in such a putin's russia at this time on al-jazeera. tensions are high. little has changed and new village officials are struggling to demonstrate goodwill. among morial is trying for a comrade who sacrificed his life the political change. but really event tonight will drive a wedge between the villages fractures part three of a six part series filmed over five years. china's democracy experiment at this time on. north korea's foreign minister trunks latest statement was a declaration of war and that all options are now on the table.

i'm certain this is al jazeera live from london also coming up defiance in the face of widespread opposition iraq's kurds follow through with that controversial independence referendum triggering fury from neighbors. the devastation here on dominique is fathomable look at this neighborhood here right here it is completely destroyed life after moran thousands of people impress errico are left in despair following a devastating hurricane. and we had deep into the catalonian heartland where opinions are split ahead of the controversial independence referendum. we begin with the escalating war of words between north korea and the united states in the last hour. pyongyang's top diplomats has said president donald trump's tweet

that leader kim jong un won't be around much longer was a declaration of war and north korea now has every right to take countermeasures including shooting down u.s. bombers outside of its airspace. you know. last weekend trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and he declared war on our country. the fact that this comes from the united states president is clearly a declaration of war. since the united states declared war on our country we have every right to make counts measures including the right to shoot united states strategic bombers even when they're not yet inside north korean space. well let's go to our diplomatic editor james space who is out the u.n. headquarters in new york and i heard that statement made by the north korean foreign minister james first on the significance really of the the tone i suppose and exactly what was said by the foreign minister. well remember that he gave

a long speech on saturday which was a blistering attack on the u.s. with taunts and nicknames directed towards president trump but he decided to make further comments as he was leaving his hotel which is the hotel closest to the united nations at the end of the u.n. general assembly general debate which actually ended just moments ago he was leaving his hotel and spoke to reporters and it was clear he wanted to pick up on two things that were not in that speech on saturday first was president trump's response to that tweet where he said that if they made comments like this and he referred to little rocket man again they wouldn't be around much longer and that the north korean foreign minister said in his estimation amounted to a declaration of war and the other thing he was referring to was a show of force that took place on saturday just before he spoke when there were u.s.

fighter jets from japan and bombers from go arm that heard gone up the coast of north korea further north from the demilitarized zone than they've done any time this century that it may actually go into north korean airspace they stayed in international airspace that didn't seem to satisfy though the north korean foreign minister he said even if they weren't in north korea in space in the future that north korea would shoot to them down and so really ramping up the tension between the two countries even further comments from both china and the u.n. secretary general trying to calm down the rhetoric doesn't seem to making any difference to either side does that. it doesn't seem to be making any difference to either side you know you heard the chinese who want who want this calm down the u.n. secretary general spokesman again repeating comments from the u.n. secretary general about possible miscalculations and that's why the fiery talk must stop at this stage i also spoke to japan's ambassador to the united nations he

would not dignify the north korean foreign minister's comments with a response but you speak to diplomats here off the record as i have and they're rather hoping that now the north koreans have gone home and aren't going to be accessible to reporters giving statements every few hours that perhaps the tension for a bit with a bit of space could could subside without it that is the hope but it is a dangerous time good to talk to james dennis base there with the very latest from the united nations. controversial kurdish independence referendum in northern iraq is expected to deliver a comfortable result but the outcome. the most strong opposition from iraq's central

government and turkey which have just started joint military maneuvers on the border reports from. it's a day iraq's kurds say they had hoped to see in their lifetime so eager to be the first to cast their ballots suzanne was so excited about the referendum she had a restless night that is the first time she's been able to vote. i am so happy i wanted to be one of the first ones here i only slept for three hours this is a historic day for us it's not the first time idris has voted but he too was in early he does his blue finger was pride. i have voted in presidential and parliamentary elections before but this is the most important one because it's about independence i hope the new. everyone arabs assyrians everyone who wants to live in freedom. similar scenes were being repeated around the kurdish region people streaming into polling stations however they could areas

where kurdish president. has a strong foothold. so happy to. devote also went to cook despite fears it could further alienate. nearly half of the city's population who feel they have been marginalized by the kurds so this is the ballot paper the question was. areas outside of the region. to become an independent state the vote. which means. everything on the ballot is written in three other languages arabic assyrian and turkish the regional government sending a message that the future kurdistan state will be inclusive. but william benjamin is not convinced he's an assyrian christian and has voted no.

