>> this is "dw news." tonight, police here in germany say the suspect responsible for one of the countries against cyberattack is a student living at home with his parents. the 20-year-old tells police he acted alone and that he was the hacker behind the twitter account which exposed politicians and celebrities details online. also coming up, assailants attack and seriously injure a far right german politician. police say the incident could

have been politically motivated. and wrestling with sexism and abuse in america. a report on how one high school in pittsburgh is using sports to try to encourage male teenagers to change their behavior toward women and girls. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. it's good to have you with us. tonight, here in germany, a 20-year-old student has confessed to one of the country's biggest ever cyber attacks. he said he stole the personal data of thousands of public rigors, including politicians and celebrities, and that he release that information via twitter, exposing private messages, pictures, and even credit card numbers. he is the latest high-profile hacker to expose the holes in german cyber defenses.

>> the attack has caused consternation in another 20-year-old suspect has apparently told police he was behind the massive data breach. >> concerning his motive, i hope you understand that at this point, we cannot provide you with a final pick her. but the suspect said he searched for and published data. the reason was that he was angry about specific statements the inter partes made publicly. >> the hacker is thought to have acted alone. he used twitter to publish personal information including phone numbers anime a la addresses, as well as photos and private messages. the hack targets as many as 30 celebrities, journalist, and politicians, including chancellor angela merkel. all political parties were hit. >> the authorities acted very quickly, very efficiently, and around the clock.

i can say with full conviction that our security agencies are guaranteeing the safety of the public and our politicians at all times. >> despite data being leaked in december in the form of an event calendar, the cyberattack only came to light last week. the investigation is continuing, and questions about the security of the digital infrastructure have yet to be answered. brent: earlier, i spoke with our chief political editor and asked her why the 20-year-old suspect has already been released, despite an apparent confession. >> he has given the police access to all his servers, his computers, also to some hardware that he has already tried to destroy. police say that one of the reasons he is being let go for now until there is a formal court trial is of course that he

confessed, and also that he helped the on the case. the authorities investigating potential further breaches of security and potential data being released into the net. he is 20 years old, that means he might be seen as a juvenile, which might see him get off with a lesser charge. at the same time we are hearing the interior minister defending -- saying the acted swiftly, giving almost an -- a minute to minute account. the authorities were alerted to this, but there are still many questions on how this could happen and how it could be prevented from happening again in the future. the interior minister wants to see something of a cyber defense center like the antiterrorism center that we have here in germany. brent: that was our chief political editor. a far right german lawmaker has been seriously injured in an attack in the north of the country.

he is the leader of the anti-immigration party. he said he was assaulted by three men in the city center on monday evening. the afd publish this photo of him in the hospital and said that he was beaten unconscious with a piece avoid. police suspect the attack -- with a piece of wood. police suspect the attack was politically motivated. we spoke to one of the afd leaders. he blames the rain screen political parties here in germany for the attack because of their efforts, he says, to sideline the far right party and its anti-immigration rhetoric. >> and you call a democratically elected party undemocratic, you are essentially inviting folks to get violent, and that is what happened here. it is an escalation of the type of undemocratic behavior we are seeing, even in the german parliament. brent: the afd's political opponents were quick to condemn

attack. the country's foreign minier tweeting some of violence can never be an answer to political arguments, regardless of the target or the motive. there's no justification for it whatsoever. anyone who commits such a crime must be punished. the leader of the social democrats had this to say. the afd is a political up on our tolerant and peaceful society, but those who use violence to trade our values and jeopardize our coexistence. i strongly condemned the attack. brent: some of the other stories making headlines around the world, flights have resumed at london's heathrow airport after being grounded for about an hour today because police say a drone was seen in the area. heathrow is the second busiest airport in the world. drone sightings at london's gatwick airport round flights for several days last month, affecting thousands of passengers flying home for

christmas. the united nations says it has moved an 18-year-old saudi woman who fled her family at the weekend to a safe place. she remains in thailand while the u.n. processes her application for refugee status. australia says it will consider her case if she applies for asylum there. now to the united states, and washington's unpredictable treatment of its allies. turkey has rebuked the u.s. national security adviser called for the protection of kurdish fighters in syria. turkish president erdogan scolded john bolton today after john bolton seem to make their protection eight prerequisite for america's withdrawal from sylvia. listen to what erdogan said earlier -- withdraw from syria. >> regarding this matter, bolton has made a serious mistake, and whoever thinks like this has also made a mistake.

