curious minds. do it yourself networkers. subscribers don't miss. this is due to the news live from berlin china warns of a tough struggle as its economy slows down at the opening of the country's legislative assembly in beijing the prime minister says china is facing many challenges including a profound change in its external environment look at what that means it's. also coming up france's president a minor one might call makes an impassioned plea to voters ahead of crucial you

elections in may he says that to defeat nationalism europe needs to make big changes. and dortmund are looking for a win at home against england star harry kane and his tottenham team mates in the champions league tonight the match decide which club moves on to the quarter finals . i've got to go out to have you with us china's economy is taking center stage at the annual meeting of the country's national people's congress around three thousand delegates from across the country are in beijing for the vent in the opening session china's premier league cut the growth target to its lowest in nearly three decades that is partly due to a trade dispute with the u.s. least said beijing would continue to push for a resolution to the dispute. beijing's new airport it's set to be the

world's largest when it opens later this year china's leadership often uses political advances an occasion to flaunt its successes to the media and it's a welcome distraction china's economy is burdened with the consequences of its trade dispute with the u.s. municipalities and state run companies are struggling under high levels of debt addressing china's national people's congress premier league chang issued a warning. we face a complex and serious situation as well as challenges foreseeable and other was that are greater in number and in the us. we also announced market reforms aimed at leveling the playing field for chinese and foreign companies this bid to diffuse u.s. complaints has made delegates more optimistic that the trade dispute with the u.s. could soon be resolved only. and the u.s.

is starting to get used to each other i think there is growing trust between the people and the governments of both countries. china has announced a further increase in defense spending up seven point five percent on the previous year with this china hopes to strengthen its military allowing its troops to train under more realistic conditions. with me in the studio now is they a former china correspondent clifford coonan he's covering the story for us thanks for joining us the national people's congress is often described as a rubber stamp parliament the major bills are already decided by the communist party in advance that being said how important is this body and what can we learn from this gathering well the national people's congress is very important because it's one of the few ways we have of working out what's on the mind of the chinese leadership what they're thinking about what directions they're looking out what their policies are going to be so we need every every bit of it is poured over by

china watchers to see particular at the moment on the economy but also in terms of diplomacy on tech and on trade but what direction china is heading we heard talking about those economic challenges cutting the growth target yet six percent growth is a number that a lot of other countries would be very happy with isn't it it is but china is coming from a lower base and it does become used to double digit growth figures for many years and so i think people are concerned when when it does start to slip back like this . they'll be looking for indications about how the party is now going to try and get growth going again you know well one of the issues that has been weighing on china's economy is of course the trade dispute with the u.s. let's listen to what lead to chung said on that front. we will continue to push for the trade talks with the us china two years to the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation and when development and will continue to advocate fair consultations to solve trade disputes we will earnestly carry out the

promises we make and will resolutely protect our legitimate rights and interests. ok we will protect our rights and interests what do you take away from that statement well i think part of me thinks that they would have liked of how to trade deal already going into the national people's congress but i think a lot of the n.p.c. is aimed at the domestic audience they want to shore up stability they don't want to store economic growth to create instability in china so a lot of it does is presenting an image of a strong china very much a domestic audience but also presenting an image of a strong china to the u.s. when it comes to for the negotiations yet and agreement is so important to the chinese economy how close are we to an agreement there. the sense is that there could be in an agreement in the offing we have a meeting coming up with trump there's going to be a lot of political will to forge a deal as we saw last week with the north korea talks you know you can't always rely on these forecasts but i think looking at the way both sides seem to be

talking we should be looking at a trade deal coming up very soon and i also want to ask you about one other aspect of the chinese economy saw that it's china's increasing its defense budget by seven point five percent why is that and what signal does that set well it's slightly lower than it has been in some of the recent years but it's still quite a significant increase and also there's a lot of defense spending that isn't reflected in the defense budget china again it feeds into this narrative of china being a strong power for a domestic audience internationally it's a signal to china's neighbors perhaps that in the in the areas where there are territorial disputes that it's going to have a strong navy for example and then there's also going to be internal spending on defense and security all right clifford could in looking at the annual meeting of the countries the national people's congress for us thank you so much for joining us in studio with your analysis. let's catch up now on some other stories making

