>> this is "dw news" live from berlin. 2 million dead as the coronavirus defies efforts to hold back infections. brazil has the world's second-highest death toll. the health care system has collapsed. also onhe program, u.s. drugmaker pfizer cuts back deliveries of covid-19 vaccines to europe to allow it to increase production later in the year. german chancellor angela

merkel's conservatives choose their next party chief and possibly the country's next leader. and a doctor jailed for systematic doping involving top olympic athletes and dating back decades. i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. two million people have died from covid-19 in just a year since the outbreak began. so far doctors have failed to stem the relentless rise in deaths and infections. for early march of next year, as the virus began ravaging italy, the death toll crept past 5000. less than a month later, the figurehead soared past 50,000.

nine months after the disease was first detected, deaths had reached one million. four months since then, the number has doubled to the 2 million figure we see today. the u.s., brazil, india, and mexico have reported the most deaths worldwide, but the u.k. is fast catching up with more than 88,000. germany, which received praise for its handling of the first wave of the pandemic, has seen deaths shoot up and is now in 12th place with more than 45,000 fatalities. brazil has the world's second-highest death toll with more than 200,000. president bolsonaro was widely criticized for playing down the dangers of the pandemic and indeed copy virus himself. authorities in one city in central brazil n admit that its health care system has

collapsed. >> the ambulances keep on coming. they bring a relentless stream of coronavirus patients to the hospitals in the capital of a state hit particularly hard by the pandemic. overburden hospitals are running out of their most vital supply -- oxygen. this growing shortage is costg lives. >>y grandmother died today because of lackf oxygen. there were 21atients in the intensive care unit, and my grandfather, who was 84 years old, did not survive. she needed 15 liters of oxygen and did not get it. >> protesters are blocking roads and picketing hpitals. they are angry at the government and demand answers. >> 've been here since 9:00

a.m. and see just w desperate ople are. i don't even know how to explain what is happening in o country and our state. it is unacceptable for there to be a lack of oxygen, and there is absolutely no explanation for this. >> the goverentli has responded by flying in additional supplies to the embattled state. the shortage has given rise to a new type of crime. police footage shows oxygen cylinders that had been illegally withheld to try to drive up the price. the state has been here before. last year's dramatic images of mass graves carved into the rain forest shocked the world. brazil's health minister blames loca authorities for the crisis. >> they did not have an effective planor early

treatment with clinical diagnosis,asic care, a that has greatly impacted on the severity of the virus. also, the speciali care hospital infrastructure is quite small in percentage terms. >> but as the ambulances keep coming in a country second only to the u.s. in coronavirus deaths, there is plenty of blame to go around. phil: here in europe, there is a setback in the battle against the pandemic. u.s. vaccine maker pfizer has informed the european commission it will not be able to fulfill all of its promised deliveries in the coming weeks because of problems affecting production in its belgium facility. here is european commission

president urszula von der leyen -- ursula von der leyen reacting. >> i got the news, like many of you, about the delays. i called the ceo of pfizer, and he explained there is a production delay in the next weeks, but he reassured me that all guaranteed doses of the first quarter will be delivered in the first. he is person it -- personally on the case to make sure they catch up as soon as possible. that was very important to convey the message to him that we urgently need the guaranteed doses within the first quarter. phil: let's go to dw's brussels bureau chief. this is bad news. what sort of reaction has their been -- has there been? alexandra: the eu commission

president was quick to say that she called the ceo of pfizer immediately, and that he reassured her that all their guaranteed doses of the first quarter are going to be delivered in the first quarter, but of course, you can imagine member states are not happy. they are very concerned. sweden -- six of them, among them sweden, denmark, and finland, wrote a letter to the eu commission, complaining that the situation is not acceptable. that it does not only complicate and delay the planned vaccination schedule, but also, it decreases the stability of the whole process. we happen to understand that the bloc is in a critical phase. many states are toughening their anti-covert measures to curb infections. there are growing concerns about

the eu. highly contagious variants of the virus spreading across the eu, so with the eu needs right now is good news, not this. phil: what consequence is this likely to have? >> what is the case is that the pfizer-biontech vaccine is not the only one in the european union. the moderna vaccine has also been approved for use in the european union, and its rollout will start next week. we also have a third candidate, the oxford-astrazeneca vaccine is applying for approval. actually, we do not have a