it's no possible for us to make compromises on this point. those who are part of the terror corridor in syria will be taught the necessary lesson. there is not a single difference between vkk, ypg, and islamic state. brent: during the course of the war in syria, kurdish forces spearheaded the fight against so-called islamic state support from the united states. kurdish forces also managed to gain control over a large area bordering turkey, butnkara regards him as a terrorist organization because of ties to the kurdistan workers party which is known as the pkk. it gets more complicated. let's pull in daniel gerlach,

chief editor of the magazine zenith. good to see you again. what do you make of what we saw happen today with the turkish president? basically refusing to meet with the u.s. national security advisor. daniel: protocol wise, that wasn't promised or required. not even the foreign minister would see him. bolton was not -- he was entitled to meet with the national security advisor or policy advisor. i think what erdogan is doing here is trying to exploit the fact that the u.s. doesn't have a strategy, it is in a very -- so they are serious because they have serious consequences, i think the power game is that simple. the u.s. is in a weak position,

and erdogan does everything he can just to exploit that situation and embarrass them. that doesn't mean they would not receive him another time. the chief of staff was with the u.s. syrian envoy so there was a solid team traveling to operate today. brent: so who is in charge of the u.s. foreign-policy in syria? is it the u.s. president, or is it john bolton? i guess we don't know tonight. what about the future of the kurds in northern syria? do you think because of this uncertainty with the u.s., do you think erdogan would actually take a chance and go in militarily? daniel: he has said so many times. he said he would crush the empire of the ypg-pkk.

so far it has been easy for the turks not to maneuver in syria. the military campaigns have been rather successful. going after the ypg in the eastern part of syria, in that situation is a risk. i think at the moment he tries to politically and rhetorically when the fight, and he can tell his followers, look how i have embarrassed and defeated the united states. i haven't backed off against them. i think that is a victory politically. brent: we talk so many times about syria and if the u.s. has a strategy there. when you heard the news that the u.s. president had said he was pulling all u.s. forces out, did you think that it was something that was going to happen in the near future? daniel: it's easy to say i was not surprised. we have discussed this in the studio before.

i've talked to a number of his officials that clearly said they want to pullout. they were not really clear if it was going to happen in the next couple of months or the next year. they remained ambiguous about it. there were other voices, like in due time, or whatever the exact quote is. so they don't really know. nobody really knows and nobody has a strategy at the moment, at least in the west. it is easy to ridicule trump about his behavior, but the problem is, this is having consequences for the people on the ground. false promises, false hoax that have been stirred, and they see the problem now. brent: as always, we appreciate you coming in and sharing your insights. thank you. now to the weather, heavy

snowfall and avalanches in austria and germany have claimed at least five lives. 1.5 meters of snow had fallen in the northern out in less than a week. thousands of tourists are stranded in villages, and more snow is expected this week. train services and roads have been disrupted. authorities are warning that the risk of avalanches remains high. click sees forest rangers are on patrol in southern bavaria. this road has been closed since sunday. the reason, trees buckling under the weight of snow. those two trees over there are in a critical state. if the top comes down onto a car or a pedestrian, they are probably dead. in many places, emergency workers are out, trying to minimize the risk. several people have already been killed in weather-related accidents in the out -- in the alps, but locals know full well,

it's not just the roads that are dangerous. the danger is as the masses of snow come down off the roofs when the children are playing underneath, so we tell the children to play somewhere else. in austria, authorities have ramped up the avalanche warnings. power lines have been brought down, leaving large areas without electricity. there was some respite for about 100 tourists who have been trapped in a ski resort. authorities used a lull in the snowfall to evacuate them. but with many roads impassable, thousands of people remain cut off from the outside world. brent: sports news now, the italian racing driver lost his legs after a crash right here in germany back in 2001. that he never gave up his passion for the sport, and he has enjoyed a career -- a

