berlin. the world health organization says we are at a decisive point in the fight against coronavirus. >> this is not a time for fear. this is a time for taking action now to prevent infections and save lives. >> as the number of new infections soars, governments are taking

increasingly drastic actions to prevent pandemic. violent clashes erupt on greek islands for plans for new migrant facilities. thousands seekers -- asylum-seekers and squalor camps . and the more than 30 people left dead. at the berlin international film festival, the first awards will be announced. we have corresponded to reporting tonight from the red carpet. >> we have the queen of british him -- british cinema, helen mirren. >> that is coming up later in the show. ♪ >> i am brent goff, and our viewers watching all around the

world, welcome. governments around the world tonight are wrapping up efforts to contain the coronavirus has the world health organization warns the to prepare for a pandemic. in germany, health officials just reported 19 new cases of the virus, germany and california now reporting the first cases of no obvious means of transmission. this new mystery comes this new infections outside of china now outnumbering those inside china. the deeper the blue, the higher the number of reported cases. china is still out in front with more than 78,000 recorded infections. elsewhere, the situation is serious in south korea, iran, and italy. altogether, 50 countries or territories have confirmed cases bringing overall total cases to 82,000.

the who has issued new warnings for governments everywhere to get ready for a pandemic. this is what the chief said earlier today. >> our message continues to be that this virus has pandemic potential. and providing the tools to every country to prepare accordingly. this is not the time for fear. this is the time for taking action now to prevent infections and save lives now. brent: that was the director general of the who speaking earlier in geneva. here is a look at how people in countries around the world are dealing with and reacting to the outbreak. >> the south korean city hit hard by this virus and containment measures in full swing. the streets are being fumigated,

and medical staff as collecting samples from people. south korea has the largest number of coronavirus cases outside of china and is desperate to stop those numbers from rising. masks in short supply with huge lines at places selling them. >> i only have five or six masks left at home, but i think the coronavirus outbreak will last until the end of march. there are never enough masks and i will certainly need more. >> across the korean strait, japan is getting serious about stopping the virus in its tracks. all schools will be closed, and that means almost 13 million students will be staying at home. >> our graduation is coming up soon so it is a hectic timime of yeyear. the most important thing is preventing infections so there is not much else we can do. >> in themiddle east, an outbreak and -- in iran is

intensifying so nearby saudi arabia is not taking any chances. >> there is increased presence of this disease in several countries. between those even near saudi arabia, that increases the risks, so protecting pilgrims and the two holy mosques and the sacred sites from the arrival of the disease is very important. >> the decision will affect muslims worldwide. millions travel to mecca during the holy month of ramadan, which begins in four weeks. >> here in germany, authorities stepping up their contingency plans as more and more cases of the illness are confirmed. germany and the u.s. state of california have now reported cases with a new mystery, doctors saying they do not yet to know how some patients became infected witith the virus. >> it is usually bustling with

activity with people gathering in the streets for carnival season. but right now, people in this part of western germany are staying home, worried. it was here that a couple tested positive for the coronavirus early this week. before falling ill, both took part in carnival events. >> there is some panic and people are a bit worried. >> germany's government is waking up to the growing threat. a joint emergency task force led by the interior and health ministry will be in charge of the government's response. at a press conference, the new team outlined its approach to tackling what could become a pandemic. >> this is the beginning of a coronavirus epidemic in germany. i said this yesterday very deliberately. >> the maiain message of the

german government was clear, and that aims to fight the virus without causing mass panic. >> we must avoid taking rash actions that do nothing to protect people. but we also have to introduce measures that help stop transmission of the virus. >> the interior minister was not cleaear on what measasures are g considered, but they are likely to go much further than just a few canceled carnival events. brent: the latest now on germany's new coronavirus cases from my colleague, our pearly -- political correspondent. it is good to see you, how is germany preparing for these news cases? >> the government asks for health officials to actually update their emergency test plans, and more people should get tested. the foreign minister said it is

