[000:00:00;00] ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, washington. warren's moscow is creating a pretext for an invasion of you praying intelligence officials claim russia is

preparing a false flag operation. after a week of talks aimed at diffusing tension, ends in deadlock, also coming up on the show. despite a surgeon cope in 19, in india, thousands of hindu pilgrims take the risks and bait and the river ganges as part of a holy festival. and another twist in the novak joke of which saga, the tennis star facing detention after australian authorities cancel his visa a 2nd time will get the latest from melbourne. ah, hello, i am glad, richards, and thanks so much for joining us. united states is warning that russia is preparing possible sabotage efforts in ukraine that could justify a potential invasion us intelligence officials claim moscow is planning to frame the government in key of as an aggressor, as a pretext for invading further into ukraine. here's more from the pentagon

spokesperson, we have information that they've preposition, a group of operatives to conduct what we call a false flag operation. an operation designed to look like an attack on them or their peep or, or russian speaking people in ukraine, a again as an excuse to, to go in. so this comes after a week of diplomacy between russia and western powers achieved. no breakthrough. russia has now ups the pressure to prevent nieto from expanding eastward and asking for a written response to its security demands by next week or the west refusing to budge . the kremlin is keeping its troops in place on ukraine's border. russian snipers ready for action near the ukrainian border. just some of the military exercises being carried out by moscow,

as it continues to threaten its neighbour. russian troops have been massing along the border for weeks. his tensions between the 2 nations grow. these satellite images taken at the beginning of december, had already stoked fears that moscow was planning to invade ukraine. over the last few days, there's been a flurry of diplomatic activity as the u. s. nato and the e u. each tries to avert a war. but so far it appears to have come to nothing. cities, oliver, it was obvious from the beginning that the position of russia was unacceptable. it does not take a diplomacy genius to realize that russia's proposals were difficult to accept for the western world. mongolia, the kremlin says it's defending itself,

and it wants guarantees that nato won't expand its military alliance eastwards. but it's also warned, it won't hang around. we have reasons to believe that our partners of understood the necessity to react quickly precisely and on paper. and they have understood that we are not going to wait forever. first. of course, there are plans to drug it on and on, which is 2 things have already been dragging on since rushes annexation of crimea in 2014 keith's army has been fighting pro kremlin separatists increased in ukraine for those ukrainians. living close to the russian border talks seem futile. the, some, i see no reason to negotiate with russia,

the aggressive country with those people who fight against us now, i can't see anything positive in this. needed positive all at them. as the russian build up of troops continues, it still looks like there's no real sign. a compromise can be reached. at earlier d, w spoke to under russia rod, a senior fellow in the german council on foreign relations security and defense program. and we asked him whether russia really sees the potential of eastward expansion of nato as a threat to its national security. from trying to discuss or understand the russian perspective, what needs to remember that ever since 2008 need to have the promise of taking in georgia and you bring on board. the board has made some clean, committed, once georgia, and you will be member of deadlines. there is no deadline to death, but the promise is still there, and the promises that it and russia keeps considering nito as primary military

threat and also the source potential danger for the safety of the rational the ration from russia perspective and future accession of ukraine to need to indeed for the it's another question. however, the alliance does not taking any concrete hands on going to, we're going to do moment ukraine has to look at maybe the crimea ok by the, even by russia as well as eastern your brain. and right now, it doesn't seem to be at least to get all the way to make it to be alliance any time. so feel rushed up even the very possibility that. so to turn our attention now to some of the other stories making news around the world . the office of british prime minister wars johnson has apologized to the royal family. after revelations of more staff parties. the country was under locked down

. johnson is facing growing pressure to resign over the events. its emerged to gatherings took place last april on the night before the funeral of the queen's husband. prince philip a u. s. judge has ordered a jail to drug firm executive martin directly to return over $64000000.00 in profits. i intend to follow the advice greatly is notorious for hiking the price of a life saving aids drug, some 4000 present and defrauding investors. the judge also barred him from the pharmaceutical industry for life. around 30 migrants have been rescued from the english channel after their boat capsized in icy waters. one man has died from hypothermia. a growing number of migrants are attempting the treacherous journey. last year, more than 28000 people crossed from france to britain in small boats with go to northern india now where tens of thousands of hindu pilgrims have gathered

for a holy festival. that includes bathing in the ganges river. that is, despite a huge jump in cove at 19 infections in india. our next report looks at how pilgrims and the authorities are dealing with the oma kron variant which is driving the search. ah, tens of thousands of people come together to take the holy dip under the watchful eye of police. in some places, authorities have sent up drones to sprinkle holy water on devotees. so they don't come too close to one another. but not everyone is listening to the authorities, avenue card. people are standing here on the banks of the river and roaming around without any mass. william and nobody is following the guideline locked announcements are being made to urge people to wear. man, what can the government do?

