>> this is dw news, live from berlin. iran says one of its top nuclear scientist has been assassinated, and blames brazil. -- blames israel. also, germany's coronavirus caseloads passes nearly half a million, so how bad is the pandemic echo and the human cost

of ethiopia's conflict. thousands left without basic sanitation's and little food. international calls for dialogue are described as interference in ethiopian affairs. in the use of chemical weapons against civilians in syria, one of the worst crimes in this country's conflict, no human rights organizations are hoping that german court can deliver justice for victims. ♪ phil: i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. below -- we begin with breaking news from iran. mohsen fakhrizadeh has often been accused of masterminding a secret nuclear weapons program for around. his car was targeted outside the capital of tehran andhere has

been no claim of responsibility. there were serious indications of an israeli role in the attack, but israel has made no comment. we can look at this closer with the german council on foreign relations, our expert on iran. welcome to dw. what do you make of these terms? >> good evening. it falls into a period where we see with the u.s. transition going on, which is a very delicate period as it appears. the outgoing president had vowed to crush iran with maximum pressure strategies and he has news about a military strike before he his due to leave office in january. at this particular moment, israel is suspected to have carried out these attacks, but they are a close ally of the united states and from an

iranian perspective, this would look like a joint enterprise. brent: so how big a blow will this be? outlined to us the significance of mohsen fakhrizadeh, his significance for us? >> he is the mastermind behind iran's nuclear program, or more precisely, behind iran's attempt to build a nuclear weapon. these were officially halted back in the to thousand's, 2003 -- 2000's, 2003. he is a senior figure from the iranian perspective and is hailed internally as a scientist , but he is also with the iranian revolutionary guards, a military organization. it appears that at least for the israelis, as number one on their

most wanted list when it comes to iran. for the israelis, he was certainly a prime target. it looks like they have achieved or aimed at this target now. phil: remind us, what is the current state of the iran nuclear deal? >> it is barely alive, still. it is hanging by a thread, if you like. the united states withdrew from it in mid-2018, but all the remaining powers have made sure that it stays in place and has power. while iran has reduced its own commitment, it has gone way beyond the limits when it comes to nuclear fuel, for example, enriched uranium. it has gone beyond these limits. it still allows inspections, so there is certainty over what is going on in in iranian -- going on in iranian nuclear installations.

they will reenter the deal as soon as the united states reenters the deal. this is what everyone hope for at the start of the year, with a new biden administration, but events like this one make this much more difficult. phil: should we expect an iranian response that goes beyond the tweet? >> i think we should expect one. the iranians have been careful in the last weeks and months not to respond to any provocations. it really looks like they want to keep it quiet until the biden administration takes office. but the more attacks they have to suffer, the regime has to suffer, the more it will be pressed domestically to strike back. nuclear scientists and, as i said, he is portrayed as one, nuclear scientists are held in highest team in around by the population. they are the sons of the nation, as they are often called,

because the nuclear program has a high value. the civilian program has a high reputation inside iran, so this is not only a matter of the regime but one of public support , where the public may be calling for a response. >> we are looking at an increase in instability in this region again? >> most probably and definitely, the time until the january inauguration in the united states, on january 20. it will be one of shaky relations in particular in that region. phil: good talking to you. thank you so much. our guest from the council on german foreign relations. now to ethiopia, where the conflict between the government and the forces of the people's liberation front is having a devastating impact on civilians. the prime minister has been meeting envoys from the african union to discuss the fighting, but have so far refused dialogue

with leaders from the region. the weeks of fighting have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and many have fled to sit on, where they have ended up in camps that lack the most basic facilities. on friday, the u.n. said the first of four humanitarian airlift had landed in the sudanese capital. our correspondent reports from the border between keswick's and and ethiopia. >> running water and food are scarce and toilet facilities have yet to be built. here, there are many refugees that fled from the town across the border in ethiopia. according to abe report i amnesty international, a massacre took place in early november. forces loyal to the tpof more

responsible, but it is very hard to verify whether either side is accurate, as journalists are not allowed inside. a family in morning. 13 days ago, they lost the husband, father and brother. a brutal killing committed by soldiers, the victim's brother believes. >> he was killed just because he is tegrai, and really sad. this after two grand militias killed over 200 civilians. the victim's wife is still in shock. >> i am afraid. i am afraid of war. i am afraid of these people who killed us with knives and axes. both sides the epo being army -- ethiopian army in the tpof have been accused of atrocities against civilians, but both have

rejected responsibility for the massacre. >> between the two, there was no problem before. we live together, marry each other, but suddenly they came and start killing the children, the youth and old people. she fears for the people and the children who are now displaced. >> these chiren have no future. they don't have anything. we had everything we needed. water, medicine, treatment, but not here at this camp. what can we do? there is a big problem in my country. her biggest hope now is that the war will come to an end soon and that she and her family can go back home and rebuild their lives. >> the number of coronavirus cases in germany has passed one million. this week, the governor earned -- government announced that

