>> this is dw news. live from berlin. the european union put ukraine on the path to membership. european leaders have approved both ukraine and moldova as official candidates to one day join the eu. plus, international aid reaching afghanistan, following the dead this earthquake there in decades. the televangelist have been internationally isolated since

taking power last year and that is hampering relief efforts. plus the u.s. supreme court rules that americans have the right to carry guns in public. the decision comes as lawmakers are trying to tighten restrictions on gun ownership following a series of mass shootings. i am burnt off. to our viewers watching on pbs and the united states and to all of you around the world, welcome. we begin with this historic shift in the making. improving ukraine's bid for candid status. the first official step toward joining the european union. this is a victory in the political arena as it battles russia's invasion. germany, france and italy all

backed ukraine's candidacy. but all 27 member states had to say yes. >> protesters outside the eu council building in brussels found their views reflected by the 27 european leaders meeting inside. all of them agreed to grant eu candidate status along with moldova. the decision was not unexpected given the, of many leaders ahead of the meeting. we will again show solidarity with ukraine. and we will take an important decision. chancellor schultz along with two other powerful eu leaders, mario draghi and emmanuel macron traveled to kiev where they

endorsed e.u. membership. others have had more skeptical due to links to corruption. the war has loomed large in discussions. >> there -- they are now at a stage where they are thinking that candidacy is possible. given the completely despicable aggression of pressure against ukraine, that is also a part of the situation and we should discuss this. >> it is clear ukraine will have to fulfill a long list of criteria before being able to enter the union. a process that could take years, even decades. but many ukrainians see this step as a sign the country belongs to the european family. >> ukraine democratic institutions have been preserved. even now we have expanding the reach of the europeansalues.

>> eu leaders still have to decide whether expansion is possible anytime soon. many here in brussels believe the block needs internal reform first so europe can compete on the world stage and they believ the war rages on its doorstep make thieven more urgent. >> let's pull in our correspondent now. christine has been covering today's historic event for us. we are looking at a decision that could change the map of europe in the future but in the near term, talk to me about what the significance is for ukraine. >> this historic decision is so important for ukraine. if you consider the fact that ukraine's aspiration to join the european union officially began in 2004.

they will get that process done in a matter of weeks. ukraine applied again. this is a process of getting candidate status that has taken other countries years. to get it in months is significant. it is important. think about those ukrainian troops fighting on the front lines. this will be a huge moral boost and we have heard that similar rhetoric from the ukrainian president that the country needs us right now. they are looking at what is going on at home, that this will be a boost. it is also important for european union leadership. where the unity and the cracks were starting to appear in that unity as they have difficulty

agreeing on the session -- sanctions. it sends a strong message to moscow that the block will come together and rally around ukraine. moscow has expressed its displeasure at ukraine ever joining the european union but this is the eu standing up to the bully that is russia and saying we will pull ukraine closer to the west and further away from russia's sphere of influence. >> we know that being a candidate is not the same as being a member of the eu. it could be a decade or more before they join the eu. what will change for ukraine immediately? >> it now means that that journey has officially begun. now it is not about the wish and desire. what would follow is formal

talks. in the midst of a war, very little can happen along those lines. what it means is that this former -- formal process has begun. it will take years before ukraine can officially be given the status of an eu member state but it now means everything happening is working toward a goal. that journey has begun. let's not underestimate that boost that it is. not too much changes but the hope has been raised. >> there are other countries here in europe that have been waiting longer to become a candidate and they are still waiting. what were eu leaders able to say to them today? >> not very much. those leaders walked away and left brussels today very disappointed. you have to think about a

country like north macedonia that has been given candidate status and they held a status for years now. these countries say we have been waiting in the wings for a long time. they see how quickly things can happen as has happened in the case of ukraine and wondering what has been -- what the delay has all been about. they express their absolute frustration with how slow the process is going for them. this was acknowledged. eu leaders went on to have another three hour discussion about the situation in the balkans. it is clear that this is something they will have to put their heads together about enjoy the end of the year, there may be some movement on that. >> thank you. nick connolly is in kyiv and i asked him about reaction in ukraine to today's decision. >> there is a curfew here in

