And got off as welcome to the Program Leaders from around the world of back the german chancellors call for us from moscow after the government confirmed that russias leading opposition figure alexander volley was poisoned the laboratory of the German Military found that he was attacked with a deadly nerve agent which was developed by the soviets in the 1970 s. Moscow disputes the allegation. For years Alexei Navalny has been fighting to rid russia of what he calls crooks and thieves. And you know the United Russia Party has always wanted for 20 years and even if they lost using fraud they want anyway. The outspoken opposition figure has organize numerous anti kremlin protests has been arrested several times for civil disobedience. Even attempted to get on the ballot to run for president in 28. 00 teen his bid was blocked by the courts. But now he lies in an induced coma at a berlin hospital in Critical Condition german chancellor Angela Merkel calls the suspected poisoning attempted murder. Alexina. Lets say now about me is the victim of a crime he was meant to be silenced and i condemned this in the sharpest possible manner in the name of the entire German Government. Never found me is one of president Vladimir Putins fiercest critics drumming up a vocal and growing opposition against putins 20 year grip on power amounting has suffered physical and verbal attacks in recent years the attorney an anticorruption activist fell ill after boarding a plane in siberia headed for moscow on august 20th its believed someone poisoned his tea before he boarded the plane the pilot was forced to make an Emergency Landing to save his life. The German Government says testing carried out by its military proves a soviet era nerve agent no overt shock was used to. Back the russian government to explain itself over this incident there are very serious questions now that only the russian government can and must answer with. Russia is set to hold Regional Elections on september 13th in the valley and his allies had been campaigning to get their candidates elected but for now his family and friends are holding on to the hope that never pulls through. So a bit more about this and what it means for german russian relations were now joined by a. Hes a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs committee of the German Parliament for germanys Opposition Party f. T. P. Mr lumps of pressure is now growing on the German Government to stop a major project being carried out with russia the controversial gas pipeline north stream to north stream to have to be stopped. Well i believe with this is going to be the most lively discussion that were going to have here in political circles and according to our position we cannot have business as usual so we will advocate a moratorium concerning that project until the russian government is prepared to cooperate with investigators to clarify what has really happened there in tomsk to mr not only because this is what the world is waiting for answers from russia on this terrible incident do you think that a moratorium is likely to get is it likely that you can get in the majority of the political pressure. There are voices in germany already calling for a complete stop of the project this i believe would go too far but we have a situation with mr novelli who is hospitalized just a few 100 meters from here from the German Parliament and we have a german russian project this pipeline and business as usual is simply not an option so i believe the German Government will have to come up with concrete specific proposals as to the future of our relationship concerning the project north streets too as well. Many observers called narcos statement yesterday watershed moment is russia no longer a reliable reliable partner what does that mean for german russian relations. Well knowing the chancellor having observed her for many years and having worked with her now for 3 years here in the parliament having seen the wage that she operates in that she communicates it has to be said very clearly the German Governments statement yesterday not only involving the chancellor personally but also her leading ministers even the federal president has been informed was unusually strong and i think it marks a major break with russia marks a major break with german russian relations when one looks at the past one should know and i think thats important for International Viewers that germany and russia are interlinked on many levels historically culturally economically in a way that few other countries are and against this backdrop the statement yesterday was truly remarkable. If you can the chance i will speak to turn his part as nato and the e. U. About this case you expect a joint response here. I do expect a joint response from the European Union and nato as an Opposition Party we have called on the government not only to bring this to the European Union and nato ever we believe it should also be discussed in the framework of the o s c e the organization for security and cooperation in europe the council of europe and even the United Nations because russia has signed many documents that would allow Free Democratic discourse Free Democratic activity on its own territory the russian constitution promises that as well and we believe it is absolutely important to hold russia to its own obligations in all international fora. Soft thank you very much thank you. To slovakia now where an influential businessman has been cleared of the murders of investigative journalist and his fiance who is now over cold handed down the verdict just a short time ago in the murder case against mario young who was shot dead with his fiance at their home near bratislava in 2018 the killings led to mass protests and the resignation of slovakias prime minister. Because one of our love is or joins us from