we see the same interest in us and other political events before this referendum it's just a way to lure the minorities we respect their promises but until now they've not respected all rights and every reason the history of this land excluding all part and it's the kurdish president has said that it's time to end the failed partnership with baghdad a message that resonates among kurds who hope that this is the day that they write what they consider to be a historical role but by taking over the disputed territories but is only now faces those who feel history is repeating itself this time against known kurds. and we can talk directly to holder who is in jail in northern iraq i hold an iraqi parliament parliament threatened to send troops if this referendum went ahead it seems that what's happening what more can you tell and. yes in the last half hour said it was an issue as statement issued by the chief of staff of the ministry of

the feds say that the day you are entered you will know doing maneuvers along the border between the two countries that in one way forty rockets to reach their borders they will have to go along iraq's western border with syria now part of that area is officially. under control of the kurdish peshmerga but is actually ever very strong be k.k. presence there the iraqi troops will make their way all the way up to the border this hub or now this will be back. for the last twenty four hours last night there was could be. a big sense of government rather said that it would deploy federal troops along all the international borders of the kurdish region including the airports officially at those borders you have federal border guards who are

paid by the central government but those are mainly actually put his soldiers with a tiny presence of iraqi soldiers so certainly you do see the ratcheting up of those prime minister had said all along if you go ahead with this is a random then i will have to take tough measures and frankly speaking those measures started before the both started here in the kurdish region also today through parliament voting asking the prime minister to deploy the iraqi security forces to this so-called ok fight dirties where the referendum was ongoing as a parliament. was convening and that includes the city of good good certainly the tension is increasing and you do have a feeling that. not only baghdad but also iraq's neighbors are stored in putting the pressure from all sides certainly from all the books around all the borders of

this good this region and the voting i've visited just the first day of the vote of the referendum will have to see tomorrow when the enthusiasm here starts what else will happen it does sound like the parties already started behind you with that man expecting a yes vote result what will happen if indeed it is a yes that what we've been next move to move or be the k l g i'm both on it once he gets that mandate if you like. well publicly it said that this is an non-binding referendum but there's no two ways to look about it it will lead to independence sooner or later now president barzani has been saying all along that after the vote which is just an expression of the will of the kurdish people according to him then there will be time to hold all the negotiations he did with baghdad and he was willing to give it as much time as possible and that was one of the biggest issues with the central government in baghdad that it is prime minister

bodies saying no we present in the stages and then you hold your referendum but i mean it he has the support of a good part of the kurds not all of them some of them where business kept thinking about the timing of this referendum not the idea of having a kurdistan they'd eventually but just the timing was on what's going on in the region you can probably econ carry out the option that if the whole negotiations fail with baghdad then to verizon you is a man who is known to be quite defiant who is a man who is known to the white swift action good some point their first. and everybody here. sooner rather than later. with the very latest on the independent. u.s. has warned the vote could be

a region which could impact on the battle. but this channel strafford heard their support for independence from some of those displaced by the fighting the polling station here one of a number of i.d.p. camps south of era bill in the disputed areas closed as predicted at six p.m. today six p.m. local we've been speaking to authorities in this camp they say that the turnout has been high around three thousand people voting in this camp alone it's understood there are around two million people that were able to vote in this controversial referendum in the disputed territories alone we've been speaking to people in this camp from a range of ethnic ethnic backgrounds it's been interesting speaking to some of the arabs here that were displaced in that fighting against i so very nervous about speaking on camera saying that they were distrustful of the shia led baghdad government and also not wholly confident in the k r g the kurdish government here

as well they all said that they were going to vote yes for this referendum and they were thankful for the government for the kind of safety and security that the peshmerga the kurdish forces have offered them in the last few the last couple of years in the battle against eisel but as i say still a great sense of distrust among some of these people we've heard from the governor of kirkuk that there will be an all night curfew in that city that oil rich city which is so controversial has been the focus of so much attention from baghdad and the kurdish regional government. stay with us still ahead. a week long germany's chancellor angela merkel begins the complicated task of building a coalition government. and political up to opportunity both turning out to north korean threats japanese prime minister. cameron in action.

we've got some rain in the forecast for the middle east over the next couple days and when i say middle east really it's the far north of the region just spinning out of the black sea towards the caspian sea a little china of clout there and as you can see in armenia not you know i millimeters of rain in twenty four hours and the chance of one of two showers longest spells of rain as we go on through the next twenty four hours or so for much of tuesday that's fine and driving say the west the weather spilling out to the far north of turkey and it just straddles the region as we go on through weapons day so i mean you know george you could see some wet weather twenty celsius the top temperatures. so. warm dry and sunny that was spread out across the area so thirty eight celsius in kuwait city and that's the sort of temperature we can expect here over the next couple of days marty thirty

eight is one hundred in found high still plenty warm enough that warm sunshine the hazy sunshine will continue across the arabian peninsula as we go on through the next few days barely a cloud in the sky but a cloud in the sky too for a good part of southern africa but south africa seeing some rather lively weather of them by this band of cloud it's making its way through thick enough it's producing heavy rain around the eastern cape durban ninety degrees celsius cape town with a high of forty. reminder

the top stories today on al-jazeera north korea's foreign minister says u.s. president recent comments on its nuclear program were a declaration of war against. a controversial kurdish independence referendum in northern iraq that strong opposition from iraq's central government on techie which is just stated. on the border.

