>> this is dw news, live from berlin. homeless not once but twice. europe scrambling to help the thousands. 12,000 are homeless and hungry after fire destroyed the largest refugee camp. every government is sending help but whwhat about t the best of e european union? also coming up tonight, donald trump on the defensive for playing down the threat of the coronavirus. did thousands of innocent people die because the president refused to warn them of the

dangers? plus, beirut reps in flames again a month after a massive explosion level parts of the city, a huge new fight that has prompted fresh questions about government negligence. i to our viewers in pbs in the united states and around the world, welcome. european governments are raising against the clocks and the elements to find shelter for displaced migrants. the massive fire destroyed the camp, leaving some 12,000 people homeless. greece is sending three ships to has thousands of refugees. those to them have slept outside and are struggling to get enough food and water.

>> a second that of fires burned the refugee camp beyond all recognition. leaving behind a humic catastrophe that is now unfolding on the streets. along the homelesess, thousandsf exhausted men, women and children. some of whom are born in this care. >> we lost everything. i have nothing. >> no money. >> now, we will sleep on the street, what can we do? we don't have food, we don't have anything, what can we do? >> officials pointer finger of blame other fire at strict

coronavirus orienting measures. >> i recognize thehe difficult conditions, nothing can become an excuse for violent objection to health checks. >>

♪ larara: hello, and a warm welcome to "focus on europe." i am lara babalola. thanks for j joining us. europe's last dictatoror is clinging onto power as belarusians rise up against their long-time leader. [crowds shouting] with mass demonstrations and strikes in state-owned companies, people are outraged at recent elecection resultsts. they accuse incumbent president lukashenko of rigging the ballot, after he claimed more than 80% of the vote. their anger is fuelled by the brutality being unleashed upon them by authorities. pictures of beaten and bruised

protesters have been seen around the world, despite censorship a attempts by the authorities. now, even those working for lukashenko are switching sides. yegor yemelyanov is one of them. the police officer handed in his badge after witnessing the clamp down. >> minsk, auaugust 9th, electin night. from the window, our camera team captured this scene: a protester is kicked in the pit of the stomach. the days and nights since then have shown this kind of police brutality was no exception. here, the police attack a group of demonstrators. [crowd screaming and shoututg] they beat ththe protesters as f they werere quite enjojoying . more andnd more videosos liket arare appearing g on social me. this kind of brutatality can e disturbing to watch.

riot pololice move agagainst tr owown fellow citizens. the imimages were seen around e world. [shouting] eveven more crucially, the imas are reaching every village, town a and family in belarus. and they reached the yemelyanovs. yegor yemelyanov still finds it unsettling to watch the e vide. >> it reallyly brings tears to your eyes. they can just beat people, and nothing happens to them afterwards. he's really letting loose with all his strength. >> yegor is a police officer himself - or rather, he was. on august 11th, two days after the election, he handed in his badge, keeping only his epaulets as a souvenir of his 15 years of service. in belarus, it's no small matter to quit a good job.

he discussed his decision with his wife, marina. the moment the first blood was spilled at the demonstrations, yegor says, he'd made up his mind. >> i was afraid they could send us against the protesters at any moment, that i'd receive the order while i was still in uniform. so i had to resign first. i couldn't have disobeyed an order. that's treated like desertion, and you just don't do that as a maman - just leave your comrads in the lurch somewhere and take off. once we'rere there, 'r're thee for one another. so, i had d to quit first. >> and he's not the only one to quit, he says, not by far. >> in my department, a rough estimate would be about 10% who've quit the force - 10% of the police officers! >> his wife is worried that yegor might still be penalized

inin some way. >> i'm scared that, when he takes our little girl to day carere, he might not come bac, and i wouldn't know where they took him. but,t, there's no o going back, and besides, we'd act exactly the same way again today. [crowd shouting] in minsns the riot police have en n received hugugs and kisses. some of f them look asas if ty n't knowowhat hit them. they're plployed tguarard a govevernment building, with a mass demonstration underway right in front. [crowd chanting] >> 'the e police are w with the people', the protesters chant. the one question remaining to be answered is, when? >> their cries for help go ignored and then they are silenced. violence against women is rampant in turkey. the brutal death of a young woman map in the city of mugla has reignited their calls for change. the suspect says he killed the

victim after flying into a jealous rage. turkey's government is doing little to stop the violence, and is even considering rolling back measures to protect women from abuse. it's something berfin and leyla can't accept. they are fighting for the voiceless women, including that of their murdered friend. ♪ >> her friends describebed hr as a fun-l-loving young woman. ♪ this was ththe image turkey s left with of the 27-year-old student, pinar gültekin. on july 16th, her ex-boyfriend strangled her to death and then burned her body. ♪ flowers and a photo commemorate her in her favorite bar. now, her friends berfin and leyla sit here without her, still numb with grief, and in constant fear of becoming the next victim of violence against women.

