just a crucial part of the coronavirus in order to protect itself against it. >> i am assuming the first clinical trials with vaccines for the new coronavirus can be launched this year, including in germany. correspondent: but approving a vavaccine could takeke years, st may come online too late for the current epidemic. helena: french president manwell president macron -- french president manuel macron is offering allies a chance to partner with france and its nuclear deterrence program. speaking at the military academy in paris, the french leader so argued europe should become less

dependent on the united states when it comes to defense. ♪ correspondent: since taking office, macron has positioned himself as a driving force for a more coordinated defense strategy within the european union. but this keynote speech was delivered to a domestic audience at the paris military academy. >> europeans need to be clear they could be confronted with a conventional threat or even a nuclear threat. they can't just take on a bystander role. correspondent: macron says france's interests have taken on international dimension, especially after the u.k. partner -- u.k. departure from the eu. france is now the only nuclear power in the block and macron believes those capabilities should benefit the eu. >> i would like a strategic dialogue with willing european partners about the role of

france's nuclear deterrence and our collective security. cocoespondent:t: france maintais ththe world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, meaning it is the only eu country that doesn't rely on the u.s. or its nuclear deterrence. macron would put french nuclear weapons under eu or nato command -- would not put nuclear weapons under eu or nato command, but is offering eu partners a chance to participate in french nuclear drills. helenana: you are watching dw news. still to come, ♪ dreaming of stardom in nigeria's top-dollar entertainment industry. but only a lucky few will ever hit the big time. ♪ that is coming up, but first, for nearly two months street protests led in new delhi mainly by muslim women have become the biggest opposition to the indian government within years.

the issue is a religious test granting citizenship in secular india. the ruling hindu gap party of prime minister narendra modi says protesters are anti-national elements and that only the bjp can protect indians from them. that has become the party's rallying cry for elections for a new local government in delhi. ♪ correspondent: campaigning has reached a fevered pitch in the indian capital. this man is doing his bit to win a seat for the hindu-nationalist party bjp. his campaign theme song says it all. ♪ he is especially concerned about a months-long sit in in delhi against an amended citizenship law. the law makes religion a test of citizenship for the first time.

protesters say it's exclusion of muslims is this criminal tory and unconstitutional. they say they are and something -- that they are insulting hindu symbols and want freedom from hindu symbols. they are bribing people to increase crowds of protesters. senior bjp leaders have called the protests malicious, destructive and anti-national, urging delhi to express anger against the city and by rewarding bjp. one bjp politician even lead crowds and chance to shoot the traitors. two men shot firearms at protest sites. an activist t testified -- an

activist asked what the bjp politician wasn't cited for inciting violence.e. delhlhi police rejected his application, calling it a threat to law & order. now he is going to court. if you can't u use a slogan f f the r right under f free speechy can a politicician? >> hate helps them radicalilize people. unemployment is at an all-time high. the bjp has a huge number of people that don't have jobs. how do you channel all the a anr inside these people? you give them something to hate . for the bjp, that is muslims. correspondent: protesters are unfazed. theieir motto has become flowew, not bulllls. musicians, sports and actors

across the country have been pouring into perform for the protesters. >> it is sort of like the end game. if we don't fight rightt now, if we don't voice our opinions right now, there is no way ahead of it. if you are against wet is going on right now -- against what is going on right now, you have to be here. that is the least you can do as a human. correspondent: during the campaign, these protesters have been called many things. sellouts, traitors, even suicide bombers. ♪ in time, they say they will bee recogngnized for what t they are doing and what they are, freedom fighters. ♪ helena: let's look at other news. irish politicians have wrapped up the final day of campaigning ahead of saturday's general election. polls predict a tight race between prime minister leo

varadkar's party and the center right party, and for the first time sinn fein and a left-wing national party left by -- led by mary lou mcdonnell is offering policies to tackle the housing and health care crisis. the australian east coast has welcomed its heaviest rainfall in nearly 20 years. the downpour has helped put out some of the country' as devastating bushfires and brought relief to farmers battling a prolonged route, but the rain has also caused flooding and a risk of landslides. swedish climate activist greta thunberg has been taking part in a school strtrike in lapland, joining other teenagers. she is on a visit to the region to find out more about how employment -- how climate changes affecting the arctic. it comes as experts on the other of the world measured record temperatures in antarctica.

