the, the, this is dw news live from berlin. the us and britain launch military strikes on cruelty targets in government. the action is in retaliation for attacks by the iranian backed group on ships in the red sea. so coming up, israel starts his defense against accusations of genocide in gaza. south africa upfront the case at the international court of justice in the hay and people in taiwan are preparing to vote in an election that could change the territories. relations with china, with peers of an invasion high on the agenda, dw, asked some of the candidates about their plans

the sarah kelly. welcome to the program. the united states and britain have carried out military strikes against targets and government in retaliation for who the rebel attacks on shipping. in the red sea, the who fees and the groups back are a ron, have condemned the strikes. the us and the u. k. say the action is a debt protecting international trade routes. the one by one american military aircraft take off parts of a coordinated strong back against the admins whose the rebels. and it's how the ation fluid taxed on shipping and the red sea led by the us and britain and a statement. a total of 10 countries described the mission as an active collective self defense. i see that again, us officials say more than

a dozen sites where were attacked, including combined the senses, amunition, debt proceedings by the whose degree with these and verified images, broadcast on the television that claiming to show explosions. and the apparent aftermath and locations will open the head of the strikes, the whose the supreme lead to had this morning, the thing. so we will not hesitate to do everything we can well, someone, any american aggression i many will never go on on, said i, you know, to the, the response to any american attacks and will not be at the level of the operation . let me a quote that was recently carried out so many with 24 drugs. we'll see that in several me. so i was up and i met a key and i think the brother much great to a ball i city and i it almost say out all the full out if what at the bottom and then what about them in the attic? they receive policies have been targeting ships in the red sea full weeks with the

greek releasing, the sportage in november of it spiked is appearing to seize a vessel. it claims the attacks are in response to israel's moving casa against thomas in the us. e, u and other countries have labeled a terrorist organization. the big question now is how the, who is the leadership, and that back is they never own will not respond to this international show a false i'm what this now means for the warning garza awarded the us and others have been desperately trying to contain elizabeth kendall is a middle east expert at curtain college, part of the university of cambridge. i asked her whether these air strikes increase the danger of a wider conflict. yes, i do say that the strikes could spock a cycle of conflict that could find out into the region. i think we'd be, we'd be foolish if we didn't think that was

a real possibility. and the reason for that is that the who sees has seen us civil war now in yemen for 9 years. so they are not the kinds of group that is the tut by strikes the saudi. let's coalition launched over 25000 strikes against the hughes days over the last 9 years. and that's still normally at least at war. so i think i think that it's very well. meanwhile, i own records in the middle east has not look. so grades on the who sees are aware of that. see us withdrew roth it immediately from afghanistan and we were not successful in iraq. so that's sort of confidence and it's not a whole clear that some targeted strikes by the us in the you k on partners could help them back. but, you know, put it, put it into the context for us because how big a threat are they really, can they really stand up to a us led coalition? it's easy to on the estimate, the who's the is now, if the us what's unleashed old,

if it's military, might against the who it is. no, they would not be able to stand up to that. but that would result in a full hold. our regional wor, no doubts, don't forget what the, who's the so think doing in the red sea is extremely irritating and expensive for us in the west and beyond. that's inside the i'm and i'm more broadly in the are as well. it's actually quite popular because of who these are frames themselves as the defender of palestine, and no one else seems to be defending the palestinians, so unleashing our military might against the who sees, would not be popular around the arab world. the who sees in yemen, similar to has bla and 11 on are backed by a ron, through that lens. how do you see to ron reacting to the strikes? it's quite possible that to her on will unleash more of it. so called access of

resistance on the sofa, it's been fairly restrained in how it's dealt with those partners. but it's worth remembering that is ro is entirely and circled by iran access of resistance. we've got okay, the who stays here in the south in them. and then in the rec, saved south of israel, we've got a lot in the north, in lebanon. we've got iran back. she is in the east and in the northeast. so that's of course, have off in the west. so it really could look quite body. israel, if things do spiral into all out conflict and take us to you, i'm and specifically, i mean, this is a country already devastated by years of civil war. how could an escalation with the united states and its partners and allies impact this country? and it civilians, as it's, is a country that's been ravaged by civil already. and as i said, strikes by the south dakota mission over $25000.00 of them have already pummeled

the areas controlled by the who sees. but the problem now is that the who sees have entered into agreements with its war and with that war and partners inside. yeah. and that's something that was announced by the united nation special envoy just before christmas. that provides a road map to potentially how many, how many political process which might lead to peace if we now at western strikes and the outlawing of the he sees into the mix, then that could jeopardize thought process. and that will have knock on effects around yemen. so i think just to sum up, i think it would be unwise to underestimate who sees they've been worn out on off for nearly 20 years. 9 of them in a civil. busy they haven't given up and they operate by a very different logic from ours. they believe that they've got got on the side that highly confidence. and they all highly tolerance as a great number of casualties on this side in

