brent: this is dw news, live from berlin. the sudden and unexpected death of a prime minister, the leader of the ivory coast has died. the death, throwing the upcoming presidential election into disarray. he was the ruling party's candidate aiming to become president. also coming up, fresh clashes in serbia despite the president backtracking on plans to reimpose a nationwide lockdown. some say the president's own

political ambitions are to blame for the surge in new coronaviru infections. and angela merkel's europe, germany takes over the presidency of the european council. her main goals to contain and recover from the pandemic. and a grim warning from the united n nations. half a million people could die from aids because of covid-19. the pandemic means many hiv patients are not getting the medicines they need to stay alive. i'm brent goff -- to our viewers, welcome. we start today with breaking news through the prime

minister of the ivory coast has died at the age of 61 years old. he was also the ruling party's candidate for the presidential election coming up in october. his death throes the race into disarray. -- throws the race into disarray. he had just received medical treatment for a heart condition in france. for more now, i am joined by my colleague and dw reported. what does the prime minister's death mean for the ivory coast tonight? >> it is a big shock for the ivory coast, because it was only in march and he was declared a potential candidate for the ruling party. the election coming up this year in october. october is nearly tomorrow. him as a presidential candidate is because the president since

2010 has only two terms. they only have five years for one term. there was a big movement all of africa to restrict the long-standing president. they said he could not go another time. this is one of his close his allies. the plans exploded just today. brent: and he has had health problems. he was in france for medical treatment. what more do we know about his condition? >> this was extraordinary, because the ivory coast is locked down. the borders are blocked. he got a special permit to go out. he is undergoing heart surgeryr, a transplant -- he underwent a heart surgery, a heart transplantnt, eight yearars ago. they had to put in some ste nts.

-- some stents. he wanted to be the next president. he got on well today -- he got unwell today during a meeting and died at the hospital later. brent: stents is something people get all the time now. could his death result now in a new political crisis in the ivory coast? >> it can be, because the country is deeply divided. with a civil war that the ivory people call the every crisis. some people died. it was between the north and the south. were also some international forces interfering in 2011 -- there were also some international forces interfering in 2011.

his party members see their chance. if the president is no longer there, there may be a power vacuum. brent: a power struggle. >> everything depends on what will happen next. brent: we will be watching what happens in the next hours. thank you. anti-government realize have filled serbia's capital for the second day with protesters angry over what they see as the government's mishandling of the pandemic after a surge in covid-19 cases. after a peaceful march in the daytime, protests have turned violent for a second night with demonstrators throwing bottles at police in right gear.

they have backtracked on the decision to introduce a curfew this weekend. critics say the sharp spike in infections was caused by a series of politically more -- politically motivated decisions. reporter: rocks, flares, tear gas. this is what the capital of serbia looked like on tuesday night. thousands of protesters took to the streets, and the situation quickly got out of hand. a group tried to enter the parliament building. police responded with tear gas and their batons. scuffles finally ended as the sun was coming up. dozens of people were injured. serbia's president announced a week and curfew could be imposed in belgrade. after tuesday's protest, he has now backtracked on those plans.

in recent weeks, the coronavirus has been spreading quickly in serbia. there are long lines of people outside of testing centers. hospitals are overcrowded. the new wave of infections has put an additional strain on the already stretched health care system. this is not just about belgrade and the patients, it is also about patients being sent here from all over serbia. in april, serbia impose one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. despite this, the government push ahead with plans for the parliamentary election. during the campaign, officials declared victory over the coronavirus, and normal life resumed d without anany restrictions. the opposition boycotted the poll, and turnout was low. but this party won by a landslide.

since the election, frustration with the government has been growing, as it became clear the coronavirus crisis is far from over. they have deflected blame onto the public. it was our decision to relax the measures. but if i wanted to be mean, i could remind you that it happened on your insistence. the people were banging pots and pans, saying it was time to end my dictatorship, saying i was using restrictions on movement and curfews to make normal life impossible. serbia's ininitial success in controlling ththe virus has now gone up in smoke. the protesters say the leadershipip is responsisible. brent: i wilill cross over to or correspondent, following the protetests in the serbian capitl

for us looks like you were stananding n the middle of arotest right now. tell us what is going on where yoyou are. reporterer: the story is the sae as last night. hear now a short bomb -- sha bomb, andnd your guess is going off. in s sll streetsts, the polices fighting the crowd. things have not changed since the last to three -- the lastst two to three hoururs. e protests were p peaceful until 8:30 p.m. in t the evening, than protesters -- then protesterers stormed the fefence and the e pe hahad intvened.d. ent: arereeople angngry and becongng violent because of this new lockdown, or is there something else going on? >> i h have mixed feelilings abt

whwhat is going on, because we have natioionalistic groups. also, people s say they are not happy with the regime o of alexander.r. callining him anutocratic presidident, who has been leadig for eightt years. but has covered t the control of media a and everything else in this country, so they s started because ofof covid-19, but they say now ththey are unhappypy wih e sitituation. brent: we know that thee president has blamed foreign agents for this. who does he mean? what does he mean whenen he says foreign agents? >> he did not specify in which cocountries he meant, but he sad asians and sect service e from the region is tryingng to penetrate serbia. he said they will inform the government, bubut he did not wat

