john did dark searches for the truth again. this time the exiled turkish journalist meets svetlana itsyana, sky, exiled leader of the opposition and bella, ruth, who, i mean huge. of course i'm tired. i'm tired, physically untied. morally, it's too much on my shoulders, but i have to hold this weight that goes, i'm responsible for the future. follow country for the people who are behind the boss. guardians of truth starts february 18th on d. w. i air raid sirens howled over keys today as e u leaders gathered in the ukrainian capital to discuss the country's future butts . the sirens seemed to say, don't let the red carpet and the absence of military fatigues full you ukraine's present is that of a country under constant attack to pave the way for a better,

a more peaceful future. the you bowed, there would be no let up and support for ukraine. i did not, however, promise, keep a rapid road to you membership. the war is not the only obstacle ukraine itself has plenty of homework to do to meet accession standards. and that is a daunting task for a country fighting for it's very survival of nickel for alicia berlin. and this is the day ah, you were to pull you, you were with, despite the sounds of a sorrow and i want to thank you for not being afraid of those sounds. sure. your determination to forge ahead is impressed. ross, i'm for being on the sides of good together with us in this war, must or need dilbren. and we should not to focus if you are doing this while you

are fighting against an aggressive problem with civil. this is a powerful symbol that will overcome any obstacles to strengthen our partnership and integration or through crew is with oh, also on the day a chinese balloon. the size of 3 buses is spotted over montana intelligence authorities, a legit. it's being used to spy on the us, leading to antony blink and cancelling a long plan trip to china. we know this is a chinese balloon, and that it has the ability to, to maneuver. we do know that the balloon has violated us airspace and international law, which is unacceptable. and so we've conveyed this directly to the p r c at multiple levels. ah, welcome to the show where a family but that doesn't mean you get a short cut to join our club. that pretty much sums up the message you leaders had

for volota mir zalinski as they descended on keep on friday. it was so poured pledges galore, but the group stopped short of promising ukraine a fast track to membership in the block. lensky wants to get things moving. he says ukraine deserves to begin the accession negotiations this year already. and with statements like ukraine is the e. u. the u is ukraine made by shall michelle, the president of the european council. it's easy to see why zalinski would get his hopes up, but the road to join the rest of the e. u family for real. looks like it'll be a long and winding one. this history making summits offered up a flurry of announcements amidst the wintry conditions in keith. it was also a chance for the ease top officials to demonstrate the growing ties between ukraine and the european union. the future of ukraine is within the european

union lucrative people. you have made a clear choice for freedom for democracy and hulu, flow and re you with also me the clear decision. your future is with us in our common european union. but in spite of all of them, is lensky attempts at these talks to build a faster path into the u. that future still look some way off, despite all the smiles and positive rhetoric around the table that no widget timelines but their goals that you have to reach the forms, for example, to improve a situation in the canada country to then reach at the accession negotiations and the session except itself, also discussed the war with russia and a promise of fresh e sanctions against moscow focused on trade and technology. but president zalinski

wants more immediate help in the form of weapons to hold off a predicted russian search in the next few weeks. so that you're more wiggly, caesar conditions where the more long range weapons we have. the better equipped artillery is the sooner modern western tanks will start operating on the battlefield in ukraine way. okay, and the stronger air defense will be. the sooner brushes aggression will and not shop for either now and protection of european security and freedom she, it will have more guarantees, as occasionally you are a basically misplaced, useful, more than beyond the pledge of new sanctions. came details of more humanitarian help for the country, including 25000000 euros to fund a de mining program seen as crucial in helping ukraine rebuild. and in key hole pratt, calling for residence millions of energy efficient l e. d light bulbs to help people

reduce their own consumption and take the pressure of ukraine's crippled power grid with the w has been speaking to people in the ukrainian capital cave. and we asked them what they hoped to gain from joining you. eventually. this is the one with joined you in the near future. it will help spread the message much foster and conveyed people all over the world that we need help and there's no way without it yet to my shoe. furthermore, hutton, as well, i think that the victory will go to ukraine, regardless of whether we will join the you in the near future or not. if we are invited to join the you, it's possible that there will be even more understanding and more help. and this will make it possible to win more easily and at a lower cost of human life, see mine. sure it's in, i put them a hock. it may in fact put that even your dainey does just as much as we need them . grandma ukraine is capable of getting out of this mess by itself because there are so many smart and talented people in our country. probably molden in any of the

