>> this is "dw news" live from berlin. germany calls for patients -- calls for patience as the pandemic worsens. who will get the life-saving jabs first, and who will have to wait? hundreds of schoolboys kidnapping by boko haram. their objection has led to public anger and demands for more protection.

a cultural city fighting for survival during the covid crisis. government plans to help through the worst. i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. germany has revealed plans to vaccinate millions against covid-19 as infections and deaths continue to climb sharply. the last 24-hour recording period has seen 800 deaths with 33,000 positive tats. vaccinations are scheduled to begin on december 27. >> germany is gearing up for the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

authorities had to find which groups would be the jab. priority will be given to residents and staff of senior care homes, people over 80 and medical personnel with a higher risk of exposure. those aged between 70 and 79 and people with dementia will follow. the health minister called for patients from those who will have to wait for their dose of the vaccine. >> i call on all of us to deal with the situation. when germany's states begin vaccinating most likely on december 27, at first the supply will be limited and it will be clearly defined who has the priority. therefore, i ask all other citizens to be patient. i ask you to wait until it is your turn. >> there is light at the end of the tunnel. germany is building numerous vaccination centers head of the vaccine rollout.

it will take one to two months before the most adverse groups will be vaccinated. it will take time for doses to be available. >> we have to realize it will take time for the vaccine to have any effect on the pandemic quite simply because we do not have enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated. therefore, we will still have to take containment measures for the pandemic. a pandemic that is still in full swing in germany. the country --

phil: is germany's vaccine ready? >> i think the authorities are quite well prepared. record numbers of infection, 30,000 yesterday, and record numbers of deaths from covid-19, many in the elderly, so the expectation is that edison will issue approval early next week, and then the pfizer-biontech vaccine can be delivered to germany. the agency here can check, and then it will be distributed around the country, and it is hoped vaccinations can begin after christmas on december 27.

it is an important moment for germany. there has been an intense debate about priorities. older people or people in care homes, so medical workers will be given the vaccine first. it has been long hoped for now. in order for heard immunity to be achieved, that's enough vaccinations that can be done that we can start forgetting about covid-19. this first wave will take a couple of months, and then it will be successfully rolled out. they say it will not be until the summer before it can be offered more widely to everybody

in the population, so it's going to be a few months. we hear the second vaccine, the moderna vaccine, is also in approvals. it's good, but it will take time. it is a logistical challenge for sure. phil: thank you. only the united nations can find solutions to the covid pandemic, which has deepened global inequality. that was the message from the u.s. secretary-general as he addressed the german parliament, the bundestag. after being welcomed by chancellor merkel and president steinmeyer, he said the united nations could play an essential role in stabilizing the world order during the pandemic. here's more on what the secretary-general had to say. >> the pandemic has exposed deep

divisions, shining a light on inequality and injustice and inadequate social systems. the weakest are suffering the most everywhere, and it's clear that this global crisis needs a global solution. phil: the united states has moved a step closer to approving a second covid-19 vaccine after an independent panel of experts endorsed the drug. the decision paves the way for the food and drug administration to approve the vaccine's emergency use. the u.s. has already started mass mobilizations of the pfizer shot. here is a look at some more of the latest developments in this

pandemic, starting in france where the death toll has passed 60,000. president macron is asking people to be vigilant after he tested positive for covid-19. austria will go into its third lockdown after christmas. restaurants, schools, museums, theaters will shelter until january, and china is planning to vaccinate 15 million higher risk people before the start of its lunar new year. at least four new chinese vaccines are being tested. after months of resisting lockdowns, sweden has introduced some of its toughest measures so far to try to slow the rise of infections. nonessential public spaces like gym and libraries are closed until late january. the government has done a u-turn and as for the first time recommending people wear masks on public transport. sweden has struggled to cope with new record numbers of covid-19 every week for almost

two months. mike pence has received his covid-19 vaccination live on television. the event was broadcast from the white house. mr. pentz says he plans to promote the vaccine safety and effectiveness -- mr. pence. wall street awaited a stalled coronavirus economic relief package. congressional leaders say they are close to a deal, but there are reports talks can resume next week. more than a dozen children have been killed in a bombing in eastern afghanistan. no one has claimed responsibility for the attack on a religious gathering in a province controlled by the taliban. schoolchildren in nigeria are being reunited with their families.