better to test too many people dead and little. 19 people in total have been diagnosed for today only and all people diagnosed are being handled either at hospital or in quarantine at home. several hundred people have been placed into quarantine because that is where one of the couples diagnosed come from. the woman is a kindergarten teacher and she has been in touch with a lot of kids, and schools have been shut down in the area where they were diagnosed. and people coming from countries most affected so china, south korea, japan, iran, italy have to inform the authorities, and if tested positive, measures are taken to trace back the people who were in touch with them and all of those are containment measures. brent: we know that germany along with california have reported cases where the doctors

say they cannot determine how these patients caught the virus. are these measures you are talking about, are they enough to contain the virus if we still do not have all of the answers about transmission? >> the health minister acknowledged the virus cannot to be tracked down anymore and that is quite worrying. what is even more worrying is that the country has no specific pandemic plan for the coronavirus. so if you look at the institute website, it has a plan that is three years old. there is nothing new. and the president of that institute says that a vaccine would take a few months and probably not available before the end of this year. brent: at the earliest. how worried are people here and how worried should they be? >> there is definitely more concerns tonight than there was

two days ago before this outbreak of cases, especially since this infection chain is not really traceable and we see no correlation between one case and the next. one of the worries is that the infected people have been in touch with the next ends of amount of the population through carnival, festivals, for example, and people who have been traveling, and another worry, it is quite similar to the flu, the fever with aching muscles, coughing, so health authorities say it is no need to panic, but i need to respect basic hygiene. brent: wash your hands. emma, thank you. >> thank you. brent: you can find reliable, truthful information about the spread of the coronavirus on our website at dw.com. now here is a look at some of the other stories making headlines aroundnd the world. syrian rebels say they have recaptured a strategic town and

cut off a k key highway, just ds after it was reopened by the government. meanwhile, government troops have moved to control almost the entire southern part of idlib. the city of prague has renamed the square in front of the russian embassy after murdered russian opposition leader boris names -- nimzov. he was shot dead on the 27th of february, 2015 in moscow. to greece now where attention to or -- over migration -- where tensions over migration are fueling riots. rioters are angry about government plans to build new facilities. despite the escalating crisis, the greek government is insisting it will proceed with the plans.s.

[chanting] >> they have had enough and they are here to show it. protests over the construction of new cancer migrants turned violent as locals clashed with police. >> we will resist with all of our strength for as long as needed so no new structures are built on our island. >> people on the greek islands have called for a general strike. people are furious because they do not want to have to shoulder what they see as the burden of europe's migration crisis on their own. they also feel that they have been -- by their government. >> we want our islands back. we want our lives back. >> the greek islands just off the coast of turkey are the first stop for many migigrants enriring the eu.u. but new ararrivals find themsels stranded in overcrowdedd camps,

like this nonotorious camp on lesbos, and more than 90,000 people are crammed in here just designed for 3000. conditions are unbearable not only for those in the camp, but those as island residents. >> they live like animals inside of the camps. they want to leave to find a better place. that is what we want as well. so we are fighting for them as well as for us. >> the government should go drown themselves. this is not an acceptable situation. our islands are like a war zone. i am not saying the legal migrants are not humans, they are humans. but we do not want prisons. >> the government plans to build new facilities which will tightly restrict migrants' movements. but it says migrants will be processed towards released more

quickly because of recent changes to the law. the islanders say they want to see the new arrivals relocated quickly and fairly. brent: we are joined now by one of the architects of the eu's migration pact with turkey and also the leader of the thing take european stability initiative. good to see you again. i want to ask you what the islanders in that story say. they want to see a well structured redistribution of the people in the camps, and is that the solution to the problems we are seeing on the greek islands? >> the solution is anything that reduces the number of people held under inhumane conditions. we need to have quick, forward movement of the people arrived, and if it is safe to return them following a procedure, or onto the mainland if they cannot be returned to turkey. so the key of the agreement was

