♪ brent: this is "dw news." tonight, the dilemma not going away, how to help the afghan people without supporting the taliban. a g20 sounded, the eu offered $1 billion in aid. will it reach the people who need it? coming up, asylum-seekers at the border between poland and belarus. why they say they are caught

in a tug-of-war. the international court of justice in a dispute tinged with oil wealth intrigue. plus, like father, like son, almost. a new superman, d.c. comics announces its latest hero is coming out as bisexual. i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching, welcome. help fight hunger and desperation in afghanistan without legitimizing or making things easier for the taliban. that is the challenge facing international powers at the moment. world leaders discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in a special g20 summit today. the nation was already dependent on foreign aid, and western

countries cut off support after the taliban return to power. our chief international editor has been following the summit with a close look at the complexities facing world leaders. correspondent: that's right. angela merkel announced germany is not ready. she also drew attention to the problems people infghanistan are having getting money. afghanistan is a country dependent on the u.s. dollar, it does not even have its own printing presses for currency and is dependent on money from outside, which is not getting in. angela merkel singh the world bank and the imf have a responsibility to resolve things. we got a chance to ask h a question looking back over the debacle in afghanistan in recent months, whether she had any regrets, and her answer was interesting. let's take a listen. angela merkel: the mandate passed by the german parliament

was valid for a significantly longer time, so from our perspective, we would have stayed longer in afghanistan because stabilization efforts had not made enough progress. during the entire time, we knew we were in a mission with other countries and could not stay alone. for example, not without the u.s., who had its own reasons to end the mission in afghanistan. that remains one point where you naturally think things might gone differently. correspondent: that is angela merkel's cautious language, but the clearest sign we have seen so far that her putting the blame on the u.s. for leaving afghanistan to hastily, saying that the germans could have stayed longer. that stresses not only the divisions between the west and countries like russia and china

over afghanistan, in the years ahead, the west will have to do more thinking about the lessons to be learned from afghanistan about how the west worked as an alliance, goals, failures, and successes. from that answer, we can see there is still a lot for the two sides between europe and the u.s. to discuss. brent: that was richard walker reporting. an estimated 500,000 afghans have been displaced since the taliban took control in august. millions are at risk of hunger and malnutrition. out of desperation, many families are being forced to make heartbreaking decisions. correspondent: a makeshift camp in kabul. as the taliban swept through the provinces, this young couple fled here. with no income, savings, or help , they say they cannot afford to feed their two children.

desperate to keep them both alive, they have made the impossible decision to sell their one month old baby to a childless couple. all across afghanistan, the economic crisis is forcing people into acts of desperation. the health care system is struggling to buy medical supplies and pay its staff, and millions of children are suffering from malnutrition. following the taliban takeover in august, assets in the afghan central bank were frozen. in response, the temporary government set strict withdrawal limits. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: i can only withdraw 170. correspondent: unemployment has spiked, and even those who have jobs say they no longer get paid. [speaking foreign language] translator: i don't have a job,

but my neighbor is a teacher and another is an engineer. neither have been paid since the taliban arrived. correspondent: women have been hit hard, their lives changed overnight by new rules restricting access to education in public life. [speaking foreign language] translator: i am a student in the seventh grade, but the taliban don't allow girls about the sixth grade to go to school, so i work on the street and earn one euro a day andnd use the money to buy food for my family because my father does not have a job. correspondent: 18 million afghans depended on humanitarian aid before the takeover. that has been cut off. world leaders are struggling to decide how to support the nation without backing the militants in charge. the united nations is calling for urgent action is a warning this crisis could spill over into an international humanitarian emergency, as more and more afghans flee in fear or in hope of a brighter future.

brent: let's get the latest from our correspondent. it is good to see you. the aide shortage we have been talking about has crippled the afghan economy. the taliban are in charge. do they have a plan to solve this crisis? correspondent: i mean, if they have a plan, the taliban are doing a good job of keeping it under wraps. note sign of concrete steps. there is talk from them that plans for the economy and female education and all kinds of things, but precious little detail about how they will make their ideas come to fruition. the fact is they did not understand and did not even dream of getting to power as fast as they did in the end. there was no relief the government would fall as fast as it did.

