brent: this is dw news live from berlin. u.s. president donald trump trying to distance himself from the racist chants he presided over 24 hours ago. pres. trump: i was not happy with it. >> supporters at the rally chanted send her back when he repeatededis attack k on four democratic congresswomen he has branded as unpatriotic. and the death toll in the arson

attack on an animation studio rises to 33. beliefs have arrested a suspect but his motive remains a mystery. the captatain of a german migrat shipip goes toto court in s sic. europepean union m ministers tro reach an agreement on how to deal with the crisis. once again, they failed. the problems with growing old and china. millions of senior citizens growing older with fewer working age people to care for them. china's demographic ticking time bomb. i'm brent goff. to our viewers on pbs in the united states and all around the world, welcome. it began as a racist tweet and

it has become a rallying cry for donald trump supporters. the u.s. president used a campaign rally to repeat his attack on a group of democratic congresswomen. when he mentioned the name bill han omar -- ilhan omar, the crowd of supporters began to chant this. >>chanting] sent her back! send her back! brent: send her back they chanted. the four women that trump had called on to go back from where they came from -- they are known as the squad. they are all young, all women of minority ethnicities and represent a new left wing of the democratic party calling foror progressive legislation, such as universal health care, a federal jobs program, and free college tuition. when confronted by a journalist

in the oval office, the u.s. president tried to distance himself from the chanters. pres. trump: yes? >> when your supporters were chantiting send her back, why didn't you stop them? pres. trump: number one, i think i did. i started speaking very quickly. i disagree with it, by the way. it was quite a chant. i felt a little bit badly about it. i d d, and i started speaking very quickly. it started up rather fast as you noticed. >> you want to tell your supporters never to say that? pres. trump: i was not happy with it. i disagree with it. i didn't say that. they did. >> they were echoing what you said in your first tweet. pres. trump: if you examine it, i don't think you'll find that. brent: for more on this let's go

to washington, d.c. good evening to you, helena. how seriously are people taking the u.s. president's, what would you call it? a non-apology. >> i think that would be a good way to term it. in the democratic party they are not taking it that seriously. we've heard condemnation from those congresswomen who were targeted today. we heard from ilanna presley and others coming to the side of ilhan omar who was targeted in the chant last night. saying this kind of rhetoric endangers the safety of minorities in the united states. as we have seen the president disavows that chant but we have watched the footage and we did see that he took a step away

from the podium when that chant was rising for about 13 seconds giving it time to breathe. he made no attempt to quash it. we have heard from ilhan omar herself. she has said that the president is a racist and a fascist. poignantly, i noticed that she tweeted out today maya angelou's seminal poem, talking about rising above the shackles of oppression. is this once again a poem of our times? brent: it is a very good point. i was watching this live as it happened. it was hard to believe this type of chanting could happen during a u.s. president's rally. how significant would you say this is with the u.s. president

presiding? >> it is very significant indeed. even if now the president conducts a turnaround saying he did not condone the chant, the damage has been done. those in his base have taken his words s from that chant for r hs initiall tweets. among that hardline part of his base, it's fair to say that this reprpresents a hardening ttt may people find themselves on the receiving end of. if you thihi about undndocumentd immigranantsn this country, they are facacing an omnipresent thrt of that dreaded knock at the door from ice agents and mass deportation raids. i met one woman who is an undocumented immigrant, she is so fearful of being separated from her children, she felt she had no choice but to seek refuge in a church.

like most parents, rosa gutierrez lopez could not imagine being forced to leave her children. as an undocumented immigrant, her greatest fear is realistic. she fled violence in el salvador 13 years ago and is now facing deportation. her three children were born in the u.s.. her youngest son john has down syndrome and she is worried he wouldn't receive the same care in el salvador. she has been seeking sanctuary here at this church near washington, d.c., living apart from her children during the week so they can attend their school. >> it was hard telling my kids that i had to seek refuge in a church. i i couldn't go to my country ad leave them here. i also couldn't take them. i would be putting them in danger. they could be killed. criminal gangs there recruit children from the age o of 10.

if they refuse, they kill them. >> rosa's deportation was ordered after she missed an early immigration hearing. when ice tracked her down, they fitted her with a monitoring bracelet and forced her to leave the country. >> a friend asked me what was going on. i h had to tell her that i was cocoming to say goodbye.. i had to put my children in another school. i had to tell her i was being deported.. it was hard for me. they want to deport me because i missed a a court ses sion. that doesn't make us criminals. >> the reverend hopes that ice agents will avoid entering places of worship. the church is one of 50 religious communities offering sanctuary. >> we decided to become a

