Now it is their first time to convene without russia in 17 years. The g8 has become the g7 and is summit is taking place in its alleged role in destabling ukraine. West would the impose harsher sanctions if they fail to cooperate. Putin now our european editor is in brussels. Earlier he explained how putin casts a long shadow over the talks. Starting dinner all together. All eyes are of course on the empty chair of putin as you pointed out. The first time in 17 years that a russian leader is not attending a g8 summit. It has now become a g7 summit. A very Strong Political message on behalf of the european leaders and also the american, canadian and japanese leaders that there is a political cost o russias action in ukraine it will be interesting to hear what the leaders have to say but we hear the tone quite determined. Russia is still welcome. Hopefully they got the message but for now it is not business as usual. Now western powers may be putting up a united front but there are also signs of cracks between them. The french president is wading into a brewing standoff with the United States coming amid reports the bank is facing a 10 billion fine for skirting u. S. Sanctions. For more i am joined by our business editor. Marcus, this is turning more and more political. Absolutely. There has been speculation for some time that they are facing a hefty fine. After reports that they could be facing a fine as high as 10 billion the french president is now wading in to this. The government has been fairly tightlipped about this case but they are now under pressure to act. Speaking earlier they said they would defend them and he had dinner with barack obama. It comes as the french government said a 10 billion fine would be disproportion at for what b. N. P. Is accused of and the government says a steep fine would hit b. N. P. s ability to lend to households and to businesses. Lets lisp in now to the french finance minister as he spoke to French Television earlier. We do not want the american authorities to behave unfairly just because it is a french or european bank. Many times this type of fine that is disproportion at compared to the facts is applied for any bank it has consequences on the banks Balance Sheet and its ability to loan money. Joining us now for more on these transatlantic tensions is a lawyer at the law firm norton, rose and fullbright. Now b. N. P. Is facing allegations that it skirted u. S. Sanctions against countries like iran, sudan and cuba. Tell us a little bit about what could be going on behind closeddoors as the bank is now negotiating with u. S. Authorities to settle these allegations. What is happening now . The u. S. Has a sanction program. They have commercial transactions with these countries that you have mentioned. And they could prosecute very severely and very aggressively. In particular banks that would make business with these countries. No e that in particular u. S. Banks are prosecuted. But this figure, 10 billion. It almost seems unfathomable for people like myself. How have u. S. Authorities come up with that figure . Why are they seeking that much . What is the reason behind that . The figure is huge, as you mentioned. What is really striking is that two weeks ago the press was referring to 1 billion which was already huge. Then 4 billion. Now 10 billion. It is a huge amount. It could be explained by the fact that the u. S. Administration has been under pressure and has been accused want to be sufficiently firm with the banks. So i think at some stage the u. S. Authorities would like to demonstrate that they can hit very aggressively the banks. What does it mean now the french Government Intervention . Will it work for them, their intervention this week . I am not sure that president ama would be able legally to intervene. The judicial authorities. I am not sure that politically in the life of what i said a few minutes ago. Have been accused that the u. S. Administration in a way with he banks that he would have ene openly to try to amount to be paid by the bank. So, i am not sure that this is this type of interaction. As a legal issue as opposed to a political issue. How do these cases usually work out though . We are now expecting b. N. P. To continue negotiations with the u. S. Department of justice and other officials in the United States. Do you think that the fine in the end will be as high as 10 billion or will b. N. P. Be able to negotiate that down . All of the figures are speculation. We do not have any official figure. These are figures that are reflected by the u. S. Press. Generally what happens is that there is a negotiation between the prosecutors and the banks. And at some stage they agree on a certain number of things to settle the case rather than going to the courts to settle the case with an acknowledgment f if they plead guilty what the u. S. Authorities want is that now banks plead guilty, settle the case and pay any amount that they would negotiate. I am unable at this stage to tell you if it is this figure. But the fact that the figure is mentioned by the press, i am not sure from a political point of view. It may not end up at 10 billion that. Is what huare saying . Yes. Thank you very much. Lets return to news from ukraine. Government forces there have been locked in fierce fighting with eastern separatists. Artillery and automatic weapons fire reported