tv DW News PBS January 31, 2017 6:00pm-6:31pm PST
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chocolate, anyone? a german firm is offering -- brent: this is dw news live from berlin. tonight, the new threat to europe. the united states of president donald trump. an unprecedented shift. european council president donald tusk warns eu leaders that they face an unpredictable future with president trump wielding power. we will go live to brussels with more on a friend that is now, apparently, a foe. the debate on how to lead. the u.k. brexit minister warns that exiting the eu is the point
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of no return. he warns, don't try to lock it. a german firm is offering a boxed to adventurous foodies. join us later for some dinner? i'm brent goff. it's good to have you with us. tonight, the unthinkable appears to be on the minds of many here in europe. today, the president of the european council described the united states as a threat to the eu. he made the comments in a letter to 27 european leaders and repeated them at a meeting. mr. task went on to say that the eu was facing more dangerous challenges than ever before. along with china, russia, and
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radical islam, he says the u.s. written's europeans ability. -- threatens european stability. >> there's more dangerous than in the treaty of rome 60 years ago. let me focus on the threat related to the geopolitical situation in the world and around europe. let's call it assertive china, especially under sees. the aggressive policy towards the ukraine and its neighbors with terror and anarchy in the middle east and in africa. with radical islam playing a major role. in the new american administration. they'll all make our future highly unpredictable. brent: highly unpredictable.
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let's go to our correspondent in brussels. these are very strong words coming from mr. task. -- mr. tusk. have the worries of the u.s. as a threat echoed elsewhere? >> we can't stress enough that these remarks are really unprecedented. what is happening is nothing less than the european union calling the united states, which was a long partner and close friend and suddenly turns into a potential enemy. that is whathis letter does that donald tusk wrote. he does so by naming russia, radical islam, china, and the united states in the same sentence. the biggest potential threats to the european union. these remarks were echoed in the european union, but in a much
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more diplomatic manner. it german chancellor angela merkel criticized the travel ban imposed by the new u.s. government. the french president did so as well. there was only one politician that argued exactly along these lines of donald tusk,. , the leader -- that is wolfstad. you are certainly surprised to hear them out of the mouth of the president of the european council donald tusk. brent: let's look closely at what mr. to risk -- tusk sa he calls upon europeansid. to take action. he said that we stand up to take
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dignity of a united europe. regardless of if we are talking to russia, china, the u.s., or turkey. we must take assertive and spectacular steps to change the collective emotions and revive the aspiration to raise european integration to the next level. all, how should we interpret this. >> he calls for a change of attitude. he wants to remind them of the grade achievements. he says europe has not lived in such a good episode since the
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end of the second world war. controlling the borders and free trade agreements. those would bring a very strong change to the transatlantic regime that we have had in recent decades. it would, indeed, be spectacular. brent: a correspondent in brussels. unprecedented changes between the eu and the united states. the u.s. secretary of homeland security has defended the implementation of donald trump's executive order banning citizens from southern muslim majority countries. john kelly said the executive order is not a ban on muslims and that airport security staff will implement the ban humanely. >> throughout all of this, the people that were inconvenienced,
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they were entering our country. in a way that it is always treated. the vast majority of the 1.7 billion muslims that live on this planet, the vast majority of them, all other things being equal, they have access to the united states. a relatively small number right now are being held up for a time until we can take a look at what their procedures are. i would be less an honest if i told you that some of these countries currently on the list may not be taken off the list anytime soon. they are countries that are in various states of collapse. ultimately, we would like to see those countries taken off the list. brent: let's bring in our washington correspondent.