has won a fourth time in office but she faces a very different political landscape has sent out right christian democratic union party has won just thirty three percent of the vote giving them two hundred thirty eight seats that may rival and coalition partner they sent to left social democrats led by martin schultz just over twenty percent of the vote or one hundred forty eight seats but the biggest change to germany's political scene is this the. alternative for germany or a.f.d. thirteen percent of the vote translates into. the three main parties one between nine and eleven percent of the vote but could find themselves in power as part of a coalition honestly reports from berlin. most important politician in europe the most important female politician anywhere the flag bearer for liberal democracy in an uncertain world four wins in a row for angela merkel even if her party's vote share shrunk and the far right

emerged once again it was a problem she was quick to acknowledge that when you win from let's mark we want those a.f.d. voters who moved to come back to us through good political work we want to solve the problems people are facing these might be shoes of integration and illegal immigration but there are also questions around services in rural areas or questions of public transport or opportunities for farmers as recent opinion polls have predicted the far right and see immigrants alternative for germany which wants to close mosques and stop immigration took thirteen percent meaning more than eighty seats in parliament yet the disorganized by monday morning the woman who led them to this position said she was so angry with the direction of the party that she would not be joining their bloc. this is. such an anarchic party as we've seen in the last two weeks can be successful as an opposition party can't offer a realistic expectations of taking over the government i have decided that i would not be part of the f.t. in the bundestag the morning papers tell both these stories the tabloids in shock

at the symbolism of the far right getting into the german parliament again the more sober media arguing it was still merkel's night despite some losses a sample of opinion in central billion on monday morning reflected both these views . we are democrats and we have to accept it and i'm confident they'll find a solution and i also think that on the next vote the f.t. won't be as strong anymore and said i am our thread poor germany to about set against recent european elections in austria the netherlands and france in which it was feared the far right might actually gain power and given the angle of merkel herself decided to take a million refugees into germany it is quite striking that she's actually still in power of saw her job now is to try to dismantle the f.t.'s influence in the german parliament and their core argument that immigration is a threat to germany's way of life once the headline writers are finished with the

f.t. story expect more focus on merkel's bigger concerns how to deal with the u.s. presidents on issues such as climate change iran and north korea as well as stabilizing the european union think about merkel though is that she knows how to win gloriously al-jazeera. medical services on puerto rico are in critical condition in the wake of hurricane maria with officials warning the situation may get worse before it gets better the strongest storm to hit the caribbean island in decades has called course wide ranging power outages even many hospitals now running off generators on friday around seventy thousand people were told to evacuate the area close to a town that had been damaged there are fears i think of breach and core severe flooding. well maria has killed at least thirty three people so far with the bulk of those deaths happening on the tiny island of dominic or at least eighty percent of buildings that have been damaged and most communication lines cots gabrielle

alexander is there and sent this update. approaching domenica from the shoreline the first signs of a battered country on shore at the port the picture is clear. when the crews frantically unload water some of the first aid to reach the island all week but as we'll find out later it's not nearly enough a group of dominique ansel live abroad have reached the island to rescue family members bring in supplies and they get a first glimpse of a home landed ruins i love this country i you know when i die it's devastating for me was. he at least knows his family is alive but not everyone is so lucky they started going through. a lot so i lost my niece my niece my brothers and not any good to go

going to show i haven't seen my daughter. through all the old girl. in the world to sit with both airports shut down people crowd the gates at the port to try to get on one of the few ships evacuating people out and piss is why in this neighborhood near the capital everything is gone schools homes roads it's all badly damaged some beyond repair the people of this island nation of seventy one thousand are desperate some still in shock you know and i have to see it then gen's the hurricane destroyed the power lines there's been no electricity for a week supermarkets are flattened leaving little food this seventy eight year old man hadn't eaten in days. no there was no know nothing will get anything. if they do want to do good and

it took. eight operations are still in the early phases but it's clear domenico will need the world's help to rebuild not for days not months but for years but that can wait water to hand. here they're thirsty and in this neighborhood bottled water finally arrives given the nature of the destruction it's almost like the country of domenico no longer exists and in some ways it doesn't once a small but vibrant island nation with our culture music and life all of that is now gone the entire country has been reduced to a debris field the heart of any country is not its buildings or roads and it dominique their will is being tested in ways no people should ever have to endure

