berlin. ukraine says it is conducting offensive actions along the front line. according to kyiv, the operations are centered around the city of bakhmut, occupied by russian troops. both sides assure the ukrainians have made some progress. also coming up, the eu hands poll a fresh legal setback. the european court of justice rolls a judicial report violates eu law. the judges say the law could affect the independence of poland's courts.

as battles intensify for control of sudan's capital's, we meet those civilians caught in the middle for whom finding water and food has become perilous. ♪ >> i am nicole, welcome to the show. officials in ukraine say their forces are moving to offensive actions along the front line. ukraine's military released this video which they say shows their troops firing on russian positions near bakhmut. russia claims to have repelled attacks on sunday. ukraine's defense minister did miss -- dismissed reports as russian misinformation. in order to distract from russian losses. ukraine's defense ministry claims ukrainian forces are increasing offensive operations that suggests that some of these

russian announcements are disinformation. i asked a senior fellow at king's college in london to tell us how he reads the situation. >> i think there are two things. on the ukrainian side, they are announcing things after they have already happened. if they say that they are increasing defensive operations, that means three days ago, they started increasing their defense operations. on the russian side -- russian side, they have a problem in car square the russian freedom legion is on russian territory and taking russian villages. russia is talking about anything except for the incursions into its own territory. that is how i read the ukrainian and the russian statements. nicole: we have been taught this into superior and for a long time. are we any closer to this? >> i think it has been going on for quite some time.

for over the last month or so, we have been having operations which are basically the ukrainian sticking out russian command control in doing reconnaissance to find out where russian formations are. what we have seen over the last week or so, and this is like the ukrainian defense ministry was alluding to, are what you call reconnaissance in force. where you pushed into areas where russian troops he what response they get. if they reinforce the area, you pull back and go somewhere else. if they don't reinforce, you can push through and exploit that area. we have slightly upped the tempo of what has been going on for the last month. nicole: again, bakhmut is seemingly at the center of it, at least at the center of one of these operations. how do you see it? why would they start there where they spent so much time fighting and ultimately lost? mike: the thing about bakhmut is the russians have, for the last six months, been accessed with

capturing it. now they have captured it. they largely did that with the private military company. wagoner has pulled out and left large areas of bakhmut to russian army forces who are not as good, not as aggressive as the wagner troops. the ukrainians are focusing on the, because it is important to the russians and because they are able to reverse those gains, because that wagner troops have been replaced with lower quality russian troops. this creates problems between the wagner mercenaries and the russian army, on the other hand, as they have a competition between themselves. . the ukrainians are focusing on bakhmut to exploit that competition. nicole: with the russians having so many fires to put out, as you explain, how prepared are they to fight back once this larger counteroffensive comes along or intensifies? mike: i think there is probably three things. i think the russians are very

stretched, and a lot of their forces are exhausted. they had this six-month battle in bakhmut. secondly, i think the physical differences, and your listeners and watchers will know about -- they have probably seen videos of these white pyramids meant to stop tanks. it appears they are not quite as efficient or as useful as the russians thought they were, because the ukrainians pushed through them to get onto russian territory. that is the second problem. the third problem is this factionalism between wagner, the russian army, just yesterday, a russian army colonel was captured by wagner group and paraded on social media. i think there are real problems within the russian military structures and being able to resist ukraine, if they are able to get it right. nicole: crane says plans love silence. do you think we will see them announce the counteroffensive?

or will they, as you point out, do so after the fact and keep advancing without advertising it? mike: this is not going to be like a counteroffensive in a film, where an officer stepped up and blows a wessel and everyone goes over the top. we are likely to see what we are seeing now, a rolling series of different activities in this area or that area. and the accompanying announcement by the ukrainians are merely meant to push the russians in one direction, or in the other direction. we should not take too much weight from them. they are merely part of the psychological gain the ukrainians are playing with the russians. . i don't think there will be a big start to this. . i think it will continue over the summer. and ukrainians will identify an area where they can push through to the russian lines and they will. nicole: that was mike martin, thank you so much. mike: thank you. nicole: the european union's's highest court has ruled poland's

controversial judicial reform violates eu law. the european court of justice upheld a finding that parts of the reform undermined the independence and impartiality of polish courts. poland has already been fined hundreds of millions of euros over the reform, which was passed in 2019. :'s justice minister rejected the measure calling it corrupt. >> is the disciplinary chamber at the supreme court in poland. it can penalize judges up to and including dismissal if they make unwelcome decisions, including ruling the polish judgments violate eu law. the eu's top governing body found this was in violation of eu law. the european court of justice's decision made that official. >> the mere prospect of polish judges who have to apply eu lobbying at the mercenary of the disciplinary chamber, which can affect their status and the exercise of their office, may undermine their judicial independence.

