Transcripts For DW DW News 20240713

Businessman in connection with the murder of the investigative journalist or one of the lets see who was taken into custody aboard his yacht all trying to leave the country he speaks of the justice system. Plus what to do with all that plastic weights down the china to stop the porting class of garbage much of it from europe to other asian states are finding themselves absolutely in. Im brian thomas great to have you with us a key witness has given potentially damaging testimony at the impeachment hearings in the u. S. Gordon saw the u. S. Ambassador to europe addressed the House Committee he detailed alleged attempts by the president to pressure ukraines leader into investigating his democratic rival joe biden. U. S. Ambassador gold in sunderland now writing for the impeachment hearings. The question Everyone Wants him to answer did President Trump hold back financial a. T. U. Crane in exchange for a corruption probe into his democratic rival joe biden and his links to energy fund the research the own says he was following instructions from trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani thank you please as i testified previously mr giulianis requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a white house visit for president selenski mr giuliani demanded that ukraine make a Public Statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election d. N. C. Server and or recent mr giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States and we knew these investigations were important to the president but what about the millions of dollars of military aid that ukraine was waiting for from restaurant we learned that the white house had also suspended security aid to ukraine i tried diligently to ask why the aid was suspended but i never received a clear answer in the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid i later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a Public Statement from ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 elections and to resign as mr giuliani had demanded i shared concerns of the potential quid pro quo regarding the security aide with senator ron johnson and i also shared my concerns with the ukrainians you test them not good enough according to the republicans or you acknowledge that. This is speculation right it was a presumption ok subsequent the trump told him directly on not sunderland is still convinced action to talk by the 8th of september it was it was abundantly clear to everyone that there was a link should the ukrainians go out on a ledge and make the statement that President Trump wanted them to make and then they still dont get their white house visit in their aid that would be really bad for our credibility the democrats have welcomed his testimony calling it significant. Trump himself said it meant the impeachment inquiry was over much as he might wish it to be true its up to the democrats when the hearings and ok so where does this leave the leave us lets go straight to washington and w. s all over salad following this story for us today as you all are did this testimony from the u. S. Ambassador to europe deliver the type of weighty evidence of a quid pro quo that the democrats have been hoping for. Well it must have been to the liking of the democrats brian because in fact what Gordon Sunland here said was that there was this a now in famous quid pro quo and that is essentially that President Trump and his administration pushed for an investigation off president comes from little rival joe biden and that in exchange for millions hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid as well as a pristine ages invitation to the white holes for ukraines president below to meirs alinsky and that all of course to gain a certain advantage in the Reelection Campaign of 2020 gordon song and also included in his descriptions the most important figures all the Trump Administration Vice President mike pence as well as the secretary of state my pump a you and of course president private lawyer Rudy Giuliani he said they were all part of this Pressure Campaign and adam schiff the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who is leading the impeachment inquiry said that this was a very important moment in the history of the impeachment inquiry carol of what about the ranking republicans what have they been saying the white house certainly has a very clear line on this. Well right and the republican strategy so far has been simply to undermine the investigation itself and in particular our credibility all the witnesses and i was able to follow several of these hearings in the recent days and that has always been the currying strategy and i was so yesterday again when gordon was asked whether or not you spoke directly with President Trump about this issue whether president personally directed him to put pressure on the Ukrainian Government of course and had to deny he was only told by other people including by president toms private lawyer Rudy Giuliani tromped and later joined in that line of defense he said he doesnt even know Gordon Sunland well although we have to point out here that trump was the one to make. You ambassador after having been a mega donor in the 2016 Election Campaign so thats all or perhaps not the most credible line off defense here 3 of course the big question for the democrats will be how to convince the American Public as supporters and opponents very much staying behind party lines so far theyre all over the the impeachment