ah, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. ukraine reports bloody battles asked at the us off steel plant. hundreds of civilians are believed to be trapped inside their hopes are now pinned on a new russian promise for a cease fire. also coming up. well come and key if once again, the german chancellor and the german president have received an official invitation from ukraine off the weeks of diplomatic tension and how the war in ukraine is leaving more people than ever facing starvation. rising food prices are combining

with extreme weather patents for perfect storm of hunger and south saddam. ah, i'm glad of has thanks for joining us today. ukraine's army says russia is trying to destroy the last remaining soldiers inside the us of south steel plant. in mario porch, moscow denies reports that its forces have stormed the plant. a 3 day seas fire and as by moscow is due to begin on thursday to allow the evacuation of more civilians . but the ukrainian president suggests that the destruction of the steel plant has made it harder for any one to leave. he said, russian bombardments had left concrete debris, trapping civilians in underground bunkers, and that they would have to be dug out. the battle for as

elf style has been relentless. this footage released by russian backed forces shows how determined moscow is to take thee still works in mary jo paul the plant is become a symbol of ukrainian resistance in the east of the country. russia wants to drive out the few ukrainian forces still here, but these soldiers are refusing to give up and appear to be fighting to the death you do it was to grow up with their heavy, bloody battles. when was, i am proud of my soldiers for make an inhuman efforts to contain the enemy's onslaught in liquor. i thank the whole world for the tremendous support of the mario paul garrison. not our soldiers to serve it. the situation is extremely difficult and but we continue to carry out the order to keep the defense, the motto. berlin caught in the middle civilians but the fortunate

ones have been freed from from that underground prison. thou roberta, for the mirror, magneer, do escape and be beneath the piece. the sky is wonderful. you look at it. the blue and the bright sun. in many though is still hiding in the bunkers and corridors that form part of the steel plant is, would you? i am wish for a door to deal with it. we hope to continue rescuing people from as of style from mary paul. there were still civilians left there. women children that he had to save them. we need to continue the ceasefire. ukrainian saw it is ready to provide it. it takes time just to lift people out of those basements out of those underground shelters. is them lay? moscow says it will allow a 3 day cease fire starting thursday to help the remaining civilians get out. but with heavily armed troops on the ground,

it's unclear if the fighting will stop and whether more civilians will get out alive. else a sashes shackle of works with a humanitarian medical organization, doctors without borders in ukraine and joins me on the phone now such as some 300 civilians were able to leave mario pal yesterday. you met some of them. what did they tell you? hello, my name is my name is ashley. i'm our medical activity manager. in human condition . i just found frontier yeah, we have some of the people who left my boat. you will hear this go. yeah, the main domain domain with the problem was like the most of them, they do it. they're like the depression, they hear district. and like i said,

we are going to try to respond to these and also be provided like a logical support for everyone who, who was needed to be the support and also like maybe co organization. you support it like structure which can also be provided try essential treatment for those people who you're in. can you allow me to interrupt that? can you give us any idea how many civilians remain in this field plan and what's the situation therein. so what the, what the, what has seen them, i so like around people who are able to move from, from mobile and most of most of them do like

stress really, really 1st now the aid organizations aren't allowed access to mario bo. so who's providing medical help that in mario? so i'm, i'm responsible for activity here in the ukraine. and i said the person in the reception point, and what did you, did you provided the support that from from the other actors or yeah, i know that and other another organization accompanying their, the convoy and the calibrated please me through how to provide their necessary medical. ready medical people that was

sasha from doctors without borders. thank you very much for your work session. thank you. can can we can bring in the w correspondent, manuel sha, who's in levine. m a much of the focus is on mario paul now, but the war is playing out across a full 100 kilometer front. is either side making any gains. well, again, it is really is very volatile. we've heard dad say over a night there was a heavy shedding, of course, on eastern ukraine from russian forces. dave and some miss eyes fell on the on the crime on charles go, causing 20 feet. people are being injured, assuming region was heat 40 times with no injury reported. and there, while the ukraine, an army has made some a gaze around

a cities of hard keith harrison and michel i if the situation is very volatile, like i was, as i was saying, as some territories gain, some others or last ways ukrainian or armed forces acknowledging that russia had taken a string of villages in the ease, but also gaining ground. you were mentioning mario, paul, this is where all eyes here in ukraine and perhaps also in the world. i turned at the moment with hundreds of civilians still trapped there. along with our, with our cell dears, ukrainian soul. these will have called on the international community and under rest of your crane and forces to come to their rescue. they've set a time in again, a sol the is ukrainian sold is in mar, you pull with not surrender to the russian forces. now rush has been ramping up its attacks. also striking infrastructure deep inside

