this is did a few news live from berlin a final day of campaigning in italy ahead of the general election on sunday a divisive debate over migration continues to dominate the vote and could pave the way for the stunning comeback the former prime minister silvio berlusconi. and the shaky daily truce goes into effect for a fourth day in syria's eastern ghouta an agonizing wait for those trapped there to see if anything can finally get through.

i'm brian thomas welcome to the show today is the final day of campaigning before italy goes to the polls this weekend and the result of sunday's general election is anything but a foregone conclusion there were demonstrations last night in rome the capital as protesters turned out against the extreme right wing party which held its final campaign rally in rome that party wants to abandon the euro and leave the e.u. now despite tensions out that rally no violence broke out the election pits a right wing coalition led by former prime minister silvio berlusconi now he's facing a center left alliance led by another former prime minister material renzi now the other main player the anti establishment five star movement the issue that has been driving this election campaign and will determine who wins is migration let's cross

over now to max often the bureau chief in brussels max you were reporting in italy last week what's fueling migration is the key issue in this campaign. there are facts and there is perception brian and the facts are of course italy has a problem with migration it is right and center on the mediterranean route for all those migrants coming from africa trying to reach or of trying to look for a better life in the european union if you look at the numbers they've come down in two thousand and seventeen compared to two thousand and eighteen but coming from a very high level so you still had an estimate of about one hundred twenty thousand migrants coming to the shores of italy and then of course there is perception first of all this topic was fueled especially from the far right trying to capitalize on it and then there were some incidents that were terrible and made the news i'm sure many of overdue was also sought including for example the shooting where six six african migrants got killed in february probably racially motivated but also there

were incidents the other way around so all of this heated up the whole atmosphere the whole emotional range the perception surrounding this topic and of course on the forefront of this is sicily this island between two continents where many if not most of the migrants that come to italy have a stopover and that's why i went there to report. i think father and is over knows this neighborhood like no one else. has taken me to the markets and institution in old town palermo i'm trying to get a feel for what matters to people in this election migration seems to be at the top of the list. the tone of the current campaign is very harsh i'm afraid that the topic of

migration is being exploited from the left and from the right these people don't understand the value of migrants and migration that can bring into a country then they need to get it i mean. this is really has always been an island between two continents many africans that make it to europe spend a lot of time here some learn italian in charity sponsored classes like this one right next to the market hoping to be granted asylum others move on. there are approximately five hundred thousand undocumented migrants in italy and one man italians are very familiar with this calling the situation a social time bomb. that man is sigil bell is going the former prime minister and billionaire eighty one years old and the centerpiece of many scandals involving among other things an underage call girl named ruby and tax fraud

yet there is a good possibility she will be forging the next governing coalition once again it would be one leaning strongly to the right capitalizing on the current anti immigration in italy. in spite of his checkered past fellow party members think he's italy's best hope for reforms. and you can see in the what i'm. going to school he has extensively proven his dedication in the past he's a good businessman and he's achieved a lot for himself and his partners and his strength of purpose and his passion are the reason why we civilians and i hope italians as a whole are turning back to him he is incredible man. miss the queen to keno you should jani and you spare i can you tell jani them now no i will look at any. and you have special ties to palermo it's here that he laid the foundation for his

comeback in regional elections last year. at the market. lots of fans especially among men. when the women of school he was in power there were more jobs your level. of the he's the perfect person it is even better that he wants an alliance with the far right my young painter gets you but i think the school is the only one who can save us. it's like the old italian political saying if you stick around long enough you can become a saint. but father vote put deals in real estate and has a different view of the premise going in primarily because of his attitude towards migrants. obviously. his allies are very tough and want to get rid of migrants this is a demand that's completely outside of reality. what is

a lot of. my impression is reality has never seemed to be a big concern of better schools especially in campaigns and especially regarding migration. back to report there shows a lot of i guess a sense of the strong support there in italy for berlusconi now he's a man who's called migration. and he's also a leader who could be forging the next to tell you government is that worrying even leaders where you are in brussels. well believe it or not brian and that's something a couple years before would have been unthinkable. might be the e used best hope in italy ok he's a populist he's old school populist the inventor populism in a way in italy but at least you know where he stands and he has the chance before a government that actually works a functioning government and that is the absolute priority for the european union because the worst nightmare would be italy without

