>> this is dw news, live from berlin. tonight, honoring those working to make the world a better place. three saudi activists, a farmem, a scientist focusing on rereforestation. they are all winners of an award known as the alternative nobel prize. plus, will he quit or will he be fired? deputy attorney general rod

rosenstein said to meet with donald trump. plus, new hope for people with spinal cord injuries. scientists are reporting a breakthrough as paralyzed patients stand and even take steps again with the help of an implanted device. ♪ anchor: we begin tonight with good news as we shine a spotlight on those working to make a world -- make the world a better place. each year, the right livelihood award honors those making smart solutions to our planet's biggest challenges. it is known as the alternative nobel prize. there are four winners this year

and we have been looking at them throughout the day. one of the winners has been recognized for turning barren land into forest in his native burkina faso. reporter: when yacouba sawadogo said he would planted forest in the desert, his neighbors thought he was mad. but the forest grew. now, sawadogo travels around burkina faso to teach his technique. he teaches farmersrs had to dig small pits and fill them with compost. the mounds attract termites, whose tunnels trap rainwater. >> i want the training program to be this -- to be the starting point of many programs in the region. reporter: sawadogo has been a

farmer most of his life. when a drought forced many to flee the sahel region in africa in the 1970's, he stayed and began experimenting with techniques. since then, his methods have saved hundreds of square kilometers of land from desertification. the reclaim soil allows farmers to produce crops, even in times of drought. sawadogo has gained internatioiol recognition for his s work. in 2010, he was a guest at the united nations convention. but the farmer spends most of his time back home in for kina faso, fighting deforestation during times of climate change takes constant care and vigilance. his community depends on his

knowledge to bring life back to the land. for many, sawadogo has given them a reason to stay. brent: joining us from amsterdam is a close friend of yacouba sawadogogo. it is good to have you on the show. i understand that you have known yacouba sawadogo for more than 35 years. can n you tell us what this awad means to him> -- to him? >> it is very important to him. it is perceived as international recognition of the work he has done. he has been experimenting since the early 1980's. what he has done is remarkable. in those days, the early 1990's, nobody really knew how to restore the land to productivivy at reasonable cost. he was the one who developed the

technical breakthrough that improved traditional planting. brent: we are talking about turning barren land into forest and helping farmers regenerate the soil. how did hehe come up with this idea? chris: he started to experiment. the whole area where he was living was considered to be one of the most a graded areas of the whole country. he made the pits bigger and deeper, added organic matter, and in doing so he concentrated water and soil in the same spot, which allowed a crop even in drought years. brent: how has his work been received within n his own farmig community? chris: there have been tensions in the past in the sense that some peoeople believed that he s

not respecting traditions. some even set fire to his forest. but that has doubled his dedetermination. he continued to experiment and slowly butut surely, he has been accepted as a leader in his community and is now respected. it was a difficult struggle. brent: it is fascinating. you wouldn't think that he would have to overcome those types of difficulties. it kind of begs the question, could this award maybe give a boost to sawadogo's calls in burkina faso and the rest of west africa? >> there is a huge program in africa to rerestore 100 0 millin hectares of f forest land by 20. i think that yacouba sawadogo getting such an important award

by restoring depleted land to productition is also a very good sign for this kind of large-scale forest restoration in africa. brent: we certainly sesend our congratulations to mr. sawadogo. thank you very much. brent: if you want to learn more about the other winners of the right livelihood award's, you will find that on our website. you see it right there, dw.com. here are some of the other stories making headlines around the world. the european union is referring poland to the eu's highest court over the country's controversial judicial reforms. it says poland violated democratic values s by passing a law that forces supreme court judges to retire early.

the european union wants them to suspend the rule. in northern india, land slides and flooding. rescue workers had to rescue more than a dozen people trapped by floodwaters. a bus was swept away but fortunately no one was on board. u.s. president donald trump has dismissed the sexualal assault allegations against his supreree court pick brett kavananaugh as popolitically motivated. trump says he is with him all the way. kavanaugh and his accuser are set to testify before a senate panel this coming thursday. another woman has claimed sexual misconduct by kavanaugh in "the new yorker" magazine. president trump is expected to meet with deputy attorney general rod rosenstein on thursday. this, after rod rosenstein was at the white house today amidst

speculation that he would be fired. rosenstein is under pressure after allegedly suggesting that aides secretly taped the president's conversations. he has also allegedly raised the idea of invoking the 25th amendment of the constitution to declare president trump unfit from office. he is the man overseeing the investigation into president trump's connections to russia. attorney general jeff sessions had to recuse himself. let's bring in our washington correspondent. u.s. deputy attorney general rod rosenstein is going to meet with the president on thursday. what is rosenstein's fate after the confusion we saw today? maya: rosenstein still has a job for now. we do know about this meeting on

thursday, so thursday is going to be a big day in washington, d.c. there has been a lot that has tumbled out in these past few days after this "new york times" article that alleged that rosenstein had suggested taping the president. after this story broke, we learned that rest -- we learned that rosenstein offered his own resignation. it does actually matter if rosenstein is fired or resigns. if he resigns, that means trump gets to nominate the next person. the thing you have to understand about rosenstein is that he is the boss of robert mueller, the man overseeing this investigation into this alleged meddling by the russian government. rosenstein has really been acting as a human shield between the mueller investigation and the trump administration. we know that the trump administration is no fan of what is going on at the justice department.

