live from berlin. the world's richest man snaps up twitter f $44 billion. tesla founder elon musk wants to use it to uphold free speech and says the social media platforms is vital to the future of humanity. also on the program -- ukraine accuses rush of at least i were killed and a

series of missile strikes and real stations. turkey jails a campaigner for life, found guilty of trying to overthrow the government, charges he says are fabricated. and beijing stocks up on groceries and household goods, as they fear any lockdown so contain the worst outbreak in two years -- covid outbreak in two years. ♪ i am phil gayle. welcome to the program. tesla see oh well i must -- tesla ceo elon musk has bought twitter for $44 billion. he pledged to be more lenient on policing use of speech. the bill and air force announced plans to buy the social media platforms less than two weeks ago. the board organized a poison pill to ward off the whole style but -- the hostile bid but has

now accepted it. we go straight to washington. how significant is this decision to accept mr. musk's bid? >> phil, it is huge news. you sent it -- he's the richest man in the world. he is buying what's arguably the most influential social media platform in the world. some people might not agree with that. if you look at the fact that leaders around the world use twitter to communicate, you certainly could make that argument. he is buying it for the sum of $44 billion. the deal works up to $54.20 a share. the way this came out itself was pretty extraordinary. some of our viewers might remember, it was just earlier this month that elon musk announced he was buying this big stake in twitter -- and the board decided that a takeover by elon musk would not be good for the company. that's because he had offered to pay a bunch of money for twitter without saying how he would come up with that money. so they put in what you

mentioned, this poison pill, basically a legal maneuver that makes it hard for a shareholder to buy a bigger stake -- fast forward to an outcome of the board of twitter negotiated with elon musk again today and decided to go again, elon musk was able to line up the financing in the meantime, putting together the funds for the 44 billion dollars to follow through with the deal. that is what changed minds on the board. to note -- it looks good for twitter on the stock market,. the share price, raising more than 5% in trading. that appears to be a sign that investors are confident about the deal. phil: elon musk describes himself as a free speech absolutist. what changes is he likely to make to twitter? >> that is a big question. a lot of people are asking. elon musk has made no secret about the fact that they want to see serious changes -- he wants to see serious changes at twitter. he thinks it should be a bastion of free speech. he believes that twitter, a

platform he really likes to use himself, that content moderation goes way too far in the current state. in the press statement that came out, announcing this deal, he said that free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and that twitter has to be the digital town square. that is probably one change. he's also saying he wants to make the algorithms open source. basically those algorithms decide what you and i see on our timelines on twitter. he believes our needs to be more transparency so people can understand what content is pushed up on their timelines and why. he also has said he wants to defeat the spam box and authenticate all humans. those are just some of the ideas. we are certainly likely to hear more from him on the coming days. probably on twitter itself. phil: ok. the stock market, reacting well to this news. what are the reactions of policing? -- what other reactions have we seen? >> ever since the rumors were trickling in, and the u.s., we saw tons of reaction on social

media around the world. it really is a question of what you think of elon musk. so the people who think that twitter should be a platform for free speech believe elon musk is really a blessing for twitter -- he a lot of supporters on the platform. it was really interesting even to see people tweeting at him, applying for top positions in the company, saying consider me as vice president for twitter. but the overwhelming trend i saw was doomsday prophecies -- that twitter after learning to moderate content antic response ability for content on its platform, that elon musk will reopen these gates and that people like the former president could be reinstated. the hashtag that was trending on morning is "leaving twitter," that tells you how some people are taking these news. phil: thank you for that, sumi. in washington. let's take a look at the latest developments in the war in ukraine. kyiv's military commanders say russia's try to disrupt the flow

of weapons into ukraine with a series of coordinated missile strikes on railway stations. at least five people have been killed in the attacks. many more injured. reporter: he railway station, inflames in western ukraine. russia continues to attack targets all across the country. both military and civilian. >> well, the railway maintains the lifeline of the country. and indeed, it isot that important for evacuation trainings -- but just for passenger traffic. we don't have airplanes. we have only cars and trains now. reporter: local tras are starting to run again kyiv. -- in kyiv. buses and trams, too. while it is too soon to call the city safe, life in the capital are slowly returning to normal. although nobody knows for w