physical sanctuary congregation driven by the guiding principles of our faith. in these times, where we see the current administration engaging in policies and actions that threaten the safety and the humanity of people. >> the church has also started an information campaign, preparing undocumented immigrants for deportation raids and how to avoid arrest by refusing to open the door. rosa and many like her, the threat of deportation raids has confined them to living lives in the shadow of society. everyday activity like buying groceries and seeking medical care comes with a sense of fear. president trump says that moving millions of illegal aliens from the country. the reality is close to 2000

people without papers. democratic lawmakers say that these types of statements are a tactic to intimidate communities like this one. the community is not backing down. holding vigils to lead rosa know that they will protect her even if the trump admdministration is taking a differe s stance. >> ♪ in a sanctuary ♪ brent: excellent report there. it speaks to this rhetoric in the united states that people should fear the other. do you think there is more support for this rhetoric beyond mr. trump's base in the country? >> what we should point out is that this is the view of the minority, albeit, a very loud minority. this still has the ability to shock. that is a good thing, the fact

that it still prompts us. that said, there is the concern that could occur. that this kind of rhetoric can take hold and gain traction. we've seen that the number of people who think that the united states success depends on the openness to the rest of the world, it is now 62% which is down six percentage points. also whahat we are seeing is tht it ramps u up. in the past, succccesul presidentitial campaigigns have always b been conducted on the politics o of conclusion -- of inclusion. thatat being what the united states of america stands for. in singling out these congresswomen, president trump thrust them into the spotlight as the leaders of the democratic

party. they represented progressive message. there is a risk that centrist emme craddick voters may not be so enticed -- that centrist democratic voters may not be so enticed to put their faith in them. when you see racist rhetoric, it is safe to say that moderate republican v voters could be turned off by this kind of messaging. brent: that is what republican strategists are betting on, this politics of building walls instead of building bridges. helena, thank you. donald trump says that a u.s. warship has destroyed an iranian drone which flew within 1000 meters of the vessel. speaking during a meeting with the prime minister, trump said that the unmanned craft had ignored multiple calls to stand down. the downing of the drone comes

at a heightened time of tension in the region and the narrow strait which is the shipping gateway to the persian gulf. european union interior ministers have failed once again to reach an agreementon how to deal with asylum-seekers rescued in the mediterranean. as the ministers held talks in finland, the captain of a german migrant rescue ship appeared before an italian court. >> arriving at the courthouse in sicily, the captain was mobbed by reporters. the 31-year-old german sea captain is being investigated on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration. last month she piloted ac watch rescue ship into the port in italy with 41 migrants on board. >> i sincerely hope that the european commission after t the

new election of f the parliament will do their best to p prevent situations like that happening and that all the european countries will work together in the future to accept any people which the civilian fleet has rescued. >> italy's hard-line interior minister wants to stop rescue ships like seawatch bringing migrants ashore. >> the situation is critical. we cannot let anyone drown in the mediterranean sea anymore. we have to find solutions that are more robust, arrangements that are not ad hoc as they are right now. the situation needs our attention all the time. >> the summit ended in failure. france and germany pushed a so-called solidarity mechanism for distributing rescued migrants. italy and malta rejecected the plan.

slovenia p proposed remaining oe of the main landing points for migrants. >> it means that everyone arrives in italy and malta. i will never sign a document that says everyone has to arrive in my country. we can't rely o on them beingng relocacated. >> for now, how e europe shoulud deal witith people sailing from north africa in search of a better life remains unresolved. brent: here is a look at the other stories making headlines around the world. the united states has removed turkey from its f35 stealth fighter jet program. it came after russia began installing their air defense system last w week. washington fears it could allow russia together inside information about america's stealth fighter. taliban have killed scores of

others by detonating two bombs. authorities said that the dead included police and civilians. a moroccan court has sentenced two men to death for the murder of two scandinavian women last year. louisa gustaffson and marlin ula. police in western germany say that they have or today possible terrorist attack after raiding the homes of suspected islamist extremists. police reportedly detained six men for questioning. now to japan where 33 people have been confirmed dead in a fire and an animation studio in the city of kyoto. police say the fire were started

deliberately. a suspect has been detained and taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries. >> neighbors of kyoto o animatin say they heard something that sounded like an explosion and then there was smoke. police said i it looked likik meone had popoured gasoline around the studio. the arsonist reportedly screamed die as he doused the building and set off the blaze. authorities arrested the suspected firestarter and if identified him as a man in his 40's. the attack shock to nation where violent crime is rare -- shocked a nation where violent crime is rare. >> i had thought this area was quite safe. i'm stunned. >> i never thohought such an incident could take place in kyoto of all places. especially in this area. i wonder what garage the suspect was holding.

