ah ah ah, this is the w news coming to you live from berlin. the battle for buffalo in ukraine enters a crucial phase rushes, wagner mercenary group says it has almost completely surrounded the city. and only one road out remains open. also on the program, greece winds down the search for bodies in its worst rail disaster, but anger is growing. rail union say it was

a tragedy waiting to happen and a day of global protests kicks off in sydney is thousands of young people around the world demand urgent action against climate change plus unseasonably. low rein pole in europe is exposing some rarely seen sides. but the drought could harold, another devastating year for crops and energy supplies. ah hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you. with us, the founder of russia's mercenary wagner group has claimed his fighters have nearly surrounded the eastern ukrainian city of buffalo. new trenches have appeared in villages surrounding the battled city as ukrainian forces prepare for rushes. yes,

residents living in the area have also started to leave their homes on thursday. this video was posted online purporting to show wagner soldiers celebrating a top, a ruined building in the east of the city. it's not known when this footage was felt it should go walk. wagner, unit city have almost completely surrounded buffalo program. there is only one road out left. yes, this pincers will have come together. i know great if previously it had been the professional ukrainian army who fought with us boys. to day we see more and more and elderly people and children or they fight them. but their life in back moot is very sure one though 2 days by cumulative were up, let them leave the city. it is almost surrounded, withdrawn. so is it just

a matter of time before russian forces take bachman? i put that question to dw, correspond at nick connelly in keith green. first off is important distress that this wagner group is known for pretty tall tales and never knowing you understand their achievements. but it does seem like a ukrainian controlled withdrawal could be only called finally after weeks and months of full starts. we'd heard in recent days other so story about this one route out being left. and i don't see very, very difficult situation to be in. and the pundits talking about fat that strategically. but what isn't that crucial? it is as important as it is lex login credentials, which is still safely within ukraine health territory. and that this is your hope. see now a crucial come symbolic when for the russians of the months of sex on their part. so there's said that this might now be the beginning of the end for ukraine control in buffalo for now we're just in the last couple of minutes. had some news that

some ukrainian air drone surveillance units have been ordered to leave city. but of these kind of pullouts take time, they need to be safe. they need to get positions of kind of fire power protect soldiers leaving. so i think realistically, we're going to hear a critical commission from the ukranian side of any to botch. obama when it's basically already happened. you mentioned a drone units. nick, there are numerous reports of apparent drone attacks inside russia, which moscow blames on ukraine. what are you hearing about them? what's been pretty shortly if you look at the map, the geography of these attacks that basically all across european russia, there was a butch instant. and even in st. petersburg, which is a long way away from ukraine's borders places within about a 100 glimpse of moscow and then also all along russia's black sea coast for now the ukrainians on confirming. but often you see, you know, official social media accounts, the credit only of the official bodies posting pictures that put show these attacks with all kinds of small is another emoji. so there is

a sense of area hinting that they are behind this. and even if we can't quite gauge how successful these attacks have been, some of the damage done is already have an effect. it's forcing russia to pull back its air defenses deep into its hinterland. to basically deprive its troops here on the brand new crane of that protection. and it's also having a significant impact on public opinion back in russia. it seems like most russians were, commits that they were safe, especially if they win in moscow that basically this was a war that was far away and didn't have any impact on them unless they were being pulled up to fight. but now this is really having impact people really worried about quite how able that government is to protect them from potential ukraine attack. so make me complaining point of view. it is already having opposed effects already evening, kind of the olds and all this enforcing russia. think about defending its intellect . nick, thank you so much. that was our correspondence in the crating capital. nick conley will support for ukraine is expected to be a major topic during a visit by german chancellor. all of scholes to washington later tech talks between

chancellor schultz and u. s. pros and joe biden will focus on russia's invasion and concerns that china is planning to provide russia with military assistance shots. last is the white house shortly before russia invaded ukraine. unlike previous trips, no journalists for traveling with the chancellor this time by and there will not be a press conference after the meeting after short. so we've met before a senior german opposition. m p said the trip needed to repair german us relations after recent disagreements about sending battle, thanks to ukraine. of the trip is now a trip in order to fix all the damage we do have in our relations. but it's the deeper reason that no journalists allowed to go with the chancellor, and that he, they, they are not going to the, to the public. after their talks. it is very in a critical situation where

