[000:00:00;00] news ah ah, this is the w news life from berkeley. finland takes the 1st step towards nato membership in a mood that would end the decades of military number line. but the finished president and prime minister say that country should join without delay. also on the program, keep off as a prisoner swap to get wounded soldiers out of embattled matter. your pulse still planned, offering to hand over brushing,

prisoners of war in exchange and to north korea confirms its 1st official outbreak of cope if 19 and national locked downs in place. the spreading over chronic barrier is reported in the capital paeonia. ah, i'm fil gail. welcome to the program. finance president and prime minister have called for the country to apply for nato membership as soon as possible in a joint statement. so the minister and saturn martin said nato membership would strengthen feminine security as a member of nato. freedom would strengthen the entire defense alliance. finland must apply for nato membership without delay. for the 1st step of the process that could see the country roll back decades of military non alignment enhancements is expected to put pressure on sweden, which is also considering applying to joy,

finland shares of 1300 kilometer border with russia. the national mood has changed dramatically. since moscow's invasion of ukraine, alexander stove is a former prime minister of finland. i put it to him that many field. today's announcement is long overdue. well, certainly, i've been an advocate the finish nato membership for the better part of 30 is probably one could say that better late than never. and i must say that this will go down in history of nato's 9th enlargement, which is pretty much larger than without his attack or ukraine. i don't think the finish public opinion would have changed radically. i see the house. so what message you think defense to vladimir putin? well, i think the president of finland saline in is that study quite well yesterday. you know, all you need to do is in cram look in the mirror. it sends a message that when finsen suites feel unsafe, they seek for security elsewhere. not the good news of course is that we are more

data compatible. the most nato states. we have reserves of 900000. we have mobility of 280000. we have 62 f, a thieves and sued 64 f 35. so we're very much a security asset for the alliance. it's a win win for nordic security. both exceed security, european security, and the alliance. it's an interesting though, that, but russia annex crimea in 2014 while you were prime minister. so what, why do you think it is? it is, it is taken brewton launching an all out war on ukraine for finland to send this message to russia. finally, we should probably go a little bit further. i was for a minister in 2008, the chairman of the a c. and together with french 4 minutes the best not questionnaire. we broker a cease fire in georgia in 5 days. that was the 1st warning signal after that in the speech called 080808. i called for a reassessment to finish nato membership by got

a very strong pushback. 2014. i don't think europe and the west reacted strongly enough. but when you go into full scale conventional warfare, when you kill innocent human beings, women and children, that's what people react. and that's where i think booted made a tactical and strategic mistake, which he has not paid for. all right, and then let's look at the russian reaction to this news because we've heard from the russian foreign ministry a saying that finland, joining nato is a radical change in the countries. foreign policy may go on to say, russia will be forced to take retaliate 3 steps, both of a military, technical, and other nature in order to stop threats to its national security. what's your reaction to that? normal russian rhetoric, remember fin, start cool comment collected? we don't get flustered by much, so we'll see a lot of cyber attacks and probably information wars in the next few days. information was the type of stuff that you just had there, but we'll get that in finland in sweden and then also. and this is a warning. busy all of our future partners, there'll be

a lot of this information about feeling joining nato, but we're not excessively worried. nothing is going to happen on the eastern flag because of feeling joining nato. this is an interesting mindset, but the close the walk through potential danger that mo, you sort of get used to it because as well as what the kremlin has said today, we've heard the moscow repeatedly warning that it might deploy nuclear weapons. if finland and sweden was a joint, nate, so, so you see this is just more russian saber rattling, no, it's actually fake news. i mean, we need to remind the president, former president, but via the nuclear missiles are already there in clinic right around the baltic sea region. but this is the way in which rush, right? trying to intimidate filament sweet and out of the decision to join nato. of course, the reverse will happen. so the more there are threats, the more popularity for nato membership increases. remember, when this war started, we were down to about 20 percent of the population. your favor makes

a membership with russian action and threats. we're now up to 76 percent the now with the prime minister president going out today, we're going to be north of 80 percent in favor of nato membership juxtaposed that with our e referendum, 99457 in favor. 43, not so don't mess with finished security, i guess is what the finish public is trying to tell russia. ok, and it's as, as neighbors, this is such a really interesting and complex extra. you have a 1300 kilometers a border. the relationship has, has been fractious, but you have stayed out of the western military line until now. so where do you see the relationship going from here? well, i think so the foreseeable future. so we're talking few years ahead. we will see an isolated russia and more or less 40 european democracies on the other side of the fast. but of course, as you said, we have 1340 kilometers border with russia. our security policy is always based on

a careful assessment of 2 things, idealism and realism, idealism, in the sense that bone off today, we want to cooperate with russia to make the part of the west. but realism, we upkeep one of the largest militaries in europe. that's the reality on the ground . you know, we've always reacted to situations in 18 o 9. we maximize thought on the 1971 declared independence. 944. we reluctantly accepted peace and lost 10 percent of our country. in 1992 we apply for you membership and now in 2022 we apply for nato membership. and the only reason for this is who this put this aggression. so that's for headline. the headline is that it looks like the country is in favor of, of, of applying to join nato. do you anticipate any significant objections, domestically, or indeed, amongst nato members?

