♪ >> this is "dw news" live from berlin. overnight, the ukrainian capital targeted by attacks from the air. officials called it exceptionally intense and complex. meanwhile, six african countries have announced a peace mission to russia and ukraine. also coming up, the ceo of the company behind chatgpt answering

questions on capitol hill, telling lawmakers how artificial intelligence needs to be kept in check, and a former vw executive confessing his role in the dieselgate scandal. the confession means the former ceo could avoid prison time. and one of the biggest heart heists in modern history, five gang members convicted and sentenced to prison for stealing priceless jewels from a german museum. i'm brent goff. two viewers watching on pbs in the united states and all of you around the world, welcome. we begin on the day after those overnight airstrikes on ukrainian capital kyiv. ukrainian officials describing what they saw last night as being exceptionally intense. the head of kyiv's military administration says the russian

attack used drones, cruise missiles, and probably ballistic missiles. ukraine's chief military commander said the defense systems were able to destroy all the russian missiles within kyiv's airspace. debris fell across several of the capitol's districts, causing a fire in one nonresidential building. recent days have seen a flurry of russian airstrikes. >> we were awoken about 3:00 in the morning local time. it went on with incredible density and intensity for about 10, 15 minutes and then was over. normally when these attacks happen, and they draw out over maybe an hour or two with bangs every 10, 15 minutes, but this was a mass attack in an attempt to try to overwhelm ukraine air defenses by sending in different weaponry at the same time. i felt i was on a movie set, it was so bright in my apartment,

despite having curtains closed. it was just extraordinary. the sound of falling debris sounded like glass being round out windows and window's shaking. basically as quickly as it began, it was over. this was different to the normal experience, and you have people in social media trying to work out what is going on, and it feels like most people in kyiv had a very similar experience over 10, 15, 20 kilometers inside the city, so see lots of different things happening at the same time. brett: that was -- brent: that was nick connolly talking from kyiv. not to talk about a possible peace plan coming from africa. the south african president says russia and ukraine have agreed to receive a peace mission from six african countries. let me put in an volodymyr zelenskyy are to be the delegation in moscow and kyiv to discuss a potential peace plan. the announcement follows american accusations that south

africa is supplying weapons to moscow. he has denied favoring russia. he had this to say about the peace plan while he was hosting the prime minister from singapore today. >> my discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive african leaders and to have a discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end. if that will succeed or not is going to depend on the discussions that will be held. brent: i was able to get an update from our correspondent in cape town. >> president ramaphosa says over the weekend he had the opportunity to speak to both president zelenskyy and

president putin over this proposed africa peace initiative . about six countries including zambia, senegal, egypt, and south africa, are interested in carrying out this piece mission to try and speak to both leaders in peace settlement, so he says that because these leaders have indicated their willingness to listen and receive these delegations, there are no means to start the discussion -- there are now means to start the discussion on how to constitute this delegation that would have to go and sit down with the two warring leaders. brent: you know there has been

talk several times about possible peace plans. they certainly have not panned out. what makes the leaders from these six african nations think that they have a better chance when it comes to mediating or bringing about the end of this war? >> i think for africa, they could believe it in terms of using its soft power in terms of some of the countries that are in the brics like china. and africa has strong ties with china. china would pay a strong part in terms of influencing the russian president to sit down for a peace settlement in terms of this conflict that is ongoing. if you look at also the willingness of president zelenskyy to pay an ear and

receive the african delegation, there is light in terms of african leaders trying to broker this peace deal, but it will be significant. brent: last week, the government of south africa was having to defend itself against allegations that it is supplying weapons to russia. that makes it look like it is anything but impartial when it comes to this war. what does that do then to the credibility of these leaders as impartial mediators? >> to some extent, it is a dent on south africa having these allegations. of course, the allegations are still ongoing. the investigation they have said they are carrying out to prove if weapons were sold to russia, but in terms of south africa,

south africa is a major player in brics, a major member in brics, so i think leaders are taking south africa as a big player that can be able to sit on the same table with russia and have an influence and pass going -- pass on the voice of african countries while bearing the brunt of the ukrainian conflict in terms of the destruction of global supply chains. brent: our correspondent reporting tonight from cape town. thank you. the head of the artificial intelligence company that created chatgpt says his entire industry needs to be regulated. open ai's ceo told u.s. lawmakers in washington that artificial intelligence offers many opportunities, but he admitted that he shares the public's concern about how ai could change our lives and says ai poses serious risks that need

to be managed, and he suggested that a u.s. or international agency should be set up to regulate ai tech companies. words of warning there. our correspondent was at the hearing at the u.s. senate today. good to see you. this is not the first hearing we have seen on capitol hill with tech industry executives talking to u.s. lawmakers. in the past, they were rather antagonistic. sometimes the lawmakers did not seem to know exactly what was being talked about. today seemed like a completely different story. was it? >> as you said, i sat in it, and i was in shock and all -- shock and awe because it was an entirely different scenario. he became now a big name in the business because everybody seems to be friends with him. at least the senators in the

subcommittee who had not clubbed him today, as we are used to from facebook and metta -- meta and google executives who get it big time from senators. to everybody's surprise, not some altman. that was probably historic. this was the first time an industry leader or someone who works at business comes to us and wants to be regulated. it is really a first time, at least as far as i can recall. brent: you have an industry executive saying, "regulate us." do we know what that regulation would look like? quickset is the problem. nobody knows, and there are a few scenarios and ideas out there. how do you do it? if you know ai, it can become a problem, so where can it become a problem? how can it become a problem?