but will is all they have left. dominique. japan's prime minister has called us not general election next month opinion polls show strong support for. conservative. and strong stance against the threat from north korea has threatened to japan into the sea and find two missiles over the northern island of hokkaido within the past month bribe reports from tokyo with an approval rating of around fifty percent shinzo is seizing the moment. under a campaign banner of overcoming the national crisis he is promising strong leadership in the face of what he calls the escalating provocations from north korea catalonia from again on how we need to urge north korea to abolish all of its nuclear weapons in a verifiable and irreversible way unless north korea accepts that we have no choice

but to continue to increase pressure in all sorts of ways to its maximum level. it's thought a is also exploiting the weakness of the opposition parties and trying to act before this woman becomes too much of a threat. yuriko core u.k. the governor of tokyo is widely popular and is starting a national party to challenge the ruling liberal democratic party. it's debatable how big an upset she might cause given her conservative policies are similar to our base in the elections in july in tokyo her party took many votes away from the l.t.p. but i think for a lot of voters the party that she will form will probably disappear in l.d.p. light and therefore for a lot of voters it may not be particularly attractive for many voters to a sense of apathy after recent national and local elections and there is

a danger the north korea factor could backfire on. the risk for our bay is the electors could punish him for seeming to take advantage of the north korean crisis for political gain holding an election where many people believe japan should be exercising maximum unity. it's better to make japan secure first and then dissolve and call an election i think an election is going to be expensive so i don't want them to do it. i really don't see the need for an election what's being predicted is a low turnout beyond that they'll be very little for certain in this election mcbride al-jazeera tokyo. there's a week to go until residents of catalonia hold a controversial independence referendum which the spanish government has dismissed as illegal but to many residents living in the heart is bigger than politics it's about retaking control of the region's cultural destiny reports.

the shepherds wandering mountain pastures independence is a way of life. a life shaped less by politics much more by hard working dog and the changing seasons. with. duty the strong will and you have to take the good with the bad always moving forward. is more comfortable speaking the catalan language than spanish his job has passed down generations fathers to sons but he's wary about catalonia breaking away from spain he fears spanish government farm subsidies would be cut. the price of animal feed has gone out and meat prices have dropped we need a solution it's a thin line between profit or loss. down the valley loyalties run clear

the mediæval bridge in public the lead draped in independents colors to a deal. is a former miner he now spends time growing vegetables or hunting mushrooms the most cattle and past time. he says his neighbors are divided in is uncertain whether a majority actually favors independence. but he harbors no doubts one date is deeply etched on his identity. the thought everybody knows that's the day when catalonia lost its independence to french troops we want to recover that but it will be very difficult when you step into these stone villages the language is different the culture is different even the food is different you really feel like you've stepped into another country you're with the yacht of the new york has been home to the orioles family for hundreds of years dominic runs a shop stacked with local delicacies she reveals to me the secret ingredient of the

cattle and spirit it's quite as if yours is. it's something you have on your skin something you have in your heart it's a feeling it's not a material thing it's supplied in our flag and our anthem and going across the world and saying i'm catalan with the world as it gets get on that deep pride is now driving a dream for some catalonia can take back control of its destiny paul pennell al-jazeera past the yacht of the knock spain. before we go let's give you a reminder of the top stories north korea's top diplomat says president our chance tweet that leader kim jong un when you're around much longer is a declaration of war and he says north korea now has every right to take countermeasures including shooting down u.s.

bombers outside of its airspace. you know. last weekend trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and he declared war on our country. the fact that this comes from the united states president is clearly a declaration of war. since the united states declared war on our country we have every right to make counts measures including the right to shoot down united states strategic bombers even when they're not yet inside north korea in space. local media is reporting a seventy eight percent turnout in a controversial kurdish independence referendum in northern iraq is expected to deliver a comfortable yes result but the outcome won't be falling during the vote faced strong opposition from iraq central government and turkey which have just started joint military maneuvers on the border or. our armed forces are on the borders with iraq to do whatever it takes iran is well will do

whatever it takes our air force stands ready we will never allow anyone or anything to go from turkey to iraq this week we will adopt so many other measures will close the borders nothing will go across the border. in germany and began the task of building a new coalition after sunday's election apparently came out top but with amy just number of seats the far right alternative for germany party has won seats in parliament for the first time taking thirteen percent of the vote it's the first time for decades that a far right party has won seats in the german parliament. medical services on puerto rico are in critical condition in the wake of hurricane maria with officials warning the situation they get worse before it gets better the strongest storm to hit the caribbean island in decades has caused wide ranging power outages with many hospitals now running off generators. america has also killed at least thirty three

people with the bulk of those deaths happening on the island of bimini satellite photos shows at least eighty percent of buildings have been damaged. those are the headlines but stay with her inside stories next. the resurgence of the right and germany chancellor angela merkel wins a fourth term bob hope how is reduced for the first time since the nazis are nationalist fall my party has members of parliament and merkel's main rival is one and had to expect strong opposition how will the veteran be the governor this time this story.