for a second day near the city which is a hotbed of resistance. As residents fled the government says it killed more than 300 rebels. In the Eastern Region down comes the ukrainian flag and in go the separatist gunmen and out crates of munitions and weapons. Pro russian fighters overcame Government Troops to allow them to seize what supplies were left. The shooting was very heavy last night at 1 00 a. P. They surendered. And according to the rules we allowed all of them to go home. On wednesday they said militants were killed and ukrainian soldiers injured. Amid the latest losses the Ukrainian Government blamed it on leaving the army poorly trained. My son is a soldier. He is in an area where there is a lot of tension and fighting. I cant let my son be in danger. Meanwhile pro russian fighters held funerals for victims of an splonings at a uilding on monday. Eight people died in an air strike. Kiev says the rebels are to blame with a heat seeking missile went off course. An unannounced trip to lebanon aimed at throwing support behind the countrys government as it confronts several difficulties and solving a political crisis at homer testing the country. John kerry came offering tens of millions of aid for agencies working with refugees. Lets get more analysis now for our correspondent in the region. Lucy, john kerry describing the ongoing failure of lebanese lawmakers to choose a president as a very troubling development. That is right. He seems to try to get a message to lebanon of support the day after the election. Lebanon has been dragged into that conflict with more than 1 million refugees arriving here over the last three years. So he said it was deeply troubling. That the country had not been able to elect a president. It needed to so they could deal with the fallout of the political crisis. Lebanon hasnt been able to elect a new president since the mandate finished on may 25 of the last incumbent. That is because of the deep divisions and political divisions that are dividing lebanon between those that upport the regime and on the other side the main part of the population supports the armed side and the christians are split between the two. Under lebanons sectarian system the president has to be a christian. Kerry pledged 50 million of aid to support the refugees in an attempt to try to support it in this problem and of course that will be a drop in the ocean compared to the 7. 5 billion that this crisis is estimated to have cost lebanon until last year. John kerry had something to say about the election next door in syria calling on iran, hezbollah and syria to end the conflict. That is right. He called on them to stop helping the regime. It is a conflict against its own people. There is a word that will likely fall on deaf ears. It is not likely they will heed those words. He called the president ial elections a great big zero. We are hearing the incumbent president has, as expected, won the election by 88 of the vote. Kerry says that election was meaningless and millions were unable to vote. The millions who have been displaced outside syria or within syria and also the fact that a lot of people have not been able to contest the elections. There was no serious opposition in this election. The result was widely expected. Lucy fielder, thank you very much. All of the latest there from beirut. And lets move on to germany. Prosecutors have opened up a criminal investigation into the merkels pping of mobile phone. It is sure to complicate relations between the allies. Last year documents leaked by Edward Snowden indicated u. S. Intelligence had been monitoring the chancellors communications for many years. They reacted furiously and a High Level Team traveled to washington to demand answers. A cloud of controversy continues to hang over the elease of the soldier from the clutches of the taliban with allegations of desertion when he walked off base five years ago. The u. S. Urged nobody to jump to conclusions about his behavior. A video of the moment the soldier was set free to u. S. Special forces. Dont come back to afghanistan. That is the message of the footage released by the taliban of the u. S. Soldier released. The 17 minute video showed the moment he was set free. The faces of his captors covered. He was taken to his freedom after five years confinement. But his rescue in an exchange for five taliban militants, a former u. S. Soldier that served along side him in afghanistan called for him to face trial for desserting his post in 2009. I hope when he is fit he stands trial in a Court Martial and if the judges rule him guilty or not guilty i will respect whatever decision they hand down. Six u. S. Soldiers allegedly ied trying to recover him. The u. S. Defense secretary said people should not jump to conclusions without facts. It is not in the interest of anyone and certainly i think a bit unfair to his family and to him to presume anything. They were angry that they brokered the agreement without reportedly consulting him. There is no doubt when talibans are releasing from prison that they are going back to the insurgent side and they are starting the fight again. Meanwhile as his hometown celebrates the liberation they are contemplating the investigation that could lead to a number of charges against him. Meanwhile a family of an American Woman missing in afghanistan since late 2012 received two