>> maybe tomorrow, they'll be announcing my dedeath. it starts right with the very first flirtatious encounter. they say, you can't go there alone. you mustn't wear this or that. you can't meet so-and-so - and on and on. that's just another form of violence. >> the site of the murder was mugla, a province on the aegean coast. it has a reputation for a free and more easygoing mindset than turkey's conservative regions - or so many women thought. [wailing, chanting] the brutal murder of pinar gültekin unleaeashed aavave of prott natitionde againin the rampant viololence againstst w. the auththorities in m many commmmunities reresponded with violence senngng policen t to beat the prorotesting women.n. the e number of women murdered each year in turkey has more than doubled since 2012. now, turkish women are no longer keeping silent.

many celebrities also joined the protests around the country - including the popular turkish singer, sila. pinar's friends are also taking to the streets every week in their home town. no longer will they sit by and do ,as violence against women steadily rises. >> the more they try to intimidate and sideline us, the greater our rage a and determination. now, i'm convinced of that. [screaming] >> the violence agagnst women continues unated.. but pro-governing party journalists likeatma gülsen koçak don't see the problem so mumuch in abusive men as in te istanbul convention on combating domestic violence. turkey's then-government signed and ratified it in 2012. >> whatever happens inside the four w walls of a famimily's e

ought t to stay there. this convention is incompatible with o our faith, our r cultu, and ouour traditioions. >> seeeemingly compatible with the cultlture, on the e other , is theavalier treatment of violen a againstomenen in turkisish tv series.s. for years, lawyer alev öztürk has s been representing the victims of domestic violence and their survivors. she's often seen the abusers appeal to o the court for leniency and sympathy. >> they'll say, 'this woman has dodone this or that to wound y male pride and stain my honor - that's what motivated these actions.' they'll fabricate something and base their entire defense on it. every single time! the accused can then hope for a lighter sentence, which wouldn't even be possible if the authorities and the courts were bound to the european convention on preventing

violence against women. >> what do the men in pinar gültekin's home town say? how important to them is the protection of women? >> i've gotten violent before, have to confess. but it's important for everyone to understand each other and get along. >> the roots of the violence lie in our upbringing. that has to change. >> murder victim pinar gültekin's friends agree. quite a lot has to change in this country. until it does, the protests will go on. they're already re-consciousness among the turkish people. >> before i raised my voice and expressed my rage and sought out the solidarity of other women, i was far more vulnerable to abusive behavior from men. and it wasn't just me. all women experience the samae ththings. we seeee and experience them every day!

♪ >> the tragedy of their friend's death will hopefully, at least, inspire a powerful resistance movement among turkey's women. ♪ >> but where are you really from? it may seem like an innocent question. but for many people of color, it's a slap in the face. their identity is questioned on the basis of their skin. around one million people of african origin live in germany. they were born here and speak the language, yet they are treated as foreigners. the black lives matter movement did bring people to the streets here. but for many afro germans, the microaggressions remain. our reporter met with three young people in berlin who opened up about the discrimination they face everyday.

♪ >> dancing is ana's favorite pastime. and this park in berlin is her dance floor today. she grew up in southern germany, and says even at school, she often felt like an outsider because of her skin color. ♪ >> all my friends were white. i didn't look like them. and i didn't do the same things at home as they did. i always had the feeling that i had two identities, and had to adapt depending on who i was with. ♪ >> dancing gave her a sense of belonging, because here, her skin color didn't matter. ♪ but in day-to-day life she tells us she's still constantly confronted with racist comments and stereotyping. ♪ >> people say things like, oh what, you're a student? or, what, you went to high school? those things make it hard to feel at home here. you always have the feeling that you can't call this place home, bebecause you don'n't lk like everyone else, and because

