>> it is 10:00 p.m. in the french capital. here are the stories making world headlines. donald trump is liable for sexually abusing the magazine writer, e. jean carroll, and defaming her reputation. the former president has been ordered to pay her $5 million in damages for claiming she made up the story. violence erupts in pakistan following the arrest of former prime minister imran khan. 's supporters lashing out after the opposition leader was taken into custody during a court appearance. russia marks victory day in red square in a scaled-back event to

commemorate the defeat of the nazis in world war ii. the event coming hours after ukraine's air defenses intercepted russian cruise missiles headed for kyiv. ♪ >> thank you for joining us here on "france 24." we begin in new york, and with a stunning verdict against donald trump. a jury found the former president liable for sexually abusing the magazine writer e. jean carroll, and then defaming her reputation. jurors ordered trump to pay her $5 million in damages. carroll accused trump of raping her in a dressing room decades ago. the jury found against the rape allegation, but agreed he had sexually abused her. when carroll made the claims, trump called her a liar, which

was the basis for the lawsuit she filed against him. the jury reached its verdict after three hours of deliberations. this is a civil case, not a criminal one. it is important to point out the former president has not been convicted of a crime and faces no prison time. trump is already reacting to the verdict. . his campaign says the former president will appeal the decision on his truth social account, he wrote, i have absolutely no idea who this woman is. this verdict is a disgrace. a continuation of the greatest witchhunt of all time. for more on this, we are joined by todd bell, a professor and director of of the political management program at george washington university. thank you for being with us here on "france 24." i want to know what your reaction is to this verdict and what effect you think it will have on trump's hopes to get back to the white house in 2024. todd: it is great to be here with you. thank you for having me on. this is stunning, like you said at the top of the hour.

ultimately, the question is, trump getting back to the white house, if it were anybody else, i would say this would be the death note for them. this would be the end of their career. . however, this is donald trump. we have to remember he has been an absolute master at taking bad news and turning it into good politics. he continues to be able to do so. we saw that earlier this year with the mishandling of the documents at mar-a-lago. he got a spike amongst his supporters. i anticipate he will get a similar spike here. however, i think other republicans might think he is wounded and might jump into the race. that might continue to divide the field, that is the non-trump field, and that may help him get the nomination again. >> dozens of women have accused trump of sexual misconduct over the years. this is the first time he has faced any legal consequences. trump decided not to appear in court on his own behalf and testify.

instead, he appeared in a video deposition. do you think that is a decision he now regrets? todd: i think he might personally regret that because he is ultimately very, very confident in his own ability to be persuasive. but the lawyers know better. he can't control himself when he starts talking. it was probably to their advantage to keep him off of the stand. he probably would not have done himself any sort of services by being up there. it was interesting he says he was completely silenced and muzzled, and it was unconstitutional. when in fact, it was his own lawyers who decided he should not be up there. >> this is one of several legal challenges he is facing. how realistic is it for him to mount a campaign with so many legal problems on the horizon? todd: not only is it realistic, it is completely possible. we have had people run from prison before in the united states. eugene v debs did it at the turn-of-the-century. there is nothing in the constitution that prevents it.

what we should be looking at -- the case in georgia with the election tampering, there is really the smoking gun there when it comes to the voice take of him asking for more votes and engaging the tampering care that is one that could impact a lot of the independent voters when it comes to the general election. when it comes to the republican primaries, he does have his trump supporters that will vote for him no matter what. as he sat back in 2016, even if you shot somebody on fifth avenue. >> how do you explain donald trump's hold over the republican party? todd: it is really a tremendous cult of charisma he has going on. it is something that we have never seen before in u.s. politics. people just not believe the information against him, and are so willing to believe that this is a hoax, or there are people out to get him. whatever he says, they believe. it is very coldish -- cultish

and how he is able to dissemble anything that comes to bear upon him in terms of his viability as a candidate. >> there was a pull out a couple days ago that took people by surprise, from abc and the washington post. it showed trump leading president biden by six percentage points. the findings seemed contradictory because the same poll found a majority of voters thank you should face criminal charges for his efforts to overturn the last election. i'm curious to know what you made of those numbers. todd: that is a really interesting poll. but still, we are a long ways out. obviously people think the president should be held responsible for his actions. those are not necessarily the same ones who said they would vote for him. ultimately, once we get past the nomination phase, the election becomes a choice between two candidates. it is not necessarily going to be a referendum on joe biden's's handling of the economy and the

