anchor: this is "d.w." news from berlin. germany and france join forces and funds to lead in the coronavirus crisis. merkel and macron propose a 500 billion rescue fund. germany offering its excellent credit rating to borrow money for the fund. more criticism from the trump administration aimed at the

world health organization. white house officialsls said it allowed the coronavirus outbreak to be a global killer. 100 countries are backing an investigation how the w.h.o. handled the pandemic. and homeless people in the u.s. and virus. activists say the resources are there to help get them off the streets and reduce the risks. so why isn't more being done? and french cinema loses a legend, star of the stage and silver screen has passed away at the age of 94. i'm brent goff to our viewers on pbs. half a trillion euros to help

weather the worst crisis in decades. angela merkel and president macron have a joint plan to speed the funds. and in a first, chancellor merkel ended her resistance to the european union raising joint debt to fund relief efforts. >> it's wishful to think that europe's economy. even before the e.u. commission presented its aid package they are passing a joint relief package to put this cripplili phase behind them. chancellor merkel stressed the coronavirus pandemic is endangering european unity. >> that's why the fund has to help ensure all countries in europe can react appropriately.

this requires an extraordinary one-up effort which france and germany are ready to undertake. >> this is the result of bilateral work in cooperation with our partners. i'm convinced this plan provides the groundwork to revive our lives, economies and societies. reporter: to offset the drastic decline in tourism across europe, this development fund will get 500 billion euros. e.u. budget funds will be made available to the hardest hit. the overall plan is designed to strengthen the e.u.'s future viability. >> these resources will invest in the green deal. this will inspire a new dynamic for the future. in the field of health, we will aim of cooperation to apply what we have learned from this crisis

together. reporter: that soungeeds like support for the e.u. commission, whose economic recovery plan is being commissioned. the president is expected to president it -- present it next week. anchor: this is a big deal for the german chancellor to say to europe, you can use our excellent credit rating to help borrow money. i mean, is this a sign that the chancellor is warming up to president macron's grand vision of europe? >> this is a big deal for germany and has been a political taboo that idea of issuing joint debt and what they have announced today is allowing the european commission to finance that fund by borrowing money on

behalf of the e.u., money that will not be paid by the paid the specific states. it is certainly described as a shift in germann politics. it hasas been described as something very significant here in germany in particular because of that german long standing opposition of that idea of issuing joint debt. that said, germany was not alone and that other countries as well were not necessarily in favor of that idea, something that we will see also when this joint french-german proposal is discussed further in the european union. anchor: we heard that president macron is appealing for more european sovereignty and angela merkel is suggesting that treaty changes may be needed. these are not small things. what do you make of this? >> they are not small things and

the idea of european sovereignty was made specifically in the statement that was sent by both governments when it comes to the health part of the statements, what were described as a strategic health sovereignty in particular asking for the european union to develop joint proposals when it comes to prevention off pandemics or joit proposals when it comes to development of vaccines. there was a big word when n it comes to thiss a aspect of heal and important to stress that although the focus has been placed on the recovery fund that was not the only proposal that the two leaders presented today. there were four in total. the other one being, a very important one, the issue of health sovereignty. anchor: these are big ideas and big changes. what kind of response from europe do you expect? >> there was quick response by other countries who are not in

favor of this. the austrian chancellor posted on twitter not long after the announcement that they stick to their proposal. he was talking after a meeting with the leaders of denmark, netherlands and sweden and they said with loans. not with this idea of issuing joint debt. we will see a very controversial, very heated debate in europe. it is under no circumstance clear that the french-german proposal will actually be accepted by the european union as a whole. anchor: summer vacation, summer tourism, after the talks, foreign minister said he is

hopeful that tourism will be possible after june 15. but he says it would be -- not be quickly turn to business as usual. like other nations, pressure is building here in germany to open the country to international tourists. reporter: this is germany's second biggest hotel right in the heart of berlin. most summers over 900 of its rooms are booked but because of the current travel restrictions, righght now only 25 are in use. we are reaching our limits and becoming unbearable and we need travelers and it is importantnt for germany to resume tourist activities and we need people to come to the city. germany is a top destination. eight out of 10 overnight stays in this city were from the tourism sector.

reporter: this restaurant owner says in non-corona times are tourists from abroad and allowed to host tourists on his preliminary cyst for a few days -- preliminary cyst now. this is a good start. reporter: such restrictions will be the price to pay for a while to come. in exchange for mini steps towards restoring tourism in europe. german foreign minister announced on monday that he hopes to allow travel to and from 10 european countries again from the 16th of june. >> but we shouldn't let ourselves be fooled into thinking there can be a swift

return to business as usual. we do want to create the conditions so people can go on holidays this summer but we have to have responsible conditions in place. this is why it will be necessary to tell people very clearly that there rib restrictions in place everywhere they go, on beaches, in restaurants and cities. reporter: berlin's restaurants are prepared and customers have to give their contact details. anchor: for the second time in 10 days, scuffleles brought out in hong kong's legislative council between pro-democracy and these were sparked by a pro-democracy lawmaker.

