this is d.w. news live from berlin the tide of misery continues as thousands of people stream out of the rebel held damascus suburbs of eastern ghouta for the third day this as syrian government forces intensify artillery bombardments of the area with the support of russian airstrikes also coming up. british russian relations in deep freeze and moscow says it's to expel twenty three british diplomats as a rout over the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter escalates further. and another scalloping in

washington former deputy director of the f.b.i. enjoy mccabe is fired the dismissal ending the veteran official story or came just days before he qualified for a pension. hi michelle henery glad to have you with us thousands of people continued to flee the rebel held damascus suburb of eastern ghouta for the third day running syrian government forces have intensified artillery bombardments of the area backed by russian airstrikes russia's military said some three thousand people and our relieving their home in humanitarian corridor monitored by russian troops more than thirteen hundred civilians have been killed and thousands more wounded amid weeks of for let loose fighting. the tide of human misery leaving the rebel held eastern suburbs of the capital damascus reached flood proportions on saturday as russian

bombers gave air support to syrian government forces on the ground russia's military said some three thousand people an hour were leaving nearly forty five thousand in the last three days meanwhile syrian and russian forces have stepped up their offensive on the rebel enclave the russians are determined to turn a humanitarian disaster into a public relations victory. we have information that militant units are ready to lay down their arms and leave eastern gota but they are awaiting commands from their western sponsors we call on all forces that have influence over the bandit units to encourage them to leave the area to avoid unnecessary loss of life it. also said he believed the united states was preparing for cruise missile strikes in the mediterranean the persian gulf and the red sea meanwhile in syria's north turkish forces and syrian pro-government rebels are attacking kurdish rebels

in the town of a free in more than two hundred thousand civilians have fled their homes in the last three days according to the kurdish red crescent which also said that turkish bombers had destroyed the city's only hospital. lattimer as a journalist speaking to us tonight from erbil in northern iraq who recently returned from syria welcomed a lot of civilians from african have fled to earth where you are you've had a chance to speak to some of them what are they saying. why she suggested a thousands of civilians i consider. that actually fled to northern level. the situation is a very. bitter expect rebels and the turks are going to are about to strike will have been and it's expected that there is going to have a battle between the kurds and the. turkish backed forces. so we've also been

hearing that thousands of people left eastern today but does it look like that fighting in the region is in its final stages. while those in government forces out taking over sixty seventy percent of the good. and there's a lot of dancing with the support of the very have the russian airstrikes saw and. the situation is worsening there is a lot of civilians have died and the international community have come down because this is a violation of the. u.n. security council ceasefire but nothing has changed. in the amount if assad's forces do take eastern what will happen to the people who are still there. was most likely the people some group of though free to areas around to some group and the mosque was. also there early

probably you can precautions for the people the support of the rebels and also possibly there will be able deal. who are not the rebels that are still in good to go. well until now like the rebels are not accepting as a coalition deal and the fighting is still going on. that it will by moving back an herbal thank you for the update. and here in germany members of the country's large kurdish community have gathered in the city of hanover to protest against the ongoing turkish offensive in syria the demonstration falls during a new rose the traditional kurdish festival marking spring german police originally wanted to ban the demonstration because of fears of clashes between kurdish and turkish groups but a court overturned the ban police have warned that images of the jailed kurdish leader. and ban flags would be confiscated.

not some of the other stories making news around the world a migrant boat carrying more than twenty people has capsized in the aegean sea near the greek island of. i've got the neic at least sixteen people have been confirmed dead three people managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm. at least two people have been killed and several more injured in a car bomb attack in the afghan capital kabul the taliban has claimed responsibility the bomber targeted a global security company official say all the victims were civilians is the fourth suicide attack in the city in three weeks. and concluded that cracks in a pedestrian bridge in florida pose no safety risk just hours before the bridge collapsed at least six people were killed and cars below were crushed when the nine hundred fifty ton bridge at florida international university collapsed on thursday on saturday crews began removing the bridge debris. tens of thousands of

people many of them were tyreese have taken to the streets of spain to call for higher pensions unions and retiree groups spearheaded the mobilization in over one hundred cities and towns saying the government's point two five percent increase to pensions is for sure. the dispute over the poisoning of a former russian double agent in britain is deepening russia says it will expel british diplomats in a tit for tat response to measures the u.k. has taken against moscow over the case the british consulate in st petersburg and the british council cultural organization will also be closed. it will go to britain's ambassador to russia summons for an urgent meeting he was informed that twenty three british diplomats have a week to leave the country it's russia's reaction to britain expelling its diplomats earlier in the week. in london british prime minister to resign mazed in russia was in flagrant breach of international law russia's response doesn't change

