>> this is dw news live from berlin. a boycott of for sunday's election, claiming they are rigged and leaving the door open for a big win for nicolas maduro's ruling party. bangladesh moves thousands of rohingya refugees, they have disastrous conditions. u.s. lawmakers prepare to block troop withdrawals from germany,

with the clock running out on donald trump's presidency. he has -- is his order to reduce trips here nolan void? many are calling it a seismic shift for film -- warner bros. announces a game changing pla that has cinema owners down in the dumps and fans rejoicing. i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. venezuela holds parliament reelections on sunday, but the opposition is boycotting the vote. the opposition leader, juan guaido, claims the polls will be rigged to strengthen maduro plus grip on power. this follows years of turmoil that is seen venezuela become increasingly isolated and aspirate. reporter: an epic a line for gasoline in venezuela.

shortages, widespread hunger and broken down institutions made worse by international sanctions. despite it all, nicolas maduro has clung to power. his nemesis and self proclaimed president, juan guaido, working from home. already seven years old, he's made a career out of announcing maduro's policies. he's announced a referendum aimed at invalidating the upcoming elections. >> the election called by the dictatorship will be held without any of the necessary conditions. there is no independent arbitrator, no possibility of free participation by political parties. reporter: but his call for a referendum has split an already weakened opposition. >> not participating in these elections is not only suicide but in irresponsible attitude to the suffering of the venezuelan people. there's nothing to decide

because all the competitors were chosen by the regime. cracked so who are you going to elect? reporter: venezuela has in in crisis since a disputed election that saw maduro win by a large margin. most of the international community, including the u.s. and european union, said the election was not free warfare and took guaido's side. he was next in line to be president under the venezuelan constitution. a standoff followed, guaido failed to convince the military and maduro stayed on. since then, maduro has consolidated power, sidelining e national assembly and installing a parallel legislative house filled by loyalists. meanwhile, guaido's popularity and influence have shrunk dramatically.

this upcoming election is likely his last stand. a big win by maduro's winning party, which is almost guaranteed, will mean he is no longer speaker and leave maduro without serious competition. phil: let's join our latin american correspondent in bogota. let's start with juan guaido's claimed that the election is going to be rigged. is there merit in that claim? guest: let's see just the facts -- nicolas maduro chose a day for debate of this election. he also chose the electoral authorities -- changed the leaders of his political parties and they decided to participate in this election, so he chooses all of this and they are forcing people to vote.

the second man in the regime said this week that those who want to vote want to eat. he says those who do not vote are going to go into hunger quarantine. can you imagine a politician saying this right now? under these conditions -- phil: we are having a few technical issues there. johan moritz -- johan marrero -- johan ramirez in a bit off. we will see if we can sort that out over the course of the evening. apologies for those big nickel issues. on to other news -- bangladesh is starting to move rohingya refugees to a camp on a recently formed island critics say is vulnerable to cyclones and dangerous flooding. almost a million rohingya refugees live in crowded camps on the mainland. united nations says no refugees should move their against their will.

many have pinned their hopes on what bangladesh says will be a better situation. reporter: three hours on a navy vessel brought these rohingya refugees to an isolated island off the coast of bangladesh. this will be their new home for a while. they have been on the move for years, seeking safety since fleeing myanmar. now they have to shift to another uncertain situation. >> we are not citizens of any country. so we are moving to wherever there are more facilities for us. we were not happy at camps. we heard from seniors as well as the television that we will get more from the facilities at bhashan char. reporter: on the island of bhashan char, this camp can house 100,000 people. the silt island formed just 20 years ago.

critics say the landmass is prone to flooding and dangerous cyclones. some families say their relatives are being moved their against their will. >> they are forcing my son and his family to go. he didn't want to go, but they forced him. i came to see him, probably for the last time. if my family goes to the island, they will die because of the floods. reporter: bangladeshi authorities say all relocations are voluntary and the new facilities are better than the currently overcrowded mainland camps. on the island, flood defenses have been built to keep back threats of rising seas, but so far, no independent inspectors have been allod to look at the facilities. the united nations refugee agency is demanding urgent access to see if the island is safer hedged a -- safe for habitation. phil: lawmakers in the u.s.

congress are prepared to block president trump's orders to withdraw troops from germany. the pentagon announced in july that it would withdraw one third of the 36,000 troops based here, but the final version of the annual defense bill going through congress, which still needs to be voted on, supports the continuing presence of u.s. forces in germany. it also requires a full impact assessment before troops are withdrawn. a cdu member of the german parliament's foreign relations committee, we asked for his message to u.s. lawmakers as congress appears to review this bill. >> we are very happy to listen to this new arrangement from the hill and our messages the american soldiers and families are very welcome in germany and we need them for our mutual security. it is a question of transatlantic trust and a question of transatlantic burden

sharing. my plea to our american colleagues is please, demand also from germany more engagement in the european neighborhood and, with is refund or alliance with the presence of american soldiers in germany, the american side could demand from members of the european union and nato member states to invest more in their security in the western balkans and also as regards to ukraine. so this would really be a step forward in our mutual friendship and interest oriented relationship. phil: a top -- top you and officials are warning next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe as longer term effects of coronavirus become felt. speaking on the second day of a special summit on covid-19 aad of the world food program said for a dozen countries, famine was knocking on the door.