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the department of homeland security, the acting commissioner, they just held a press conference. what did they have to say about president trump's travel ban? >> the goal was to quiet doubt and to address fears. that is what john kelly was trying to do during this first conference. he denied media reports saying that he had been kept in the dark while the executive order -- he told the press that is not true. he knew that such an order is going to be signed and he had the chance to look at some drafts. he went on defending the executive order. saying that it is to protect the country and that it is not a ban
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on muslims. but we can't gamble with the lives of the american people. we also learned some new details about the executive order and some clarification, if you wish. it means people that hold dual citizenry are now allowed to enter the u.s.. a number of refugees would be allowed to enter the united states. and hardship. are those just clarification or is the administration trying to address the ongoing criticism. brent: we are seeing backpedaling of what that means. this comes a day after some spectacular firings, president
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trump firing his active attorney general refusing to support this band. what is the significance of sally ates removal? >> maybe her removal was not so significant because it was expected but she did criticize mr. trump's executive order openly and in public saying that she is seeing the executive order not consistent with the u.s. constitution. and that is really remarkable. some experts say that it was a good decision. as attorney general, she is obliged to follow the constitution. others say that her decision was politically motivated and that she should have talked to the white house about her concerns.
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brent: the british minister steering the exit has told lawmakers that there is no going back on the country's referendum decision. the brexit secretary david davis began a two-day debate on if the country should trigger his exit from the eu. supreme court has ruled that the government was -- must not gain parliaments approval. >> the members of the british parliament are facing a difficult decision. when they pass a bill that would allow prime minister theresa may to start the brexit? >> secretary david davis. >> kicking off the debate, they want lawmakers to not block the start of the divorce talks. they must honor the public's decision. >> it is not a bill about whether the u.k. should leave the european union or how it
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should do so. it is simply about parliament empowering the government to implement the decision already made. a point of no return already passed. the core of this bill lies a very simple question. do we trust the people or not? >> fierce opposition came from the liberal democrats and the scottish national party. the labour party has had the him p vote with the government but some are expected to oppose the order. some came from members of the conservative party. former chancellor ken clark says britain friend the u.k. economic future. >> apparently, you follow the rabbit down the hole and emerge in a wonderland where some of the countries throughout the world are queuing up to give trading advantages and access to
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markets that previously we've never been able to achieve. as part of the european union. >> they will cast their votes on wednesday. brent: germany's defense minister is looking into claims of abuse at an army training base after reports that recruits ace sexual-harassment and humiliating initiation rituals. there are also calling out the army to stamp out discrimination on gay and lesbian soldiers in to investigate any incidents. >> serving in the german military is fraught with challenges. basic training is physically tough. and there's another obstacle confronting some recruits. discrimination against gay and lesbian soldiers. germany'defense minister is it can start with demeaningn.
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jokes and progress to insults and despicable behavior. these are worrying signs of a lack of leadership and a failing culture. they need the best recruits regardless of their sexual orientation. that is why they want homophobic incidents to be investigated and the victims compensated. they went silent after recent abuse allegations at an army barracks in southern germany. the criticism is aimed at the military. they weren't followed up. that is why the question remains , if there is a pattern of inconsistencies or contradictions that goes right to the top. it is calling for a special session of the parliamentary defense committee. brent: you are watching dw news
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brent: welcome back to dw news live from berlin. donald tusk has survived -- described the united states is a threat to europe. along with russia, china, and radical islam. the british minister has told parliament, don't try to block it. he says the referendum represents a point of no return. the british parliament has begun a two-day debate over whether the country should trigger the exit from the eu.
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his germany abusing the trade relationship. one man at the top of u.s. politics says yes and for once, we are not talking about donald trump. >> a top trump advisor, peter navarro is accusing germany of fixed voiding -- exploiting an undervalued euro to take advantage of trading partners. the currency value is the responsibility of the european central bank. the public clashes creating a social media stud. the risk management ceo calling the remark the most ridiculously wrong comment of the day. a researcher says almost plenty of irony, why not blacklist germany's currency manipulator. who cares about the fake fact that the ecb manages the euro? none of that changes the fact that germany does benefit from the eurozone.
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weaker economies hold down the euro, holding down the huge export industry much to the annoyance of the fellow europeans. american drug prices are way too high, the opinion of the u.s. president donald trump. many agree with him. trump met with pharma industry ceos on tuesday handing them a prescription to shake up their business model. >> staying true to his protectionist ideas, he once them to produce in the united states. for years, they outsourced drug production to eastern europe. a also asked for lower drug prices and wants to end her rule from the bush years that prevented medicare and medicaid from negotiating prices with drug makers. >> we have to get prices down for a lot of reasons.
