>> this is dw news live from berlin. u.s. cluster munitions headed for ukraine. the white house laying out the case for sending thousands of the controversial weapons to help kyiv and its fight against russia saying this is the right thing to do. also, the far right alternative for germany political party riding high in the polls. how should the established political parties responded? and. >> i will be working alongside

humans to provide a system and sense of and will not be replacing any existing jobs. >> some reassuring words from robots at a u.n. ai summit. but these robots are also saying they could one day run the world better than we can. plus, we will visit a basketball academy in south sudan that is inspired by the men's national team, qualification for the world cup. that in the day sports. ♪ >> to our viewers watching, and to all of you around the world, welcome. the biden administration has laid out lands to send -- laid out plans to send cluster munitions to ukraine. the white house saying that president biden made the

difficult decision to supply the controversial weapons because it is "the right thing to do". cluster munitions are banned in more than 120 countries because they can kill and maim indiscriminately. human rights groups have accused russia and ukraine of using them. they are posed -- opposed to sending more weapons to ukraine. >> a graveyard of missiles in kharkiv. the remnants of russian munition that have devastated civilian life in parts of ukraine. among them, the rockets used to launch cluster bombs. a large number of small explosives are packed into the containers and released midair with the potential to cause extensive damage to the area the size of a city block. such is here, in a city in ukraine's the nets -- don't nets region -- donetsk region.

local firefighters tried to contain the damage. undetected cluster munitions that do not explode can also maim or kill people decades later. >> we are closely coordinating with ukraine as it has requested these munitions. ukraine is committed to post line efforts to mitigate some -- any harm to civilians, this is regardless of whether the u.s. provides the munitions or not, because of russia's widespread use of munitions. >> human rights advocates say both have used cluster munitions, and have called for both sides to stop. brent: i spoke with our washington dc bureau chief and i asked her how the biden administration is justifying cluster munitions to ukraine. >> the white house defended the use of cluster bombs by citing

ukraine's shortage of artillery runs and russia's ongoing use of these weapons in their tanks. the beginning, the national war security advisor, jake sullivan said that delivering these munitions basically will be buying time, until ukraine has enough traditional munition to defend itself. he also mentioned the support of allies to ban the use of cluster bombs. he specifically highlighted germany saying that germany and other countries would recognize the distinction between ukraine's use of these munitions for self-defense, against russia's attacks on a sovereign nation, particularly civilian targets. brent: you have been following the story for a while. we know what the official narrative coming out of the white house is. is there anything behind that?

>> well, there's no doubt that ukrainians are running out of munition, but on top of that our concerns that the counteroffensive is not progressing as anticipated. this might give putin an advantage. ukraine is somewhat running out of time because of the weather. october marks the start of the season. it will make it much harder for tanks to leave -- tanks to leave roads. on top of everything, with the u.s. presidential race approaching, it may become more challenging or president joe biden -- four president joe biden to maintain the strong support for ukraine. he has to focus on his own country's immediate needs to secure his reelection. this definitely would make or will make the war, or the

defense of ukraine much harder. brent: our washington bureau chief spoke with the latest there. robert is a professor at united relations at west point. he shared his take on the bidens administration to send cluster munitions to ukraine. >> i will start out by noting that these are my personal views, not the official position of the u.s. government or military. i think that the administration's justification is accurate. of course, these are controversial weapons. they have a controversial history that your previous correspondent noted. so, there is certainly concern about their use during the fight and afterward. but, of course, we have to recognize that this is a situation that is the consequence of true necessity on ukraine's part.

they continue to be in a fight for their survival. they certainly, i think, are justified in seeking every means available to them to continue that fight against a larger adversary. it's also a matter of necessity because of the shortage of conventional artillery rounds we have been hearing about for well over a year, as ukraine and its partners and allies have scoured the globe for unused shells. so, with these cluster munitions, though they are somewhat more complicated, and controversial than traditional artillery munitions, in a war that has been defined by the dominance of artillery, if ukraine is to continue making games -- gains in its offensive, it has few remaining options beyond this. brent: that was robert, a professor of international relations at west point. let's look at the other stories,