a government really no neuter ship and at least you know that by the score he is more or less pro european and you can say that of all the other parties for example the five star movement the five star movement must be worrying people where you are as well as strongly and to europe it's as emerging as the single largest party in this election is there fear in brussels right now about another bracks that scenario. well they have toned down their rhetoric in recent weeks a little bit the five star movement so they're not the scarecrow they used to be but of course nobody really wants them in the european institutions to lead a government and it's unclear how they would do that because they wouldn't have any coalition partners so even if they emerge as the strongest party them leading work in coalition seems very unlikely and the e.u. sentiment in italy is really not comparable to that of great britain or what we had at the time of the referendum in the united kingdom so no this doesn't seem to be

a brags that scenario in any way like i said worst case scenario for the e.u. you don't get a government for weeks for months maybe even longer and that and that's the irony of it and i don't want to go into the details here but this could happen on the day where germany actually gets a functioning government two of them for elections do votes taking place on sunday will be looking at both next off and thanks for your report and thanks for your insights today. now for some of the other stories making the news this hour u.s. president donald trump's move to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum has touched off a series of warnings from trading partners china surged washington to show restraint and using protection measures on trade stock markets have slumped amidst fears move could touch off a global trade war. israeli police have reportedly questioned prime minister benjamin netanyahu for the first time in

a corruption case involving the communications giant as act they're alleging that this company provided positive news coverage of netanyahu in exchange for favors he's facing allegations of corruption a number of cases and denies any wrongdoing. a fire at a drug abuse treatment center in the capital baku has killed at least twenty four people at least four others reportedly been taken to hospital officials are working to determine the cause of that blaze when well the united states is slammed russia for failing to implement a un backed cease fire in syria's eastern ghouta almost a week since the un backed the truce the rebel held area near the capital damascus remains under daily assault russia has organized a daily paulson hostilities meant to allow in aid and residents out but so far that's not happening in the east in that kicked up by the bombing blocks out the sun. each day paramedics pick up more dead and injured.

there is a sensibly a truce in place here a daily five hour pause in the fighting organized by russia but empty streets give voice to the nervousness here many residents say they see no sign of a ceasefire. this is the ceasefire look at the destruction ten days of can't tell you the shelling it's been ten days to repeat in the basement airplanes and barrel bombs and we're sitting in the basement what kind of ceasefire is this what kind of regime is this i hope god will avenge. there is incredulous he too from the u.s. and she accused russia of blocking peace efforts. plays both fire this cease fire is clearly not working russia has called for the use joke like humanitarian corridors russia needs to just do what the united nations had agreed to and voted

on and that is a countrywide cease fire these government organized i'm going in says stand ready for residents evacuating eastern ghouta but they remain unused a mark of the distrust felt by civilians here the humanitarian corridor out of the rebel held area untrodden. for more i spoke earlier with. red cross spokesman in beirut i asked him if his aid organizations been able to get any aid into eastern ghouta. unfortunately the situation has not changed since the past days and therefore we are unable to bring any help to the people inside the summit as of this hour we are still trying to negotiate with all the parties involved and try to push them to come to an agreement and we repeated our calls through the media and via a lot of negotiations but unfortunately the situation stalls and no aid is

reaching people who badly needed and side of istanbul to. it was rough age of the red cross now in extreme cold snap across europe has forced multiple airport and road crew closures britain has even called out its military to battle the chaos touched off by some of the worst weather in decades. the u.k. is digging out and bracing for more the extreme cold gripping europe has brought more than three days of unusually heavy snow to the british isles up to fifty centimeters of snow are expected in some parts airports and public transit are suffering from major delays and closures roads are shut people are stranded hundreds of vehicles have gotten stuck on roadways even all wheel drive ones have been no match for the treacherous conditions as one four by four driver found out it's quite hard to describe really. sixty. emergency services.

i mean there are hundreds of trucks you know because this is everywhere. you know cost of burning cause. emergency services and even the british army are carrying out rescue operations though a gas shortage warning has been lifted residents have been stocking up on other essentials the wintery weather has taken many in the u.k. by surprise but for some it's just a matter of preparation so it's a hard way nothing's on your doorstep but nothing so it just takes organization extreme winter conditions may continue through at least next week lacking sufficient funding and equipment for snow removal many local authorities can only hope that springtime weather is on its way. get your mind of our top story this hour campaign for italy's general election is entered its final day this after thousands turned out to protest the extreme right wing parties and wrapped up its

campaign with a rally in the capital. this is the interview news live from berlin i'm brian thomas soon we will be with you at the top of the hour for the next program for me though in the entire news team thanks so much for joining us. stories that people the world over information. opinions they want to read stressed g.w. on facebook and twitter up to date and in touch.