a ukraine. poverty to stop weapons from the west to get into the front lines. has that been successful? well out, we do not see it even here in a western ukraine, that's russia. seems to have become very nervous about those are weapon deliveries, humanitarian deliveries, from the ukraine's western allies. that to give you an idea last night here in the v of we had 3 air strike alerts today this morning. we also had a one had to go about actually to go daddy's actually are like russia actually acknowledges that the goal is to a hit add to military infrastructure and death. the russian authorities said that day, or would we stay goal no matter how many weapons are coming from the west, many infrastructures where we infrastructure here in the v have already been debate madeau. so in central ukrainian near pro r last night. and we can only feel that those kind of air strikes might intensify

in the days to come to w correspondent, m an will show us. thank you very much. recent diplomatic tensions between key for and berlin appear to be following after ukraine's president change course and extended an invitation to germany. as chancellor and its president. the turnaround comes weeks off, the german president frank weatherstone. bio was told he was not wanted in ukraine . mars dealings with russia during his tenure as foreign ministers as foreign minister have come on the fierce criticism. he was also a champion of the north stream to gas pipeline, joined my heart since admitted he made mistakes when dealing with moscow. visa, barbara, i'm wilson for more this, you turn on, thou joined by our political correspondence on the sparrow in berlin. what has changed that stone by and thou can travel to keith?

it wasn't, no one's interested was neither in ukraine's interest, nor in germany's interest to have this high profile diplomatic route at a time where so much is at stake. and here in germany, certainly pressure was growing for the german president, but also the german chancellor to try and resolve this diplomatic route. so probably that is the background that explains why the german president was a german head of state frank. by that time, my a spoke on the phone to mr salons, he did try precisely and resolve all those differences and then paved the way to a possible visit to key if so, certainly the idea behind all this is to really make sure that those diplomatic difficulties in the past, in the last few weeks, could certainly be resolved in both ukraine and germany can then move forward. it also is more about the background of this diplomatic spat between german and the ukrainian leadership. where did it come from? how did it develop?

what essentially refers to stein my as past as german foreign minister and his relations to russia. back then and now as german president, he was actually planning a trip to key if that was something that was supposed to happen in april. but as he himself said at the time that visit was not welcome. it's important to also stress that ukrainian source is from the government actually denied that tie mayor had been uninvited. but what certainly happened was that mister stuy man did not go to ukraine, and that then stood in the way for the german chancellor left shoulder to also visit ukraine. that prompted in turn, fears, criticism by the ukrainian ambassador here in berlin. so all in all, a very difficult situation for germany and for ukraine, especially at a time when there's a lot of discussion as well about what germany can actually deliver to ukraine. what can, what kind of help can come from germany to ukraine this difficult time for that country? so all in all this phone conversation now will probably help to ease those tensions

. the big question now is, who will then go to key f? first? will it be the president or the chancellor and also what they will take with them? they cannot go empty handed to a visit to ukraine, especially after what we've just seen in the past few weeks. thank you very much to the obvious, political correspondent, thomas sparrow. there thank you. more than 3000000 refugees from ukraine have arrived in poland since the beginning of the war in ukraine. the majority are still in the country and many have found homes lodging with poles who took them in spontaneously. but now living space is getting scarce, and many volunteers are exhausted. the polish government has appealed to the you for funds to help integrate refugees. a small gesture of gratitude for yeskis hosea. it's become a daily ritual. ever since she took refugees from ukraine into her home,

her family of 4 has been joined by 8 more people to have something buckley on that, as i suggest, that shaw saw. but i wanted to give this room to 3 people here, but then a driver arrived in the middle of the night with 8 hook us without the children were coughing and the women started crying because they didn't want to be split up and running. and i felt weak in the knees the processes but, but i said yes, i'm good. no breath or spontaneous gesture has become a long term solution. her family is exhausted or did work machines and even work though he's not scott, for 2 months. i have not known what it's like to come home and just hear silence. no reminder. so maybe we need to get that slowly back to norma, but about that to let the good as it's mila. her sister and a friend came from western ukraine with 5 children, voices, and being helpless makes them uncomfortable. i guess the results are using as a data. thank nancy now lizzie, her lightly her family from isa there used to being together. now suddenly having 8