nation, if trump is on the ballot. it becomes, with trump on the ballot, a choice between trump's america and biden's america. these polls this far out don't reflect the reality of when people get in the ballot box and have to choose between those two, and what sort of future they want for the united states, that is a more hefty choice. >> as you point out, the election is a long ways away. todd belt, thank you so much for joining us here on "france 24." todd: good being with you. >> next to pakistan where a violent demonstration is taking place following the arrest of the former prime minister, imran khan. supporters of the political leader have filled the streets in several major cities. one person has been killed. khan was arrested and dragged from court where he was a fear -- he was appearing to face corruption charges. he remains the leading opposition figure. we get the latest from our

correspondent in pakistan. >> we are here on the muddy road. it is the main road that connects to law largest province. the road has been blocked by supporters of former prime minister imran khan. they are throwing stones at the building controlled by the military. >> it is a bad situation for our country. . it has been a long time since we have been kept here like this. there is no law. >> the crowd here claims pakistan -- they say his arrest is a direct

result of that. >> the people are here to demand their rights are the government has committed all the atrocities they could in the past 12 months. whoever came out to protest were arrested or killed. this is your way of ruling the country? the way you are acting is not right. >> if imran khan survives, only then can pakistan survive. or else we and our future generations are doomed. i'm very hurt. i want to tell them they have just killed all of us. >> the people here are telling us they will not stop these protests until imran khan is released. >> that was our correspondent at pakistan reporting. russia marked its most important secular holiday this tuesday, victory day, commemorates the soviet union's role in the defeat of nazi germany during world war ii. with russia's military engagement in its, invasion of

ukraine red square was scaled back. vladimir putin delivered a fire 10 minute speech, striking a defiant tone and claiming the west had unleashed war on russia. the event came hours after ukraine's air defenses intercepted russian cruise missiles headed for kyiv. we get the story from elana desousa. reporter: an annual commemoration in moscow's red square marking the defeat of nazi germany. tanks and military personnel took part in tuesday's events which were scaled-back in the capital. parades in a number of cities across russia were canceled due to security concerns. the commemoration in moscow taking place 14 months after russia's invasion of ukraine >> >> began. today, civilization is once again at a decisive turning point. a real war has once again been unleashed against our homeland. >> russian president vladimir putin once again used the

occasion to justify the war in ukraine. . he accused the west of support for nazi-ism and terrorism. around 530 russian soldiers currently fighting in ukraine took part in tuesday's. . president putin addressed them directly and said they were fighting for the future of russia. >> the security of the country rests on you today. the future of our statehood and our people depend on you. you are fulfilling your military duty with honor. you are fighting for russia. reporter: the commemorations in moscow included leaders from former soviet republics. tuesday's victory day parade took place amid heightened security and came days after the kremlin said it foiled an alleged drone attack for attending the life of the president. >> vladimir putin was hoping for a victory in the eastern city of bakhmut in time for the celebrations. moscow is struggling to take control of the city after months of fighting.

private military group wagner is spearheading russia's's offensive and the head of the mercenary group accused russian soldiers of fleeing their positions. in a separate development, france's national assembly voted to designate wagner as a terrorist group. . the resolution urges the eu to do the same. our correspondent has the story. >> named after hitler's favorite composer, paramilitary group waggoner was founded and is led by vladimir putin's close ally. the kremlin long denied the group's very existence. but today, they are playing an important role in the ukraine war. far from the group's usual hunting ground of africa. from sudan to libya, chad to guinea, even madagascar, the mercenaries have allegedly operated in over a dozen african countries, according to the center for strategic and international studies. wagoner's modus operandi is

well-known. in exchange for its services, it plunders the local resources, like in the central african republic, or it has taken over gold mines. the result is an unquantifiable financial windfall, which helps finance the group's operations in ukraine and pay its fighters, who are accused of rape and torture in a number of african countries. the group's is also present in venezuela and syria, and as of late, it has grown in importance in ukraine. as has its leader, as well as his frustration with russia's military command which he accuses of not being up to scratch. >> [speaking foreign language] reporter: he says his men have endured heavy losses and inadequate ammunition supplies, particularly in the battle for bakhmut. the war's longest and bloodiest.

