to miss dexter to very well, i hope that the are we can make it his face walking in the moon. oh, whiting is also excited about the opportunities as a teenager, he, to part in a space camp for students. he got to see astronauts training and visited some of china's space exploration facilities. now the scientist is hoping his research in wind turbines can be put to use in the national space program is just amazing that what we can achieve and what we have yet to explore in space. currently on thinking whether i can use some of my knowledge and expertise to see what i can contribute, the city space museum is where many young people get their 1st glimpse, the rest of the galaxy for young people. there were seriously conquered up your interest in science or the way of sancho of direction of their science research. and it's hope some of these young people will have a future beyond planet a jessica washington out to 0 hong kong.

ah, don't forget check the headlines here on al jazeera, the u. s. secretary of state as hell talks with china's top diplomat weeks after a suspected chinese spy balloon was shot down inside american air space. alchemy blink and told one ye that an american sovereignty should never be violated again. there was no apology. ah, but what i can also tell you is this was an opportunity to speak very clearly. and very directly about the fact that china sent a surveillance balloon over our territory, violating our sovereignty, violating international law. and i told him quite simply that that was unacceptable . and can never happen again. were of course, not the only ones on the receiving end of the surveillance balloons. more than 40 countries, have these balloons fly over them in recent years,

or that that's been exposed to the world. of lincoln's meeting came on the side lines of a security conference in munich, where the biden administration has level its most serious condemnation, yet of russia's invasion of ukraine. u. s. vice president common harris, that he was moscow of crimes against humanity. in the case of russia's actions in ukraine, we have examined the evidence. we know the legal standards and there is no doubt. these are crimes against humanity. the north korean leader kim jong and sister has the us to stop what she calls all acts threatening young young security. while the comments came just hours after

north korea said it a tester yet another intercontinental ballistic missile. japan says the missile landed in it's exclusive economics. emergency crews are still finding survivors in turkey, a couple with their child rescued in the province on saturday. 13 days after the quakes, victims were trapped under the rubble of $296.00. i was the child later died in the hospital. there's the headlines and he's continues now just after upfront staging, cancer watching. scores of afghan has led their homeland since the taliban take over. in a special to heart reported one on one to the women determined to build a live far from home on al jazeera, 2022 was the deadliest year in 3 decades for journalist mexico. the country has been grappling with cartel violence and corruption for decades. placing the journalists who report on these issues at great risk when simply trying to do their job, which is the situation at a critical point and his journalism in mexico facing

a point of no return. that conversation is coming up, but 1st ongoing fighting in the resource rich democratic republic of congo, between the army and the march 23 movement or m. 23 has left hundreds, did, and millions displaced in the countries of eastern provinces. the d. r. c. government blames neighboring rwanda for supporting him. 23 and allegation for garley has denied. but as fighting intensifies, many fear the conflict could escalate into a war between the 2 countries. so what's in store for the con, believe people, and is there a path towards peace? will ask the minister of communication and spoke to person for the government of the democratic republic of congo this week headliner, patrick? well, yeah. the patrick we, i thank you so much for joining me on upfront. and she will tensions are flaring between the d r c animal wanda, which your government has accused of backing the armed group am 23. that's an

accusation. that one has repeatedly denied, of course, despite evidence documented by the united nations and human rights watch. there's also been a war of words with ca, golly, as violence, proliferate sparking fears further escalation. rwanda has said that your government is quote, preparing for war. is war with rwanda a minute. thank you for your question and i think once we are living today, it's not like for the 1st time we are in this kind of situation to respond back in the past years, they've been fighting almost 5 time the government of democracy, public, or congo. you can remember 996 we've been you can remember our std center and 23 didn't be doing it for years and they always keep the same speech off, denying the fact of what they've been doing in the early part of the year. so today

we don't even want to go on detail of that because they're read it documented report from the united nations expert. they read the white paper this year in kinshasa. there we do a lot of condemnation from always in the countries talking by united states, a key one that to stop the or the to support em. 23 democratic republic of congo with the prison to say, katie, we are busy because we have some challenge. we need to pace in, in that condition. we don't need any, will we want we need to for them to walks, to re orders and we've been killing people for the past year and that's reaching back year year. that's prison. got me because we don't think that these people are seeing on the wall that use this will ease doing that because yes. order interest such like continue looting in as 0 c k. mean,