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>> he offered to shorten the testing times that the drug and food administration demands of new drugs. >> when you have a drug, you can actually get it approved instead of waiting for years. >> among the attendees were executives from worldwide pharmaceuticals, johnson & johnson, and amgen. sanctions from the eu in the u.s. have weighed on the russian economy since the annexation of crimea. many see the trump presidency is a chance to build bridges. russia's export focused industries are hoping that they will -- >> donald trump has built a snowman in his honor. but in truth, he is scared the frosty relationship with the u.s. could be about to end.
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his cheese business is thriving because of the ban russia imposed on fresh fruit imports. if there is talk of lifting the sanctions, we will appeal to vladimir putin as a result. we might protest in favor of keeping them. that then left the sanctions but raise taxes on foreign producers. russia introduced the band in response to the sanctions imposed by western nations including the u.s. after putin and next crimea -- annexed crimea. >> there are people and sections of the russian economy that benefit from sanctions.
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>> farmers making a good living, the prospect of once again having to compete with chief imports have left them feeling pretty cheesed off. >> to africa after an absence of 32 years. morocco is rejoining the african union. the country seeks to pivot away from the dependence on european partnerships. now that morocco is one of the richest economies, there is plenty of opportunity for business. >> morocco has deserts, beaches, and agriculture. even in rural areas, nearly everyone in morocco has electricity. the country, one of the sunniest in the world. the potential for harnessing the sun and wind is enormous tanks
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to the country's location between the atlantic and the sahara. by 2020, morocco place to generate 42% -- they have invested substantially in infrastructure and information technology. the proximity to europe, low labor costs, and a telecommunications and electricity infrastructure superior to others in the region. another plus is the polyglot population. 10 million can speak fluent french. 5 million are proficient in spanish.
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less than half of the working population between the ages of 20 and 64 actually have jobs. nearly 10% are unemployed. the world bank puts gdp growth of 1.7%, a figure expected to double this year. the country has foreign currency of 23 billion euro. morocco is among the wealthiest nations on the continent. and it is now rejoining the african union. a body that needs -- it will become less dependent on financial backers. >> if you are squeamish, this next restaurant might not be for you. in many countries, bugs in the kitchen can get your restaurant shut down. some prefer insects on a plate. something catching on in germany.
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they want to put a fly in your soup quite literally. >> take mealworms and roast them like pine nuts. chocolate is an ideal accompaniment to many insects. first of all, chocolate makes a very nice sauce. and it tastes good, so it's a good thing. especially for beginners. he recommends the chocolate covered grasshoppers as a topping for fruit. he has been cooking with and selling insects for the past four years. so far, insects have not been approved as a food for industrial processing in germany. but the eu looks set to change that as early as 2018. chefs who buy larger amounts to use in their restaurants.
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>> the ancient greeks and romans eight insects as a delicacy. and until the 1920's, people in germany and france made soup out of ladybugs. we are not so far away from that. it just got forgotten at some point. >> a restaurant in hamburg would like to revive that culinary tradition. for three years, it has had an insect plate on the menu and includes deep-fried mealworms in tempora batter as well as crickets served with various dips. the guests can sample a whiskey barbecue or mango passionfruit cricket. they sold 10,000 portions last year. >> delicious. maggots on their own are a bit boring. there better with sauce. >> i don't think it looks
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disgusting but i don't feel the need to try it. i would rather eat meat. >> that is also on the menu along with zebra and crocodile. demand for exotic meat is gradually rising. i think in the future, insects will be a staple of a diet. in germany, it will take quite a few years if not decades. before that happens, prices will have to drop. insect dishes are still a niche market here and cost three times as much as the beef on the menu. >> time for me to scuttle off. >> a reminder of the top stories we're following for you. the president of the european council has described the united states is a threat to europe along with china, russia, and radical islam. they say it threatens european stability.
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and they have told parliament not to try to block it. the referendum meant that we are at a point of no return. they have begun a debate on whether the country should trigger the exit from the eu. after a short break, we will be back to take you through the day. stick around for that. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]
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