to answer journrnalists askingg if there were citizens s montenegro and russia.a. he said that t this cleararly - ththese are clearly politicall protests andnd not protests against hihis govnmenent. brent: a are you heariring that there isis concernrn that m maye russia hasas s se type o - -- te of hand in this chaos we are seeing? >> the president declarered tody in a press conference t that he announced the peopople that thee is going t to be pressurur also, there are manyny countries thatat do t t want serbia to lel up. he stated weeks ago during a meeting with the head of russian plomacyy that he is suspected to have momore pressure on sera because of recognition of

inpendence.. brent: situation with no end in sight. thank you. let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlilines around t the worldl. china has opened a new national security office in hong kong a week after beijing imposed a controversial new security law in the territory. boeing has settltled claims relating to the e crash of one f its 737 max jets in indonesia two years ago. the u.s. plane maker has not disclosed the amount of the compensation. the crash was followed by another and ethiopia and led to the grounding of all 737 maxes. angela merkel has called on the european union to unite if it

wants to emerge stronger from its greatest ever challenge, the coronavirus pandemic. merkel was in brussels today to mark the beginning of germany's presidency of the european council. she was in brussels with the european union in crisis mode. >> masks, hand gestures, and awkward head nodding have taken the place of handshakes. german chancellor, angela merkel's first of abroad was marked by new pandemic etiquette, as europe confronts an unprecedented threats. over 100,000 european lives have been lost to the virus. alongside growing debt and unemployment, the continent is seeing a rise in populism. >> the pandemic cannot be fought with lies and disinformation. nor with hatred and agitation. fact denying populism is being shown its limits.

the top priority of the german presidency is to ensure that europe emerges from the crisis united. but just short term civilization of europe will not be enough. we want a europe that offers hope. >> merkel supports the eu's recovery fund of 750 billion euros to provide financial help, especially to the southern european countries that have been hardest hit. the commission president, the longest-serving member of merkrk's cabinet, feels such radical steps are necessasary. >> we have entered the worst recession since almost 100 years. >> but she faces opposition from the frugal four, austria, denmark, the netherlands, and sweden -- they are reluctant to give away money without strings attached. merkel insisted that a compromise was necessary, and sooner rather than later. >> our common goal is to find an

agreement as soon as possible, because the economic slump urges us to hurry. there is no time to lose. otherwise, the weakest will suffer. i very much hope that we can reach an agreement the summer -- this summer. >> the negotiations beginning in the coming weeks will determine the economic future of europe. brent: the coronavirus crisis could become deadly for hiv patients who rely on life-saving drugs. it is estimated newly 40 milllln peoplecrcross the woworld are living with hiv. although there is no cure for thee disease that causes aids, medication helps to manage and control it. but the covid-19 pandemic is interrupting pharmaceutical supply chains which deliver hiv medications. there is also a second threat. hiv patients are often scared to go to the hospital for fear of catching the coronavirus.

we have reports tonight from south africa. >> he would have preferred not to come to the clinic today, because of the coronavirus, and to avoid questions from neighbors. that is not her real name. she prefers to remain anonymous. she is hiv positive and wants to make sure her one-year-old daughter does not become infected. >> [indiscernible] no, because they like to gossip. you don't your future. what will happen to you after. >> one in five mothers here is hiv positive. two out of every five children five years ago also had the virus, but now, the chances of hiv being passed on are less than 5%.

south africa has made significant p pgress in the fight against hiv. the e government pays for the medicines, and agencies like doctors without borders help with education. a group of mothers meet here once a month. but the coronavirus crisis means the meetings have been canceled. >> the mothers gain a lot from the group sessions. giving us time to talk to the facilitators and things like that. now that they are not happening anymore, it is really affecting us. >> the medics now counsel the mothers on a one-to-one basis. hiv is still a serious problem here. the hospital is much emptier than usual because of covid-19. many patients avoid hospitals, therefore do not have access to medication. this could have a strong negative impact on hiv/aids, but also tuberculosis patients in the future.

her medication increases her own life expectancy. her hope is in the future, h hiv and coronavirus will no longer be a danger to her daughter. brent: i am joined now by dr. paul v. he led pioneering work into the first treatments for hiv. he joins me tonight from san francisco. it is good to have you on the program. we saw in that report that hiv patients are avoiding going to the hospital to get medication and treatment, because they are afraid of catching the coronavirus. are hiv patients at greater risk when it comes to covid-19? >> we have worried a lot about the possibility that hiv-infected people would be at greater risk or have worse ououtcomes. we have not seen much of that y yet, but peoeople with damamaged immune systems will

almost certainly have a worse outcome. peopople with all sorts of m mel conditions, includuding hiv, are avoiding medical systems because of fear of the coronavirus. brent: you are participapating n the international aids conference taking place right now. taking place online because of the pandemic. how worried is the hiv research community about the coronavirus getting in the way of hiv treatments? >> think we arare quite concerned. obviously, we hahave t respond o the pandemic.. nouestioion. on the other hand. hiv -- on the other hand, hiv is a very fragile situation. it takes a coordinated effort globally to respond to the hiv crisis. the more people diverted and the more resources diverted, the more we think that hiv programs are at risk.

