tv DW News LINKTV April 26, 2021 3:00pm-3:31pm PDT
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berlin. india and the pandemic. a crisis being described as the on heartbreaking. surging new coronavirus infections are overwhelming hospitals. people are being turned away. the u.s., european union and the u.k. are sending medicine and oxygen. also coming up tonight, is alexei navalny leading an extremist movement? russian prosecutors say yes. the latest legal attempt to
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block his supporters from russian elections and its politics. and, where were you 35 years ago? russia and the world remembering chernobyl, world's worst nuclear disaster. we look at the physical and emotional fallout that has never stopped. and the rumor mill in germany's bundesliga goes into overdrive. the center of it all with reports the coach is planning to leave the club and a takeover at bayern munich. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers on pbs in the united states and all of you around the world, welcome. we begin with the pandemic pain in india. today was the fifth day in a row india reported a record high of new coronavirus infections.
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349,000 in 24 hours. tonight, the u.s., the u.k. and the european union are sending medical supplies including oxygen, which hospitals desperately need to treat covid-19 patients. any hospitals are full and turning people away. there are reports of people dying on the streets and families being told there is no more space to hold funerals. >> crowds waiting for a shot of hope as the coronavirus devastates india. people q outside of vaccination centers in mumbai. even though the country is a major coronarus vaccine maker, many fear there is not enough to go around. in many parts of the country, ill people are queuing outside the hospitals. they desperately need treatment.
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in delhi, looking after a finney member. -- a family member. they have been turned away from two hospitals already. >> oxygen and the ambulance is running out. his condition is serious. we are standing in the middle-of-the-road without oxygen or hope cared >> hospitals are running out of oxygen. they are already caring for so many patients with covid-19 that words are full. -- wards are full. the deliveries that duo arrive are simply not -- that do arrive are not enough. the government is rushing to open new covid-19 wards like this one. they say even more beds will be available soon. >> we are working on increasing the number of oxygen beds on a large scale. within the next few days, we will increase the capacity to
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2000 -- from 2000 to 5000 beds. we are also preparing 200 beds at the intensive care unit. >> but new hospital wards come too late for many victims of covid-19. at mass cremation sites like this one outside the capital, delhi, the pandemic's grisly toll is clear. brent: earlier, i spoke to a senior research fellow at the center for modern oriental studies in berlin. i asked him if the indian government has made mistakes in the number of new infections and the overwhelmed hospitals we are seeing. >> it is really a grim situation of what we are hearing or seeing
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of what is happening in india. definitely, it can be said in hindsight that the government was caught unprepared. the more worrying part is the action and messaging of the government was willingly sort of very confused and contradictory. to give you some concrete examples, in february, prime minister modi almost a self congratulated that corona has been concluded in india. the next month, the health minister said we are at the end game of the flight over corunna. election rallies were organized. massive crowds gathered. we solve this hindu fest -- a we saw this hindu festival where hundreds gathered. all of this could have been prevented from such gatherings taking place.
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what is worrying, i am very glad to hear the recent address of prime minister modi when he asked the people to listen to the scientists. a report has come out that a national scientific task force created last year when the cases were rising in february, the task force had never met a single time in the months of february and march. the question that needs to be asked was, was government listening to the scientific community? these are some of the very worrying trends. some very glaring willful neglect. that is my impression. brent: german chancellor angela merkel has confirmed germany is sending medical aid and supplied
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to india -- and supplies to india as part of an international effort to bring the covid-19 crisis under control. >> we will work with other countries to ensure we can help india. we are working hard on finding ways to get oxygen production facilities there. the whole of europe is working on that and i also discussed this with the prime minister of portugal today. they are currently holding the e.u. presidency. we want to do everything we can to help india. brent: not to germany's own battle with the pandemic. chancellor merkel met today with the 16 state premieres in germany to discuss the country vaccination drive. the pace of vaccinations is excruciatingly slow at the start. things are picking up pace. there is a chance germany may open up its offering to everyone by the start of june. >> chancellor angela merkel done did a meeting of hope.