long. while the on receny reopened to the public, the staff at this bar have kept busy since the invasion begin. cooking meals for soldiers and emergency workers. >> have served almost 13,000 portions already. the kitchen is small. there's not a single cook among us. on bartenders and waiters. but we managed. -- only bartenders and waiters. but we manage. >> reporter: kharkiv receives incoming fire every day. but the city remains in ukrainian hands. one analyst says the defenses are likely to keep russia from making dramatic gains in the near future. >> until one side is weakened attritio we are probably not going to see massive changes -- we are not going to see these blitzkrieg type operations that ople are perhaps assuming. once one side gets too weak,

that will change. i think we are in this re static,low-moving attritional phase. but when that ends, that can end very quickly. reporter: in the latest uploa a video, claiming to show people hiding in tunnels and bunkers under mariupol shows a different picture. food and water are running out. children wear diapers made from trash bags. and the weary survivors feel trapped in a senseless war. >> on beha of all residents of mariupol, i address the world -- please help us, we want to live, we want to live in our o city, in our own country, a normal, peaceful life. we are tired of these bombings, these constant airstrikes. how long wilthis last? who are we being rescued from? i do not understand. help us. stop the aggression of the russian federation against my country. reporter: aboveground,

russia's military is slowly trying to grind out a victory. for those caught in the violence, time is a luxury they cannot afford. phil: dw's jan-philipp scholz is in ukraine. he told me more about the latest airstrikes. reporter: indeed, there have been many air raid alerts here in western ukraine throughout the day. actually, there is alerts active right now. this is why we are in the shelter at the moment. here in lviv, the air defense systems have been successful, but there have been at least 4-5 strikes on train stations in western and central ukraine. one strike just around 100 km from the polish border. several people were injured. several people died. there have been attacks on infrastructure before, but this has definitely reached a new dimension today. some say that it can also be interpreted as a warning to the

west, since high-ranking u.s. delegations have been traveling in the very same region, just some hours before. phil: right. there was supposed to be a cease-fire today in mariupol. >> yes -- reporter: yes, actually, russia announced the cease-fire some hours ago. but from what we are hearing, all attempts to establish humanitarian corridor, to evacuate the civilians still trapped in the steel plant, have not been successful. ukrainian officials say, there has been no bilateral agreement, regarding the establishment of such a humanitarian corridor, and there have been too many announcements by the russians in the past, some officials also reporting about new fighting going on around the plant.

so at the moment, the ukrainian officials insist that the united nations and the red cross should be involved in any evacuation attempt. phil: right. in the dobas region in the east of ukraine -- donbass region in the east of ukraine which russia seems determined to take, what is happening there? reporter: there has also been fighting in the donbass region throughout the day. the governor of the the next -- donetsk region said to children were killed, in the neighboring luhansk region, officials reported about a massive explosion in the city council building, apparently killing several people. the fighting has not reached a level in the donbass region that was predicted by some observers

in the past weeks, but there is still continued fighting every day, causing the deaths of many people on a daily basis. phil: thank you for that, dw correspondent young religions -- dw correspondent jan-philipp scholz. the u.s. secretary of defense lloyd austin has arrived in germany following toxin kyiv. tomorrow he will discuss ukraine's defense needs with counterparts from more than 20 countries. nato's secretary-general will also attend the meeting at the u.s. airbase. russia has expelled diplomats from moscow. germany expelled a number of russian staff earlier this month. the german foreign minister described the retaliation is destructive but not justified. u.n. secretary general -- the u.n. secretary general is on a mission to advance ukraine piece negotiations. he spent time with the turkish

president. they will travel on to moscow, then kyiv. turkey has sentenced a human rights campaigner to life in prison. he's found guilty of attempting to overthrow the government. he's been in detention since 2017 and says the charges against them have been fabricated. reporter: the ruling by the istanbul court drew loud protests from supporters of the campaigner. [protesters chanting] labile the resistance against the turkish government would continue. his long imprisonment without trial had earlier prompted the council of europe to launch infringement proceedings against turkey. many had hoped that would help his case. opposition lawmakers slammed the ruling. >> the government is without shame. they are just thugs, like the mafia. how can we take them seriously as judges and prosecutors? reporter: he was convicted for

