♪ brent: this is "dw news." the coronavirus leaves its mark at a brussels summit, one staff member testing positive fofor te coronavirus, coming as europe's covid cases are rising exponentially. also, coming up. in thailand, thousands rallying

for change, pro-democracy protesters defy a government ban , calling on reforms to the government and monarchy. and, the day that kay pop rock the markets, the management of b ts doubles its share value as it makes its trading debut. ♪ brent: i am brent goff. to all of you, welcome. france is just one of many european countries reeling from record rises in coronavirus cases more than 30,000 new infections were confirmed over a 24 hour period thursday, putting it back at the levels that saw at the beginning of the pandemic.

surging numbers from france, italy, germany, and the netherlands, as the coronavirus made its mark on a summit of eu leaders today. correspondent: leaders in brussels, hoping for diplomatic wins, but the coronavirus pandemic is always the enemy. the eu chief deciding to abandon talks just as they started. a member of their team tested positive for covid-19. the eu chief deciding to isolate as a precaution. she stressed the importance of eu cooperation combating the virus. >> the situation is getting more and more worrisome and strong action is needed, good cooperation, and discipline. correspondent: coronavirus infection numbers are swelling,

now the fifth-largest largest cause of death in europe. >> my first message to member states today is one of urgency. we are quickly running out of time. everybody needs to do what is necessary to avoid the devastating health, social and economic effects of the generalized lockdown. correspondent: in france, infections are spiking. health-care workers say they are exhausted, demanding more resources to ease the burden of their essential work. >> people don't necessarily do this job for money, but we must think of better working conditions. we worked 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week. it is just not normal. it comes as president emmanuel

macron announcnced a 9:00 p.m. curfew in nine major cities, including paris. there is a similar story in polaland, where covid numbers he hit record highs for a second day in a row. the government has declared most major cities red zones. >> the situation is s very serious. daily spikes are terrifying. if you look at hospitals in the so-called covid beds, yesterday, almost all of them were occupied. correspondent: it was agreed that an all-time spike in cases for europe was almost inevitable. the test for leaders will be to see if they have learned any lessons from the first wave. brent: for more on this, we are joined by our brussels bureau chief in brussels tonight. good evening.

self-isolation started at the beginning of the summit. it raises the question, why is this summit being held in person to begin with with this pandemic currently raging like it is in europe? correspondent: that's right. the question has been raised in brussels, even though we have to say it was pure coincidence that the eu chief learned that one of her staffers tested positive during the meeting with leaders. they say it is important to meet in person, to talk directly to find solutions to problems and to agree on issues that are contentious. they point to one example, the summit in mid july, where after intensive talks, they were able to agree on a 1.8 trillion euro eu budget. they are facing growing

criticism, because this summit is taking place only two weeks after the last summit, and of course ordinary citizens are asking themselves why have the leaders to come together while the people are facing more and more restrictions. brent: we know leaders at the summit have been talking mainly about the brexit, not the pandemic. how does european union feel trade negotiations with the european union are going? correspondent: the leaders are not happy. they said they are very concerned about the lack of progress. they said now they u.k. has to make the necessary moves to make a deal possible, so they are sending a clear message to london they are determined and united to reach a deal. the press conference tonight,

the eu chief negotiator was more optimistic saying he sees prospects of a deal. he is ready to continue and intensify the talks. brent: there is not much time, december 31, the transition will be over. how close are we now to a no deal brexit scenario? correspondent: they are sending a clear message that they are ready to continue the talks. however, it was very telling that while the press conference in brussels was still going on, the u.k. chief negotiator was live tweeting his reactions, saying he is disappointed and surprised by the suggestions that it is only the u.k. that has to make necessary moves, so

all eyes are on boars johnson, who is expected to tell us tomorrow if he is walking away or the continuation of talk is likely. brent: we will have to see if he is impressed or not by what is said and done tonight and tomomorrow. thank you. tighter restrictions come into force in london midnight friday to combat a large rising covid-19 cases, limiting socializing dramatically. london is the latest british city to face tougher measures. [applause] correspondent: queen elizabeth first public engagement since march, a rare joint appearance between n the british monarch ad her grandson, prince william, the duke of cambridge. the two are socially distanced, but neither is wearing a face mask this military research facility, even though covid-19

is on the rise once again across the united kingdom. london is the latest british city to be told it is about to face a local lockdown. on saturday, tougher restrictions will include a ban on more than one household meeting indoors. >> i think it is a waste of time, affecting businesses. >> i think it is the right thing to do because the numbers are going up. the way it has been handled is an absolute shambles. correspondent: liverpool became the first english city to be put into the highest risk category. pubs and bars are closed and no one can meet outside their household. this pub is renaming itself in protest of the government's decision. manchester is another city in england desperate not to be

next. >> it is wrong to place some of the poorest parts of england in a punishing lockdown without proper support for the people and businesses. >> order. correspondent: in westminster, ministers are defending the actions. >> we make these decisions with a heavy heart, tearing our nation through troubled waters. things will get worse before they get better. correspondent: meanwhile, schools in northern ireland will close temporarily, as well as pubs and restaurants, nothing much to cheer about here. brent: there is also concern in germany tonight, reporting its highest ever daily tally of new coronavirus cases, with more than 6000 500 new infections over 24 hours. let's take a look at how quickly new infections have surged. if you go back to last wednesday, the number of cases on that day was 2828.

