Sarah kelly walked into the program. Days after the damaging admission that a conversation between high level German Military personnel was intercepted by russia. Germanys defense minister says that blame for the incident lies with simple human error. 4 days after the revelation 1st made headlines, or as the story, as has stepped up before the cameras to explain in detail exactly what went wrong. He says that an officer who was visiting singapore dialed in to join the discussion about the use of taurus vessels and ukraine without taking the necessary security measures was lump, cried poor calling the leak a hybrid. This information attacked the story as expanded on russias attempts to influence the narrative in germany was lumped type. Russia is constantly trying to drive a wedge between us, between the domestic Political Forces in germany, between the parties, between those who are for or against the for more or less support for ukraine. Its all the perfidious getting the tutoring, hesitating. He and we must not fall before it the most often lime game. And d, w as chief Political Editor, michelle. The customer has been following the story. She told us more about the leak and it security implications . Well, the details of the leak that we heard about today and so that there was one member of the cool who was at the time in a single pull at a conference and the drum in defense. When the sub stories said this demons member of the military, a piece of used a, an insecure line. And theres a belief here in berlin that the russian intelligence was signing off communication, free flowing communication during that particular conference. Knowing that there are lots of military personnel in town. So the durham inside seems to believe that this was pretty much a lucky find on the russian side. Having said that, and the german going to said the military is now also reassessing. Its the security of its own lines, but does stress that there was no hacking into any system and the, or into any server at the same time, everything is now being reassessed. For now, all the full people involved are under investigation. But we also heard from boys the story as determined, defense minister saying that he was unwilling to sacrifice any of his top offices for watching gold putins game so that we are in this game of communication in what is described as a hybrid wall. Here in germany. But you know, it still doesnt put germanys military in a very good light. What has been the reaction absolutely, and it also comes at a time of very heated debates here in germany, over whether or not the weapon that was being discussed, the towers and Missile System is supposed to be sent to ukraine or not. The government tonsils complete the against that he says that this could be read by the russian side as the german involvement in this conflict. And this is since, really been confirmed now by moscow that it would be seen that a particular way, despite the fact that the french and the brits are deploying or have already sent similar a weapon systems. So, and this was quite something that the opposition picked up on here on the damage is the credibility of the germantown. So that in a very heated debate over this weapon, which really runs even within his own party and his own governing coalition. So moscow clearly minus to hit a press of point, both in relation to ukraine, which desperately needs more weapons in gem and domestic politics. Where the germans, hans, is already on the defensive to Political Editor on behalf of the concerned. Thank you. As nato is staging its biggest military exercise since the cold war operation steadfast defender involves drills, encompassing a variety of scenarios and goes on until may some 90000 soldiers from all 31. Nato allies and sweden are participating among them. Is poland. Troops are testing their ability to move military equipment and difficult conditions on the bus to the river. Brussels bureau chief, alexandra from nomine, has this report of the moving nato forces towards an imaginary funds line 300 meters across the vista lot river. This exercise commanders here tell us its meant to test nato, a Strategic Planning and logistics. River crossings. Operations like the one we are witnessing here are all the undertaking is absolutely necessary. And that is because there are so difficult to plan and execute. You have to consider many different sectors, like the characteristics of the terrain and river conference, and of course in case of a real war, all of these challenges would be negative 5 by enemy fire. So they wants to be ready in case bridges are destroyed and they needs to get across the river. And important exercise, especially for countries such as poland and the Baltic States which are crossed by numerous rivers, british and german come. But engineers are among those in charge of transporting federal tanks and other equipment across the dish to the river. They said it took them just a few minutes to put together a fairly like this one. But every day has its own challenges. The river is quite high, the mom is quite hungry. A few weeks ago, the areas where we loan show where be foamed up with the troops across. How does that sound and equal to . So i see the part of shipping outstanding. The Bank Preparation to ground works as simple as an ending date to further what to maintain that with some 20000 soldiers from 9 nato countries. Participating. This exercise led by poland is also a demonstration that the alliance is ready to deploy its pure had forces wherever there are needed. I would argue its the right exercise at the right time, because it sends a unified message, unified message to potential enemies like russia. As far as potential enemies lie, dresser, you know, nato is preparing it. So if it gets tooth rates, its russia and its terrorist threats. But i would argue that this 6 is also going to own audiences. We need to prepare ourselves. We need to be better. And to spend more on drills like this one and on defense in general, need to officers say, but apart from these more general concerns, they are happy which day one of the training and i asked alexandra phenomena who followed that report if the drills would provoke russia well, that is the question