people is very difficult for me as a student, and i'm even a shame that all of the work falls on an escrow. and her husband telling you that they buy everything them or when it's the food and everything we need for the children. to buy a glass lead you took set in order to help host families. the polish government wants to pay monthly grants of around $250.00 euros for refugee. but at miasca hasn't received any money yet. militarize earn some extra cash cleaning houses. yes, but you cannot afford her own apartment. doesn't opposite of him because in fact, i get money that i have 3 children. me. even if i work as a single mom, it will still be very difficult for me to give him the cost to poland. the government in warsaw is hoping for more help from the u. z o neuropathy, gift us, of the european union has allocated large sums to refugees. but it's

a drop in the bucket couple from the point of view of the policy government, it would be important to set up a fund that would manage this aid for the you and cover the costs of refugees in your new place. typical promote, so at least that although he was probably hudson acne esco would be happy if at least some money came soon but she doesn't regret helping many police feel the same way and like the ukrainian guests, they hoped that the war will end soon. no, all the ukraine war threatens to impact europe's energy supplies at all. it's also threatening other parts of the world with should, shortages, russia and ukraine are both major exporters of wheat, cooking oil and other food staples exports. and now being disrupted, pushing price is higher and making food more affordable for the world's most impoverished people. humanitarian relief is also being affected in 2021. ukraine was the largest single source of food for the ones world food program,

which works to fit the most vulnerable around the world. in eastern africa, the situation is particularly dire. the effects of climate change are being compounded why regional conflicts and other knock on effects of rushes warren ukraine, are exacerbating that crisis, while part of the region is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years. south sudan has been hit by severe flooding that makes imports of food and grain even more vital. near luca products garden is flooded. she tries desperately to rebuild her small embankment in her village. pag we're residents have built canoes to move themselves around as their cattle perish in the flood waters. it's the 3rd year in a row that they've had to fight the effects of heavy flooding according to get the water steak and everything from me. my land, my home, my food lists, actually,

the flats came 2 years ago. since then. we've lived in water beach. i, our best out of the water beats on a large part of south sudan has been hit by the worst flooding in 60 years. nearly a 1000000 people are suffering the consequences. the catastrophe has had a country in which millions are starving and impoverished. south sudan has the highest poverty rate in the world. 80 percent of people live on less than $2.00 a day. no food prices, a rising grain comes from neighboring countries who themselves import wheat from russia and ukraine. years of armed conflict of meant that very few crops, a grown and so to sedan, it's almost totally dependent on imports. and it's often lowest in the food chain. link,

the worth hunger prices to be over $8000000.00 people. i think monday and wednesday we're unable to reach we're seeing people view feeding in the face of the conflict . like right. with my food packages from 8 organizations or reaching only a fraction of south sedans. 12000000 people, many of whom are in great need. as the rainy season begins again, david labord is an expert on food security at the international food policy research institute in washington d. c. and he joins us now from there. now, 4 and a half 1000000 tons of grain are said to be stuck in ukraine because russia is blocking the countries pause. that sounds like a lot put this into perspective for us. is this a big problem globally? it's a serious problem, especially because we start from a situation where

a global inventory is we are low, a full price where increasing scenes early last year. so we really didn't need miss . lack of supply of is here and, and you can reach, i represent one 3rd of the global market for wheat, even if you just 5 percent of the global predictions or, you know, some countries, all countries in the world are not threatened by the situation with countries that rely on the world markets are and beyond grange. you also have to visit to but all, and also to fetch laser coming from a wood foot system is really impacted by the situation. so in all this, russia has restricted its own exports. so you've just mentioned fertilizers as well . is russia now deliberately worsening a global food crisis? you think. 1 maybe not, i mean that in all food price crises, risha was used to put the export restriction to try to protect their market. so his behavior is not, you know, obviously you guys and your political game at play here and reach out,

try to be nicer. we've friendly countries and, and that the situation, but it's not something really surprising coming from russia or from other countries in the field. it's be of your quite usual to, to see now was it a mistake? so i have global food security, so dependent on just 2 countries, russia and ukraine, could this have been foreseen 1st, i mean, that go, that security is really addressed by a global supply. i mean brazil, argentina thailand. and depending on which comedy to you are looking at indonesia, hope i'm on the wall, doesn't you been just on these 2 countries? are these being said, we should not forget also that reshay's or love this country on earth. so it doesn't. it's not surprising that a lot of with all federalized or, or the metro associates can come from this. now, i mean in the last 50 years or what have been much more diversified actually in food supply. if you go back 50 years in the past,

