like germany and the prospects for those returning. join the discussion on t.w. dot com and on facebook. prospects for returning. d.w. may for mine. this is the deal news live from berlin german chancellor angela merkel moves a step closer to forming a new government party sources say her christian democrats have reached agreement with a very narrow lines on migration policy but is it a u. turn on merkel's refusal to name an upper limit for refugees will get more analysis

on that from our political correspondent in a second also on this program hundreds of thousands take to the streets of boss alona to protest against catalan independence the pro unity rally paled as a success by its organizers meanwhile madrid warns any breakaway efforts by catalonia is administration will have quote no effect. and a test of west african democracy two days before people in liberia choose a new president hopes a high for want could be the country's first democratic handover of power in decades. hello and welcome my name is christopher spring a good to have you with us german chancellor angela merkel and her christian democrats appear to have reached a breakthrough agreement. a longstanding dispute with their bavarian sister party

the christian social union or c.s.u. sources close to key talks between the two parties say they have agreed in principle on an upper limit for the number of migrants to be allowed into germany every year it would mean german all thought is accepting no more than two hundred thousand refugees here though an exception would be made in special circumstances if the deal would remove a key hurdle to coalition talks between merkel's conservative bloc and two other smaller parties. now for more on this political correspondent is with me in a studio but walk us through this you know what do we know so far about this this. agreement in principle as i think is what they're calling it yes it seems a bit that as if the chancellor angela merkel made sees you foresee who for. a compromise or gave him the. said and offered him

a compromise he couldn't really resist to saying yes we will have a maximum gap on some part of the migration but we still will have other migration to how are they how are they distinguishing between different types of migrants well basically it's the humanitarian migration of the migration i would say so. people coming in on economic reasons there would be a maximum couple that people coming in even as refugees that would be some sort of a continent contingent that could be named especially but let's say by the united nations high commissioner for refugees and what they also would be and there would be no maximum cap on people claiming for political asylum because of course that's what chancellor merkel has always said we cannot according to our constitution in germany refuse the right to asylum to people who are suffering political persecution absolutely immense right and this would still be there so. so in the

end maybe this maybe look as if it will be backing down on one for a key pete key policies but in fact it's not in fact what it what what we are having here and if this is really coming through this would be the beginning of a migration law something we haven't hart in germany until now one of the biggest problems we have seen in during two thousand and fifteen when the huge influx of refugees of people coming into germany was that there was no migration or that there was no legal ground for people coming into germany other than the asylum laws if we would have something like this what we're talking about right now that will help to defer that will make things even easier that would give people let's say from countries like ghana countries which are of course poorer but where they don't really have let's say a dictatorship make it possible for these people to come over here and to build their future if they allow you know apply for legal migration as it were now. it assuming this is confirmed and this major dispute between chancellor. christian

democrats on one hand and they have a very insistent party the christian democrats the c.s.u. on the other hand i mean this is such a longstanding dispute assuming they've solved that that would remove a huge hurdle. towards making progress with the with two other small party is the absolutely free democrats in the greens and securing a stable government for germany absolutely yes one of the key figures of one of the key issues right now in or one of the biggest stepping stones in forming this new coalition the so-called jamaica coalition with the center left greens and to the free free market liberals f.t.p. was the c.d.u. and this is you which together form a union that's at least what the name means was that this union didn't show any unity at all no they half perhaps this union on one of the key figures one. there's

a lot of the central police now they can go and speak with one tongue to the other parties to the greens and to the free democrats and of course those two parties both want an immigration law as well certainly outlines of an agreement. beginning to to appear there rupert feed about many thanks for that and i welcome. turning now to spain there's been a massive rally in barcelona against plans by catalan leaders to declare independence the march came as spanish prime minister mariano a horse said he would take measures to prevent the region from breaking away organizers say nearly a million demonstrators packed into the center of boss alone local police there put the number at three hundred fifty thousand waving both spanish and cattle on flags the protesters called for an end to the country's worst political crisis in decades this report now from. who was at the demonstration. it was down.