a lot of damage is in our relations of cos, an attempt from from all of charles to come back to a better situation in our relations, which is really necessary. and that was johan bought up a member of the german parliament for the opposition. christian democrats. well, germany has condemned the 10 year jail term headed down in bella rouge to nobel laureate alice b. let's be a leon scheme, form foreign minister. i don't need a ballpark to call the proceedings against the veteran activists, a farce and a disgrace. layouts keith and 2 others were charged with smuggling cash inter belarus, to allegedly fund opposition activities. they were arrested after opposition protest in 2020, following an election. they said was rigged. fairly etzky was one of the winners of the 2022 nobel peace prize. earlier i spoke to

d. w. use moscow bureau chief uri chateau, he's been following us. be on the skis case from the beginning. i asked him to tell us more about the imprisoned piece, prized lawyer. well, as billy ask is 60 years old and arguably, the most well known villa roost in human rights activist 35 years ago in this summit. so former soviet union, and he was one of the 1st demonstration organisers or for the opposition in belarus, or then belushi and soviet republic. several times he was arrested and fined for his activities. i believe he was a co founder of the so called bella, rosie and people's frond, which has been campaigning for democratization in belarus for decades. and in the mid and in the mid 90 ninety's blood ski founded the human rights organization just now, which supports political prisoners and their families. and 3 years ago, when there will major protests in bella roost and because of the presidential

election, he became a member of the coordination council of van presidential candidates at lancey and oscar, but was arrested again. and yet today in mid skirt ballade skip was sentenced to 10 years in prison officially for funding of actions and groups that have grossly violated public order. that's what the court said. what does his arrest tell us uri about the human rights situation more broadly in barrows? swap the human rights situation and the roast is extremely bad. one could say that half of the people who think differently from the official state there at if i am prison. and the other half lives in exile abroad are many below was in a position. politicians live here in neighboring lithuania. others are men in other european countries. the best known person is, of course, atlanta and oscar. the former presidential candidate whose husband was also sentenced to many years in prison. abil routinely, they'll look a shank of punished people who stood up against him and against his dictatorship 3

years ago. officially, terry, there are no political prisoners and barrels. people are jailed for participating and rights, insulting lucas shank or extra medicine or financial fraud. all these judgments are basically excuses to prosecute political dissidents. besides beloved get dozens of other human rights activists are behind bars in belarus, awaiting their trial. you are thank you very much. the w's europe, russia. are there in reality? say, look at some other news stories making headlines today. a u. s. jury has found prominent south carolina a lawyer, alex murdock, guilty of murdering his wife and sante. the jury deliberated for less than 3 hours before finding him guilty of 2 counts of murder. he faces 30 years to life in prison. the trial drew worldwide attention. police and montenegro say a man who set off a hand grenade outside the courthouse and the capitol pod karita was killed

instantly. 5 other people are being treated for injuries. it's not known why he carried out the attack. prominent cambodian opposition figure come. so car has been sentenced to 27 years house arrest after being found guilty of treason, camps or car is a fierce critic of long time prime minister who and send the rest as condemned the case as politically motivated. the search for bodies in greece's worst train crash is winding up at least 57 people died after a passenger service crashed, head on into a freight train near the city of larissa. a 3rd day of protest is being held over poor railway safety. at 1st slight emergency services, out back combing through the wreckage. several people are still unaccounted for. 3 days after a fatal crash between

a passenger train and a freight train. they were running on the same track for those still waiting for news of their loved ones. it's been an agonizing time. this is what is the train company took down my name 4 times and still no one has called me back. of my people are dead right now. i've lost my brother. i've lost my father. must very men lily form, so they kindly waited for 4 hours for us to retrieve our dead. regarding my brother, of course, i don't know what i will retrieve, melted flesh on steel. i don't know. enjoy this. they don't know how to answer. they don't know anything. on thursday night, unions held a demonstration over rail safety standards outside the headquarters of the country's rail operator. in athens. people also protested outside the

greek parliament. and it was in just in the capital, the streets of fair salonica were filled with people angry that greece's rail network has left so many dead strikes have also hit the country's whale. and some way networks a station manager has been charged in connection with the crash. it can, i love you the same to share the responsibility will you within the framework of the responsibility that he should have had and has a level beyond that. so what we can say at this point is that we shouldn't focus on the tree and when is a whole forest behind it, bishop of reporter roulette. the government has promised a thorough investigation into the deadly collision. it also says it will fix the country's crumbling rail system. but that's little comfort to the victims of this

disaster. and to those left behind global day climate action has begun with young protesters taking to the streets around the world. oh, in sydney on unions, workers and others, voters of the frontage for future movement joined students to demand that no more for oil and gas projects be approved. protesters have also taken to the streets room and your partner with more sponsor expected in the us as well. people here in berlin or out demonstrating to d. w. 's julius held out he told me what the protesters are demanding. oh, here in germany, the focus is specifically on trying to make the transport sector more climate friendly trying to reach climate neutrality, reducing c o. 2 emissions from the transport section. and professors are particular

