is already having the shortest the state of the business on rob was in berlin. welcome to the program. germany's minister for economic affairs, robert havoc has warned that germany is preparing for a complete stop of russian gas deliveries. it comes on the eve of a deadline for germany to begin paying for russian gas in rubles something it's refusing to do. our back said that there are currently no supply bottlenecks, but he said germany was implementing step one of its 3 stage emergency plan. back also stressed that both private and industrial consumers needed to do more to limit their consumption in the coming months. on this i've been speaking to monica schnitzer from the german council of economic experts. i asked her if this was a sign the german government is genuinely concerned that russia could stop supplying its natural gas. i mean, there's also a possibility that we definitely need to prepare a font that has raised in,

particularly after the onset of the wall. that such a situation might arise and, and therefore, this is exactly the step that the government needs to do. now we need to prepare because so we cannot control what's happening on the russian side. there's the question is if this is step one, step $2.00 and $3.00 could ultimately be coming. but should we expect steps 2 and 3 though the ramping off of the severity of this? this is really a political situation that is extremely difficult to predict on. so in the end, so we need to prepare. so that in the event of an increasing on crisis and in the event or phone shortage off supplies off a stop to supplies, we can deal with it. but at this point, it's really a political situation that is very hard to evaluate. perhaps this will spur

companies on households to start to prepare, but what sort of ways in which can companies factories and people prepare for what could be to come? so it's really important that everybody prepares and the best possible way for households. that would mean really think about how to reduce or energy consumption that can start so by reducing heat, it can go on by reducing driving, lowering the speed with it. sure, tribe sharing cars when you go to work, these kind of rush us are definitely possible at the level of the industry. also precautions should be taken and to ways to substitute for instance, gas or should be considered ways of energy saving. also by, for instance, using digital methods to control the energy or use or can have to lower the

consumption. so every step for that helps to reduce energy consumption will be a way forward to prepare ourselves. if less is to come in, this comes at a time when german houses are already battling with rising inflation. your organization has just published its forecast for the german economy. should germans be preparing for tougher times where we are already experience a tough a time that was due to the amik runway of free hat song in winter that was due to the shortages of supply. and now with the rise of energy rise as things have been even more plague. so we have actually reduced our forecast. we expected to last year that this year would be a real uptake in the economy. now we think that the uptake maybe only buy 1.8 percent for t d p. and this means our only towards the end of the year,

or we will actually be back to the level that we had free pandemic. so on, if anything was, is to come. so if the say we really have a stop in energy supplies from russia, then the situation will be even worse. ok, monica schnitzer from me. german council of economic experts. thank you very much for joining us on the w business at leisure. more on the state of the german economy coming up. but the specter of a sudden stop in gas supplies from russia has driven leaders across the u to search for other sources. kita, breaking its dependence on russian gas is likely to be liquefied natural gas from the united states. one region that's set to profit from yours pivots to ellen gee, with the iberian peninsula facilities like this one in barcelona, could play a key role in braking europe's dependency on russian natural gas. there are some of

the oldest plants in the block for processing liquefied natural gas. and soon enough, they could be handling new supplies of elegy from the united states. as often does as his plan. does it jointly? the 6 plans in spain had 40 percent of the total capacity in continental europe, again and the dentist that people having this kind of infrastructure and a gas system adds flexibility and reinforces the supply compared with systems in other european countries, them of which have a total dependency on physical infrastructure such as pipeline sophistic osbourne actually bought a bottle. the u. s. as an ounce. it will boost its l. n. g shipments to the e by 15000000000 cubic meters this year. with further supply increases on the way it's a step in the right direction. but pivoting the use energy mixed to the west is a mammoth task. it's not going to be easy. that's for sure. m d u has a plan at the re power. you went to important how we combine our efforts in the

sense of how each country's work together and relating to these new suppliers, for example. and that teamwork will be critical if the e was to reach its goal of completely phasing out russian gas deliveries by the end of the decade. rising gas prices are behind one of the biggest challenges facing germany's economy. inflation. the german council of economic experts latest forecast includes a prediction and inflation will top 6 percent this year. as more than double it's previous estimate. the war in ukraine is making many goods boss, gas and shoppers can't help and noticed the difference. no more. sunflower, oil, germans, are panic, buying groceries as supplies of some products, dwindled due to the worn ukraine. raw materials are missing, supply chains are breaking down. hundreds of supermarket items are becoming more expensive at sienna cleaner than i'm on a small pension, and you really have to wash and look at everything. no, not, or queries off. i used to just throw it in the cart without even looking. now i