proceedings of course last night figuring very prominently in last nights televised debate between democratic president president ial hopefuls lets take a look at that guy would not direct were a Justice Department lawyer because president goods i let them make their independent judgment i would not dictate who should be prosecuted for who should be exonerated thats not the role of the president of the United States what we saw today is a master sun and by his own words told us that everyone was in the loop that means it is a criminal enterprise engaged in by the president from what we heard today the Vice President the secretary of state and the chief of staff. We have to establish the principle no one is above the law we have a constitutional responsibility and we need to meet it we have a president who is not only a pathological lawyer here is likely the most corrupt president in the modern history of america but we cannot simply be consumed by donald trump because if we are going to watch were going to lose the election well is this the winner or a loser all over is impeachment shaping up to be a top issue or even the top issue that the democrats will be campaigning on for Bernie Sanders sounds like its a no go you know the thing crucial question now brian it hasnt been so far and if you think back to the midterm elections just one year ago the democrats have been very exact successful for and not talking too much about donald trump they focused on issues such as health care and won back the majority in the house of representatives spec then but now of course is different we have an impeachment inquiry ongoing all of the candidates have been very vocal on that issue so far and they are very much on the same page also when it comes to impeaching trump and of course theyre trying to capitalize on todays testimony that you could really tell in the debate you have just played here and will of course be an important aspect in the upcoming Election Campaign all over salad for us in washington all reserve or thanks very much for the update lets get you up to date now on some of the other stories making news israels moving closer to its 3rd election in the space of a year that after Opposition Leader benny gantz was not able to form a government before the wednesday deadline lawmakers now have 3 weeks to rally around daunce or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another gambit in order to avoid going to the polls again. Smoke from bushfires has created such a thick haze over large parts of Sydney Australia that Health Officials have told people to remain indoors a series of fires have been raging out of control along the east coast for weeks now killing 6 people destroying more than 500 years. Pope francis is on the 2nd day of a weeklong tour of asia starting in thailand during a ceremony with top officials there the part of call for migrants will be welcome he also pleaded for more action against Human Trafficking and better protection for women and children from being forced into prostitution. Its to malta now where authorities there have arrested a prominent businessman that in connection with the murder of the investigative journalist dafna. That killing 2 years ago sparked worldwide outrage the maltese government has been strongly criticised for its handling of this case which has raised questions about the rule of law in malta ill speak to her sister in a moment 1st lets get the story. I did demanding justice from the Justice Minister i must hear they shout and shame on you. An arborist has reignited anger at the murder of journalist Daphne Koller one and. A murderer still without a conviction. They say the government is corrupt and wanted Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to step down i was there an order to get there they must soon get well its interesting i was sitting here and decided it was. Really good outdoor like it is. The protests came after an arrest in connection with galatea is murder. Prominent businessman new york and finnick was on his luxury yacht and apparently preparing to flee when armed forces arrested him. For an eco ridgeley ran hotels and casinos but then got involved in a lucrative power Plant Project 6 years ago. Apart from that he said to be the owner of a previously secret company 17 blank that aimed to transfer money to maltese politicians via offshore companies and panama. Thats what Daphne Koller one and i had been investigating it was 2 years ago in october that the 53 year old investigative journalist was killed in a car bomb attack she had previously received multiple Death Threats which she reported to the police. It was a murder that sparked outrage in malta and abroad. 3 men have now been charged with planting the car bomb but its still not known who instigated the crime. As Prime Minister Joseph Muscat appears guarded he has spoken of a person of interest being arrested hes offered a middleman immunity from prosecution he says he knows who was behind the killing but some believe members of his own government may be involved in the crime. It is premature to speculate on anything you the media are free to reach your own conclusions but i cannot speculate. We have to wait some hours or days it depends i will hold back a few days before expressing myself. Says he wants to discover the truth about daphne. Death but that doesnt stop calls for him to resign from growing louder. Were joined now by Corinne Velasquez the sister of the murdered journalist corona thanks so much for coming into the show the