calling for more investment in public transport. and in fact, today fridays for future here in berlin is striking alongside transport workers, public transport workers. and both are saying that without fair wages asking for an increase in wages for those workers, a fair and fast transition, a climate neutral public transport cannot happen. but they are also protesting, again against what they don't like coming from the transport minister here in berlin, for example, his plans to build new highways in germany. but also his threats to veto the approval in, at the level of the phase out of combustion engine vehicles. by 2035, these protests are global with strikes happening around the world today. what does the bigger picture look like? julia? yes,

we've seen protesters taking to the streets really across the world and with more protests to come. and in this case for today's global climate strike fridays for future is focusing on calling for the end of investment in fossil fuel projects. fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, being the main contributor is to human, made climate change. and if we look, for example, at big oil companies in 2022, they reported their highest profits ever. and at the same time, we see the international energy agency calling for an immediate end of financing of fossil fuels. if the world wants to reach the parents agreement, go of keeping the rise of global temperatures before one and below 1.5 degrees celsius. and that is what protestors here in berlin, but also across the world. they're also calling for julia. thank you very much. that was our course, but a julia, so deli,

downtown in berlin. all these protests come as fears grow about the long term impact of severe winter droughts being experienced across europe. rainfall is sharply down in when many countries with wide ranging consequences for agriculture, energy, and more. all this comes after the worst summer drought in 500 years in europe. so how bad has the winter been and what does that mean for the coming months and years? this is what winter drought looks like across france, spain and italy, lakes and rivers, far below their normal level or dried up entirely. farm fields dry and dusty. this used to be an island in italy's lake, garda no longer the yard we took we that i leave tea for 18 years and i've never seen the lake so dry. i used to come here by bait, but now i can walk, let type for rain. air with this year france saw its

longest winter period without rainfall on record $32.00 days. the alps have seen about half their usual snow, and italy's river po that feeds much of the country's agriculture is down 61 percent from normal. just one example, italy's rice harvest is threatened for the 2nd year in a row seat you sooner consistent. there are problems preventing, allowing when the soil is so hard that the plows can cut through the earth for many no has come up and the data farmers are the only ones worried. the lack of snow means less snow melt flowing into lakes and rivers in the coming months that will translate into less hydropower from dams, as well as less cooling for nuclear reactors. france is developing an action plan to save water at the national level. number 2 is 151, a nation needs to do with water. what we have done with energy,

a kind of sobriety plan. we all pay attention to this resource that is becoming rare. it's the end of abundant fundable don't, don't. but no matter how much people conserve more rainfall is necessary, the spring months will be crucial and meteorologist don't know how much rain will fall if there's not enough. europe may be said for yet another devastating dry season or more in this we have the run john from d w environment here in the studio. just tell us how this drought is impacting people's lives. so when you have these really dry conditions, typically in winter where you normally expect to be much more rain and wetness, generally in europe. it's a big alarms, a warning sign for farmers, particularly. it means that you're expecting you're starting the year off with what level of running low. i mean, you got rid of beds drying up and that means that then when rain actually does fall,

the ground is so hot that it country so cut the water. and so the problem really get entrench from the very beginning of the year and continue throughout the year. but they also stretch well beyond just, i mean, food is one big aspect of it, but it goes everything from nuclear power plants that need water cooling are going to struggle hydropower electricity from, from dan. there's also going to be an issue. so you get the massive impacts that we just started to see the warning signs all up at this stage. and we heard the french president in that report. we just watch calling for reduction in water usage. what else can government do to deal with this? so we're, yeah, we're at the early stage of government plan and i think it leads agriculture minister proposed that they would get some aqueducts. i mean, if he's famous, i guess, and raymond, time for the big aqueduct, we're talking more about pipes to get what, from places where that might be a bit more of it type of weather the lot less. but beyond that,

big of the things that governments can do, and i mean on the one hand you've got stuff in climate change to prevent droughts picking mediterranean reed and getting was on the other hand, adapting to the effects and the damage that's already causing is important. well, already $1.00 degrees hotter than it was before we start to bending fossil fuel. and that's also something where we need to, to adapt to the new world that we're living in. now we've seen extremely dry conditions here in europe and throughout the past year and even longer. how are things looking as we move into spring and summer? if i speak to a scientist from the europe, copernicus, satellites, climate monitoring center this morning, who told me that there x, one of the problems with when the drought is that an increase of the risk of service spring and summer drought. which if you think back to the kind of image as we saw last summer of wildfires raging through france and spain and portugal in

