Plant in india kills at least 11 and reports people struggling to breathe, collapsing industry. We wilill take a virtual tour of berl 75 years o on from the defeat of nazi germany and the Second World War. I am brent goff. Welcome. We begin tonight in france where for nearly two months, people have endured one of europes toughest lockdowns. That will change next week. The number of coronavirus cases are falling and some businesses will be able to restart. Some oppose using any restrictions. Hundreds of mayors delay the opening of schools. As in other countries, the french authorities are under pressure to get the economy moving again. Without setting off a new wave of infections. Mary anne in a mask. France lockdown is strict, more strict than most. The government has given a plan for the gradual lifting of quarantine measures. Businesses are set to reopen on monday. 42 of french employees are on reduced hours or have not worked at all since the 17th of march. Schools are to open gradually despite misgivings from some parents. Trains and Transit Services also restart on monday. Only about half of the Rolling Stock is ready to operate. The government has promised to provide masks for everyone and carry out 700,000 tests per week. But people are skeptical after two months of strict measures. They believe their government has botched the response to the corona crisis. They should have started largescale testing immediately like in germany. There is no clear cause. It is all back and we are sick of it. Three years ago to the day, Emmanuel Macron was bathing in the victory of the election. It seems much of that has faded. Brent germany is getting back to business as usual but with the option of shutting down again if necessary. The aim is to prevent infection while allowing people to lead a more normal daily life. This is an eager student. She is finally on her way back to school in berlin. After four weeks of learning from home, she is now cycling toward teachers and classmates to see them facetoface. I am a little bit excited and nervous about how it will go but above all, i am really looking forward to it. To keep students safe, germany has implement it strict hygiene goes. Face masks must be worn and can only be taken off inside the classroom. Only a smallll n number of peops is allowed in one room. Pupils are allowed in one room. It makes group work a lot more difficult. Large groups come make complete different dynamics and completely different interaction then you get in small groups. Teachers and students are asked to use disinfectants and keep a distance but it is only possible if the total number of people in the building is limited. Therefore, only a few selected subjects are being taught in person. Teachers have to continue online lessons despite being back at school. That can be a challenge. They come here to attend classes. When they get home, there are videoconferences with the other half of the class or with other learning groups. The homework arrives through the portal. The teachers have to correct that as well. Their workload has increased significantly. Chantel is grateful that she can go back to school at least a few days a week. She even sees some new advantages in the approach. It felt a bit strange at first but is basically a good thing. It went fairly well. It was quite nice to work in such a small group. For all other peoples, the small groups are likely to remain. School may never be the same again. Brent lets bring in our political correspondent. Hello to you. Do we know when all german students will be back in school . We know when the goal is. The goal is for all german peoples to return to classes before the beginning of Summer Holidays. Here in germany, the process has been gradual. That is the key word. A gradual reopening of schools in germany. Schools had a few weeks to prepare for that reopening. The focus was on school, peoples that had important exams to take and gradually, other peoples have been pupils have been returning to schools. The goal is to have them all return to school before the Summer Holidays start although there has been criticism. That is important to stress as well. Apparently, not so much focus has been placed on kindergartens, something that parents have been asking. That more focused be put on them as well as all of these restrictions are discussed and put in practice. Brent we have schools reopening and are shops and stores allowed to reopen . Can you summarize the ways in which germany is allowing left to return to normal . This has been described as an almost complete return to normal life in germany. Shops and cafes are starting to operate. Restaurants are also going to resume their operations. That depends on when they decide the big the first big european leak to do it. The key element as it has been described is an almost complete return to normality. Some restrictions still in place. The use of face masks, the ban on Mass Gatherings also important. Those are the key elements that remain in place. Brent we have been told there could be a second wave of infections. This is the chance that reintroducing lockdown measures is an option. How would that work . The goal is to avoid a general lockdown in the country but there is an emergency mechanism that has been agreed on by the german chancellor and later. That way if there is a spike in a particular district, a particular region, the regional authorities can actually reintroduce some of those mechanisms locally. The key issue is to try to avoid general lockdown of the country. That is why this emergency mechanism was put in place. Brent thank you. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, there has been a rise in the number of people who say they have been abused or attacked because of the color of their skin. They have been linked to parts of the world, seen as viral hotspots. It is happening right here in germany as well. It all started in early march. Victoria noticed something had shifted when she rode public transportation. Skeptical glances from passengers, others who had moved to differentnt parts of thehe tn at first i thought i was imimagining things. Then i i noticiced people wouldk at my face and s sit somewhere else. I followed thrhr of them to make sure t that dated not get off te train. They went to other compartments or sat in the bicycle section. Victoria is german. Her parents moved here long before she was born. She is used to experiencing discrimination for being a visible minority. When coronavirus came here, more cases became frequent. Even though berlin is seen as a diversity, diverse city, s se man told her that shee should spray herself with disinfectant. And i seeee a a bunch of pepe outsidide of a b i cross t to te otherr side of the street to avoid beining hassled. Im glad to be working from home these days becausese i have the sense that even though i live in berlin, people dont sesee mes german. Victoria try to talk to her friends about it but they shied away from the subject. She doesnt think they are taking thehe problem seriously. Through facebook she made contact with people across the country who were having the same kind of experience. Since the pandemic began, they haveve reported almost daily occucurrences of hostility becee they l look asian. Nice to see you. This man from china also lives in berlin. He has filmed incidents of racial abuse has experienced on the subway. A friend has told me thahau should r record it. I dont have that much hope ofof ththe police bubut because i wao show people that i have this evidence and im not going to be silenced. Victoria says it has been helpful l to compare notes with others i in the same boat. That prompted her t to create a website that offers support. It is important for people to be connected this way in times of social distancing, to sharee your expererience so others know what is going on. Racism is nothing new in germany. Victoria fears it will be a long time after the pandemic is over. She is determined to make a difference. Brent i am joined by stephen. It is good to have you on the program. Throughout history we see the connection between epidemics and xenonophobia. Why y is that russiaian mark s is why is that . We saw it inin the black dea. Many different societies. We have seen people targeted ass part of this xenophobibic scapegoatiting. Whwhen a catastrophehe like a pandemic happens, people are naturally looking for explanation, to make sense of their world. Why does this happen . By reaching for a particular group, especially a foreign group, it provides a quick fix. The road suddenly makes sense again. This Group Brought it upon us and the woworld makes sense. It provides a cognitive release. This is damaging in a couple of ways. It will be damaging to the group being blamed. It is alalso damaging to the people making the accusation because e these kinds of simplistic explanations acactuay block us from seeing more complex and comprehensivive reasons for why a pandemic c has happenened and w why it has sprd as it has. People know that. People as high up as the u. S. President have used the term the chinese virus. That does n not help the sisitun at a all. There is an undertone there that everyone understands. Brent politicians making xenophobic references has a function to it. Not only in providing simplistic explanations to help their populations make sense but also for the politician, it provides a defense mechanism. It allows them to ofs ofof themselves of any kind of responsibility for the development of a pandemic and it empowers them as well. Itself a appoints them as a jude and jury in making a pronouncement on anonother group or s society. Ununfortunately, t this is a kif political blame game being carried out, not just in the u. S. But many countries around the world right now. You have written thatat stigmatizing suspicions could cause new forms of ethnic profilining. Could y you give me an n exampl . The evidence of nenew forms f xenophobia l linked to the pandemic are worldwide right now. Asians, not just the chinesese, kokoreans, j japanese are being blamed worldwide. Europeans are being blamed for the pandemic in africa. Indians arare being land for the pandemic in the middle east. Muslims are being blalamed for e pandemic in india. People are feeliling around evererywhere for this. I think for me, one of the most damaging things is the kind of stereotypes anand stigma attachd to groups through x xenophobiaa tend to remain well a after the pandemicic subsides itself. It is those lasting s stigmatis araround asians in america that will l lead to a all kinds o of everyday hosostilities like e yr previo r repor it t showed. Institutional racisms and practices within policing the criminal j justice system. Within border control. It is this stigmatization of roots that is particularly dangerous right now. It is a dangerous future that we see in the making right now. Stephen, we appreciate your insights tonight, thank you. Here is a brief look at other stories making headlines around the world. The u. S. Justice department has dropped the criminal case against michael flynn. He was facing charges of lying to the fbi about contacts with russias ambassador. He was a few figure in the investigation of alleged ties between russia and trumps 20 president ial campaign. Poland parliament has agreed the upcoming president ial election can be held exclusively by postal voting. The ruling party suggested the 12th of july for the date. The announcement comes a day after the governing coalition gave up on holding the election this coming sunday. Germanys Biggest Airline says it is negotiating a 9 billion euro government bailout. The government wants a 25 stake in the carrier. And representation on the advisory board. The lockdown has grounded the airline. There has been billions in lost revenues. Iraq has a new Prime Minister. The former intelligence chief was sworn in after lawmakers approved his cabinet lineup, ending five months of political deadlock. His Government Faces an array of problems including severe economic crisis. At least 11 people have been killed in a gas leak at a chemical factory in india. Hundreds have been taken to the hospital. Villages have been evacuated. The league is called residence of god. It hit the most vulnerable. Some of the victims collapsed as they tried to flee. Others appear dizzy and unsteady. Eyewitnesses said the gas came like a mist. Suddenly, in the middle of the night. Emergency services transported hundreds to hospital. Several children among those needing treatment. 