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tv   DW News  PBS  August 16, 2017 6:00pm-6:31pm PDT

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♪ sarah: this is "dw news," live from berlin. mourners are calling her a victim of fascism. a memorial is held for heather heyer in the u.s. city of charlottesville. she was killed when a man rammed his car through a group of demonstrators who were protesting against a white nationalist rally. and criticism is growing to the president's reaction to that deadly violence. donald trump blamed both sides, backtracking on previous statements condemning white supremacists. and a family reunion like no
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other. including heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. ♪ sarah: i am sarah kelly. thank you very much for joining us. we begin in charlottesville, virginia where family and friends have paid tribute to heather heyer, the 32-year-old woman killed protesting a white nationalists rally. heather was killed after a car rammed into a group of antiracism protesters on saturday. mourners remembered her as a courageous, principled woman and a firm believer in justice and equality. police have charged a 20-year-old man with alleged nazi sympathies with her murder. heyer's mother, susan bro, spoke at the memorial earlier. this is how she marked the passing of her daughter. >> i think the reason that what happened to heather has struck a
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chord is because we know that what she did is achievable. we don't all have to die. we don't all have to sacrifice our lives. they tried to kill my child to shut her up. well guess what? you just magnified her. [applause] sarah: the violence her daughter in charlottesville has sparked another controversy for the white house. u.s. president donald trump has been widely criticized for backtracking on an earlier statement and failing to call out the white nationalists. his comments, that both sides were to blame, has drawn condemnation at home and around the world. reporter: president trump's critics wanted a clear condemnation of white supremacists. instead, he reiterated the response that drew a wave of criticism over the weekend. >> i think there is blame on both sides. and i have no doubt about it, and you don't have any doubt about it, either. you had many people in that
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group other than neo-nazis and white nationalists. ok? and the press has treated them absolutely unfairly. reporter: trump insists both groups -- the white supremacists and those opposing them, trump called them the alt-left -- were responsible for last weekend's clashes in charlottesville. his comments had unleashed more protests and criticism in the country, including from some in trump's own party. republican senator john mccain had this to say on twitter -- there is no moral equivalency between racists and american standing up to defy hate and bigotry. the president of the united states should say so. foreign political figures have also criticized trump's response. british prime minister theresa may condemned racist violence in charlottesville. >> i see no equivalence between those who espouse fascist views and those who oppose them. i think it is those -- important
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for all those in positions of authority to condemn far right views wherever we hear them. reporter: germany's foreign minister said events in the u.s. should serve as a warning. >> the debate in america has shown how the president's initial statement upset american society. that seems to be the reason why he corrected himself. but the wave of anger was rightfully huge, and we see what happens when nobody stops right wing ideologists. it should be a lesson, especially for us in europe and germany. reporter: meanwhile, united nations human rights experts in geneva have called on u.s. political leaders on all levels to combat the rise of racist violence and xenophobia. and urge the prosecution of those who commit hate crimes. sarah: for more on this i'm joined by mark fisher, a senior
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editor at the washington post. thank you so much for joining us. you blasted trump's response in an article titled, the nation can only -- can you put his remarks into contest -- context for us? how unusual is it to hear these things? mark: it is unprecedented to hear u.s. president saying the people who were protesting against an extreme right band of white supremacists are on the same moral plane as those white supremacists. that has really not happened before and what we saw over the last several days from donald trump was this ricochet in which he first seemed to excuse some of the protester's actions in charlottesville, then condemned him by name, then reverted back to his initial position.
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so clearly his latest statement was the one he was most enthusiastic and emotionally about, whereas the one that issued the condemnation was really a stiff and formal, and seemed to be almost a ritualistic denunciation of those extremists. sarah: and these are the two very different sides of trump that had been on display. what do you think those two sides, what do they tell us about the u.s. president? mark: they tell us that he is someone who does not like to be told what to say. and so, after his initial reaction turned out to be all too sympathetic to those who were involved in the rally, he was under tremendous pressure from democrats and republicans alike to come out with a clear statement condemning racism and neo-nazis and of the protesters. when he was forced into that he seemed to rebel against it and
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come back and double down on his initial remarks, which is a longtime pattern in donald trump's life. whenever he is criticized he likes to attack in whenever he is told he has to say something he likes to say the opposite. we have both of his impulsivity and provocative nature to me together with his long history of racially suspect comments to produce the strange scene we saw yesterday. sarah: given those personality traits that you just highlighted , does it seem as if anyone might get through to him at this point? the republican party, his new chief of staff? mark: it is hard to imagine. his chief of staff was standing behind him as he said these things, obviously not necessarily endorsing what the president said, but the powerlessness of those around him is evident every time he lashes out in this impulsive manner. there have been many generations of people who have worked for donald trump who have come to the same conclusion, which is
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that there is really no pushing him into doing something. there are those who have survived around him for long periods by flattering him and nudging him in the right direction, making them think decisions are his own when he is actually being pressured in a certain direction. but the kind of reaction we have seen from the white house, from congress, from people on both sides of the aisle in congress in trying to shame the president into doing the right thing, that has never worked in donald trump's case and there is reason to believe it would start now. sarah: in the meantime will we continue to see a major debate in the country. old wounds have been opened including from the civil war, from slavery. tell us a little more about how all this is playing out in the public arena there. mark: certainly there is an ongoing debate about the legacy of the civil war, the confederate general statues, tributes to the south side in
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the civil war that are present in the town centers in town halls of many cities across the country. and that is an ongoing debate as to how to handle history. of course that is something germany has struggled with threat the years. how to reflect the past while still having a clear moral stand about the present? that's a debate that really is not been had in america until recent years. these behaviors by the president are certainly adding an emotional kind of topping to that, as you mention, and a think we're going to see more volatility around this issue in the coming days as a number of cities and towns are starting to tear down the statues as a symbolic gesture towards turning a new leaf. sarah: trump also attacking the press, calling them fake news. does it feel personal as a washington journalist? mark: no, not at all.