country in the world, or which is rather corina speaking. ah, i was looking out the window like i normally do, and i just happened to spotted out of the corner of my eye. and at 1st i thought it was a star, but i thought that was kind of crazy because it was broad daylight and. and when i looked at it, it was just too big to be a star. the record said it might be a chinese balloon. it seems so brazen and just so insane to me that that any one would even attempt to just push a balloon over the sky. because to me, it was just like this thing is so visible in the sky on not a star, a broad daylight, a chinese surveillance balloon, and us airspace that is triggered a full blown diplomatic crisis between 2 countries already struggling to get their relationship back on track in response to the lead spy, a balloon being discovered flying across the united states,

us secretary of state antony lincoln postponed, a planned visit to china. the balloon with 1st detected over the state of montana which houses 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos. pentagon officials have clearly identified beer ship as intelligence gathering balloon china claims. the balloon is for civilian purposes, a weather balloon essentially, and says it regrets it accidentally sales into us airspace. and the us military is of course closely monitoring the situation. here's pentagon spokesman general patrick ryder. this is a surveillance balloon hubbard, you know, operating in about 60000 feet. clearly, you know, we did a very close assessment in terms of what it's doing. and as i mentioned, military commanders have assessed that there is no physical or military threat to people on the ground floor. let's bring in bonnie laser. she's the director of the

age of program at the german marshall fund in the united states, and she joins us from washington dc. welcome to the dates, could see you. it is the decision to postpone this method over the chinese spy balloon? an over reaction. well i don't think it's completely an over reaction if secretary blank can have gone to china, the focus of the discussions and the reporting would have been on the balloon. by the way that lou would have been over us air space during his discussions in beijing because it's not moving very quickly. and i think also there's a sense in the united states that we have been asking china to engage in crisis communications discussions, risk reduction discussion so that we can avoid these kinds of incidents. the chinese frankly had been dragging their feet and this is sort of a teachable moment, that maybe they should engage in these discussions. and maybe that will enable us

in the future, as we rescheduled it to make more progress with the chinese on these issues. but isn't this now precisely the time to go and talk to she jane paying to de escalate? because i'm a blank and wanted to go. and as he put it said garlic grades to, to avoid misunderstandings. so why not go now and clear the air right away? well, i think it would have been difficult to clear the air right away without real clear understanding by the united states as to what this boom's doing. my guess is that in the coming days and weeks, we might be able to gain more information so that we can share that some of that intelligence with china and we can show them this was not a civilian balloon. in fact, it was a trying to acquire intelligence. there might even be an attempt to shoot down the balloon after it leaves us aerospace and recover it. it's not a simple operation,

but it is something that the u. s. military might try to execute. so having evidence that this is a, an intelligence alone, it is trying to collect sensitive information would help the united states, in this case with china. but it's not only the balloon is that it's ukraine, it's taiwan. so any other contentious issues that these 2 countries stand on opposing sides over housetrained r u. s. china relations really at this point? well, there's no doubt that the relationship is contentious. there are so many issues that are on the table that we have discussed. of course, the presidents buying and teaching pain didn't meet in november. they agreed that it would be in both countries interest to prevent further deterioration of the relationship. and that's the reason why lincoln's visit was scheduled. so i think both sides continue to have an interest in stabilizing the relationship. i think it

will be rescheduled. and i don't think that this episode is going to rupture the relationship. they will get together and talk about ukraine, about north korea, about taiwan, about various other issues and about bilateral relationship, as well as expanding cooperation on global health, climate change on posing proliferation, not counter narcotics. so there's a lot on the table to discuss. and i think both sides want to engage in that conversation. yesterday, the u. s. announced it will expand its military presence in the philippines and a push to counter china. the influence in the region. how is that being perceived in beijing? well, i think that the chinese recognize that there has been some, some push back not only from the united states, but also from countries on their periphery who are concerned about a military build up. the chinese been engaged in for a decade or more. and the potential for us china conflict in the taiwan strait and

the philippines geographically very, very close to taiwan and under new leadership with president marcos junior now in charge. he wants to have good relations with china, but he also would like to give the united states more access in i think the hope of avoiding this kind of us, china, military confrontation in taiwan. i think that we're seeing similar trends with japan be more interested in taking steps to strengthen deterrence in the taiwan strait. so i hope the chinese are watching closely. and i hope the conclusion that they draw is that they are military pressure on taiwan is making their neighbors nervous. funny laser of the german marshal fund of the united states, joining us from washington, d. c. thanks for your time. thank you. ah . saying that south to dawn,