just a matter of basically one hour. this is still very much a study of war. but this is definitely a big deal. the polls show their is huge support for e.u. membership. you will find upwards of 80% of people in favor of e.u. membership. there are millions of ukraine's working -- millions of ukrainians working in poland. but it is definitely about a morale boost right now. in terms of the weapons deliveries coming from most european countries, only the u.s. has smashed expectations so far and there has been lots of visits and solidarity but nothing concrete so far. this is the first kind of step that ukrainian say we can build on. this is something we can imagine

our future in europe going through. have a listen to the investor to the eu. >> it is very important for the whole of ukrainian society, the army. they have a clear reason to fight for soldiers calling home. it is a matter of dignity. it is a matter of fighting for the country which has a european future. he is speaking to the motions tied to this. get to full e.u. membership is by no means a done deal for ukraine. >> it will be very difficult and ukraine is a huge country.

it is a country of over 40 million people. in terms of area, it is the biggest country in europe. it would be fifth in population size. allowing such a big country, it will need a huge amount of finance to bring its economy up to this. saying that is not to be underestimated. i think that vladimir putin has pushed western europeans and really forced ttheir hand. the country was just seem to be too poor, too close to russia. now those image they have changed public opinion across europe and focused attention on this country and left european leaders with no option. >> the acute existential threats ukraine, that is very much in

the east with the russian military apparently getting ground. what is the latest? >> those two remaining centers that have basically been taken. they are focusing all their firepower on a small area and outgoing to ukrainians. they have basically out of the russians and hoped they exhausted themselves. as the summer wears on, the russian's exhaust themselves and ukraine will get those weapons on the scale it needs. i think ukraine has not planned for the v or given up on this one.

they will not sacrifice soldiers and people on the front lines just to hold onto these towns given that it looks very unlikely he wl be able thold th on the lo term. >> nick connolly is reporting tonight from kiev. from a security crisis to an energy crisis. it has forced germany to activate its plan for dwindling gas supplies. gas is now a scarce commodity in germany. russia has reduced gas flows to the country and energy prices have soared since the war began months ago. gas rationing will hopefully be avoided but he is not ruling it out. >> we are in an economic stand off. gas and energy is being used as

a weapon against germany. the aim of destroying the unity, that has stood out here in germany and europe. the great unity and solidarity with ukraine and our willingness to pay a price for defending freedom. >> let's look at other stories making headlines around the world. let says he is rerouting trade and oil towards countries in the emerging economy. he says he is doing that in the wake of western sanctions over ukraine. the announcement was made during a meeting of the online leaders of brazil, russia. nike is pulling out of russia completely. it suspended operations there three months ago in response to moscow's invasion of ukraine.

they have not caused sizable outbreaks be on ever know. some experts are unhappy that the who is only taking action now that monkeypox is spreading to rich countries. an announcement is expected on friday. austria has scrapped its compulsory covid-19 vaccination for adults. the country's health minister saying the measure which was suspended back in march is unlikely to raise the austrian vaccination rate which is one of the lowest in western europe. the rule was the only such sweeping mandate to exist here in the european union. rescue efforts are underway in eastern afghanistan one day after that powerful earthquake. at least a 1000 people were killed. many people were injured. international it has now started arriving in the country but since the taliban took over last

august, it has become harder for aid agencies to operate in the country. this quick comes as the country is already facing drought and food shortages. >> survivors digging for survivors. in collapsed mountain villages. in a country where millions already face the misery of hunger and poverty and health care system faltering since the taliban takeover. it is hard to imagine what could be worse than this. >>, my children are dead. some are hurt. >> 35 members of the family were martyred. among ofhe -- among them were my sons and grandchildren. >> our entire house has collapsed. we will try to figure things out

if the taliban can help us. >> the taliban government has managed to mobilize and move some supplies in and some of the injured out. this is one of the most remote regions of the country. those eight organizations that cap step in if -- cap staff in a -- cap staff in big and stan are doing what is possible. >> evacuating people to ethical facilities, something we know about afghanistan is how the system has come under lots of strain over the last year, connected to the fact that development assistance and state assets have been frozen. >> as those affected wait for aid to arrive or the chance to be evacuated, local medical facilities do what they can. but graves must be done. the dead must be buried.