reporter: the ruling is the central judgment in a series of lawsuits wrought by the eisai j against poland. these began shortly after the current government took power in 2015. the european commission has also suspended billions of euros in coronavirus really funds, money that is still not been distributed to poland. >> if the government does not act on the verdict, it may result in the mechanism being put in place. the direct consequence would be that the european commission will submit a motion to impose new penalties pending the implementation of the verdict. reporter: poland had already had to pay half a billion euros in fines before monday's verdict. nicole: here is a look at more stories making headlines around the world. around 80 girls have been poisoned and attacks on primary schools in northern afghanistan. the girls have been taken to a hospital and are reportedly in a stable condition.

neighboring iran has seen thousands of students poisoned and attacks on schools in recent months. a palestinian toddler shot by israeli troops last week has died from his injuries. the two-year-old and his father were both shot while riding in a car and on the west bank. the israeli military said soldiers opened fire in response to gunman shooting at a jewish settlement nearby. heavy rain has flooded towns in northern quit or. officials say hours of constant rain have caused rivers to burst their banks. . the president said 500 people have been rescued, and thousands more affected. negotiators from around the world are meeting in the western german city of bonn this week for u.n. climate talks. one of its goals is to hash out the details of a new fund intended to pay for lost and damaged experience by pouring 8 -- nations due to climate

change. the meaning because those wealthy nations come to plan the climate crisis. reporter: heavy rain and severe flooding, more than 1500 people died of part of extreme floods in pakistan in 2022. the disastrous -- the disaster is estimated to cause $30 billion in economic losses and damage. . climate change likely increased rainfall intensity by around 50%, according to a study. and it is having an impact elsewhere. he waves and droughts are becoming more likely and lasting longer, storms more intense. the economic toll is on the rise. in 2021, economic damage caused by natural disasters hit more than $250 billion. some estimates say costs from loss and damage caused by climate change in developing countries alone could reach $1.8 trillion by 2050. >> today -- reporter: last year, developed

nations agreed to set up funding to help countries cope with the financial impact of climate change related losses at the international climate summit in egypt. but as talks kick off this week, it is clear that there will be tension. >> it comes down to money. there is a sense in some of the developed countries that the finance available for international solidarity is limited. we are seeing a cost-of-living crisis globally, thanks to skyrocketing energy prices, the hangovers from the covid pandemic. and that is making all of the conversations about money and how to fund climate action even more fraught. reporter: countries in the global north will also be coming under pressure as they prepare to reveal how far they have come with goals to reduce carbon in missions. it is part of a global stop take that will be given during the next international climate summit, cop28, in the united

arab emirates in november. experts say there will be no surprises. >> it is going to say we are not on track to keeping global warming below two degrees, let alone keeping it to below 1.5 degrees. we need to see a strong and robust response from governments at cop28 on what they are going to do to close those gaps. reporter: the talks will serve as little comfort to the people in pakistan still recovering from last year's's flooding. behind the scenes, delegates will be hoping to hammer out technical details that move richer nations closer to action. solid commitments will likely have to wait for world leaders to take the stage later in the year. nicole: i can now welcome the center for climate and energy transformation fellow at the university of bergen. good to see you. during the cop27, countries agreed on a loss and damage fund

to support poor nations. why does climate compensation still seem to be a sticking point? >> pretty in my view, there are two elements to the compensation issue. on the one hand you have the countries that have the financial means to deal with global warming to manage impacts. these are the countries that have done the most, create climate change. on the other side, the countries that suffer most from climate change impacts are the countries that lack the financial means to deal with the problem. compensation is the ethical thing to do. in other words, the countries that have financial means ought to help countries that don't have those means. we just heard the magnitude of the bill. and the travel needs that there is not enough taxpayer money to pay for that bill. this is where a lot of conversation and thought will go