your roots aren't here. but i was born here. i speak the langnguage, i stuy here. >> beson and her brother josef were born and raised in berlin. they, too, know what it feels to be treated like outsiders. >> many of my schoolteachers underestimated me. they didn't know how much i was capable of and didn't ask me to participate very often. that made me so angry and sad that i stormed out of the classroom one day. i cried. the teachers came after me, and asked me what was up. and i told them, you never pick me. they said from then on, they would treat me differently. >> beson is an a grade student, who came top of the class three

times in a row. kalsoumy is from berlin, too. she will start studying sociology in autumn. growing up, her mother ulrike quickly noticed her daughter kalsoumy had a hard time fitting in. >> like many girls her age, she wanted to do ballet. you know, wear a pink tutu and jump around. but she was all glum after her first t lesson. she was only three years old then, telling me, mum, i don't want to be brown anymore. i was so sad for her, and instantly sensed that even at that age, she felt like an outsider, like she was always going to be the only one who looked like her. she knew she would never have long, wavy hair and look like the othehers. she would always stand out. >> ulrike set up a play group for afro-german kids so her daughter would feel less isolated. the kids have all grown up now. and many have joined ulrike's

organization, 'tototal plural' which promotes diversity. only an estimated 1% of people in germany h have african root. >> racism is very hurtfuful. many peoeople think racicist enencounters are an exception. theyey're not. you experience these things every day. ♪ >> ana regularly joins the group's monthly get-togethers. today, they're doing a dance flash mob in the rain. they're having fun. but they're serious about fighting for equal treatment in germany. ♪ [laughter] lara: life has gone from bad to worse during the pandemic in spain. hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs and the second lockdown has brought many to the brink of financial ruin. those who work in the hospitality and tourism sectors are especially hard hit.

the government has introduced a temporary basic income scheme for people in need. it is a historic step but the lifeline is wrought with red tape. >> even when buying basic groceries, she has to calculate exactly what she can afford. the 39-year-old is ashamed of her situation and wants to remain anonymous, so we'll call her maría. but she isn't alone. poverty is increasing, not only in madrid, but all over spain, due to the coronavirus pandemic. >> usually, one of my relatives helps me out when i don't have any money left for bills near the end of the monthth. but because of the pandemic, they've lost their jobs or are working part-time. now nobody can help me. >> in e vallecasas district, word's got aroround that f foos

handed out at this formerr driving school. adriana pop and her neighbors set up an aid organization here, where they distribute pasta, cooking oil, and hygiene products, to 1,800 peoplple in need. >> i think the worst is yet to come. there are still people who don't know if they can ever go back to their jobs. more and more people are coming to our food bank. >> loli civantos is new here. she never thought she'd have to resort to this kind of help. her widow's pension isn't enough to survive on, and she lost her restaurant job to the pandemic. >> i need my money for rent. if i eat, i can't afford the apartment. that's how it is. >> to help mitigate the situation, the spanish government hurriedly introduced a nationwide basic emergency

income, about 450 to a thousand euros a month, depending on family size. but approval can take time, and until they get it, those in need are dependent on welfare from their regional administration. but the e drid regioion wants o save money and is putting pressure on the applicants. within 10 working days, the single mother of two has to get several documents to prove that she applied for the new emergency income, otherwise madrid won't pay out. but maría tells us that each document takes a long time to get. >> i've hardly slept since i got this letter. i've lost my appetite because i'm constantly worrying about whether we'll have enough money to live on next month. >> in her search for help, maría has turned to the church.

and father javier has taken the matter to heart, he can't let people down right now. he suspects there's something fishy behind the administration's letters. the deadline is almost impossible to meet, partly because many officials are on vacation. >> i'd argue that there's a strategy behind this. the aim is to make it more difficult for the poorest in society to access these funds. but these funds are what make a welfare state. >> we want to confront madrid's regional government about these accusations, but we're refused an interview. instead, we're sent a video of a speech by the minister of social policies, who blames the spanish government. >> in its haste, the natioionl gogovernmentnt hasn't sufficiey considered the people involved or the social services as a whole. >> bureaucratic wrangling at the expense of the poor. aid organizations are mobilizing while maintaining

social distancing. father javier says that the needy are increasingly being pushed to the margins of society by administrative fiddling. >> i think that we're taking big steps in a dangerous direction. we criminalize those affecectd by poverty, and suspect them of cheating the system. >> this idea frightens maría. she says she'd love to work as long as she can juggle the job with childcare. >> there's absolutely no reason why i shoun'n't work. but because it's unclear whether i'll even find a job, i need this basic income. i have to live on something. >> finding a job is becoming increasingly unlikelely. by the end of the year, spain expects an unemployment rate of 19 percent. the coronavirus crisis has

