oh, be our guest at frankfurt airport city, managed by fred bought lou ah ah, this is dw news lie from berlin, a dramatic and historic day as former us president donald trump, faces criminal charges. and i never thought anything like this could happen in america. never thought it could happen. the only crime that i have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.

trump lashes out after 34 kinds of business fraud are read out to him in a new york city court. also on the program, finland joins nato. the finish flag is raised as the alliance welcomes it's 31st member at a ceremony in brussels. ah, i'm pablo follies. welcome to the program. former us president donald trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in court in new york. trump showed little emotion entering the court building before denying 34 kinds of falsifying business records. the charges are linked to hush money payments, allegedly made to 3 people. last of the hearing in new york trumpet returned to his home in mar lago in florida,

and he told supporters there that the charges he faces are part of a political campaign against him and are baseless as it turns out. virtually everybody that has looked at this case, including rhinos and even hard core democrats, say there is no crime and that it should never have been brought. never even people that are in big things have said, if they said this is not the right thing to do, it's an insult to our country as the world is already laughing at us for so many other reasons like our open borders. well, earlier i spoke to d w stefan simons in washington, and he commented on the historic day of events or number one, yes, there was a reli style event. i would call it that way and why?

because it's basically the same old stuff. the former president is telling everybody who wants to hear it on any really he had since he declared that he's going to run for president again in 2024. of course that includes with we donald trump. everything was better when i was president. everything would be better if i was president, right, if i were president right now. and yes, the u. s. justice system and everybody else pretty much in the united states as well as the current biden administration, has it out for him. that is basically what he said and a to applause and young people liked him saying this now, is that any new? no. and is it maybe for a clear and tell who is considering it to elect him again? also? no. because i bet you, they want to hear a little bit more than just him airing his grievances and they are

a lot of them. steph, and let's talk a little bit about the charges. could you break them down for us and tell us how serious they are? well, how soon they are this interesting question because they all love a law expert to say like this is a fairly weak case. fairly weak case in comparison to the 3 others who cases which might see him being indicted in this. and this is the mar lager investigation, about the documents illegally removed from the white house. this is of course, the general 6 investigation desk just 2 out of 3. so there are there. and george, of course, right the, the infamous phone call to the secretary of state in search of 10000 something votes when she was missing to win the state. anyways, those cases are pending, and it's likely that he gets indicted there too. and those are more serious than the case we're talking about now. however,

it is clear from the perspective of the prosecutor. otherwise, you wouldn't have brought this case from a grand jury. that means people like you and me, regular us citizens who's hurt the evidence and thought, yep, the former president did something illegal. he and what is that? he not only undermined the integrity of the 2016 presidential race. how did he do it? by falsification of business records, and that is the crime which is here. i'm going to be process going to be hurt by a judge stephan. what about the legal proceedings? what happens next? next thing is that the prosecution, the district attorney, has to push all the evidence. all he has to the defense lawyers off the truck because they have the right to see this. this has to be happening in the next 45 to 65 days than they have the chance. and they will of course, file motions to the court after have seen what the evidence is against their client

. and that has to happen until august, or in august and until the end of september, the prosecution then the district attorney of manhattan has then time again to rebuttal or to you know, answer on those motions in the defense has filed. and then last but not least, the next court hearing is scheduled for december december 4th. stephanie, there's been no gag order placed by the judge on anyone involved in the proceedings . but trump has always been quite vocal about his feelings, which we've just seen at his speech there in florida. he didn't hold back. now after seeing him react to the charges, do we have any indication of the strategy he'll use to defend himself? yeah, actually i think he held back a little bit because normally if you get the real real trump firm, he is lashing out much harder and much worse than he did just to night. however,

though, and you know, i think the lawyers, his lawyers will have told him, must have told him like mr. trump, you need to turn it down. the judge has not issued a gag order. recognizing that you're running for another bit in the presidency for 2024, but you cannot really go hard after the judge or the prosecutor or any no officer of the court involved. in this case, you are trump erm, you know, he held back but still he called m. if i remember this correctly, the a justice system, a fake basically right after him. and he says that he has a quote hating judge and a trumpeting prosecutor. i do not think that this sits to well with the judge presiding over this case, and i'm absolutely sure lawyers will have a talking to him and tell him like, please mr. former president, keep it down. keep it civil. don't do that. thanks. 77 simons in washington.