-- grudge the suspect was holding. >> japanese prime minister shinzo abe took to twitter to announce -- to denounce the attack. the s suspect's identity and his motive remain n a mystery. policece confirm he is neither a current nor a former employer of the studio. authorities say he was too injured to face questioning when police arrested him. >> china faces problems that other countries are grappling with and have not managed very well. i'm talking about its aging population. a problem that will impact the second-largest economy for the next few decades. the one child policy was abandoned a few years ago but the impact remains. too many old people and not enough people of working age to care for them. >> wenjran is preparing her

lunch. she has lived alone since her husband passed away earlier this year. her oldest child also passed away 15 years ago. >> i feel so helpless. the commonest party used to tell us that every family can have only one child. the state will take care of you when you get old. now that we are old, they're simply not keeping their promise. >> shehe doesn't want to o think about what will happen in a few years when she can no longer take care of herself. many aging chinese face an uncertain future. more than 240 million people aged over 60 live in the republic of china. by some projections, by 2050, 1 and three chinese will be old aged. the reason goes back to their one child policy which stood for over 30 years.

this led to a disproportionately aging population. the law was changed in 2016 to allow for two children per couple. chinese tradition requires children to take in their aging parents and care for them in their own homes but in the future this will longer be practical. this is a privately run care home. it is a first-class facility. the top floor boasts an artificial garden. residents can dance with the manager herself but this comes at price of 3000 your per month. -- 3000 euros per month. an astronomical price. many care centers have problems finding qualified personnel. >> china's geriatric care market is developing rapidly and has

huge deficits. the training takes a long time. the gap is very large. >> even though the chinese could benefit from retirement homes, they are reluctant to do so. many prefer the traditional system of home care. this woman did not have to move to a care facility. the alzheimer patient receives care at home. her family has enough money to afford a caregiver. she used to work in a care home where she was paid per patient but here, her wages are higher and she has more time. >> i like my work a lot. if she doesn't want to eat something, i wait. sooner or later she will eat again. it is my job to take care of her because all she can do is lie in bed.

>> as the number increases, the number needing care increases as well. >> i don't think that china is ready. the elderly population is rising rapidly here and it's impossible to keep up with the expansion of the health care system. the only thing we can do is to learn from companies -- countries with good health care systems like the u.s. and japan. >> that is what the government is trying to do, they are reforming insurance and opening up the market for caregivers to attract international investors but long-term plans don't exist. the state pension system is also struggling.

protection from the academy of social sciences are bleak. in 15 years, the state pension fund could dry up. pensions are barely enough to survivive on. this woman receives 500 eruos per month. she is still paying off the bills received from the death of her late husband. others have to take care of themselves. brent: tomorrow night, africa's cup of nations final sees senegal with a chance to -- with a chance to win their first ever title. slight favorites over algeria. the desert foxes of algeria have already defeated senegal and will bring an army of traveling fans to cairo. >> algeria fans have filled chartered planes to see their side in action in egypt and they are convinced that they will claim a second title after the triumph of 1990.

some even believe it's fate. >> i came here to support algeria. we've been waiting 29 years for this. i'm 28. it's the perfect time. >> it was the late winter that fired algeria into the final. after the late whistle, he was full of supporter optimism. >> we already have confidence but i think this gives us more confidence to play the final. we are capable to win it. >> they are confident too, watching their side triumph over tunisia in the semi. it's only the second time ever that they reached the final. we are all happy, we have been waiting since 2002.

they are delighted to have come so far. we are proroud because it has bn 17 y years s since we lasast weo this stage. it's thanks to perseverance and hard work. the hardest part is still a come . -- still to come. only one set of supporters will be celebrating on friday night. brent: simon yates won the first stage of the tour de france after a long break away. the frenchman has cap the overall lead ahead of the defending champion. four-time tour de france champion is missing after injury sustained in a crash last month but he still had reason to celebrate today. the international cycling union

awarded him the 2011 title after the winter at thee time was disqualified for doping and did not appeal the decision. the racer seen on the right had been runner upt 80 years ago in theou -- runner-up eight years ago in the tour of spain. more than a handful of surfers, part of the ready steady, tokyo test event hit the waves at the beach. unpredictable weather conditions could present a challenge but officials say that mother nature has passed her first test. the outlook looks positive. we hope. here's a reminder of the top stories we are following for you. u.s. president donald trump is

trying to distance himself from the chanting at a campaign rally in north carolina. trump described four women, democratic lawmakers as un-american. he says he was not happy with the champ. japan is reacting with shock as the death toll in the arson attack rose to 33. the suspect has been detained. you're watching dw news. after a short break i will be back to take you through the day.

from twenty four dot com. tensions raised again in the strait of her moods the us says its military shot d down an iranian drone there. is after iran announceded it seseized a foreign oil tanker te same body of water. united states kicks turkey out of the f. thirty five fighthter jet prorogram the move a rebuke over onkar as purchase of a russian missile defense system. and spans acting prime mininistr says he won't accept a far left party leader in his government.. without their support pedro sanchez is unlikely to ay in office