that i put to need to a generals here in guinea. Its in poland on all of them told me that its not about attacking of provoking russia, that their goal is to improve natos defense and the terrans portia. But they also told me that the decision to hold those exercises on such a big scale was mad because it was made because of rush us war on ukraine. Because not, and they to understand that they need to be ready, shoot russia, attack natos territory. And we know that according to some intelligence agencies in europe, in 3 to 5 years, russia codes try to attack to need to territory. So that is why nature commanders are telling us its important to train and its important to exercise, to work together, to be ready for whatever may come. And that was alexandra phenomena speaking with me earlier. Heres a look at some other stories. The International Criminal court has issued arrest warrants for to russian commanders over alleged war crimes and ukraine. The hague based court said that it has reasonable grounds to believe that Russian Forces carried out strikes on civilian infrastructure. Moscow denies the allegations saying that its attacks are intended to reduce, keeps ability to fight, to test those european car factory near berlin has halted production after a suspected arse and attack shut down its electrical supplies. German local media has published a letter purportedly from a far left organization, claiming responsibility for the incident test for c e o. Long musk has called the suspected attack. Quote, extremely dumb us secretary of state anthony blinking has called on his boss to accept an immediate cease fire with his rail. As mediators meet in cairo, after talks with the guitar, a Prime Minister in washington, he also urged israel to make maximum effort to get humanitarian aid, and to guys have their own, their own room. And as those talks in cairo continue benny guns, an influential member of the is really wor, cabinet, has been meeting with top us officials at the white house. This visit is being seen as further signs of washingtons growing frustration over the war. And does that guns is a former defense minister and political arrival of Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu, who agreed to enter an emergency unity government following the october 7th the terror attacks by him off with guns as meeting secretary of state and snape, lincoln and National Security adviser take sullivan. Yesterday he sat down with Vice President cala harris, who called for more aid to be allowed into gaza. She also called for a cease fire. Thats burning dw correspondence, felix thompson, who joins us now from jerusalem. So how is guns is visit being seen by netanyahus administration in israel as well as you could say, is that the reactions from within that time, you know, as a government has been, have been very, very critical of many guns this visit once in your already quiz member is use the term for you on horse to describe a many guns this trip to the us and later to london as well. Another prominence member of an attorney, i was government assignments, administer smotts, which said the us is trying to divide these really government that need society. So reactions have been very, very critical. And this comes of the time when conflicts within that time, you always government are also growing on other issues. So its definitely the one to watch in the coming weeks to see how it gets on, you know, and hes government will deal with those issues in those conflicts within its own ranks. Its and its no secret that the current us and ministration is extremely frustrated with israel. Weve just seen that from the rhetoric in the past 2 weeks and how it has escalated on how we can night. It is the is really government. And the face of that as well. It really depends if you, if were talking about the more rights when the elements of minutes on the i was government, you could say that they stand behind. Thats on the i was approach steven call for a more say conservative right wing pro, which meaning less talks about a ceasefire or less talks about reaching the deed risk, almost more talks of a prolonged in the war and reaching to this, this final victory. There 3 talk about um, on the other end, theres many guns as party which is considered by many as the voice of reasons i would assume that its also the case from a month, from within the, the american administration. And, and this is the results of the, of the very open criticism of the american, a group, administrative sion, against an attorney. I will government and its uh, writing policies for rights elements. Indeed, its going to be interesting to see how this pans out in the coming weeks in terms of the relations between the 2 countries and governance. How high is the pressure on the is really government right now . I mean, can we expect major changes either within the government itself or the more time cabinet, for example . Or i dont think were expecting, we should expect any major changes to just yet. But having said that, we are talking about a government that thats under pressure due to the war. And guys are due to other reasons for an instance, the end placements of the, or to or trust of the community to these read the army. And the rising tensions with the Us Government is just something which adds more and more pressure upon these ready government at the moment. And this means were going to see more and more voices from within. Is there a liberal politics, demanding, demanding such actions, such as the guns has to do with and talking about team leaving the government again, were only to, were also talking about the time in which the, the is really liberal part deprived of these really the liberal parts of these really society, ours are protesting calling for elections. So its going to be interesting to see how be spends out. The w corresponded felix thompson. Thank you. Meanwhile the United States and jordan have aaron dropped more, a packages into the gaza strip. The u. S. Military says that almost 37000 meals were dropped into the territory and a joint operation on tuesday. But with the humanitarian crisis during catastrophic levels. Critics say the amount is only a fraction of what is needed, and the u. N. Is