nobody is following the rule. making that are being india has recently had a massive surgeon corona virus cases. fueled by the army kron variant from an average of 8000 new cases, a day in november to well over 200000. and now some dave l taste are unfazed for almost scared of the corona virus. i'm not scared of it. why not? i believe it's a disease from the past and nothing else. dozens of police and cleaning staff at the festival have already tested positive for the virus. critic say the government has allowed the festival to go ahead despite the health risks had a fear of offending its hindu voter base. but once a, we are praying to the gods that corona virus will end. and that we become free of this pandemic beaming. and we can resume our live like before that there was

a good that, that those prayers will be desperately needed to keep this festival from becoming another super spread or event and tennis star. another joke of it is due to be interviewed shortly by australian border force officials. afterwards, he'll be placed in detention ahead of a court hearing that will decide whether or not he gets to ported and fall as momentous day on friday when joke of which his visa was provoked for a 2nd time. i the australian government just days before, he's a striding open title. defense was due to begin novick, jock of it's trained on center court, still waiting for the australian government's decision. it came late in the day in australia and landed with seismic impact. this trailing minister for immigration, alex hawk cancelled mister jack witcher's visa on health and good order grounds. and on the basis he concluded it was in the public interest to do so. it's now

unclear whether this was novick jock of which his last appearance on center court in melbourne this year. that will be established when an appeal against his 2nd visa cancellation lands back in the legal court on sunday. before that he will be taken into some form of detention by a strengthen border force. officials. however, the judge and respective lawyers interpret the use of legal language in melbourne on the streets of belgrade. the people judgment is clear. of all did on, i'm disgusted to some i'm angry because i did not expect that they would treat the best tennis player like this. i think he did not deserve this the near the forger talk on it. oh, he serves australia no longer exists. if you have a cousin or a brother that you should just forget about them. and so a drama for the ages continues in melbourne. the final chapter of a legal fight that my shape sporting history. and let's bring in it steve peers,

he's been covering the australian open for more than a decade, and he joins us now from melbourne. steve, a lot of back and forth in this tennis drama where do things stand now? claire it's, it's fascinating. it's one die. i just moved to a whole different realm and here we are again with joking, which i'm being interviewed this morning is we just heard that and then he'll face a brief directional procedural hearing. we're expecting a full hearing of the federal court for tomorrow sunday, australia time, which will ultimately decide his fight. but what, what's interesting also here is from what we heard from the brief court hearing loss. no, it is that the government appears to change tack and not be pressing any further on the medical exemption side of what its original problem with setting up in australia is in a more focusing on again what we just had around that anti vaccination sentiment

and the fact that he's continued presence in the country, couldn't sites, so the demonstrations or, or energized that and see vaccination part of the community, which in turn the government says could cause a serious health concerns from, from people then continuing to to not back so night. it's a, it's a really fascinating change whether they'll be more that comes out in a full hearing and they'll be other matters as well. but certainly that was the focus last night. so joke of h to face a brief federal court hearing this morning and then we understand he will be in detention in some form or another until that sunday. here, you mentioned those demonstrations. are they representative of the national sentiment in general? what are australians making of this case? it's paul or us in class aside, the least. it's, it's, you know, everyone seems to come down one side, viola. i'd say more people are on the and see,

know that side the more on the private side and decided that this would probably be vastly different if this with roger federal ref on the job would be an understatement. brokovich has never been a hugely popular figure down here, and that is of course, one of the, his problems around the world is that he's, he's number 3 in that picking order. but you get the sense that most people are of the few that why are the rooms different to him and outside of the actual detail of, you know, that content cation around with a joke of it. you can have the, the jab will know and most people here of course have had the jap is very high vaccination writes, and then not really understanding why they seem to be different rules for jock of ich, as opposed to everyone else. so that's kind of the, the broader view, but exactly what the judge decides is of course what's going to be very important critical in this case state periods. joining us from melbourne. thank you so much for that update. pleasure. you are watching detail the news before we go. let's get

a reminder of the top story we are following for you. washington says moscow is planning to frame ukraine's government in such a way that would justify a russian invasion. it comes after a week of diplomacy between russia and western powers. ended with no breakthrough. that you need update at this hour. stay tuned for the business had lines coming up next with my colleague janelle to milan. don't forget, there is always more on our website, d, w dot com. or you can check us out with social media at data view news. i'm fly richardson in berlin for me and the team here working behind the scenes. thank you so much for joining us. ah