security guards carried several legislators out of the chamber. members of the extremist group have killed 20 people in a village in northeastern nigeria. they stormed the village and began shooting as people were preparing to break down their fast. they have been waging its insurgency for more than a decade. churches in italy are re-opening churches. pope francis led a mass in the vatican. it had floor markings to encourage social distancing and worshippers ear' temperatures were checked. italian restaurants and cafe owners are welcoming customers. but authorities are warning if new infections start to grow rapidly again, restrictions may be re-imposed.

the united nations will most likely ask the world health organization to conduct an inquiry how the pandemic began. 120 countries including china, gave their support for the investigation, which would also look at how the w.h.o. handled the start of the outbreak. the overwhelming show of support came at today's global meeting. on several world leaders appeared v video link and most stressed the need to fight the pandemic. some countries led by the u.s. criticized the w.h.o. president trump has suspended funding for w.h.o. accusing it being too lenieient on china.. >> it has taken hundrdreds of thousandofof lives and impactet millions of people and deep damamage to the world economy. we must be frank about onene of the primamary reasons this

outbreak spun out of control. therere was a failure by this organization to object tape the information that the wororld needed a and that failure cost many lives. in an apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak, one memberertate madade a mockery o its o obligations with tremendo costs to the e entire world. w.h.o. failed at its core mission at information sharing and transparenc when memember states do not act in good faith. this could not ever happen again. anchor: i'm joined by a doctor from the world health organization i i g geef. good to see you again. we have 120 countries that are in agreement that the w.h.o. should carry out an independent investigation of itself. is that possiblele? >> so what t they were in agreement with, there should be an independent investigation of what we have learned frorom thi

outbreak a and that's really, rereally important. to look at what's gone right, what's gone wrong and what we can apply going forward. of course, how that's going to be set up and how that's going to be done is not clear. and the teaea t that are fighti this outbreak, that is not what we will l be doing but up to th member states to decide how it will be done. it won't be done by us. anchor: the w.h.o. will use science to guide any investigation, but if the w.h.o. wants s to deliver clear answer it's going to have to do forensic investigating and ask labs in china that worked with coronavirus to open up its books. does it have the expertise to do that? and does it have the political authority to make t that happen? >> under the internationonal healthth regulations, we ask al

questions and all countries are asked to share data, but we cannot compel. any kind of investigation of that kind, you need to set the questions and parameters and need to have agreement by the countries how these things were done. we are a long way off working out the nititty gritttty of suc investigation. anchor: australia and the united states want a resolution calling for harder measures against china. china has agreed because the resolution has been what occurred down. the european union was the mediator and bridge builder between the two sides, can you confirirm that? is that w what happened? >> all those discussions happen betweeeen the memberr states. you have to understand. if a membeber state organanizat and they are our bosses, but we do the work. it's like parliamament, l like popoliticians and the staff of e health department. and we are the staff do the work

and the member states do the negotiation. from australian's presentation they gave, they have a desire for an investigation looking at what we can learn from what's gone on before and what we can take forward. anchor: china says it wants an investigation to happen after the pandemic is over. you and i know that could be a long time in the future. is that in anyone's interest to wait that long? >>speciallyy when you've got something that iss g going on a long as is, that we actually review thehe evidence all the time. we have had the independent investigation of our response by something called independent oversight committee that looks at our emergency response that was set up in 2016 in order to have much stronger operational

response and they said the things that have just been mentioned -- [no audio] >> or compel countries to give better data. they raised this. investigatation can bee done.e. it's not clear exactly when they can be done. anchor: let me ask you, as a medical professional, i want reaction to news that a a pharmaceutical moderna has reported success in its early human trials to a v vaccine. that's t the first r rort we ha of that. >> i haven't seen the s studies but a number of groups have said they have promising, they are saying promising responses in humaman studies. but the issue is youou needd to have a study with a large number

of people not only to ensure that they are affected but safe. anchor: we are happy to have the good news to report tonight. asas always, dr. harriris, we appreciate your insights. despite its success in avoiding a massive outbreak of covid-19, tie juan -- taiwan is not participating. beijing claims the island as its territory. taiwan says it will not press the issue of participation but it does want to share the lessons that it learned about keeping covid-19 at bay. reporter: no lockdown of any kind, despite its proximity to china, taiwan is one of the few spots on earth that life has

