this is. early and it is crunch time in germany's of search for a new government split parties stepping up efforts to reach an agreement to start coalition talks they say there's still a lot of work to do while look at some of the obstacles before tomorrow's deadline also coming up to reuters journalists facing up to fourteen years in prison and b.m.r. are trying to reveal what they say is the truth about the military's crackdown on. the unmarked uses them of breaking the law and says that they must now be called to

account plus puritanical and driven by a teacher of men a french actress catherine deneuve attacks the need to move but she accuses it of conducting a witch hunt against men have the accusers of abusers gone too far or has didn't miss the one. i'm going to have you with a long day and a lot of work to do those were the only comments by politicians as they arrived today to begin four day four of exploratory talks about forming a new government here in germany now the political parties have agreed not to brief the press for fear of scuppering any deal the german chancellor angela merkel's conservatives and the central of social democrats they've set themselves a deadline of tomorrow to find out if they have enough common ground to start form

a coalition to all. day four of the exploratory talks between chancellor merkel's conservatives and the social democrats but much remains unclear the parties have agreed on a news blackout so information about any breakthroughs is scarce us or any statements by party leaders she wants us all to like i suppose this is going to be a long day so first of all good morning for all of you and i hope that we will make some progress today to go through. the talks are scheduled to run until thursday night on friday the two sides then announce whether they intend to launch a full coalition negotiations however the s.p.d. will also have to seek the backing of its rank and file party conference in bonn on january the twenty first at an earlier party conference in december delegates had already voted in favor of the current exploratory talks if the party conference backs full coalition talks the conservatives and social democrats then start

a fresh round of negotiations which could take several weeks just like four years ago the social democrats will vent put the final agreement to the entire membership back in twenty thirteen they followed the party leadership recommendation to enter a coalition with angela merkel's conservatives so there are still a few unknowns before germany has a new government. for our correspondents a lot of parts is covering the talks for she joins us now from our parliament parliamentary studios here in berlin good evening to you so we know that politicians are being tight lipped about what's going on but we have that deadline tomorrow what are you hearing are we going to have an agreement by the deadline. so at the moment it does look like there will be some kind of agreement and a positive conclusion of these exploratory talks at some point thursday night or maybe in the early morning hours of friday we have heard from a senior christian democratic official tonight he's been saying there is some tough

negotiations ahead for example on the issues of education on some parts of the issue of migrans that will be discussed tomorrow but that progress has been made and what everybody is stressing is that they both parties share responsibility to at least try and form a new government and at this point to be honest politicians would also lose a bit of their credibility the leadership has put all their weight behind these talks and they need a positive outcome the tricky part though that comes after the leader of the social democrats has to sell it to his party base the grassroots of the social democrats are very reluctant and in the end a new government could fail because of the social democratic grassroots even if these talks so are successful and everything works out it'll be weeks until germany has a new government and for people watching and he may know something about german politics though know that the conservatives of the social democrats are ready govern to go

there they've done that for the past four years so they know what the problem areas are so what are the hurdles after four years that are still keeping them from coming to an agreement. well first of all they're for a lot of issues i think where they see eye to eye for example increasing police forest or a new immigration law that they apparently agreed upon we learned about that yesterday so they are seeing eye to eye and i think it's fair to say that the parties have in the whole history not been closer together than they are today but of course there are hurdles left for example on the issue of migration and specific family reunifications for refugees and and several other things like the health care system so that is thoroughly discussed over although we can say that these talks a gave of kind of a tired feeling after having as you said worked together for four years it looks like the party is failing to paint

a vision of what they want germany to look like in the next four years and it rather looks like a forced marriage and then that they sag grand ideas for the future of germany so maybe that'll change maybe they will present results that will surprise us tomorrow night but this is how it looks like right now but we will certainly be on that story tomorrow will be if and when there is an agreement on the show on the ports in berlin tonight thank you for what here's some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world two senior british ministers have urged germany to support a deal with protecting one finance sector after bricks of these cheap bricks it because she has room to including such a deal in future talks germany's government says that berlin does not intend to break either with the e.u. . armed robbers have smashed windows at paris's ritz hotel and made off with jewels

and other luxury goods three suspects were arrested two are believed to be on the run it's estimated that five million dollars worth of jewels were taken. there has been some relief for the roughly thirteen thousand tourists trapped in the swiss ski resort of san mateo due to heavy snowfall the trains resumed service late today after being cut off two days and you see their helicopter air lives have been servicing the resort. mian mars military says that its soldiers summarily executed ten were a hinge of muslims back in september referring to those killed as terrorists of this is the first public admission of wrongdoing by the army since it began a crackdown on ethnic group in july last august the admission appears in a statement on the facebook page of the military's commander in chief you see him right there more than six hundred thousand range you have fled their homes into neighboring bangladesh due to violence in iraq kind state meanwhile prosecutors in