8000100 people have gone to the hospital and they have been taken care of. The focus is not so much on the gas leakage but the effects off the gagas leakage and t the treaeatment of the people who he been affected. Most of those admitted to hospital report to be in a stable condition. It is still unclear. Unclear if the toxic fumes will have a Lasting Impact on their health. A few patients were still said to be unconscious houours after arriving in the hospital. The plant where the accccident happppened makes plastics. One report suggested a leak happened as a site was started to reopen afterer indiais lockn because of coronavavirus. The Prime Minister said he was keeping an eye on the situation from delhi and wished all those affected a speedy recovery. It is clear that many are still in shock over the incident. It seems they will have to wait for the results of the investigation to find out how and why this happened. There was a gas leak from a factctory near the southern cit. Reportedly, fumes spread over a radius of two miles, affecting many villagers. Hundreds of people had to be taken to the hospital and multiple people have died after being exposed to this gas. According to a local government offificial, workers at this plat were gearing up to resume the operations since the plant had bebeen shut down n for a few da. Thousands of people whwho live near t the plant and the surrounding areas, the priority right now is to stabilize. Management teams are on the ground and the Forensic Team is also on the ground conducting investigations into the reason behind this leak. It has been just over a year since the peace deal was struck in the Central African republic. The scars remain from the country cost civil war. The country is looking ahead to his president ial election in a few months. This there was barely any effect. Come with me. Walk with me. Come and see, i will show you my house. 27 years oldld, unemployed. She is a displaced woman. She fled here to relative safety after her husband was killed. This is where i live with my seven children. This could be considered my living room and my bedroom. This is all i have. This is not a good place for us. She is just one of several this place people in the Central African area. They are d doing their best to supppply aid but it is a tall order. They have to maintain peace and security in an area larger than belgium and france put together. You cannot control an area where you put an end to these kind of violations. The solution is to keep putting pressure and also move toward sanctions. Theoretetically, the peacekeepingng missions may note strong enough. The political situation remains fragile with domestic and international grououps. Four years s of negotiations. On the other hand, there is no answer with them. Their primary mission is s to gt rich and do business. Honestly, for peace to return, the government must impose himself andnd use the languguagf armsms against these rebels. S. The security situation on the ground is not the only issue for the People Living in this region. Problems loom large with much of the population who cant afford basic necessities. No one could help me w when y husband died. We ran because off the constant threats s and insecurityty. I am suffering alone with my children. My n neighbor felt the pain and offered his house. We have nothing to eat. The situation in the Central African republic the current president wants to remain in power and is facing a tough challenge from the position later. The headd of state recently returneded to the coununtry. The ongoing pandemic is adding more uncertainties for the country. On this day 75 years ago, nazi germany was just one sunrise away from surrendering. Berlin was a city in ruins. It would not stay that way very long. The postwar. Postwar time was in need of reconstruction. Berlin was completely rebuilt. All you need is a smartphone to compare the s scenes of destruction to what looks like today. Thanks to o the virtual exhibitn to berlin and beyond. Toy, this is a lively downtown shopping area. Baba thehen it was an ensemble f charred ruins. The creators o of the online isa vision and the app that goes wiwith it sayay that nowadays is more important tn ever to not forget the horrors of the nazi era and the Second World War. We are seeing a shift to the right in germany, poland and many other european countries. A surge of nationanalism and a w medicacalizaon is s smderiring eveverywhere. The exhibition features people whoho experienced the war firsthand. As the bombs fell, we saw childrens bodies shattered. Severed hands. The next geneneration asked howe could d let thatapappen. The generation that did let it happen had no sensnse of guilt. They did not ackwledge t their responsibility. Photos taken in berlin at the very end of the war in europe. There are not many people left who lived through the horrors of the nazi regime in the Second World War and can tell us about it now. That makes preserving historical memory in the digital realm all the more urgent. The war showed how terrible conflict can be and that we should never wish for anything like it again. They are still semiconflicts nowadays. It is important to point at the value of peace. I think it isis germanys responsibibility to make suree h mistakesesre never made again. Because of the corona pandemic, all major events to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of world war ii have beeeen canceled. Digital commemorative projects go some way to offset their absence. Brent you are watching dw news live from berlin. After a short break, i will be back to take you through the day and plus, remembering the world that ended and the world that began 75 years ago tomorrow. I will be right back. Prime minister Edouard Philippe unveils frances plan to de escalate said the countrys locked down but the hardest hit regions including the capital paris will still have a restrictive measures. Number ten downing street push forward with plans to ease the uks lockdown despite growing criticism Prime MinisterBoris Johnsonn is due to announce the new measures this weekends. Thirty three point three Million People h have now filed for unemployment in the United States senate quite so about one fifthf