news around the world u.s. president trump looks set to open to new fronts in his trade disputes he wants to scrap preferential treatment for both india and turkey the u.s. president claims india is not reciprocating for duty free access to the u.s. he also says turkey's growth means it's no longer a developing country. researchers say a second person isn't sustained remission from hiv one the virus that causes aids at the news raises hopes that the condition could one day be cured this case comes ten years after a first stage hiv patient timothy ray brown appeared to be cured of the infection after a blood stem cell transplant. and a japanese court has approved bail for the former chairman of nissan motor's carlos ghosn but the prosecution has appealed the decision on going remains in custody he's been in jail for three and a half months over allegations that he falsified financial reports. and north korean leader kim jong un has been given a hero's welcome back home and pyongyang despite the failure of last week's peace

summit with u.s. president trump kim's four thousand kilometer journey by train from vietnam took sixty hours the meeting with trump ended abruptly without a deal on denuclearizing the korean peninsula the. french president in modern mccall is calling on european voters to reject nationalism and support a stronger in european union and a letter published in newspapers in all twenty eight e.u. countries today will call it out to several reform proposals including a new e.u. wide agency to protect democracy a ban on foreign funding for political parties and harmonizing laws on hate speech on the internet. let's get more on this story with our correspondents beyond record is in brussels and here in berlin hans braun from politics good to see you both but let's start with you there in brussels now mccall's letter is addressed directly to the citizens of europe why are we seeing this letter from him but i think mr merkel

is kicking off his election campaign for the european elections which will take place in the end of may and he's addressing the people directly and this is a good p.r. stunt if you wish if you want to say so in twenty eight countries cemetaries lee so he will dominate the european debate for two or three days at least in the european circles i'm not sure if you can reach everybody because not everybody is reading newspapers anymore in europe and i'm not sure he can reach the protests as the yellow wrist in france which are very angry with the president so he's speaking to the people what about his european partners do you think you discussed this letter with other european leaders beforehand and how do you think they're going to react . i think they knew there was something coming but he didn't discuss the details of this plan because michael and learned that if you want to change something in europe you have to move and you cannot wait for everybody but there is no surprise

and no real surprise in the things he's proposing and some reactions already from the finnish prime minister and the budget and prime ministers in tweeds they say they brought the support what marco is asking for right hands let's come to you now you're tracking this story here in berlin has there been any reaction from politicians here yes that has a government spokesman speaking for angela merkel's government has said that the government welcomes robust discussion about the road of the european union ahead of these european elections at the end of may they've also been reactions from various other political parties welcoming this discussion and welcoming the proposals that micro has put forward the only negative reaction not surprisingly has come from the far right wing party in germany the alternative for germany which has said that if any of these ideas of micro were to be put into effect it would in fact make the european union european union worse than it is already but that's no surprise from

the euro skeptic party that's look at one of those ideas because calling for europe wide pay guarantees and social benefits do you think the german government would like is likely to be on board with that proposal. well here in germany there has been a discussion about a minimum wage as well which has been proposal which has been in fact passed by the government both the conservatives and the social democrats in this government and there might be quite some sympathy for this expanding minimum wage proposal across europe. especially i think on the left in the german in the german political spectrum but what micro obviously seems to be saying is that he's trying to reach voters in europe across the political spectrum trying to show them that there is some benefit from being within the european union and that these benefits can be very concrete in terms of things such as the minimum wage which according to micron would have to be adjusted to each particular country so it wouldn't be exactly the

same figure about an equivalent figure depending on the purchasing power in the various countries there and one message that really comes across in this letter is as fighting for a stronger european union and the cost per proposing to combat euro skepticism with another european agency but isn't that exactly what critics accuse the e.u. of too much bureaucracy. or that his crew have caused him on that and it's not only one agency it's actually i will write to you of new agencies and institutions in this lead one thought all until the end of the year it should end up in a huge european convention he wants to call for of course you knows this is unrealistic and this will not happen but you have proved cations all the time from the right wing populist now this is a provocation from the liberal petition so this was stir up the debate in the end

this might be quite good for europe all right our corresponds band record to in brussels and hans brandt in berlin thank you both. venezuela's opposition leader one though has arrived back in the country defying president nicolas maduro threat to have him arrested for breaking a travel ban thousands took to the streets across the country in response to those call for nationwide rallies to increase the pres a pressure on president maduro to step down. i he's back in the crowds of caracas airport treated like a rock star i return to venezuela despite a travel ban imposed by the government he might be arrested at any moment but after touching down he was defiant i we're here to serve in a swale and i we're here to serve our people and to fight for our cause i love you venezuela i love you if i would have been. earlier garrido had called on

