♪ >> is his "dw news" live from berlin. half a million germans back under lockdown after a new coronavirus outbreak. new restrictitions lead to class with some residents locked behind fences and the police called in to enforce the rules. also on the program, the german pharmaceutical giant agrees to pay nearlrly $11 billion to sete a massive u.s. lawsusuit. tens of thousands of people say the company's popular weedkiller

roundup caused their cancers. pressure marks a belated victory day anniversary with a display of military muscle, ignoring pandemic concerns. we look at what tomorrow's public vote on constitutional reforms has to do with today's celebrations. i'm phil gale. welcome to the program. authorities in german -- germany's western state of north rhine was failure are conducting mass testing and re-imposing lockdowns. the restrictions apply to hundreds of thousands of people following a major spike in infections at a meat processing plant. other german cities are also facing outbreaks as the summer travel season gets under way. >> this is what it looks like

when the coronavirus restrictions are back -- long lines formed outside the testing facilities. the new restrictions here and and neighboring state took effect at midnight. this follows a huge outbreak at a slaughterhouse were more than 1500 workers have contracted covid-19. now some 600,000 people are affefected by the restrictions. the mayor told dw he is furious. >> i am angry with the company. i'm angry with the system behind all this and angry with the system of sub-sub-subcontractors, which is totally entrenched in this. >> people had to put up with long waits to get tested. >> i want to get tested and do my bit to help find out if we are all infected here or not. >> we want to travel to bavaria on saturday, and the condition is to present a negative

coronavirus test. that is our goal today. >> indeed, with summer vacation about to b begin, officials in popupular destinanations savavee residents aree not welcome unles they show proof of negative testing for the virus. austria has gone further, targeting germany's most populousus s state. >> our neighbor, germany, with its state of north h rhine west failure has shown how quickly it can turn. we hope the situation will quickly improve and thahat there willll not be a further spread across germany. >> overall numbers are still low in germany, but the latest local outbreaks are causing concern. the meat processing industry in particular is under pressure. employee living conditions are being blamed for the spread of

the virus. 23 workers tested positive at germany's biggest poultry plant where mass testing of over 1000 workerers got under w way today. phil: let's have a lookok at ths with a speaker from the world health organization. what do you make of german efforts to control this new outbreak? >> thanks for r having me. it is a typicacal scenario where yoyou n't haveve community sprea in the hill country anymore, but we have a large cluster of cases, and here to trace basically every single person to offer tests on everyone is a really good idea.. this is how we find out how many people have the virus, who their contacts are, andd this s is the best way to contain it. phil: this sort of locally controlled lockdown rather than beining controlled from thehe center, you think this is whatt

we will have t to get used to? >> this is actually what we shshould aimim for, that i instf having communinity spread, which we cannot oversee where the virus is, we will have to work on trying to get the response so strong and so strict and testing so strict and surveillance that we can respond to individual clusters, individual cases immediately. ideally not as late as now but earlier than that and contain those cases and maybe lockdown and individual place. maybe only have a city, a town under measures rather than have the whole country to go into a lockdown scenario. that is most likely something we will not only have to o look foforward to for the future but have t to work forward to. philil: right. meat processing plants have been at the center of two outbreaks

in germany and two in the united states. does t t meat prorocessing industry h have a coronavirirus problem? >> we do not have fulll information n about the conditis were, what the living and working conditions were, so it seems rather that it has to do with a combination of factors rather than the fact that it is a certain species or a certain type of factory. it looks like it is the combination of living conditions, working conditions, and the fact that the closer the environment, people cacan easily transmit thehe virus from m one personon to anotr.r. other sort of brancheses do not haveve that same s scenario andd working environment. of c course, otherer companies e toto put outut a plan of how to enable even coming back to work and how their workers can go back to offices, so that is