>> earlier, i spoke with marianne, a senior advisor with the international red cross in afghanistan. she tell me what is being done for people hit by the earthquake. >> i can tell your viewers the level of desperation there is in afghanistan this evening and there has been over these past 36 hours. half these teams have been on the site of the impact, carrying out needs assessments, being able to assist the search-and-rescue operation which has largely been held and carried out by the local community. to be able to help not just those who are injured but also those who have been displaced.

there has been rain and hail. we are talking about 200,000 people potentially. >> people around the world are asking tonight if the taliban is helping or hurting relief efforts. >> it is a questionn that is beinasked the worlover. i n tell you there is not a single person in afghanian and elsewhere who is not doing all they can to reach those who are still alive. as well as bring assistance to those who have suffered the most out of this disaster. the red cross and red crescent teams have been in country before, during and after the transition. we worked with all communities

androups regardless of politics and the excess we have to the communities is based on the needs and therefore, we are able to reach those most in need today and have been and will be. this will not be the last natural disaster. local humanitarian and international actors are empowered to respond to this. there have been many changes but the capacity of the communities themselves, the local actors to respond is critical. they must be supported. >> that s mary and one with the international red cross. we appreciate your time and the work you are doing. >> the u.s. supreme court today ruled that americans have a constitutional right to carry firearms in public.

joe biden has said he is deeply disappointed by today's decision. i asked drew stevenson in easton. >> it is about a very specific part of gun regulation. today's decision, at least for now lives in play some of our other restrictions. when you mentionedhe opinion, that is the part of the opinion

that matters the most going forward. for the last 12 years or more, all of our federal courts have been using a legal approach to second amendment cases or challenges to gun restrictions that we lawyers would call intermediate scrutiny. it is a two-step process of inquiry. the most important of today's decision is the methodology. they said they don't want courts to keep using this type of intermediate scrutiny where they way the state interest in reducing crime against the rights of the gun owner and instead were supposed to use a historical aroach. and look at what types of gun laws were allowed by the generationhat ratified the second amendment. that is going to be a narrow range of laws that are permissible. >> what will this mean?

what is it going to do for the momentum in the country that was building following these recent mass shootings? has that all been blown out of the water by today's ruling? >> i think a lot of the senate's gun package they are talking about would beeft untouched by today's ruling. for example, if they are expanding the background check system, clarifying who counts as a gun dealer and needs a license and penalties for gun trafficking, illegal gun trafficking. i think all of those will stay in place. in terms of the cultural effects, the effect on momentum,

those are always hard to predict on the same day the case comes out. a lot of people are upset. this could affect who goes to the polls. >> we appreciate your time and insight in helping us understand how this fits into the bigger story tonight. thank you. >> some sports news now, transgender and non-binary football here in germany can now choose whether they want to play for men's or women's teams. eligibility used to be based on the gender stated on a players id. that began changing in 2018 when gender options of diverse or no reference were added to id cards. this new role for players is

only applicable for amateur and junior football and footballers will be able to choose whether to stick with their currt team or switch. >> a large walrus has been causing a stir in a norwegian coastal town, hundreds of kilometers from her home in the arctic circle. the walrus has taken a fancy to sunbathing. there is an upper problem here. she weighs 700 kg and that is a whole lot of memo. >> meet freya, a walrus with a thing for sunbathing on boats. >> what are we supposed to do with you? >> the damage from a walrus on your boat can be extensive.

especially when she chooses a vessel that is not wals where the. boat owners are not excited to share with her. >> i don't want her to dock on my boat. >> get it away from here. >> she has traveled far and wide from the arctic circle, stopping in the u.k., denmark, norway. she is abstain her welcome. the plan for now is to get her own sunbathing spot, a floating dock where she can rest without wrecking boats. >> we have a grace time to see if she gets used to the dock and after that, they will come forward with larger boats to transport her to the coast. >> the hope is that she will figure it out so she can carry on her tour. >> it just proves that even for walruses, size matters.

before we go, let us get a quick look at our top stories this hour. european leaders have approved ukraine's bid for candidate status. the first physical -- first official step toward eu candidacy. at least a 1000 people were killed, many more injured. the taliban led government there has appealed for international support. you are watching dw news. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. stick around, i will be right back.