move forward to the weekend, when some health apartments do not reporting you get that dip, then monday comes back, and we shoot up to the numbers we have right now, 6638 reported within 24 hours. the troubling figures were released after chancellor angela merkel met with the leaders of federal states to agree on tighter restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. correspondent: germany now fears the pandemic is getting out of hand. the country has fared well so far, with cases rapidly rising, angela merkel has issued a stern warning. >> if you ask what worries me, then it is the exponenential rise, otherwise it will not end well if we do not stop it.

i see it all o over the place fr it i only need to look at the neighboring countries. that is the point. regional leaders have agreed to shut hospitality venues should they become virus hotspots, regulation adopted by berlin and frankfurt. restrictions will also be enforced in hotspots where social gatherings will be limited to 10 people from a maximum of two households. at the political level, one bone of contention remains, leaders can't agree on the mystic travel rules -- on the domestic travel rules. >> the accommodation than -- band, someone to keep it up at any cost. the majority of states are skeptical because it is ineffificient to prevevent infections, but in the end causes agitation, anger, and

destruction, but some on the street they it is not that are needed. >> the existing rules are not being followed and not being enforced all too often. you see people without a mask on buses and subways. i believe the rules that be better executed. it is a fine line when you see all the weddings, but on the other hand, it is a risk for others, as well as for the elderly. we all need to be reasonable. correspondent: if the number of infections keep rising, angela merkel has warned that even tougher steps may be needed. brent: here is a look at some of the other stories making headlines. israel's parliament has ratified the u.s. brokered agreement establishing relations with the uae. benjamin netanyahu said the deal moved israel closer to peace agreements with other countries in the middle east. 80 lawmakers supported the

measure, 13 did not. the resignation of cara stans president two weeks after disputed restaurants has sparked celebrations in the capital. the prime minister says he will assume the presidency. he was named prime minister on wednesday days after supporters freed him from prison. heavy rains have drenched a camp on one greek island, the second time this month the city has been hit by flooding. many people came from the overcrowded camp that was destroyed by fire last month. yemen's warring sides are exchanging prisoners, part of the deal reached in switzerland in september. it has been in force, causing a humanitarian crisis in the deaths of more than 100,000 people.

a of protest by young pro-democracy activists in thailand is gathering momentum. thousands defied a government ban on gatherings of more than four people, taking their grievances to the streets of bangkok. they say too much power is concentrated in the hands of the government and the time monarchy. --thai monarchy. the calls for change are growing harder to ignore with every passing day. correspondent: in defiance of an emergency decree, tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of central bangkok, demanding a democratic thailand, complete with a new election and constitution, but the government's focused on quelling protest, banning groups of more than five. so far, that has not worked. this is what sparked the ban.

protesters gathered around the royal motorcade, raising three fingers and if gesture of defiance. -- in a gesture of defiance. scuffles between protesters and police also broke out, and from the prime ministers office, he took power during a military coup. now the people one him gone. >> he took over the power for six years. it is not fair, if we are talking about the elections, it is not fair from the beginning, so we need to show that it is enough. we cannot take it anymore. >> i want to fight for my future. i want to fight for my friend. i want to fight for my democracy , my country. it must be democratic. correspondent: it is not just democracy, many young thais want

to see reforms of the monarchy. activists hope these rallies will bring new rights and freedoms to a generation desperate for change. brent: earlier, we spoke to a senior researcher in bangkok for the asia division of human rights watch and asking what triggered the decision to declare the state of emergency for the capipital, bangkok. >> the governmnment simimply usn cident i in which it was disrupupted by the protesters aa pretext to do what they have been longing to do for some time , thatat is to accuse the protester as a threat to national security, because the monarchy is considered the highest political institution in the country.

so that has become a pretext for an excuse by the government who enforced a s state of emerergenn bangkokk, , d the issues abobout growing and unchecked powers of the monarchy over the past couple of years has been in the minds of thai peoeople. they have courage, the youth activists, they have courage to speak out, and that somehow breaks the barrier in the taboo, so it is no longer a whisper behind closed doors anymore. it is out in the open in the public domain. brent: calls for reform in highland. you are watching "dw news."