it's a very clearly some equal mika arisen. can you see what the prison again, me doing to use one of the challenges here, of course, is what's happening with him. 23. there are the military challenges there, the legitimate threats that you've raised. another piece of this though is the actual war of words that has been escalating president to 2nd. he called romano president, apopka guy may a war monger, he also referred to his actions as diabolical that kind of language. that type of rhetoric certainly doesn't de escalate the tension. is it adding fuel to the fire? no, we don't change, you know, years since the beginning of this war we've been talking with quantities from the past to july. first, he was in brenda and then we went to the name, it will be 2 or 3 times one new york state prison, my wife everywhere,

and ear the prison to see if he's known, but by being a demo or someone would been fighting to get him power to the prison. i mean you can just look back on his background and then you know what kind of liter east. so the president got me, but the question i'm less asking about the type of leader he is and more about if the language that's being used is making matters worse. if the goal is peace and language using doesn't, doesn't mean anything. if you have to compare it with what's present me and these 2 are mean there's been years. see, especially let me give you an example. the last no proper. she, she was a kid, almost 20200 people were men and women lady in the correct condition. it's not your balance loads each about the act of

violence they've been doing and or the international community can then work that i think. so there is certainly ample documentation of m. 23, committing human rights, violation summary executions, rape force, recruitment of people into the ranks. you referenced some of this stuff yourself. to date. however, your government has also been accused of backing militias with similarly poor human rights records. i'm talking about groups like the democratic forces for the liberation of wanda, the f d l. art. they've been accused of killing hundreds of civilians. they've been accused of widespread sexual violence. president. second, he has said that he opposed any alliance between the congo leaves army and militias . but there are reports, credible reports that document the supply of arms and supply munition food all to these groups. you know, why is your government backing these militias? i think we must make things clear because there is

a lot of manipulation and bad news, especially one of the special needs are fund governments bringing bad news news. what might be clear that speaking about both ways, those people, us, we've been fighting them since 1996. today we continue to fight them because they force, there are, is security programs for companies, people in the past years. and fortunately, they are a mom of those people who killed the cell number in the region. so we cannot walk, we, those people are called thank you. thank you cannot work with you cannot work with f d l r. but there is credible evidence when i look at reports from human rights watch, just as one example. there are credible reports of people who say that the congress army has supplied armed groups with aid and weapons of one f l.

our fighter, for example, told human rights watch in october of 2022, that he himself witnessed for transfers of ammunition. and he says that it's the government quote that would always provide us with ammunition. he was specifically referring to the troops. he said they also gave us uniforms and then we will have these level of reports of armed groups getting support from the current army. how do you respond to this? oh no, i don't see, don't let, let's, let's be clear on that question. there is no chord aberration between army and any news. so non take for granted that don't give credit to all those people. all, some of them can be there under strategy to make sure they are like complicated because right? i know that here are you, are you, are you just using human rights watch?

we have often credit card. we will want in government as have other people in your government. one of the places that they have looked to, to just to verify their claims of the violence and atrocity committed by the rule, wind and government and groups like m 23 has been human rights watch. now the same organization which people have trusted human rights watch is saying that your government have done the very same thing or are very similar things. examples of the congress army supplying armed groups with, with arms and 8 ammunition uniform boots. this has come on multiple occasions from multiple people, people from f, the alarm fighters from the my mark copied on militia, also make claims that carlie's army supplied them with, with, with ammunition across the board were hearing these claims. are you disputing human rights watch account, and if so, why? you must need clear. but you cannot make any comparison between am 20 a tree which is like a proxy of one then different forces and

a movement like failure. m. 20 trees doing occupation. by doing my factor on people that are 1st point to be clear, you cannot make any comparison between there is no preparation between army and need to show that they've made some reforms. in some situation your, you must just a boy to make a genuine. and there is no like a one plane between army and media shot it bounce back, getting old, doing things against one o. m 33 inside your seats, which is very different. we've, i'm 23 fighting with the one and you from forces killing equal doing soccer. there been a number of talks and initiative aimed at brokering and into the fighting. most recently at the east africa community stomach in burundi. earlier this month. these initiatives have largely failed to yield any real results and of course the

