this is g.w. news live from berlin and president trump offers warm words to nato on its seventieth anniversary he needs nato chief u.n. stilton bergen's washington but her news his view of germany also coming up. i dare you to arrest me that is the challenge from venezuela self-proclaimed president one after the country's government controlled assembly stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and british prime minister theresa may insists that she can work with aides bitter rivals to deliver bread said with only designed days

left to avoid a chaotic divorce from the european union and. i'm sara kelly welcome to the program nato the west's oldest and longest alliance is marking a milestone today that military alliance has its seventieth anniversary of its founding now the north atlantic treaty was signed back in one nine hundred forty nine during the cold war to protect europe from the soviet union and the warsaw pact countries in the three decades after the fall of the berlin wall of the cold war division of europe nato has been redefining itself and u.s. president donald trump has been pressuring other alliance members especially germany to increase their military spending more on that shortly shortly first this report. now proceed to the signing of the north atlantic treaty the

seventy year old nato has faced examinations under harsh light this birthday it does have some concerns for its well being discomfort when something viral is going around occasional spikes in blood pressure surely never been allowed to happen but germany is totally controlled by russia and perhaps some self doubt that when push comes to shove its core is not as strong as it hoped to former u.s. ambassadors to nato research the biggest threat facing the alliance at seventy the transatlantic consensus the absence of strong american presidential leadership nato secretary general yen stolzenberg rejects that conclusion it's just not possible to say that the united states look committed tonight because tonight the states is increasing their military contributions to nato he points to the latest example a new plan for the u.s. to forward position heavy work fighting equipment at

a police air base that's jamie shea spent almost four decades at nato as a spokesman but also an expert in what are called emerging security challenges and while dealing with russia and its hybrid worker tactics still top the list of challenges for nato the now retired share warns the alliance must look further afield to be fit for the future because obviously china is the rising power it's already in europe of buying up infrastructure influencing the future of all to officially teligent technology it's going to be a massively more important factor in determining twenty first century security to russia or all googly any other country outside nature of the countries inside or shaping nato's future to the next enlargement will be to north macedonia which changed its name to settle a dispute with greece that earned an almost immediate invitation to join pending the approval of the other twenty nine allies they didn't waste their time they didn't drag. their feet and that's remarkable for an organization of twenty nine

members so i think that. it's not just our desire to join it's how nato has dealt with the challenge of enlargement that shows that this is a strong forward looking and dynamic organization scope you hopes the alliance will prove this anniversary year that seventy is the new thirty. now let's bring in teri schultz in brussels and bureau chief of washington alexander phenomena who's joining us from outside you ask congress there i welcome to both of you and terry i would like to begin with you because we know that north macedonia could soon become the latest nation to join nato so i mean nato is still really having this expansionary vision how do you assess the overall condition of the alliance seventy years on. well nato would be very happy if people would focus on issues like north

macedonia wanting in like ukraine and georgia still wanting to become members because that's where it feels its strength is that it still is an attractive organization that it still offers its allies security defense a rule of law you know the defense of freedom and it has really gotten bogged down in all this fighting with washington about spending and even on that issue nato members and european basters say often they wish president trump would just realize that he's won this battle spending is going up among all allies it's still very low among some european members but it's going in the right direction so what nato would like to do on this birthday is to celebrate its successes and that in fact i have to say is one reason why it's being held at the foreign minister level and not at the head of state level they simply did not want to give president trump a chance to divert all attention from the seventieth birthday to this fight over money let's talk a little bit more about that fight over money where you stand right now alexandra

this is really where we see this first playing out president donald trump very much always insisting that the allies need to pay more how is nato seen right now by the current administration. well as you know presidents from has always been very critical of nato at one point he even said that nato is obsolete last year in private he even threatens to withdraw from the alliance however we have to say that in the last months we saw a sort of change of tone even the u.s. today is today in the oval office when trump met with nato secretary general the ends told from birth he prays steel lions as very successful he said that progress has been made under his leadership but when i ask him about germany and its contribution he once again complained that the u.s. is paying too much a disproportionate amount of money not sure and he wants to go again complained