me and maher have charged two journalists from reuters with violating the country's official secrets act despite widespread international condemnation the pair say that they were trying to report on the military's crackdown on the hinge are muslims. journalist while lone managed to smile as the soldiers paraded him outside the courthouse but he and his colleague chose so who is seen here in a gray shirt are facing serious charges prosecutors allege they collected secret documents related to the military situation in rakhine state but according to wile lone they're actually in jail for trying to tell the truth about what's happening in iraq. war never go whoa this is unacceptable i want to tell you that they are charging us like this to stop us finding the truth their actions are wrong and unfair. went out to a bevy where you've got you've got a few journalists have ventured into rakhine state since last summer these are rare

images of what the united nations calls the textbook ethnic cleansing going on there they show burning revenge of villages and locals fleeing the violence. the me and army strictly controls access to rakhine state it has allowed few journalists in and only under the conditions it sets the reuters journalists say they were there to report ethically and truthfully but they were arrested under old laws on secrecy after visiting rakhine. their families had been devastated by the arrests they're convinced their loved ones are innocent. or in every minute he told me not to worry because he didn't do anything wrong. he voted for this government so to get i know he strongly believes that he will be released soon. i hope that also we only had it when you don't get a lot of good. time it is it in our the jailing of the reuters journalists has caused an outcry both inside and outside me and mar colleagues gathered outside

court the fear among many me and maher is stepping up its crackdown on those who try to report a grave humanitarian crisis. the french actress catherine deneuve and at least one hundred other women have signed an open letter criticizing the me to movement they accuse its supporters of underestimating women's ability to simply say no and of ruining the lives of innocent men but the nerves critics have condemned her remarks saying she is an apologist for rape. that you and. we should mention be free to hit on women this response to recent feminist social media campaigns comes from catherine deneuve seen here patrolling an attractive housewife half a century ago of sexual double the leading french actress such that men have been some really punished or forced out of their jobs when all they did was touch someone sneak or try to still a kiss. to nurse and the other women's main target the me too movement which

emerged from the rape allegations against hollywood producer harvey weinstein in october they say the movement amounts to puritanism and poses a threat to sexual freedom. their opinion trickett fetus reactions from french feminists who did now still lead to a substantial like the all quit work clique and knowing who doesn't understand what's happening. to those attribute in this letter published in le monde you find all the stereotypes that we have to deal with every day by the office coffee machine or at family dinners and. the nuts who printed a backlash on social media actress a gentle one of the first to accuse weinstein wrote that the women who signed it a telling the won't quote how their interiorized to massage any hazlitt bottom ice them to the point of no return. strong vs on both sides and that means

to debate could still have a long way to go. cyclingnews now britain's chris froome has been urged by the director of the tour de france to dispel rumors of a doping violation christiane for at home said the thirty two year old must provide an explanation as quickly as possible for blood was found to have twice the legal amount of an als medication during spain's twenty seventeen. tour which he went on to win if he fails to explain himself the four time tour de france winner could face a ban from cycling we're now into the end of one of the most extraordinary athletic careers of all time after using bolt and mo far right now the frenchman. marshall has announced his retirement from competitive sports at the tender age of one hundred six the record setting side was out done just about everyone for

staying power but he says it's time to turn in his bike. the end of an era for the man who's out last in the mall. one hundred six year old has quit cycling with a string of world records to his name the last of those came one year ago when he set the record in his age group for distance cycled in an hour twenty two point five kilometer he said he could have gone further the centenarians remarkable life has taken him far beyond cycling he's had stints as a firefighter in paris a sugar cane. and a lumberjack in canada he was also in prison during world war two his long life and multitude of experiences have given him a sanguine perspective on mortality. you know sir it takes nine months to come into this world and then only thirty seconds

to kick the bucket. his life on two wheels has come to an end now. it's on to the next adventure. that's the secret to getting old healthy i guess is a reminder of the top stories we're following for you the german chancellor angela merkel's conservative bloc and the social democrats are entering a decisive phase in talks about forming a new government in germany leaked reports suggest that negotiators have reached agreements on key sticking points such as migration both of those parties have said tomorrow is a deadline whether or not they will go into formal talks prosecutors in myanmar have charged two journalists from reuters with violating the country's official secrets the pair have been reporting on the military crackdown against for a hinge of muslims in the northern. european union calls the case a test of democracy for me and all. you're watching news live from berlin will be back at the top of the hour with more news from the company everybody.

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