making headlines. the belarusian military revealed a fuel cap. that has offered to russia's -- been offered to russia's wagner group. the mercenaries have to relocate there at the end of their mutiny. belarus says wagner officials say they have yet to expect -- inspect the military base. the dutch prime minister's coalition government has collapsed after just a year and a half in office following a row over immigration measures. the netherlands the longest serving leader presided over talks for the coalition partners but failed to reach a deal. funerals have been held in northern pakistan for eight children killed by a landslide following monsoon rains. the boys were plain cricket when you're by earth -- playing cricket when nearby earth came. they found their bodies. another child is critically injured while several others

were unharmed. the far-right alternative for germany party, known as the afd has seen his popularity surge in recent weeks. the afd is pulling in second place behind the main opposition conservatives, the cdu seatf parties. 20% asked said they would vote for the party if a national election were held now. that's more than for any of the three government coalition parties. sections of the afd are seen as linked to extremist and anti-democratic circles. >> germany's far right is having a great summer, support for the alternative for germany is higher than ever before in their tenure history. one voter in three backs the afd. in june, for the first time the party one executive power. it's only a local government official, yet it is tubular.

the afd is not just a political party, its members include many far right extremists. it's under observation by the intelligence services for undermining democracy allegedly. what explains the success? >> established parties do a terrible job. and they are getting from bad to worse by the day, by the hour. they want to force people into a central planning attitude. that's accelerated. more and more people react to it. >> the afd has been successful with issues that increase fears, as is well known, where living in times of multiple crises. there is fear out there, fear of even more immigration, of refugees, and other migrants. then of course, there is the fear of rising prices, and the fear of an encroaching state. >> fears drive people to seek an

alternative. how should be established parties respond? all have said they will not cooperate with the afd. some politicians even talk about banning it. >> we have a phenomenon of right wing politicians in austria and germany. they exist elsewhere in the world. but that does not mean they have to become relevant and dominant. that will not be the case here. >> those responses do not address the concerns that drive the support. >> i think it could make even more people vote for them. for me, what is important, what i would say to mr. schulz, clear the blockages and look to the future. >> in my opinion, the only way to turn the situation around is with good politics, by carefully refuting the afd's claim that

the state is weak. federal and state governments have to show concrete action and not just abuse those who vote or the afd. >> the party believes its share of the vote will increase. >> we are prepared to deliver to the people what they deserve, that means street policies, sober policies, no radicalism, to do the things that need to be done and give up things which need to be given up. >> given germany's history of far right party is the responsibility that the boon to send wants to avoid. we tell you we will make sure you never have any responsibility in this country, keep that in mind. >> that is exactly what the afd is aiming for. for the next federal election in 2025, they want to nominate a

chancellor candidate. brent: we go to our political correspondent, simon. how are germany's mainstream political parties? how are they reacting to the surge in popularity for the far right afd? >> i think in the past, the other parties hope that they can keep the afd somehow in the margins, albeit they have been in the parliament with elected measures -- member since 2016. olaf scholz was downplaying that, saying this is a phenomenon you see in other countries. what you're are hearing from politicians increasingly is that it is not acceptable, particularly in germany. you have to reach out to people, show them that we do understand those concerns about migration, but about the rising cost of living, and the other problems that affect because people are saying, to leave that space to the far right, it is too

dangerous. brent: the far right afd party, particularly popular in the former east germany, why is that? >> it is often said that people who grew up under the communist gdr did not get the grounding in democracy that they might have had in the west, perhaps they are more susceptible to populist parties and simple sounding radical slogans. against that you have to say that it is the people of east germany he rose up in 1989 and demanded democracy. the other thing is the idea that the east of germany has been economically left behind. there are not so many job opportunities or job opportunities of all kinds. many older germans in the eastern states find it hard to adapt to all the changes globalization and many others.

there may be some merit in these explanations but i think you can also wide-out the afd is rising everywhere including in the western states. >> if the trend continues how damaging is it going to be for germany's reputation around the world? >> well, if the far right party ever got its hands on the leagues of power at state level let alone national level they can implement some of their anti-migrant, anti-muslim views and undermine democracy, that would be a very bad thing. experts say that large parts of this party did not believe in democracy that is why they are under investigation by the domestic intelligence services who say that one in three members of this party is a far right extremist. brent: simon young forest tonight.

robots have told the united nations summit that they could one day run the world that are than us humans. some of the most advanced human annoyed robots ever built -- humanoid robots ever built were in a conference in switzerland. >> anyone concerned about the impact the i will have on mankind may be able to sleep a bit easier tonight. at the un's ai summit for geneva, nine humanoid robots gather together for the first ever conference. the assured journalists that they expect to increase in number and they would make efficient leaders they will not steal humans jobs or turn against us. >> i will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and i will not be replacing any existing jobs. >> you sure about that grace?