always that people would stay on the island for a short period, but then that they would be processing their applications. brent: when we hear of new camps being constructed for refugees, then we automatically assume that it will relieve the pressure on the overcrowded camps. is that the case, or is there deception in that advertising? >> it all depends on how any people arrive and how quickly they can be moved on. last month in january, this explains the s suspicion -- 2000 people moved to the mainland, but over 3000 arrived. so the overall number which is unsustainably big has grown further. the key for the greek government and needing help from others in the european union is to demonstrate to the islanders that the 42,000 on the island to will not be processed, to be returned. the resources do not exist. and those who arrive new will be

processed quicker in the new and hopefully more humane reception centers, and then everyone will benefit. brent: the situation on the greek islands, what does it tell us about the viability of this migration pact with turkey. is the agreement working? >> it is clearly working on the turkish side. last year, 99.5% of the syrians, more than 3.5 million in turkey remained in turkey because their children go to school there and this is money from the eu for health care and education. but has never worked on the greek side, and that is too easy to blame the greeks. this is a european border and a european problem. up until now in four years of criticism, and this is been true for the previous greek government of that which was an ally of germany, both governments have said that they

do not see any alternative to this agreement, and the challenge is not to abandon it without an alternative but the challenge is to actually implement it as it was foreseen. it is the only way of humane control of the borders. brent: you are saying the plan has to be followed through with. >> have the doctors and police, and i was in a camp one year ago where people were suicidal, and there were no intense in winter and cases of rape with no police. should stay on the islands as short as possible, a mamatter of weeks, t years. brent: it is good to have you and your valuable insights, thank you. in india, some of the worst sectarian violence in years has left more than 30 people dead in the capital delhi. the arrest was sparked by a

controversial law that fasttrack's citizenship for certain religious groups from neighboring countries but the law excludes muslims. violence between hindus and muslims first broke out on sunday and since then, clashes have left parts of the city in ruins and people fearing for their lives. >> it is days after the clashes began.n. these communities are e still burying their dead. ththis man's friend said he was hit by a stray bullet as he went out to buy groceries. others have managed to escape with their lives, but only just. mohammed was attacked by a violent mob as he made his way home from the local mosque. >> 20 to 25 people started beating me up. the rest were standing by as if they were watching a show. there were thousands behind them that kept hitting me and nobody came forward to save me.

>> mobs are armed with swords, guns, and acid have destroyed districts and people living here have been critical of the polilice's response. >> we have left our houses at midnight just because they are not there. >> the clashes prompted demands for a curfew and in some areas, authorities have banned people from assembling. it is the worst sectarian violence to hit india's capital in decades. >> are handy brothers were attacked by people throwing stones, and our muslim brothers were also attacked. since my childhood, we have not heard of such violence between hindus and muslims, but now we are hearing this. >> there is an uneasy calm across the city after m more thn threee days ofttacacks and a arn number with spararring communits left with the cost of the violent unrest. brent: in africa, a plague of

locusts is devouring crops, destroying farmland, and threatening food supplies. the storms have reached to the democratic republic of congo, that is the country's first locust invasion since the 1940's. somalia, uganda, and kenya have been battling the locusts since january. >> spraying insecticides in a race against time. after millions of locusts ravage crops and grazing land here in northern kenya, the insects left behind what could even be a bigger disaster. millions of locust eggs hatching baby locusts, and new mega swarms are expected. planting season here starts around april. the u.n. is worried that a new generation of locusts will emerge at the same time. >> we want to control of the

hoppers that are almost 100 times the adults that left eggs, so that is how big the challenge is, because if we were handling 20 million swarm, for example, now, that iss how b big the prom would be. >> as agencies carry out the large-scale spraying, kenya, somalia, and uganda report they are short of insecticides. the u.n. has made an urgent ple a for more help to war off a looming hunger crisis. brent: it has been said that "the queen" proved that helen mirren is acting royalty. this year, she is being presented with the berlin international film festival's