continued close to normal with only a few hundred coronavirus ininfections and less than 10 deaths, , taiwan's handling is success story. the w.h.o. doesn't seem to be interested in taiwan's approach. the organization blocked taiwan from taking part in its annual meeting several years ago under pressure from beijing. that has deprived the island to access about crucial information about the virus. >> we were successful, yes. but without that platform, it was very hard. like we e don't haveve few case treatment, protocols for serious caseses are in taiaiwan. we neeeed to stop this politica rhetoric.. we need too hold onto the more important issues like health of everyone involved. reporterer: dr. l inch u used t

be a delegate of the w.h.o., but that ended obey jing's be left when taiwan's president of the pro-independence party took office four years ago. and says they have no right to w.h.o. membership. >> politics should be set aside when it comes to healtlth issue good for taiaiwan to share its experience. reporter: taiwan made a contribution to public health and unfair to be excluluded. taiwan has maintained its infection rate with zero domestic infections for over a month. even so, the people of taiwan haveven't let their guard down. perhaps this is one of the things that the world and the w.h.o. could learn from this island.

anchor: the pandemic has revealed the wide economic and social gaps that are in the united states. more than half a million homeless people in america and they are amongst the most vulnerable to covid-19. they lack access to health care and virus-fighting tools such as handwashing. we have reports now from the national's capital, washington, d.c. reporter: brecknass on wheels. since the food bank closed its wheels to the homeless. >> i was coming up to see you. >> bagged brunch, coffee and warm words for the most vulnerable group of the pandemic. . >> it's a challenge. but i try to do what i can. >> hello, david. reporter: this is a volunteer for a local church in washington, d.c.,. he brings the latest news of

what has turned into a serious threat for the homeless. >> at least 81,000 people have died. i think so, yeah. yeah. >> that's unfortunate. reporter: as the virus continues to spread in the capital region, he convinces them to wear face masks, >> i can't tell put it on your face. we have to stay s six feet apar >> sococial distancing is prett tough do do in there and many folks thahat stay out in ththe street. where are the bathrooms and washing your hands. reporter: with estimates of 10,000 living on on the streets, washington, d.c. has one of the biggest homeless communities in the united states. they have set up hand washing

stations but not everyone hasas easy access likike this man. no other group is hit as hard as the heemless and especially through true in emergency accommodations that have been in the news. the coronavirus is of particular concern of homeless shelters in washington, d.c. and this is one of the largest facilities in the region. reportedly the virus has spread with several dozen cases of covid-19 reported. while filming inside is not allowed, a lack of social distancing made it easy for the virus to spread. a lawyer says the homeless have to be taken off thehe streets. >> we have 30,000 vacant hotele rooms in d.c. to place people in until things settled down and vavacant h housing uninits and

shouould be focusing on putting people into long-term housing. reporter: a volunteer says keeping the homeless safe is the key for the whole community to recover from the pandemic. anchor: the pandemic is having a devastating impact on air travel. mimillions of jobs are now at stake. reporter: this could be any airport around the globe. passenger flights are down up to 90% since the pandemic strtruck and stopped travel. airlines are facing billions of euros in losses and need to lower costs and that means layoffs. it estimated that millions of travel hiff related jobs are at risk. spain could be worst hit like 750,000 jobs.

the country depends on tourism. in britain over 400,000 jobs are at risk. similar picture in germany, france and italy. > we aree not expecting the levels of traffic to rereach levels of 2009 until 2023. so it is a very long curve. anchor: entrance has lost one of its prolific actors who has died at the age of 94. he was a giant. reporter: a a standing ovation

for a great film star. he was honored for a lifetime of screen acting and then in his mid-80's. for more than 60 years, he was one of the best known faces of cinema. he delighted directors as much as audiences. one of his final roles was in "we have a pope" directed in 2011. >> i said yes, but the director did not. i was very happy that he asked me to awe dishon for the role -- audition for the role. reporter: his co-stars including many well known actresses. he acted in more than 220 films.

one of the most memorable was the dark comedy in which he played one of four friends who eat themselves to death. in an interview marking his 85th birthday, he said i'm a an arti. artists are for eternity and it looks like he what -- was right. anchor: you are watching d.w. news. i will take you through the day. tonight, investigating the coronavirus. .

the united states accuse the world health organization of allowing the corona virus pandemic to spin out of control thanks as a hundred and ninety four countries meets for the two day sm. emmanuel muckross angela merkel put aside their differenceces and propose i thought hundred billion euro financial funds to help europe's economy in the wake of the corona virus crisis. and it's an eighteen ten used to ease it's a lockdown for months it was one of the hardest hit countries