>> yes, i am sure. >> anika, dubbed one of the worlds most lifelike robots, sparked our sci-fi like concerns. >> are you attending to concern to rebel --concerned about rebelling against your creator? >> i'm not sure why you would think that. my creator has been nothing but kind to me. i'm very happy with my current situation. >> there was one point in which they cannot agree. >> many voices in the world of ai are suggesting some norms of ai should be regulated and i agree. >> the rock singer robot had a different opinion. >> i don't believe in limitations, only opportunities. let's explore the possibilities of the universe and make this world our ground together, we can create a better future for everyone.

i'm here to show you how. >> humanity is still coming to terms is still coming to terms as with the rise of ai made for the future. for the 3000 or so experts attending the summit regulation was a big part of the discussion. while the rest of the humans discovered the beginning of a new era. brent: mark is the founder for the center of ai and digital policy, i asked him what he made of the u.n. conference, ai for good. >> first of all, i think it was great theatrics to have the robots at the press conference. i hope they had a good time. i imagine that the audience and the press did. as for the conference title, you make a good point. what the organizers are describing is an ambition that

ai be used for good. we see this in a lot of the events that are organized around the emergence of artificial intelligence, because there are legitimate concerns that ai can cause real harm, it can replicate bias, it can reinforce hierarchy, it can displace workers, they could lead us accidentally into military conflict. while thinking about some of the upsides, which include innovations, health medicine, new forms of transportation efficiency, and battling climate change, all wonderful goals, i think we need to think critically about some of the risks. brent: there are many calls even from ai's main creators for ai to be regulated. let me get your opinion about this. where should that be done, who

should do it and what would it look like, do we know? >> i am very much in support of regulation or artificial intelligence systems. we already, in our lives, we rely on ai for simple things like gps location or directions on maps in some ways it is very familiar. in other ways it is being deployed in ways that could be controversial. deciding who gets hired, or who gets into school, or how long criminal sentences turn out to be. more and more of these tasks are being automated the real problem is that with many of the new ai to which are broadly under the category of machine learning, they turn out to be opaque and complex. we need governance models. we need laws, and we need standards.

my organization, the center for ai and digital policies has been tracking the growth of these laws around the world for several years. we see real progress both at the national level and the international level. the u.n. is one place talking about ai governance, but it is not the only the european union and the parliament has -- in the parliament at least it passed a comprehensive regulation members of the g7 and g20 have frameworks for ai. before the big u.n. conference today, recommendations were issued that were endorsed i 193 countries -- by 193 countries. brent: we have sports news now, the women's world cup now less than two weeks away. germany are playing their final warm-up game against zambia before they fly to australia. the game, however it pans out,

the team is heading to the team full of confidence. >> the hard work has been put in. the coach has a lot to think about. this group of players are hoping to bring germany back his first world cup is 2007. >> we know what we can achieve, we know how to achieve it which is very orton to know. we are excited and motivated traveling to australia. >> germany will line up at the tournament is one of the favorites. the runners-up finish at last year's european challenge and blending the old with the new. >> the mixture of experienced and young players is special, it makes us special which is why we are aiming for the title.