a way that we wouldn't be. so if this is a dangerous moment, elizabeth kendall from the university of cambridge, thank you. you're welcome. bye. so let's bring and dw middle establish and he was honest for more. so i mean many of the who these attacks have been aimed at israel . and how is, is real reacting to this escalation or rather, and also it is really interest. well, is there other was afraid of the escalation, but, but in general, this isn't, this is a positive development for as early as the way they see it. everything that was connected to the way the red c attacks and the who these, they were trying to sound of the americans into the world. this is an international threat. this is not only solely our responsibility. this is not only affect to us and seeing a wide coalition noted by the americans, but the, for the british government joining that's, that's a, that's for the is really, is it's a proof of what they've been trying to say all along. and we, we see also that the american, a lot of times, the excess of resistance that we've seen lead by yvonne, you know, it sees the us as a big devil and it's big,

it's big enemy. but it's not really doing anything about it. america bringing itself into the line of fire into the wrecked interaction and direct conflict with those forces. and that's, that's something america's also trying to be to avoid as much as possible. so this kind of, of a step is definitely a development that, that is changing the dynamics and regions. what do you make of the way that the, who these have been engaging relative to you know, others in the access of resistance, namely hezbollah, for example, which is largely, you know, not really gone much beyond the balance of the rules of engagement, correct? with israel, who they seem to be willing to escalate, don't that? yeah. so what does they seem to be quite eager, very defiant. and there's several reasons for it. first of all, we need to remember um this is an extreme militant, you know, group led by i do a lot the idea how to do that is very at extreme, you know, muslim. so they're, they're driven by, by the need for this confrontation to bring the doomsday. and that is something within their ideology that is actually scribing from this kind of conflict. but

specifically for the who is also, as you know, they're in a, you know, they're engaging, engaged in the civil war, and yet, much that for many years now they're trying to, to get the upper hand even though they actually have quite massive control on the ground. in, in, in yemen, the popular support for the cause for the palestinian cause and then putting themselves showing themselves as the only ones who actually do care and deliver in the front of support for the past. and you cause that's something that helps them gain a lot of popping out and support. it seems that is if they're willing to get involved more deeply. okay. contrast that now with what we are seeing from the us, the west, their, their allies and interest in the region. how they don't want to get drive to they don't want to get dropped into it, but the economic with precautions as so dire that they were kind of forced into it . we've been seeing that back and for the last 90 days without a single wagging a lot of please don't test us please. right. but it didn't work out and it made it to, to the fact that when we're talking about 50 percent of world commas going through

the money, they re gains the deterrence factor. now with the strikes while they sound like we need to do that. again, we're talking about this kind of group, you know, we're trying to analyze them and in rational tools of western thinking. but they're minded quite differently. i don't expect this kind of attacks actually mean, okay, we're, we're backing down with that too much to gain or too much lose. they don't care so much. they're driven by other forces to deal with these. that is so i don't see. i don't think they will see, might have a change in, in their conduct in the next couple of days. unless the, the kind of damage that was inflicted on them is such a, it is decay, you know, putting that capabilities in, in endangered. this is yet lim, too early to see, but we will find that soon enough. dw middle is analicia, is on it. you're welcome sir. and israel has begun setting out its defense against accusations of genocide on a 2nd day of hearings at the international court of justice in the hague. the defense seems strongly rejected. the case brought by south africa its hold,

the court. israel was not seeking to destroy the policy, and people are about to protect them and its war against them off the front of which many countries classify as a terrorist organization. the possibilities between is the w report of the c. a shelton and the hague. has more on the days proceedings, have you been here defense and presumably if yes, defense we have few had from the, from each row before that they reject allegations that they say it's baseless. this is what is remarkable is that each right is here. so i've heard from a legal expert that in the past, these roads sometimes has not been that proceedings which are comparable to this one. so he says that there's a good sign for international justice that they came. and um, i think what we really hear and the hearing is already undergoing this of a fierce defense of their case saying that their obligations made by south africa. i'm not sure given that the court was founded in response to the holocaust, which is also

a big factor in the birth of the state of israel. how will this affect how the court approaches the case, or, you know, the perception of, of how it might roll. so maybe it's, or not so much affects the court itself, it will most likely affect the perception of the public opinion of the case. but for the call, god met us is that there is indeed a definition of genocide. this leader definition is written down in the genocide convention, which is at stake here. little experts say that there is a really high threshold to prove genocide because you need to prove is so called specific intent which, which aims at. i'm just trying it people to agree with and people. so that means that you have to really prove that specific thing which i consider to be relatively complicated. but what i also would like to say is said right now, right here is that undergo and get us not so much about this question itself, but we had a pre stage of the trial. it's about provision and mattress at this point. and for