it's a number of fighters is unknown. tens of thousands of convicts who recruited to its ranks from russian presence. the group's chief says about as many have died on the battlefield, swelling the cemeteries dedicated to them. last november, the mercenary group came out of the shadows, opening man -- opening imposing headquarters in the center of st. petersburg. the building is home to another activity, its propaganda services to the kremlin, which employs thousands of digital soldiers. the afghani prego should's second army. >> israeli air strike's in gaza have killed at least 13 people, including three senior commanders of the islamic jihad militant group, according to health officials who said two of the commanders wives, several of their children and other bystanders were among the dead. at least 20 others were wounded. the strike set the stage for what is expected to be a new round of heavy fighting.

he is known for his paintings but pablo picasso was also prolific sculptor. that is the focus of a new exhibition which opened at the picasso museum in the spanish city of malaga. the display marks 50 years since the artist's death. our correspondent has a look. reporter: made from wood, iron, metal or bronze, 61 structures created by pablo picasso between 1909 and 1964 have been put on display for the first time of the hometown of the spanish artist. >> an exhibition solely of sculptures has never been held in spain. and picasso is the great sculptor. reporter: the exhibition, whose opening marks 50 years since the artist's death, shows the evolution of picasso's career and his inspiration. much of which comes from african art. it is one of the lesser-known facets of his career, but he created nearly 700 sculptures

over the course of his life. . according to the museum, named after him. the exhibition will be open to the public until september 10. those who prefer painting and have money to spare may want to head to new york, where art dealers celebes is selling some of his paintings. >> it is time to take a look at the world's business news. we are starting in the u.s. where president biden is meeting with house republicans over the debt ceiling. >> yes. house republicans, but also democrats. there probably won't be any breakthrough in this meeting. the republicans and democrats are expected to reiterate that they are hardened on their positions. joe biden wants the debt limit to be raised with no negotiations. the gop will look for concessions. officials have warned the u.s. could default on its $31.4 trillion debt by as soon as june 1. failing to pay its debts on time could mean a suspension of

pension payments, and withholding or cutting the pay of military and federal workers. let's take a look at the day's trading action no. on wall street, the major markets closed in the red, as investors await progress on lifting the debt limit, as well as fresh u.s. inflation data this week. the dow jones closed almost .2% down. the s&p almost half a percent down. and the nasdaq, two thirds of a percent down. let's take a look at the other business news making headlines. irish low-cost airline ryanair has ordered over 300 boeing aircraft worth more than $40 million. the deal for the 737 max planes will allow the carrier to create some 10,000 jobs, including for pilots, cabin crew, and engineers. it also represents another sign of the travel industry's revival. u.s. vaccine developer novavax

says it will slash its annual spending by up to 50% as demand for covid-19 jabs tumbles. the biotech firm will make a quarter of its workforce redundant. around 2000 people. french retailer car for has become the first foreign supermarket chain to work in branches in israel. the company inaugurated 50 stores on tuesday. many of them located in the tel aviv area. goldman sachs will pay a $215 million settlement claim after there were claims that they discriminated against women by offering them less pay and fewer opportunities. years long class action lawsuit involved 2800 women from the investment banking, investment management, and securities divisions. the bank was accused of paying female vice president's 20% less than their male peers, and tolerating incidents of sexual

harassment. foreign business lobbies in china have expressed concern over a sweeping crackdown on consultancy and due diligence firms after raids on several cap vision officers in china. the consultancy firm is accused of transmitting sensitive information abroad, while chinese authorities have searched or questioned two similar u.s. companies in the past two months. the work they do is important for investors wary of due diligence, but beijing worries this could interfere with national security. james mahal and has more. reporter: tightening controls on foreign consultancy and due diligence firms. cap vision is the latest to be accused of breaching china's national security laws. the foreign ministry said it had acted to rein in foreign companies helping western nations still military, economic, and financial intelligence. >> china's national security

authorities have carried out law enforcement actions against the company, in accordance with the law. this aims to promote healthy development of the industry, and safeguard national security and development interests. reporter: cap vision which supports experts in touch with ferns and investors, said that it would abide resolutely by national security rules. no dates were given for the raids on the officers in shanghai, beijing, and other cities. the suggestions they could have been months ago. primetime coverage by state media is being seen as a significant step up in china's crackdown. overseas business lobbies have voiced concern with the european union chamber of commerce in china saying the measures send a worrying signal and heighten the uncertainty felt by foreign companies operating in china. developments are not conducive to restoring business confidence and attracting foreign investment. experts say beijing's crackdown