anotother scenario. phil: just lookingg ahead, the who is warning that the globall number of covi1919 cases couould reach 10 million next week. what does that futurure look li? will numbers and deaths just kekeep rising u until a vaccines developed? >>lobally, the f figures are rising. let's not forget that in central europe, we have a couple of countries wiwith decliningng c . until we have a treatment, first ofof all, until we havee a sceno where e every countrtry can trae and find an survey evevery singe cacase andnd better r control te virus in their country, we will most likely see rising cases on a weekly basis. that is not the best scenario, but of course, people have to deal with this, and have to

avoid more and more people coming back with virus when they get -- once they get infected somewhere else. it is a long journey,, not a short sprint. phil: i thahank you for joining us. >> thank you very much. phil: let's take a look at some other developments in the coronavirus pandemic. india has measured 16,000 new cases, is highly asked -- its highest daily increase yet. the eu may ban travelers from the united states, brazil, and russia when it builds its external borders, and d new york and berlin have canceled events due to coronavirus concerns. german pharmaceutical giant bayer has agreed to pay nearly $11 billion to settle a u.s. lawsuit over its weed killer, round up. this comes as tens of thousands of plaintiffs claim the widely

used pesticide gave them cancer. bear insists weed killer is safe when used correctly and says it will continue to sell it without a warning label. >> around 50,000 cancer stricken claimants will share some $9.6 billion with a further $1.2 billion to be held in reserve to be applied to any further claims. bear has struck an agreement to end a financial nightmare, which began with its purchase of monsanto. the takeover has proven very costly. two months after the acquisition in 2018, bayer landed in court as the new owner.. a man who used roundup had contracted cancer and accused the company of downplaying its risks. a string of cases followed with bayer losing one after the other. roundudup, with its active ingredient, glycoside, is normally used in agriculture, but monsanto also promoted it as

a weedkiller for gardens and sports f fields as well. judges and juries consistently saw it differently. bear's new subsidiary was threatening to topple it into bankruptcy. the german company's shares have plummeted since the takeover. in march this year, market capitalization has been halved. major shareholders were piling on the pressure to get the problem sorted past. the $10.8 billion settltlement y help to do that. meanwhile, bayer and u.s. reregulators still insist that roundup does not cause cancer when used correctly, and on monday, the californian court ruled that roundup's instructional leaflet does not have to carry a warning that it could cause cancer. phil: let's look at some of the other stories making news around the world here the polish president has become the first

foreign leader to visit u.s. president donald trump during the coronavirus pandemic. surely before his arrival, the u.s. ambassador to poland said the u.s. will be sending more troops there, a controversial windfall for the president who is contested in an electctn on saturday. a special prosecutor in the hagu has filed an indictment against kosovo's preresident and nine others for war crimes including murder anancrimes agaiainst humanity.. the special tribunal has been operating since 2015. pakistan's s aviation minister sasays human ever was to blame r last month's airline crash in which 97 people were killed. the airbus a-320 plunged into a residential d district near the airport whihile attempting to land. the initial r report says the pilots were distracted as they talked about the coronavirus pandemic. the pandemic has disrupted

global trade, causing many countries to rethink their dependence on imported goods. uganda's president wants to support local manufacturers by reducing his country's dependence on chinese products. remove places fresh scrutiny on chinese economic practices and beyond. >> outside uganda's capital, a tight deadline remains. they want to demonstrate ugandans can make products that were previously imported. >> you canannot find a single im that is made in uganda. even a boat. they are doing things like that. exporting raw cotton to end up

importing. >> uganda wants to reduce dependence on imports. this, for instance, is made by a ugandan company. the state has fully funded it as a way of showing how the country's resources can be used instead of simply being exported as raw materials. >> the aluminum that is part of this bus, we have iron ore and we can start converting thahat n a local supplply chain thatt fus production in manufacturing. >> last year, uganda spent more than $880 million importing goods from china alone. researchers say that uganda can keep the cash if locals produce the goods, but the local economy would still lose out if factor