since nigerian artists like whiz kid climbed to start amend international fame, a trend has been developing in nigeria. young people are turning to the entertainment industry to try their luck. to many, it sounds like easy money, as i plummet is high, especially among young people. our correspondent looks into a multibillion-dollar business. ♪ correspondent: money, flashy cars, fame. if you don't have it, aim for it, at least that is a a c commn theme e in nigerian n pop cultu. alfred was atudent off sociciology, but with d dim prospects he turned to directing music videos. >> in this country, we arere millions of graduates, jobless graduates. i found out in no time that is not the way for me. i had to create a solution for myself.

correspondent: he is not yet a household name, so he cannot charge his clients big bucks. >> it is work, basically. sometimes i run a loss just to prprove a point that i know howo do this, i can make it happen, this is what i can do. correspondent: every new project is a chance to unearth the next big thing, he hopes. today it t is anita gina, a singer, the set up p an improvised, low-budget. >> i have a lot of things to offer. i am an rn to be singer. that is not, here. -- i am an r& be singer. that is not common here. correspondent: entertainment is

a multibillion-dollar industry in nigeria and is growing fast. new artists emerge every dayay, but not everyone e has the talet to break into this business or know how to turn their talent into cash. ♪ anita will sing this cover song a dozen times today for a video designed for youtube. alfred is directing for free, a win-win situation for both. if the final product becomes a success, but will it? i am about to meet a big name in the nigerian e entertainment industst, a and i percent enentrepreneur.. she believes understanding the business is key to success. here, she wants too set up a school to groom future stars. >> this is going to be a very big open space. we are big multitaskers. correspondent: the biggest

problem, she says, a lot of young people start with unrealistic expectations. >> you don't get a job, where it is the easiest place you look to , the entertainment industry. it is unskilled labor and millions of dollars. it looks like it is good, easy money, but it is not. after 100, may j just to make i. and the school equips aspiring artists with the tools they need to thrive in showbiz. >> a lot of people want to be actors, you want to be a singer, and so many other careers, and the entertainment industry you could be an agent, you could be a costume person. ♪ correspondent: it is early days for alfred and aninita. many havee done ithis waway and have made it to ststardom. that is what keeps others training. ♪

helena: south sudan ease athletes open to make an impact at the tokyo olympics are already training. a japanese city has been holding and athletics training camp for the east african nation for nearly a year now, and without hardly any -- and with hardly any training facilities in their entry, one athlete has made himself home in japan and hopes the sauce cuss -- hopes the success of the games will unify his country. correspondent: you would have to look hard to find training facilities like this in south sudan, because they just don't exist. this long-distance runner is among a handful of athletes who accepted an invitation to train for the summer games in japan. initially there were reservations about he and other sudanese athletes would be treated, but after living in training there for months, he has grown fond of the japanese. >> since we came here, we have

seen a lot of love and discover the japanese are not like others. when we came here, we didn't expect that much love. we were actually worried because sometimes when you go to a foreign country, sometimes you may have challenges, so i was wondering what challenges i would be having. but when i got here, the love was more than i thought. correspondent: he wants to bring an olympic medal home to south sudan, but has another goal that he hopes would have a positive impact on his homeland. >> the importance of peace. that is the biggest message. correspondent: south sudan competed in the 2016 olympics, but did not win any medals. success this time around would be a win-win, not only for south sudan but also for japan.

helena: just a reminder now of the top story we are following, german politics has been shaken by a scandal over the far right. chancellor angela merkel's conservatives have been holding crisis talks over the role of the populist -- the far-right populist in germany and election. i will be at -- i will be back after a short break to take you behind the headlines in "the day." stay tuned for that. ♪

twenty four correspondentsts around the wor. hello and welcocome to live from paris on charlie jameses ten pm here in the french capital we begin with the headlines. china starts testing a corona virus drug as thehe country's death toll topop six h hundred united states offering one hundreded millionn dollarsrs to assist in fighting the outbreak. yeah i will coccus results are in but still too close to call both people to judge and bernie sanders are claiming victory the national democratic party request a recount. and irish voters head to the polls saturday for general elections that could