outside the courthouse in broad slava where the acquittal was announced barbara youve been following this case for the past 2 years hoping the surprise is todays not guilty verdict. It was a huge surprise and there was an audible gasp going through the of servers assembled here in front of the courthouse because of corona access was really limited because the had been so some rumors that there was no unity among the sri judges ruling on this case but in the end we saw the presiding judge emotional like almost in tears behind her face mask when she was reading the verdict because she had been the one who had wanted a guilty verdict and the 2 at joins had said no we dont see there is enough evidence there head of course being some doubt among legal experts about the quality of the evidence but one of the laws of the families here had said when talking to the press there is always in a case like this only circumstantial evidence of course you look at all the pointers you look at all the evidence that has been collected and you want to have a video. With marty and caution a really sort of talks to the hitmen personally so the 2 judges join judges in the end found its not good enough and the families of course were deeply disappointed they will award it 70000 euros each for the death of their child that might even seem like a sort of cynicism because what they really feel is that justice has not been served for their children not in this court here not in the 1st instance even though they vote and they will be fighting on for their children lets hear what the mother of much you know question of i had to say that was a way to go if i wanted to stand at the graves of the children telling them that justice has won has been done but now it seems that it has not theyre lying in the dark ground and here everybody is just doing whatever you. Have to to bury motional stay in there from the mother while the victims so whats next for the main defendant business tycoon mario unconscience you freeman. He is not a free man and that might be just some sort of meager consolation because he will remain in jail hes been indicted on a heavy fraud case and there are further cases related to corruption and fraud that are running against him and they will come in the future some people here say in slovakia he might actually never be free to walk again but there is a big difference for being really indicted for this murder or just staying in jail for economic offenses the president off slovakia she has just tweeted that she was shocked as she it would take her some time to understand this judgment this ruling and that she hoped that it would go to the next instance and further likely be shed on how this came about so there is a general sense of discontent but what does this verdict mean for the fight against corruption in the slovakia it isnt completely and totally bad omen because of course this this case around caution hes just one of the oligarchs who had been operating was impunity here for years there are others and this whole morass just hasnt been uncovered theres so much more investigation that needs to be done so many more people that really do need to go to jail for what they are for the offenses they have committed here in the last years but it will this will make it very difficult because if the burden of evidence is supposed to be so heavy if it has to be so ironclad it will be difficult for the new government to sort of make these cases and bring them to court and it is somehow disheartening for everybody here in slovakia bob is a reporting from thank you very much paula. Time now for a quick look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world germany has added the cannily islands to its list of coronavirus hotspots that means all of spain is now considered a high risk area for german travelers infection rates have surged across spain since lockdown measures were lifted in june. Typhoon may sir cause been lashing the Korean Peninsula the storm made landfall in the south hitting the 2nd largest city of tucson killing at least one person and also brought flooding to north korea and in japan rescuers are searching for a ship that capsized and sank carrying 43 people and thousands of cattle. Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson says he and his family have all made a full recovery from cope with 19 star known as the rock says everyone is now healthy after testing positive more than 2 weeks ago but he says beating the virus was a challenge. Im going to turkey where violence against women including my husband in recent years to try to sell off male family members or friends cultural norms and many communities dictate that what happens in a family stays in the home bought more and more turkish women osp eking out. The friends describe her as a fun loving young woman. This was the image techie was left with of the 27 year old student and ill go to camp on july 16th exboyfriend strangled her to death and then found her body. Was in a photo commemorate her and her favorite. Now her friends beth and lane are set here without still numb with grief and in constant fear of becoming the next victim of violence against women. Cant get him back maybe tomorrow theyll be announcing my death it starts right from the very 1st 30 seconds encounter they say you cant go there alone. You mustnt wear this or that you cant meet so and so on and on and on and the mind thats just another form of violence that the brutal murder you know can see can understand wave of protest nationwide against the rampant violence against women and. Their fortys and many communities responded with violence sending policemen to beat the protesting women. The number of women met each year in taki has more than doubled since 2012 now turkish women are no longer keeping signed their membership my god