the u.n. said earlier this week that 40% of people now need humanitarian help because of the pandemic. let's get more from a who spokesperson. welcome to dw. what are you hoping wilcome out of this special assembly? guest: what we are really hoping is to get a consensus from all member states on how we work altogether to fight this pandemic, not only in terms of agreeing on public health measures, but also, as we ar all this positive news from vaccine developers, that we agree on a fair and equitable access not only to vaccines, but innovation and science products

that will help us and this pandemic. phil: let's pick up on that point and listen to the head of the world health organization's -- organization talking about just that. >> we simply cannot accept a world in which the poor and marginalized are trampled by the rich and powerful in the stampede for vaccines. this is a global crisis and the solutions must shared equitably as global public goods, not as private commodities that widen inequality and become yet another reason some people are left behind. phil: how do we ensure people in developing countries are not left behind? guest: we end the world health

organization have set a mechanism and we ask all the countries to sign up and fund it. we make sure once we have vaccine or hopefully vaccines that are proved to be safe a efficient, we can collectively negotiate the prices and ke sure the priority groups in every country are vaccinated simultaneously. what we want is that health care workers, front-line workers, vulnerable groups and those with underlyingedical conditions are hing access to the vaccines as a priority in every country. no single cntry can beat this pandemic and no one is safe

until we are all safe. the economy is so integrated that every month, 370 billion u.s. dollars are being drawn during the pandemic. what we are asking for is only a fraction would be paid off in a matter of days if we manage to work together and stop this pandemic by targeting those who need the vaccine the most phil: are you worried the promise of a vaccine is going to make people lower their guard so we see another huge surge in infections around the world? guest: this is indeed a huge risk we are facing with this positive news. at the beginning, we will have only a limited number of doses. so it will take months and months before we manage to widen

e vaccination campaign, so countries should see it as a hope,ut not a sign the pandemic is over. what we have right now is traditional public health measures that can help us try to limit the number of people getting sick and this is trying to learn where the virus is and making sure that people are infected and those who have been in contact with them stay home and in that way, we can try to create the transmission chains and we all have a role to play trying to minimize the risk by

wearing masks, keeping distance, washing hands. so vaccines are a good use but we are not there. phil: thank you for joining us. a new poll is out showing the presidents of germany support -- residents of germany support virus related contact restrictions. dw hit the streets of berlin to get people's perspective and ask if they are likely to comply. reporter: germany is months into a partial lockdown that has not managed to significantly reduce covid-19 infections and with a record number of deaths on thursday, the country is gearing up for a low-key christmas and new year's eve. according to a new study, one quarter of germans think the restrictions being taken by the government go too far. but over half of them think they are appropriate. 1/5 would welcome even tougher measures.

despite plateauing infection rates, most state authorities plan on loosening restrictions for the festive season to allow germans to gather with up to 10 family members. the news is being met with caution. half of germans welcome the christmas measures, but only one third approve of the relaxing of restrictions for new year's eve. in berlin, the seven day incident rate is still too high, so authorities have already announced there will be no easing of restrictions. while most people understand, not everyone is happy about it. >> on the one hand, i find it right, on the other, i don't think it's feasible because christmas is a very important celebration for people. so i don't think they will stick to the rules, at least not in the way authoritiesould like. i'm skeptical. >> i don't think christmas is so important. i have taken part in the

festivities for almost 20 years and it's also really nice, but it is difficult. cracks it is probably necessary but difficult. family celebrations, it will be hard to implement and only a few people will stick to the restrictions. reporter: a vaccine may be insight soon, but f now, the long and hard winter predicted by angela is unfolding. -- angela merkel is unfolding. phil: many are considering how to best celebrate without spreading the virus. we have asked our correspondents run the world what's happening where they are. reporter: cape town is a popular destination for those running away from the cold in their own countries. normally it's difficult to find a hotel but this year, things are going to be different. although south africa opened its borders with a negative covid test result, only few are coming.

>> i don't think christmas will be the same. people have lost their jobs. >> covid-19 has effected my mental health a lot. usually when i go home for christmas, i am the cheery and bubbly one, but now i am taking a oud of sadness home. >> the amount of people getting together, the virus spreads quicker, not just for ourselves, but family, coworkers, colleagues, sisters and brothers. that's why we celebrate this small this year. reporter: the number of new covid infections is low for now but on the rise. epidemiologists warn of a spike in cases because of christmas celebrations. most events here we already canceled. the good news for those already here, if you are looking for

silence and contemplation on a lonely beach, your chances are quite good this year. reporter: it doesn't get much more christmasy than this -- london's oxford street usually bustling with shoppers. but this year, standing around with big crowds is not of the top of anybody's christmas list. the u.k. still under strict restrictions but until the 27th of december, there will be -- the 23rd through 27th of december, there will be relaxations. it's the first time we will have seen families endorsed since march. as prime minister boris johnson put it,'tis the season to be jolly, it's also the season to be jolly careful or risk undoing the gains made in november lockdown. for some, the question is can we meet loved ones, it should we? >> i think people deserve a bit of a break. i understand the locations, but --