have to look because i feel my wallet lycos asap out. i've been holding garages myself to be on his are for the embassy cluster. i find it weird that people are starting to hoard food. grosser lib submitted prices for essential inputs, like fertilizer for farming are going up. farmer philip kindly pays 4 times more for fertilizer than he did a year ago. many farmers can no longer afford it. harvests are set to be less productive. weed prices have already doubled them, it's one's all one play prices right now. it's an nice but if cost continues to skyrocket, then we also need cover costs are to be near the same level as $1.00 or 2 years ago . votes was on be fine, sway on the price of diesel has doubled to kind brings tractors and machines used $30000.00 leaders per year. energy prices are volatile, making them difficult to predict one wrong decision. and to farmers can be ruined the only i just got his early thursday as very high right now and making the right

decisions a challenge. it's when's the right time to sell when the right down to buy? you can easy miscalculation back i'mma dignitary austin if a cock, leon, kind billings neighbor. yona shrugged. sidney, hove also a farmer season. other problem having cash doesn't help if you can't buy most essential products. but about it, it's not possible that for to lesson in particular, difficult to obtain con evelyn who has in pre ordered them, is having problems right now. lima. no fertilizer from ukraine and russia. the warehouses at the basil in dealer in mac to borg are almost empty. condo, yes, really, there will be that one or 2 farmers when come away empty handed this year last year . and so prices are likely to rise even further. but hoarding food is not necessary . this supermarket manager insists as give vocally cannuck. there really is enough or we can supply every one of a hog should ask yourself when you're shopping, if you really need the sunflower oil now,

or if you still have enough. and if i need something as always one bottle is enough . if after we only compound the problem, if you'll start hoarding again, who's done the priced barrow will hit low income earners. the hardest vale have to be even more careful about what goes into the shopping cart. and what does it away from your cow and sir lanka? has asked the international monetary fund for a bailout to help with its ballooning foreign debt is now running at around $51000000000.00. the country is unable to pay for medicine, food, and other basic necessities. and its citizens are paying a heavy priced people waiting in queue that start before dawn. that's what citizens now expect when purchasing essentials like gas and cooking fuel. in this lined for kerosene, many have stood for more than 5 hours on empty stomachs in the scorching sun. everyone is angry. nominate people are dying waiting. 3 people fainted in this very

que. they're motivated with frustration is mounting and on the streets. it's palpable out of my in my family, everyone standing and cues across the city. one is waiting for diesel. one is waiting for gas. we can't even make tea at home. sri lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in living memory. the result of a series of misfortunes and chronic mismanagement by its leaders. farmers faced a devastating drought in 2016. the implementation of a government policy banning and ported fertilizer compounded the issue. it was an attempt to make sri lanka the 1st organic farming nation, but instead farmers left their fields and food prices skyrocketed. a few years later, terrorist bombings rocked the nation. travellers cancelled reservations. the pandemic dried up, any remaining tourism, which sri lanka heavily relies on to pay for its imports. i am expecting you to get

the look was and unfortunately down able to convey need because the people who created the crisis very much stealing charge of economic management. oh, so i think it's behaviorally possible for them to of knowledge that they have made a huge blunder. and they had to reverse all these. ah, in good d could on meet policies. low fuel means power cuts, another burden for businesses trying to operate. meanwhile, schools have run out of paper and hospitals are suspending surgeries like the queues for basic goods. the problems here seem and less. now reminder of our top story, this, our germany has triggered an emergency plan to secure it gas applies announcement from may. federal ministry of economics comes on the eve, the deadline to begin paying russia for its gas and rubles to something that the

german government is refusing to do that. so for man of his team, herringberg and from all from us, do have to our website d to we dot com slash business. you can also find us on monday to when use youtube channel and on facebook as well with elf on there is p to. we don't do business until next, a with a

extremism in increasingly content like this can be found on young people's cell phones sharing. it is illegal, but that doesn't stop it from spreading like wildfire in chest with children and really becomes what children share online. in 30 minutes on d. w. a man with the memories of a woman, a league from syria is born in a female body. forced into marriage, great. far from home. ali can finally become the person he's always wanted to be. i won't be spared badly. oh, in the free credit, and we'll go with it. i was born in berlin. in 75

on d, w. and how many portion of love us are now in the world right now the climate change . if i recall the story, this is lifeline. the way from just one week, how much was going to really get we still have time to work on going on with his subscribe along with is the end of the pandemic in site. we show what it could look like will return to normal. and we visit those who are finding it difficult with success in our weekly coping 19 special every thursday on d w. ah,

ah ah, this is d w. news live from berlin. russia keeps up. it's a tax on ukraine, despite hopes for a reduction in military operations. the eastern region of jeanette's comes under heavy sharing as part of a possible shift in moscow's war aims. the kremlin, say, says there's been no breakthrough at peace talks about scaling back. its forces isn't to a cease fire, also coming up germany, braces for possible disruptions to its gas delivery.