who knows friends are also taking to the streets every week in the hind town no longer will they sit by and do nothing as violence against women steadily rises but progovernment policy journalists like suck my gosh and protect dont. See the problem so much in a piece of men as in the Istanbul Convention on combating Domestic Violence turkeys them government signed and ratified it in 201231 of the december called whatever happens inside the 4 walls of the familys home to stay there. This convention is incompatible with our faith our culture and our traditions. For years lawyer took has been representing the victims of Domestic Violence im a survivor as shes often seen the abusers appeal to the court for leniency and sympathy. This woman has done this or that ruined my male pride in a stain my father thats what motivated these actions. Something in their entire defense on it what to the man and go to cannes hometowns how important to them is the protection of women. Gun violence before i have to confess but its important for everyone to understand each other and get along. Its only the roots of the violence line or bringing. That has to change anything missy getting. Magic simply not good to concerns agree quite so not just a change in this country until it does the protests will go on. When i joined turkey correspondent from istanbul in the report we heard about the brutal murder of people in that sense shock waves across the nation but its not an isolated case how widespread is violence against women in turkey. Physical violence psychological violence against women and so called femicide its all chronic problems here in turkey and many actually say its getting worse now the government does not publish reliable statistics but according to one well known rights group more than 470 women were murdered here in turkey last hear of by their partners their relatives thats the highest figure in a decade and for 2020 affected by the coronavirus roque downs at these numbers are expected to be even higher now many women here ive talked to tell me theyve had enough of it they are scared that they are going to be next so they are trying to raise attention on social media they are widely sharing the stories of victims and survivors in are demanding justice and theyre trying to take to the streets now this has become more difficult in recent years he in turkey as the government has severely restricted basic rights and freedoms but these protests do happen weve just recently seen that here in istanbul and if you go to these protests you can really feel how much fear and grief is out there but also anger anger at the governments failure to act to better protect women and to enforce existing rules and regulations but in the report we also heard about the Istanbul Convention thats a treaty designed to protect women from violence so if rates of violence and abuse are actually surging as you say why is there no debate in turkey whether to destroy withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. Well that sounds ironic especially if you consider that this International Agreement has been forged here in istanbul nearly a decade ago thats why its called the Istanbul Convention it was back then hailed as a major achievement for womens rights it was signed by 45 countries turkey was in fact the country the 1st country to ratify it even before germany and france and now were seeing a new debate coming from within the ruling party present in ones ruling a. K. P. Whether turkey should withdraw now its not a new debate as we heard in the report for years conservative politicians and progovernment media have been urging the government to scrap that treaty they argue that it threatens traditional Family Structures daveed promote quote immoral lifestyles or ideology now this is really grounded in anything the treaty says but this piece of paper really has become the target of populist restore extent all humans and now it seems everybody is waiting for president it on himself to have a final word on this so what you mentioned. Is his party and the debate thats going on right now what role does the government and policy play. Well talking of prison adam himself he has for example publicly condemned the murder of can argue to him that many say hes otherwise remained silent and now hes delaying a decision on that Istanbul Convention because he knows there is no consensus within his own party there isnt even consensus within his own family one of his daughters is in fact on the board of a rights group that has been defending this convention according to a latest poll more than 60 percent of people here in istanbul do think that convention is extremely important for defending womens rights so if he really goes for it if he withdraws turkey from that treaty then there is going to be major outcry domestically here in turkey but also abroad and its probably also pushing turkey even further away from the European Union. The hard reporting from istanbul thank you jim. All this week were looking back to the summer of 2015 when a wave of migrants fled war and poverty in their home countries heading for europe many never made it one image shocked the world like no one syrian toddler alan codys body was washed ashore in turkey thousands of others also perished on the job and codys team up as cofounded the Kurdi Foundation to help refugee children around the world our reporter on spoke. To mukherjee thank you for taking your time to speak to t. W. Its now been 5 years since the pictures of your nephew and kurdi went around the world what is that photo meant to you. You put it in that photo there is no word i can describe it to anybody except family and we. Began to know it was the wake up call to the World Leaders but it was my wake up call and thats why. You know i go and take any opportunity across the boar