italy and kind of like this, it could really be very severe on top of that. even have the problem that having a bad summer drought increase of the strength of the wind to drought the following year. and so this is all very connected, less what we have in the place where it needs to be the 100 for these communities to adapt. doesn't look good you too. thank you so much for our environment. correspond edging around just meanwhile, efforts are on their way to achieve an agreement on a treaty to protect marine life and bio diversity. un negotiators are hoping more than a decade of talks will wrap with a formal deal, scientists or warning that pollution is damaging the fragile ecosystems of our oceans and that more needs to be done to safeguard them. our oceans are under threat from plastic waste, climate change, and over fishing. and yet we humans need oceans. they provide us with food and transport routes. they regulate our climate and offer arrange

a valuable raw materials. but vast areas remain poorly protected, if at all, in particular, those that are more than 200 nautical miles from the coast, the high seas within coastal waters, you know, they're under the jurisdiction of a country, right? so that country has the tools that it needs to, to try and protect or serve those waters as appropriate. that's not the case for the high seas rates because the high seas are international waters. they are beyond the jurisdiction of any country. and so it makes pretty protecting them and conserving them much more difficult. a lack of uniform regulations makes it hard to curve illegal fishing and over fishing and international waters, or monitor damage caused by mining and drilling. although the high seas cover more than half of the earth surface, just one percent is protected. but that could change. the united nations is considering

a high seas treaty to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine diversity in international waters. enable the international community to create these protected areas on the high seas. and we also hope that we'll do a couple of other things, right. we hope that it will help to coordinate these different sectors and different activities they're going on to bring a, a sense of all of the cumulative impacts that might be impacting a particular place of the high seas. the fate of the treaty is unclear. developing countries and emerging economies want marine resources to be shared equitably, while the you and others want greater species protection. the deadline to reach an agreement at the end of the week. in sports formula, one racing hasn't featured a female driver since 1976. now the sports organizers are trying to change that with a new formula. one f, one academy, an all female racing series to help young women move up the motor sport ladder soon

. the sport could see women competing alongside man for the formula. one world championship. maria graziano la la lombardi is the only woman to ever score points in formula one in 1975 lombardi scored and championship point in the spanish grand prix. she was considered a trailblazer in several women later entered f, one in many roles, but none ever started a race. now formula one wants to grease the tracks for women drivers with an all female f one academy series. the aim is to develop young women drivers for the very top on it to be as full once should be in the future, will should be now, but will be in the future. so i want to see female mechanics. i want to see, i would love to see if he, my driver. we haven't got that point as yet, but that's why not there's never been a regulation preventing female drivers from competing in formula. one song from

other series, such as jamie chadwick, have said that financial support is a greater obstacle than gender. therefore, formula one will subsidize each female driven car with the budget of 150000 euros. young female drivers face many barriers when entering the f one pyramid. now they'll have the best opportunities to reach their potential. now we might be a step closer to solving a mystery. millennia in the making, they hidden corridor above the main entrance to egypt. great pyramid of visa has been seen for the 1st time leading to speculation that it may lead to an as yet undiscovered chamber. the passage was 1st detected in advance scanning and 2016 but pictures released on thursday are the 1st time it has been captured on camera. the great pyramid was built all 5000 years ago and remained the tallest structure in

the world until the construction of the eiffel tower, in 18. 89. you are watching dw news still to come. why is north korea facing yet another looming food crisis? and nobel laureate, maria risa speaks to d. w. news asia about accountability for autocrats and social media. very spanner. g will be here with that and much more d w. news asia i'm terry martin. thanks for watching. ah thank

ah, with a sometimes a seed is all you need to allow the big ideas to grow. we're bringing environmental conservation to life with learning facts like global ideas. we will show you how climate change and environmental conservation is taking shape around the world

and how we can all make a difference. knowledge gross through sharing. download it now for free. will you become a criminal? mm. franklin mayo already knows. with hackers, paralyzing the tire societies, computers that are similar to you and governments that go crazy for your data. we explain how these technologies work, how they can go in for, and that's how they can also go terribly. watch it now on youtube jen. these had 1111 north single with the mission is to send the 1st female jammin. israel has space

the gender gap in space exploration. germany's 1st female astronaut has been waiting for years to get her turn of private initiative is pushing to make it happen. me personally, it's just a dream i've always had. i've always wanted to see the us for destiny. for space starts more changed on d. w this is did of the news asia coming up today. north korea's growing food shortages, multiple crises have combined to threaten food supply in the country. we look at how and nobel prize winner maria theresa on the 3rd democracies are facing from misinformation and autocrats. ah.