To have you with us today is World Press Freedom day and we begin our broadcast with something we here at g. W. Are proud to announce the georgia velour freedom of speech award this year the award highlights journalists who have been persecuted because of their reporting of the coronavirus pandemic were only naming 17 individuals but they represent all those journalists bloggers and citizens around the world who have to find restrictions on press freedom to report on the coronavirus Michelle BacheletUnited Nations high commissioner for human rights paid tribute to this years Award Winners and all journalists going about their trade without fear or favor. Im here to honor the courage of the journalists who despite such attacks speak up and continue to investigate and report critically without fear i pay tribute to the courage of those who have been disappeared arrested or threaten for their work my office of the United Nations will continue to stand up for their rights again Michelle Bachelet un high commissioner for human rights we have this closer look now at some of the journalists were singling l. This year for their courageous reporting. Threatened attacked arrested press freedom was already a contentious and often dangerous issue in countries governed by repressive leaders such as china russia or venezuela now the Current Crisis is making it even more difficult for journalists to do their job. In january 2020 these images were secretly shot by chinese citizen journalist pham being inside a hospital in new han the epicenter of the pandemic his report stiff of vastly from the image of the country portrayed on state television. There was a while ago i saw 3 corpses here he says on video now there are 8. Chain krishi a lawyer was the most prominent citizen journalist or more harm. Would be the virus is right in front of me chinas criminal prosecutors are behind me im not afraid of death do you think im afraid of you communist party or child ah. It was to be chained last video before he disappeared without a trace just like from when his last Footage Shows Police knocking out the door. In russia where press freedom is strictly curtailed government friendly Media Outlets have been spreading misinformation about the corona crisis independent journalists are feeling the pressure and the miller shiina an internationally renowned investigative journalist received Death Threats after reporting on the coronavirus in chechnya and legibly from chechen president runs on country or of himself. The Organization Reporters Without Borders has documented a Record Number of opportunity acts of violence against reporters in venezuela that in some hole has was detained by special forces for 12 days for reporting on covert 19 on social media. And countries where press freedom is already under threat the corona pandemic is making things even more difficult and more dangerous for journalists. With me in the studio now is Peter Longoria the w. s director general for self welcome sir its great to see you on the set yeah hi michael my cd i want to 1st start by asking you why are we giving this award to so many people this year. Because its a worldwide phenomenon which we witness the pandemic also has an effect on freedom of speech freedom of expression and i think this is something we should be very careful and with and so we decided not to name one Single Person but to give tribute to all these journalists who are working in dangerous circumstances imagine it would be difficult given the circumstances and how aggressive journalists have to be around the world particularly now to single out a particular number. Well it is not easy yes but i think the list is not closed so we can open the list up if we see one of these cases which are really really bad and i think we picked some which they stand for fall out of our profession and i think this is very very its a sign i mean we hope that we can contribute something especially for these people who are working and in danger but also for the whole good cause of freedom of expression and free press we saw in that piece 2 examples of of how to chinese authorities may very well have quelled critical voices in that country is it your belief that if there is more open reporting. In china that there may very well have been an opportunity there to to keep the pandemic much lower to prevent the spreading of it i think its very likely that this would be the result of a free press in china because you wouldnt have had the government trying to to neglect any any demick endemic at the beginning you would have maybe now. Result where this virus comes from still its not 100 percent clear where it comes from and the chinese. Communist government authorities are trying to avoid any any responsibility for this and they are making an image of helping the world but which is nice its good when they help like it but they should also take the responsibility and a free press would have really helped to to find the reason and at the end would have saved lives in china youre in no doubt in contact with some of the Prize Winners what are some of the sort of things that theyre telling you. I have one story which would really impresses me was it was not a journalist it was a c. E. O. Of a Jordan Television station a liberal television station. Forests say yak and a young guy very ambitious very very cool and trying to help his people and they were been reporting about the coronavirus and they only quoted some guy from the street who was not happy with the government decisions which were very strict and for this he the c. E. O. And the head of news go to arrested they went into jail for a couple of days over easter and from now on his station doesnt get any information about the coronavirus anymore from the government from the jordanian government which i think is one of these cases where governments try to also bring down liberal open minded journalists and media houses and i think this should be tolerated and i really urge the jordanian government to change their policy on this. Talk to us about how regimes that are already known for its silencing critical voices in their nations are using the pandemic as a means to tighten their grip yeah its i think something which they which at the end they really use because