police have arrested a national your going fantic just one day after an alleged accessory to the crime was offered a pardon to a dent a 5 the mastermind behind the killing of your sister what are your thoughts about this development. Well its an overview but its a very Important Development an investigation needs assassination. But we now expect authorities the continuing death links ducking out. On the kindness of. The end of the con that made it very important that the investigation our policy have been if you were to go through could be important i should be called to continue the investigation found. Ok you want consequences more thorough investigation following the arrest. Kareen yesterday saw hundreds of people taking to the streets against Prime Minister joseph muskets government do you think that time pressure will lead to what you want a more thorough investigation. But there are 2 things happening that definition to be sensitive Tipping Point people a only restrained. Yesterday was a bit louder than the. Very few 100 people if you could hear the sound and. The whether that will really change the kind minister himself we have going to cause for. A cause cause his chief of staff and his minister to resign and rather than cordon announce he has kept his office and protected them. Why do you think the Prime Minister has been so reticent to not be more forthwith with information and facts about the status. I dont know how much you know. What i do know is that it took 2 years for us to reach a point where the Prime Minister announced the come inquiry into the media. This is something we should have done 2 years ago and now the point of a Public Inquiry is that malta as a state looks at itself and alcatraz where have we trained what have we done well how can we do better how can we protect journalists he has resisted that to cheer leading journalists but when he can explain what it was he was afraid of. Corinne bello sister of the murdered journalist deafening carwash phillips yes thank you so very much for coming in to give you news today thank you. Its georgia now and thousands of people been taking to the streets of the georgian capital tbilisi after parliament failed to pass a bill to change the electoral system to proportional representation earlier this week police cleared protesters using tear gas and water. Demonstrators say the electoral system is unfair and puts too much power to the hands of the ruling party you have used reports from tbilisi. Rally for democracy and against the ruling party protesters outside the georgian parliamentary elections and constitutional reform the protest has united around 20 opposition movements they say the current electoral system favors the ruling Georgian Green Party which critics argue has too much power for people here Electoral Reform is much more than a formality this is a very very important change. Because everybody understands that with the Current System there may be no free and Fair Elections people want something very basic they want these countries to be peaceful to be democratic they want their will to be respected they want free and Fair Elections and the basic Constitutional Rights of georgian people some protesters are even camping out here to keep up the pressure on the government the ruling Georgian Green Party had promised a change in the electoral system after protests in june but last week it didnt pass in parliament where the party has a majority we are here protesting. Because they like us and they may promise you were coming from soviet past we dont have proper courts we dont have proper checks and balances so to have a parliament where the forces are represented proportionally is vital for our democracy and people realize that recent surveys show Georgian Dream is still the most Popular Party even if their poll numbers have dropped to just 23 percent but the leader of the parliamentary majority insists that most people here appreciate this to build. His party has brought to the country and says the protests arent representative. All of them are citizens to chip in to and we have talked in your boat 56 maybe 3 of them the people who are. Half of them are just experienced said there are certain Political Parties they can talk about political crises meanwhile outside Parliament Demonstrators are keeping watch for another day. These tend to show that the protesters are here to stay but for now both the opposition and the government are standing their ground and the political deadlock here in georgia looks set to continue parliamentary elections are scheduled for autumn next year but protesters dont want to wait and theyre planning another large rally on monday. This is deja vu news live from berlin still to come on the show and meet a man in china who sniffs out peoples cats when they dont listen. To. The 1st wave of this britains Prince Andrew says he will step back from public duties for the foreseeable future hes been embroiled in controversy over his friendship with the convicted pedophile jeffrey abstain was found hanged in a new york jail cell 3 months ago. Mexico celebrated the anniversary of its revolution on wednesday with historical reenactments and mexico city president Manuel Lopez Obrador also received a pledge of loyalty from top military chiefs just weeks after reports that army leaders were unhappy with his government. While Plastic Waste is of course one of the most urgent challenges in this century the problem has gotten worse since china stopped taking in foreign plastic garbage last year