>> i'm spending it just with my boyfriend. it's going to be a nice change because when everyone gets together, it's a recipe for disaster. >> i don't have any plans. i'm waiting to be invited to places. phil: take a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world -- china has released images of its national flag being unfurled on the moon just before it's unmanned spacecraft lifting off carrying samples of lunar rocks to study on earth. the mission is the latest in series of increasingly ambitious space missions as beijing seeks to catch up with the u.s. and russia. a new video has been released showing the collapse of an observatory on the island of puerto rico. one of the world's largest radio telescopes, the suspension cable snapped on the first of december before engineers could conduct a

controlled demolition. you may recognize the structure from the 1990 james bond film, goldeneye. a legendary berlin nightclub class forced to close has reopened as a covid-19 test center. the club has advised you visitors to arrive with their clothes on and not ready to party. the coronavirus has prompted a major rethink from warner bros. for next year. as a shares and cinema operators have nosedived after the studio said it would simultaneously debut all of its films next year in cinema and on its new streaming service. for now, the policy applies only to the u.s. market stop it is a plot twist many of the film industry say they did not see coming. reporter: unprecedented times call for creative solutions will stop that was how warner bros.

executives describe their historic gamble. revealing they would be releasing their 2021 blockbuster movies in theaters and on line simultaneously. in a major shakeup for the entertainment industry. it is the latest salvo in the streaming wars, which it's warner's video on demand service, hbo max, launched in may against rivals netflix and disney plus. film fans welcomed the news. >> hbo's great company. i've always liked them. i thing it's a great idea for their profit margins, i guess. i don't have anything against it. >> a pretty good thing, considering we are living during the covid era right now and a lot of theaters are not open, so it's a good thing the streaming

services are getting bigger and bigger. reporter: studio executives said the strategy would be in place for just one year, offering a glimmer of hope that lucrative ox office revenues will return. shares in already hard-hit cinema companies plunged. >> once it comes back, people will be looking for that kind of theater experience because, quite frankly, they've got enough of the home theater experience. reporter: for now, though warner bros. bet marks the beginning of a new chapter for hollywood. the question is will it change habits forever? phil: let's get more on this from scott from dw arts and culture. one presumes this is a reaction to the pandemic. how big a deal is the actual move itself? guest: it is credible. i don't think anyone anticipated this. it's such a radical shift, what

warner is doing for their customers in the u.s. is saying for $15 a month, you can see 18 big, big movies essentially for free, from wonder woman to dune to matrix for, they are going to be giving them away in this huge push to sign up for hbo max. this is interesting because warner was the one studio that since corona started, brought out a big movie. they released "tenant" worldwide. they crunched the numbers and found it did not make the money they wanted to. so they are weighing the risks and saying instead of releasing these big movies in the u.s., we are going to wait until the cinemas are open again and be full again before we bring out our big movies. until then, we will put them out online. phil: what about the cinemas, then? already forced to close because of covid, there's less to look

forward to now. guest: i think it is a disaster for the cinemas. they seem to be caught off guard. some of the cinema chains only knew hours before they announced it. some of the bigger chains are talking about renegotiating their terms because if wonder woman is going to be coming out online and in cinemas at the same time, we are not going to charge $15 or $16, we will be looking at it for free at home. so it will be an interesting procedure to see how cinemas negotiate with warners and may beget different price structures. a lot of people are saying this could be the last blow for some cinema chains. they have been hard-hit and losing money this entire year. if they don't have any movies to look forward to that they can have exclusively to draw people in, it might take longer for them to get on their feet. phil: our other studios looking to follow their lead? guest: i think they will be

looking to see how warner does. you could see disney take this approach. they have a big streaming service and have done this with a couple of their films, but disney has charged extra for the films they release on disney plus. if this does work for warner, you could see some studios copy it all stopped that this is going to be a loss leader for warner bros.. these are big, big movies. it cost a lot to make and they can't make that money back with their hbo streaming service. it will be interesting to see if they grow their service big enough that they can get enough revenue to make up for the losses. if that works, you could see other studios follow their lead. phil: thank you so much for that. we will finish with a story if you are a cat lover -- firefighters in the turkish city of izmir were called out to an unusual rescue after receiving calls about a strange noise coming from belowground.

first responders got to work with their thermal monitor and quickly located a cat trapped inside an underground cable. nobody knows how the cat got there, but it is reported to be doing well. it apparently has a very healthy appetite. what a way to start weekend. stay with us. i will be back in a moment to take you through the day, taking a closer look at this rare bipartisan unity in the u.s. congress over the american troops here in germany. more world news as well at the top of the hour.

♪ >> welcome to live from paris. 10:00 p.m. in the french capital and we begin with the headlines. a week of intense brexit trade talks ended in a stalemate. can the differences be bridged in time for the deadline? our correspondent in london joins with the latest. french president macron calls racial profiling unbearable and announces a plan to out police discrimination. the french public has been furious over a video of officers hitting a black man. the top u.s. health agency pleads for universal mask u