on project cassandra in 2016. 03 pod documentary series on la skiing has paula stats may 4th on d, w. less than 6 months before it's elections of the united states. first ever criminal prosecution of a former president is under way. donald trump is in court in manhattan, accused of covering up harsh money payments to a porn star. we will take you through the opening statements that have set the stage 4 weeks of unsavory testimony. expected to pro trumps legal troubles and personal life into the spotlight. i'm clear, richard, the people understand what's going on in 2016

years. everybody knows that we don't like what's going on. it's not going to be able to be in lots of other places. campaign also ones a day after months of frustration, the passage of a $61000000000.00 a package in the us house of representatives brings relief for ukraine. but how much will it help? the firing position was here with so the soldiers can observe on fire on the enemy . they going to see the next line of defense. it's closer to the front line. there's a shelter for vehicles and the dog over the crew and the blue color . richardson in berlin. welcome to the day 3 german citizens have been arrested on

suspicion of spying. for china, prosecutors say the 2 men and one woman established runs companies to obtain research and technology that could be used to help the chinese navy. so for more on this story, let's bring indeed of use political correspondent assignment young silent china. now of rejecting accusations it carried out spying activities after 3 germans were arrested. what more can you tell us about this case? it's right. the visa, a 3 german citizens, as you've mentioned, there, a keys of fact gathering details about military technology and pulsing that to a chinese kind of stein agency. so this was one married couple who was said to of set off a company here in germany. uh that uh was basically um,

making contacts with jim and um, experts and academics and also setting up corporations with the gem and universities. a, for instance, a one case that you were doing a study on the high performance marine engines that could have a military application. uh, but that data was, in fact uh, going back to china through the secret services there. uh and the they were financing this uh, operation. uh and uh, you know, the gym but also as i said, well, no problem. we were aware of it at a pretty early stage. the german government at a is cooling. there's a big success for that. so the defense mechanisms against espionage, as you say, the china is authorities say that they have got nothing to do with it. they've denied these allegations. give us a little bit of context here. is there a precedent for something like this in germany?

so i would say that they sees a, a new level for a chinese sourced espionage attempt into military technology. this was a concrete plan with a fairly clear sort of narrative of how the thing was structured and how the information was getting back to china. what sort of information was being targeted? and we've got these 3 arrests. i think that mean the pos chart. there's been cosette, of course about china is industrial espionage activity is against gym and is called makers and engineering firms and so on. and there's also been a lot of concern about the telecoms, from hallway, and where the data might fly through it, back to china. but this is a new kind of case i think, will simon stay with us for just a moment. i'd like to play a clip from our correspondent thomas, a sparrow who was able to speak to germany's domestic intelligence chief almost housing vaughan about this case is this one on file for this case has

a particular significant screen. we are dealing with a case of proliferation, which also involves weapons new, have this no haul fund from this case shows that china is also active in gemini, and that there are cases of proliferation here. 45 jones from the federal office. i was involved in the investigation at 10 very early stage attire to visit midland. once the investigation was clear, we were able to handle this case over to the police on the public prosecutor. somebody further information pertaining to the case will be released by the federal public prosecutor. so these and 5 a company came in on desktop. no, i've been calling mazda just a few days after 2 people were arrested here in germany on suspicion of spying for russia. how great is the threat from russia to domestic security in germany? i he and document to have your names. i see, and yeah, yes, we've been aware for many years that russia is fueling major penalties here in jem an exception for him, even before the warranty queen i was talking about

a threat similar to that some of the cold war era is guns. i think naturally submit this is of course intensified even further with rushes attack on ukraine. yeah, we'll have to realize that russia is engaging an espionage of the types i cyber espionage. i influenced operations on this information, months and this toolbox as we call it. well, not fully also includes the sabotaged extreme case and then the attempt to reach out. yeah, it makes same for this team as we have to reckon with the fact that rush, i'm and the headlines have sabotaged tiny dieting, gemini, bushland. don't shoot on less than go to simon. tell us more about that. what kinds of acts of sabotage are the germans worried about from the russians as well? just last week, we sold the rest of to the agents here in germany, accused of not just spying for russia. they were accused of spying on us military bases here. but of planning actual attacks,

