the, the, this is dw news live from berlin. the top republican in the us senate is stepping down. 82 year old mitch mcconnell says he'll hand over to a new party later later this year, declaring that it's time for a new generation to take over. also on the program like say, you know, of all the is widow rebuke, spot improvement julia novel. nice. says the european parliament to the european parliament, the russian president is a quote, bloody monster who must answer for what he's done to russia. ukraine and to her husband. and a most chief to smile on, i says, is militant group is showing flexibility and talks with israel over the cause of war. the ones that they are ready to keep fighting

the i'm, i mean he says, welcome to the program. one of the most powerful lawmakers in the united states, mitch mcconnell has announced he'll step down as the republican leader of the us senate in november. the 82 year old is the longest serving senate leader in history and has recently been facing health issues. mcconnell said that despite stepping down from that role, he would serve out his senate term, which ends in 2027. senators from both parties, reacted to a speech with a standing ovation. so as i've been thinking about when i would deliver some news to the sun, it always imagine a moment when i have total clarity and page about the sunset of my work in

a moment what i'm sort of help preserve the ideals of so strong, running late that day arrived today. let's bring in clayton alan. he focuses on washington politics and policy for the razor group policy risk consultancy. welcome to our program, this announcement from mitch mcconnell, the step down. does it come as a surprise to you? honestly, it doesn't. i think that people have been expecting for the better part of 2 years that center mcconnell, glenn, is their leader mccall was really on the tail end of his term as leader that there was not an expectation he would continue after this. congress was over. this is really the confirmation of what the many in washington have suspected or expecting for quite some time. for me, i know this has been a particularly the and mcconnell has often found himself butting heads with the republicans loyal to donald trump. so how much did that play into his decision to

step down? i don't think it did. honestly. i think this was really the time and place the extended one call chose to sort of relinquish controls in the next generation. this is more about generational change than it is about the specifics of political disagreements with mike, john said hurt his trump more trump a line members of the house. this is natal, very clearly trying to control both the change over our understand age as well as provide the most seamless transition that he can to the next generation, please. well, if it wasn't based on a political calculations, definitely gonna have some kind of political consequences. mcconnell was known, especially here in europe as one of the stronger pro nato, and pro ukraine voices in the republican party. so, do you think that europe should have cause for concern that his successor won't fill that role? and i think that that's an absolutely reasonable position and fear to have, we don't know who is the successor will be,

it will likely be what one of what we call the 3 jobs as john buroso or johnston or john thornton. these are all well established numbers. of the republican party, i think all those names you, when it comes to foreign policy from much the same cloth as quantum. they may not be as vocal or as aggressive in their support for nato or ukraine, but i think many of them, all of them really come from the same position. the question is, what happens if trump wins and you see someone else and i'm not an unexpected candidate. take the leaders role after the 2024 elections. so what we're, what you're saying here is it's not like in the house where you have this ups. well, of donald trump supporting republicans that will take over the leadership. the senate is playing by a different game. there they are slightly the the, the senate loves nothing more than just to remind people that it is not bounce. and the rules are different. and the dynamics are different. the senate is generally comprised of numbers that have been around for a lot longer. the transition of power is much more regimen. people that generally

have been in leadership for a long time. and one of the other multitude of roles and leadership are generally assume to be the successful one to an outline majority there. that's not guaranteed that the trouble actually can be a massive of people with expectations in almost every facet of life. this is no different. if trump wins and you see republicans take the majority with lot of trump, a line members assuming offers that could open the door to a different maybe leave more conservative liter clayton, alan from the razor group in washington dc. thanks for joining us. thank you, bradley. i appreciate it steeds to russian opposition. leader alexi no volunteer who died in prison this month. so his funeral would be held in moscow on friday. russian authorities haven't reacted to the announcement mister novalis window julia has emerged as the face of rushes and battle. the opposition movement. she says she's worried, police will disrupt the memorial in

a speech to the european parliament. she also warned against negotiating with the russian president julian of, on the, spoke to the deputies in strasburg, less than 2 weeks after russian prison authorities announced her husband's death. once again, she accused of letting me, i put 10 and then put in to my husband. i like see now right on he's so there's, i think steve was tortured for 3 years. she was star in the tar needs tone. so collado from the outside of the board and denied visits, phone calls and then even the letters and then they killed him. alexei nova, on the, was considered russia's most prominent critic vladimir putin. as a politician, he was popular with voters and exposed corruption at the highest levels in russia.

