Case in point, t this refugee cp in swedish p prosecutors saying theres not enough evidence to carry on investigating Julian Assange. He remains in prison and the u. K. For skipping bail and faces an exhibition to the United States on spying charges. Brent our viewers on pbs and the United States and around the world, welcome. We begin in washington on this third day of impeachment hearings against u. S. President donald trump. Two senior officials of the Trump Administration have already testified, including dented Jennifer Williams and lt. Col. Alexander vindman. Both listened to the phone call betwtween trump and ukraines president back in july. Bettman said the unequal bargaining position of the two leaders and the ukraines dependence on the United States amounted to a demand from trump to the density two zelensky. To demand an investigation into a political opponent, especially a foreign power where there is at best dubious belief this would be a completely impartial investigation and that this would have significant applications implications if the became public knowledge, undermine ukraine policy and our national security. Brent lets take this story to washington. Alexander is in washington. The first two witnesses who testified today, they belong to the Trump Administration. What is their testimony mean for the president . Alexandra i would say there is enough evidence pointing in the direction that President Trump seemed not to be focused against fighting against corruption and his decision to block the military aid to ukraine was not a policy focusedbased policy decision, but meant to advance his political personal gains and that is of course what the democrats strongly believe in and with lt. Col. Denman v indmon, they had a strong witness. The president today calling it a witch con which i witchhunt. The white house twitter today was questioning and. Him. I watched him for a little while this morning and im going to let people make their own determination, but i dont know him. I have never heard of him. I dont know any of these people. Alexandra we have to add that it is not the first time that President Trump attacked witnesses in those hearings that happened last week as well. Brent this continues tomorrow. We will have a very bigname testifying tomorrow, im talking about the u. S. Ambassador to the European Union, gordon sondland. He is obviously a chump supporter. What do we expect to hear from him tomorrow . Alexandra he is definitely a key witness this week because as you said, he is not a career diplomat. He was President Trumps megadonor and sort of rewarded for supporting donald trump by being appointed u. S. Ambassador to the European Union and he is considered a key witness because he is one of you witnesses, maybe the only one allowed to testify in the public who had direct contact with present from my talk directly contact with President Trump, talked directly. He can testify if he was told to press the Ukrainian Government to start an investigation into President Trumps political investigation into joe biden and his son. Brent tomorrow could become the most important day in the hearings so far. We will wait to see. As always, thank you. Here are some of the other stories making headlines around the world. The u. N. Says it has reports indicating that doesnt have been killed in iran during days of writing over increased fuel prices rioting over increased fuel prices. The government insists that the price hikes are necessary to fund social where pharaoh welfare programs. In hong kong, activists trying to avoid arrest. The territories chief executive, carrie lam, says activists on camp this campus must surrender to police to end the standoff. United nations has called on authorities to deescalate will stop deescalate. [inaudible] troops from mali and niger were operating to track extremists tracked links to our qaeda al qaeda. In an effort to reduce the number of migrants coming to europe, the german chancellor is calling for more investment in africa to boost Living Standards and create jobs. She has been meeting with heads of states from several african countries as part of generating private investment in africa. Chancellor merkel pledged one billion euros with africa a year ago. The programs objective is for german businesses to invest in africa to create jobs. Now the funds are starting to flow. The decision to invest in africa remains a private sector decision. We cannot take that from any business owner, but we can help. We can create trust. That mainly means donor money or offering risk protection. This Small Company builds Drinking Water systems, but financing often presents problems for africas customers. Eric hopes the billions of euros available will make things easier. This aid is a success, but it tatakes a bit of time beforere l the instruments to work. More than 200 companies have applied. You can see germanys Midsize Company going to africa. Extra support for more transparency and Legal Security should make it easier for German Companies to invest in africa. A Midsize Enterprise Program in africa a begins today. Progression protection against breast will be improved against risks will be improved. German economic involvement is still modest. Barely 2 of German Companies are after active in africa. Brent i am joined by judith helfman. It is good to have you on the show. 2 . That is a small number. Why is it so small . It refers to german exports come so german exports in total, 2 goes to africa, but it does not