great i think it's only the beginning of this. cycle human machines starting february first on d w. this is live from berlin will they or won't they germany's social democrats seek last minute unity ahead of a vote that could decide the country's political future at stake are coalition talks with conservatives we'll have the latest from the party's special congress also coming up. in turkey drives tanks across the border into syria as the

country's defense minister says a ground offensive on the new from thing there is only a matter of time. and that means back from the depths of the ponderously go colona can show they have what it takes to win. a missile henery thanks for joining us. german chancellor angela merkel's future hangs in the balance today the country's center left social democrat party are due to hold a key vote on whether to enter coalition talks with merkel's conservatives so she democrat leader martin schulz is in favor of forming a coalition but he faces some strong resistance from within his party a no vote could lead to an already government which merkel has already said she won't lead or fresh elections. sunday is a big day for the s.p.d.

party leader martin schultz he'll face one of his most difficult votes so. that we will have lively and controversial debates we just had a long meeting with party leadership and the debate was similarly animated. brandenburg state premier is confident his party will vote for a new coalition government. the people in this country expect us to act they expect the social democrats to look after the people i'm thinking about poverty among the elderly or pensions nursing care insurance people need us to action now. six hundred delegates and you to vote on whether the coalition talks with conservatives some s.p.d. regional groups have already made their recommendations delegates here are free to vote according to their conscience five regional groups have come out in favor of launching coalition talks lower saxony.

but three other states. have recommended voting no. north rhine-westphalia which is sending the highest number of delegates to the conference social democrats they're split on how to vote. it's going to be a tight result and i think we're going to back coalition tox much of our base may be skeptical and we are too but at the end of the day we want to shape policy and no one wants new elections. the head of the social democrats youth wing sees that differently speedy members have been leading the charge against the grand coalition . i'm joined now by our correspondent tom sparrow at the s.p. congress in bonn. thomas there's talk of a yes but with conditions the power of regional s.p.d. branches and north wind was failure and has to account for concessions to the

blueprint agreement are they likely to get what they want but first depends and that is obviously clear from what happens today here in the conference in in bonn if the party delegates do decide whether they want to enter those formal talks with angular merkel's conservatives if we suppose that they would do it it would still be uncertain whether these delegates that are skeptical would actually get what they want for example on issues within social justice that's a key area for the for the s.p.d. one key area where many delegates believe that much more could be done and if you look at the other side of the negotiations if you look for example there are going to mccall's conservatives they are obviously not very keen in in adopting or changing the blueprint plaint agreement that was agreed by the conservatives on the social democrats a few days ago during those so-called exploratory talks so it is under no

circumstances certain that those delegates here who might be skeptical will actually get what they want so who's dead set against the agreement and what do they want. the youth wing of the social democrats the so-called users have become in a way the symbol of the resistance against that idea of a new grand coalition they have focused their arguments around two key issues one of them and their renewal of the social democrats they believe the social democrats suffered a lot during the grand coalition something that became evident during the election on september twenty fourth and they believe that renewal can only happen outside of a grand coalition outside of the grand coalition meaning in the opposition their second argument is that if they did and those four more talks and if they did form another grand coalition then the main party in opposition would become the alternative for germany the party described as a far right

a populous and that's something that the users this youth branch would like to avoid they don't want the d. to be the strongest party in opposition thomas will come right back to you but martin schultz the s.p.d. leader was clearly against the grand coalition after the september election yet now he's made a u. turn let's have a listen to that we are get stunning in a difficult situation and despite the poor election results we showed that germany's social democratic party will not retreat. instead we will take her twenty point five percent share of the vote as a mandate a mandate to be a strong opposition in this country because i have to now talk honestly i want to tell him a cut to part time during the exploratory talks the social democratic party unanimously decided to propose that our committees which are meeting here today passed a resolution recommending that the party congress give the party leadership a mandate to enter into coalition talks with a view to forming

a government so we do in a. household name. tom tell us what is the mood today at the coalition talks are is this the leadership are they nervous or do they seem calm what do you think you know they are certainly nervous there's no doubt about that the mood here is divided among those who would favor entering those formal talks and those who are dead set against those formal talks the party leadership martin shows in particular has also presented the vote today not only a something important internally for the social democrats but important for the country and even for the future of europe so this is clearly a very big moment for the s.p.d. and i would also say a very big moment for german politics indeed thomas starr in bonn thank you very much it's reported the taliban have claimed responsibility for a deadly twelve hour siege in the afghan capital kabul on saturday evening gunmen