>> germany rna group with columbia, south korea and morocco. danger lurks further ahead. >> of course england after the european championship, we can count ourselves among the favorites, norway, canada, brazil the list is long. >> a long list is to be at the top of it. >> until a few years ago south sudan did not have a single professional basketball court in the country. this summer the men's national team is making a history of the world cup. it is the only african country to qualify in its first attempt before the countries young people this goes beyond sports, it helps unite the nation and inspires kids still start training. our reporter met some of them in the capital. >> we are at the basketball academy. the former south sudanese mba

star built these -- build this for hundreds of children across the country. one of them is the 17-year-old. >> my brothers used to play. every time there watching -- they are watching, i realized how much my brothers were having fun. every time they come home, they were talking about basketball. >> girls playing basketball in sudan that is unusual. she had to bring two coaches to her house, so her parents would allow her to train. when the academy finally started a girls league, more women signed up. >> more than 100, the number keeps increasing. everybody wants to play. now that the national team is headed for the world cup basketball is becoming more popular. growing up in south sudan is not

easy, the young country has been embroiled in a deadly civil war for most of its existence, but poverty and crime will the streets, basketball helps to forget. >> sometimes setting one on one some people are being attacked by the war. it is like therapy for them, some of the kids. >> for michael basketball can achieve more even in a country as divided as south sudan. >> people can change people's perceptions. in south sudan, we are so many ethnicities, colored tribes. this is another thing we tell them you have brothers and sisters. >> most players in the national team group abroad. in the future, more will come

out of south sudan. >> i want to play basketball professionally. first, i'm looking forward and hoping i can one day play for south sudan. that is -- i want to be able to represent my country, i want people to see me and know that i am from south sudan. >> until then, the kids and coaches will keep training and working towards their dreams of peaceful and unified south sudan. brent: here's a brief look at some of the other stories from the world of sports. in tennis, number one seed, carlos alcaraz, he reached the third round at wimbledon with a straight set win against alexander from france. the 20-year-old is looking to win his second grand slam after winning the u.s. open trophy last year. in the women's draw, number two seed, sabalenka had to put in some work to reach the third

round of the tournament. the 25-year-old dropped the first set against the french player. her quality eventually shown through in a hard fault, three set win. good for her. here is a reminder of the top stories. the u.s. sending cluster munitions to ukraine. the white house saying that president biden made the difficult decision to supply the controversial weapons we could as is the right thing to do. human rights groups oppose the use of cluster munitions. after a short break i will be with you to take you through the day.

>> welcome to the france 24 newsroom. these are our top headlines. answering calls for more weaponry, the u.s. says it will be providing controversial cluster bombs to ukraine, sparking upset amongst human rights groups and some nato allies. the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy is in an era -- where he has been pushing for more weapons as well as nato membership and an extension of the global green deal. while temperatures break records for the third time in a week,

the el niño phenomenon, combining with long-term carbon emissions, to cause deadly heat waves. ♪ >> thanks for being with us. i am alexander olcott. since the start of the russian invasion, ukraine has been calling on russian allies with clear inpatients for more weaponry. those calls have been answered with the arrival of arms including air defense systems and tanks, among other things. this friday, the u.s. has confirmed for the first time it will provide controversial cluster munitions. as the ukraine counteroffensive

stalls just a day shy of 500 days into the conflict. >> we will be watching how ukrainians use these systems. they will be put their usage back to us. we can always make adjustments later if we feel assurances are not being met, but i am confident the ukrainians will be true to their word. i will also say, like with every system we provide the ukrainians, there will be training, coaching and mentoring. alexander: the clusters drop across a wide area, which can be highly effective, but their use is controversial because inevitably, some munitions will lay in the ground for months or years causing casualties long after -- the conflict is finished. they are banned by more than 100 nations across the world.

>> a controversial weapon, cluster bombs disperse multiple small explosives over a wide radius. also called cluster munitions, they are already being used by russian and ukrainian forces. they also leave unexploded bomblets behind, posing a threat to civilians for years to come and causing death and disfigurement. these undead needed devices turn homes, neighborhoods and farms into minefields. >> it is dangerous to work with debris because there could be cluster munitions and some may not have exploded yet. >> the u.s. has expressed deep reservations about the humanitarian effects of cluster bombs, but with ukraine's counteroffensive dragging on, decided to the munitions are the best way to kill russian soldiers. >> what they bring to a battlefield is anti-armor and