so after 20 years of fighting in the mountains, they came to power quickly and have been overwhelmed by the tasks in the humanitarian disaster they are facing. brent: there is the saying that money talks and people listen. today, when the european union announced the aid package, i am sure the taliban's ears were wide open. has there been any official reaction? correspondent: we have not heard anything specifically about that from the highest levels. the proof will be in how these conditions and how this money will be dispensed, dispersed, what kind of conditions will be on the ground in terms of the organizations that will be allowed to work with this money, and if there will be further demands in terms of human rights , education for women. i think that is the real crux. there is no other game in town for the taliban. this economy has been dependent

on outside aid for decades. the previous government was 70% dependent on foreign funding for its budget. the economy is in freefall. apart from illicit drugs, there is no industry that can support this country, but willed the taliban be able to do those deals with the international community, will they be able to offer the kind of conditions that would see westerns willing to give more without alienating supporters, many of whom are looking at islamic state and wondering if those of the true bears of the ideology they fought for -- bearers of the ideal of g -- ideology they fought for? brent: angela merkel said the money comes with strings attached, it cannot go to the pockets of the tell again -- taliban. it has to go to the people who needed international organizations will receive the

funds industry the aid. is there anyway way to ensure that happens. we know corruption is a big problem in afghanistan and has been. correspondent: that is the case. when people mention the government, the first thing they talk about is corruption. there are stories of government contracts being inflated two times to three times, and the vast majority of the money ending up in the pockets of people in power rather than being spent on the ground. that's why a lot of the international aid agencies are i can taliban. the international red cross is being paid for by the icrc. the taliban is not contribute one penny, yet they have their man in charge of the hospital. i think it will be possible to bring that control to some

extent and put the people on the ground. any kind of provision of these services will somehow still cement that taliban rule, and lots of people here, village people who may not be up-to-date with all the details will be thankful to the taliban for providing petitions to allow them to live comes or whatever they do, anything for the afghan population, any support, the issue is they are still allowing the taliban to consolidate their hold on the country. brent: that's right. giving them more legitimacy with every check. thank you. there is a worsening crisis on the european union's border with belarus. record numbers of asylum-seekers have been attempting to cross into poland, which is a member of the european union, and all that in recent days. poland has constructed a border fence and deployed thousands of soldiers to turn the migrants back. it is a move that goes against

international law appeared poland and the european union are accusing belarus of manufacturing this crisis by extending asylum-seekers to the eu borders. some people have died of hypothermia or exhaustion. as temperatures get colder, there is concern more will die. for more now, we want to bring in our correspondent at the border between poland and belarus. good evening. we have to remind people that winter is coming. it is cold outside pure the conditions along the border are harsh, extreme the cold -- extremely cold. will it get worse? what do we know? correspondent: it is bitterly cold now. the concern is that there are many people in this exclusion zones set up three kilometers into poland from the border with belarus. let me give you an update on what we have experienced today. i am speaking into my phone as

the team i am here with have voice messages from the migrants we have managed to get in contact with throughout the day. they are begging us for help, saying the situation is extremely difficult. they have been sending photos of their children buying in the floor -- on the floor in the woods. we are unable to access that area. the border guards will not allow us into the area. we had it cooperating that the men we are talking to was actually in a village in poland. we met a woman who said a couple of days ago he was there at her house and that she spoke to these people, and this basically shows the polish authorities are pushing people back across the border, which is illegal under international law. the law states that these people should be allowed to have an asylum request. we continue to follow this family. we are in regular contact with them, but it highlights the

situation on the ground, especially in that exclusion zone. brent: jack, what about the polish border authorities, had they been saying anything about the situation and these accusations of pushback? correspondent: when we have been reaching that exclusion zone, they simply say journalists are not allowed in, providing a real problem with transparency about exactly what is happening. the polish border guards did release a video on twitter, a fence, where they suggested behind this fence there are a number of migrants from some holding up signs saying, do not let us die. the polish border guards suggesting in that tweet that belarus is preparing for another wave of forcible crossings, where the polish people are accusing the belarusians of forcing migrants across the border into poland. it is a clash between two countries with these people stuck in the zone between, and