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the president has a long history as using the press as kind of a way of winning over crowds. he loves to bash the media as a way of winning public support and deflecting blame from himself. but at the same time he's someone who courts the press, and a think it is important to everyone to realize is again he has played quite successfully for many decades and continues to do. on the one hand he is highly dependent on the media, tries to get its respect and attention as much as he can, at the same time he's bashing reporters in public to win applause. everyone i think is aware of that game and just watches as he plays it. sarah: you guys have been doing some great journalism. we thank you very much for taking some time out to speak with us this evening. time not to take a look at some other stories making news around the world. the death toll from landslides and flash floods in south asia
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has risen to over 200. in nepal, elephants are being used to rescue tourists stranded in remote areas. millions of people across india, bangladesh and nepal have been displaced by the heavy monsoon rains. more than 15 people are feared dead after a series of suicide bombings in northeastern nigeria. officials say at least three suicide bombers detonated ons at a market and a refugee camp. bow boko haram is suspected of carrying out the attacks. britain says there should be no border post between ireland and the british province of northern ireland after brexit. that border is a key issue the eu insists must be resolved for talks can go forward. negotiations continue later this month. here in germany, voters go to the polls in a letter more than five weeks. as things stand it is looking good for german chancellor angela merkel.
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her christian democrats along with her sister party is far ahead of the social democrats. but there is a tight race developing for the third-biggest party, and the right-wing populist alternative for germany, or afd, might make the cut. as part of our series interviewing the main party candidates, alexander gauland was in our studio today. dw's editor in chief and reporter asked him about his controversial policies. reporter: alexander gauland is a leading candidate for the right-wing populist party alternative for germany. this year's election is the first time in germany's postwar history that a party to the right to be set to enter parliament. the afd is running on an anti-refugee platform. the 74-year-old is adamant it is a policy that can pull in the votes. >> would you really send refugees back to libya in these circumstances? >> of course. they come here voluntarily.
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nobody is forcing them to come from southern africa or through libya. so anybody who comes through libya to their own accord can also be sent back there. reporter: the afd would even refuse entry to war refugees. you would like to see all of europe's borders closed. >> these people should not even be allowed into the country. they should be in asylum centers outside germany, even outside europe where they can apply for asylum if they really qualify. reporter: afd campaign posters warn of dangers they allege are posed by islam. gauland accuses germany's muslims of wanting to introduce sharia law. >> when was the last time you talked to muslims and specifically touched on this problem? >> why should i speak with muslims and talk about that? >> why don't you meet with muslims? >> i have no need to talk to muslims in any official capacity.
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but if i have somebody at hand then of course, i'm ready to talk to them. that is not a problem. >> you speak a lot about muslims, but it is clear you have no need to speak with them. reporter: he repeated his view that islam as a cultural and religious community does not belong in germany. this is the message his party is pushing in a country that is home to around five million muslims. sarah: still to come on the program, an emotional moment. a family reunited. we will bring you that as we preview a new dw documentary tracing the lives of some of the people who arrived in germany during the height of the migration crisis. in the meantime, don't forget you can always get dw news on the go. just download our app. that will give you access to the latest news from all around the world.
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you can also use the dw app to send us photos and videos, and you can watch this program on a livestream. back in a minute. i will see you then. ♪
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♪ sarah: a quick reminder of our top story. mortars in charlottesville have been honoring heather heyer, the young woman killed protesting a white nationalist rally on saturday. she was killed after a car rammed into a group of antiracism protesters. dw will shortly be airing and landmark project documenting the plight of refugees. the filmmaker began following the lives of three people soon after they arrived in germany at the peak of the refugee crisis in 2015. everything from credit
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challenges, learning a new language can't do the very long wait to see their families again. here is an excerpt from that documentary including what may be the film's happiest moment. >> mohammed has waited three years to see his family again. now, they are finally being reunited. it is the first time mohammed has seen his youngest son, was born after he fled.