double answer, no, and no domestic. this is a foregone conclusion. listen, all parties are now basically favorite parliament is going to vote in favor, i'd guess about a $180.00 out of $200.00 these next wednesday. so that, that is clear. on the 30 nato member states, we accept a fairly rapid ratification. probably the quickest in the history of nathan membership. and the reason for that is that finland and sweden are asked compatible to nato asked, can be, i think all the countries in nato see us as a security asset, rob that of course, i mean that since we will, it's a win win for us for the baltic sea region and for the ally, and so no problems with that from dr. so, so for the finish prime minister alexander stopped speaking with me a little earlier. ukraine is proposing a prisoner swap to resolve the stand off of the as of styles steel plan to marry off all the plan would allow wounded ukrainian soldiers to move to safety in

exchange for ukraine releasing russian prisoners of war when well, russian forces say they have successfully pushed back, shoot me ukrainian forces a say they have successfully pushed back russian troops around the northeast and city hockey and some residents who fled the fighting have begun to return to their villages. a home at last, tatiana has returned to her village for the 1st time in 2 months. but there's not much left of her house. her garden is littered with the aftermath of russia's invasion. tatiana, as goats, at least, survived the ice line. you met with them here. russians are brothers though. i could never imagined anything like this. this aggression and destruction. digital. when i came home,

i kissed the ground. now i have nothing more. where am i supposed to live and what you like to do was your neighbors in the village weren't spared either. and also came back to find the piles of rubble where their homes one stood but perhaps nowhere either ruins greater than mar you, paul. after weeks of relentless bombardment, russian forces and their separatist allies are now in control of almost all of the strategic port city. before rebuilding can begin, cruise must 1st clear massive amounts of rubble. i used to have 3 rooms now, only half of one. when i came up from the shelter, i opened the door and there was no apartment any more. that was scary. residents who have remained behind are now trying to get on with their lives. and in many cases,

that means improvising the loan hold out of resistance remains the as of style steel plant where fighters trapped under ground have been withstanding russian pounding the ukrainian government has proposed swapping them in exchange for russian soldiers captured during their invasion of ukraine. while they w, i'm in a safe face in the vin western ukraine. i asked him for the latest on them, soldiers hold up in the still pontine body. up, all russia is determined as ever to annihilate that still planning to take a victory there over the as of regiment which has been occupying the steel plant holding up they're, they're basically the last defenders left in mar, you poll, which is this strategic city. they've said that ground troops are bombarding the plant with shells. they've also said that the worst problem is drones, which from russian drones,

which they have no way to protect against. now there have been conflicting reports about whether or not they're civilians left in that steel plant. the ukrainian government said there weren't but then local authorities said there were, but it seems like what they're referring to is those wounded soldiers who are no longer fighting and they're considering them civilians. they want to get them out of there. now the government of ukraine has proposed a prisoner swap with russia. the russia at this point says, that's an unusual request that they won't swap prisoners of war for combatants who are no longer fighting, but have not yet submitted to russian troops. it have not yet given up their so russia has so far denied that the prisoner swap could happen under those terms. okay, now that the ukranian president has recently a praise dies force his latest counter offensive. i'm just talk us through some of those claimed achievers. well, recently another village was liberated according to the ukrainian army from a russian forces. and that's an addition to age that we're liberated so far since

last week. basically what's happening is the ukranian troops are pushing russians away from her son, sorry, from harkey, which is the 2nd largest city in ukraine. and they've pushed them so far away now that they're out of the city is out of range of russian artillery, which is a godsend for a people living in that city who will no longer have to face shelling from russian ground forces. now, a zalinski also said not to expect a victory every single day. he's warned people to be patient. and this kind of confirms and echoes what the u. s. intelligence is said, which is we're seeing a stalemate in the east now with russia, claiming a new territory, new villages, even surrounding the city of several done yet, which is in the east and not yet claimed by russia. so it's really one victory for ukraine. one victory from russia and really a stalemate there. we've also heard reports though that ukraine has a bombed across the border in russia. the mate, the governor of a territory on the russian side, said one russian was killed in an air strike with the hasn't been confirmed by