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♪ anchor: it is 10:00 p.m. and here are the stories making headlines. eu leaders approved an application from ukraine to become a member of the european union. the move is seen as a significant step in the face of russia's invasion. new york could become the wild west, that is what the mayor is saying about a decision from the u.s. supreme court to expand gun rights. the court struck down a new york law saying americans generally have the right to carry firearms for self-defense outside of the

home. in afghanistan, the taliban are calling for help in the wake of a devastating earthquake. more than 1000 people were killed when the quake struck a remote eastern region of the country. you're watching live from paris. ♪ hi. thank you for joining us. it is official. ukraine is a step closer to becoming a member of the eu. leaders met in brussels, where they approved the application to the blog. moldova was also granted candidate status. membership is not assured for either country in the process is expected to take years, but as far as ukraine is concerned, the move represents a huge geopolitical shift in the face of the russian invasion.

>> of course the countries have to do homework before moving to the next stage of the process. i am convinced they will all move as swiftly as possible and work as hard as possible to implement the necessary reforms. i am deeply convinced our decision we have taken today strengthens us all, strengthens ukraine, moldova, and georgia in the face of the russian federation, and the eu, because it shows once again to the world that the european union is united and strong in the face of external threats. anchor: now to the latest in ukraine. russian attacks continue in the eastern donbass region. moscow has not let up in the south. kyiv says three cruise missiles hit a southern port city, and they were holding off advances

in odessa. we get the latest from our correspondent. reporter: here in odessa, it has been confirmed that two missiles were intercepted by the air defense system in odessa. we heard some explosions this morning. you can hear the sound of volunteer firefighters continuing practice drills. people here in odessa tell us they are actively prepared for hostilities, whether missile strikes are not. they say a land invasion is impossible because there are so many mines and the black sea in the port of odessa that it is difficult for anyone to arrive via sea. a city continues to be pounded, seven strikes yesterday, ukrainian officials reported, and the fears battle around the front were ukraian forces have

been launching a counteroffensive to take back territory that russia seized at the beginning of the war, and they have been gaining ground, however, it is a different story in the east of the country where russian forces are slowly advancing and managing to take more villages every day, more territory edging farther around the towns in the area, and holding onto a patch of land, and industrial complex, and looks like the last parts of that province will soon be surrounded and getting ever more difficult to defend. anchor: that is catherine norrison trent reporting from odessa. the u.s. supreme court has issued a landmark ruling expanding gun rights. the supreme court struck down a new york law, the justices saying that americans generally have the right to carry firearms for self-defense outside of the home. the new york mayor says the ruling threatens to turn the city into the wild west, with armed citizens walking the

streets. the ruling affects new york, but opens the door fo legal challenges in other states such as california. we have this story. reporter: it is a law in place since 1913, requiring people in the state of new york to prove they have proper cause to carry a concealed handgun in public. the supreme court struck it down in a 6-3 decision, with conservative judges voting against the law. >> the second and 14th amendments protect an individual's right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home. reporter: while the nra celebrated the ruling, the u.s. president joe biden said it contradicts common sense and the constitution. new york's governor called it a dark day for the state. >> the supreme court has stripped away the rightnd reonsibilityf the state of new york to protect its

citizens. this decision is not just reckless, it is reprehensible. it is not what new yorkers want. reporter: several other states including california and massachusetts have similar laws that could now be in jeopardy. analysts say the ruling will embolden gun rights activist to challenge other restrictions. >> the nra will take advantage of this court and try to knock down as many cases as they can come in the shame of that is we already have gridlock on capitol hill. reporter: gridlock that has loose and slightly in the wake of recent mass shootings. lawmakers are in the. process of passing a new bipartisan bill with modest measures including tightening background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21. anchor: now to afghanistan, where the taliban are calling for international help in the wake of the devastating earthquake. more than 1000 people were killed when it struck in a