the facts of the matter the attempted assassination of two people on british soil for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the russian state was culpable. the kremlin has fiercely denied being behind the attack which involved a military grade nerve agent that british officials saying was developed in russia russia has also said it will shut down the activities of the british council a government backed organization for cultural and scientific cooperation. on the streets of moscow russians were split over the country's actions. but there must be retaliatory measures so that we are respected so i support our side taking action. this is very bad i think they should be peace on earth especially now times when we

see such problems everywhere. people should live to be happy and also war is bad. moscow announced the measures just ahead of a presidential election which president vladimir putin is expected to win comfortably. and voting in that presidential election is already underway and russia's far eastern regions although the raul with the u.k. has threatened to overshadow the vote internationally it's unlikely to have any effect on the outcome as we just heard president vladimir putin is expected to win another six year term but the kremlin is concerned about the possibility of low voter turnout with tomorrow's result largely a foregone conclusion many russians don't see the need to cast their ballot. well one could say it's the end of an election campaign that hardly happened no one expects any surprises on sunday when up to one hundred nine million registered voters go to the polls. every one of us cares about

the destiny of our russian fatherland. that's why i'm asking you to cast your ballot on sunday just. make use of your right to make a choice about the future of our beloved russia but i see. worried that people choosing to stay away from the polls could weaken the legitimacy of his presidency the kremlin would like to see a voter turnout of seventy percent with seventy percent of the ballots cast or put in. a lower voter turnout could strengthen the position of kremlin critic alexei navalny even though he's not allowed to run in this election he could claim a moral victory from a low turnout. we're calling on people not to vote this procedure is no election it's only a race between putin and the candidates he's personally selected. since a victory for putin is all but

a foregone conclusion some russians say they don't see any need to cast their ballots you know not photos of the decisions already been made by inverting by all means and with pleasure. i don't think it's really necessary to vote. in the end pop music and glitzy ads may not be enough to persuade everyone to go to the polls. another high level firing by the trumpet ministration former f.b.i. deputy director andrew mccabe has been dismissed the veteran official worked for the agency for over twenty years and questions are being raised over the timing of his removal. so as deputy director of the f.b.i. and room mccabe played a key role in investigations into hillary clinton's e-mail affair and alleged russian involvement in the twenty six thousand election he stepped down in january but remained on the f.b.i.'s payroll he was fired twenty six hours before he would

have become eligible for retirement the justice department released a statement from attorney general jeff sessions saying mccabe had quote made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor including under oath on multiple occasions president onil trump immediately praised the move in a tweet he called it a great day for the hardworking men and women of the f.b.i. a great day for democracy but mccabe rejects the accusations against him in a statement he said this attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally but to taint the f.b.i. law enforcement and intelligence professionals more generally. to the bundesliga now and it's been a day to forget for some of the league cellar dwellers minds were desperate for points as they travel to frankfurt but kevin prince watching scored for the host

just six minutes in and two more goals soon followed three mil the final score and a new coach at hamburg has done little to turn their fortunes around they went ahead against early on against her to berlin but the berliner scored two goals in the second half to steal the win. on friday struggling freiburg who sits deckard as the relegation battle hardened up the visitors haven't lost a game since new coach typhoon crooked came in and are going for an unlikely european spot mario gomez pushed a cart in front for just four minutes drive him back after half time through a news pietersen blunder story that gomes was on hand again to clinch the points fifteen minutes from the end of her are now unbeaten in nine under corporate and firmly in the europa league running. now let's take a look at all the bundesliga results so far this weekend as we saw hamburg went

down to hurt and frankfurt hammered mines elsewhere a lot back drew with hoffenheim vertebrae and put the bird wolfsburg take on shocker and saturday's late game there stood guards went on friday and on sunday dortmund face hand over cologne play leverkusen and life's a clash with buyer. well it's same patrick's day the day commemorating the patron saint of ireland and the day when millions of people all around the world whether they're irish or not so great with food parades street parties and of course plenty of green i'm a us city of chicago with its large irish community is no exception revelers along the banks of the chicago river were treated to a spectacle city authorities die the river green the color of the emerald isle it's estimated some seventy million people across the globe will raise a glass to the irish patron saint launches. that's

all for now more from us here at the dolby news at the top of the hour with my colleague i make a dozen thanks for watching. state by state. the most colorful. a lively or. the most traditional. find all that any time. check in with a web special. take a tour of germany state by state. w dot com.