this is d.w. news live from berlin german chancellor angela merkel moves a step closer to forming a new government a christian democrats reach agreement with their very allies on migration policy we ask our political correspondent whether this is a u. turn on that refusal to allow a cap on refugee numbers or the beginnings of

a clever compromise. also on this program hundreds of thousands take to the streets of barcelona to protest against castle and independence the pro unity rally hailed as a success by its organized this is madrid warns any breakaway efforts by catalan his administration will have quote no effect. and a test of west african democracy two days before people in life period election a new president hopes a high for what would be the country's first democratic handover of power in decades. hello and welcome my name is christopher spring a thanks for joining us german chancellor angela merkel and her christian democrats have reached a breakthrough agreement in a longstanding dispute with the bavarian so. the party the christian social union

or c.s.u. sources close to key talks between the two parties say they've agreed in principle on an upper limit for the number of migrants to be allowed into germany every year it would mean german or thought is accepting no more than two hundred thousand refugees a year there an exception would be made in special circumstances if confirmed 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 our political correspondent is with me in the studio but walk us through this you know what do we know so far about 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 c's u.t.v. horsy who for. a compromise or gave him the order 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 and other migration i would say so. people coming in on economic reasons there would be a maximum cop on that people coming in even as refugees there would be some sort of a contingent contingent that could be named as special 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 amounts right and this would still be there so in the end maybe this maybe look as if it will be backing down on one offer

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 some. like this what we're talking about right now that will help to differ that would make things even easier that would give people let's say from countries like ghana countries which are of course poorer but 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 are loading a ply for legal migration as it were now. it's you being this is confirmed in this major dispute between chancellor merkel's 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 i'm assuming they've solved that. that would remove a huge hurdle. towards making progress with the with two other small parties the absolutely free democrats and 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 of 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 of the one of the central points and 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 to spain now there's been a massive rally in barcelona against plans by catalan leaders to declare independence the march came a spanish prime minister mariano to hoist said he would take measures to prevent the region from breaking away organizers say nearly one million demonstrators packed into the center of barcelona local police putting the number at three hundred fifty thousand waving both spanish in catalan flags the protesters called for an end to the country's worst political crisis in decades. this report now from data it was at the demonstration.

long live the nation is their message. christina a student from barcelona and her friend couldn't agree more. they feel catalan spanish and you repeat. that. i was born here but my entire family comes from all over spain and the supporters of independence have no right to pick us out. we don't want to freak mantid and divided we want europe to flourish and we want to be part of what not 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. in this new spanish the spanish flag. and the most russian with spanish flags of the recession with gathering facts 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 organizers say this was the biggest ever protest against catalonia seceding from spain. ok let's catch up with some of the other stories making the news around the world in turkey a group of eleven human rights activists including a german national peter. could face up to fifteen years in jail after being charged by a turkish prosecutor 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. in the us white supremacists have returned to the streets of charlottesville virginia just two months out of violent clashes over the planned removal of a confident statue there led to the death of a counter protester several dozen torch bearing demonstrators gathered near the now

covered statue the mayor of charlottesville condemned the march to eating that neo nazis could face legal action. and staying in the u.s. vice president mike pence is walked out of an american football game off to some of the players involved knelt during the national anthem the players were staging a silent protest against racial injustice part of a movement that began just over a year ago penn said he wouldn't dignify any event that disrespects the u.s. national anthem flag or salvias. now on tuesday liberians head to the polls in the first round of their country's presidential elections and they're definitely going to be choosing a new face since the incumbent ellen johnson sirleaf is stepping down after two terms marked by post-war reconstruction and they are both a crisis so if was the first woman ever to be elected a president in an african country she says choose days vote as a chance to reaffirm peace and democracy in liberia.

liberians of all political creeds are standing on the edge of history. law wracked 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 dose of book high is hoping for help from the heavens. man who was a good. man. and i. mean. that or. she 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's chosen jailed 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. in world cup soccer germany have completed a perfect twenty eighteen world cup qualifying campaign after crushing azerbaijan five one on sunday to make it ten wins out of ten the holders had already captured first place in group c. and they netted a european record forty three goals in doing so conceding just four in the game against azerbaijan germany went ahead in the ninth minute when leon gorecki scored with this nifty back heel but azerbaijan then equalized through romeo shader you have the germans came out much more aggressive in the second half sandro wagner giving them a two one lead and then goals from and to be really good gorecki and his with his second go and every chance sealing a comprehensive victory. meanwhile in formula one lewis hamilton is within reach of his fourth title after winning the japanese grand prix form

a sadie's the britain's main challenger ferrari sebastian fettle suffered engine trouble and had to retire on the fourth lap hamilton is now fifty nine points clear of the german with just four races left. the locals gave sebastian fattal a warm welcome on race day and another german world champion footballer lukas podolski was on hand to offer his support to but fettle knew the odds were against him his main title rival lewis hamilton started the race in pole position the messages man wasn't giving any ground holding his lead through the first corner. and it wasn't long before disaster struck for federal. 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 suka and his fourth win in the last five races this season. it doesn't go very close a couple times particularly at the end with the 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. at the annual but sailing regatta just off tree aston interleaved the italian boat spirit of forty children skippered by brothers video and governor haley in new c. has successfully defended its title it came in almost thirteen minutes ahead of the second place but. from slovenia about where lana is one of the nice crowded regattas in the well drawing about thirteen hundred but in various categories and hundreds of thousands of spectators. a quick reminder for you of our top story this

hour german chancellor angela merkel's conservatives have reportedly reached an agreement with them to variances to party on the divisive issue of a cap on migration party sources saying migrants arrivals could be limited to two hundred thousand a year if confirmed the deal would remove a key hurdle to efforts to form a new coalition government here in germany. they're watching queued up news in both in stay with us for an exclusive interview with the former speaker of germany's parliament the social democrat country as that's up next here on details. w.'s program guide to. the lights. the whole. dot com highlights. when i'm traveling i like to be comfortable.