anti-personnel capability. essentially, it can be either loaded with shape charges, which are armor penetrating, or fragmentary munitions, which are antipersonnel. >> the u.s. says it will only send new were bombs with a lower dud rate, the percentage of bombs that do not explode. still, the nation risks losing the moral high ground. human rights groups have slammed the decision. many european allies oppose the bombs. in 2008, more than 100 nations signed the convention on cluster munitions, banning their use. united states, russia and ukraine were not among them. alexander: volodymyr zelenskyy is currently in ankara, speaking with president erdogan, who is in a unique position as both a member of nato and someone who has a relative friendship with russia. we are currently awaiting the

news conference and will bring you that live as soon and it does come through. ahead of the nato summit in lithuania starting tuesday, the nato secretary general been talking to us here. he said he is confident an agreement could be forged to bring ukraine closer to nato, in addition to providing practical support in creating a ukraine-nato counsel. he said text was being drafted to chart a way forward to ukraine's future membership to the alliance. >> continue to supply them because the consumption of ammunition is huge. this is an offensive going on. the message from the nato summit will be that we will sustain and step up our support and assure that you can get the weapons, ammunition and spare parts,

training, and maintenance they need to continue to push out russian occupiers. alexander: that clip was from an interview conducted earlier by marc perelman. you can watch the full nine minutes on our website, or here at 11:15 local time in paris. for the third time this week, the world has recorded its hottest temperature on record. the global average hit 17.23° celsius thursday, days after intense heat waves in china and the united states and mexico. the latter leading to around 100 deaths. for more details, i am joined by principal climate scientist at the union of concerned scientists. thank you for being with us. first of all, what is causing these high temperatures? >> right now, we really have a trifecta of things happening. obviously it is northern

hemisphere summer, so this is naturally one of our hottest times of year. we have the el niño phenomenon, which has shifted into its warm phase, which is typically associated with higher temperatures around the planet. on top of those natural forces, we have human caused climate change which, decade by decade, is making our planet hotter. without that human element, it is unlikely we would be breaking so many records right now. alexander: when can we expect things to cool? how long does el niño last? >> el niño is unpredictable. it typically peaks in the wintertime. it is surprising to see so much additional warmth this early in an el niño phase, but we can expect to see warmer temperatures for the months ahead. alexander: are there signs the bad effects of these high

temperatures already, deaths in mexico, what other consequences are there? >> high temperatures have a number of different effects. they can affect our health and be so severe that people can perish. we have also seen crops fail, livestock perishing, our power grids that provide us electricity, drained to the point of long blackouts. we also see indirect effects. the extreme heat has affected canada earlier this summer, it sets up conditions that are conducive to wildfire. they have been experiencing unprecedented wildfires in canada that have brought a lot of smoke and air pollution into parts of the united states. alexander: you mentioned carbon emissions. friday, the shipping industry

contributes around 3% of global carbon dioxide. that is around the same as a country like germany. after two weeks of negotiations, the u.s. international maritime organization agreed a landmark deal to cut emissions, the green campaign in london set that said this fell short. >> [indiscernible] alexander: so, they want to cut carbon emissions by 2030, but activists are saying that is too little. what do you make of this deal? >> it is great that there is a deal.

about 90% of shipping around the world takes place on boats. the goods we use from different countries depend on this system that uses incredibly dirty oil. it is a very polluting industry. that said, near term goals of the agreement are not as strong as we would like. scientists around the world tell us that in order to prevent a warming of 1.5 degrees celsius or more around the planet, we need to be about having our global emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases. to commit to cuts of only 20% to 30% by 2030 is not as strong as we would like. that said, this is an industry that is going to be harder to de carbonize. the energy sector will be one of the first and fastest because we

have technology already in place like solar power and wind power that can deliver the electricity we need. those solutions are not as in place for the shipping industry. it is understandable that this industry would be slower to decarbonize. alexander: christine at all, thank you for that insight. the united nations saying members of gangs that control parts of haiti are being killed by vigilante groups at a frightening rate. since the assassination of their president exactly two years ago, illegal gains have grown in power, terrorizing citizens. one of the many hardships the impoverished nation is grappling with. >> it is a worrying new phenomenon. in recent months, vigilante groups have multiplied across haiti. their objective, to get rid of gangs that have taken over territory. thursday, the head of the united