videos last year in which the couple asked the u. S. Government for help. The couple was being held by the taliban. The videos offer the only clues of what happened to the pregnant woman and man after they disappeared while traveling in the mountains near cabble. Gunmen killed a Swiss National working in libya for the International Committee for the red cross. Insurgents intercepted his car on wednesday. It is understood the dead man headed up red cross offices. Two colleagues traveling with the victim were unhurt in the attack. Eastern libya has become increasingly lawless. The Chinese Security forces have been swarming as the world remembers the 25th anniversary of the brutal massacre of student protesters there. Dozens have been detained over recent weeks to ensure their silence around the significant date. In hong kong thousands gathered to participate in a rally. The authorities in china now classify the sitin protest that called for political reform in the communist state s revolutionary riots. The contrast was striking. Tens of thousands gathered in victoria park. Lice patrolled the site of itself. China, many young people fight for democracy. I think that incident you mentioned will not happen again. It is meaningless. Making a fuss about it is completely meaningless. In Mainland China authorities cracked down. Many young people claim they are unaware of what really happened. I dont know what this is about. Right now we are very happy. Very content. I was very young back then. Who was right and who was wrong, history will decide. Meanwhile in hong kong residents read out names of those killed in the clashes with the army. I learned about this on the news. Bit by bit they explained to us what type of event it was. For hong kong residents it is something you cant not know about. While beijing never released an official toll estimates range from a few hundred to several thousand people killed. They branded the protests as counterrevolutionary riots. Next up it is time for web ews. Hello there. Web news where we will be taking a look at some of the stories making the online headlines. Coming up on todays show new questions raised in the u. S. Ver the apture and financing and a champion street trials rider in a ghost town in argentina. The release after five years of captivity in afghanistan has been met with mixed reactions. Many warmly welcomed the news questions have been raised over how he ended up in taliban hands. Some say he was taken prisoner after he left his post voluntarily, without permission. In an interview he says that he is nothing more than a deserter. Comments that have been relayed on social networks where users slammed the action of the freed soldier. Some 3,800 people joined this Facebook Group saying that bergdahl is not the hero that the Obama Administration would have us believe. A view shared by the 8,900 of this online petition addressed to the u. S. President who want bergdahl to be punished facing a military court over his actions which led to the death of six soldiers that were killed when they went out to look for him. And many paid tribute to these Fallen Soldiers over the past few days, describing them as the real heroes. The United States with solar panels to create Permanent Energy sources. This idea has been worked on for 10 years, solar roadways project they are now look to get off the ground. They say it will bring down pollution levels significantly. The inventors launched a Fundraising Campaign to help pay for their research. It is proving pretty successful ,850,196 since april 1. They describe it as revolutionary. And a solution to Energy Related problems. But not everyone is in favor of the project. Some web users are wondering how much it would cost to replace all of the nations roads . It is a colossal undertaking and could generate costs of 56 trillion. In an article on the site an income analyst said the couple behind the concept failed to take into account the massive cost involved. Not only is the invention a money pit it will prove inefficient. If the solar panels on roads wont be as effective as those used on roofing. Taken at the top of brazils statue here, lee thompson posted this incredible photo to he flashpack twitter handle. He had to get special privilege from the Tourism Authority before posing for the shot which generated a host of admiring comments. According to the online version of british version the telegraph a chinese man is unable to leave korea because his son scribbled on his passport. As you can see the boy has really gone to town. Some are skeptical and think it might be a hoax as if the story has been totally fabricated to create a buzz. And the decay of detroit which has gradually been desserted. Using historic views from 20092013 to offer a glimpse of the once thriving symbol of industrial might has been affected by his debts. And a ghost town has been setting for the latest video here. Uninhabited since 1985. He brings it back to life in this video which you can watch this video whicha1x1xa7gucatch 06 04 14 06 04 14 [captioning made possible by democracy now ] from pacifica, this is democracy now let me just make a very simple point here, and that is, regardless of the circumstances, whatever the circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an american soldier back. Period. Full stop. As controversy brews over whether sergeant