on innovative financial sources. it has been for many years now, there has been talk about an aviation levy. i think we will see more of that. on the other hand, compensation is a word that is being used a lot in the context of loss and damage. but it is not a clear-cut solution when it comes to the intangible losses to combat climate change. for example, the loss of a species or cultural heritage. i believe if we start accepting comes -- excepting compensation, we normalize these losses, and i think that is the wrong thing to do. i believe instead we should do our utmost to avoid those losses. nicole: let's talk about one of the countries contributing to the bill, the united arab emirates. a huge oil exporter. they will be hosting cop28. how cannot impact negotiations? -- how can that impact negotiations?

daniel: in my view, the main issue of concern is whether the host country can conduct the necessary consultations at of the conference. peace conservation's are incredibly important for negotiations to concede. we have seen countries that are not oil exporters, they did not succeed entirely with these consultations. and this had a huge impact on the conference. in other words, experience counts a lot when it comes to these issues. the uae, the united arab emirates, they do have some experiment -- experience, where they have been hosting the international global agency, renewable energy agency, excuse me. at the end of the day, how well these experiences they have had, and how much support they can muster from all the countries and international organizations, this is really the key more than whether or not they are an oil exporting country. nicole: daniel puig, thank you

for your time. daniel: thank you very much. nicole: to south africa where a local company is tackling two problems at once. it has rediscovered a way to reduce amounts of wasted food while enriching soils for agriculture. here is more. reporter: lunch time is over here. as the kids go back to class, kitchen workers are clearing up the mess they left behind. previously, the leftover food would go into the trash, adding to the 10 million tons of food waste that they generate every year. but then came earth probiotic, an ancient process originating in east asia that converts organic matter into soil nutrients. >> we create compost, which we also use. in terms of loans and guidance. reporter: it differs from traditional composting, in that it is fermented rather than

decomposed. proponents claim it improves soil quality, and cuts food waste sent to landfill. it is also a faster process, more hygienic than composting, and it releases no greenhouse gas omissions. >> to us, it is important. . we feel it is part of the education that we need to teach young ones. and secondly, obviously, like i said, social responsibility. reporter: the result is a nutrient rich compost where gardens can thrive. bringing it to south africa was the brainchild of the owner. his company services more than 300 clients across the country, and now, he hopes to expand the venture. >> this is the finished product. >> we all have to do our part in reducing our personal impact and our business impact on the environment. reporter: back here, the school

hopes to set an example by recycling its leftover food, and helping put a lid on the food waste problem once and for all. nicole: former u.s. vice president mike pence has declared his candidacy for the republican presidential nomination. this kits him against his former ally and boss, donald trump. the two have been bitter rivals since pence refused to support a trump in the final days of his presidency during the january 6 capital insurrection. kenseth joins a growing list of high-profile candidates. our correspondent is following the story from washington. . i asked her if mike pence has what it takes to beat donald trump for the republican nomination. >> the short answer now would be no. but that is what everybody thought ahead of trump nomination for the 2016 elections. mike pence, he fell from grace

with all trump supporters. and donald trump still has roundabout -- about one third of republicans who will back him, no matter what. mike pence is internationally the most recognizable name. nikki haley is also in the race. she also was part of the trump administration as the u.n. ambassador for the united states. that is when it starts to fizzle out. in terms of polling, it starts even earlier than that. because mike pence and nikki haley are both hovering around 4% of the polling in support when you ask republican voters. ron desantis is around 20 and donald trump has more than 50% support at this moment in time. the polls are suggesting we may well see a rerun between joe biden, pretty much uncontested in the democrat camp, and donald trump himself. that is if, and it is a big if,

donald trump does not run into such serious legal trouble that either crushes public support or could see him behind bars or sentenced in any way or form over january 6, over him asking for those votes in georgia and over keeping those files at home. not to mention the hush-money payments. there is a lot that could weaken donald trump, but he has no strong contender for the republican nomination right now. nicole: cat was our correspondent reporting from washington, d.c. germany and indonesia have agreed to strengthen their cooperation which includes planning a joint military exercise with other states. the defense minister is touring the region, the scene of rising tensions between the u.s. and china. those tensions have countries in east asia in faraway europe thinking about more security. >> the german defense minister arrived in jakarta to an