already we know that some people have died. as the conditions get more difficult, people around here are really concerned that more people will die. brent: jack, we understand anywhere near the polish border exclusion zone is receiving a warning on their smartphones that belarusian authorities are now trying to poison migrants. what more do we know about this? correspondent: yeah, that's right. when we first arrived yesterday, we got this text message as we entered the region, and again, today, we received a similar text message reading, do not cross into poland and do not take pills from belarusian soldiers. when you click on a link, it suggests those pills may contain poison. we don't know the exact details of what the polish authorities suggest are in those pi lls, but it creates this heightened fear for these people

that are already in dire conditions as they play ping-pong between the two sets of border guards. information is scam and it's hard to find out what's going on because you can access that border exclusion zone. brent: our correspondent tonight at the border between poland and belarus. jack, as always, thank you. earlier, i spoke with the deputy foreign minister of poland and i asked him if the polish government is illegally pushing back people from belarus who want to claim asylum in the european union. >> w should have been mine it is a hybrid attack orchestrated by the belarusian regime. he has invited the migrants to destabilize us as revenge to our european policy towards belarus. president lukashenko announced the possible migration crisis on the border on the very day was the european union decided to

sancon him in the belarusian regime, so it is a revenge, where the people are instrumentalized by president lukashenko. brent: let's look at the other stories we are following this hour. amnesty international has accused authorities on the dutch island of violating the rights of venezuelan migrants, saying families are being separated and held under inhumane conditions. 17,000 venezuelans fled to the dutch territory to escape the economic crisis in their country. a u.k. parliament, inquiry is the government's early response to the pandemic was one of the first public health failures in the country's history. the cross party committee found the government waited too long to implement a lot down in early 2020, saying that led to thousands of unnecessary deaths. the last of an elite group of decorated french resistance fighters has died.

his death was confirmed today by the french defense minister. he was awarded the order of the liberation, the country's highest ard for bravery by a resistance leader and later french president charles de gaulle. he was 101 years old. the united nations international court of justice has ruled in somalia's favor in a long-running border dispute with kenya. it ruled the maritime boundaries should be drawn so somalia gets an area of the indian ocean thought to be rich in oil and natural gas. the court upheld somalia's claim to around 100,000 square kilometers in the indian ocean. the judgment is binding, and an appeal is not possible, though kenya has said it does not recognize the court's authority. for more now, let's go to our correspondent in nairobi. good to see you, felix.

what is behind this maritime border dispute? tell our global audience what is going on. correspondent: brent, the border dispute involving kenya and somalia is approximately 100 thousandths where kilometers inside the end -- 100,000 square kilometers inside the indian ocean. they wanted the border to go to the east, and somalia wanted the border to go to the southeast. the dispute arose and what particular line this would take. kenya had constantly said we have been using this for decades. some only thought that kenya was actually using part of its waters and sought this at the international court of justice. brent: what are the implications of this ruling for both countries? correspondent: so, it has four

ramifications, which were alluded to by the kenyan foreign ministry parliament secretary last week. kenya stated its position that it would not agree to the ruling from the icj. the first is economically, this area is rich in oil and gas, and if any country is given any authority, then it would stand to benefit when it comes to exploration of oil and gas. secondly, in terms of the social fabric of the society, the border area has had so many canyons and samoans -- kenyans and somalians interact. they save some should go to one side, and the other to the other side, meaning the social fabric is affected. thirdly, the diplomatic fight. we have seen kenya and somalia

