nice to crime rules. ah, we're conglomerates meet their own laws. li criteria is worked. we'll hook people. we shed light on the opaque worlds. who's behind peak worlds this week on d, w. ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin tonight, expanding europe. the european union puts ukraine on the path to membership european coin the you also coming up international aid, reaching afghanistan, following the deadliest earthquake they are in decades. the countries taliban rulers relief f plus the u. s. supreme court rules that americans have the right to

carry guns in public. the decision comes as well. makers are trying to tighten, restricts blue. thank with that historic shift right here in europe. you leaders today approving ukraine's bid for candidate status. that's the 1st official step towards joining the aid. this is a victory and the political arena as it battles rushes, invasion high profile in you, leaders from germany, france and italy. they all backed line off on the candidacy. yes, yes, yeah. we protested outside the new council building here and meet all of them agree to grunt ukraine. you candidate status along with moldova. the decision was not unexpected event. we will again show solidarity with ukraine,

and we will also take an important decision for ukraine's european prospective along with 2 other powerful e u leaders. italy's mario draggy and francis emanuel mackerel had trouble to give earlier in june, where they endorsed ukraine shoes, linked to corruption and the rule of law. but the war has loomed large in discussions. they are now at a stage where granting burger oral and completely despicable aggression of russia against ukraine. of course, it was also part of the say list of criteria before being able to enter the union, a process that could take years even decades. but many ukrainians see the step as a sign the such a brutal war ukraine democratic institutions have been preserved even now where extending the reach of the european sion is possible any time soon. many here in

brussels believe the block needs internal reform 1st. so europe can compete on the world stage. earlier i spoke with our correspondent christine woodward, and i asked her how significant today's decision is important for ukraine. if you consider the fact that ukraine's aspiration to join the european union officially began in 2004, it been followed up again, 2000 by moscow to, to get that process done in, in, in a matter of weeks. basically, ukraine officially applied again and just a few days off to have russia in fees. yes. so to get it in, in, in months is really, really significant and it is important, especially right now. think about those ukranian troops fighting on the front lines . it's not been coming, this will be a huge morrow boost and we've heard that similar rhetoric from the ukranian president that the country needs this right now that these ukrainians who had to flee at a time like this,

where the unity and the cracks. what was starting to appear in that unity, especially as they, as they have difficulty agreement sanctions. this was important to get everybody on board this particular decision. and it sends a strong message to moscow add that the block will come together rally around ukraine. of course, moscow's expressed its displeasure at ukraine ever joining the european union. but this is the e u. standing up to the bully that is russia and saying will pull ukraine closer to the west and further away from russia's sphere of influence. increasing re no good being a candidate is not the same as being a member of the you. it could be a decade or more before ukraine ever does join the you. what will change though for ukraine? a, immediately after this decision, while brain, it now means that that journey has officially begun. right? that they are now. if it's an official process, i has now begun and of course now it's not about the wish and the desire, but a formal process has opened. what would follow?

this would be the formal exception talks, but loads of reform is needed before that can happen. and of course, in the midst of a war, very much so sorry can, can happen along those lines. so what it just means really now is that this formal process has begun it as you say, it will take years before ukraine can officially be given the status of, of an e u member state. but it now means that everything that's happening is working towards a goal and, and, and if you will, that that journey has begun. and it's not underestimate that, that boost, that it is, but not too much changes. but the hopes have been raised and there's something to work towards. now. there are other countries here in europe that have been waiting longer than ukraine to become a candidate. and they're still what i'm talking about in particular of the balkan countries of what were you leaders able to say to them today while in short, not very much and that those need has walked away. i left brussels today very,

very disappointed. i mean, you have to think about the country like north macedonia, that has been given candidate status and, and held that status for about 17 years now. and old macedonia also had to change its name so that it could meet some of those requirements and make it easier for that effect session. these country say we've been waiting in the wings for a long time. they see how quickly things can happen as has happened in the case of ukraine, and wondering what has been the delay all about a day, how to press conference and eat as of the western balkan countries where they expressed their absolute frustration with how slow the process is taking for them. this was acknowledged me you needed. i went on to have another 3 hour discussion about the, the situation of the west mulkins, while they were not able to deliver anything today. and it is clear that this is something that they're going to have to put their hits together about and perhaps towards the end of the year, there might be some movement on that of areas. because remember, with the least united brussels is always briefly thank you. or from a security crisis to an energy crisis,