let's take a look now at some of the other stories making news around the world. is ready. please have clashed with palestinians in the i'll ask them ask in jerusalem. please said they came under fire from fireworks and stones after moving into the mosque to remove people. they described this agitators. several 100 people had barricaded themselves in the mosque after ramadan. prayers peruse parliament has voted against impeaching president dina blew out of leftist deputies. want to oust her over the deaths of more than 50 people in protests since december. those protests were sparked by the impeachment and removal from office of birth. what is predecessor, the leftist pedro castillo in gold rush and suicide. drones have struck the

ukrainian city of odessa in an overnight attack. defense forces say they shot down 14 of the 17. iranian made sure head drones targeting the black sea port. one hit a local business, but there aren't no reports of any casualties. finland has become nato's 31st member. a ceremony was held at the alliance's headquarters in brussels. finland's president described the occasion as historic and nato secretary general said. the expansion shows that russia's attempts to weaken the alliance of backfired. finland flag hoisted high over nato headquarters in brussels and as anthems ring out helsinki waves good bye to 8 security policy of the past. a move prompted directory by moscow, aggression toward ukraine. the era of a military non alignment in our history has gone to an end or

a new era figures. each country maximize, he has its own security. so does finland. nato membership per strengthens our international position and to room for maneuver. nato allies take a collective defense pledge under which an attack on one is viewed as an attack on all that means finished troops are no bound to protect other members of the military alliance. and finland, which shares a long border with russia, can no count on back up from nato allies like the united states, france and germany. this is the day of joy because sir finland is se gaining more security and nato is getting stronger by the membership of finland. but we plan that finland and sweden could join together. they couldn't sweden and finland both applied for membership last year. but no stock home has been left

standing on the sidelines. it's been held up by our political tiff after turkey accused. we didn't of offering safe haven to terrorists. hungary to has been holding out on ratification a source of frustration for the swedish foreign minister. we would like to see this happen as soon as possible. there is no reason for neither the turkish parliament or the hungarian parliament to make any for further delays. russia used nato as a threat to its security and wants key of bard from ever joining. the alliance insists its door remains open, but there is no clarity on when ukraine may be invited to walk through it. for no nato nations said they'll keep arming t if. as this alliance grows from 30 to 31, so pretty significant day for nato, our correspondence in brussels, terry schultz gave us her impressions. it definitely was a big day for nato. this is

a day that even 2 years ago we could not have imagined to happening in finland was, was quite content to be non aligned, militarily, believing that this was safest for it. sharing a border with russia and, and not wanting to invite more russian threats. at the same time, once russia invaded ukraine, all bets were off and philip entire perspective on its own security changed. so definitely washing that flag b. b rays that nato headquarters today. i think it was an emotional moment definitely for the fins, but also for a lot of people watching finland take this historic step. i know that everyone around me thought it was. it was very momentous. but the accession of finland also leaves a couple of other countries wanting to get into the alliance. wishing that they had joined along with finland and that's not to sweden, is also ukraine, which has been promised that it will eventually become a member of nato. t w's. terry she'll speaking to us earlier from brussels. though

every year the united nations marks the international day of land mine awareness. it's estimated more than $30000000.00 land mines have been left in the ground from conflicts around the world. iraq is one of the most seriously affected countries who shot a leave has made clearing land mines, his life's work. he lost his legs 3 decades ago when he stepped on one. since then, he says he has cleared 100 self thousands of exclusives to prevent others from sharing his fate. emishak i had that in my work is extremely dangerous, but i'm able to do it thanks to my experience and my expertise. this is the, could this region off not been it arc, one of the idiots bust affected by mines and unexploded bombs from to eat on iraq. war of the 1980s, the ducal force, and the latest conflict with the so called islamic state,

millions of unexploded bombs, mister lit of the ground. according to international experts, was still talking about 2600000000 square meters. all areas that are contaminated through all the rat, with the most affected governance being basra, manila, my song and, and we're gonna take to pashai who's willing to it organization, not only clears land mines, but also it is, is of, in is one of the danger to pause, including among children, immediately. sometimes the children call me up when they find land mines while playing. if they're careful, then i know it's all worth it. so how many will, how do land binds have not only caused to ashad ali his legs, they have also kill his son and his brother. and at the reason he keeps fighting day after day one mind at a time. here's a reminder of the top story. we're following for you this hour. donald trump has

told supporters he's facing persecution, not prosecution. after learning details of criminal charges, he faces from heard 34 kinds of falsifying business records in court. in new york, the chargers relate to the alleged payment of hush money to 3 people before the 2016 presidential election. and that's all for me for now, coming up after the break, dw, business looks at why the asia pacific region is apparently doing better than other parts of the world. i to watch. i care ah guardians of truth. my name is john dinner and i have paid almost every price of being a journalist in a country like to a key taking on the powers that be they risk every.