possibly act to sabotage in order to undermine germany support for ukraine in particular. but of course, russia has also been implicated in many other incidents from contract killings on the streets of berlin to attempt to infiltrate political policies to hacked government computer systems. and indeed to disrupt the sort of infrastructure such is the power. great. so it's a really different order of activity, i think, from the russian side, compared to what we've seen from the chinese in pause. and interestingly, thomas housing by also said today that either as he sees it, the chinese prefer to be more lo, t, as smooth as he described it. they are espionage activities. but he still rules that as he sees it, china is determined to become the global number one by 2049 politically and

militarily and economically. and he says that he that ready to use illegal means to do that. simon, thank you for that. but his date of these political correspondent, simon young, or the ukraine's foreign minister to mutual clay, but has called on his european union calendar parts to step up their commitments to kit's war effort to prevent what he described as the worst case scenarios. many you for and, and defense ministers meeting and lock symbol expressed relief over the us house of representatives approving a massive a for an a package for you crank over the weekends. or the e. u ministers shot stopped short of fledging, more patriot air defense systems, as has been urgently requested by keys. i'd like to bring in william courtney a senior fellow at the ranch think tank in washington dc. before that, he served as us ambassador to cause exxon and georgia,

and was also special assistant to the president for russia, ukraine, and your range of very warm welcome. thank you for taking the time. now you have written on x, not since the failure of russian forces 2 years ago to seize care of and capture or kill zalinski. has russia suffered a failure as dramatic as today's house vote for ukraine age? could you please tell us a little bit more about that? what makes this round of funding? so significant this is really interesting of discussion in the house of representatives because the republican party for the time of president reagan has seen itself betrayed itself as for parties, national security for united states. suddenly in the house has been a debate, were apologize. so let us you must seem to be wanting to walk back from that. but

as it turned out, the speaker mike johnson, the democrats now the other. 2 for the republican to silver is the security as important issue for the republic party. they banded together. so the vote was almost 3 to was in favor of providing that you're created. this, the feet won't be tough for the isolation of they may not be able to come back in the future. so that is one way that this is probably the most significant or most dramatic change since the russian law since the beginning of the war. and from ukraine's perspective how we useful to think this will be they've, they've been demanding asking for this 84 months. and i think there was a lot of relief in key of to hear that it has now cleared the house of representatives. so this will be the most immediate and perhaps the most important part of this. because as we've seen in recent weeks, it green is left and munition to deal with some of the cruise vessels,

ballistic missiles and drugs that have destroyed, for example, power plants and destroyed expensive power plants and ukraine. so every addition to help deal with their different apps will be quite important as exchange will become a g o r and a few of us. and they also can play an important role encountering the drones and cruise know so, so they're not ballistic missiles for that. you're pretty much the patriots. the 2nd aspect of this is the fighting on their lives. ukrainians have been digging ditches and putting other barriers to prevent a regression for the regression by russian forces up and down. they will also have a munition to back up those fixed obstacles. so that will be important improbability of a russian lunch. now the successful is going way down and just using your, your long experience working in the region, how might the kremlin react to seeing this latest aid package past?

do you think they will be concerned about seeing this continued funding for ukraine? the public colors perspective. now what they've seen a list of, of us is if you has fully funded it's pledge for assistance to ukraine and now the u. s. the slowly finally gets but there's no increasing fatigue that is ever in the west. they have long sought after was fatigue, the western decadence, western inability to work together would cause west to lose heart and supporting ukraine. shut up. that is not the case. so from the criminals perspective, or correlation of forces now may be changing significantly and ukraine saver. so what do you think this is then the end of ukraine fatigue? as you've mentioned, how long can this a last at some points give will require additional assistance. and of course, there's the lumen prospect that the election of donald trump,