necessarily mean that only 2 of German Companies go to africa. Nevertheless, we could do a lot more. Brent we could do more and this initiative is what, two years old . How much of a difference has it made in todays conference, isnt going to make a difference . Judith i think it will make a difference because it happened. We still have attention for africa and attention for the continent. The question is, the we get more realistic . Can we have a more realistic picture of the continent so it is helping and two years of a political initiative, how long does it take in germany or anywhere in europe to get things through . It takes time, but it will not happen overnight. Brent we know that a lot of african countries, they have problems with corruption and businesses want to know that the money that they invest is going to go would you say to investors that are worried they will throw their money away . Judith it depends on how your acting on the ground. The most boring thing is to find a trustworthy partner. If you dont have a trustworthy partner on the ground, things will happen, but if you have a partner, then you can learn how to act on the ground d and thats number one. I think that is why we are creatingng all thosese programs today. It is about getting to know who you are talking to. Brent it is spearheaded by germany, but part of the g20. How invested are other g20 countries when youre talking about africa . Judith it really depends on what you are looking at. If you are looking at europe concerning history and language and everything, frances burn much ahead france is very much ahead. As far as i know, not all of the money was new. At the end of the day, 15 billion out of 20 is old money. They are looking at employment and i think that is most important. Brent we did not even talk about the chinese investment. Judith, thank you for your time. Staying here in europe, greeces Prime Minister strongly criticizing european migration policy. She has accused brussels of treating countries on europes outer borders as convenient places to park migrants. Over the coming weeks, athens is plannining ttrtransfer abobout 20,000 asylumseekers to the greek mainland. They include many on the island of less posts, the site of a very crowded overcrowded refugee camp. We have this report from the island that has become home of thousands of refugees desperate to leave. Fririends bid farewell as the buses weight. More than 100 asylumseekers are leaving. The joy it is probable, but so is the pain and uncertainty of heading once again into the unknown. How do you feel that you can get on the bus and leave . Very happy, but i have a lot of friends here. I will miss everyone. In the morning, i cried. Now, my friends came to see me. She has lived with her daughter for a year here, a camp she describes as the worse. She was notified yesterday and given only hours to packer things and leave. She is one of thousands of asylumseekers greece plans to move to the mainland before winter comes. The Deputy Governor says t this rush to transfer asylumseekers is not a permanent solution, but he says it will let the islands freed again breathe again. Are basic goal is for the islands to be decongestant the congested. The rest of greece, it is much lower. The Refugee Reception Center is not just overcrowded, it is often described as the worst humanitarian crisis in europe. More a camp was built for 3000, but more than 4000 four times that many people live here. From afghanistan, he shows us where he lives with his family. A single tenant for five people with five people with winter on the way. I have lost all hope. Only god can help us. I pray we will be rectitude rescued from this place. At its northern edge, it is expanding. The group of men are breaking ground for a family who will spend their first night here. No one expects the population to shrink anytime soon. In the middle of the night, yet another arrival. A boat carrying migrants rescued off the coast of los gatos list boasts lisbos. Everyone gets a bottle of water, a snack and a blanket. They are relieved as they are registered on european soil, but do you know about morrill moria, their next home will stop this is a pile of lifejackets worn by those making the dangerous crossing to less posts less posts lesbos. For the past three months, the arrivals have outpaced departures, but if the governments transfer succeeds, the island could once again become what it used to be, a brave stopover on the way to eueurope. This is one of the he is on one of the she is on one of the last buses to arrive. Im worried because i have a lot of stuff here. As she hauls her bags onto the ship, she does not know where she will go next, but she is certain she will never go back to moria. Brent you are watching dw news. Still to come, pope francis will be the second pope to visit thailand in 35 years and the preparations are in full swing. That story coming up in a moment. Swedish prosecutors are dropping their investigation into rape and Sexual Assault allegations against t Julian Assange. They told d reporters today that evidence against him is not strong enough. Excuse me, im waiting for the teleprompter. He is serving a prison sentence for jumping bail to avoid at tradition to sweden. In 2010, two women accused him of rape and Sexual Assault. He talked about todays decision, we want to bring in mads adennes. He has followed the case closely and joins us from the airport in frankfurt on his way back. Good to have you on the program. What do you make