rushes aggression in ukraine of force germany, to activate it, emergency plan for dwindling natural gas supplies. the country's economy minister robert says that gas is now a scarce commodity. here in germany, russia has reduced gas flows to the country, and energy prices have swords as the beginning of the war hub. it says that gas rationing will hopefully be avoided, but he is not ruling it out versions and we are in an economic stent of with russia, even cason energy, which is being used as a weapon against germany. let him, with the aim of destroying the unity that had stood out here in germany. and you wrote with the great unity and solidarity with ukraine and our willingness to pay a price liner for defending free. dice have 2 different had to come from for i had a higher price to time. or let's take a look now at some of the other stories that are making headlines around the world

. russian president vladimir putin says that he has re routing trade and oil towards the country is known as the brick laguna of their emerging economies. and he says he's doing it in the wake of western sanctions over ukraine. now, his announcement was made during an online meeting of the leaders of brazil, russia, india, china in south africa. the u. s. sports where maker nike has announced that it is pulling out of russia completely. it's suspended operations there 3 months ago in response to moscow's invasion of ukraine. other big western brands, such as mcdonalds in google, have already left rescue efforts are underway in eastern afghanistan. one day after that powerful earthquake, at least a 1000 people were killed. many more injured. international aid has now started arriving in the country, but since the taliban took power last august, it has become harder for 8 agencies to operate in afghanistan. this quake. it comes as the country is already facing drought and food shortages

o survivors digging for survivors to settle with them in collapsed mountain villages in a country where millions already faced the misery of hunger and poverty and health care system faltering since the taliban takeover. it's hard to imagine what could be worse than this one came up the other day about one of us with some of my children are dead, some are hurt, they get it, get in this house. 35 members of the family where my church among that at bodies on my sons and grandchildren. one of us, carnes, her house is collapsed. everything has been destroyed. we can't enter the house. i'll try to figure things out with the taliban. can't help us. not one of them, the one, right. even the taliban government has managed to mobilize and move some supplies in and some of the injured out. but this is one of the most remote regions of the

country. those aid organizations that kept staff in afghanistan after the taliban takeover are doing what's possible. e r c m casing people, it's a medical facilities. so right now we now have chemist on an island is that how systems come monday? alex, it's jane over the last year and again connected to development resistance and stay assets in prison. as those affected, wait for aid to arrive for the chance to be evacuated, local medical facilities look up to what they can let them go. but graves must be dug. the dead must be buried. the u. s. supreme court to day issuing an unexpected ruling on guns, saying americans have a constitutional rights to carry fire arms. in public. americans

have a constitutional right to carry firearms in public. this was the landmark ruling by the u. s. supreme court. it's 1st major decision on gun control in over a decade. the court took issue with how new york provided licenses to carry concealed firearms. applicants in new york had to prove a special need for self protection to carry a concealed gun outside of their homes. but the court has instead place that burden of proof on the state. it rolled that because americans have a constitutional rights to carry guns and public states must justified denying a permit. while the decision invalidated several states regulations. it said authorities can still restrict permit based on objective factors such as age and

training for the plaintiffs who brought the case forward. the ruling was a welcome one. the lawful and the legal gun owner of new york state is no longer going to be persecuted by laws that i have nothing to do with the safety of the people. and r a will do nothing to make the people safer. but gun control advocates disagree, fearing it could undermine similar restrictions in other states. the governor of new york called the ruling a dark day and warned that it could put millions of lives in danger. have let the supreme court the united states america has stepped away the state of new york's right and responsibility to protect its citizens. this decision isn't just reckless . it's reprehensible. gun rights are a contentious issue in a country. still reeling from mass shootings involved a texas and buffalo, new york in the wake of these killings, the u. s. senate is seeking to pass

a bipartisan bill on gun control. but at the same time, the supreme court's ruling has forced a rethink of safety measures across the country, making tackling gun violence and increasingly complicated task. you're watching the w news up next business is, was daniel winter. i will be back with you tomorrow. take care. ah ah ah ah.