violence has continued him 23 asking for direct negotiations with your government. is your government willing to talk to them? we don't, we cannot negotiate but we, i agree that we can talk with them, but their condition, it was my end of state. just back at what happened in luanda in november 20 tree. in november 23, there was a meeting between end of the eastern african community and was to be in front of your door marked in english in each one different spanish and was she's failure. she is fire evacuating like and then these are moments. and then after the or process, we can see the way we can talk am 23 guys. and the way we can do we run down

government because we want to stay in the state of war for the rest of my life. so we can, we move, i mean we are able to talk we fund or to talk. we am 20 tree after new with respect what the road map of why not recommend this friday or retreat from new territory the summer months. and then we can see the way we can talk, it will be done just if they can respect what the state we commanded after the meeting, the lender. and it was back in the united states, united nation and law in patrick maria, thank you so much for joining us on upfront. thank you, sir. the mexico was known as one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the world. the country experienced a record number of journalists,

deaths in 2022 criminal cartels and corruption have played the country for decades . continuing a cycle of violence, even with some efforts to protect the press. the fact remains, journalists, and mexico are facing undeniable threats to their lives and their livelihoods. so what does the future hold for journalism in the country? you want me to discuss this is award winning investigative journalist and the author of narco lane, the mexican drug lords and their godfathers unable and not as she is currently living in exile after receiving death threats because of her investigative work on a belt. thank you. so much for joining me on upfront. 2022 was an awful year. in fact, it was the deadliest year on record for journalists in mexico, according to the press freedom group. article 19. there was an attack on a member of the press, every 14 hours violence by drug cartel. it's not new journalists are often targeted for their reporting, but the number of journalists killed last year had a record high. is the situation for the press and mexico getting worse?

absolutely. is. is very sad and are my ticket to explain these, but guess absolutely. a ease is getting worst. these attacks the said threats, these violence against them, jordan released. and it had been a, in increasing, in the last 20 years. aimed at the same time that the drum could be that, that they want between the cockpit scabbing, gracing so even in one way you have these wire between that got this adding another way at the same time in almost in this same cdce where these wire is happening or curial, so they're, that's of the, of the journalist and sadly, no one, even the government or all the air force of all of these are known, convert them, it over. never own organizations. have been able to stop these by list. i can say

just there's a growing number of areas inside of mexico that have gone silent. you know, places that have become information dead zone with the press is effectively silence because of the intimidation that they receive from the cartels and other actors as well. oh, what does the emergence of these zones of silence mean for the people living inside of those communities? really affects and deeply democracy? of course, because if you don't have media that report there's that are able to inform to the society what is happening. not just in the matter so of public safety. also in the matters of government accountability, all these things that are necessary to have a healthily democracy. most of the journalists in mexico, every there are fighting to protect the rights of the people to having permission.

the problem is that they are clock and fighting alone their media, many times are corrupted. their media, many times received money from them, from the government group that people of, from the campus. and even bid judgment is one to 2 public day information. they media many times said know all that, oh many, many other times they generally have a very low salary. they even don't, doesn't have life insurance, they need the support of the government. they need the support of the society, they need the support of the media. so i have been talking with many of michael legs independent boss of mexico, even in these spots, like for example, them only past that is one of the biggest states where this silence is there

for at least 10 years. and when i talk with these journalists, they want to do their job, they want to public information. but if they don't have deb platforms, media all orse oh, all or safety places to public. they. they are not capable to do their job even if they want to, and they are suffering. and not because this much of the violence against journalists and mexico was happening at the local level in smaller cities and towns in august for staff members at a local radio station in sudan waters over shot and killed in what is just one of several recent violent incidents, there seems to be a pattern of violence in areas away from bigger cities, especially against journalists who work independently or for smaller outlets. in your view, why is local journalism bearing the brunt of this violence?