successful career cents. now he faces one of his toughest challenges yet, 24 hour race. >> his prosthetic legs have been anything but a hindrance to his will to win. he did not let a horrific 2000 and accident at a racen germany into his driving career. he was back behind the wheel just two years later. the italian racer is now preparing for the 24 hours at daytona in the u.s. the grueling competition will be a challenge, as he has only recently returned to injure and its racing. still, his approach toacing hasn't changed, even if the mechanics behind him have. >> the fact that you have no legs is an obstacle, but it doesn't mean you're driving the car with your ls. you have the power in your hands. if you find a way to connect your brain to the car you're

driving efficiently, there's no reason why you cannot be the same driver as used to be before. >> he has had plenty of success since climbing back into the driver seat. he has won races in the world touring car championship and finished in italian racing 2005. he is not just an auto racer. he won gold medals in hand cycling at the london paralympics. nearly two decades on from his life-changing crash, he has always looked forward. >> things happen in life. it can't avoid it, but many years after my accident, i continue that my accident has probably been the greatest opportunity of my life because of all the things i am doing today. >> maybe his positivity will deliver another victory in daytona at the end of the month. brent: a new study in the united

states shows up to 40% of women say they were abused by a male while at school or in college. a school in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, is trying to change that statistic by teaching young men how to conduct relationships with women. >> testosterone is in the air. the wrestling team at this high school is preparing for the next competition, but the coach doesn't just teach sports. he has another topic on his agenda, respectful behavior toward women and girls. after each training, they gather for a cool down talk. today's topic, the problem of girls and sexual harassment. >> how do you think something like that affects the person that got grabbed? not only did you get assaulted, not only were you disrespected,

it's your fault. >> even the smallest thing can have the biggest impact on someone's life. next the conversations they have resonate with the boys. >> women are looked at as powerless in society, and that is wrong. should l be created equally. they should be doing the same things as us. it's something we need to talk about and ful comprehend. >> it has made me look at them from a different perspective, like, see what they have to go through sometimes a daily basis. it makes me respect them more and it makes the way that i treat them change. >> iearned that this is a huge issue. the reason we are not hearing about it before is the cousin is not been brought to light like it should be, and this program was good to help do that. >> they take part in a program called coaching boys into men.

he uses the trusting relationship between coaches in their team to discuss healthy relationships and violence prevention. >> some of us are learning stuff , it's hearing conversations that they have that i'm not involved with. i have overheard them holding each other accountable. one kid says something that another kid finds disrespectful. i have heard them correct each other. ask at the moment, only the boys are being coached. the girls on the team think their fellow fele students also have a thing or two to learn about respectful behavior. >> it is sad how many girls hate on each other you cannot get a compliment from a girl. it's like, she doesn't really mean it and stuff like that. we degrade each other a lot. >> the coach believes the sessions will benefit everyone in the long run and he is sure

these athletes will be role models with their peers. brent: an embattled executive's pleading his innocence in court. >> that's right. it isn't a case that has shocked the auto industry. we are talking about a man who was a true legend, hailed worldwide as a visionary executive and credited with turning the sign into a powerhouse. that was until carlos ghosn found himself charged with financial crimes. two months on, he has finally had his first hearing in court, but his longer say it could be another half year before his case goes to trial. >> cameras ready, they were waiting, but carlos ghosn never had a chance to make his case to the media. the police bust delivered him to the tokyo district court, handcuffed, and with a rope around his waist. he was described as then. he is said to have lost more

than 10 kilos over his last two months in prison. the charges, tax avoidance and underreporting his salary in documents prepared for investors. he concluded his statement saying he is innocent and there was no evidence or grounds, but he has been wrongly accused and detained. industry sources have long speculated whether the charges against him were real or whether there was foul play. he has forged an alliance between a french comic and japanese competitors nissan and mitsubishi. some in the industry say the future of the company is at stake. >> there are three possibilities for the future of the alliance. there's the status quo, but that seems difficult to envision today. they might go further into the alliance with an outright merger