we are already started to see peopople not going for hiv testg to learn if they are positive or negative because of the concern about the coronavirus. brent: doctor, is this a problem we are seeing more in poorerr countries? is this something we are seeing in europe moree than in n the u? not going too the h hospital for fear of catctching the cororonavirus? >> i suspect that is happening everywhere. wewe a are learning so much of t is happening, because the pandndemic is so new. we have, here in thee west,t, we have t the abilityty to connecto patients by phone e or video. in somome cases, that can be decreased. it is soso -- it is not available in manany areas of south africa. brent: the world has been living

with hiv aids for decades now. -- hiv/aids with decades now -- hiv/aids for decades now and still do not have a vaccine. could we rolled out a vaccine for coronavirus in a matter of months? are the vaccines c comparable? >> no, unfortunatately, they are not comparabable. coronavirus -- fortutunately, ty are not compaparable. coronavirus should be simpler, bubut we should t t brag abobout until we have it. dengue fever, for examplele, i's been very y challenging toto foa vaccccine. i think it should go easier and faster, but i don't think we should count on it until we actually have e it in-and. -- it in hand. brent: we apprececiate yourime

and your worork. thank you. the u.s. electric carmaker, does look, is building a factory outside of berlin. some see it as a boost for -- tesla, is building a factory outside of berlin. some see it as a boost for the economy. but some locals objected tesla's plans, saying the company is failing to address concerns over the environment. >> this is the site in question. located 40 kilometers southeast of the german capital, berlin, it is here that tesla wants to begin producininelectric vehicles by the middle of next year. consnstruction of the plant,, st to employ 10,000 people, is already well underway. the multibillion euro investment is music to this person's ears,

who imagines renewal in a long forgotten region. >> this is an incredible opportunity for the region, and we need to seize it. young people who emigrated may be tempted to come back because of the jobs offered. ththis is a good chance to entie young families who may have moved to other states or bavaria. >> getting in touch with tesla is not easy. the company did not respond to an interview request from dw. many environmentalists are furious that the electric giant has pressed ahead with construction despite not having the final green light to do so. other concerns include the vast quantity of water the factory will consume. activists say it does not go far enough.

objections to the factory have been submitted, but the coronavirus means there will not be a public hearing until september. >> criticism is not accepted at all. people who speak out against the project to not get listened to. many people involved want to contribute, but they get ignore. we need transparency and democracy, but we really need politicians to take resources and protected areas seriously. and put their foot down when need be. >> the town where the factory will be located has 8000 inhabitants. tesla could draw another 10,000 to the region. locals fear this will mean more traffic and less unspoiled nature. others are excited. this manan regularly flies is drawn over the construction site. he assassinanated -- his drone over the construction site. he is fascinated by what is

going on. >> with 500,000 electric cars supposed to hit the market here, it will encourage other companies to embrace electric mobility and get things moving. >> he posts his drone footage on twitter, giving those for and against the project a bird's eye view of what is going on. brent: people living on the front lines of the war in eastern ukraine are also battling forest fires. fires have in gold -- fires have engulfed villages. many locals do not believe the fires started by accident. >> flames fueled by high temperatures and fast winds have consumed most of this village in eastern ukraine, robbing them of everything they own. >> there were flakes the fire

flying in the air, like a bombardment. not just here, fire seemed to jump from place to place. >> hundreds of firefighters and rescue crews rushed to save villagers and their homes. at first, they successfully battled the blaze is back, but they resuscitated by gusts of wind. >> it happened quickly. we saw fire in the distance jumping from one patch to another, changing direction, moving closer. >> this region has been a risky place to go for years. because it is partially under the control of pro-russian separatists. this village is kilometers from frontline fighting between the separatists and ukrainian forces. the local governor says he believes arson is to blame. the president, volodymyr zelensky, came to survey the damage and lend his support. >> i want to express my

condolences to all the famamili. alththose whhaveve lost loved ones because of these fires. >> an n investigation into whaht caused the fires is underway. the president says the victims will be compensated with the equivalent of 9700 euros each to buy new homes. brent: you're watching dw news. after a short break, i will take you back through the day. america, going back to school with coronavirus in the classroom. we will be right back.

the prime minister of ivory coast has died i'm a to conquer the body was tipped to become the next president the elections in october. planted international studedents at u. s. universities is led to legal action my harvard and mit against the trump administration. immigration laws would see students whose courses often out online g. to the pandemic. being deported. get away from the crowds by staying in paris so the lock down was not many prisons to rediscover the beauty of the city. all