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the situation in germany is serious. the number of coronavirus patients in intensive care still growing. the vaccination drive is picking up speed. germany may soon be able to offer vaccines to everyone, not only those at high risk. >> on the whole, we expect the people in the high-priority group will be vaccinated by the end of may. that means depending on how many vaccine doses we get, we can abandon the priority list as of june at the latest. this does not mean everyone can be vaccinated immediately, but the everyone can make an appointment. -- but that everyone can make an appointment. >> after a slow start during the first few months of the year, around 23% of the population has received the first dose. that is thanks to increase in deliveries, or reliable supply
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chains and family doctors administering the shot. with more people vaccinated, the debate on whether they should enjoy more freedom from restrictions is mounting. chancellor merkel says the government is preparing legislation to ease some measures. those who have been fully vaccinated or those who have recovered should be exempted from having to get tested to go to non-essential shops or from quarantining after returning from abroad. they would still have to continue following mask and social distancing rules. >> i think that is unfair. a more nuanced solution must be found. it is clear to me that people who have been vaccinated must get their basic rights back. it is not a question of whether they get special rights but that they can live normally again. >> i think it is a -- in that it is good, but it is a pity it is not my turn yet. >> chancellor merkel's promise
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to offer every adult in germany vaccine by the end of summer seemed impossible to many over a few weeks ago. now hopes are high that her pledge will be met. brent: turkey is planning in the strictest curbs on public life yet to combat the coronavirus pandemic. turkey's president announcing what he calls a nationwide full lockdown. it started this thursday and is set to last until the middle of may. authorities are ramping up restrictions after curfews and weekend lockdowns failed to reduce new cases of infections quickly enough. the number of daily coronavirus infections sword to record levels in mid april but have since fallen. in the last 24 hours, more than 37,000 people across the country were infected with the coronavirus. for more on this, we want to bring in our correspondent in istanbul. good evening to you. walk us through these new
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restrictions and this new lockdown. >> we are still awaiting the full details on these restrictions, but will be understand is all schools will be closed including kindergartens. school exams have been indefinitely postponed. non-essential factories will also be shuttered although it is unclear what is considered non-essential. all inner-city travel will be ended, requiring special permission to travel. it has led to a mass scramble of people trying to get home. turkey's national air carrier has yet to announce details on travel because they are still waiting for directives. this does appear to be a last-minute decision. this comes with an unprecedented surge in infections running around 35, 40,000, making turkey the highest rate of infection in europe. it ranks as one of the highest
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in the world. that follows the presidents decision to ease restrictions and a of warnings from doctors and held a series of local rallies across the country. parallels with india. that is blamed for the major search. brent: you have been living in turkey for many years. how do people feel about what is about to happen in terms of the lockdown? have you seen anything like this for? >> this is unprecedented. there are mixed emotions. small businesses, this could be the final nail in the coffin. they have been struggling for well over a year to survive. these unprecedented restrictions could finish many countries. unemployment is surging. for many people, there is desperation. there is poverty in this country. many people are struggling to find food every day to survive. this is the message coming from opposition leaders across the country.
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there is the recognition there is a need for restrictions. all people you speak to know of someone seriously ill from covid. the situation of what is happening in india, the fear is that could come to turkey. it is facing a breaking point according to turkey's medical association. that is why there is a need their -- need for restrictions. everyone is aware it is a tough time ahead. brent: dorian jones in his temple ahead of the lockdown coming this week. thank you. here is a look at some of today's pandemic of elements. the united states will start sharing up to 60 million doses of the astrazeneca vaccine with other countries in the next few weeks. the shot is not yet authorized free use in the u.s. the u.s. has come under pressure to share more of its supply with the rest of the world. the european unio is --
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union is -- hong kong and singapore have confirmed they are launching a travel bubble in may. travelers will be allowed to fly between the cities without going into quarantine if they meet strict requirements. now to italy, which recorded the second highest death toll from covid-19 in europe and one of the largest in the world. there seems to be some signs of hope. with infecti rates dropping, three quarters of italy's regions have used covid-19 restrictions. after six months of closures, life is slowly getting back to some semblance of normality. >> a tradition of italians have always embraced. now they can enjoy it once again. at least at outdoor tables. the same goes for restaurants. people in rome flocked to the sidewalks for an open-air lunch.
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the excitement over the reopening was palpable. >> i have cleared my schedule. i am packed with museums, bars, parties and nightclubs. i am not going to sit still. >> museums were also back in business with restrictions on the number of people allowed. as were italy's world-famous tourist sites. and perhaps most important for many, schools allowedn person instruction with up to 70% capacity. in scotland, people enjoyed their first beers at a pub since december. for now, alcohol is only allowed outdoors. that is still a huge and welcome change here. >> fantastic. it has been a long time coming. there has been a lot of work going into where we are today. >> the hope now is these new
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freedoms are here to stay and a sign of normal life returning. brent: let's turn to some of the other stories making headlines around the world. the german president is in paris to meet french president emmanuel macron where they will discuss european policy and the response to the covid-19 crisis. the visit to the french capital is the president's first foreign trip since september and reflects the close ties between germany and france. in iraq, funerals have been held for the 82 victims of a hospital fire in baghdad. the blaze broke out when an oxygen tank exploded. the hospital was treating some of the most severe covid-19 cases. victims -- families of the victims they negligence contributed to the disaster. i ran has sentenced a british iranian trade worker to another year in prison.