ukraine. okay, thank you for that. i, i'm in sep, in at the v, the washing d w sli, from bad and still to come in, man is national football games back in action for the 6 month, right? going to qualify for the world. the north korea has officially reported its 1st cases of coping 19 having previously claimed to have no infections. north korean leader kim jong own was seen wearing a face mask for the 1st time, the meeting at which he declared a national lockdown. this by the move, he still refusing international offers of help with vaccinations and has kept his countries borders closed the exact number of cases and possible sources of the outbreak of not be disclosed. last journalist frank smith in sol. what they

said, mission tells us about north korean efforts to deal with the pandemic. well, i think it tells us largely north korea's efforts to deal with a pandemic or have field. as you mentioned, for 2 years, it suggested it had 0 cobit 19 cases. that's not something the international community and health officials around the world really believed. but it was still something of an admission to here. north korea say now admit that it, it does have coven 19 in the country, and it pierced? is that invincible sort of or that kim john wants to provide to his people. he was, you know, kind of trying to scape goat health care officials in the country, blaming them for this outbreak and suggesting that it was their fault. and again, also calling on officials to work hard to eradicate covian 19 in the country. phil,

so do we presume that this admission means that the outbreak is likely to be very, very serious? yes, i think we could, we could say it's likely to be very serious. it's hard for us to know how much cove in 1000 there is in north korea right now. north korea was one of the 1st countries to seal it's border with china when cove in 1900 broke out. this is january 2020, following that medical supplies daily and necessities failed to get into kiln yang and there was no kind of panic around the world. so foreigners emptied out of pyongyang, embassy officials, and n g o. v are sources of information about what's going on in north korea. so knowing what's going on there right now, how serious the pandemic might be is kind of difficult north korea news. so based website report today, however, that multiple sources in pyongyang,

i said there is panic buying in shortages stores today. bill. right. so given what you said about the kim john on blaming the health system and health services for this, what do we know of the state of north korea's health infrastructure? can it cope with an army con outbreak? well that's a, that's a really a broad concern that we're hearing from health care officials. 26000000 people. that's the population of north korea, largely unvaccinated. the om across very in that they have admitted is broken out in pyongyang is highly, highly transmissible. and it has a built lap david health care system, if we look at how other developed countries coped with things, even with a robust system. they were challenge. there are a lot of factors involved. one thing is certain north korea needs to get vaccines

and medical supplies in the country as soon as possible. it's really a race against time to see how serious this operate for pyongyang in north korea really is phil. thank you so much for that. frank smith in sol. meanwhile, experts in south africa, i knew some variants of army kron could cause a 5th wave of cobra. 19 infections, only round, a 3rd of the population's vaccinated, though most have acquired a degree of natural immunity through previous infections. experts i that's helping to keep hospitalization right down the w correspondent, other increase report from character ah, the crowded venue life music. good to pipes. that's what i'm doing. 200 and his band have been missing for almost 2 years. south africa. strict cove at 19 restrictions have kept things quiet doing that time. it really feels good for them to open up even though things are still weird. but i'm happy to see that everyone is enthusiastic. most importantly, one is tired of being tired. so we just happened to be outside and see if we can

make it work, i guess will never be normal. but we'll establish and you know, of course we have to be vigilant and still take care of ourselves. but i'm feeling positive and got a feeling people out and about in cape town seem to share most ignore the rules and don't wear a mask while indoors. this despite rapidly increasing numbers of infections, but even viral interests and not ringing the alarm bell, because about 80 percent of the population have already developed some immunity, mainly due to previous infections. the big ground of natural infection and increase in coverage of vaccines is really, really very helpful to those 2 things. that the immunity is important. boosting that community with the vaccines natural immunity and then vaccines is very important. we really need to get most people vaccinated. this, especially as early data on the new or me concept variance be a for and be a 5 begins to emerge. both strains were discovered by south african scientists. and

data suggests they transfer much faster than other people that were just infected with on me can be a one that was the original one. they can easily get the rain fact, it would be a for and be a 5. so in that this previous immunity, some previous infection is not very protective from 2nd infection. but we do expect that this immunity will be protected against hospitalization. and that as long as hospital to remain relatively empty, by religious se, there's no need for boss to remain empty too. that's why they are not calling for title coven regulations in south africa. let's take a look at some more of the stories are making headlines around the world will start in the united states, where it says it has not been more than a 1000000 cove in 19 dest president biden described it as a tragic milestone is common to come ahead of a virtual summit on the pandemic,

which are the po for i renewed international commitment to tackle the virus. additionally, a memorial service for al jazeera journalist, a serene abu acura has been held in the palestinian city of rama. she was killed the day before while covering and he's really raid in the west bank palestinian leaders say israel was fully responsible for the germans death. israel since it is still clear who killed her. south korea says north korea has test launched 3 short range willis to miss out towards the sea military parade. here in april, north korean leader kim jong said he would speed up the development of nuclear weapons despite a un resolution banner given off in launching mr. ballistic missiles capable of carry nuclear war. diplomats, when a group of 7 of wealthy nations are meeting in germany to discuss the war in ukraine energy and food security relations with china and climate change. also on the agenda,