about germany not committing to paying more to the two percent of g.d.p. on defense spending. and terry where you sit from brussels you know nato officials there how are they looking across the atlantic right now at washington what's the mood. i think the mood is getting better as alexandra mentioned president trump's threats to pull troops out of europe to pull troops abruptly out of syria out of afghanistan have not played out exactly as the president's tweets would have had us believe in the beginning in fact the the continuing investment of the united states in europe's defense hasn't changed and it's and it's even gone up so people here constantly say ok it's just a tweet those are just words let's see what happens on the ground and on the ground nothing bad has really happened at the same time when you have this nervousness it affects the feeling of solidarity and there have been some very uncomfortable moments when people not just president people in the administration have been asked

directly would you go to war for montenegro for example as you are obliged to do under nato is article five and the administration does not give a very convincing response that it would be willing to do that so then you've got the baltic states worried you've got poland worried so even saying these things does have a bad impact but people reassure themselves by saying in real facts and figures what president trump has said has not actually played out and alexander we know that celebrations are planned for today so you know everyone is sort of brushing those tensions aside and getting ready to blow out these seventy candles what's on the agenda. we are here in front of congress because there's a morning told her broker is due to arrive here and to address a joint session of congress and this is a very important event he was invited here by house speaker pelosi and by the senate majority leader mcconnell and it shows that there is very good by purchasing

support for nato here in congress where they were for example this year in january the house voted overwhelmingly for a so-called nato support to that would prohibit. taking federal funds to withdraw from nato later on nato foreign minister will gather here in washington to celebrate with the dinner and also not to look back all lead but also to talk about challenges like a hat alexander phenomenon with a view from washington teri schultz and brussels thanks so much to both of you hugh . let's get a quick check now of some other stories making news around the world the e.u. has launched fresh action against poland over its controversial judicial reforms under the new system judges can be punished simply for acting independently that's the finding of the european commission warsaw is already subject to unprecedented

rule of law proceedings that could see poland lose its e.u. voting rights. and the votes in a district of istanbul are being recounted after president much of a k. party challenge sunday's local election results the move comes after erda wants party was defeated by the opposition c.h.p. in the initial count the c.h.p. has criticised the appeal saying that the a.k.p. is trying to steal the will of the people. the celebrations erupted across algeria last night as the president of the us announced his resignation now officially confirmed by the country's constitutional council held mass demonstrations for several weeks demanding the eighty two year old step down. in venezuela self-proclaimed president is challenging authorities to arrest him after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity white oh how has been engaged in a power struggle with president nicolas maduro for months in january he proclaimed

himself president the move immediately recognized by the united states germany and other countries. this is the constituent assembly and that is way law it was set up by president nicolas maduro in twenty seventeen to rewrite the country's constitution many venezuelans consider the body illegitimate and more than forty countries do not recognize the assembly but it's these lawmakers loyal to madeira who have voted to strip the opposition leader and self-proclaimed president one who i don't know of his parliamentary immunity cheers and applause followed the decision. the constituent assembly as president. says the party unanimously voted to authorize the supreme court to prosecute quite a for breaching a ban on leaving the country in january. madeira supporters also want quite zero to be charged with inciting violence and his efforts to oust the president and for

allegedly accepting funds illegally acquired isn't backing down. do you think that by continuing to threaten us with raids with disqualification with kidnapping. by persecuting my political party or unity our federal legislators that they are going to stop us ovi asli they are wrong they are wrong because we are showing our face like always a mere going to keep doing it until we achieve permanent freedom for the country. earlier on twitter go i dos had efforts to arrest him when he met with force hinting at international support more than fifty countries recognize quite as self proclaimed presidency but he has yet to win the support of venezuela's military last week the auditor general's office announced it had stripped him of the right to hold office for the next fifteen years jennifer can you know joins us now from