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the high profile case has prompted international condemnation. british prime minister boris the sentence and said he is working hard to secure his release. russian authorities have ordered the offices of imprisoned opposition leader alexei navalny to suspend all of their activities. it comes ahead of a court ruling that could outlaw his anticorruption foundation as extremist and threatened to supporters with long prison terms. the injunction from them the -- from the moscow prosecution office at the latest move against his critics -- against his organizations. >> defense lawyers estimate the defense scripts weigh 12 kilos. then the hearings begin. the public prosecutor once his
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organizations to be classified as extremist, claiming they pose a danger to russian stability. the classification has serious consequences. it is about the definition of illegal activities. when an organization is declared extremist, even the people who donate money can be taken to court. alexei navalny runs it a number of regional offices. for more than a decade, this organization has been denouncing corrupt politicians. he says this problem goes all the way to the highest government offices. their best-known video shows a palace that allegedly belongs to putin. the kremlin denies this. donations to the organization would be endangered if they were to be categorized as an extremist group. the current debt -- the german government criticized russia. thursday is the next court day.
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recently, alexei navalny's team organize protest across the country but now they are banned from doing this again. brent: it has been 35 years since the world's worst nuclear disaster. on the night of april 26th, 19 86, reactor number four at the trainer will power plant exploded. the blast sent radioactive material into the atmosphere, spreading it across much of europe. tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate. many are still suffering the consequences today. >> a memorial service in honor of the victims, the helpers, the fire brigade that battled the catastrophe. thousands of people lost their lives as a result of the high radiation they were exposed to. >> for all of us, chernobyl represents a common challenge and a common cause. we want to make the future and our planet safe.
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>> the core of the reactor exploded in april of 1986, triggering a meltdown. a cloud of radioactive particles spread across europe. radioactivity can still be detected in the trees and soil in the exclusion zone. forrest fires like during last year's drought hose and other threat -- pose another threat. creating toxic radioactive smoke. it is another danger for the first responders from the fire brigade. >> i have been on duty in radioactive zones more than once. when the levels rise above 1000, your lips start to burn. they feel like lead and very dry. after two hours, your voice goes out. >> 1000 is a high level of radioactivity. the firemen tells me many of his colleagues have health problems. the catastrophe took place 35
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years ago. even today, people are still suffering from the consequences. brent: sports now. starting with football. germany's bundesliga title race has heated up unexpectedly on match day 31 of 34. rb leipzig knew anything less than a win would hand the title to bayern munich. the visitors were in an obliging mood. >> the surprise loss meant that leipzig went into this one knowing a win would keep the championship race alive for another match day. the task seemed a simple letter after 15 minutes when stood guard's player was sent off. leipzig dominated proceedings after. but found the keeper and unimpeded -- an unbeatable -- in an unbeatable form. it was 0-0 going into the break.
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could not stop leipzig from taking the lead. one hive -- 1-0, leipzig. a penalty within a minute of coming on after a clumsy tackle. 2-0, leipzig after 67 minutes. the score stayed 2-0. the result means strict got -- and hope byron drop points if they are to secure the unlikeliest of titles. brent: the coach is in high demand. german media are reporting he plans to leave the club to take over at bayern munich.
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the 33-year-old could cost the bundesliga champions 30 million euros, which would be a record fee for a german league coach. the current contract runs until 2023. he made history last season by taking them all the way to the champions league semifinals. joining me to talk about that from dw sports is mark. if he is going to byron, is he the right man for the job? >> the speculation has been raging since it was announced surprisingly that flick was going to be leaving. he seems to fit the profile they are looking for. his team plays exciting football. he is a young up-and-coming manager. he has shown he can handle big names. he is a young manager. and crucially, german-speaking.
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the hierarchy were looking for a german speaker after a little bit of trouble with coaches that did not quite master the language and had troubles with communication kiddie he fits the bill across -- with kim and occasion. he fits the bill. brent: why isn't he a building on what he has already created? >> he has improved them year on year. he improved another team and got them playing very exciting football. last year with leipzig, the champions league semifinal. they could even win the league. it looks like they will get second. german cup semifinal. looks like he is building something. like many managers before him, the carrot is too succulent to resist. brent: leipzig reportedly wants
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30 million euros. how does that compare to other coaches? >> in german terms, that is an astronomical fee. we have seen coaches move -- 5 million euros was the compensation fee. moving from frankfurt, 7.5 million euros. this is four or five times that. it is an astronomical fee. this is all media reports at the moment. nothing is confirmed. brent: it is easy money if you have that money to spend. thank you. auction house sotheby's has announced a new world record for a private sale, but it is not for a rare work of art. rather, it is for a pair of sneakers designed and worn by a rapper. his nikes sold for 1.8 million
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dollars. west debuted the shoes at the 2008 grammy awards. it was the first time nike collaborated with someone who was not an athlete cared it mark -- an athlete. and it marked the start of his empire. it racks up annual sales of well over a billion dollars. for a pair of shoes. the years first supermoon has risen. this happens when a full moon is closer to earth than usual. you can see it in the sky in australia. if you missed this supermoon, you will not have to wait long for the next one. it i coming at the end of may and is expected to be even bigger and brighter than this one. you can almost touch it. you are watching dw news. here is a reminder of our top stories. medical aid is on its way to
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india as the country faces a devastating search of coronavirus cases. that you and the u.s. are among members of the international community sending supplies. we were watching dw news live from berlin. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. stick around. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪
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