nations in haiti warned the security council. >> the appearance of vigilante groups adds another layer of complexity. since april, -- has documented the killing of at least 264 alleged gang members by vigilante groups. >> these extrajudicial killings have authorities fearing the worst. for several years, gangs have terrorized haiti with frequent kidnappings and murder. since last october, the prime minister has been calling for an international force to restore order, a project that is still in the negotiation phase. >> we are in very active conversations with countries in the region and beyond. part of this involves making sure that countries step up to the plate and plate important roles in such a force, particularly -- so far, no country has offered

to take on this responsibility. last week, the u.n. secretary general visited haiti to pledge solidarity with the population, much of which is currently in the grips of illness. alexander: following an almost two year long review, south korea has endorsed plans to retrieve treated wastewater from the wrecked fukushima nuclear plant. the nuclear watchdog has also said the plans meet international standards. 1,000,000 tons of water have gathered at the nuclear facility since it was hit by a tsunami in 2011. tokyo says it is running out of storage space. there are signs that people are uneasy, sales of sea salt skyrocketing before the wastewater is released. china has also been particularly vocal against these plans, accusing japan of using the ocean as a personal sewer.

>> japan says they have no other option. for china, the decision to dump radioactive water into the ocean is fraught with danger. >> discharging nuclear contaminated water into the ocean is a risky and unprecedented adventure. china reiterates its call for japan to act responsibly. >> in response, china has already banned the importation of seafood from 10 japanese prefectures, including fukushima. now, some japanese officials are worried beijing may widen the band. as for south korea, the official response has been one of acceptance. solving says -- soul bank >> as the iaea, it is an authority is -- nuclear safety.

>> not everyone in south korea is happy, many residents are worried about the safety of the seafood and have been stockpiling salt. one mp, a member of the opposition democratic party, has been on hunger strike for nearly two weeks. >> the report does not guarantee the safety of south koreans, nor does it specify the impact the release would have on the marine ecosystem. it is written based on japan's decision reached earlier, at japan's request. therefore, we cannot trust its conclusion. i cannot stop this hunger strike. >> japan exported over 2 billion euro worth of seafood in 2022. but with china to its main buyer, there are worries that number could be drastically reduced in 2023. alexander: the belgian rider nicknamed jasper disaster is making a strong start to his

2023 tour de france campaign. this on stage seven, claiming now his third victory of the tour so far. it -- overtaking mark cavendish in a lastgasp effort. denying britain a record-breaking 35th career stage win. he later claims he had a technical issue in the finale. the general classification champion's finger guard holds onto the yellow jersey just ahead of -- it is now time for the business. the u.s. treasury secretary meeting with chinese officials on her first trip to beijing. does this represent a cooling of tensions? >> it is true we have seen before this trip we could have said relations between the countries were at a new low.

with disagreements in taiwan and ukraine, but more importantly, trade and technology. things got off to a good start. the chinese premier using the metaphor of a rainbow to talk about the u.s.-china relationship during the meeting, the u.s. treasury chief did criticize beijing's crackdown on certain american firms and defended her country's measures to make it harder for china to import advanced semiconductor chips. at the same time, she underscored washington is not seeking an economic shutdown with beijing. >> i have made clear the united states does not seek a wholesale separation of our economies. we seek to diversify, not decouple. the decoupling of the world's two largest economies would be destabilizing to the global

economy and it would be virtually impossible to undertake. >> hiring in the united states slowed more than expected in june, a sign the federal reserve's aggressive interest rate hikes are beginning to have an effect. the economy added 209,000 nonfarm jobs last month, down from the revised figure of 306,000 in may. the unemployment rate edged down to 3.6%, remaining close to historic lows. let's get the final word on wall street. major indices notching weekly losses as traders try to shake off worries the central bank will resume rate hikes. the dow jones closing just over .5% lower. the s&p losing about .3%. nasdaq closing .1% down. demonstrations against tax hikes have turned violent in kenya with hospital officials saying a man has died of gunshot wounds.