the power of kpop. that is coming up in just a moment. last month was the hottest september since records began 140 years ago. the last 44 septembers were all warmer than the september average for the entire 20th century. scientist from the u.s. national oceanic and atmospheric administration said rising temperatures or contribute into all sorts of disasters, from forest fires to floods. correspondent: from sunbathing to outdoor bodybuilding, the september heatwave was a welcome surprise for many,, but the late summer sun brought devevastatio, too. >> small change will mean it will lead to big changes in extreme weather. correspondent: last month,

bigger and stronger hurricanes pounded the u.s. gululf coast, while wildfires burn through western states. scientists are in bit of doubt that man-made climate change is exacerbating matters. >> and so what t we are s seeing right now is that we do expect for heat waves to become moree frequent, intense, , anan we are seeing thahat in terms of droug. the geneneral rule of t thumb is that areas dry be dry up, and wet will be wetter. correspondent: just this week, a polar explorer return from the ararctic with one year worth of scientific data in a stark warning that the ice is dying. >> if weo o on like t this, the arctctic w will be ice free in e summer in a few decades in the world as i described it will be gone. correspondent: it is not just arctic ice melt. planetet earth is w warming, and scientists say therere is a good chance that 2020 will be one of

the hottest years in history. brent: the company that manages the south korean boy band bts has made its trading debut with shares doubling on the first day pushing the value of the company to more than 800 million u.s. dollars. the huge interest reflects the cultural success story that korean pop has become, thanks to a loyal and massive following. ♪ correspondent: even though she could only watch the show online wearing a mask in the presence of a few friends, this fan was deeply touched. she was one of more than 100 million people worldwide who log on to watch a bts concert last weekend. this seven piece group clearly means a great deal to her and many others around the world. ♪ >> their songs are really good.

their songs give comfort in these tough times and made me a fan. correspondent: such dedevotion s lucrative. easy to understand why the management company behind the band decided to launch an ipo. demand was huge in the share price tripled within minutes, giving in a market cap of almost $10 billion, making it one of south korea's 30 most viable companies. it is now a major worldwide industry. bts are at the global forefront. big hits successful ipo is good for this man, the management company's founder, now a multibillionaire. for its passionate fans, the appeal is about something much more personal than a share price.

brent: my colleague joins me at the table. i am not an expert on kapok. what do you think of bts? is it your cup of tea? correspondent: it is a refreshing band to make its way to europe you are have catchy tunes. it is refreshing to hear a different language in the song, because in germany, you hear only german or english songs on the radio. brent: is it being a different language that makes it so successful? what you think the secret for success is? correspondent: it is the combination of their attitude itself, down-to-earth. they are open about what it's like to be famous, the pressures. they have stood up for social causes. when their american fans asked him for support during the black lives matter movement, they came

and helped, but they are aware of their shortcomings. a few years ago there was a song where the lyrics were sort of seen as sexist, and one of the seven members who wrote the song said i am really sorry. i will try and do better. there is sort of a niceness about him. brent: metrosexuals, if you will. what kind of reputation does k-pop in general have? correspondent: it has had some rough patches. it is known for sexual abuse cases, drug abuse cases, and misogynistic way of treating women. two female k-pop stars committed suicide a few years ago. they were subject to misogynistic abuse for two

years. they have had a fair amount of rough patches, but bts has been fairly untouched, and that is quite impressive. brent: the management company for bts is valued at $7.4 billion -- 7.4 billion euros, which is incredible, so what are theyey planning next? correspondent: on the one hand, bts currently, they generate about 85% of the management company's income, right? they have an interest to invest in the more, so you will see more merchandising, expanding in european markets. or just internationally, i think they will be putting more money in that, but in 2021, they are planning on debuting a female k-pop crew.

part of that is there are rumors at the moment that bts, they are actually under korean law, they are required to join the military, right? brent: for service. correspondent: for service. if they have to, that would take them off the stage for a fair amount of time. brent: it is like elvis presley in the 1950's. correspondent: well, that is the question. that is what we will be seeing. the government is thinking of granting them a delay, a deferral. brent: we will see. i'm sure there fans will be waiting to see what happens. emily, thank you. correspondent: thank you. brent: you are watching "dw news" and here are our top stories. france has reported m more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases within 24 hours as italy, germany, and several other european countries see unprecedented rates of new infections. the eu chief had to leave a

summit in brussels today to go into self-isolation, after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. you are watching "dw news" from berlin. after a short break i will be back to take you through "the day." tonight, social media in the u.s. presidential election. how much power is too much power? we will be right back. ♪

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welcome to live from paris, world news. i am mark. ms. are the world news headlines. over 30,000 new covid cases in france in the past wewe do for hours with curfews and asked for the metropolitan hotspots. many are doubting our 9:00 p.m. confinement two quarters can defeat of ours. -- covid.