have a push and pull from time to time. at some time, kenya recorded some facet or, in some of it recalled its ambassador from kenya. flights coming in from some of it were blocked coming into kenya, and after that, the ban was lifted. the most important thing is on the security beat, whereby kenya says if they give this particular piece of land to somalia, then their security will be jeopardized. you should also notice that kenya sent its soldiers in somalia in 2011 to join the african union peacekeeping mission, and so, with this particular ruling, we do not know as yet, because the government has not pronounced whether the soldiers who are in somalia will be recalled to kenya, but it remains a case of wait and see and what kenya will do, but the foreign ministry said they will not accept the ruling, and so far nothing has

been said against that. yes. brent: it is a complicated situation, as you will pointed out. in nairobi tonight with the latest, thank you. from a legal dispute over borders and boundaries commit to a religious dispute. germany's largest mosque has been given permission to broadcast its call to prayer on fridays. it is part of a project launch by the city of cologne and its muslim community. all 35 mosques will now be able to amplify the so-called call to prayer in a test of the city's religious tolerance. correspondent: the distinct call will become a familiar sound in cologne. under a two-year initiative, mosques will be able to summon the faithful in the traditional manner, but only one day a week. [speaking foreign language] translator: it would be like the

church bells, but symbolically, it is another step. correspondent: it has not been an easy journey to this point. the construction of the central mosque was a focus of anti-muslim sentiment before it open in 2018. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: the people of cologne preach tolerance, love tolerance, and now they will live it. we would do a model experiment. correspondent: under this project, mosques will have to apply for a permit and must notify neighbors and comply with limits on volume. brent: all right, let's look at the other stories we are following. officials in northeastern nigeria sate six women and nine children kidnapped by jihadists have escaped. the group walked for six days through the bush to get to safety. it is not clear who objected them, but boko haram militants are known to operate. nine people died, 11 missing in

the philippines after a tropical storm caused landslides and flooding. the typhoon has brought winds of 100 kilometers per hour since it made landfall monday. it is now moving towards china and expected to reach a province on wednesday. under its of items that belong to the late pop star amy winehouse are set to go up for auction in the u.s., including the dress she wore in her final concert. the british singer died of alcohol poisoning at 27, and some proceeds of the auction will go to the anyone house foundation which helps young adults with addiction. now to the man of steel, the lgbtq community is gaining a new powerful member this week. dc comics has announced its latest superman will come out as bisexual. the comics series presents john kent, the son of the first superman, clark kent and lois

lane, as a modern kind of hero. correspondent: a new superman, updated for a modern audience and time. john kent, son of original supermen clark kent, has come out as bisexual, and not just on any day. dc comics announced the news on october 11, national coming out day in the u.s. >> it is not a gimmick. when i was offered this job, i thought, well, if were going to have a new superman for the d.c. universe, it feels like a missed opportunity to have another straight, white savior. correspondent: in issue number five of the comic book, john will be pictured in a same-sex relationship with his friend. >> weid not want this to be d.c. comics creates nuclear superman, we wanted this to be superman finds himself, become superman then comes out. there is an important distinction.

people say they are seeing themselves in superman something they never thought was possible. ♪ correspondent: john has already been proving himself since the series was released as a different super fire dust superhero, fighting firefighters are protesting against the deportation of refugees. his sexual orientation since a new signal on the importance of accepting diversity. brent: all right, some sports news. american football, two teams prepared to face in london. the nfl will be taking the sport to germany in the near future. ahead of what will be the nfl's 30th match in the bridge capital, legal representatives revealed regular season games will be played in either dusseldorf, frankfurt, or munich, as 2022. the nfl stated germany is the league's biggest market in europe. all right. here's a reminder that the top story. the g20 countries plus qatar are

holding a summit to discuss how to respond to the looming humanitarian crisis in afghanistan. the situation has deteriorated since the taliban seized power and key international sources cut off financial aid. you are with "dw news." after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around. we will be back. ♪

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>> it is 10:00 p.m. in the frank n you are watching "france 24." here are the stories making headlines. one billion euros in emergency aid is on its way to afghanisn. leaders made the announcement at the g20 summit as afghans face an unfolding humanitarian disaster. preliminary results from sunday's elections in iraq put populist cleric moqtada al-sadr in the leader position, delivering a blow to sheer militants back by iran. and it is called