much of the hard to recycle waste produced in the west used to be shipped there now much of that material is finding its way to neighboring countries like malaysia. Is not afraid of what she calls the waste mafia or of the bullies who work for them what does. Happens over here. And. Beverages are produced at this facility she says but right next to it is a factory. Plastic waiting to be melted. Mills. And chemical. Waste is kept out of sight at most of the illegal factories. In northern malaysia residents say dozens of these factories sprang up after china decided to stop importing Plastic Waste from the west. She spends a lot of these days fighting the flood of Plastic Waste from overseas. But. Back home you see. What. Weve. Been giving. It was. Campaigners it shows plastic being burned in the country or in factories illegal factories the pungent smell hangs in the city year. It sounds crazy but. Its normal. In the world from the u. S. From japan and from germany and 20 more than 700000 metric tons. At the moment there are 114 containers full of waste the paperwork for this one from hong kong is ok but its a filthy business waste from western Consumer Societies often ends up in places like this stashed among abandoned buildings a bag with german text it every day packaging from german supermarkets. Is a director of an Australian Company one of the few operating in malaysia that properly recycles waste. I see a lot of other ways to reach must have been sent out with the clear idea of it being nonrecyclable for example does the piece of heavily printed. You know. Plastic wrapping i dont know what anyone would like to apply to recycle whoever would tell you that this can be recycled. Back in single patani in the north of malaysia residents are putting their bins for collection meanwhile in the evening factories burn rubbish from western nations chantay and her daughter spend the days indoors with a humidifier and away from son shane john ties daughter hasnt been to kindergarten and months we were times i guess its just better for her otherwise she gets a fever after just one or 2 days she coughs and her nose starts to run if she plays at sait she gets nose bleeds and becomes breathless pensioner lydia no wears a mask odors she has a message for western nations including germany. Brad believe. Tell your government dont come your way your rubbish to our country anymore we have enough. She hopes people around the world will hear her plea and stop sending their waste to malaysia. While china is home to over 91000000. 00 pet dogs and cats thats more than a human population of many countries including germany but what do you do there when a pet goes missing now people can call in the pet detective china. Every single detail a possible clue. Daughter disappeared here without a trace. Only high tech gear could have turned every rock over. But they have to act fast. The british shot hair has already been missing 2 days. The chinas very unpaid detective son gene your own he and his team have already reunited at 1000 paths with their own this. War Monkey Energy may have cases over the years to analyze the data you can think of 10 things to do not going to field while the owner can think of one or 2 you want for success rate as well as want 2 times out of the onus of injuring. At almost a dozen years a pop its not cheap but its worth every penny and his success rate is high. And i have the smell of cattle dog on my body they will be more close to me. The hunt continues. The trap is set. Hours have passed and then daughter is found alive and kicking. His own no relieved and impressed. Me i wasnt expecting to find world war so fast i was afraid i might not find him again all that order which are. But here he is a perfect ending case closed. Its a good reminder of our top stories this hour present comes a bastard to the you as given potentially damaging testimony at the impeachment hearings and u. S. Gordon song says the president ordered steps to pressure ukraines leader into investigating trumps democratic rival joe biden. The state of your news live from berlin up next canvas you saved stay tuned for focused on europe all that im brian thomas from entire team thanks for being here. In. Europe. Look unites. What divides. Trudging course. What binds the continent together. The answers and stories of plunging a. Spotlight on people. Next on d w. A t is off to the overthrow of the gadhafi regime libya has descended into almost continual conflict between its rival senses of caught my guest this week here in congress it is i would not seek deputy Prime Minister of a un backed government of National Accord closely allied to groups of armed militias which are being credited with serious human rights abuses conflicts of. In 60 minutes on d w. And now because look at the un sanction of late years especially as you can. Slap the mere putin in the middle of his Election Campaign to turn the camera back on a course in the year 2000 a documentary secretly chronicled a power grab the. Actual selling was precisely planned the structure of the freedom of russia. Vladimir vladimirovich to the ends justify the means. Putins witnesses starts december 13th on d w. To. I am and i am hello and welcome to focus on europe im liable lola thanks for being with us italys Floating City is under water then as has been hit by its worst floods in 50 years many Historic Buildings have unescos World Heritage sites are on the brink of ruin including the iconic st marks basilica officials have declared a state of emergency