is at home are owned by the chinese who can repatriate profits. some have the idea that because china relies on africa's raw materials and its market, it might not be ready. >> they pick it in raw material, the process, and bring it back. now you are telling them that you want to start your own business. in total, what you've told them is please get out of here, and you have wrecked the relationship. >> but that does not seem to deter the professor from training ugandans. his hope is that improved technology will improve ugandan chances of becoming more self-reliant. phil: russia has staged a massive military parade to commemorate its victory over

nazi germany 75 years ago. the event was originally scheduled for may 9 but postponed because of the pandemic. for many russians, victory day is one of the country's most important holidays, honoring the sacrifice of more than 25 million soviet citizens. this year's parade is also taking place the day before a crucial vote on president putin's proposed constitutional reforms which could see him extendnd his hold o on p power e next 16 yearars. >> it is a tradition but never before has russia's victory day paparade been more controversial than this year. in the midst of a pandemic, the government of one of the worst affected countries gathered thousands of people on the red square to commemorate the defeat of nazi germany. >> it was our people who were able to overcome the people, defeatining more than 600 divisions of the enemy,

destroying 75% of their aircraft, tanks, artillery pieces. to the end, we reached the point of victory, leading the path of valor, justice, and sacrifice. >> thehe event's timing is no coincidence. thursday, voting starts in a constitutional referendum that could extend putin's role until 3036 -- until 2036. he hopes to boost his unusually low ratings, taking only minimal precautions to ensure the health and safety of the parade's participants. >> all the 14,000 troops marching behind me have had their temperatures taken to ensure they don't have the coronavirus. it is clear that holding this victory day parade during a pandemic is still a huge risk. there are still thousands of new coronavirus cases in russia

every day. >> the who has warned russia the parade could exacerbatee the spread o of theoronavavir. thee mayor of moscow asks people to stay home, but many ignore the physical distancing advice. >> it was absolutely right to go ahead with the parade. people who have criticized the actions of the government and the president for this were being petty. > no one is scared of virus,o one is wearing masks. that's fifine. we came to give them a sense of patriotism. that is particularly important for boys. girls need to know their history and boys need to be prepared for the a army. putin's attempt to stir up enthusiasm has been successful but he will have to wait until nenext month to o see if thatats

over to the polls. phil: scientists are alarmed by a heat wave stoking severe forest fires in sibereria. more than 275,000 hectareses are burning after tememperatures roe to 30 degrees celsius on wednesday. average june temperatures for this part of siberia are normally close to 15 celsiusus. heavy rains have triggered floods and landslides in parts of eastern and central china. more than 200 hectares of farmland and hundreds of houses were flooded. rains breached dams and displaced about 60,000 people. aa massisi cloudud of dusust fre sahara desert is like getting the caribbean, which has not seen a density of dust this high in half a century. health experts are warning the dust could exacerbate the respiratory conditions, including covid-19, and they are telling people to stay indoors.

seven people have been killed after a powerful earthquake in southern mexico. the epicenter of the 7.5-magnitude event was in the state of oaxaca. the tremors knocked out power and cracked walls. shifting pavement could be felt hundreds of kilometers away in mexico city. >> standing on shaky ground and feeling the earth swaying beneath one's feet. shockwaves from a powerful earthquake brought towns and cities across mexicoo a halt.. resisidents flooded the streets seeking safety on shifting pavement. "it was very strong. i had never felt such a strong

earthquake, only in 1985. today's earthquake felt very, very strong. we were so afraid." >> -- "it was pretty severe. with covid-19, you think what's next? hospitals were affected too, but while medical staff and patients were evacuated, those suffering from coronavirus remained isolated inside. >> i was sleeping, and then i saw how the curtains, everything was moving. >> the quake hit at a time when mexico was already reeling from the coronavirus p pandemi which hass claimed more e than 22,0000 lives so far, latin america's second-highest toll, but the trimmer's effects could have been much worse. mexico's president annouounced e country's infrastructure