bonn jennifer what happens next. well this is not surprising at all i think that the government has waited long enough have waited a long time because usually the opposition figures are quickly denied the possibility of office of running for office and then they're charged by some some criminal some criminal charge and then they are usually jailed or they're pushed into exile so this is the same course that is going to happen for a while though if if the international attention goes away from venezuela and that is what the government is hoping for and they're seeing that it's been two and a half months now much has moved clearly the international community has been looking at this but they're starting to look away and the government knows that and they know that when the time is right as soon as people look away they can then make the move against by done by the will have to then decide whether he wants to

continue this fight for venezuela's freedom from jail or in exile and and it's only a matter of time unless of course the way though has some other hand up his sleeve so it sounds like you think that this political impasse that we've seen now in the past couple of months that it is developing in favor of the current administration . yes i mean that the strategy that he that why go ahead in the beginning and the risk that he took was to say to say to the military please come to us come to our side but that has not panned out the military has stuck firmly with my view of this by all of the things that have been going down and going down and and this fight the chaos and everything and so for why though now the question is what will happen next what is he what is he going to do is he going to call for greater intervention there's not much and they haven't even provided a clear path a second as a plan b. so to say so it's very difficult right now if the government despite the chaos

despite the black eye was everything that is happening is in full control maybe the military decides not to back them but it's hard to say that they will have sudan and yemen no brunei population four hundred thirty thousand has joined them as a country where homosexuality is considered a crime punishable by death the common bond sharia law implementation of the islamic legal system in brunei has prompted this change to its penal code adultery is no likewise a capital offense and for robbery one possible penalty is amputation sultan has a noble kiya who was ruled for over fifty years defended the new laws without referencing homosexuality. referring to the rest as a small nation we always prioritize our prayers to. them and this is driven by our national philosophy of mali. and monarchy. that has held sway here for many hundreds of years. but the united

nations cold on the sultan to repeal the new laws seeing that human rights and faith are not opposing forces. and the high commissioner for human rights said today urged today the government of brunei to stop entry into force of a new penal code which would then try a new legislation a cruel and inhumane punishment in breach of international human rights law including death by stoning the severity of punishment introduced by the new penal code also has rights groups concerned. we are alarmed that the time hans astonishment to include for example competition. or death which are extremely cruel punishment we are also alarmed that the court criminalizes behaviors that see the crimes of for example. between all of the same or the opposite sex.

the new laws of coast cry from celebrities like american doctor george clooney he's called for a boycott on luxury hotels owned by the sultan of brunei in paris los angeles and elsewhere. u.n. experts do not expect the new harsher sentences to be handed down but that is unlikely to quell protest in the international community as these campaigners say the sultan's london home made clear. now let's get the latest on banks that british prime minister theresa may is holding talks with the opposition labor leader jeremy in a new push for a compromise that's after announcing that she would ask the e.u. for another delay beyond the april twelfth deadline after months of political deadlock is may indicating that she wants a closer relationship with europe after all the coming days perhaps the coming hours could provide the answer. in london a potentially important shift to reason me says she wants another extension to the break that deadline and will seek political consensus to break months of

parliamentary deadlock i'm offering to sit down with the leader of the opposition and to try to agree a plan that we would both stick to to ensure that we leave the european union and that we do so with a deal the initial reaction from the labor party leader positive but cautious. of course i'm very happy to meet her we need to have a discussion with the prime minister we need to ensure that parliament has an opportunity to vote on proposals that prevent us crashing out of the e.u. in the end of next week. in paris another reminder from europe of the need for britain to decide soon the french president underlining that british interests aren't the only ones that conant. notebook clearly our priority must be for proper functioning of the european union and market. the e.u. shouldn't be held hostage to a political crisis if united kingdom on

