♪ brent: this is "dw news" live from berlin. tonight, people used as pawns, the european union says the president of belarus is acting like a gangster boss dumping thousands of migrants at the border with poland, lithuania and latvia. belarus is denying any responsibility. we'll get the latest tonight from our correspondent at the border region. also coming up, germans in the eastern state of saxon protesting new restrictions on the unvaccinated, but with surging coronavirus case numbers, more restrictions are

now more likely to come. and the pandemic impacting german football, a national team player has tested positive for covid-19. plus france returns 26 african art works more than a century after they were looted during the colonial era. i'm brent goff, our viewers on pbs in the united states and to all of you around the world, welcome. we begin tonight with that border crisis at the doorstep of the united nations, hundreds of migrants stuck at the border between belarus and poland are about to spend another cold night without spelter amid a standoff between the two countries. belarus says it will not stop migrants who are trying to cross its borders into the european union and poland which is a member of the e.u. is refusing

to let those people in warning of an armed escalation unless belarus ceases what it is doing. >> people caught in the middle as tension builds between poland and belarus. on the belarus side of the border, hundreds of migrants are camped out in the freezing cold watched over by polish police and soldiers across t"the bachelor" ed wire. troops were visited amassed along the border. belarus was using the migrants as live shields in a new kind of hybrid warfare. poland has closed an official border crossing from belarus. in a tweet, he says today the stability and security of the entire e.u. is at stake. this hybrid attack of the regime is aimed at all of us, we will not be intimidated and we will defend peace in europe with our partners fromate combroe and

the e.u. the e.u. accuses belarus of flying migrants into minsk. belarus denies this blaming poland for escalatinghe crisis and using excesve force to push back migrants. belarusan leader says he does not want an armed confrontation, but nor will he back down. we know our place but we ll not kneel. poland has declared a state of emergency alonged border. journalists and humanitarian groups are barred from the area. on the other side, only belarus state aligned media has access. the mignts have mainly come from the middle east, many fleeing war or poverty. ey want to head further west for a better future in europe. human rights activists say food and medicine are in short supply

and temperatures are dipping below freezing, a humanitarian crisis unfolding as the threat of conflict rises. brent: our correspondent is near the border between poland and belarus tonight. it's good to see you. we know there is the state of emergency declared that places have a lot of restrictions on reporters. tell us exactly where are you right now and what do you see? >> we arrived here near the small town in the afternoon and we were blocked by the police cars that you can see behind me probably like all other journalists, we are all standing here doing our reporting because we cannot go there. usually this road, you can see behind me in the dark leads to belarus, the migrants and refugees that are waiting there, only a few kilometers away but i can't go there to see myself what is happening because of this emergency that poland has

introduced a little while ago. so we have to, we as journalists have to depend on what the polish government is posting on social media to see videos of migrants, of refugees in the cold trying to get warm, trying to find something to eat and it is actually super cold here. you can see i have a lot of clothes on it's minus two, minus three degrees, i can imagine how it must be feel in the woods and the cold. brent: and as you say, we adds journalists are limited in what we can get in terms of witnessinghings on the ground. what we've heard though, today, from the polish government, the words have been rather almost beicose if you will. is there concern that we are seeing signs of a situation that could quickly escalate? >> yeah, there is definitely a danger of an escalation here.

poland has also reinforced its border troops. they have 12,000 people here right now. you can see police everywhere on the streets when you come like towards the border and also you hear what belarus has to say, they are both accusing the other country of provocation. the e.u. is also trying to lean in there and, for example, the commissioner will soon travel to the countries where most of the migrants and refugees are coming from to avoid the plans to minsk, there are trying to de-escalate there. brent: at the border between belarus and poland tonight, thank you. and for more, i'm joined now by polish activist who is a

volunteer with the aid group. it's good to have you on the program. we're seeing troop movements on both sides of the border tonight and there is talk of the possibility that this could become an armed conflict. what kind of impact is this having on people there along the border, especially those who are caught in the middle of this situation? >> hello, thanks for having me. so t peoplere both terfied and desperate. some of them have spent about 25 days trapped i this area without food, shelter, clothes, sleeping bags without totally anything. they drink water from grass. they eat plantsr corn, so they are really desperate. brent: and how much support is your organization receiving from the polish people, the polish

government for what you're trying to do, you're trying to help these people that have been basically dumped at the boer. >> so from the government, we receive totally no help. actually the government stops ouhelp that we are trying to delivero the people, so we cannot get to the people who are trappe along t border. we can only get to people who are either in this emergency state zone orutside of it. d we need to do it fast because if the border guards get there first, then we are not able to give them even water. brent: and you say the border guards, are you talking about the border guards from poland or the border guards from belarus? >> now, we're talking only about the teitory of poland. we cannot approach the border at all. no one can apart from the border guards. brent: are you concerned that polish border guards would harm these people if they cross the

border, is that what youe saying? >> yes, it's not that i'm afraid of, i know it happens. i know the stories of people who i meet that tell the stories they tell that several times they have been hurt by the polish border guards. brent: and in your opinion, then, what should the european union and the international community be doing? what is their responsibility? you have heard from people from the polish government that this is about protecting the boer. >> yes, but european union is about solidarity and without solidarity, we cannot cope with this humanitarian crisis. our government may say something totally different, but we know what the situation is over there. there are people dying. the weather is becoming worse and worse and there are people dying already. so without external help from other european countries, this problem will not be solved.