the world's youngest country is going through growing pains would be a gross understatement. and since its birth as an independent nation in 2011 violence, corruption and hunger have claimed its citizens only about a 3rd of south sudanese or catholic. but to them, the historic visit of pope francis offers a much needed glimmer of hope. among the crowd welcoming the 1st roman catholic leader to visit the missouri christian nation was president. so look here, hope frances made a promise to travel to south to dawn back in 2019 after hosting president here, and his arrival w to reek my shar at the vatican where he famously kiss their feet. and for them to respect a hard one sees fire. now po francis traveled to south dawn from the democratic republic of the congo where he also appealed for peace and reconciliation and spoke out against the ramp and corruption and exploitation and africa. the studio,

the more people was sadly, the history of many peoples of this continent has had to bend before the force of suffering. and violence is it had been if there is one wish that everyone has in their hearts and with his never having to bow down again with us before the arrogance of the powerful in. so the beautiful dino, the with a few or having to submit to the yoke of injustice and to talk more about the pope's trip to africa. i'm joined now by d. w. religious affairs correspondent martin gac welcome monte. so they want us strip to the dorothy and sell. so don has been described as historic for many reasons. what stands out to you about this visit? i think the, you know, i think the trip to south to then with our bishop canterbury and with the moderator of the church of scotland is actually quite remarkable. and it has not

really been the main element. the main thing, the spotlight probably because his words, i mean, you know, he's words sort of in the context of the political discussions, about corruption, etc, etc. have been much certainly very powerful and had been certain center front. but the fact is that the, the visit with these other 2 leaders of 2 major catalyst 2 major christian denominations to a country, which is essentially the youngest country, but really quite out of the, of the geopolitical spotlight over the last couple of years. it's really something that is quite remarkable to see that this was organized around sort of so to then, i think, to some degree, to highlight the fact that, you know, the conflict. and so to that is incense a be to isis, where sort of the tragedy of many countries in africa and latin america? you know, in but side of the world actually art. yes,

this is the 1st right francis traveling alongside the archbishop of canterbury and the leader of scotland church. so what is the message the trio is speaking to send? because it can just be one of you stand for the struggle of an entire continent. is it one of unity? how do you see it? well, i think in the case of how to that, i mean this through that, i mean nation are very powerful please community level. and i think that the appeal to piece that, you know, which is 2019 that the report mentions in which he gives the feed in rome of both both leaders, which essentially are the 2 main players of what became the, the civil war and something that had all the, sort of, all the elements of sort of top down political, political movement. i think that in bringing sort of this to other leaders from the church of scotland and church of england. he's really sort of trying to appeal to

the population and to the 3 major groups, you know, in terms of, of, as if age. and the fact is that in south sue, then there's been sort of a very, very active, an official diplomatic arm of the, of the, of the vatican. that is the community center d, the or the does a lot of the magic word that later sort of major figures like the pope or member seen that. and in that department of state about you can sort of coming in and then kind of do some of the finer, more political words. but santa gd actually has been very active working at base building on the ground. and so for really quite a while, and i think that the church actually has done a pretty remarkable job in terms of participating in abreast of classification. and so many of the post admirers here in europe, especially point to what are seen as progressive attitudes compared to pre,

to assessors. for example, you recently spoke up against the criminalization of homosexuality in countries like south to don, saying, and i'm calling him here. homosexuality may be a sin, but it's not a crime. let's listen to what one l. g b t q activists had to say ahead of france. no, lucas, yours is in the christian faith. o l g b t q. people are often stigmatized. mercy is gone. all so when a representative of christianity of catholicism speaks, words that push for inclusion for acceptance is no, and that is something which is encouraging or crash or is it such? and that is why i am particularly grateful for those words odyssey pooh. so just how progressive is pope france is really and one kind of reception to have his words had in african congregations i think it all depends really what is the standard of measure? obviously, by the standards of san francisco, berlin, new york, or london,

the church is simply not progressive and that includes the pope, on the other hand in countries are in regions we're sort of the prevailing view is extremely conservative. and we're sort of, you know, questions fomor, fabio requesting some sort of systematic suppression of sexual minorities is the rule of pope that from the very top of the church and condemns essentially by violence against almost sexual minorities and actually condemned. the criminalization of, you know, sexual minorities in general obviously comes across and actually takes the form of a very progressive fear, if not completely, you know, country cultural because the prevalent cultural wind or the prevalent political decision obviously is one that is quite reactionary. i think that we should really take into consideration that the church in, in africa,

we can talk about the church in africa in general. but so the community can tell the community across africa generally has a much more conservative you know, disposition that what we would see in the current divisions within the catholic church growing over these kinds of issues especially, you know, between that north south divide that you just pointed out i think that to some extent yes, ah, there has been a backlash of very conservative groups within the catholic church, but i think that those are not really part of the global south. those are actually the catholic church and anglo saxon countries like australia and the u. s. particularly were there the right wing, the political right wing has had a huge impact on the catholic church of those countries by and large i think that what we have seen during this focus across the board is that a church that had last year enormous territory. enormous grounds to other, you know, political and religious nations has actually gained them again under spoke precisely