venezuelans to take to the streets and they responded in massive numbers like here in caracas where thousands came out for a change in leadership and against president nicolas maduro you know what i'm up at midnight and i want it to get only one things to change and get better. we don't want them to arrest why do. this dictatorship is teetering and they don't have what it takes to keep going if they try to stick him in prison that seem at them but i saw a time this abusive government can only news arresting why do it would be a huge mistake because i don't but i don't but i in caracas cried oh called for more protests to increase the pressure on me to step down. yet. on saturday will continue in the streets all of this way will return to the streets were decided and determined to mobilize in search of their freedom we will not rest one second until freedom is achieved. without the idea that there isn't going. on

sunday he warned monroe if the government takes him into custody it would be a grave mistake perhaps the last june. now a german research ship is heading out on an unusual expedition this fall it will drift through the arctic for a year and deliberately get trapped in the ice the aim is to find out how the arctic changes over a year and what impact climate change has on the polar icecap. it's slated as the biggest arctic expedition in history scientists who are training for it in northern finland are practicing by taking my samples from the frozen baltic sea and testing their equipment store ability in temperatures below minus forty degrees. equipment stuff we have here that's never been tested in these conditions. that's why it's good to try out before we take off so instead of having to stay late at night or too bad it didn't work out as we planted

a new light on the silver good god the german research vessel polar star will set up for the arctic in september and settle into the pack ice the movement of the ice alone will nudge the ship toward the north pole which is normally inaccessible during the arctic winter the researchers want to increase their understanding of how the region is changing. the octal suppose as i'm broke the arctic is one part of the planet that's extremely affected by climate change more than other regionals when the arctic ice sheet melts fatha it will have a serious impact on other areas of. the team hopes the new data will help them determine further effects of climate change and improve their ability to forecast the consequences. gary in court has ordered the extradition of a man linked to the so-called football leaks whistleblower website repent tows alleged computer hacking rocked the football world and led to

a number of corruption investigations across europe he's wanted in his home country portugal for a legit extortion and illegal access to data including secret information about the financial dealings of top european football clubs pinto is appealing the extradition ruling. all right champions league football now it's down to the return leg of the round of sixteen europe's top clubs aiming for a spot in the quarter finals of the top tournament here in europe aren't so easy for the sports as with us our so there are still a few german teams and that's let's talk about tonight dortmund facing elimination set up this game for us that's right well dortmund first of all is struggling in the bundesliga i mean they had a nice nine point lead ahead of munich that were always chasing them and now they've squandered that league by in munich is tied with them on points at fifty four and dortmund only technically is in the league is in the lead rather thanks to goal difference so there's that and then they had that disastrous first leg. best

of sixteen champions league series game against tottenham hotspur in london they lost three nil it was a big problem for them and that's going into this game i mean they're up against the wall and they also are going to be up against harry kane and he's back in the spurs squad and he's a goal scoring machine and last year he also scored a goal in dortmund in a group game and they won that game two spurs did in dortmund so he's got experience there and in fact let's take a closer look now at how the two teams match up. dortmund are about to face their toughest test and what is being an increasingly dramatic and difficult season if they're to come through their champions league tie with tottenham they'll need big performances from every one of their star players. foremost among them marco royce who's returning from injury. it's really important that we believe in ourselves we need a top performance we have to be at out best. and then on top of that i get

a gold and of course it's going to be very difficult for the whole team and everyone around us to laze we can do it and we have to keep the faith. tottenham have their own returning star in striker harry came spurs managed to defeat dortmund three nil in the first leg without the england international they'll be even more deadly with him back in the squad tottenham know they're in control now but they won't be sitting back on defense. we've seen in the first little to forgive. to start of the game you know that he would live in. we must to be able to see if we must to to fight begin dortmund then we'll have to be at their best if their defense can shut out tottenham and their attack can produce goals and they could still be in with a chance. are you said in with

a chance there in your report but let's be honest i need a miracle here can make that one well they've done it before you know in two thousand and thirteen that season when they actually went to the final of the champions league they were losing in the second leg in the quarter finals against the spanish side mollica two to one and in the dying seconds of injury time they scored two goals won the leg three to advance forward and like i said made it all the way to the final of the champions league i wouldn't discount them and i mean the crowd there is also very supportive there it's an incredible crowd in dortmund if you've ever seen a home game there and and also the spurs coach himself mauricio pochettino said that there's an advantage that dortmund has they played their last league game on friday night and he and his side played a gruelling game against arsenal on saturday that means that dortmund had an extra day of recovery of rest and recovery and he said in fact that that could well be a problem for his team. the most important the same. game