who is overseeing or overlooking? do you create something like a government agency who has not just a carrot but also a stick who can enforce regulations, codes, laws, etc. we're talking not just the united states, but this is a global thing, a global problem or challenge, if you will. should there be something like a supreme court of sorts for ai and what to do with ai, what not to do with ai. those were the questions. senators as well as mr. altman and two other people who testified, very smart people, one from ibm and one professor who has the capacity on the research asked them selves and asked each other. nobody has the answer i think as of now. brent: sitting in on this and listening to what these executives have to say, are we clear about the benefits and

risks of ai, and should we be more frightened or more optimistic about these changes that are coming out -- coming at us like a tsunami? >> i think everybody agreed today that a balanced approach, a good healthy dose of fear and caution, easiness with ai is what we should have, but there will be benefits, but there will also be problems. how many jobs will be killed? how many will be created? what about data privacy, personal privacy? what about ai every process to meddle in the political process? all those questions are at the top of the agenda and need answers. the subcommittee in the senate tried to get some. that is just the beginning of the process. brent: we will see who has a job and who does not next time we talk. thank you.

here in germany, the former ceo of carmaker audi has admitted his part in the scandal that rocked his parent company, volkswagen. he admitted to allowing vehicles equipped with software that cheated on emissions standards tests to remain on the car market even after he learned about the scam. >> it was the biggest scandal in german automotive history. dieselgate. in 2015, it came to light that millions of emissions test for diesel vehicles had been manipulated at volkswagen and its subsidiary, audi. engineers use software to cheat admissions tests, showing values that were cleaner than they actually were, but now, the former head of audi has confessed to fraud by negligence . in a statement, admitting he could have intervened but failed to do so, something he says he

now regrets. >> the accused has stated he failed to inform customers that engines were equippedh devices that could possibly lead to official measures afterwards. this is the core of the accusation that the public prosecutor's office made against him in this respect. he admitted that as well as a point that he could have prevented it. he could have informed them himself, he could have informed the public himself that these deactivation devices were fitted in the engines. >> this is the first confession by a former volkswagen board member during the criminal investigation of the diesel scandal. now that he has admitted guilt, the trial is likely to end with a suspended sentence and a fine of 1.1 million euros. the final verdict is expected in june. brent: here is more now from a "new york times" business

reporter. >> we think it does show once and for all if there was any doubt left that the scandal did go all the way to the top of volkswagen. he was a member of the management board. volkswagen has continued to maintain this was mostly the work of lower ranking executives, and i think this shows quite clearly the responsibility did go all the way to the management board. brent: at volkswagen, do you think the board, the executives have come to the realization that this whole scandal was not worth it? it did not bring in the revenues they may have hoped for? and now, of course, we are looking at the cost to the company in terms of not only fines but in terms of the company's reputation? >> i think first of all its reputation still has not recovered from the whole thing. the main reason they did it in the first place was to try to sell more cars in the united states to try to become as

important in the united states as they are in europe and asia, and they failed in that. they are still trying to break out of the sort of niche position i have in the united states -- they have in the united states. brent: in terms of the executive saying he did know about it, did not stop it, and has been convicted but still avoids jail time. >> i think in the united states, the only people that have done jail time in connection with the scandal were two lower ranking executives who served prison time in the united states. i think from an american point of view, he is getting off pretty easy. he has to pay a big fine, but he does not have to go to jail. i think if this trial was going on in the united states, he would not be getting off this easily. brent: i want to put this in the context of the broader open market. china is now the world's largest car exporter, surpassing japan,

which is now number two. germany has fallen to third position. we know vw has been a big driver in its exports. is it seeing that drive we can -- we can -- weaken by everything that has happened? >> the omission scandal certainly did not help. the big problem now is not only is the industry going electric on the chinese investing in electric technology now coming on strong and displacing the western automakers, particularly volkswagen, which had been very strong in china but is losing market share to the chinese automakers -- i think that is their biggest problem right now. brent: we appreciate your taking the time to talk thus tonight. thank you. it was one of the most

spectacular heist in modern german history. in november 2019, thieves broke into the green vault museum in the city of dresden and stole 21 pieces of jewelry worth 100 million euros. today, five men were convicted and sentenced to prison for the crime. >> the ruling came three and a half years after the audacious heist. five men will be serving prison sentences ranging from four years and four months to six years and three months. a six defendant was acquitted. >> the court confirmed that at least one of the thieves remains at large. investigators said at least six people were involved in the heist. >> it remains unclear if the group received help from other individuals. in the early hours of november 20 5, 2019, the men broke into