reason to panic, but people are, of course, frustrated and tired of being at home and waiting and being told to beatient. phil: thank you. a couple of other developments in this pandemic, the u.k. has been travelers from south america and portugal as concern of the coronavirus variant has been identified in brazil. travelers must now take tests, which can take several days to produce results. two other news from around the world -- a powerful earthquake in indonesia has killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds of others. it damage buildings in and around the capital. authorities fear more are trapped in the rubble. the human agency says the number

of people fleeing violence in central africa has doubled in a week to nearly 60,000. rebel groups are seeking to overturn last month's election amid claims of fraud. the dutch prime minister handed his government's resignation to the king, taking responsibility for a childcare scandal. u.s. president-elect joe biden has outlined a $1.9 trillion coronavirus and economic recovery plan that includes more than $400 billion to combat the pandemic directly. his goal is to speed up the delivery of vaccines and pride -- provide financial help to households struggling economically.

no efforts to protect washington, d.c. in the -- new efforts to protect washington, d.c., in the preparation for the turnover of power. we have this special report from washington where residents have mixed feelings about this unprecedented security operation. >> you shall not pass. that seems to be the message all around the capital. soldiers from the national guard have fled. first came the fence, then the barricades. we're expecting 20,000 soldiers from the national guard in washington, d.c. some are already lined up behind me. the city has never seen something like that, and people are scared.

>> u.s. is supposed to be the beacon of civilition and democracy. this is a sad, sad site. >> it is clear this is definitely needed, and i feel better about it, but i think the threat is still there. >> i feel kind of shaky. i'm glad they are doing something to protect the city as opposed to being unprepared like last time. >> soldiers from 11 states have arrived in washington, d.c. they are organizing their equipment, checking their weapons, and getting ready in case violence returns to the city. they still do not know how long they will stay deployed here, but the ones who spoke to us say they are proud to be here and defend their democracy.

but it is also a logistical challenge. for now, they are waiting. this might look like a military place, but we ar actually in the heart of the capito building. the soldiers here are getting ady for operation day. nobody knows what awaits them. the walls stillear gns of last week's riots. >> it is not what our country stands for. that was perpetrated by donald trump is just a violation. >> and now, they are here to fix it. phil: in germany, chancellor merkel's cdu party is about to elect a new leader.

it is a key to shape the party's future direction. after more than 15 years i the top job, chancellor merkel is not seeking another term. she was replaced in 2018 by the senior leader who failed to leave a stamp on the party. the race for leadership appears to be wide open with three candidates on the all-male pallet. the winner will necessarily become the next german chancellor, so does the current chancellor have a preference? >> yes, angela merkel does have a neighbor it to succeed her. watch her try not to show it when asked months ago if the man next to her has what it takes to become chancellor. -- yes, angela merkel does have a favorite to succeed her. >> i have always said i will not interfere in the succession of the position i have. a new cdu party will be elected.

he brings many qualifications to the table. >> by merkel's standards, that is strong praise. >> i bring to the table experience in government as leader of a large state, balancing out interests, and it might come in handy that i have actually already won an election as these next elections are excessive. friedrich merz wants to turn the cdu back to its conservative roots. a man came to see the end of merkel-style center -- a man keen to see the end of merkel-sized centrist politics. >> i believe that in politics nothing and nobody is irreplaceable.

>> still the underdog, another candidate has carved out a chance for leadership by pushing his plan for germany as a strategic global player. >> strength is the answer, and strength only comes through unity, so we need a european-china strategy. it also means germany has to stop simply seeing china as one of its most important markets. >> the next party leader will also be in a position to run as chancellor. latest numbers suggest it will be a close call when 1001 delegates vote saturday with merz slightly in the lead. but when asked who is most likely to become the next chancellor, a study -- a stunning 80% list someone not

even on the list. there's another dark horse with potential. germany's health minister is leaving his options open, too, so the answer to who will succeed angela merkel s chancellor may still be months away. phil: we can get more from dw's chief editor, who is covering the convention. no clear direction from cdu supporters. which way are they leaning? michaela: that's a tricky one. 1001 delegates in the comfort of their own home, and that in itself could change the results because you have none of the dynamics you normally have at a party gathering as it has to be held digital first.

friedrich merz is the one furthest from angela merkel -style centrist politics. he is clearly seen as a favorite. the question remains to be seen if the others can clinch a slight advantage to make it into what is likely to be a runoff. simply cannot tell you right now. phil: what are the biggest problems waiting for them -- waiting for whoever takes over as party leader? >> it is uniting the party. there was a bitter contest party leadership. we have almost forgotten that the woman handing over the office was supposed to take over as party leader and eventually become chancellor. that has not happened. the party is afraid of bitter divisions in the party.