lockdowns would continue indefinitely. despite the vaccine, times are still tough. >> germany passed the one million mark and registered a daily death toll of 426, higher than any reached during the spring. after almost four weeks of a partial lockdown, the country is still not out of the woods. the increase in daily new cases appears to have leveled off over the past few days, but has not dropped significantly. germany's federal health agency also reports some other worrying trends. above all, the growing proportion of coronavirus cases among older age groups and more outbreaks in senior and nursing homes. in light of the situation, the german government decided this week to extend the partial

lockdown until december 20. people in berlin think it was the right thing to do. >> i think it is good that we have these measures. the incidence rates are worrying. i think that what we are doing is in the right direction. >> i think that if we just follow the simple measures, wear masks, keep our distance, don't travel when it's not really necessary, then we'll get the situation under control. >> up to this point, germany has come through the pandemic fairly well compared to most of its neighbors in europe. but with christmas fast approaching, the government is trying to strike a balance between allowing friends and families to get together and containing the pandemic. some restrictions will be eased over the festive period, but it

will not be a big free-for-all. chancellor angela merkel chief of staff even warned that restrictions could stay in place until march. phil: the world health organization's warning that africa needs to increase its -- before the rollout of any vaccine. the average area has only 30% readiness. mass vaccination is unlikely to start until halfway through next year. >> months of intense research have brought a coronavirus vaccine even closer, but experts say that's just one phase done. getting a vaccine out to the most vulnerable across africa will be expensive, and the world health organization is concerned about the logistical challenges ahead. >> we need absolutely to make

sure that the countries can bring up all of their different pillars to a level where if a vaccine becomes available soon, our country canafely deploy the vaccine to a reach the maximum amount of people. >> also, the effectiveness of the doses will need to be monitored and the public educated, many on the continent simply want the st deal possible. >> i am not convinced about the covid-19 issues. the way it is handled in nigeria. so i will be a bit skeptical about taking any vaccines. >> it is up to the leaders to engage and see if they can roll up applicants. >> while the continent has reported relatively low infection figures, the coronavirus ion the rise

again, compton calls for greater urgency and the response. phil: the speed at which competing pharmaceutical companies are trying to get their vaccines onto the market has raised some concerns about safety. would you take the vaccine if one was available now? dw news wants to know what you think. we have a survey for you to take part in. go to our youtube channel and click on the community section to answer the question, would you take a vaccine when it becomes available? you can also leave a comment, and that's in the comment section of our -- community section of our youtube channel. here are some of the other stories making headlines at this hour. six people have been killed in a suicide bombing, according to officials. the attack happened hours after the acting u.s. secretary of defense entered the city to meet

the ambassador. al-shabab says it carried out the attack. france is to impose a new tax on big tech firms. the digital services tax targets companies earning more than 25 million euros a year in france. like u.s. giants apple and facebook. the u.s. has threatened increased tariffs on french imports. a population of 47 million will be vaccinated in spain by the summer. three stages will happen starting in january with the most vulnerable. and diego maradona has been buried on the outskirts of buenos aires. his coffin was due to lie in state for three days, but authorities cut this short after scuffles broke out after crowds of mourners jostling to get inside. human rights activists are trying to use a court here in

germany to prosecute the perpetrators of two chemical attacks against civilians in syria. they want to share al-assad and his regime held responsible. opponents say they have evidence of a syrian regime has carried out more than 200 nerve gas attacks over the last seven years. this despite agreeing to destroy all the countries chemical weapons in 2013. rights groups have filed a criminal complaint with germany's federal prosecutor. reporters have been given exclusive access to some of the footage. >> the screams of victims who died in the syrian gas attack to this day echo in the ears of this syrian nurse. she wants nothing more than the

syrian president and perpetrators of the attack to be charged. she and her husband are witnesses of a criminal complaint filed in germany by human rights groups. they wish to remain anonymous because they fear for their family's safety. >> i fear for my mother and my sisters who are still living in syria. because the regime is cruel and unjust, it has no mercy. if it had a conscience, they would not have done these things >>. on august 21, 2013, three rockets struck parts of eastern ghouta. more than 1000 people were killed, many of them children. among them was this woman's eldest son. they too were exposed to the gas and were unconscious for days. to this day, the syrian regime denies any responsibility for

the attack. >> i hope that one day i can stand before a judge and tell them what this chemical attack did to us. >> it was a terrible scene that i cannot describe to you. people were lying on the ground like ants being killed by bug spray. these images never leave my mind. >> she is convinced the syrian regime was behind the attack. for years, this organization, the syrian archive, along with two other human rights groups have meticulously analyzed the attack, from the suspected launch sites to the rockets used. >> we think from our investigation that most probably , it branched over a network of

different entities that are responsible for the coordination and execution of these attacks. >> dw's investative te, along with german magazine -- beagle, was given access to parts of the criminal complaint. it includes testimonies from 50 defectors with first-hand knowledge of the chemical weapons program and names suspected perpetrators, such as bashar assad and his younger brother. >> whave one witness who described the request for the use of sarin gas comes from bashar al-assad, and was communicated to the predential lace, whe we believe it is approved or ordered by bashar al-assad. >> the criminal complaint was filed in october with the chief federal prosecutor, and the war crimes unit has been investigating atrocities in syria for years.