ukraine's foreign minister as amongst those in invited to the 3 day g. 7 summit as a guest. but i can tell you, though in german nationals mathias, myra started his 6 months mission to the international space station. there was no question about continuing cooperation with russian cosmonaut, but the invasion of ukraine has thrown into doubt. but from his mission, however, mathias morris says that up there in space, there's no sign of conflict. the view of earth for astronaut mathias myra. this was a personal highlight of his time in orbit. if all the test was actually the noise, when i'm choking clinton and then you look at our planet and you recognize things that you've only heard about statistics. and suddenly, if you take what's happening down there to heart, you see where people live, where people impact on nature. and when nature is changing, vendor morrow spent just of the 6 months on the international space station.

but the assist under an incredibly good job up in space. so a lot of experiments are, have been conducted there, but also an e v. a which of course is always a highlight. russia invaded ukraine during bowers time and space. but the relationship with the russian cosmonaut on board state positive and i did come to mind the ambiance man in the space community we've built up so much trust in the past 20 or more than 20 years and have met. we mention that we like that. and we want to carry on with that into the even a lot of what our level things are excellence. and we want to act as a bridge to find a way back to that at once. this crisis is over, the next little thing. russia has questioned the long term future of the i assess, but for now, the program continues and football, the ukrainian men's national team has begun preparations. prince upcoming a world cup qualification match against scotland. the game was actually scheduled for march,

but was postponed due to the russian invasion and will now take place in june. you crank kicked off their preparations on wednesday night with a charity match at german bundles league aside. bratia merchant, glad. ah. raising money to help ukrainian suffering as a result of the russian invasion of their country. all the proceeds from mentioned glad backs friendly game against the ukraine. national team will be donated to charitable efforts in the country. what's more, you crate nationals could attend the match free of charge. like many bernice league clubs, glad back had already raised money for ukraine. 176000 euros. in their case, all of it has been pledged to organizations helping ukrainian refugees are those still in the country. glad back also invited the ukraine team to stay in there on site hotel and use the clubs training facilities to prepare for the match. that's a welcome offer for you print side that's determined to qualify for this year's

woke up. that was why he was a great event. he was important. we said yes, as soon as the request came in, so we could help ukraine in that bid to reach the guitar world cup. below, i think your friends have seen a really interesting game speakers in ukraine's last match was in november 2021. in may, a training base was established in slovenia to prepare for their qualifier against scotland on june. first. the winner will then face wills for a place at the world cup. with less than one month to go. training and test matches are absolutely imperative if they're to reach their ultimate goal. before the match ukraine coach alexandra pitcher, cough spoke to d. w. of course it's very important for all of us. if i could get them to the world college, i could say i've lived my life for a reason. it's important for any player because we have younger players,

but also older players for whom it might be the last chance to be as a will come from. so 1st, target after glasgow is to go to cardiff and play wales. and after that we can hopefully focus on our goal is going to the will of cup ukraine strives to reach the world cup to bring some happiness in hope to their nation. in this time of suffering and war is time to remind you of our top stories at this hour. finland's leaders of coal for that country to apply for nato membership as soon as possible. it's the 1st step in the process which could say the country and decades of military non alignment. and ukraine has proposed a deal with russia to get its wounded fighters out of the as of styles. field fund negotiations continue on a plan that would see seriously injured ukrainian. the defendants evacuated in exchange for russian prisoners to set you up to

date, layla. iraq will have more world news at the top of the, our coming up next news asia ah ah, ah,

with who? a now in the world right now, the climate change, the very hot story. this is much less the way from just one week. how much was can really get we still have time to go. i'm going

with his subscriber all morning with people in trucks injured one, trying to flee the city center. more and more refugees are being turned away at the border. families playing phone tag with extreme dreams around 200 people. ah, around the world, more than 300000000 people are seeking refuge. yes. why? because no one should have to flee. make up your own mind. d. w. made for mines

a rare natural spectacle in an improved world. ah! the mess boobies have returned to the coast of the remote valley of saint home. with the many success stories for the question of biodiversity and own stores may 20th on d. w. busied have been used asia coming up to date, an unprecedented turn of events in north korea, the country declared a severe emergency for but an outbreak of omicron. it's the 1st time john young has admitted to having any cold infections. why has it made the admission now and what is the risk for the population? and a promise of greater cooperation between the

e. u and japan in the wake of russia invasion of ukraine. we looked at what's on