if rosenstein resigns rather than being fired, it's very possible that trump could install someone who is less sympathetic to robert mueller and could potentially dismantle the investigation. brent: is that what the trump white house is wanting to happen? do they want rosenstein to quit instead of the president firing him? if president trump were to fire him, that would have broader implications for the trump presidency, wouldn't it? maya: it certainly paints a murkier picture if he is fired rather than if he resigns. we do know that the dismissal of various justice department officials, including rosenstein, was discussed throughout the summer, and even last year. this is something trump has been harping on a lot, basically because he doesn't like the fact that this russia investigation is continuing and that rosenstein is standing between

him and mueller. he has repeatedly tried to dismiss various people including rosenstein and mueller, and there is a lot of concern over whether he would install a simple crony to be the next deputy attorney general. so, for now, the facts on the ground for now are rosenstein would have the job, the russian investigation is still going forward. a lot of that could change on thursday, and a lot of that looks like it is coming to the foreground today. brent: all eyes are on thursday in washington, d.c., that's for sure. thank you. brent: germany's chancellor angela merkel has apologized for being out of touch with voters. it comes after public outrage caused her coalition government to reverse her decision to promote the head of the domestic

intelligence agency. officials say the affair has weakened an already fragile coalition government. reporter: admitting a mistake and then apologizing for it is something you rarely see in german politics, but that is what german chancellor angela merkel did when she called last week's decision about the intelligence chief unconvincing. "i was too focused on the workings of the interior ministry and gave too little consideration to what people here when they hear that someone is being devoted. i deeply regret that this could happen. the soon-to-be former head of the domestic intelligence service was faced withth calls r resignation after he appealed -- after he appeared to downplay recent violence against

refugees. it turned out that he was actually being promoted in the ministry. the decision to promote maassen sparked widespread public anger, promoting new negotiations between the government coalition. now, maassen will stay on as a special advisor to seehofer. merkel wants per capita to get back to work on voters concerns. there is no shortage of issues preoccupying german voters. old care age, pensions, crime, climate change, and most recently, affordable housing. merkel and her partners concur. >> we need a new way of working in the coalition and we need to get out of the hysterical frame of mind we've seen in the last few days. >> now, the german government has pledged to turn over a new

leaf and get to work in a way that the electorate can appreciate. brent: christoph is here with breaking news and sino-american trade tensions are hitting the business markets. christoph: investors are bracing for a long trade war. washington's latest tariffs have kicked in for $200 billion worth of chinese goods. beijing wants to retaliate, targeting $60 billion of u.s. goods. workers in a chinese factory making flags and banners for donald trump's reelection campaign in 2020. if you want an idea of the irony in the of the trade dispute with ththe world's two biggest econo, here it is in a nutshell. the dispute has escalated dramatically between the u.s.

president and his chinese counterpart, xi jinping, almost a year ago. what has happened since then and what hasn't meant for both economies? last year, the u.s. imported just over $500 billion worth of goods from china. in june, trump imposed tariff's on $50 billion worth of them. as of today, additional duties have come into effect on $200 billion worth of products. china's imports since last year totaled $129 billion, only about one quarter of the value of u.s. bound exports. china imposed duties on some $50 billion of u.s. goods. now, it has retaliated again by adding duties to a further $60 billion of u.s. goods. if the u.s. ups the ante again, china doesn't have that much

room to move. meanwhile, the war of words has escalated. here's what u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo had to say about the trade war on u.s. television on sunday. secretary pompeo: we know this much. the trade war between china and the united states has been going onon for years. here's what's different t in ths administration. to the extent that one wants to call this a trade war, we are determined to win it. christoph: china accuses the united states of bullying. experts say the real losers in this trade battle are likely to be consumers in both countries. let's cross over to new york. as u.s.-china tariffs kick in, losses on monday. our investors on wall street as pessimistic? reporter: finally, trade

tensions hit the u.s. market for the first time since u.s. president donald trump announced a new round of tariffs last week. the loss on the dow jones was not dramatic, but it was a downturn of almost 200 points with blue chips -- 200 points. there is a lobbying group called "tariffs for the heartland." hundreds of companies have joined the cause. to speak for a lot of companies from the toy sector, the car industry, some retailers company fashion industry, they are all concerned that costs are going to increase and therefore that will also lead to higher prices. for consumers, helping the impact will be remains to be seen. donald trump, for now, starting with tariffs of only 10% but