it gives them the opportunity to to show that the strong man that they have a strong state and the journalists and some kind of way hindering them so i think theyre using the pandemic also to bring pressure on journalists and we see this in china russia and turkey in iran you see to around the globe so that these countries which will have a very problematic. As you today on press freedom theyre using this now to. His director Peter Lindbergh thanks so much for joining us thanks talking to you michael my pleasure you saw some of this years awards winners behind me on our video while you can find out more about all the winners of our freedom of speech ward on our website at www dot com forward slash freedom now for a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world south korea says its troops have exchanged gunfire with north Korean Forces along their tense border a statement by the military said north korea fired multiple gunshots towards a south korean go guard post early on sunday and south korean troops responded with 2 rounds of gunfire no injuries have been reported. The u. S. Military has staged a spectacular fly over in the skies over baltimore to honor 1st responders and medical staff battling the krona virus jets from the air force thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels display teams made several passes over the city. The mayor of analysis in brazils Amazon Region is asking the climate active is good at it to help his city to fight the virus he says people who work protecting the rain forest are at high risk the city is one of brazil corona hotspots. A cruise ship liner carrying almost 3000 people has been put in quarantine in the german port of course often one person on board tested positive for covert 19 the ship was transporting staff working for the 2 we travel company. In the United StatesAuthorities Say people have largely been following social distancing rules as businesses and public spaces gradually reopen across the country while the whole world waits for a Coronavirus Vaccine u. S. Regulators have approved a drug originally developed to treat a bolo for use in treating covert 1000 patients for President Donald Trump its a welcome bright spot in his administrations response to the coronavirus crisis. And he is the 1st authorized an american president plagued with accusations of incompetence for his handling of the pandemic flanked by pairs of good news u. S. Regulators have fast tracked the emergency use of antiviral drugs to treat coping 1000 patients call to disappear and you know what that is because thats been the hot thing also in the papers and in the media for the last little while an important treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients produced by Gilead Sciences room disappear is the 1st drug shown to help fight cope at 19 reducing hospital stays from 15 days to live it. But in 48 hours i was feeling. A lot better i think there were dems appear. Next to jumpstart kickstarter whatever to turn a corner critical trials included more than 1000. 00 survey really ill people and compared those treat it with a grim disappear to those who received regular care. We want to make sure nothing gets in the way of these patients getting the medicine so we made a decision to donate about 1500000 vials of them disappear well be working with the government to determine how best to distribute out within the United States. But while the world waits for a drug that can crush cope at 19 and return life to normal not everyone is calling rim disappear a game changer it doesnt change the fact that we have and many people. And that its going to affect our economy many many months because the only real danger. No one knows yet what side effects might come with this new treatment but for now it appears the positive results outweigh the uncertainty. Sport now and despite 3 positive tests for the groan of virus at Cologne Football Club the buddhist leaders bid to resume matches has received vocal backing from germanys interior and sport minister hall c. Hoffa Anthony Howard is following this story for us good to see you anthony i got to ask you what did the minister have to say stunning woods and music vs the football fans and the clubs who want to restock quite a fund to cheryl proposed by the German League plausible and i support its restocked in ny the context is those 3 positive tests the Cologne Football Club when everyone was worried for the more he went on they will continue to be risks for the shadow of matches and for the classification if there is any further contamination hes doing 2 really important things hes backing at the spot what happened at cologne already and hes looking for. In ensuring what could happen if theres going to be more positive tests he sang youve got my backing its quite incredible speaking of his back and how significant is his backing at this time the message is really important the timing is almost remarkable to be honest with you just when legitimate legitimate concerns of being asked and 3 days before the official meeting happened 16 states get to get together to make the official decision with the federal government is preempting it and all but getting at the green light to spot positive tests as the minister for sport but coming up before it is absolutely remarkable to resolve is what grabs you hear the words a strong but its the result of. They were all tested the solidarity was tested of the clubs of the of the government and before the official decision hes come out and said this resumption is going to happen theyre going to make this happen its not official yet but if youre a fan youd say i stuck to be a fridge. Like that i think you have 4 takes so much. Dont forget you can always get the job you news on the go just download our app from google play or from the app store it will give you access to all the latest news from around the world as well as push notifications for any breaking news in if you are part of a news story you can also use the app to send us photos and videos of whats happening. Watching the news for all of us here at the news in berlin im Michael Oconnor well stay safe theres more news at the top of the. Story so that people the world over t. W. On facebook and twitter up to date and in touch