long lists the nation is their message. christina a student from barcelona and her friend couldn't agree more. they feel catalan spanish and who repeat. that. i was born here but my entire family comes from all over spain in the supporters of independence has no right to take us out. we don't want to for commented and provided we want europe to flourish and we want to be part of. but many in catalonia who are against independence such as this architect are still against today's protests they worried it will increase the tension and more fragile this new spanish the spanish flag. and the most russian with spanish flags of the recession with frank speakers because. i think it's not. a very good idea to have. the streets

filled with the two sides because they're going to clash still for protest the christina today's march was a success she says the people here represent catalonia silent majority organize a say this was the biggest ever protest against catalonia seceding from spain. well the cattle the leader declare independence on tuesday if you can just supporters will see him as weak they are already angry at today's demonstration but if he does the spanish government has threatened to impose direct rule and that could lead to a further escalation in what is already a deep political conflict. reporting there from barcelona time to catch up on some of the other news making making headlines around the world in turkey a group of eleven human rights activists including a german national. could face up to fifteen years in jail after being challenged by a turkish prosecutor a group the group are accused of belonging to and aiding terror groups most of them

were arrested at a workshop organized by amnesty international three months ago. thousands of cubans have paid tribute to one of their revolutionary hero shake of our on the fiftieth anniversary of his death crowds filled the streets of santa clara the city where the vajra won the final battle of the cuban revolution more than sixty years ago his old friend cuban president raul castro was in attendance. and hurricane nate has been downgraded to a tropical storm after hitting the u.s. gulf coast it made landfall on sunday morning in the state of mississippi or thirty's in several southern states ordering evacuations in coastal areas after a night to kill dozens of people in central america. now on tuesday liberians head to the polls in the first round of the country's presidential election and they'll definitely be choosing a new face and thing come and ellen johnson sirleaf is stepping down after two

terms marked by post-war reconstruction and they are both the crisis so early for the first woman ever to be elected president of an african country she says tuesday's vote is a chance to reaffirm pace and democracy in liberia. liberians of all political creeds are standing on the edge of history. law rocked by years of instability conflict and poverty liberia could be about to experience its first democratic transfer of power in four decades. but his campaign's posing rally the country's vice president and self-proclaimed continuity candidate just of poor chi is hoping for help from the heavens. no.

he will have to overcome former coca-cola executive alexander cummings heavy rain could not keep his supporters away they hope his promise of renewal rises above the fray. next in the running in this three horse race one time won't footballer of the year george where his backers trying to propel him from on field legend to president.

they love it but the past hangs over his campaign where he has chosen gold warlord charles taylor's ex-wife as his running mate as voters get ready to cast their ballots it is a reminder of the past they may wish to forget. germany has wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign for the twenty eight hundred soccer world cup after crushing azerbaijan five one earlier today with the holders already through to the tournament in russia as group winners coach us from live fielded awakened side the germany still made it ten wins out of ten in group c. leon gorecki striking twice and then it was sandra wagner and turn your ruediger and also on target for the german side. meanwhile in formula one lewis hamilton is within reach of his fourth career title after winning the japanese grand prix from a sadie's the britain's main challenger ferrari's sebastian fettle suffered engine

trouble and were tied in the fourth lap and wilton is now fifty nine points clear of the german with just four races left. the locals gave sebastian several a warm welcome on race day and another german world champion footballer lukas podolski was on hand to offer his support too but fattal knew the odds were against in his main title rival lewis hamilton started the race in pole position the mess a tease man wasn't giving any ground holding his lead through the first corner. and it wasn't long before disaster struck for federal. political power. in just the fourth lap his ferrari suffered engine problems bringing his race to a premier to end the hammer blow to his diminishing title hopes hamilton took full advantage the british driver i became technical difficulties of his are going to take the victory his fourth when it says zucker and his fourth win in the last five

races this season. it didn't go very close a couple times particularly at the end with a safety car so the b.s.c. and then we started tires were cold. had a bit of traffic max finished up and finished in second to follow up his win last weekend but yet again the day belonged to hamilton only a string of catastrophes can stop his title charge now. in chile a grueling seven day trek across the atacama desert ended today with participants having crossed one hundred forty kilometers of challenging terrain the winner was alexander mangold of the u.s. finishing more than one and a half hours ahead of his nearest rival then he switched think of belgium the atacama desert is reputed to be the driest place on earth altitudes they're averaging twenty five hundred metres the competition is part of the wider four deserts race which includes tracks across the sahara and the gobi.

a quick reminder for you of our top story at the moment german chancellor angela merkel is conserved. it's have reportedly reached an agreement with their very insistent party on the divisive issue of a cap on migration policy sources saying migrant arrivals could be limited to two hundred thousand per year if confirmed the deal would remove a k. hurdle to efforts to form a new coalition government here in germany. you're watching news involving more from us at the top of the hour do stay with us if you can. with history books mark brought to life.