remote eastern region of the country, with entire villages destroyed in 1600 people injured. we have more. reporter: rubble is where the warehouses used to stand. graves dug one after the other, as afghans mourn their loved ones. the strongest earthquake in decades has left the people with nothing but their hands to clean up the streets. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: we call on the international community to help, because our country cannot handle this incident alone. we want the international community to start working with us. reporter: billions of dollars in afghan assets were frozen after the taliban returned to power

last organist, much of the foreign aid has been cut off. the united nations estimates that 23 million afghans, including many children, are facing acute hunger, made worse by droughts that have impacted harvest this year. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: his excellency, the minister of finance, has ordered the border authorities to prevent smuggling and not allow anyone to export wheat. reporter: hunger, humanitarian, and security issues. terrorist attacks are on the increase. most of which are claimed by islamic state, including an attack during friday prayers on a shiite mosque in october that killed over 50 people. anchor: now to ecuador, where the government has rejected conditions for a dialogue with protesters. indigenous demonstrators have held daily protests against

soaring prices for food and fuel since june 13. we have more. >> [speaking in foreign language] reporter: there is no sign of the end to protests in a good door. demonstrators want the government to address price rises for food, fuel, and other essential items. indigenous groups have spearheaded protests, traveling to kyoto to spell out their demands. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: we believe we are not here to act as intermediaries, but as overseers , allowing us a real process that produce real puzzles. we will return with those demands intact. reporter: indigenous groups want among other things a fuel price cut, and an end to further expansion, agricultural products, and more time for

payments, and concessions on the removal of police from certain areas, and an end to the state of emergency in certain parts of the country. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: the president's says it cannot lift the state of emergency. it is a for immediate dialogu reporter: protests have been violent, including in one city where one protester died on tuesday. police say nationwide, 114 police officers have been injured and 100 people detained. anchor: in a paris court room this thursday, an attorney for one of the suspects in the november 2015 terror attacks pleaded for a fair sentence. he was childhood friends with the main suspect who prosecutors say helped to plan the attacks that killed 130 people.

we have more from outside the courtroom. reporter: 837-year-old belgian national faces life in prison with 22 years without the possibility of parole for taking a part in the paris terror attacks. his lawyers have been making closing remarks is thursday, defending him on a number of points. the first lawyer said her client recognizes he is somewhat complicit in guilty in parts of the organization of those attacks for example, by renting a car, but in her words, the client is not an ice is soldier and abandon plans to join the group of gunmen who killed 130 people in and around paris in november 2015, and because he did not pick up the gun and kill anyone, he did not deserve that sentence and she would prefer him to stay behind bars for 30 years. her colleague criticized the judicial process, saying he would have preferred a trial by

jury instead of a trial where specialized judges will be making the decision about the man's fate. this is a trial closely watched in paris and throughout france. there are two key dates to look out for. this friday, the main suspect that the attacks, the only surviving member, his lawyers are said to make the closing remarks, so they will be looking to reduce the sentence he is facing and prosecutors have asked for life in prison without any possibility of parole for him. the harshest sentence that exists in the french judicial system. another key date is the june 29, when specialized judges are scheduled to make their verdict. anchor: that is our reporter reporting in paris. we want to go back to the eu approving ukraine's application for membership to the european union. running is now is our

correspondent in brussels. dave, this was not a surprise, but what does it mean for ukraine nde you? reporter: -- ukraine and the eu? reporter: it is an important step. the use is saying we want -- the eu is saying we want ukraine to be part of the european union, but it does not assuming it will be part of the european union. it applied for candidate status two decades ago, and few people think it will ever the end european union. other countries know that this is a long process. what happens next that certain conditions have been set for ukraine and for moldova, also receiving candidate status, and those are about reforming the judiciary, economic reforms, moving towards a free market