the royal palace museum through a window they prepared earlier on a visit during opening hours. wielding an ax, they smashed the display case and seized jewel-encrusted treasures worth more than 100 million euros. the suspects were later arrested in berlin raids. all of them members of an extended family tied to organized crime. their trial opened in january 2022. in december, investigators secured most of the looted treasure, including a diamond strewn hat clasp and an 18th-century metal from poland's order of the white eagle. a plea-bargain followed. defendants were followed -- were promised lighter sentences after they help secure the loot's return. legal experts call it a legitimate deal. >> if it is right and appropriate to make such an arrangement is open to debate in each individual case. >> under the plea-bargain, three

defendants will be released from custody until they begin their sentences. brent: simon young has morneau on the story. simon: in some ways, this robbery was the stuff of movies. these thieves studied the museum and prepared for months looking for the weak spots. they were able to prepare a window grill and weaken it in advance of the robbery and that is how they got in. then with a level of determination and violence, you must say, they smashed the protective glass that was protecting these treasures and got away with 113 million euros worth -- well, that is to ensure of a value, but the potential sale value could have been many times that, and of course, in fact, these items are priceless

treasures of national significance. these guys -- young men, they are all members of a clan of extended emily -- clan of extended family well known to police as part of organized crime that seems to specialize in high-value robbery. one of the men has been in jail before for stealing from a museum. they have also hit department stores. they set fire to a getaway car in the basement of a building which the court said endangered lives, so it was a case which really attracted national attention. at last, these men have been sentenced to jail time. brent: we have people convicted of crimes, sentenced to jail. we know a large number of the gems have been recovered, but we also know there are some jewels that are still missing. how good of an ending is this?

>> this was a deal proposed by the lawyers for the defendants and the state prosecutor accepted it. to get four of the men to give full confessions and also to show police where at least some of the jewels were and in return for somewhat milder sentences. was it a good deal? some say the court we had no choice. as i said, these are royal treasures dating back centuries of national importance with huge value, so any way that they could be recovered and restored to the museum i think the court felt it had to do that. on the other hand, what message does it send to other criminals who may be tempted to carry out this kind of event? some experts say robbers steal some items to have in hand so they can bargain for milder sentences should they ever face

court, so that might be the wrong message to send. brent: keeping the diamonds in your pocket, so to speak. thank you. the can film festival -- the con film festival -- the cannes film festival began today and the opening screening has garnered attention for scandals both on and off screen. >> johnny depp is back on top playing louis xv in a movie about a former prostitute who became the king's mistress. >> [speaking french] >> because of his american accent, depp only speaks a few lines in the whole movie, leaving more scream time for actress maia webb, who wrote,

produced, and directed the film. she has some scandals of her own. she has been criticized for funding the film with cash from saudi arabia. gossip and glamour going hand in hand along with plenty of star power. 80-year-old harrison ford is premiering his fifth and final indiana jones film. this time, he is battling former nazis who infiltrated the u.s. space program. together with his goddaughter, played by phoebe waller bridge. >> sometimes i think i feel more at home outside the earth's atmosphere. >> director wes anderson is back with "asteroid city," a star-studded comedic tragedy about astronomy geeks and their parents. >> except now there's an alien.

>> also premiering a slew of films in africa -- a slew of films from africa. films from asia also look set to make an impact. a three and a half hour documentary "youth spring" follows a group of young tech workers who actually live inside a factory. this year, six female directors make up roughly 1/3 of the directors competing for the film's top prize, a record for cannes, when the critics say still is not enough. so who will this year's winner be? for the next year and a half, the whole world has its eyes on cannes to find out.

>> a film opening that stars johnny depp, directed by a controversial french filmmaker and is backed on money from saudi arabia, was sure to cause a bit of a scandal, but expect any outrage to be short-lived because this year's festival is so packed with huge movies and and a list of hauteur directors that i expect any shock or scandal will soon give way to the awe of cinema fans enjoying this once a year only in cannes celebration of the movie business, and the movie business will be hoping some of that rubs off on audiences worldwide, encouraging them to get off their sofas and get back into theaters. brent: that was scott roxbury reporting there. something you don't see every day here in berlin, cows after

pastor on the ground in front of the german parliament building. part of a protest states by greenpeace intended to highlight the benefits of grazing. greenpeace says 70% of german cows are confined to sheds and barns all year round, advocating free range farming, stressing that grazing has significant benefits for the animals' health and for farmland biodiversity. yet -- yet -- yep, sounds good. i will be back in a few minutes to take you through "the day." stick around. ♪

>> world news and analysis from france 24. these are the headlines. a double coup for ukraine -- shooting down russian missiles doug does unstoppable by moscow and taking back 20 square kilometers of territory. will have more from a correspondent on the ground. the head of the artificial intelligence company that makes chat gpt told the u.s. congress government intervention will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful ai systems.

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