organizing protests in 2013 against the building of a shopping center in istanbul's gacy park. the prosecutor claimed -- prosecution claimed he was attempting to topple, the government charges he denies. activists express shock at the ruling. >> it is far worse than anything anyone expected, i think. i mean, it feels like a kind of -- a huge act of defiance, coming from the palace. reporter: the court also convicted 18 other people on trial with the campaigner, each sentenced to 18 years in prison. all of the defendants have pledged to appeal the verdict. phil: dw's correspondent has been following the trial. i asked him about the verdict. reporter: the campaigner has been sentenced to an aggravated life sentence. that is the more severe sentence

on turkish logbooks. he will ben solitary confinement r the rest of his life, and ineligible for parole. this severe sentence was passed because he was found guilty of seeking to overthrow the government, supporting 2013 nationwide protests, and in 2016, the coup which precutors claim are all part of the same conspiracy. seven other people were also convicted. sentenced to 18 years in prison. this case is deeply controversial. the defense lawyers, saying the whole case was fabricated. earlier, a quartet acquitted him -- a quartet acquitted him, but he was subsequently rearrested and faces this latest court case. on top of that, one of the judges stood for parliament -- the akp party iearlier elections and demanded he be removed. they refusedhat and dismissed the cases. althgh one charge did defer. it vot against the convictn.

saying the case was without merit or any standing. we have also seen now that the main opposition, the leader has condemned to come- condemned this, lling it a tyrannic verdict. they say they can be no peace without justice. for their the country, this case. phil: the campaigner was imprisoned without trial for more than four years. how did that come about? >> there'been a long and protract case that's dra widespre nationaand international coendation over the fact that he had -- condemnation over the fact that he had been held f so long, and then was acquitted, then further held again. kavala's an extremely important figure, very wealthy, powerful businessman, philanthropist, a major pporter of turkish w vil sie -- turkish civil society. the president accused him to

being the george soros of turkey, referring to the althy hungarian businessman who supports movements across europe and has been condemned by the likes of president putin f causing unrest. they argue this is a conspiracy. kavala's side confirms that argument. phil: you say the case has been closely watched abroad. is this product likely to have international repercussions? rerter: absolutely. the council of europe are already investedetting turkey. turkey is facing disciplinary action over this case here. they are calling for his immediate withdrawal, saying the case is rely political. washington also called for kavala's release. 10 ambassadors called for his release. erdogan responded by saying they

wod be thrown at the coury -- there were subsequeny backed down. erdogan also stepped back. now that he has bn convicted and facing life in prison, although he can appeal, [indiscernible] -- western allies. phil: thank you. people in the chinese capital, beijing, rushing to stock up on groceries and household goods, as covid-19 case numbers increase. if your authorities will lock the city down -- they for your will lock the city down, as the country struggles with its worse outbreak in two years. reporter: rushing to be ready, in the event of a lockdown. these are just some of the millions of residents stockpiling essentials, after authorities sparked fears of an impending lockdown. government insurances that there is -- there is enough food

has done little to dissuade locals. aisles ended up nearly bare. supermarket chains have boosted stock levels and extended opening hours in a bid to keep up with the increased demand. but some locals are anxious about the future. >> we are afraid that if deliveries are cut off, supplies will no make demand -- not meet the demand. >> sing so many people buying food at the same time makes me nervous, but actually the situation is still ok. reporter:reporter: only 70 covid cases have been discovered in the city of 21 million since the outbreak was first detected on friday. but authorities have responded with the same strict zero covid toolkit china has used throughout the pandemic. mass testing is already underway here in beijing's biggest district, when most of the cases have been found -- where most of the cases have been found and some residential compounds have

already been placed under lockdown. officials say testing will be expanded to all but five of the city's remaining districts on tuesday. residence, hoping a shanghai style locked on what we next. but until they know more, many will keep preparing for the worst. phil: we will take a look at some stories away from the war -- we will start in space. a dragon capsule has returned from the international space station on a fully private space mission. on board with three businessmen from the u.s., canada, and israel, as well as a retired nasa astronaut. a japanese woman believed to be the world's's oldest person has died -- aged 119. she died in hospital. she was in relatively good health and enjoyed chocolate and fizzy drinks. the trial has begun in germany of a gambian man accused of being part of a death squad that assassinated opponents of the

former dictator. the suspect identified only as bi-el was arrested in hanover last year. he faces charges of crimes against humanity, murder, and attempted murder. french president emmanuel macron has been reelected to a second five-year term. he fended off a strong challenge from his far right opponent, marine le pen. winning with nearly 59% of the votes in the french election. the first french president in 20 years to be returned to office. one of putin's justifications for his invasion of ukraine was that ukraine might join nato and become a threat on his country's border. membership may be a distant possibility for kyiv. but other countries in the region are getting closer to joining. finland and sweden are rethinking their long-held mutual status. reporter: russia's war on ukraine has finally made finland feel, it is time to take sides.