many of the boys say they suffered abuse during their captivity. >> it is a site the world has been waiting for. 344 nigerian schoolboys who suffered a terrible ordeal. some say they were beaten, and many of them report they were starved. "they hit us in one place. then i saw a jet fighter change location, and they hit us somewhere else." it has been 24 hours since they were delivered from their kidnappers. they spent their first night of freedom with soldiers. then they will face medical checks, and after that, they can go home.

freedom for the boys and relief for nigerian authorities. the kidnapping was seen by many as a symbol of the government's failure to keep people in the country safe. the rage will likely now abate, at least for now. >> the efftsade by the entire security apparatus join the efforts in the release of these 344. >> it is still unclear who took the boys from this classroom, but their abduction shines a spotlight on the danger in nigeria where the spotlight is

shined on the danger from bandits. phil: u.k. prime minister boris johnson says a new deal with the european union looks like the -- looks likely. urszula von der leyen -- urszula von der leyen -- ursula von der leyen says overcoming the remaining challenges will prove difficult. >> london is a place where you can really integrate. people come from all over the world, but they all live together, and this is amazing. >> now he's going back to his family. since the brexit referendum, he feels neglected by the british government as an eu citizen, and his work during the pandemic has gone unappreciated.

>> our voice has never been heard, and we have never been on the rotor. even last year, we supported the u.k. in many different ways, but i've never seen much appreciation. >> as for other eu citizens, in the future, doctors and nurses will need a visa. already, far few are entering now then did before brexit. the coronavirus pandemic has explored deep flaws, among them the deep shortage of staff. every doctor, nurse, or care worker that leaves the country leaves a gap in a hospital ward or care home. this man who runs several nursing homes often talks with his team about how to cope with shortages.

it has been nearly impossible for him to find qualified workers. >> we have 120 staff, and we are now down to 98 permanent staff, and the rest is made up of agency staff, and where we had 20-odd european nationals, we are down to one or two. >> the sole remaining eu worker has a hard job. minimum wage with lots of overtime. the elderly people whom she cares for have become like family to maria. in spite of brexit, she wants to stay in britain for the time being, but most of her friends have already gone back home.

phil: this is "dw news" live from berlin. with the coronavirus keeping stages closed and concerts on hold, we will look at the crisis in germany's arts sector. and a philanthropist held in jail in turkey has gone on trial for spying. he has already spent years in prison, despite never being convicted of a crime. disappointment outside this istanbul courthouse. his cultural center is angry. >> this is a far cry from human rights democracy and justice. this human rights advocate has spent the last three years in jail. he has been charged with spying and attempting to overthrow the government. the witnesses who appeared in

the latest hearing did not incriminate him. next time, the public prosecutor wants to examine new witnesses. it is his second trial. earlier this year, he was acquitted of charges of organizing protests in a park in istanbul. even as he prepares to leave his cell, new charges were brought against him, and he remained behind bars. according to human rights groups, the courts just carry out the president's orders. >> president erdogan made a speech saying this man should not have been acquitted. he is responsible for the year's events. erdogan condemned the court for trying to convict him and made it very clear he wanted this man behind bars. >> turkey is a member of the council of europe and is bound by the decisions of the european court of human rights.

phil: this weekend, germany marks four years since the terror attack on a christmas market in the heart of berlin. the terrorist escaped and was shot dead by italian police four days later. >> in the days following the december terror attack, this emergency pastor supported victims. "it did not work well at that point. people understood clearly they were on their own." to a certain extent, that is because the berlin agencies and institutions were themselves overwhelmed.

as a result, people waited a long time for financial and psychological help. a public memorial service happened very quickly. the day after the attack, possibly too soon. the memorial service was meant to be for victims' relatives, but many at the time had no idea they were relatives of victims. it was far too early. officials did not have the kind of structure in place for this kind of event. we all know that money cannot make up for the terrible pain that people have experienced. it can only help with immediate problems. for the victims of the 2016 attack, we have retroactively increased the payments, even tripled them.