that, it might be a low, a threshold. so at this point, we have not yet in the nitty gritty details of trying to prove, prove that that will be for later stage. and the decision on that will take as presumably taking or supposed to take a couple of years. let's see a shelton in the heck. thank you. thank you. and tanya kramer has more now from jerusalem. so currently is realized defending itself against genocide allegations. as we've heard there, how is this being seen in israel itself as well? i think it's pretty closely watched what is happening in the, in house and people here. you know, i say, you know, this shouldn't have happened in the 1st place. it's, it's a very strange situation said, you know and comments on social media. um, also the newspapers are leading with the story. uh, also uh, online that as well. uh, signs itself now uh on the bench there and we've been hearing today,

of course the it's really arguments the legal team. there was indeed opening remarks by the legal adviser told back uh he described again in detail of what happened on october, a 7 during the terror attacks perpetrated by how much in other extremist groups. and he said, you know, that south africa would they present, it was simply distorting the facts. and he also made a remark. if there were x of genocide they have been perpetrated against israel. so a very strong rejection, obviously offer the accusations against the israel. but of course, the critics and supporters of the south african motion are saying that in the motion this well acknowledge what happened on october 7th and that they wanted to see some accountability what is happening now. what would happen if the court were

to order an end to the military operation in gaza because we thought that's being discussed right now is a possible way that the court could roll as well. this is still to see what you know, how is wrong with comply or whether it will and what the ruling of the could be. a lot of pressure on is, well, i mean, this is a un cords. but again, also there's a sense of that, you know, the u. n. a is biased in the 1st place or when it comes to as well. so it's not quite clear, but that would be also pressure on uh, as well as otherwise. um, uh to uh, in that case, if uh, you know, the court would decide that there will be, uh, so those measures that needs to be taken. so it's still too early to say, i think is, well, i would argue that this a case should be dismissed altogether and there's a sense that it shouldn't be as well on the stand by time us that you'd be on trial,

tonya cramer and jerusalem, thank you here are some other stories making news me on mars, military government and, and alliance of ethnic minority armed groups have announced a ceasefire brokered by china. the deal should ends, months of fighting in the northern state of sean, including areas near the chinese border. tens of thousands demonstrated in slovakia as capital abroad, a slab against plans to change the criminal code. the government wants to reduce penalties for corruption and financial crimes. the european union has also criticized plans to shut down a special prosecutor's office. the us federal aviation administration is launching a formal investigation into the boeing 737 max 9 aircraft. a cabin panel blew out during a flight last week, leaving a hole in the fuselage. the aircraft made an emergency landing us airlines have

grounded their boeing 737 max, 9 planes. thousands of troops and police are on patrol in ecuador, and a stand off against drug cartels that is killed at least 16 people. a man hunters underway for a fugitive gang leader who broke out of jail. scores of prison staff are being held hostage by inmates in a state of emergency is in force. security forces patrolling the streets in the port cd of way a key. one of the hot spots of the crisis at the local market, most soldiers can be seen then by years. many people are still too afraid to go outside. people are scared and the situation has not normalized yet. still, we come to see if we can sell something as otherwise we don't have money to buy

food. ecuador was heed by violence on sunday, with a series of kidnappings and explosions across the country. president daniel and the bar declared is 60 days state of emergency sending more than 20000 troops to fight drug gangs. the 36 year old, new boss, who's been in power for less than 2 months, says the nation is a war that i'm given to evil. never getting fight tirelessly. always long live ecuador. in one of the most dramatic episodes, moscow gunman stormed a local to be station threatening journalist during a live show. or on thursday, the channel went back to broadcasting raising hopes the government would soon be back in control. we get our system, we have a force. thanks to the military and police forces for that professionalism and

impeccable walk, that's in less than 15 minutes subdued those who tried to so tara, but in that order, such an outcome is something other equal. dorians can only help for families gathering outside of jail in central part of the country. the prison is one of 7 facilities where inmates to thousands of guards and stuff hostage, their relatives like this room and preparing not to show her face. say they don't have any information about their loved ones. this is a pretty good, but we award because we have not heard from my husband, sons, and daughters for 5 days was as close as you close effects. the violence is the result of years of growing controlled by drug cartels using ecuador sports to shape cocaine to the us and europe. despite the government stuff response, man, if you're the conflict may become permanent. turning the country into a narc,

a state voters in taiwan, head to the polls on saturday in a tight race dominated by relations with china. the governing party is sticking to a tough line on beijing, but it's facing an opposition that wants to strengthen ties. china claims taiwan has its own and has warrants that the election is a choice between war and peace. now this will see this year we'll see a record number of elections around the world and voters in taiwan will be among the 1st to make a difficult decision about their future. as the w, as chief international editor of richard were, walker reports from taipei, the 2024 is a year of watches for democracies around the world. what you've, donald trump with is the white house again, which is the european parliament gets over run by the far right. but the 1st big, what if of 2024 is about to play out right here in taiwan. off the use of