calling on the International Community to quote flood garza with aid panic and k us as men and gaza city run around in a frenzy to find food countries such as egypt, jordan fronts. And now the us have been dropping aid from above. But there are too many people in need and theres not enough aid. The we have the willingness inability to bear it. But is there a father in the world who can see his children riding in hunger in front of him to remain silent . Even if the price is risking his life, just like all these people who risk their lives in order to obtain what is not even enough for a criminal flower or aid or canned food. Yesterday, some expired canned goods arrived, containing mold and fungus. We are not animals, as they described us over the weekend workers from the u. N. M, the w h o rushed in to provide supplies to hospitals, medicines and fuel a running critically no. And this is costing children headlines so unfortunately, yes, we have lost 2 babies here. They had pneumonia, but they died because of the power cut. The power went off at 4 am, and at 8 am we were out of oxygen. The one that many of those have died from hunger, according to the visiting team from the w. A tro the there is no milk or anything what the situation is bad, indescribable. Were not able to get them anything. These deaths come as the booming outside continues. And bodies, philip flores, somewhat so young. They barely have the chance to live the and now a change of pace. Were heading to the United States, where it is the biggest day so far in the 2024 race for the white house when states across the country choose who they think their parties nominate will be for president. Now, 15 states from alabama to alaska and one territory American Samoa are holding primary elections. The races already dominated by 2 candidates, president biden, for the democrats and his predecessor, donald trump, for the republicans. Nikki haley is still trump only competition, but polls show that hes on the course to when williams and craft told us why this is such an important day in the race for the us election to produce a is finally a chance for states across the country that are bit more representative of the population as a whole to vote and have their say. Whereas before you have these one, all states like new hampshire, south carolina, the Iowa Caucuses that are both small states, not very representative, and have this unfair impact on the course of the election. So super tuesdays often a chance for candidates that may be, havent performed very well up to that point to really make a splash, or at least for show us the got take some 1st place positions that leads a strong 2nd this year. As you just said at the top, its almost a foregone conclusion. Borrowing some massive surprise, donald trump is going to continue his sweep across the space. Is there any chance of a mess of surprise from nikki haley . What would it take for her to be able to break his momentum as it would take, supposed to be massively wrong. I mean, some of the polls are rather dated because when it comes to state level data, you dont get a lot of grand new will pulling data in some of the smaller states. Somebody is further flung places. A poet poll searches arent on the ground to do regular updates. So you might have some polls that go back all the way to january. None the less if you see enough poles with donald trump, with a mass of leave, lets say 60 percent 70 percent. Even in some cases, the 80 percent. That to to nikki haley 302520 years. Sometimes only in the teens that paints a pretty dire picture for hailey and a pretty confident one for donald trump to be, to be moving into a what he already has. The fact though, but officially under hallway and candidate for president 2024 as he was rerunning in 2020, and in 2016. Okay, so thats on the republican side. When we look at the democrats. Meanwhile, tell us a little bit more about the voting there and what it tells us about democrats enthusiasm for joe biden and his candidacy. All right, so joe biden is running more or less uncontested. There are some very small, almost i would say, protest candidates running against them in some states. They dont have 50 state representation because they dont have enough support. But so joe, by that is for all intents and purposes, running on a post as the incumbent, which is normal when you have the incoming president , theres a party has very little interest in competing with the incumbent president of the income and has those kinds of advantages being in office already. Nonetheless, you know, as we saw in michigan for example, theres a non committee or yeah, sort of just, you know, people who are distaste for joe biden either because of his age and they dont think hes really fit to be the president or continue to be present a job, i dont remember himself painted back in 2020, it may be just being a one term bridge to Something Else has some kind of future or some kind of younger candidate that of course has not come to pass so well, joe biden will surely sweep these primaries for the democrats, and he will be the strong winter by, by large margins, if not almost a 100 percent. There is a, an unspoken, or laura, or, or, or considerable minority of voters. Were just unhappy and how that translates in the general election. When the margins are raise or state for an election can really spin on a couple of 1000 votes here in there. That small amount of people could be a danger to jo bidens re election in november. And that was william blue cross speaking with me earlier. Heres a look at some other stories making headlines. Ukraines military intelligence says that it has destroyed a Russian Naval patrol boat on the black senior of the crimean peninsula. The patrol ship is called the surveyed cost of ukraine says that it destroyed the vessel with maritime drones. Russia has not confirmed the claims. As the philippines has accused chinas coast guard of carrying out dangerous maneuvers that led to a collision between its coast guard ship and a chinese vessel in the South China Sea basing claims sovereignty in the region. Despite the u, as Permanent Court of arbitration finding those claims to have no legal basis. Well now we have to china where delegates, so the National Peoples congress are trying to come up with solutions for the countries pressing economic and demographic challenges, highly choreographed, National PeoplesCongress Event has just kicked off in beijing. Leaders have announced a target of 5 Percent Economic Growth in 2024. Far below the double digit growth that once powered the chinese economy, they also planned to increase defense spice spending by 7. 