a long term basis. berlin two didn't hide its weariness with the ongoing stalemate in westminster. the result of the talks could be a renewal of article fifty but i can't comment. to be honest i don't want to comment. we have to wait and see what the view is in london. we are long past the deadline they must know that in london it. is. the e.u. will have to agree any extension to the brags that date france and germany are the only skeptical voices. now teresa mayes talks with opposition leader jeremy corbyn are underway as we mentioned could they break the deadlock at last we put that question to our london correspondent. they might break the deadlock but also it's not going to be easy we're reminded in private is this question where nerds reason

i had two arms or two interventions of m.p.'s here in the parliament and someone from our own party from the conservative party has asked the rhetorical question whether it's what's worse and no deal britain crashing out of the european union without a deal or and i quote a marxist and you see my led government she was referring to the labor party reason why it's going to speak to so and also i speak into a labor m.p. earlier today and he was worried that to reserve may's offer was just a trap that she was using labor to get her deal through in the end but she wouldn't maybe stick to all the promises that she could make to jeremy corbyn in the course of these negotiations so lots of worries though we do also have to assume that both leaders want to want to prevent a nodia brags that they don't want

a scenario where there are no plans for the future and where there are possible food shortages and chaos at the border we have to assume that they are going to try to work together let's listen to what series i'm a herself said to parliament when she was explaining this move right minister i say to the honorable gentleman the purpose of meeting with the leader of the opposition today is indeed to look at those areas that we can we agree and i think there are actually a number of areas that we agree on in relation to press that i think we both want to do for a living the with the deal i think we both want we both want to protect jobs i think we both want to ensure that we end free movement i think we both recognize the importance of the withdrawal agreement and what we want to do now is to find a way forward to that can come on the support of this house and deliver on bricks it deliver on the result of the referendum and ensure that people can continue to have trust in the politicians are doing what. they also just. broke. so

a lot on the plate there as we can see what is the reaction to this news because of this possible cooperation between the prime minister and the opposition leader. well i think for ordinary british people. it's a very hopeful meet i think a lot of people are plainly worried because the twelfth of april is are already next week people want to know can they still travel to europe business is once a new on what basis are they going to trade with europe are they really going to be shipped food shortages is there going to be chaos at the borders soldiers on standby do they have to intervene so people really want to know what's going to happen and they would look at the politicians with the intensity and the hope that they can find a way out of this deadlock and we've seen so many votes we have to say in the british parliament in recent weeks on this issue of rights that it is impossible better get that we're now going to see parliament voting again until recently his

budget deal. well yes it is very possible we don't know for sure but there is an assumption that the reason may will for another time try and get palminteri and behind had the and that maybe she uses these talks with gerry rico but also as a threat to her own party to the right of her own party to say if you go now vote for my idea because some of your own party haven't so far voted for i had if you don't do it now this is what breaks it's going to look like a softer bragg's it breaks it that i'm going to then have to stitch up with the labor party say yes very possible that we will see another vote. mass in london thank you. another shameful incident of racist abuse in the top tiers of european football this time aged at nineteen year old moyes kane of italy's league leader eventis they were locked in a tight game at the goddy when cain managed

a game clinching goal celebration was aimed at the home fans who've been hurling abuse things got so bad that the opposing captain offered protection while now keane's own teammates the own nardo nucci has come under fire for saying that the blame was fifty fifty and that cain should not have provoked the fans with his celebration. coming up on the news it is g.w. news asia death by stoning amputations lashings all forms of punishment which are now in effect in britain i will hear from a human rights activist who calls them barbaric to the core and malaysia's disgraced former prime minister in court on corruption charges we take a closer look at the multibillion dollar scandal. all those stories and more coming up in the meantime it's go by for us for now i'm sorry kelly in berlin

thank you so much for watching. the books include.

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documentary. this is news asia coming up on the program they'll sultan and shari'a law a new penal code enters force in brunei it punishes adultery and gay sex with death by stoning we'll hear from a human rights group calling it barbaric to the core plus. malaysia's disgraced former prime minister is in court over the multibillion dollar one corruption scandal where did the money go and can really get it back and.