economy, and once those conditions are met, then the process can begin. [inaudible] those conditions really can't be worked on until the work is over. the war has to end, then the conditions can be worked on. [inaudible] we are talking about a process -- anchor: we want to interrupt because were having trouble with your audio. we apologize to our viewers. we will move on to kate moody. people smoke, vape, it looks like the u.s. is cracking down. reporter: yes, it is targeting one of the market leaders, banning sales of e-cigarettes and other products made by juul. they had ordered companies to show products were a benefit the public health, basically showed they would help adult smokers to quit or reduce tobacco

consumption. some companies have received approval, but after a two-year review, the fda said juul had failed to make its case. it had been blamed for a spike in vaping because of its marketing of fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes. they stopped selling those products in 19. the u.s. market share plummeted from 70% to 36%. it and says it offers a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes and says it will appeal the decision. germany has taken a step towards returning to rationing natural gas, activating stage two of a three-stage plan to deal with shortages, the alert state, between the early warning in the emergency. last week, russia cut gas deliveries to germany by 60% to germany and made similar reductions to italy d 12 eu countries have beeaffected by cuts.

germany's economy minister said there is no immediate risk, but the supply situation is precarious. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: gas is a scarce commodity in germany these days. i say that precisely because the security of supply in germany is currently guaranteed, that the market is able to provide the quantities needed to ensure security of supply in germany, and also fill the storage facilities moderately. reporter: earlier this week, the head of the international energy agency said your needed to work on contingency plans in case russia stopped supplying natural gas this winter. the eu is aiming for gas reserves to be 90% full by november. member states are at different levels, depending on how reliant they were on russian gas before the war and how they have since diversified sources. poland is almost full. germany, france, italy have just over half of their reserves

failed. netherlands, austria, and croatia are seeing their stocks depleting faster, currently less than half-full. the united kingdom has been crippled by a second rail strike within a week after tuesday's historic walkout. 80% of passenger services were canceled thursday, with 40,000 workers taking part. unions are calling for action on working conditions and job security, as well as a minimum 7% pay rise to help them keep up with a 9.1% rate of inflation. national rail has offered 3%. talks on a compromise broke on wednesday. another strike has been planned for saturday. >> it has been a long time since we have had industrial action at the level we are seeing at the moment. people are feeling that the cost-of-living rise, i know people who are having to decide to turn the boiler on for one day rather than having hot water for the full week.

reporter: it is also weighing on business activity. a monthly survey shows manufacturing in the eurozone slowed sharply in june, with the purchasing managers index at the lowest level in nearly two years. factory output tends to be a bellwether for broader economic health. business and consumer confidence has plummeted, and they are increasingly forecasting a recession in the eu and u.s. let's check the days trading now , late rally on wall street sell stocks higher. the nasdaq up over 1.5% at the closing bell. the s&p 500 nearly 1%. energy and travel stocks were the worst performing, however, but we did see that late rally for a positive close. weak manufacturing data weight on the major indices earlier, the index down nearly 2% in france, london down about 1%, a bit less in paris. inflation in france hit 5.8%

last month, and with the cost-of-living rising, many french holidaymakers are looking for cheaper alternatives to their usual haunts. campsites have reported a boom in reservations, as we explained. -- explain. reporter: taking advantage of the sunshine, these french holidaymakers have decided to go to a campsite for the summer break. >> they have everything here. the kids have -- games area, and we can relax in this winco. this is a real holiday. -- in this swimming pool. this is a real value. reporter: it is good value for money. this family hired a mobile home for 350 euros a week, cooking meals to save money on restaurants. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: when it comes to food, we have a budget of around 200 to 300 euros maximum, the maximum for five people.

that is on top of the price of the mobile home. expensivnd restaurants are too when we are a group is big. reporter: in this campground, it costs 320 euros a week for a spot to put up her tent. the site is almost half-full and almost fully booked for the summer. it is an attractive option for holidaymakers now finding themselves on a tighter budget. 25% of their customers are booking with them for the first time. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: our lowest rate is 49 euros a night. it is a reasonable rate. there are a range of activities. because you get a functional kitchen, we are offering a competitive price. reporter: a study found that french tourists plan on average to spend 125 euros less this year than in 2019.