there must be some humanitarian made and some pressure from our government to deal with it. brent: i'm sure the tower is fluid. it will be changing and when there are some definite changes, we would appreciate you coming back and talking with us. thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you. brent: let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. chile's parliament has voted to impeach the president. the billionaire businessman turned politician says the charges are politically motivated. the opposition is unlikely to garnett enough votes to remove the president from office. there is growing criticism of the u.n. climate conference taking place right now in scotland. independent analysts of climate targets that were set by delegates at the summit known as cop 26 indicates they will lead

to a global temperature increase of 2.4 degrees celsius by the end of the century. if that happens, it will cause devastating weather events and rises in sea levels. in bosnia, the anniversary of the day the city's 16th century bridge was destroyed in the bosnian war. a silent dive into the river marked the moment that the bridge was blown up back in 1993. the bridge was rebuilt in 2004. human rights groups have called on suedan's military leaders to release government officials and activists detained during last month's overthrow of the interim government. they're also urging the military to end its crackdown on an anti-coup demonstrators. they want a return to civilian rule and they say they will continue their campaign of disobedience. our d.w. correspondent reports

tonight. >> the streets are flooded with protesters. they want three things. freedom, peace, and justice. they have been demonstrating since the military takeover at the end of october. the co-leader dissolved the civilian government ordered the detention of civilian leaders including the prime minister and declared a nationwide state of emergency. once again as in 2019 when the image of a woman dressed in white became the symbol of suedan's popular uprising, it is women who are driving the protests. 29-year-old doctor won't accept another military regime. >> i joid the revolution in december 20 because of the

insecurity in the country and inequality especially for us, the woman. >> car tires and burning them has become a symbol for these protests. even though she is worried about reports that several demonstrators have been killed and wounded in the past days, she won't be deterred. >> i'm not afrd because any change has a price and i think the price for the change that we want. the military uses on civilians and they are not more powerful, but we removed him and we will remove them, too. >> many of those who are out on the streets took part in protests two years ago, too. they led to the removal from power. 120 people were killed and many

more were injured. among them, her friends, she is a student and one of many young sudanese who have been tirelessly demonstrating. >> i know a friend who was handicapped, she lost her hand. another lost her eye. we cannot let them know. people die for this. people love their life for this. we will not let them down. since we began our independence in 1956, we never get a chance for civilian government with the military coup, we will not settle for a military government anymore. we want our government to be civilian, we want democracy, we want freedom, we want peace. >> the general says he is committed to sudan's transition so full civilian rule, but the women don't believe that and have vowed to continue demonstrating until all of their demands are met. brent: france has transferred ownership of 26 colonial era artifacts back to the government

of benin more than a century after they were looted by the french army. they are exhibited in paris for a final six weeks before going home. >> a historic moment, benin president is greeted by french president emmanuel macron, the culture ministers of the two countries signed the ground-breaking agreement. [applause] >> the treasures include royal statues, and 19th century thrones, they were plundered by the french army after sacking of the palace in 1892.

french president emmanuel macron said it was a symbolic moving and historic moment which was long awaited. in turn, the president thanked macron thank you on behalf of the people and said the restitution of 26 works could only be a first step. the treasures return is the fulfillment of a promise that macon made to africa in 2017. she advised the french government on the restitution project p. >> it's a huge step because it's the first time a colonial power is returning something important and we'll see what the next steps are. what is clear is that this event is comparable to the fall of berlin wall. there will be a before and an after. >> the french public came in droves to say goodbye to the

treasures on display in paris over the past weeks. >> it's a big step for france in its dealings with former colonies. >> i think it's very important that africa recovers its heritage stolen in the 19th century. >> with the final formalities concluded, it will arrive later this month 100 years after it left the country. brent: a look now at more stories making headlines this hour. at least 18 people have died in a gold mine collapse in southern niger, the death toll is likely to increase. the incident occurred on sunday in the region where gold was only recently discovered. four astronauts returning to earth from the international space station have 134r5shed down safely off the state of florida. it landed late monday evening after a day-long flight home.

the return of the international crew ends a mission that began last spring. today is november 9, a date which marks three events which forever changed the course of german history. in 1918, the creation of the republic. in 1938, the day nazis unleashed a series of pograms against the jewish population. in 1989, it was the night that the berlin wall fell paving way for reunification. how should the nation mark this ninth of november. germany's president offered an answer today. >> the 9th of november is an ambivalent day, a bright and a dark day. it makes our hearts race and brings tears to our eyes. it makes us hope for the good that is in our country and it makes us despair in the face of

its darkness. >> it was a solemn commemoration to remember three dates that mark germany's history. in 1918, a republic was declared ending germany's monarchy. it was the republic that remained until adolph hitler took power. november 9, 1938, one of the darkest days in germany's history, rioters attacked jewish businesses and synagogues, assaulting and murdering many jews. in 1989, the berlin wall fell shortly after east german authorities announced that people could leave legally. it was the end of decades of forced division. how well is this day known to the public? >> i don't know.