suffered no majojor damage but warned citizens to remain cautious. after the strong 7.5 earthquake, there have been 147 aftershocks. they recommend we met -- we remained alert and attentive. while feeling the aftershocks, some mexicans preferred appealing to a higher power. phil: this is "dw news" live from berlin. still to come, high honors for a special group of graduates. we will show you how these groups from syria overcame the horrors of war and nist top of the class here in germany. first, though, a group of residents in each of's capital, cairo -- egypt's capital cairo. the government says new highways

are necessary to improve life in the crowded city in that apartment's were built illegally anyway, but lawyers and neighbors say the government is in the wrong. >> the view is certainly unusual, but it is not something enjoyable. the government is building a four-lane highway overpass just 50 centimeters from his balcony. soon, 700 50,000 cars and trucks will be whizzing past his home every day. the 55-year-old jokes about opening a snack bar. in reality, it's no laughing matter. "i find itit depressing. they didn't give us any warning. they started building without informing me. it has hit me really hard." the concrete monstrosity cuts right through a residential quarter of cairo, a middle-class area home to doctors, lawyers,

and office workers, and a few small shops. they started building in september. the highway is designed to connect the south of the capital with the north. it is a prestige project for the government, but most residents had no idea it was coming. they bought their apartments for up to 50,000 euros. in egypt, that's a lot. >> my apartment is now under the overpass. it has cut off the sunlight, my air. it has made the apartment practically worthless. i've got two kids in kindergarten and primary school. soon they will have to breathe and exhaust fumes and be exposed to constant horn honking every day. that could kill them, but no one seems to care about the health and life of the children. cairo is a crowded and congested city. endless traffic jams are the order of the day in the mega

metropolis. building projects are meant to bring relief. the government says individual interests must take a backseat. but residents are not giving up easily. this a attorneys representing 10 plaintiffs from the area, and he's putting up a fight. "it's not fair. we are going to sue the government. the amount they are offering in compensation is inadequate." " e balcony used to be his favorite place -- quietet witith a nice . soon h he will have to sink -- seek sanctuary from the onslaught of the traffic. phil: it is no graduation season for german students, and the pandemic is forcing schools to adjust to this new reality. one school in berlin says it has already learned to be more flexible as it incorporated

young refugees into its community. now the school is honoring graduates from syria whose success has exceeded many expectations. >> full honors for very special graduating class. the german family minister hands out diplomas to this year's best students. these high school seniors arrived from syria only a couple of years ago with the horrors of civil war still fresh in their minds. >> t the airplanes came and bomd everything. there was no place left to live. i was in a rubber boat with my father and brother. we crossed the mediterranean, greece, macedonia, until we got here. >> this family also fled syria with his parents stuck in a turkish refugee camp and no prospects, this student set off on his o own. "my family stay inn turkey and i wanted to go to germany. we had to stop in cyprus, and a year later, i was able to leave.

after another year, i was finally reunited with my parents in germany." >> he enrolled in school. back then it was one of the city's most troubled facilities. it even had armed guards. >> we saw how thehe averagege secondary school went through hard times and wondered how they would continue to function. >> put things improve. all of this year's graduates arrived as refugees. their teachers were key in getting them to where they are today. >> with their help, i've gone from speaking no german to speaking it well. >> and achievement even the principal thought impossible. >> learning this academic language in five years and getting such high grades is great. i'm proud of them. >> so what's next for these graduates? >> go to college. study medicine. >> business administration.

this is an incredible opportunity, a potential force that will benefit germany and lead to good things in this country. >> in the first step into a brighter future for these graduates. phil: time to remind you of our top story this hour. mass testing is under way in the german state of north rhine-westphalia after a major spike in infections at a meat processing plant. i'll be back with "the day" in just a moment looking at the day's events, and i will have more world news at the top of the hour.

twenty four i'm from twenty four .com. netanyahu said to stop re stop the annexation of the occupupied wet bank this flies in the face of the palestinians and the u. s. is acting under a green light from the trump administration. because as impassioned touchy and ninine other f former separatist fighters conducting a range of crimes against humanity. ms charges. factions and deaths increasing by the day the impact the code nineteen on latin america we have a special report. by the time. thank you for joining us benjamet