antagonistic relations with china. focus here might be about to choose something very different. a friendly approach to beijing. we spoke with a man who embodies and that's how i did mine. joe was the last president of taiwan, subbing from 2008 to 2016 now he hopes his k m. t party will win the presidency again. with him is one of its top power brokers. he says the current government's whole approach to china. boosting the military to determine attack is flat out wrong. no matter how much you defend himself, you can never fly to what was the name of the neighbor we is this too large, too much stronger than us? so we use the noun, use of praise, what it means to reduce the tension. instead, my calls for dialogue with china picking up where he left off, when he met she,

jim pink in 2015. i mean thing like that between cj and paying on the current, taiwanese president is almost on thinkable. but mine, joe says that under a different president, taiwan could work with she and even trust him. so you're saying you can trust him. what, as far as cost of the places you have to, well, this actually goes further than mazda and party. it's candidate for president who your he says he is committed to taiwan defense and has no illusions about the chinese leadership taking the bottle that i've never had any unrealistic ideas about the maintenance intentions that i'm very pragmatic and steady in my approach to the main to bottle the governing parties candidate, william ly also gave us his response. thanks. yes. so he said he's also prepared to talk to china in court. he won't make concessions to make that happen and it's

planned that for him. the territories comes in the clear 1st. this week we spoke, woman, sweet, you who we say peace through strength not by the goodwill of the aggression because it's a good will of, via aggressive, cannot be relied upon cobra to that. so what is the right balance between the tyrants and dialogue when facing such a massive and threatening neighbor as china? now it's up to the time when these people to decide that just $19000000.00 out of the billions of votes is around the world who will cost that balance this year. but ty, one's choice will have huge implications. in this 1st one case of 2024 flooding is causing havoc and the democratic republic of congo in the capital congestive residents say that spouse smelling water poured into their homes. when the congo river rose to its highest level in decades,

at least 300 people have been killed in the past few months. homes submerged in murky flood water. here, in contrast to many se, it's the worst flooding they've ever seen. at the front and we've lived in this neighborhood since we were children. if and this is the 1st time it's been like this check point and we have to use can use to get around with that. we have no choice because we have nowhere else to go out pulling up on those. that is, the goal for urban planning and weak infrastructure have made the city vulnerable to flash floods when it rains heavily. that's happening more frequently because of climate change. the presidency authorities haven't done enough to prevent flooding or provide assistance. instead,

they say it's the community that has stepped up, helping each other solo, but we help people move without boats to find something to eat, especially those are still stuck in houses and help them get to the main road. while the flooding is already much heavier than usual, this year, locals are worried. there may be worse to come. a quick reminder of our top stories here and dw news. the us and britain have launched military strikes against lucy targets in yellow. explosions have been reported in the capital sonata and elsewhere. who, with these have been attacking shipping enable unit in the red sea for weeks. israel has begun setting out its defense against accusations of genocide on a 2nd day of hearings of the international court of justice in the hague. south africa has argued that israel is intentionally killing palestinians as part of its

campaign against loss causes. coming up next to my colleague tim sebastian and conflicts. so talking to the director of the carnegie russia, you've raised a sensor about place ukraine, russia, the,

the, the, into the conflicts own with tim, sebastian, i guess from belinda is alexander w, director of the con, the russia, your agent center for no rush is economy has stabilized and mr. put in, incisive on war crimes. charges is nonetheless finding plenty of friends so well as new found confidence symptom into a big a role with ukraine. i've even a fight with major conflict. next on d, delta star, vcs conservation panda. but what about animals that are less costly?

they often find themselves on the side line. researchers want to change all that and call for more courage to be ugly, the sample size, and the in 16 minutes. on d w. the faithful encounter. in the late 19 seventy's, former concentration comes in my general, most meisner meant the man who had to maintain him goose dump, bog, known as the beast of sylvie bar. shame on you. tell the truth. to use nicer. wagner was dead. and investigation concluded that it was suicide of

the fire. give rise to down really how go see start january 27th. the the slow crew come fix and ukraine will soon the head ends with 3rd you with the pressure on care to advance on the battlefield. and re energize support in the west. my guess from belin is alexander w, director of the con, the russia you raises center. the bad news is that unfortunately, there's support for your trade in the west or how public is going down for now. russians, economy has stabilized, and mr. put in indicted on war crimes. charges is none. the less finding plenty of friends to talk to and visit so well as new found confidence terms him into a bigger role with ukraine. i've even a fight with me.