the victims of racist and anti-semitic attacks in other cities have had access to quicker support. he says the agencies have learned from their mistakes. that was put to the test earlier this month when a driver fatally rammed five people. the perspective of the victims is what matters or perspective of the victims' families. at every step of the process, you have to say, slow down. don't worry. people suffering after an attack get immediate aid. th you have come to an agreement with the victims' families and also the families of the wounded. 4 years after the 2016 attack, he stays in touch with many of the victims. he just wishes support had come in time to help them earlier.

phil: northeast united states is emerging from a massive snowstorm from pennsylvania across new york vermont, more than a meter of the white stuff piled up. 38 u.s. states have filed a new antitrust complaint against google, arguing the california tech giant uses anticompetitive behavior to dominate the internet search market. the -- 11 dusky has won fifa's best playerward aftercoring 55 goals this ye. he helped byron seal the -- he

helped byron -- helped bayern seal the championship. welcome, max. was he the obvious choice? >> i think so. 11 dusky -- lewandowski had a standout season. he was very disappointed with the cancellation in july. he thought he had a cancel -- a chance of winning that. that duopoly of messi-reynaldo is difficult to beat. >> did they do it virtually?

they did do it virtually. >> a good day for bayern munich. lewandowski's teammate took the award for best goalkeeper. but the coach did not get anything. why? >> you would have thought the team could not have done much more. they won the trouble and two super cup titles. even when he got the award, you could see the surprise on his face. he won the english title, the first one in 30 years for liverpool. a good achievement. everywhere, they were head-to-head. his charismatic demeanor gave

him a little bit of a favor and also means byron -- bayern cannot win absolutely everything. >> what made lucy bronze standout? >> she is an incredible fighter on the pitch, a defender as well, which is unusual for player of the year's -- player of the year awards. usually defenders do not get the credit they deserve. fantastic for england, fantastic for her three years at lyons. now moving back to manchester city. just been a fantastic player and well-deserved. she got the top vote in all four categories in the jury, and her soon-to-be england head coach, currently still the dutch head coach, won the coach of the year award, and she said her win is a real sign that defenders are getting the credit they are due. phil: thank you.

berlin's annual film festival is the latest major event to fall victim to the pandemic. it is usually held in february and it has been moved up to march with audience screenings scheduled to follow in june. the global arts and culture history has been hit hard. live performances have been canceled. in germany, the government has been subsidizing artists, but they say their situations are still dire. >> world class museums, the cradle of classical music, germany is a nation of culture. the government has freed up another one billion euros to help artists under lockdown. there was, of course, a clear declaration of solidarity by the entire government. it is an expression of appreciation. the minister of culture bunched and aid program in june.

those employed in all areas of the arts can apply for support through their professional associations. the oldest coverage in berlin has received aid amounting to 70,000 euros and has invested in state-of-the-art equipment for air purification and other measures against coronavirus -- the oldest cabaret. >> we have installed plexiglas barriers at the bars and co-checks. -- coat checks. we have presented a digital concert that allows us to stream productions, so we have carried out the hygiene concept, and we are very happy about it. but not everyone has benefited from government support. the culture minister has called for another billion euros for the arts. there are many other aid programs as well.

freelance artists in particular need help delivered as un-bureaucratically as possible. the question is really if someone deserves it or not. i believe that artists already deserve something like short-term compensation. many artists complained the arts are not valued enough during lockdowns. "we need the arts because they hold up a mirror to us, because they created space for discourse, because they deal with answers to the ultimate questions with values that give meaning. we need the arts more than ever right now to help make sense of everything we are dealing with right now. the protests for better conditions for artists will continue. the cultural nation of germany is currently being put to the

test. phil: lots of us are wrapping up warm to fend off chilly weather, but it is not just humans trying to keep warm. a zoo in chile has installed a heating system to keep the pandas warm despite the freezing weather. more world news at the top of the hour. i will be back to take you through "the day" in just a moment. ♪

♪ >> hello and welcome back to the france 24 newsroom. it is 10:00 p.m. here in paris and these are the latest world headlines. with their ordeal over, scores of nigerian schoolboys return home, with harrowing tales of missed treatment received from their abductors. a week after gunmen attacked their classrooms, efforts continue to free those who are still unaccounted for. computer security teams jump into action, as they try to limit the damage caused by suspected russian hackers, and what is being described as one of the world biggest cyber attacks to have been uncoved.