whoever wins needs to demonstrate that they can bring everybody behind them and really live up to the title of a big tent party. that is also what we heard from angela merkel, addressing that gathering this evening, that this is a big tent party that has to unite rather than divide. phil: this is about the cdu leader. the candidate for chancellor will be decided later this year. >> whoever gets into pole position as chancellor candidate to truly become the successor of angela merkel must show that they can mobilize voters, and that means old-style conservative voters but also younger voters. the cdu party faces the challenge of finding new voters, of persuading those -- there is a big tradition of coalition

politics and also switching parties. the greens may be an option for a coalition, but the cdu should become the strongest party. we see very different approaches , ranging from friedrich merz, who says he wants to put the conservative back into cdu, to the other two saying that there has to be younger dynamism and also more women, although, of course, all candidates are male. phil: thank you. some news from around the world now, starting in uganda where an opposition candidate is claiming victory in the country's presidential election, rejecting the results. a former popstar favored by young voters says that is a complete sham.

he also says he feels threatened after soldiers surrounded his home. >> army leaders make their presence heard. soldiers keep those i on the streets. uganda is not preparing for war. they are counting votes after a tense election campaign. much of the country is locked down. some leaders showing up for work early to find doors locked. >> some people are still afraid. others are still waiting for their candidates to be announced as the winner. most offices are still closed. i cannot access the building. >> i think nothing is going to happen. they cannot try to do anything bad. >> the incumbent has been in

power for 35 years and is seeking another term. initial results showed him with a commanding lead over his main challenger, a former popstar turned politician. he has refused to accept results, saying he has video evidence of fraud during the voting. >> i call upon all ugandans to reject the government. we have certainly won this election and won it by far. >> he reports that his phones have been disconnected and that the military surrounded his house before jumping the fence and taking control of his home. the military says they are there to protect him. despite a history of arresting and harassing him and officials from his campaign.

>> our lives are in danger. i have survived assassination attempts on the campaign trail, and now, being confined at home, still we are being attacked at home five soldiers. they have not told us what they intend to do. they have not told us why they are here. >> vote counting is ongoing, but with the main challenger calling the results a sham and the leader determined to stay in charge, a clear result may take some time. phil: former manchester united striker wayne rooney has hung up his cleats to move into the managers chair. he made 53 goals for his country and his manchester united's all-time top goalscorer.

gordon munich has sentenced a doctor to prison for his role in years of illegal doping in sport. the landmark verdict concludes the first major prosecution of the anti-doping legislation introduced in 2015. the doctor admitting giving doping drug treatment to numerous athletes, mainly in cycling and winter sports. he is banned for practicing medicine for three years and faces a fine. >> blood manipulation was his modus operandi. he and his call -- he and his accomplices would take blood cells from athletes, treat the

sales and reintroduce them. >> finally, a significant punishment has been handed down. one of severity and to clary that sends a valuable signal also in regard to the application of the anti-doping law. >> in the case of an austrian mountain biker, the doctor experimented with hemoglobin, meaning heas also found guilty of grievous bodily harm. he has been in custody since february 2019. raids on his house in germany led to arrests at his practice. anti-doping campaigners believe the judgment will act as a deterrent, but others are not so sure. >> the anti-doping law in germany has been around since 2015, and this is the first and so far only case of doping in

elite sport brought against a personal doctor. in that case, the investigative quarter is, in my opinion, small . >> both parties have a week to appeal the verdict. phil: if you are in lockdown and missing a night out, there is a driver in greece who may have the perfect solution. his taxi doubles as a private nightclub. he transformed his cap after noticing his passengers were often stressed, sad, or just in a bad mood because of the pandemic. he hopes his mobile disco will raise spirits during the pandemic and give passengers a chance to let their hair down as they travel from a to b. don't forget, you can always get "dw news" on the go. just download our app from google play or the apple app store.

if you are part of the news story, you can also use it to send photos and videos of what's going on. that is it. you are up-to-date. more world news at the top of the hour. i will be back in just a moment to take you through big events of the day in berlin. ♪

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the time. [speaking in french] >> you're watching "france 24" live from paris. here are the stories making world headlines. e.u. member countries are demanding answers after pfizer announces a delay in deliveries of its covid voirks. the effort u. chief is trying to calm nerves saying the c.e.o. has ms proed to meet the bloc's order for the first quarter of the year. our correspondent in brusslings with the latest. votes are being counted in a hotly contested presidential election in you ganleda. reports of violence and the main opposition candidate ys