as us president could mean a very drastic change in us policy. but this assistance will likely last or close to the end of the year. and then new assistance will be required. but because of the political impact of a vote, almost 3 to one in favor of aid. now it's not likely that opponents of a or going account be able to come back and prevent aid in the future. so prospect for future and are probably pretty good. and certainly europe, we see europe becoming more more committed to the defense. so the drain is important because russia is causing a direct threat to your pm security. so on either side, when we likely to see the crane fatigue in the next year or 2 anyway, you expect to senior uptake on a bigger and leading role in that sense in the years ahead. i guess infected already yes, across europe has been providing more overall assistance to your current data. us

as significant. but we're now seeing that europeans talk about expanding defense production, ada pulling more equipment out of their own arsenals to provide to ukraine. not sure, i think we're going to see europe, but very positive, a stronger role. and just for some closing thought, i'd like to get a sense of, of the bigger picture here. do you think that your opinions can also still be confidence that the transatlantic relationship with the us remains and will remain a pillar of its peace and security? the europeans are right to be concerned about the potential election in november, which could change the way the us goes with this. but we have seen in the past, we've no present jobs and me a been in the office before. but yet most us policy is continue as i have been. in fact it was under president trump. that's us 1st provided legal arm. so i travel

and you take muscles to your crate. and because of the size of the vote in the house and the supervisor is likely to be so much similar, there's going to be a lot of my bathrooms in the legislative branch to continue to support your trend. well, thank you very much for that perspective. that is william courtney, a senior fellow at the brand, think tank and washington we very much appreciate your time today. welcome. now part of what president is. a landscape says he will use american funds for is for to fine ukraine's orders. drone technology has dramatically changed the bottle for the skies and the seeds, but on ukraine's land border with russia. the country's armed forces are focused on a farm or traditional form of defense against a looming russian offensive of the modern rules and may be high tech. but trenches are still proving vital in ukraine. kit is hoping all this will allow ukraine's

army to hold back. russian forces presidency. lensky says, ukraine is building 2000 kilometers of fortifications in 3 lines. this is part of the enemy's line of defense. and it's located in the sunni region, which is a 560 kilometer long border with russia. work on defense structures begun here last year, but intensified in february. the regional capital of see me is also in circled with defense lines. local sources say that confidence that any surprise russian attack would no longer break through these fortifications. we start with the new, we have firing positions here so the soldiers can observe on fire on the enemy. they going to see the next line of defense. it's closer to the front line. there's a shelter for vehicles and the dog out of the crew in the league, but it's made of earth,

wood and reinforced concrete work continues around the clock. time is of the essence as a new russian offensive is expected soon. fortifications are also being built in the neighboring jenny have region know fall off, and the battery see in boulder. in february 2022 russian shapes posts through this area to much on key of these structures. and this dragon's t, that design to slow the progress of tungsten um with vehicles getting the ukraine, you know me more time to destroy them on the tongue. that juice have been dug behind them on the area around his mind. the 2nd line of defense is less elaborate. these images say fortifications in eastern you came here to the on to tongue pitches, but no concrete. the outermost line of defense is built by infantry brigades. they have to build on the fire. it consists of trenches and

dugouts with wooden floors and is the weakest defense. the government insist that even if the army is digging in behind the coming front lines, you claim isn't abandoning its intention to be tempted to have a tree from the russians. but the war is in its 3rd year, often months of stalemate. russia has laid a number of games right now. defensive, like these, maybe ukraine's best hope of keeping russian forces up a accused of a criminal conspiracy and a cover of on day one of donald trump's trial and a manhattan court room. prosecutors alleged a long running scheme to influence the 2016 election through a legal payments. they say trumpet, paid harsh money to the porn star known as stormy daniels to cover up a sexual encounter. she claims he had with her in 2006. so after opening arguments

and started the testimony in the 1st ever criminal trial of a former us president trump repeated his claim that the charges against him are politically motivated. this is what the because of the georgia now. i should be a lot of different places, right? now, and i'm sitting here, additional going for a long time is very unfair to just do this. you know, it's very next year when and i should be allowed to do this is a big trail and a very pleased welcome. harvard law professor, ronald sullivan, and the director of the criminal justice institute there as well. thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. i'd like to start with those opening statements. what they will tell us about what we can expect to see from this trial . what do you think they have done to set the stage here?