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mohammed has been in berlin for a year. he was granted refugee status just three years after arriving, which allowed him to enroll in integration course. not long aerwas, authorities are able to provide him with an apartment. is new life is beginning to take shape. now he could focus on trying to bring his family from syria. for that to happen, his wife had to get to a german embassy for an interview. >> my wife was always calling me and asking, how do things look? i could not tell her anything. we were under such pressure. >> sometimes you have no strength left. sometimes you lose hope. and sometimes you just accept
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that you have to be a long. and a family reunion is just a dream. >> she was finally able to get an appointment at the german embassy in beirut. in april 2016, her and her children cross the border. the embassy is one of the few places where syrians can hope to get a family reunification visa. it is difficult to collect the required documents in wartime. many refugees come with little or no paperwork. but she was told it would take just four weeks to process her application. but four weeks turned into four months of waiting. then mohammed's family finally arrived in berlin. >> when they came to the door, i saw my wife first of all.
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that i noticed my daughter looked at me like a stranger, like she was asking, why did you go away? white to the plus loan -- why did you leave us alone? i have to admit that made me very sad. >> mohammed is one of three syrian refugees in germany who stories were gathered by a filmmaker. after following them for two years he produced a documentary entitled mohammed, everyman. sarah: talks started today. javier: it is very controversial agreement. at lisa's donald trump decided to renegotiate it. now the three member states are finally sitting down. he will take seven rounds to revamp the agreement or knows exactly what they will change.
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we will analyze it further in a minute, but first here's a look at the very different visions the three countries bring to the table. reporter: it is early days but the united states has already laid down a tough negotiating stance, almost guaranteeing strained exchanges between the countries. >> the views of the president about nafta, which i completely share, are well-known. i want to be clear that he is not interested in a mere tweaking of a few provisions and a couple of updated chapters. we feel that nafta has fundamentally failed many, many americans, and needs major improvement. reporter: u.s. president donald trump claimed during his election campaign that the nafta deal had heard u.s. interests by shifting manufacturing jobs to low-wage mexico. the canadian and mexican
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negotiators conceded to update the deal to reflect present realities. but they defended nafta as a success story. trilateral trade between the three countries is worth $1.1 trillion in 2016. >> the process would begin today is not about going back to the past. it is looking into the future. mexico believes that nafta has been a strong success for all parties. we also agree there is room for modernization in order to make this agreement even more successful. the issue is not tearing apart what has worked, but rather how we can make it work even better. reporter: the with the deals have unfolded so far has the observers asking what all parties would deem beneficial to all. the negotiators have little time
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to achieve on. they want the deal into before midterm elections in the u.s. and journal elections in mexico next year. javier: the business world will of course be watching all the developments closely. let's bring in our financial correspondent at the york stock exchange. we know the u.s. has been criticized for trying to renegotiate nafta but it is true it was negotiated in 1994 at a time when the internet was not widespread. so what can you make of that? sophie: in the hundreds of pages of nafta, internet does not appear once. but there are important issues like intellectual property on the internet and information flow. in 1994 did not have a lot. this part of the industry is one that is only continuing to grow.
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the internet sector now makes up more than 6% of gdp and employs nearly 3 million americans. globally, a massive $160 billion trade surplus in digital trade. regarding the internet, negotiations are overdue and there is a general agreement that nafta needs to be modernized. javier: but of course that is not the only thing they want to change. the u.s. wants to significantly overall nafta. will we still be talking about a free trade agreement in the end? sophie: of course nobody knows what nafta is going to look like after the seven rounds of negotiating the terms. but one thing is clear -- trump wants to do everything to stop imports from pouring into the united states. and wants american companies to sell more goods to mexico and
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canada. in order to push the united states into a general position of trade, these countries would have to change significantly. javier: sophie, thank you very much for the analysis. speaking of things that need to change, germany's top companies are run by men. that is a fact, considering only 6% of members of supervisory boards in this country are female. germany's minister for women's affairs is now threatening the firms. they either perform better next year or the ministry will take action with legislation, an idea that splits the elite of german management. reporter: he never uses think of quarters for women in corporate boardrooms as an issue. at age 34, she has her own company. and since june she has been on the board at public retreated telecommunications company free net. it's one of the hundred german corporations legally required to
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staff 30% of their boards with women. >> in is not good that we need a quota because i don't think it is natural. but i think it is necessary because otherwise there is little incentive to promote women to key positions. reporter: the report ordered by german family affairs minister chose companies need to be compelled to appoint women to the top ranks. of the existing quota only applies to a few corporations and only for supervisory boards. in more than 1700 companies, the new -- the number of female executives was stagnant at 6.1%. >> companies have to stick with her goal is to increase women in senior management. about 70% of them said 0%. reporter: she is threatening to extend the quota to senior executives. >> we consider this proposal unconstitutional.
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corporations must be love to individually select the best and most qualified candidate. reporter: but she disagrees. she would like a quota reading more role models for young women. javier: that's all from the business desk. sarah: we just have time for a quick reminder of the top story. mourners in charlottesville have been honoring heather heyer, the young woman killed protesting a white nationalist rally on saturday. she was killed after a car rammed into a group of antiracism protesters. you are up to date. thank you for watching. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]
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♪ ♪ population 630,000, is the largest city in the russian far east, vladivostok. ♪ >> three years ago a theater for opera and ballet was established here.

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