wiped out almost a million jobs. a growing number of people are in the same boat as maría, but that's of little consolation. lara: beauauty can be both a blessig and a curse. just ask the people of lisbon, portugal. the stunning city drew more than 10 million visitors last year, bringing both prosperity and pollution. but covid-19 has brought the tourism industry to a grinding halt. there's little good to come from the pandemic but here on the tagus river, things have taken a turn for the better. these dolphins have made a comeback in the capital's waters. and they aren't the only ones enjoying a revival. ♪ >> for the e people of lilis, this is noththing short ofof a smalall miracle. dolphins h have returneded toe river tatagus estuary.y.

♪ [dolphin sqsqueals] these sailing school children are ecststatic, like m many or localsls. >> i'm frorom sbon. seeing all these dolins is an incredible feeling. ♪ >> as a biologist, ines clara often went dolphphin watching n the e azores today, she w works as a sasaig ininstructor. shshe is luck. becacause of the p pandemic, finding g works tough. especially because trere are n tourts. but t ines and her b boss sy there's a sisilver lining.g. >> this year therere are moree sardines andackerel inhe ocean. that's what dolphins like feeding on. >> therere are massiveve 50 ko stone babasses too, anand hugea basses. and we've never seen t this may sardineses.

[seagulls squaking] >> many fish havave begun spawning i in river tagugus ag- making it anan ideal hunting grground for dololphins. ♪ bernardo quinintela is ann ornithologist whwho loves to birdrdwatch in t the tagus de. toy, he's s otted a group of flamingos a memere 20-minute cr ride from lisbon city center. [bird sounds] ♪ bererrdo works for angencncy proming sustnable toism. but beuse of t pandemi few w visitors arere coming to portugal.. >> the t tagus river d delta is 14,000 h hectare naturure rese. and the e bird conservrvation a is eveven larger. >> t the pieavococet is one of the bestst-known birirds inhabg ththese wetlanands. ththey're homeme to 20spececie

migratory birds. me 60,000 black-taeded godt me each winter. they're endangerespspecies. and a flflamin colony raes its younhere, and ays s all year roundnd. [many kinds of birsosounds] ♪ but t this paradise i is unr threat. the portuguese government now plans to build a new airport in montijo, right beside these wetlands, beyond the vasco da gama bridge. this would threaten this important ecosystem. that's why eight conservation groups are now taking the government to court. >> we e are taking action becae of the many plplanes that wiwie landndinbesides ththese wetlan. itit's not only y dangerous foe bibirds, the birirds themselvevs wiwill also posese a serious dr to the a aircraft. [bibird ca]

it makakes no sense toto buila new airport t here now thaht lisbon h has just beenen decld europepe's green capapital. [nesting b bird sounds]] > ines says t the water quay of river tagagus has improrova t. that's s why so many dodolphs have retururned. and the fafact that no n noisy cruisehipsps arearboriringn the portuguguese capitalal he, too. dolphins are very seititive to noise. >> large ships are very ininvasive dolphins are disturbed by them, and avd swimming up the river. >> in 2017, this major cruise ship terminal was built right beside lisisbon's old totown,n the face o of major resisistae fromom nature conservationis.. evenen though everything is qut for r now, many drdread the ren of masass tourism anand thee gargantutuan vessels..

we usually have all these huge cruise e ships dockining . and they emit 86 times more sulpher oxides than all of portug's c carput together. >> lisbobon authoritieies have pledged ththat by 2022, , docd cruise ships must st t their motors to rereduce emissioions. >> e every cruise e ship docken lilisbon will hahaveo be connected d to the electctricy grid to reduduce sulphur o oxide emisss anand cut pollutution in the c. >ernardo and ines hope ththoritiewillll keetheirr promise. so thahat lisbon canan live uo its name of europe's green capital. ♪ [water splashing] lara: that is all for today. thanks for watching focus on europe. do let me know your thoughts about this week's show on twitter. bye for now. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute,

which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] the big go for okay the podium that being passed to that key acco submittal package the prime minister all the grease we were previously to president emmanuel mackerel speaking out that emergency euro med meeting in corsica this in the context of mounting tensions with turkey.