well, opening statements are designed to give the listener, in this case the jury. a road map as to what the evidence will show. even more these opening statements are tended to finding the evidence in a certain way such that the jury will view the evidence through the prism of whatever theory each side articulates. so for example, you heard the prosecution use, the phrase is like a pure and simple right. this case is about election, interferes pure and simple. it's a joy believes that the middle start understanding the evidence through that be are read. on the other hand, the defense of tried to put trade this case as a big nothing burger. in other words, this case, nothing in it is criminal at all. it's about it to the extent it's about election interference. that's what democracy is all about. now the jury believes that,

then they will understand all the evidence through that groups through the prism of that theory. now if i understand this correctly, the district attorney is using a novel legal theory to turn what might normally be a misdemeanor into a felony bi, alleging that from falsified business records in order to cover up another crime, violating campaign finance was. can you tell us about this strategy and what you think it's chances of success are as well to a great question. so the theory itself is not novel that is baked in a new york, los the, what's normally a, mr meter miss misdemeanor can be elevated to a felony. if it's in furtherance of some other crime. what's novel about it is this other crime is violation of state election laws. and what makes that novel is that mr. trump did not participate in any election in the state of new york. as such, it was a federal election that he was part of,

but the allegation is that he violated state components of this federal election. there's a secondary theory that will come out and evidence and that's mr. trump violated tax laws as well. and that too would delegate the misdemeanor to a felony. what i think the defense is baking on is that the jury will kind of shrugged its collective shoulders and say, is this really a case that the criminal law should deal with? it is the criminal law to block an instrument for what amounts to a record keeping error. that's what the defense is hoping that the jury will conclude at if convicted it. trump would then be sentenced by by the judge. what options would potentially be on the table if he is found guilty as well? options on the table would be anything from a probationary sentence to prison time. it is highly, highly,

highly unlikely that if he is convicted, he will be sentenced to prison. this is a classic, a felony in new york, which means that it is the lowest level of all felonies. mr. trump doesn't have a record. so he wouldn't be an ideal candidate for a non custodial probationary terms. so if he is convicted, i anticipate that the judge will sit and sent to probations, and mr. trump can go about his business. i wanna ask you about trans comments. we are just there about this being a witch hunt. what, what would you say to him if, if you could reply well, i think what the prosecution would say to him is that we live in a country where no person is above the law. this is not a witch hunt. this is the chief legal enforcement officer in the state enforcing the laws of the state. uh these laws are on the books there on the books

for a reason. he violated them and he has to be held to account. that's what i think that the district attorney alvin brag would say to him. and just give us a little bit of context. how big of a deal do you think this case is compared to the other 3 indictments trump faces, as well as the other 3. this is probably the least consequential case at some level. it is about how a particular payment was classified on ledgers. the other cases have to do more directly with the us democratic regime. they are much more weighty in terms of the issues at stake. so many are upset, may be too strong a word, but many are concerned that this happens to be the 1st case that is tried because

it seems to be the one that is least consequential. but you know, the calendar is worked out in the way they worked out and then here we are. but this case doesn't sort of touch and concerns big matters of state in the way that some of the other cases do. professor sullivan. i want to thank you so much for your insights and time today that is a professor at ron sullivan from hartford law. thank you. now people around the world have been marking earth day today since it was 1st observed in 1970 earth. today has been used to call attention to environmental problems. this your theme, plastic versus the planets in hong kong. a new law came into effect today aimed at phasing out a single use plastics and businesses such as restaurants. and in south africa, volunteers picked up plastic waste and other trash from some of the country's most popular features in cape town. and that is our show for today. you can follow our

team on social media at dw means, or we're always on line to d, w dot com. i'm clear, richardson, thanks for watching the

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you're wanting to know the names live from berlin. a mass grave apparently uncovered in gaza. civil defense to say they have found nearly 300 bodies in a hospital in the city upon us. meanwhile, an investigation finds israel has failed to back up its claim that un refugee agency workers took part in the how much at the .