>> iron curtain coming into -- if there is a new iron carton coming into europe, fins hope to be on the western side of the curtain. reporter: and the best case scenario, that curtain would be finland's 1300 kilometer border with russia. worst case scenario -- finland, which look ukraine is outside of nato, becomes a kremlin target. unl the february invasion, fins preferred this nonaligned status. having built their own powerful military, with one of the largest weapons stockpiles in western europe and a high proportion of citizens willing and trained to fight if necessary. >> we have a very tough defense force here. we have very big service organizations here. almost 900,000. reporter: now a decision on whetr thosassets can become nato's northeastern flank is expected within weeks. widely predicted to be positive, after a spike in public support, following moscow's attack.

the finished parliament is debating the question of membership, as the government seeks consensus, before making its decision. the prime minister herself has reversed course from saying in january that alliance membership was not even on the table. >> our process will be quite fast. it will happen in weeks. reporter: but the process of seeking the security guarantees provided by the alliance has its own risks -- moscow repeatedly threatens serious political and military consequences, should finland proceed on the path toward nato membership. and such retaliation could come while they wait for the third -- the 30 allied governments to accept the membership. >> we are going to be very well prepared for different potential hybrid warfare. we are talking about refugee blows over the border, perhaps cyber attacks, economic sanctions. reporter: the nato secretary-general has assault to reassure helsinki.

-- has sought to reassure helsinki. >> they can join this alliance if they decide to apply. i am certain that we will find ways to address concerns they may have. regarding the potential application and the final ratification. reporter: "they" means finland and sweden, as a stockholm is also reconsidering its historic opposition to joining the alliance, and what it would mean to be the only non-nato nordic country of the fins forge ahead. phil: ukraine and celebrities have been using their fame to raise awareness of their country's like. spending weeks helping out in a hometown near kyiv. with charity concerts, and meeting millions of ukrainians who fled their homes. reporter: this is ukraine's most

famous female rapper, a former kindergarten teacher who is not afraid to speak her mind. since russia attacked ukraine, she has been using her fainter -- her fame to counter news and take a stand for her country. >> [speaking a native language] reporter: she has founded " hard to rap," her latest track is a prayer. >> [speaking in native language] >> i want all people who feel that they don't do nothing understand that they can pray. and this is a big job. this is a big energy. big power. because i believe in god. and for me, it is very important to connect people, to give hope to people, even if people think that they can do nothing. >> [singing in native language] reporter: but her hometown,

where he -- where she shut her first music video about leaving home, now her family is ready to leave out of -- flee at a moment's's notice. >> we have 15 minutes ready. if it will be more dangerous, we have 15 minutes to go. >> [singing in native language] reporter: russian soldiers invaded nearby villages and struck her town with a missile. she state for weeks to help people. now she has decided she can help her country more from abroad. last week, she left ukraine, embarking on a tour of charity concerts to respond -- to raise funds and spirits for ukraine. she says she will play wherever there are ukrainian refugees. the first stop, poland. >> if we talabout ukrainian people here, i bring them home.

i tell them that we will win thisar and everything will be ok. and do not be scared, everything is ok. and we don't have to stay here for super long time. reporter: after poland, she will tour germany. she does not know how long she will be gone from ukraine. but she wants to return as soon as possible. for her, there's no question we her home is -- where her home is. phil: more world news, at the top of the hour. i will be back in a moment to take you through "the day." we will take a look at what is behind america's multimillion dollar aid package for ukraine. that is coming up in a moment, on "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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anchor: welcome to live from paris, world news and analysis from france 24. these are the headlines. one more time -- world leaders sent congratulations to emmanuel macron on his reelection. he got 58% with a victory over marine le pen in the final tally. the governor of ukraine's donetsk reason -- region says four people including children were killed in russian bombardments on monday. and elon musk is set to buy twitter