of todays decision . We are talking about an investigation that is nine years old and today we hear the evidence is not strong enough. Mads i it is n not surprising. The prosecutors have been criticized by the courts in sweden and they havee a very narrow margin and it has run its course, so it is not surprising. Brent is this a time that the prososecutors in sweden, can thy say they are satisfied with what theyve done the past nine years . This investigation has been stopped and restarted at least two or three times. Lex it is clearly disproportionate mads it is clearly disproportionate. Brent what about the fact that so much time has passed . There are some critics that say Julian Assange was using the clock, letting the clock run out , hoping that so much time would pass that his accusers mads it is the other way around. It is the prosecutionon that is groundless. It has now been brought to an end. Brent what happenens now . It is basically up to the United Kingdom whether or notot itt wil extradite juJulian Assange to te u. S. To face espionage charges. Mads hopefully the rule of law in the british system will mean that he will not be sent to the United States. I have to make my plane. I am terribly sorry. Brent youre at t the airportn the way to also, thank you also oslo, thank you. Pope francis is embarking on a trip to thailand. He is the first to travel to the largely buddhist country in four decades. He will meet with the small Catholic Community, many of whom have spent weeks preparing for the visit. Thailands Catholic Community is abuzz witith the statement excitement. The news about the popes arrivaval has made all the less all ofof us feel very excited. Im eager to show him how strong of a believer i am in catholicism. At a convent in a different part of town, seems isis just seamstresses have been making sure that they are deked out in the countrys f finest threads. It has been so long since a pope traveled to thailand, that ththe video footage is grainy. John paul ii is the last. That wasas in 1984, so the fact that the current pontiff has not left the country off the map is a big deal for the community. Christians just makeup just 1 of the population. They can be found in one of bangkoks biggest slumsms. A missionary says christians here are equally awaiting the visit because they see him as a champion of the vulnerable. They know the pope is a man that makes the voice of the poor louder and louder, as it its a big i it as an opportunity o they feel it as an opportunity. In bangkok and across the country, thailands diverse Catholic Community is looking to publicly celebrate their faith. Brent spain has announced former coach Luis Henrique will lead the team in 2020. He steps down early this year. The move appears to have caused the fiction friction with a man who was called to replace him. The coach here returns to the National Team five months after leaving his position to care for his terminally ill daughter. She passed away in august. The Spanish Football Federation president said he always expected him to return when he was ready. Because of everything that happened in because we believe he is an extraordinary coach, we have the moral obligation to give him time so that he can continue what he started. His former assistant led the team through the end of euro 2020 qualification, bubuhas refused to return to his previous role, with reports suggesting that he is unhappy with the way that the federation has treated him. His decisions regarding his staff, as well as roberts decision not to continue when they were considering the return our personal issues and we wont get involved in that. It is a turbulent into the year for the spanish National Team. You have just two games left before next summers championship. Tokyos National Stadium is ready to host next years olympic games. The 60,000 seat venue has been under Construction Since 2016. A public outcry of the original cost led to the plans being scaled down. The stadium is one of eight new venues for the 2020 olympics, all of which are on schedule or already finished. The tokyo games again july 24 begin july 24. Two senior Trump Administration officials have told the impeachment inquiry against the president that a phone call he had with the president of ukraine was improper and unusual. He has called the hearings a disgrace and greases Prime Minister has accused the European Union of parking migrants on europes outer boundaries. Authorities have began transferring them to the greek mainland. Dont forget, you can always get dw news on the go. Just download our app. It will give you access to all the latest news from around the world, as well as push notifications for any breaking news. You can also use it to send us photos and videos when you see news happening. You are watching dw news live from berlin. When we come back, i will take you through the day. Stay with us. Yoyoure watching live from pars on front twenty four the headlines this hour. Over one hundred purchased is killed in Iran Amnesty International says it has credible reports that show dozens of people have been killed in cities across the country. The group callsls for the regime to end what it calls a brutal crackdown. Top nationalal sececurity aides tesy against President Trump is impeachment proceedings continue in the United States they say they found trumps phone conversation with cranes president s landscape improper and alarming. And hundreds of purchase to celebrate in bay ridge after they manage to prevent parliam