stormed the landmark intercontinental hotel firing at guests a detonating grenades. some residents and staff managed to flee but others were trapped inside at least five civilians were killed officials say all three of the attackers have also been killed the rate comes days after a u.s. embassy warning of possible attacks on hotels in the city. turkish backed fighters have reportedly entered the northwestern syrian town of afrin it's part of an offensive on kurdish militias that anger is calling operation all of branch but it threatens to further inflame the nearly seven year old conflict in syria turkey's military announce that has so far struck one hundred fifty three kurdish militia targets in northern syria. turkey's civilians cheering on the tanks headed towards the syrian border. many support and kurds like his military operation

dubbed olive branch. he's a safe turkey why shouldn't we be placed. if we don't do this then the us will give the more power and very soon they'll be threatening our borders. they ever wipe a j m and the kurdish militia backed by washington turkey's air and ground forces have a pounding why page positions in african. turkish fighter jets have been carrying out an air rides and from across the border tanks have been shelling the kurdish controlled syrian on clive. and curses the why p.j. as a syrian army of the couldn't stand worker's party o.-p. chi-chi it considers the p.k. k. a terror group he. took his president richard to one says he had to act the turkish side has been fighting the p.k. k. for decades. the kurdistan workers party and the white p.g.

in syria they couldn't stand worker's party is on the terror list of the us and the e.u. the organization that works within syria is exactly the sign. away could go the us announced a new border force for syria to be headed by the wipe a.j. . now it's a nato ally turkey is bombing the white p.j. in syria putting anger on a potential collision course with washington. but turkey shows no signs of backing down it says its tanks my cross the syrian border lighted today. in romania the masses have returned to the streets to protest corruption at the highest level at the heart of the country's ruling elite there were occasional scuffles with police as an estimated fifty thousand people converged on the capital bucharest with smaller demonstrations taking place across the country was

romanians have had enough countries ranked one of the most corrupt in europe and now people are turning on the politicians tens of thousands descended on parliament many carrying giant yellow hands with the slogan all for justice ordinary people traveled from right across the country to join the demonstration. unnecessary nobody paid us to protest with simple citizens who pay taxes and we can no longer tolerate this. sense last year romania has seen the biggest wave of popular dissent since the fall of communism many blame this man for bringing things to a head. he's head of the main party in government the social democrats he's banned from becoming prime minister because of a conviction for vote rigging them his party has passed legislation to decriminalize some graft offenses it's also pushed through

a judicial overhaul which critics say limits judicial independence the moves haven't just drawn the people's washington and the e.u. have also been sharply critical. of. another special victory in the bundesliga for cologne a club that looked doomed for the occasion just a few weeks ago new coach safad with him back pulled off a third straight win saturday this one against a struggling hamburg. sure togetherness from hamburg before the game surely they would finally get the win that's eluded them since november and the first chance of the game fell to the hosts andre hahn but cologne keeper team a horn was alert to the danger humbugs early pressing a load cologne chances on the break. a sock or two too long to make up his mind here though. the visitors grew in confidence and went ahead in the

twenty seventh minute as he minds of order forcing home. the new signing watched on to a soccer as neat flick to beat them a stick my. was humbugs gideon young so yellow for his petulant reaction to going behind. philip cost it shot weakly when presented with a chance to level before halftime. and things didn't improve much for hamburg after the break. cologne sealed victory in the sixty seventh minute. it was not mine to go to again fast becoming a talisman for cologne as they seek a miraculous escape from relegation. deserved away win for cologne and yet more misery for hamburg where time is running out for coach marcus is dole. let's catch you up on this showing an open world number one rafael nadal has moved

into the quarterfinals with a tough force that win over diego schwartzman of argentina the former u.s. champion also advanced he defeated public arena opposed to of spain caroline was the advanced in the women's singles the women's number two got past the blackest magdaléna rip our cover in straight sets was the uk his next opponent will be carla suarez navarro who booked her third australian open quarter final to get battling back from the brink four three set win over thirty second seed and that kind of it . veteran driver carlos science has triumphed in the dakar rally for the second time the fifty five year old spaniard racked up victory in the car section on the final stage through the argentinian city of cordoba the former double world well the top but the former rally excuse me champion gave way to their third win in three years and the to make long event the french carmakers quitting the grueling durance race after this year science previously won in two thousand and ten guitars

nasser alethea finished second since two thousand and nine the dakar rally has taken place in south america and said of africa because of security concerns. about . more news coming up here and at the top of the hour you can always get the latest on our website. i'm still henery thanks for watching. freedom of expression with a value that always has to be defended and you. all over the world aren't afraid of freedom of art. a multimedia a project about artists and their right to express their views freely. d.w. dot com or to freedom.