or takeover of one of the two companies. or we will see a rebalancing, but today, who can say what will happen? perhaps we have reached the limits of this alliance as it was conceived in the beginning. for now, carlos ghosn is out at both japanese automakers. he is still chief executive of renault. brent: we will continue speaking about cars to a certain extent. whether self driving or self walking, it's all there at the consumer electronics show in las vegas, currently taking place. a growing number of traditionally non-tech companies have also set up shop, trying to give their product line a digital makeover. >> eye-catching self driving cars connected to the drivers devices. for bmw, an opportunity to go the extra mile, presenting its driverless motorcycle for the first time in public.

>> it is a motorcycle that is connected to its environment. the main thing behind it is to help you be sell for --afer ri ders. >> it's one of the biggest tech shows the drink startups alongside established companies. ces is expected to draw more than 180,000 visitors, hoping for a chance to see the kind of tech that will dominate this year's agenda. >> artificial intelligence, you will see a lot ofroduct powered by ai, meaning voice recognition, facial recognition, things like that. five g connectivity which is 100 times faster than 4g lte. >> with 4500 exhibitors, the overall vibe tends to be

optimistic. tech can solve problems, that's what the industry message seemed to be this year in las vegas. brent: those concerns on the trade war might easily. american and chinese representatives continue their discussions about trade relations. the stakes are high. goods from chinese mass production have long covers shelves of tory stores. u.s. brands have devoted customers in china but the prolonged discord about political leaders could erode the loyal base. >> the chinese by more consumer products from america thanhey do from any other foreign country. including japan and south korea. american brands have grown to be such a stus symbol and china's growing middle class that many cannot imagine life without them. trade between the two countries has reached far and wide.

people in both countries cannot live without the other nations products. the u.s. cannot live without china, and china cannot live without u.s. products either. that sentiment is tempered by the growing popularity of chinese made products which often cost only a fraction of their u.s. competitor. if agreements cannot be made, i will have my own preference of choice terms of famous brands of u.s. clothes. to me, their prices are already pretty expensive. if trade agreements or cooperation cannot be made, i will prefer to buy our local brands instead. but at the moment, china remains vital to many u.s. brands. that could give china the upper hand in this week's negotiations withmerican trade representatives who cannot afford to have the chinese stop filling up on u.s. products. brent: on a corporate note,

amazon has surpassed microsoft as the most valuable publicly traded company in the west. a further sign that a seesaw in the sock -- top market continues to retract -- reshuffled corporate america. relentless volatility in global equity markets have seen technology and internet stocks jockeying for leadership for weeks now. but shares in e-commerce behemoth amazon jumped 3.4% on monday on data favorable to retailers. that pushed ahead of microsoft by market capitalization. amazon is now the world's largest public company, worth $797 billion, more than the gdp of switzerland. that helped with microsoft in second position after the shuffle. alphabet, the pair company of google, is now in third. and apple, which topped the list for years, has slipped into fourth place. the iphone maker had a market capitalization of $1.1 trillion

only last fall. but shares nosedived last week when it lowered its sales outlook, based on weaker demand in china. brent: a reminder of the top stories we are following for you , here in germany a 20-year-old student has confessed to stealing the personal data of more than 1000 public figures, including politicians and celebrities. the hacker says he was working alone. he shared the information on twitter in the run-up to christmas. you are watching "dw news." brent will be back to take you through the day. don't go anywhere. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

. yeah but its use welcome to live from paris will cues and analysis from france my cat on marco in these the main world you satellites. that around lays into trump's national security adviser turkey's president accuses john bolton of complicating the withdrawal of us tops. from north east syria by insisting. thirty one doesn't send. in his troops to attack because meanwhile jumps to address the nation of the border security congress is refusing to five billion dollars to build as much promised bold wall the mexico. partial shutdown coast by these -- pass continues. most celebs african footballer of the year it's second season runni