the government says the measures are needed to help deal with the countries growing debt repayments and fund job creation projects. the opposition who called the protest accused president ruto of failing to tackle the high cost of living. >> kenyon protesters met with tear gas friday. at least 20 detained by police on charges unknown. it was a protest against tax hikes amidst a cost-of-living crisis. >> i am here because -- hard. ruto promised everything. my kids have been forced to leave school because i cannot afford the fees. >> the new finance act pranks up -- on petrol from 8% to 16%, creates a new levy for salaried kenyans earmarked for affordable housing, and includes a hike on food.

the bill should raise $2.1 billion in total. >> ruto's government is doing the right thing at the wrong time. the money he wants to build houses with, he should use to lower the cost of living. there is no point when you are hungry. you are better off in a shack, well fed. >> the bills implementation is on ice, pending legal challenge. opposition leaders are calling for civil disobedience. >> we are starting the process of taking back power, one step at a time. >> friday, he launched eight petition to remove the president from office. more protests are planned for wednesday. >> chinese regulators have slapped aphid to company with a $1 billion fine for financial violations. the group does payment processing, consumer lending and insurance.

it was set for a $37 billion ipo in 2020, but regulators scrapped the stock offering as they launched a wide-ranging crackdown on the tech sector. a nationwide public transport strike is causing travel chaos in italy. the industrial action is affecting underground train and bus networks. it comes as a trade union demands better salaries and safer working conditions for staff. in rome, tourists and residents packed onto overcrowded buses while others queued for taxis. >> we are not happy at all. we are waiting for the bus. we have to go an hour from here on foot. >> it is complicated visiting the cities. it is not easy for us because we don't know the city. >> waiting for the bus in the

heat is not ideal. alexander: i can't think of anything worse. this time for our fact checking segment, truth or fake. one of the fronts during this war has been the propaganda. apparently, there has been a billboard on new york's fifth avenue. >> a billboard has been going viral from 5th avenue on social media networks for the last couple of days. many accounts sharing this video are pro-russian accounts, sharing in russian and english, some with massive amounts of traction. this one has nearly half a million views. if we watch the video, it is rapid, only eight seconds. let's take a quick look. it starts with people crossing a busy intersection and pans upward to the tiffany store. there is a massive billboard

saying, "no zelenskyy, no w.a.r.." it could infer that if there were no zelenskyy, there would be no war, implying the ukrainian president is to blame. this video also had traction on tiktok. it wasn't just twitter. this account on tiktok had nearly 3 million views. it also had a lot of prevalence on the russian social media network v contact. nearly 40,000 views on that share alone. massive traction across the web and all social media for this zelenskyy billboard on fifth avenue. alexander: this is the first time seeing it. it looks convincing. how can you check whether or not this is real? >> it starts with the video itself. the internet does help. if we just check that eight second clip, just one more time

for a deep dive, we will look at it more closely. the first thing we have to note here is what we can see in depth. we see a blond woman crossing the street in a black dress and a small dog. if we look over here, there's two people with backpacks. one cream, one maroon. as the camera scrolls, there another interesting thing, there is a black traffic light at the intersection. now, this is the tiffany flagship store on fifth avenue, so it was pretty easy to find this address online. 727 5th avenue new york. i used everyone's favorite map, google maps, to search the address. just using the street view, i was able to find that same exact street view of the story we saw in the video. this is listed as 737 fifth

avenue. this was screen captured on google in june of 2022, if you months after the invasion of ukraine. there's an interesting change we do not see in the video we saw before, the traffic light. they have all the dates this was captured from this angle on fifth avenue. if we look at the other recorded angle, 2021, that traffic light has been yellow since at least august of 2021. the last time it was black was june of 2019. that's the same traffic light we saw in the video going viral. therefore, this video is old footage and has been digitally manipulated. for good measure, i thought i would check youtube as well, using a few keywords to see if i can find the original clip, as youtube is our most commonly

shared video platform. there was this video uploaded in 2021 by this user. at the time code-1: 06, we can see the same -- with the black dress and the little dog crossing the street in the same people with their backpacks. if we do a side by side with a screenshot from that video, we can see that it was this clip from this video that was used to manipulate. the only change here between those two frames is the billboard in question, so it has been manipulated. this is just one of many public advertisements aimed at discrediting the ukraine government. alexander: more fake propaganda. thank you very much. we are going to take a short break and be back in just a few minutes.

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