2 percent. The same rate of increase as last year. The annual week long gathering is mostly ceremonial in nature. All 2 decisions have already been made behind closed doors by the communist party, dw reporter and asia analysts. Clifford clinton joins, hes here in the studio for more. I mean, so 5 percent, u d. P growth thats but sounds quite optimistic considering the current state as high as economy, doesnt it . Whether it is optimistic um, ive been going through the government work or partridge, quite a half the documents and comparing it to last years. And actually the forecasts are pretty much the exact same as last year, which i mean literally the exact same. Whats interesting though, is that its a different world since last year. Last year was coming out of the pub, demik. There was expectations that the economy was going to have a bounce back from, from the pandemic in which didnt happen in china. So now what theyre trying to do is theyre having the same forecasts, but the situation is a lot more complex for them. Its facing a lot more headwinds, and they have to say, i mean, the Chinese Government has been accused in the past of dressing up those numbers. But you know, it seems not even leaders can sugar coat the current situation. I just want to have a quick play now of, of what china is number 2, premier and the key on have to say as well, what is the foundation for china sustained economic recovery and growth is not solid enough, as evidenced by lack of effective demands, low public expectations and many lingering risks and hitting dangers. Jones to cabinet. I mean, do we, do we ever hear that level of candor from . Is it yeah, face and think about how bad it is. I think it does in some im from my list. Youre saying that it could be its assigned, but its even worse because, you know, if this is, if this is the window dressing, i think theres a couple of things going on here. One is that things get framed as a kind of a campaign. Very often that, you know, to get the people behind to, to say that were all in this together. This is very much the kind of the rhetoric that you get to these companies, party events. But at all, it is also worth noting that at the end of the speech, he says that the wisdom of the chinese people, them the resolve will, will, they will eventually triumph. So i think its not quite as negative, but at the same time it is, it is pretty a pessimistic point of view in a way. What . Well, if it takes to get china, the sort of growth that its hoping to get with these projections or these goals, well, i think with the needs reform, the economy needs to be reformed. Theres such a focus now on security on issues like, i mean, we just saw be itd be earlier to be so the reports about the philippines and you know, the, the clashes that were seeing and said, trying to see theres all the stuff. The Chinese Government is dealing with it at the moment. Um, so it needs, it needs to change, but in some ways, trying to couldnt keep growing the way it was growing for so long, and it was always going to slow down. And its a question about pace that happens and how that happens. And the way it feels at the moment is that this may be too much focused on security. And too much focus on, on doctrinaire kind of communist party rhetoric, rather than helping the private sector. So its got a lot of these challenges that needs to do, and i think probably the keyword is reform. And the question is whether they can ever deliver that reform database. Clifford coo and thank you. So youre watching dw news. A quick reminder of our top story. Germanys defense minister has claimed to human error for the leak of a secret military conversation for us to story a set that one color joined the discussion about the use of tourist missiles and he prayed without taking the necessary security measures. Now to be beefed up in the wake of the breach. China is National Peoples congress has announced a target of 5 Percent Economic Growth in 2024. Far below the devil to interest expansion vanishing points enjoyed the rubber Staff Assembly also plans to pipe defense spending by 7. 2 percent for the 2nd year in a row. Dont forget, you can always get data views on the go. Just download our app from google play or from the apple app store. It gives you access to all the latest news around the world as well as push notifications for any breaking news. Watched this program on live stream is your up to date up next. Its equal africa meeting to museum farmers or using the water to irrigate their problems. They with this, if you can for that im sarah kelly and berlin. Thank you so much for watching the the respect its own about walking waves and texting nature. Thats why sandra, respecting they just study in a new city they, its about being up to date with current ideas, technologies. Im trying to fully eat co way of life, the environment magazine, the co africa next on d, w not laughing any more. D y d, the new electric vehicle force from china, from revolutionary Battery Manufacturer to the top spot in the market. Is the sparked, finally running into the last 60 minutes on d w, the little guy. This is the 77 percent, the platform for advocacy issues and share ideas. The you know, or the side that will be a north of bridge, and hatcher. And then you can talk to because population is growing fast. And young people clearly have the solution. The future is 77 percent every weekend on dw, the when it comes to making a planet future proof, innovations are great offsets, what we can also do to the pos voice permission. Welcome to eco africa. Im crystal, im coming to you from lagos, nigeria, and i am sandra co homes that we know video joining do from come pull out right here in youre going to on the show with find out how traditional methods can offer us as 2 days problems. So