if you know that. we need to find the fitting way to put it in the game. the blues today are in the. to do. but there's no reason to think you can bring on to what are you going to run maybe the same will more than. the moon but they fuse no he's not. right aren't going to be a good match up what about the other game tonight of the defending champion the champs that's right to rail madrid having won it three times in a row but they're not playing well generally i mean right now they're struggling in the league they're twelve points behind league leaders barcelona you can pretty well forget that they're going to take the championship they've been knocked out of the spanish the cup the copa del rey and the champions league is all that's left for them and in fact i'm very impressed with this dutch team if you saw the first leg in amsterdam where they lost two to one at home yet they had scores of chances to they had lots of chances to score against real madrid and you know i think they're good for a surprise i wouldn't be too confident if i were real madrid right now anything can

happen all right art so see from sport thank you. and in motor sports a team of british army veterans are aiming to become the first all disabled outfit to race in the famed twenty four hours of lamont team brought to or british racing injured troops drive in specially equipped cars. martin compton suffered seventy five percent burns when his convoy was attacked in afghanistan in two thousand and six now the former british army soldier has trucks for racing tracks and has his sights set on the limb on the ground for. this a great process of the from a. step turned on which is. lost both of his legs while on deployment in afghanistan but thanks to a specially designed car fitted with high tech hand controls he's also training with team brits and he too hard to achieve his lofty goals. never wear off

or be this. sort of a team of disabled drivers they say things like this is well for us it's amazing they are also on board is nicholas hamilton who has cerebral palsy and is the brother of furlong great spain he's involvement has helped to raise team brit's profile the academy is certainly ambitious but it's still a long way to get more. now breakdancing has come a long way since it was invented by african-american kids in the one nine hundred seventy s. and eighty's uganda is one of the countries where it's taken root twelve year old. is hoping to use his skills as a break dancer to help others i think i. break dance boy. i this is what. he loves to do i i want to. dance and.

this was only natural that. i. took a. if the twelve year old is not dancing he picks up the brush. printing teacher is his number one fun to paint as linked to profession a dance instructor. this kid out of a sin those disappointed if i didn't know them. so i came in and i got a boy. that. is now every july to this class not just. his instructor has a really sported the youngster style and. he's attention span is amazing

for a four young kid of his age but i think. fun comes from the passion they have for the art. i want no one is forcing him to do what he what he does he comes here ones up stretches goes into classes and he learns. most children here come from slums are wrong uganda's capital kampala. was. dancing helps them keep focused on being a big dreams. to me. and i want to make my own. yeah i teach children and own people and i make some something like a big. i pull a very we're going to have fun. bass was the time to read.

and balance sheets then i began. on the economy with. the town knows that a car yet you don't see me doubted you creation could be impossible. the t.v. not school he did so it took them to tell him yes. now and initiative in australia is taking a fresh approach to the problem of caustic waste clocking up our oceans operation strong aims to eliminate plastics from the seabed around the capital sydney dozens of snorkelers are taking part last summer the so-called struck lawyers collected twenty five hundred straws from one area alone the un environment program says eight million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans every year. you're watching

news coming up next on news asia the meth crisis sweeping through me and mock will see how a flood of cheap pills is creating a new generation of addicts and a mustache for the masses indian men head to the barbershop in a tribute to the pilot who's become a national hero. to respond as you have so stories coming right up.

i'm secure in the they work hard and in the end this is a me you're not allowed to stay here anymore we will send you back. are you familiar with this. with the smugglers would lie and say. what's your story. on what numbers of women especially of victims of violence. take part and send us

your story we are trying always to understand this new culture. another visitor another yet you want to become a citizen. in for migrants your platform for reliable information. i know nothing at. all because sometimes i am but i said nothing with the effect of anything deep into the german culture. to keep this drum up to you because it's all that. time a show join me for me to get an up close. up. extravagant venue. come to hosts who really know their stuff.

off. with a good book and to finish home. the party and chat with situations from around the world. to. make roofs every week of w's. this is deja news coming up on the program. for the military. present defense spending as where. the price is sweeping through me and bar codes are struggling to cope with addicts sucked into the country's ruthless drugs trade.