that could start -- but that could change in the next weeks or months. christoph: oil prices have hit a four year high. this comes after opec ruled out increasing output. that decision defies calls from the united states, which fears that sanctions reimposed on iran will put pressure on global supply. a barrel of brent crews now costs $81. experts believe the cost could rise to over $100 as iranian sanctions take hold. the u.s. president is pushing for lower oil prices but thanks to the fracking technology, the united states has become the number two oil producer. higher price means higher revenue, right? jens: it does lead to an

increase in production when it comes to fracking, as you mentioned. oil prices in new york gaining 2% on monday. this year, it is pretty likely that the u.s. will become the biggest oil producer on earth. just give you a rough idea, u.s. oil production has about doubled in the past decade while output from saudi arabia and russia pretty much remains the same. we also saw oil companies treated to the upside on monday. without those -- christoph: here in germany, chancellor angela merkel met the heads of carmakers on monday to discuss additional measures to avoid large-scale diesel bands. the so-called diesel summit ended on conclusively yet again.

-- ended inconclusively yet again. the biannual commercial vehicle show in hanover is highly charged. reporter: this van could be something out of a science fiction novel. it will be able to master the road without a human driver. tradesmen ron likes that, despite the fact that he's looking for something a little bit less futuristic. >> these are just futuristic concepts. we obviously need practical models and affordable vehicles right now. i think the industry understands that there is a huge demand. reporter: chinese carmakers are here, too. he rented the chinese car a year ago. he's happy with it. it is not luxuriously equipped, but it has other advantages. most importantly, fast charging technology.

>> this vehicle has a range of almost 200 kilometers. it can carry a load of one time. i can carry a drawer system in there and it has a huge loading area. all that at a reasonable price. reporter: daimler is presenting the e version of some of its models. ron could be one of the first customers. he has pre-ordered for 44,000 euros. he still has some concern. range. a solution would be a standard installation of fast loading technology which would allow recharging quickly. german carmakers are dragging their feet, claiming customers don't need more range. >> we aimed for 100 kilometers under all conditions, also in winter and with heating, and that is according to what a

customer says is a norm according to their needs. they drive 60 to 80 kilometers a day, they can charge at night. reporter: he wants to get a real feel and takes the vehicle for a spin. outside, it is very similar to its diesel engine cousin. he already has 10 diesel vehicles in his fleet, so his workers would hardly have to adjust. >> if these models were available now, i would be able to say that i don't need to settle for vans from the american are chinese ones because i would have to take repairs and servicing into consideration. reporter: from small transporters to electric trucks, there is no more time for future prototypes. buyers need production-ready e -vehicles now. christoph: what is being mailed as a -- being hailed as a

medical milestone. brent: success in helping patients with paralysis to stand or even take steps again. it is all thanks to an electrical implant that zaps the spinal cord along with months of intense rerehab. it is giving new hope to people suffering from spinal cord injuries. >> one step at a time. jarrett is able to walk again five years after an accident that left him paralyzed. >> to be able to move my legs and walk, that means a lot. ththat thehere is hope for not y me but other people. reporter: he is one of three patients taking part in separate studies in the united states, who have managed to walk again, albeit assisted. the 29th-year-old was the first patientt at the mayoyo clinic to

hahave an electrical device implanted near hisis damaged spinal cord. the original function of the electrical simulate -- electrical stimulator was to treat chronic pain. it is being used experimentally to try and activate dormant circuitry in the spinal cord and allow movement >> because we were able to stimulate directly the spinal cord itself, and we bebelieve that that was importat to be able to gain voluntary control. reporter: just one month after surgery, he underwent 43 weeks ofof surgery and stimulator adjuststments. at one session, c chinnook manad to walk the length of a football field. or him, it is not about the distance. >> the hopeful sigign that maybi can leavave the wheelchair b be, eveven if it is to walk to the

refrigerator and back or something. reporter: hope is what chinnook has given to those with spinal injuries who never thought standing up or walking would ever be possible again. brent: fifa has named croatia midfielder luca modric as the world's best football player at an awards ceremony in london. modric was chosen for the prize after a stunning year which saw him health real madrid win a champions league title. after that, he captained croatia to a world cup final, also being named the player of the tournament. he is the first croatian to win the award. he is a reminder of the top story we're following. three saudi human rights activists, a farmer, and two anti-corruption crusaders from latin america are the winners of the righlivelihoodod award.

also known as the alternative nobel prize, it offers awards to people who has -- you offer solutions to global problems and also those who suffer for their beliefs. u.s. deputy attorney general ron rosenstein's job is on the line. he is set to meet donald trump later this week after rosenstein allegedly criticized donald trump in discussed ways to remove him from office. after a short break, i'll be back to take you through the day. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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