is really, it's really very, very hard to try to explain these complicated question in mexico in just few words . but you have to understand that in mexico currently at this moment are operating 109 creaminess organs stations. some of them are the beek guard this, that everyone knows it's in a la carte. they got up in cali schooner back in it as yawn all of these big conference, but also exceeds medium and small carp. this that had gone through in every town in the country. so when i look i journalist want to do quarterly, they job. they got no capital to do it because in one point you have to look up betty local, am a gang a grim leg station that control street by street and these gang many times most of the times arctic connected with a major of the c d. without don't use of the c d,

even if this it is very small. so these group shown m and really makes to their, to their, to their daughter, least almost impossible to do their job without risking their lives. that's. that's why what is happening in mexico is a human right. it writes an emergency, and that's why, since many years ago, a many journalist as, as me, we are asking to, to a day, couldn't think that national community to, to pay attention is when, what and what is happening there. because now we have, again, i repeated 109 creamy lens. i sessions controlling all the country a decade ago. or mexico introduced a set of protection mechanisms for journalists refer to l as l. mckinney. small are providing thing like police protection and relocation services. in cases of extreme

violence, now at least 9 reporters have been killed while enrolled in this program. i dylan, nevada roberto, general, director of t one as magazine data said that mckinney small, obviously does not work. many of my colleagues who were killed in mexico were under the protection mechanism when they were murdered. ah, why is that mckinney small not working? well, i can tell you in my own experience, because i am also inside them mcneese. i cannot believe in mexico the because these make any does in works obviously. but what can i tell you is 1st, that really dig government, the federal government doesn't care about the judgement least. now we have the precedent and that is my know, look this rather that almost every day. if he's ever a in he's in a frank press conference at top,

journalist at back their media because they the one that any one a can it could be good. thanks pete, don't do critics against him. so for they, they're part of the state that are very could hook that that don't that, that don't want that they don't really do their job for that god. there's that one also to keep silence to the journalist if they see that just a precedent, a man who supposedly have some breast baked about dead, the more resi about that point, ability about day freedoms, expression. if you see that the pressure than is the 1st one that east at that can every day to they don't release of course in one way or another, the depression, then even you permit to do whatever you want to do again they jordan is that's why

that's why last year became the most terrible dupont, the germans, according with united nations anesco night 2 journalists in mexico were more there in mexico. this is the crisis when you talk about the government's role in this, there's the president in his words, for sure. but there are many people who argue that the government and security forces are also complicit in what's happening to journalism that i'm thinking about in 2015. for example, jose melissa sanchez said esl. i was killed after he published content that was critical of the local government in, in better cruise, where he lived in 2022 a bear lopez vasquez was shot a day after he published a story, accusing a local politician of corruption, people who say no more afraid of the government,

at least some journalists, are there more afraid of the government than the cartels? what do you make of that? i mean, if you go to the is street by street and you ask for 2 i journalists who is smaller than gears a chapel. was man the head of this in a la carte bill, or the governor or the maker of the ordered the chief of the police. they degenerates, will tell you that the out 30, their members of the government. i'm more dangerous because they also can do these with all they impunity given, given what you're saying, you know, the violence, the impunity, the structural deep structural problems that we're seeing throughout the mexican society. do you think we'll see a new generation of journalists actually emerge in the country? but that, that, that be so one kind of a miracle. you know,

because for example, many times i go back to mexico to continue my work. and many times i gave and gone fans in universities, and most of the time all these em classrooms are full of young junk students that want to be came jordan and is even they got a freight e been, they know that this salaries are not good for me, it really is that huge hop. see they face this of the german is that even on these tragedy that is happening again? journalist, they want to became a journalist and they want to serve to the, to the society and that they also want to the offense then, right of the society,

to have the information to try to save aware betty, a quick them walker. see annabel hernandez. thank you. so much for joining us, an for thank you everyone that is our show up front will be back. ah a unique here endangered bio diversity lies in the heart of one of ecuador,

tropical jungles. there was a lot of misinformation about the animals that we have here, and now they're probably eligible to come them by others of conservation in their communities. out there a journey is deepen to the rain forest to follow a scientist and her team's effort to save the flora and fauna. so precious in the region. women make science ecuador is hidden treasure on al jazeera ah award winning documentary from around the world. on al jazeera, from the al jazeera london broadcast center to people in thoughtful conversation. the story of the world is that the global side developed the global north and continues to do that with no host and no limitations. the corporation, if it were he, a man would act like a psychopath. part one of as your bother, and i said raman. we have to reduce our consumption here, but we also need economic justice for workers. studio

b unscripted on al jazeera. russia's war in ukraine has dominated well need for the past 12 months. devastating to those in the line of fire or directly impacted. it has strengthened global alliances and deepens, divisions with far reaching effects on the lives of millions of people. worldwide. in a week heard special coverage al jazeera explored every aspect of the human, the political and the economic. and the possibilities of resolution. ukraine was one year on on algebra ah.