clashes with efforts to lure back foreign investors after the covid-19 pandemic, and fear it will be damaging to investor confidence. >> the australian government has unveiled its budget for the next year with a headline 9.3 billion euro cost-of-living package. the measures include an increase in fortnightly unemployment payments by 25 euros, an expansion and access to free gp appointments for pensioners and children, a hike in weekly rent assistance, plus a 235 euro increase in aid for single parents. the opposition greens party says the measures don't go far enough, and are a betrayal of people living in poverty. the treasurer defended his budget. >> we understand that australians are under the pump right now. that is why providing responsible targeted relief is the number one priority in this budget. our $14.6 billion cost-of-living

plan will provide help with power bills, bring down out-of-pocket health costs, support vulnerable australians, create more affordable housing, and boost wages. carys: that wraps up the business news for now. >> thanks a lot. it is time to cross over to our daily fact checking stadium. days ago, naples won its first football championship title in three decades. there were a lot of videos of celebrations, but not everything is as it seems. >> no. unfortunately, not all of the celebration videos are genuine. for natalie, this is the third title in their cap's history after a long-awaited 33 years. thousands of supporters took to the streets to rejoice their club being crowned the champions of italian football. idiots like this were packed across social media, showing a long night of festivities for fans of the club. i'm going to show you this viral video that has been circulating

here. this had over -- just under 7 million views. and claiming that it is part of the festivities for friend -- fans of natalie. here we are in naples. the extraordinary celebrations continue. this is so real. this is indeed a pretty impressive video, and a pretty impressive show of pyrotechnics. we can see these red ribbons eliminating this guy from the point of view of a car. and this was not just this tweet. many twitter users took to the platform to share the surprise at how beautiful this display of ira technics was. however, a reverse image showed me that these are pretty misleading claims. after doing that reverse image search, it took me to two places. one of them was reddit. let's have a look at that. we can see their it is from about three years ago, the same post being claimed is from

naples a few days ago. we can also see this one from instagram. this is the one that piqued my interest. we have got a specific date, 29th of october, 2020. here is the word that caught my attention. when i looked up that word, i found that this video does not have anything to do with the city of naples. it is still linked to futball in a way. after researching that word and 2020, this video is from the city of split in croatia to celebrate the 70th anniversary fireworks of the tour sita, the fan club of croatian football club. the internet is full of the celebration videos. the one we saw is just an excerpt. the internet is full of videos like this of the full compilation of that show. fireworks, and the -- and that is known for their grandiosity,

their massive explosions of huge celebrations of pyrotechnics. this is in croatia and not naples. monte: i can see why you would want to claim those beautiful fireworks for your own. it turns out there was another fireworks video linked for this futball game with millions of use. >> yes. another video with this hashtag went viral. this time, aerial images. fireworks exploding simultaneously across the city. it is pretty impressive. this was massively shared online. let me bring back that tweet. you can see over 4 million views. this managed to fool a lot of people. i had seen futball centered accounts, a couple of news outlets had been sharing this exact image, claiming it was from the celebrations of napoli winning the league. however, a reverse image search showed me this is misleading.

unlike our first example, that was filmed -- that was indeed football related, but not in naples. this video is the opposite. this is filmed in naples but has nothing to do with futball. these images here are images from the new year's eve far right's celebration in naples as we come into 2021. and published as well. there were many full videos like this uploaded across the internet, showing the full display. i think what is really interesting about these examples i have showed you tonight is it does show us that futball and support as a whole are not impermeable. they are not immune to misinformation spreading online. that shows us how prudent and careful we have to be about what we consume and believe on the internet. monte: there are figures even when it comes to fireworks. thank you so much. that is it for now. we are back with more world news after the break. stay with us. ♪

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05/09/23 05/09/23 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> today's civilization is at a crucial turning point. a real war has been unleashed against our homeland. amy: russian president vladimir putin accuses the west of unleashing a war against russia during a victory day celebration in moscow marking the soviet defeat of the nazis. as russia launches waves of drone strikes against ukraine