reporter: nice hot start of the holidays for a lot of people. anchor: a lot of people are staying closer to home. kate, thank you. time now for sports. some more excitement at the world swimming championships. reporter: that's right. a big result for the 18-year-old, helping her add to her collection. she edged past the world record holder to claim victory. the australian at a time of 52.67 seconds to beat the swedish swimmer, while another swimmer took the bronze. she was in sixth place before going halfway through the race, then storming ahead. it is her fourth medal and second goal. american veteran adding to her collection of gold medals with a victory, marking a time of two

minutes 22 seconds. she has won gold in every event at the championship. another swimmer got silver appeared and kate douglas clenched bronze. -- silver. and kate douglas clenched bronze. budapest, and artistic swimmer fainted in the water. she was rescued from the bottom of a pool by the coach. the 25-year-old had stopped breathing and sunk after completing her routine in the so locally final. she jumped in because the lifeguards were not doing it. we have more. ♪ reporter: it was a close call for the competitive artistic swimmer. she had just completed her solo free final when suddenly her teammates realized something was wrong. the 25-year-old swimmer had lost consciousness and was starting to sink. her trainer still wearing shorts

and a t-shirt jumped in the pool to rescue her. >> it was a big scare. i had to jump in because the lifeguards were not doing it. i was scared because i saw she was not breathing. reporter: despite cries for help, it took several seconds for a lifeguard to jump in. together, they brought the swimmer back to the surface. still alive, despite some water in her lungs. a medical team quickly took over and her coach later said she had over exerted herself during the routine. there is still a chance she could compete in a final event which is scheduled to take place on friday. reporter: members of medical staff who tended to the football legend in the weeks before his argentina for culpable homicide. shortly after he died from a heart attack in 2020, suspicions rose over the treatment given to the man, one of football's greatest ever players.

we have the story. reporter: a year and a half after one of the greatest footballers in history passed on , leaving at the time an entire nation and fans from across the room in morning, the pressure exerted on his family has reached the higher powers. from doctors to a psychologist, eight people looking after the argentinian forward are accused of negligent homicide towards the football star, who was recovering from surgery. he died at the age of 60 after decades of battles with addictions, before his fatal heart attack, he had a blood clot removed from his brains. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: he feels like leaving and we are evaluating his release. we have to check the different clinical parameters, but the truth is it is going very, very well. reporter: shortly after his death, his personal doctors home was searched after his children

question the care he received. he said he did everything he could do to keep him alive. he is among the staff to stand trial. the court session is to begin at earliest next year. those accused could face jail sentences of up to 25 years. reporter: tennis now. one player has booked his place in the semifinals at eastbourne in his bid to defend his title. the australian beat the american in three sets. he faces another arican inhe semifinals, taylor fritz. meanwhile, home favorite has been knocked out at eastbourne after losing into sets in the nals. the top seed let the set slip. the american opponent fought back. he is making his debut at

eastbourne. he produced another strong performance, 10 aces, and 80% of his first-sir points to win. the 25-year-old will face his opponent in the final four. this is a warm up to win wimbledon kicks off on monday. finally, the reigning world champion got off to a flying start and the fst stage of africa's safari rally in kenya. the frenchmen finished in three hours, 18 minutes, eight seconds in his toyota, closely followed by a belgian, while his teammate came in her place. the kenyon rally is one of 13 in the championship. one driver has built up a dominating bead, with 120 points, nearly double the tally of his nearest competitors. that is all the support for this

evening. anchor: ok. thank you. that is it for now. stay tuned for more world news coming up here on "france 24." ♪ >> your needs are changing and so is "france 24." articles, reports, international news, together with live broadcasting 24/7. intuitive, fast, and available in four languages, france 24.com. >> [speaking in french] ♪

06/23/22 06/23/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: fronew york, this is democracy now! >> it was midnight when the quake struck. we screamed. one of our rooms was destroyed. our neighbors screamed and we saw everyone's rooms. amy: a massive earthquake hits afghistan, kling morehan 1000eople wi the death tl expected to