official welcome with his counterpart. indonesia, with its 270 million and habitants, needs and wants strategic partnerships and capabilities paired potential security challenges in the region are changing. he is visiting asian countries to demonstrate germany's willingness to play a positive role. >> i came here because this region was shaping the 21st century and regards of security, freedom of navigation, international economic challenges, things like that will be shaped here. therefore, the region is important, not only for germany, but for europe. reporter: the ministers agreed to strengthen defense cooperation, and discussed the possible delivery of german submarines. indonesia would also like german aircraft, and he expects a decision on that soon. the two sides also talked about

holding joint military maneuvers in the future. what those could look like is currently being demonstrated at the komodo 2023 naval exercise just getting started off the indonesian island. dozens of nations are taking part in what is described as a trust building opportunity, including russia, china, and the united states. the lack of trust between washington and beijing, especially over the issue of taiwan, is a cause for concern. >> because otherwise, the space for misunderstanding is at the risk of escalations, and it will even increase. both of them know that. therefore, i'm quite sure we will get back to the table. reporter: the last stop on his tour is in -- is india, and other potential purchaser of german-made weapons, and another country germany sees as a reliable partner in asia.

nicole: khartoum residence in say -- residence in khartoum say fighting has intensified. the u.s. and saudi arabia are urging warring parties to agree to a new cease-fire. since fighting broke out in mid april, multiple agreements have failed. the conflict has triggered a major humanitarian crisis in a country where many people were already struggling. how are people still in khartoum dealing with the situation now? we talked to one resident who lives a few kilometers from the fighting. >> he always loved the tranquility at his farm by the nile. a peaceful escape from the noisy streets of central khartoum. but now, the column is deceptive. less than five kilometers away, the fighting continues unabated. >> farms and stray bullets hit

us. the sound of artillery has become normal for us. . at first, we were afraid and hid. now we go out, despite the warning noises. because we feel we are already dead anyway. so it is better to live our last days moving until god decides otherwise. reporter: before the war, he taught computer science at the university in khartoum. he has not received his salary for two months. so he has gone back to farming to feed his family. land he has inherited has become a lifeline for him and others too. because the markets are closed, he cannot sell his produce. so he gives away his vegetables to other people in need. but it is not just food that is in short supply. >> our aunt passed away because she could not get her medicine. . she was only in her 50's. she was taken to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do. we brought her home where she died. then we buried her.

you can hear fighter jets in the air now. reporter: he visits his home neighborhood where crime is on the rise, too. one of his neighbors, an elderly disabled man, was beaten up and robbed at gunpoint. . random attacks like these have been daily. >> the current situation is very bad. people live in constant insecurity, and a state of constant panic and distress. reporter: only a few people are left in this neighborhood. walking the streets is dangerous. this is one of the few pressure stores that is still open. -- few grocery stores that is still open. >> my suppliers are sold. if i do find lentils, i will not get much, and that will be it. reporter: food prices have doubled. he will have to ration this small portion.

even water is scarce. people have to use one of the few working pumps. he hopes other countries will put more pressure on the warring factions. if not to end the war, then at least to enforce a real cease-fire. reporter: the biggest challenge now is to push through with the appeal of the international community, to stop the war. this is very important to us, because reaching armistice is an continuing this war is very dangerous. reporter: he discusses leaving khartoum with a neighbor. but he can't afford to. . and even if he could come of the way out has become too dangerous. he fears for his three young children and wife. for now, he is waiting it out. nicole: before we go, here's a quick reminder of the top story we are following for you today. ukraine's deputy defense minister says ukrainian forces are conducting "offensive

operations along the front line." the announcement comes after russia set it had repelled a large scale ukrainian attack in the donetsk region on sunday. don't forget, you can get dw news on the go. download our app from google play or the app store. that will give you access to the latest news from around the world, as well as push notifications for any breaking news. stay with us now. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." hope to see you there. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> welcome to live from paris. these are the headlines. ukraine forces making the against iran bakhmut, claims denied by the russians. roosh -- u.s. -- the battlefront. his court case against the publisher of u.k. tabloid. the judge said he was surprised. harry is expected tomorrow, and