>> does this have anything to do with the holocaust? >> i have no idea. no, i don't know that. >> november 9 there was a fateful day, the first reports that the g.d.r. citizens could go to the west, which later led to the fall of the wall. the wall fell, was it 1993, i guess? there was only one reason to explain why this day is not that present in german society today. but why has a day of this importance played such a subordinate role in our cultural of remembrance to date. perhaps it was simply impossible to do justice to the 9th of november precisely because it means so much, precisely because it unsettles us, giving the 9th of november a wide berth may be

understandable, yet, it is time to face up to it with all of its contradictions. contradictions that define this day that brought both horror and hope for germany. brent: talking beyond the calendar, i'm joined by our correspondent, good evening to you. this day does, it marks some of the heights of feelings of germany and some of germany's lowest moments. as we just saw in that report, many people that you meet on the street don't even know the significance of today. so did the german president, how was he able then to find the right words to encompass all of that? >> well, he actually wanted to precisely reveal the importance of this day in germany. we heard him there talk about those ambivalences, different events in german history that

had a very different interpretation and a very different impact on that german history and what the german president wanted to do today during that event right here in berlin was precisely to heighten the importance of that day for german history, but also for german democracy. it is certainly a very important day, but you stress correctly, brent, that many here in better len and other parts of germany are not aware of that fateful day as it's called here, a date to reflect, a day for reflection as the german president himself called it. that was why he wanted to make sure that through this event with this interpretation, germans can also be aware of what this day actually means for german history. brent: it could be, too, when you meet people on the street, it says something about history lessons in the schools maybe not conveys the importance of the date. why not or why does that matter so much?

>> it may have to do with the case that it's not a public holiday here in germany like other important days, for example, reunification day in october which is a public holiday, that's one reason why maybe this date, the 9th of november is not as important for many germans or not as present. there are other cases for younger people, for example, that could be more related to the fall of the wall then to some of the previous cases that we saw, the previous events. there are different elements, different aspects to understand why it hasn't played such an important role, but will why also it could play a very important role to understand the importance for germany's history but also the importance for germany today. brent: our correspondent thomas barrow. thomas, thank you. now to germany's worsening coronavirus numbers. for the second day in a row, the country reporting the highest new infection rate since the start of this pandemic. the latest figures showed 213 new cases for every 1100,000

residents over the past week. now, that is higher than the previous record that was set back during the lockdown in december of last year. the number of patients admitted to hospitals is, however, much lower at just under four per 100,000 residents, but doctors say hospitals in badly affected areas, they are still filling up. the surge in infections is also impacting german football. national team player nicholas sula has tested positive for the coronavirus. four other players are in quarantine ahead of thursday's world cup qualifier. that match is expected to take place. >> nicholas's arrival was meant to kick off a routine international break for germany. instead it's been chaos. he tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. he is asymptomatic but in quarantine along with four

teammates. four other players who traveled with him will take additional precautions but do not have to quarantine. >> in the end the results which we only got in the morning show that nicholas sula and the four players that sat near him on the plane have to leave. the other four players on the plane face specific restrictions at the training camp. this follows recent public uproar over revelations that a midfielder is unvaccinated. team doctor denied that vaccination status determined which players would have to quarantine. generally speaking, vaccination status isn't the only factor outlined by health authorities. the intensity and lgth of contact are also important. the germany coach has called in other players as replacements.

germany has already qualified for the world cup, thursday's match was likely to be an opportunity for them to experiment with sula and other starters out, now he'll have to. brent: finally for thrill seekers brave enough to enjoy a view of new york city that no observation deck could hope to match, this might be for you. take a look. >> 1189. brent: i hope she has a good life insurance policy. >> no walls oreillings, it will cost you $185 and you'll need to take a breathalyzer test before you're free to hang out. almost 400 meters above 10th avenue. relax. there you go. enjoy the view. here is a quick reminder of the

top story we're following for you, hundreds of migrants stuck at the border between belarus and poland are spending another cold night without shelter amid a standoff between the two countries. belarus will not stop migrants trying to cross its borders trying to get to e.u. territory. but e.u. country poland is refusing to let the migrants in, warned of an armed escalation unless belarus exists. this is "dw news." after a short break, i'll take you through the day, is it now the front line of a war in which the weapons are real people and false promises. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪

business briefing. >> welcome. these are the headlines belarus accused of gangster taxes -- attacks. belarus directs migrants to seating -- seeking u.s. -- margaret access. -- france's favorite at the has a post-orbit checkup.