because he's a very current magic leader. and because he has gone out of his way to try to bring these people back into the fold. so i think that yesterday sion but i think that it also has been a very successful real push. mon did a lawyer, religious affairs correspondent lighting act. thank you. rosa. ah, thailand is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations and now there is another reason to visit for some people. at least last year, thailand removed cannabis from inst narcotics lists. and since then, sales have been flourishing and bangkok and around the country legalization was originally intended as a boost for the vital tourism sector, which was ravaged by the pandemic. and now the mand is booming. dw gag mantas reports. take a deep breath for what's to come. it's potentially mind blowing. in this bar in

bangkok you can buy as much cannabis as you can smoke. there is reached to party and wheat to call you down the label promises and it's not just this bar all across the kingdom. thousands of cannabis dispenser rece have sprouted up following its d. criminalization lost here. no one really believed it. it was even hard. the 1st day that suddenly you could buy cannabis in thailand, instead of being afraid of the police coming. instead of being, having your ear p tested by random hops, point you out of a car. now suddenly, you can buy it, you could smoke it in all this was allowed in a southeast asian 1st time and remove the marianna plant from its narcotics list, possession, cultivation, distribution, consumption, and sales of the plant are now legal at 1st with almost 0 restrictions after the legalization, the government has come up with a regulation that, okay,

you cannot sell in the area where it's like school hospital, you cannot sell to pregnant people. about person who are breastfeeding. anyone who's under age minimum age for cannabis consumption is now 20. but some tie are still concerned that young people are not educated enough about the drugs potential harmful effects. i mean, i don't like it at all because it's a narcotic. so it's bad far kits. if our kids get addicted to its day will have no future. i get demand is high, especially from tourists, but with limited supplies. cannabis is still comparatively expensive at around 20 euros program. in this shop, one of the co owners has been growing the plans at home long before its legalization could cons. father suffered from cancer and needed marianna during his illness. although his father has since died. com is now farming cannabis in 2 rooms

of his parents house and had him and we couldn't find legal can. i was products and we couldn't find any of good quality blue a so we decided to growed ourselves for my dad. part has been a family project since the beginning, whether for medicinal or recreational use, the tie polymer is already debating further restrictions. some political parties have even called for the truck to be criminalized again. but those of business remained relax. it's past the point of no return. you have every one from the political base, farmers and rule agriculture areas who given up tobacco. and then you have the wealthiest families where the power really lies, who invested a lot of money in an expensive grove facility. so from top to bottom, this is already transforming the economy and everyone is getting a piece of it. every one provided they stay in thailand, that is, travellers are prohibited from entering or leaving the country with any amount of this modern cash crop. ah, finally,

you've probably heard of stonehenge well now. another stone age monument has been opened to visitors in england. the thorn bro hinges are an network of neolithic circular earthworks in yorkshire, and thought they were built between 3502500 years b. c for use and ceremonies and rituals. 2 of the handers have now been gifted to the nation by the company that owned the site. and that's her time for me and the entire team. thank you so much for spending part of your day with with

you a making the headlights and what's behind them. d. w and use africa. the show that the issues shaping the continent. life is slowly getting back to normal. yeah. well, the streets to give you enough report on the inside of our cars funds is on the

ground reporting from across the continent. all the trends doesn't matter to you in 30 minutes on the w india. ah, sometimes the most common birds are the ones that are at one that just disappears completely. they cite the survival, thousands of animal species on the indian subcontinent. conservationists are committed to saving or speaking from the rather the dolphin to the common sparrow. equal in 90 minutes on d w. what are sports all about in winning fighting scoring we say they're about never giving up the most exciting sport stories about people

passion and their dr. sports life every weekend on d. w. enjoying the view and come take a look at this tv highlight school every week in your inbox, subscribe. now every day counts for us and for our planet. global ideas is on its way to bring you more conservation. how do we make cities greener? how can we protect animals and their habitats? what to do with all our waste? we can make a difference by choosing reforestation over deforestation recycling over disposable smart new solutions overseas said in our ways, are, is truly unique. and we know that,

that uniqueness is what allows us to live and survive global ideas. the environmental series, global $3000.00 on d, w, and online. ah, d, w, news line from berlin. by in the sky, a suspected surveillance balloon ignites a diplomatic storm between washington and beijing. us secretary of state, post bones are rare trip to china after i also do an airship is detected over the u . s. beijing claims the weather balloon.