he was then barred from politics, imprisoned, and even poisoned. his final months were spent in a penal colony in the arctic circle, organizing novelle naya shared her fears for her husband's upcoming burial. and i'm not sure yet. where is it? it will be peaceful or with the police view, or as those who have come to say good bye to my husband. and they also spoke about russia's invasion in ukraine. now in its 3rd year, the world rushed to ukraine's aid. she said, but now it's at a stalemate. war. there is much exhaustion, much blot, march and disappointment, and fortune has gone nowhere. ever seeing this already being used, rapids money sanctions. nothing is working. and the board has happened. every one good to use to the work here and there are people start to see, well,

we'll have to come to an agreement was put in any way of a send. she insisted that the russian president be brought to justice. what's in my eyes for full board? she has done this in my country for didn't much us there for what she has done to a neighboring peaceful country. us and 14 mazda us, $34.00 ever since she says done. so i look see alex but to hold vladimir putin accountable, she said the west needs a new tool box not quite linked to go. if you really want to defeat 14, you have to be con, become an invite, or you are, you have to store being boring, novelle. now you speech gave the e u deputies much to ponder. at a time when russia's power is, again being felt in europe. dw, as moscow bureau chief,

your shadow has been based in riga, since dw was banned from russia. he spoke earlier with my colleague, feel gail, and offered his take on the volume speech. well, it's really not the end of all. i did everything that i believe her husband alex save would have done as she gave an emotional speech and not to short lots to long, very exact in her choice of words, sometimes very directive when she 1st the blame, does it ask the president for the death of her husband, and of course, it was all said political speech, a field of just 2 weeks before the presidential election in russia. the wife also rushes best known a position to pull. the patient is taken to europe's biggest page. you couldn't imagine the best of a better campaign to appear in, so i knew a position thought to if it's a warrant for one, if the speech wasn't given in russia but outside the conference and does, that's the problem. why did talk about the impact and here's a look at some other stories making headlines around the world. the united nations

has begun to po peacekeepers out of the democratic republic of congo control, so it has demanded their withdrawal. despite concerns over a surgeon conflict in the east peacekeepers have been stationed in the country for 25 years, but the government accuses them failing to protect civilians. gone as parliament has passed, a new n t eligibility to law, a coalition of religious leaders, sponsor the bill which would punish the promotion of eligibility to rights was up to 5 years in prison. the bill still needs to be approved by the president pro russian separate test officials and the mold open break away region of trends and history. you have us have asked moscow for protection. pensions have been rising between the pro western middle mold open government, and the transmission tree in separatists. the narrow territory on the border with ukraine has been controlled by pro russian forces since the soviet union's collapse . french authorities,

a body has been found in the english channel after an accident involving a boat carrying migrants around $180.00 people were rescued while attempting. the treacherous crossing from france to britain and 2 are still missing signals. israel's defense minister, you ask alons because it has called for a draft law that would force ultra orthodox jews to serve in the military. this so far been exempt from compulsory service. some of the culture orthodox jews, blocked roads earlier this week in protest at the proposal. mister golan said the war and gaza leaves israel with no other choice. well, a most bitter is my own. hon. yeah, has accused is real of deliberately starving people in the north of gaza instead, as milton group is ready to continue fighting. in a televised speech, she went on to say that the group which has been widely designated the terrorist organization was shown, was showing flexibility in negotiations with israel. mr. hun you called on

palestinians to march, to jerusalem's out ox and mosque. on the 1st day of ramadan, next week is realize that it will allow unlimited prayers. there was security restrictions for their concerns. mr. heney, this call could set the stage for classes. yeah. now the family circle is a journalist and is real. he spoke to us about the cease fire deal being negotiated between him, us and israel. we know that there is a kind of an outline of a, an agreement which basically talks about a 6 weeks of the ceasefire. we know that the idea is that this fire cease fire will begin ahead of the muslim holy month for all of my mother. and a in this is cease fire. we're talking about the release of about a 40 is randy hostages and the in return it's, it's not clear yet whether there would be a 300 or 400 or any other number in between of the listing and prisoners that would

be released. but every now and then we hear other statements that are being made, such as the nathan yahoo is saying that he would demand that some of the palestinian prisoners who live in the west bank would be expelled after being released. how much opposing it. so definitely the various sticking points. one of them is also the, the math of how much that a garza's would be allowed to go to the north. at least some of them would be able to go to the north of the gaza strip. and here's a reminder of our top stories. this mitch mcconnell has announced he will step down as the leader of the republicans in the us senate, the 82 year old said it was time for a new generation to take over the juliet novel, naya the widow of russian opposition leader alexi. nev only has told the european parliament that president prudent must be held to account for what he has done to

russia to ukraine and to her husband. come off, the leader is smile. he has accused is real and deliberately starving people in the north of gaza and said a moss was ready to continue fighting. he said, the militant group withdrawing flexibility and cease fire. negotiate on negotiations with israel. don't forget, you can always get dw news on the go, just download our app from google play or from the app store that will give you access to all the latest news from around the world as well as push notifications for any breaking news. plus there's a lot of analysis and background from our correspondence around the globe. and this live feed, you're watching right now. it's also on there, only one click away. the next step, dw, is program planted, a looks at how old ships are torn apart, often illegally in south asia. well putting lives at risk high mommy. and he says,

thanks for watching dw, and stay with the with each passing day of the continuing conflict in syria, more and more children fear their future maybe fading away with every classroom damaged or destroyed. with every child witnessing the horror of war, every family fling the violence, we can't risk losing an entire generation of children to death, fear, and despair. because they are the future of serious.