federal prosecutors in germany confirmed to us that a criminal complaint was filed, but they would not comment on its contents. instead, they said they would independently approve the evidence before deciding whether to open a case against individual suspects, but that could take weeks or even months. him on -- iman was traumatized by the events. she need medication to make it through the day. but the investigation in germany has given her strength and hope that the people responsible for the suffering will finally be held to account. phil: you can get more from investigative reporter louis sanders, who has been uncovering this exclusive story for dw. why has this case been filed in germany? >> good evening, phil. the plaintiffs saw an opportunity. in 2002, germany adopted the principle of universal

jurisdiction, which allows german prosecutors to go after the perpetrators of the most grievous violations of inteational law. we are speaking about crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and this has become part of germany's legacy, in the wake of world war ii, of contributing to a rules-based order at the global level. but there are challenges, of course. there have only been a handful of cases in which universal jurisdiction has been applied and only one has seen a conviction, which was later overturned. the plaintiffs have an uphill battle ahead of them. phil: does anyone expect that even if german prosecutors take this caisson, that bashar al-assad will turn up in a german court? >> that is the question of the hour, in a way. when we have spoken to german prosecutors at the war crimes unit, they told us look, we

can't tell you anything more then, we've received the evidence and we are reviewing it. now, there are other challenges that are obstacles into seeing a successful indictment and later prosecution. for example, bashar al-assad renames an acting head of state, which means under international law he enjoys immunity. for the plaintiffs, for them, they see this as an opportunity, even if it does not result in an indictment. they see it as an opportunity to contribute to a corpus of evidence that has been validated by authorities and hopefully a process in syria that would lead to transitional justice. >> talk us through more of the evidence behind these claims? >> there is a plethora of evidence, and a lot of the documentation we have seen is quite extensive. we are speaking about more than 1000 pages that are accompanying

e criminal complaint, including witness testimonies. but there are also things such as chemical analysis, which looks at impurities or what they call signature compounds, which are unique to the serin produced by the syrian state. and opcw investigators or u.n. teams have been able to isolate these and recognize them, but these aspects have not been a part of the mandate, so they cannot attribute the attacks. phil: thank you for joining us, investigative reporter louis sanders. kremlin critic alexey navalny has called on europe to impose sanctions against russian president vladimir putin's inner circle. speaking to the foreign affairs committee, mr. navalny urged the eu to redraw the relationship with moscow and stand up for democracy in russia.

he is currently recovering after being poisoned with the nerve agent in august. >> he asked european politicians to take concrete actions should parliamentary elections in your ssia-n russia next year be marred by manipulation. >> i ask every politician to treat the russian election in a very simpl way. if some people are not allowed to participate, the results of such an election will never be recognized. >> navalny is in germany, where he was treated in hospital after collapsing on a flight on boards to moscow from the siberian city of tom scotto -- of omsk last august. tests confirmed he had been poisoned wita novichok nerve agen >> the main question we should ask ourselves, why are these people poisoning, killing, and fabricating? the answer is very simple.

money. the european union should target the money. russian oligarchs. >> the kremlin has denied any involvement in no moneys poisoning. he is the last in a row of russian kremlin critic's who been poisoned or gunned down in recent years. >> i will not be the last one who is poisoned or killed or treated in this way. >> despite surviving the poisoning attempt, the hassles for navalny might not be over. russian police raided the moscow offices of his anticorruption foundation earlier this month. despite what appears to be a coordinated campaign to intimidate him and other kremlin critic's, navalny intends to return to russia. european countries that have significant economic ties to russia, including a gas pipeline project in the works, will have

to decide how to shape their relationships with the kremlin and its critics in the future. phil: time to remind you of our top stories at this hour. around says one of its leading nuclear scientists has been assassinated in a targeted attack near thcapital of tehran. mohsen fakhrizadeh has often been suspected of trying to develop nuclear weapons. and the coronavirus caseload has passed one million, according to data compiled by the city's public health agency. angela merkel says a public health lockdown is likely to be extended into next year. don't forget, you can get dw news on the go. download our app from google play or the app store, giving you to access -- giving you access to all the latest news from around the world. you can also send us photos and videos what's going on.

since you are up-to-date, i will have more for you at the top of the hour. stay around, i will be back in just a moment to take you through the day. as always, the website is dw.com . have a good day. ♪

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♪ >> you are watching "live from paris." it's 10:00 p.m. here in the french capital, and we begin with headlines. a top iranian nuclear scientist murdered -- gunned down in his car with his family inside. iran blaming israel and bowing revenge. our correspondent in jerusalem joins us to explain why. french police caught on tape beating a black man for almost five minutes at