the us representing more than half of all the grain markets in the world. no, we are in a better situation. but of course, for country that sort of our product from the black seen particular. if you have a war in the black sea, that great problem fall enough africa on part of east africa and but the global for to blade self esteem there. now, would you say that it is? it is wise for countries to now look at after after decades of globalization that have, as you said, diversified food supplies. is it wise for countries to now look at what they produce for themselves and not so be so dependent on imports? i mean, it's why for country to take care of their agriculture to take care of their farmers and to promote sustainable way to produce food. but depending on the well market or is it on market is not to prepare. see, you know, what's happening sof sudan even if stuffs were done with trying to produce food. when you have a conflict, when you are fluid and you will still be very happy to be able to bring foot from

somewhere in this market need to exist on a regular basis. similarly, maroka is going to lose half of his production of grains due to drug this year. and just in a walk re impacted by clement sent and more and more. what we need is more cooperation is more diversity, but not a more egoistic behavior. david about that from the international food poly reset policy research institute in washington d. c. thank you very much for having me for astronauts have left the international space station and are on their way back to us. the caps, you will safely undocked from the ice as ending their crews, 6 months, science, omission. if everything goes according to plan, they're due to touched on 1st. then i was off the coast of the u. s. they to florida. both that capsule is german astronaut monte us molla did obviously i blazed. takes a look back at his time in space. next step is your opinion. sneezing and he asked

when german astronaut mathias member arrived in space 6 months ago. the 1st thing he wanted to do was look down at his home planet. i was like, wow, wow, is like i, i had goosebumps all over my body and shivering, almost like, wow, i'm really in space at down on the me. i see a beautiful blue blue blue planet. since then, down on that blue planet, a war has started. and fears have arisen that the tensions between russia and the e u and u. s. might affect the international space station as well. but 400 kilometers above earth, life goes on as normally as it can in 0 gravity. we are all up here for the same purpose to explore and to keep this does face station

maintained and to keep performing the science on the in our laboratories. and so that is all we focused on, so the dynamic hasn't changed and we have about a 40 year history of working with the russians. and that is all still very much in working in play here and has been a real pleasant flavor working with our colleagues a friday evening, we always eat together and we shed he the highlights of the week in the evening. we float over to the russian sick man. they come over to our sia and did the spirit and space stations really, really good. as new rockets head to the station, leaving the conflict on earth behind a new crew of cosmo not joined the international team in march right in time from ours birthday party. the fact the newcomers were wearing the colors of the ukrainian flag was just a coincidence. they said, oh we're so we're mars time in space was mostly occupied not with political

conflicts, but with scientific experiments and maintaining the station he even conducted the space, walk a dream for every astronaut. i want to stay, i wouldn't, i would like to stay a little bit longer. there's still a lot of stuff that i want to do. so i would mind to stay in mind such 2 or 3 long lpn space understandable as at least the i s s. has long been considered a no waste this of piece to that's oil news for now, but stay with us because coming up in a dw news asia head of the philippines presidential ballot, we look at the top candidates vying to lead the country for the next 6 years dictated, santa and a widow was pledged to defend democracy that and more coming up with melissa

john just after a short break. and of course, you can find a lot more news analysis and videos on our website. tense 40 w dot com and to follow us on social media at the w news on gabrielle 1st in early . thank you very much. watch. ah ah, with

ah, ah. the shoes to the spotlight goes down. the worries about family members to ukrainian notice how to sign into sports like they can forget about the war, at least for a few focus in 60 minutes, d, w, enjoying the view and come to take

a look at this tv highlight school every week in your inbox, subscribe now it's not a question of whether the next crisis will come, but only when and how the media will deal with it. how can we stay focused on what is important? shaping tomorrow now, exploring opportunities for media professionals in times of crisis. the global media for june 2020 to your ticket. now lou, a rear natural spectacle in an improved world the meeting of the loom whale sharks of the remote island of saint hulu. it is

a testament to the quality of the islands waters. one of the many success stories from a bastion of biodiversity. seato starts may 20th on d, w. a . you're watching d. w. news asia coming up today, a name that will exercise some memories, leading the presidential election in the philippines is ferdinand marco's junior son of the former dictator. marcos is leading in the polls, and d. w goes to the families power base. their northern region of locust north day to find out more and the marco's dictatorship went after political opponents and activists. tor.