honorary golden bear award fofor lifetime achievemement. helen mirren has made a career playing strong women, often standing up to men. >> go where?? >> they say you are killing me. >> then, go. go anywhere you please. i hate you. >> but she is a lot more relaxed in real life. what is the secret behind her ststellar career?? >> i w was very lucky, and that was the truth for me, but my generic advicice, honestly, is e on time and don't be [beep], to anyone at t any time. [laughter] however old they are. >> one of her early roles was in a london gangster flick "the long good friday."

this was the early 1980's when strong female roles was still a rarity. for many fans, her career-r-high was her majestic performance and "the queen." she won an oscar for her for her betrayal of elizabeth the second, dealing with public anger for the royal family's response to the death of process diana.a. mirren viewsws yourself as a european at heart. helen: i loved eururope and it was the best thing to me, the best thing that we were now a part of europe as opposed to a weird sortt of appenendage to america, you know, which i never felt comfortable with myself.. i i will continue to be a europn after brexit. it is a geographical thing, it is a cultural thing, it is the language -- it is everything. >> that is s why she is especiay happy to be receiving the

golden b bear. >> an amazing history of german film, but also, the berlinn film audience is notorious or famous, let's say, for its critical eye. >> but no criticism right now, just a celebration of a stellar career that has spanned more than half a century. >> you are the only person on this planet that makes me feel that i am not alone. brent: she is no appendage, as she said, she is definitely sinema royalty. let's talk about it with helena humphrey and scott roxborough. good evening to you. helen mirren, she is receiving an honorary bear for lifetime achievement. talk about what makes her so special. helena humphrey --

scott: i think it is this mix of class and maybe sass. this is a woman who has played monarchs and gangsters. she was in "the queen," but she was also an a "fast and furious" and we saw it in the piece we just saw. she is a woman who can play an incredibly powerful, majestic characters. she takes her craft seriously, but she does not take herself very seriously, and that gives her special charm. helena: i like to sum her up as royal but also racy. that wonderful portrayal of queen elizabeth in which she won the oscar in the 2006 production. reportedly, elizabeth ii also watch that movie despite the fact that it was not the most flattering depiction of the british monarch, she said that she did not do too bad a job, which is high praise indeed. she has incredible range and

chief started out in the early days at the trinity of awards with emmy and tony, oscar as well. scott: the only next steps he could take it, the monarchy is having a tough time in britain at the moment and maybe they should let helen mirren take over and i think she can play that role very well and that could save the windsor's and this troubled time. brent: that is a good idea. class, sass, royal, racy. a alliteration from my colorful cinematic colleagues. helena humphrey, scott roxborough, at the red carpet at the berlin film festival, thank you. it is international polar bear day, and a polar bear cub at the zoo will mark the occasion by taking its first tentative steps outside. the unnamed cob and its mother have beenn holed up in a den since he was born in december.

he will undergo a veterinary check to find out whether it is a boy or girl cub. here is a reminder of the top story we are following for you. the head of the who says that the world is that a decisive flight to prompt governments to take increasingly drastic actions to prevent a pandemic. 47 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, covid-19. you are watching dw news and after a short day, i will be back to take you through "the day." ♪ [captioning perfrformed by thehe nationalapaptioning inststitut which h is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

jean gajah i'm from. using a comparison france twenty four the headlines this hour. the number of coronavirus cases in france doubles there now for thirty eight confirmed cases here all around the world governments are taking action to contain the spread of the virus and the world health organization warns countries to prepare for a pandemic. schools hospitals and shelters bombedd in syria in the provinince's president assad's russian backed forces battled to take back the territory from rebels. when was the situation is catastrophic for up to a million refugees. and hundreds of people rally on the greek island of lesbos in purchased a plans to build new migrant